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JITHOLOGICAL BIOGRAPHY. —
ORNITHOLOGICAL BIOGRAPHY,
OR AN ACCOUNT OF THE HABITS OF THE
BIRDS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
ACCOMPANIED BY DESCRIPTIONS OF THE OBJECTS REPRESENTED
IN THE WORK ENTITLED
BIRDS OF AMERICA,
TOGETHER WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS OF MANY
OF THE SPECIES, ILLUSTRATED BY ENGRAVINGS ON WOOD.
BY JOHN JAMES AUDUBON, F.R.SS.L.&E.
FELLOW OF THE LINNEAN AND ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETIES OF LONDON ; MEMBER OF THE LYCEUM
OF NEW YORK, OF THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF PARIS, THE WERNERIAN NATURAL
HISTORY SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH, HONORAKY MEMBER OF THE SOCIETY OF NATURAL
HISTORY OF MANCHESTER, AND OF THE SCOTTISH ACADEMY OF PAINTING, SCULPTURE,
AND ARCHITECTURE 5 MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY, OF THE
ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES AT PHILADELPHIA, OF THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETIES
OF BOSTON, OF CHARLESTON IN SOUTH CAROLINA, THE QUEBEC LITERARY AND HISTORI-
CAL SOCIETY, THE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON, &c. &c.
EDINBURGH :
ADAM & CHARLES BLACK, EDINBURGH;
LONGMAN, ORME, BROWN, GREEN & LONGMANS, LONDON ; R. HAVELL,
ENGRAVER, 77. OXFORD STREET, LONDON; ALEXANDER HILL,
EDINBURGH ; AND GEORGE SMITH, LIVERPOOL.
MDCCCXXXVITI.
PRINTED BY NEILL AND CO., OLD FISHMARKET, EDINBURGH-
INTRODUCTION.
THREE years have nearly elapsed since | had the pleasure
of presenting you with the third volume of my “ Ornithological
Biography,” and about twelve since the first fasciculus of my
“ Tllustrations of the Birds of America” was submitted to your
inspection. This work, comprising four hundred and thirty-five
plates, and one thousand and sixty-five figures, was finished on
the 20th of June 1838, without the continuity of its execution
having been broken for a single day, and the numbers having
been delivered with exemplary regularity; for all which I am
indebted to my friend and Engraver, Mr Robert HavEL. Once
more surrounded by all the members of my dear family, en-
joying the countenance of numerous friends who have never
deserted me, and possessing a competent share of all that can
render life agreeable, I look up with gratitude to the Supreme
Being, and feel that I am happy.
The adventures and vicissitudes which have fallen to my
lot, instead of tending to diminish the fervid enthusiasm of my
nature, have imparted a toughness to my bodily constitution,
naturally strong, and to my mind, naturally buoyant, an
elasticity, such as to assure me that, though somewhat old,
vi INTRODUCTION.
and considerably denuded in the frontal region, I could yet
perform on foot a journey of any length, were I sure that I
should thereby add materially to our knowledge of the ever-
interesting creatures which have for so long a time occupied
my thoughts by day, and filled my dreams with pleasant
images. Nay, Reader, had I a new lease of life presented to
me, I should chuse for it the very occupations in which I
have been engaged.
And, Reader, the life which I have led has been in some
respects a singular one. Think of a person intent on such
pursuits as mine have been, aroused at early dawn from his
rude couch on the alder-fringed brook of seme northern val-
ley, or in the midst of some yet unexplored forest of the west,
or perhaps on the soft and warm sands of the Florida shores,
and listening to the pleasing melodies of songsters innumer-
able, saluting the magnificent orb from whose radiant in-
fluence the creatures of many worlds receive life and light.
Refreshed and reinvigorated by healthful rest, he starts upon
his feet, gathers up his store of curiosities, buckles on his
knapsack, shoulders his trusty firelock, says a kind word to
his faithful dog, and recommences his pursuit of zoological
knowledge. Now the morning is spent, and a squirrel or a
trout afford him a repast. Should the day be warm, he re-
poses for a time under the shade of some tree. The wood-
land choristers again burst forth into song, and he starts anew,
to wander wherever his fancy may direct him, or the objects
of his search may lead him in pursuit. When evening ap-
proaches, and the birds are seen betaking themselves to their
retreats, he looks for some place of safety, erects his shed of
green boughs, kindles his fire, prepares his meal, and as the
INTRODUCTION. vii
Widgeon or Blue-winged Teal, or perhaps the breast of a
Turkey, or a steak of venison, sends its delicious perfumes
abroad, he enters into his parchment-bound journal the re-
markable incidents and facts that have occurred in the course
of the day. Darkness has now drawn her sable curtain over
the scene, his repast is finished, and kneeling on the earth he
raises his soul to Heaven, grateful for the protection that has
been granted to him and the sense of the Divine presence in
this solitary place. Then wishing a cordial good night to all
the dear friends at home, THE AMERICAN WOODSMAN wraps
himself up in his blanket, and closing his eyes, soon falls into
that comfortable sleep which never fails him on such occa-
sions. '
Since I last parted from you, my exertions have been un-
remitted, and my rambles extended as far as circumstances al-
lowed, for I have been ever anxious to render the fourth and
concluding volume of my Illustrations as worthy of your ap-
probation as | could. Whether I have added to our know-
ledge of the birds which constantly reside within the limits of
the United States and their Territories, or periodic™ lly visit us
from the South, it is yours tosay. That I have left undone much
that might have been accomplished by an abler student of Na-
ture, is doubtless quite true; but that any would have prose-
cuted the study of our numerous feathered denizens with more
good will or more sincere desire to obtain facts and rectify er-
rors, would, I think, be difficult to prove If my “ Birds of
America,” and *‘ Ornithological Biography,” are looked upon
by you as having contributed in some degree to the improve-
ment of our knowlege of these my favourite objects of obser-
vation, and as likely to stimulate other and perhaps more suc-
Viii INTRODUCTION.
cessful students to perfect it, I shall rest satisfied with my
labours.
Having hitherto given you some account of the occurrences
that have taken place during the time intervening between
the appearance of one volume and that of another, I again re-
sume the subject, hoping that what I have now to say may
prove not less interesting to a friend like you. When I last
left Edinburgh, I proceeded to London, full of the desire to re-
visit my native land before concluding my work. It was
my wish to cross the Continent of America, gaze on the ma-
jestic wilds of the Rocky Mountains, wander along the green
valleys of the Oregon, and search the shores of the Pacific
Ocean and a portion of North California; but circumstances
denied me the pleasure anticipated. However, here we are
on the way to the metropolis of England; we have already
passed through Newcastle, York, Leeds, and Manchester, and
are just about to alight in the Main Street of Sheffield. The
gentleman who meets me at the coach door, is Joun HeEp-
PENSTALL, Eisq., well known to me by correspondence, but not
personally until now. Arrived here according to appointment,
we shake hands, and in a few minutes are beneath his most
hospitable roof, and in the midst of his family and friends.
The expectations which we had formed, so far from being dis-
appointed, were more than gratified, for this sincere and ho-
nourable man is distinguished, not less by liberality of senti-
ment than by a generosity commensurate with the goodness
of his heart. In these respects every member of his family is
a counterpart of himself; and, such being our hosts, you may
judge how agreeable to us was our stay in Sheffield. It was
while enjoying the hospitality of this excellent friend, that we
INTRODUCTION. ix
became acquainted with EBENEZER ELLiot, Esq. and subse-
quently with JonarHan BraMMELL, Esq. from whom we have
since received many acts of kindness. Stopping afterwards
at Derby, we saw our relations there, and on arriving in Lon-
don were kindly welcomed by my brother-in-law, ALEXANDER
Gorpon, Esq., and soon established ourselves in a house in
Wimpole Street.
I now again enjoyed the society of our numerous friends,
and had the pleasure of seeing my work proceed apace. One
day Mr Rosert Have i informed me, that a gentleman, a
Fellow of the Royal Society, residing not far from us, in
the same street, had subscribed for the Birds of America.
The gentleman called to see me; my wife and myself, were
introduced to his lady, and the several members of his ami-
able family, and our intimacy and friendship have ever since
increased. This excellent friend of mine is a surgeon of the
highest merit. Long before I left England for America, he took
charge of my wife’s precarious health; and when we parted at
the coach that took my son, Joun Woopuouse, and myself,
to Portsmouth, he promised to watch over her. When I again
reached my house in Wimpole Street, after an absence of a
year, he was the first friend to greet me with a cordial wel-
come. Were I to mention the many occasions on which he
has aided me by his advice and superior knowledge of the
world, you would be pleased to find so much disinterestedness
in human nature. His professional aid too, valuable as it has
proved to us, and productive of much inconvenience to him, has
been rendered without reward, for I could never succeed in
inducing him to consider us his patients, although for up-
wards of two years he never passed a day without seeing my
x INTRODUCTION.
wife. But why should | say more? This fine specimen of |
human nature, eminent for every virtue, this kind and ge-
nerous friend, is BENJAMIN PHiLiies, Esq.
Having been long anxious to introduce into America se-
veral species of European birds, which I thought might thrive
with us, { purchased about an hundred individuals of that
delightful songster, the Sky Lark, fifty Starlings, and several
Jays and Wood Pigeons, intending to set them loose in the
Western States. Putting them in ample cages, accompanied
with a store of food for the voyage, I had them sent on board
in the London Docks; but on our reaching Portsmouth by
land, we heard that the weather had been very bad in the
Channel, and that our birds had suffered severely. The news,
to my vexation, proved true; many of the birds had died ;
and, although our passage to New York was pleasant as well
as speedy, very few were landed, so that my hopes were en-
tirely disappointed.
On the Ist of August 1836, we went on board the fine
American Packet Ship, the Gladiator, commanded by Tuomas
Britton, Esq. and proceeded on our voyage, which proved
agreeable. On arriving at New York, we soon reached the
house of my good friend and brother-in-law NicHotas BrEr-
THouD, Esq. Leaving my son there, I proceeded almost imme-
diately to Boston, where, under the roof of my generous friend
Dr Grorce C. Suarruck, I enjoyed life for a while. My friend
Dr GrorGE PARKMAN was absent, and I missed him much.
Here, through the kindness of Dr Suarruck, [I procured two
subscribers, and formed acquaintance with THomas M. Brewer,
Esq., from whom I have received may valuable services, which
you will find mentioned in the proper places. Pushing on to
INTRODUCTION. xi
Salem I formed some acquaintances there, and procured seve-
ral subscribers; then returned to Boston, and, as fortune would
have it, heard of the arrival of THomas Nutratt, Esq., the
well-known zoologist, botanist, and mineralogist, who had
performed a journey over the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific
Ocean, accompanied by our mutual friend Jonn Kirk Town-
SEND, Esq., M.D. Mr Nurrati generously gave me of his orni-
thological treasures all that was new, and inscribed in my
journal the observations which he had maderespecting the habits
and distribution of all the new and rare species which were
unknown to me. All this information you will find in the dif-
ferent articles to which it refers, and you will allow that while
it proves his zeal for the furtherance of science, it manifests
the generosity of his noble nature.
Dr Townsenp’s collection was at Philadelphia; my anxiety
to examine his specimens was extreme; and | therefore, bid-
ding farewell to my Boston friends, hurried off to New York,
where, in a week, I added eighteen names to my list of sub-
scribers, in obtaining which I was materially aided by my
brother-in-law. Once more my son and [ reached Philadel-
phia, where at once we placed ourselves under the roof of my
ever staunch and true friend RicHarp Haran, Esq., M. D.,
with whom we remained several weeks. Soon after my ar-
rival, I called on my learned friend Dr CHaries PICKERING,
formed the desired acquaintance of an enthusiastic young orni-
thologist, James TrRuDEAU, Esq., and met my firm friend Ep-
warD Harris, Esq. Having obtained access to the collection
sent by Dr Tewnsenp, I turned over and over the new and rare
species; but he was absent at Fort Vancouver, on the shores
of the Columbia River; THomas Nurraut had not yet come
xii INTRODUCTION.
from Boston, and loud murmurs were uttered by the soi-
disant friends of science, who objected to my seeing, much less
portraying and describing those valuable relics of birds, many
of which had not yet been introduced into our Fauna. The
traveller’s appetite is much increased by the knowledge of the
distance which he has to tramp before he can obtain a meal ;
and with me the desire of obtaining the specimens in ques-
tion increased in proportion to the difficulties that presented
themselves. Having ascertained the names of the persons best
able or most willing to assist me on this occasion, and aided
by Tuomas Nurratt, who had now arrived, Drs PicKERING,
Haran, S. G. Morton, Secretary to the Academy of Natural
Sciences, M‘Murrriez, TrupEav, and above all my friend
Epwarp Harris, who offered to pay for them with the view
of presenting them to me, I at length succeeded. It was
agreed that I might purchase duplicates, provided the specific
names agreed upon by Mr Nurratt and myself were published
in Dr TownsENp’s name. This latter part of the affair was
perfectly congenial to my feelings, as I have seldom cared
much about priority in the naming of species. I therefore
paid for the skins which I received, and have now published
such as proved to be new, according to my promise. But, let
me assure you, Reader, that seldom, if ever in my life, have I
felt more disgusted with the conduct of any opponents of
mine, than I was with the unfriendly boasters of their zeal
for the advancement of ornithological science, who at the time
existed in the fair city of Philadelphia.
From Philadelphia | bent my course toward Baltimore,
where I spent a few days. Before leaving the former city,
my good friend Epwarp Harris had promised to join us at
INTRODUCTION. xiii
Charleston, for the purpose of accompanying us along the
western coast of the Floridas, and the Gulf of Mexico, at
least as far as Galveston Island in Texas. On reaching the
city of Washington, I presented myself to the Honourable
Levi Wooppury, Secretary of the Treasury of the United
States, a gentleman of learning, long friendly towards me,
who at once assured me that he would, if possible, grant me
one of our Revenue Cutters, for my intended voyage. The
war, which was at that time raging between the Seminole
Indians and the citizens of Florida tended strongly to frus-
trate my wishes, as every disposable vessel of the class under
the Secretary of the Treasury was engaged on the coast of the
Peninsula. I called on President ANDREW Jackson, from
whom, since 1819, I have received peculiar facilities, and
who assured me of his wish to grant my request. My son and
I dined with him on that day sans fagon, both of us in the un-
dress best suited to practical students of nature. And here
I may inform you, that I have seldom eaten of a better Wild
Turkey than the one which graced his table, and which had
been procured not many miles distant from our centre of poli-
tical intercourse. I also had the pleasure of seeing my ex-
cellent friend, Colonel J. J. Abert, of the U. S. Topographi-
cal Department, the Honourable J. R. Pornsert, and the Se-
cretary of the Navy, to whom I then recommended several
American naturalists as worthy of being engaged on any na-
val expedition of discovery.
We now proceeded towards Charleston in South Carolina,
travelling the latter part of the way on one of the most extra-
ordinary rail-roads in the world, and reached in safety the
house of my worthy friend the Reverend Joun Bacumay, D. D.
a INTRODUCTION.
It was indeed a happy meeting! Here I opened the box con-
taining Dr Townsenp’s precious series of birds, and while
waiting the arrival of Mr Harris, drew upwards of seventy
figures of the species which I had procured at Philadelphia,
assisted in the finishing of the' plants, branches of trees, and
flowers, which accompany these figures, by my friend’s sister-
in-law Miss M. Martin, to whom I now again offer my most
sincere thanks. While here I received the agreeable mtelli-
gence of my having been elected a Member of the Ornitholo-
gical Society of London.
Epwarp Harris jomed me, but the Revenue Cutter had
not made its appearance ; and time becoming precious, on ac-
count of the approach of spring, we bid adieu to all at Charles-
ton, and pushed for New Orleans, where, I was informed by
Government letters, I should meet with a vessel. On reach-
ing Augusta in Georgia, I called on Dr Wray, who: pro-
mised to forward to mea number of plants for my noble
friend Lord RavenswortH, who has received them in good
order. After several days of severe travelling, we ar-
rived at Montgomery in Alabama, and meeting there with
a steam-boat bound to Mobile, secured our passage. Next
day we arrived there, and spent two days in examining the
neighbourhood ; after which we proceeded to Pensacola, where
I felt proud to find a harbour commodious enough to contain
a fleet sufficient to repel the attacks of any naval force brought
against the United States. Here I made the long-sought-for
acquaintance of Mr Innerariry, to whom I had letters from
my friend ALEXANDER Gorpon, Esq., and who introduced us
to all who were likely to forward our views. The next morn-
ing he accompanied us on board the United States’ frigate, the
INTRODUCTION. XV
Constellation, and presented us to Commodore Daas, to
whom I had letters of introduction from our government. This
polite and gallant officer received us all with great kindness,
and, after reading my letters, assured me that as soon as a
cutter could be spared, it should be at my service, and that
the information would be transmitted to me through the me-
dium of the Collector of Customs at Mobile or New Orleans.
After searching the country around Pensacola, we returned to
Mobile, and proceeded to New Orleans in a steamer, by way
of the great lakes.
Having previously received the most pressing invitation
from my friend James GrimsHaw, Esq., my son and I went
at once to his house, where we were treated with all the kind-
ness to be expected from a true English gentleman. I had
the pleasure of renewing my acquaintance with Ex-Governor
Roman, and several members of his most amiable family,
among whom was Mr ZarinevE. From that gentleman
I received much valuable information respecting some of
our birds, as well as from my long-known acquaintance, the
great sportsman Mr Louis Apam. Here also I for the last
time met with good M. Le Suzur, well known to the world of
science as a zoologist of great merit, and with whom I first
became acquainted at Philadelphia in 1824. He, alas! is now
no more.
Having called on Mr BREEDLOVE, Collector of Customs for
New Orleans, and presented to him my letters from the Honour-
able Levi Wooppury, he at once assured me that the Revenue
Cutter the Campbell, would be at my disposal in a very few
days. But the service, or other circumstances, did not allow
the arrival of that vessel at New Orleans until late in March,
Xvi INTRODUCTION.
and at a time when, apprehensive that our intended voyage
might be frustrated, we were all “crest-fallen.” Time, however,
passed on, and one morning I was gladdened by being called
upon by the Commander of the Campbell, and still more upon
recognising in him the Lieutenant and Pilot of the Marion,
or Lady of the Green Mantle, so frequently mentioned in the
former volumes of these Ornithological Biographs. I knew
that NapPoLeon CosTE was a true sea-fowl. He assured me of
the excellence of his vessel, and gay and happy were we all
when we removed on board the tight little sea-boat, of scarcely
more than sixty tons burden. Proceeding down the Missis-
sippi, we sailed through its south-west Pass, where we were
joined by a vessel of eight tons, as a tender for our excursions
along the shores. It was commanded by Captain WinL1aAM
Taytor, now, I believe, a Commodore in the Texian service,
a gentleman who has seen much of the world, an excellent
companion, and a good hunter and fisher.
Of our various excursions, whether by water or by land,
between the mouths of the Mississippi and the point at which
we returned, a detailed account would prove tedious and fa-
tiguing ; for what interest can there be in the relation of our
wading through mud for whole days, exposed to the scorching
heat, and continually annoyed by myriads of insects? We
reached the Bay of Galveston on the 24th of April 1837, and
ransacked not only the island of that name, but all those in that
celebrated inlet of the Mexican Gulf, which we thought worthy
of our attention. It was a curious circumstance to me, that,
being on board of the first American armed vessel in the
United States’ Service that had entered the Bay, the fort of
Galveston returned the salute of twenty-six fires from the
INTRODUCTION. xvii
ereat gun of the Campbell; and almost equally so when I re-
ceived a visit from the Secretary of the Navy of the infant
Republic of Texas, with a written invitation to proceed to the
seat of Government, the newly founded city of Houston, dis-
tant from our anchorage about eighty miles. Toward this
place the Campbell proceeded about twenty miles, when,
meeting with a bar, on which there is not more than about
four feet of water at full tide, she again came to anchor.
At this place, which is called Red-Fish Bar, on the 9th of May,
my friend Epwarp Harris, Captain Coste, and five sailors
took the gig, while the Crusader, our tender, took the Secre-
tary of the Texian Navy, M. Fisner, Esq., a Mr Warp, my
son, and myself. We crossed a large but shallow bay with a
fair wind, and proceeding rapidly, passed the lately founded
town of New Washington, and soon afterwards several plan-
tations, the sight of all which afforded us much pleasure, as
contrasted with the low salt-marshes and flat lands along the
shores of the Mexican Bay, among which we had so long
wandered. About noon we entered Buffalo Bayou, near the
mouth of the San Jacinto River, almost opposite the cele-
brated battle-ground. Ducks of various species, Ibises, Wild
Turkeys, and many other birds, were seen in great numbers,
and we proceeded smoothly over the then turbid waters of
the Bayou, until we reached a comfortable house, where we
spent the night, after previously examining several miles of
the country around.
The Secretary of the Texian Navy being anxious to reach
the seat of his government, we started in the gig of the Camp-
bell, although the rain, which had commenced in the night,
was falling in torrents, and the waters of the Bayou, which
b
XViii INTRODUCTION.
the day before were still, now rushed at a rapid rate toward.
the Gulf. About two o’clock in the afternoon, we reached
Houston, completely drenched, and were soon afterwards in-
troduced to the President General Houston, who received us
kindly, and offered us horses and men to assist us in our re-
searches. The town was crowded with hundreds of Indians,
only a few of whom were sober. Although here and there
eroups of great interest to the painter might be seen, their
howlings and gesticulations were by no means pleasing. The
beautiful level plain on the margin of which Houston is situ-
ated, was covered with water ankle deep. Having seen all
that was thought interesting, and offered the President as well
as all the officers of his Staff my best thanks, we returned to
our yawl, and floating on the accumulated waters, flew as it
were down the stream. Several days were afterwards spent
in rambling as much as possible over the country, and among
other places, we visited the battle-ground of San Jacinto, where
we saw scattered the remains of numerous individuals de-
stroyed in that bloody fray.
On our way towards “ Red-Fish Bar,” we stopped two days
at the hospitable mansion of Colonel James Morean, who re-
ceived us in the most friendly manner. This spot, possessing
a fine extent of woodland, surrounded by vast prairies, orna-
mented with numerous detached groves, reminded us of some
of the beautiful parks of England. There, among other rari-
ties, we procured a fine specimen of the climbing Rattle-snake
with recurved fangs, which, along with several others of the
same kind, is now in my possession.
On the 18th of May, we bade adieu to the Texas, amid the
salutes of the several armed Texian vessels at Galveston, and
INTRODUCTION. XIX
were soon on the broad waters of the Gulf of Mexico. We
had as passenger Mr Crawrorp, the British Consul at Tam-
pico; and after a pleasant voyage, anchored on the 24th with-
in the south-west Pass of the Mississippi. After visiting Cap-
tain Taytor and his family at the Balize, we were towed by
a steamer to New Orleans, where we arrived on the 27th.
Here I had the gratification of meeting with my youngest
brother-in-law, WILLIAM G. BAKEWELL, Esq. of Louisville, Ken-
tucky, as well as with his amiable wife, neither of whom I
had seen for several years.
The commercial revolution which had taken place during
our absence, prompted us to proceed at once to the eastward,
and bidding farewell to our friends, I and my son set out
for Charleston by way of Mobile, whence we crossed the
country in a cart with the United States’ mail-bags, where-
on, in lieu of downy beds and pillows, our bones rested in
cramped positions during the night, whilst by day we had
ample opportunities of walking over miserable roads, through
an almost uncultivated country, and with very indifferent fare.
On reaching Montgomery, however, we met with a good coach,
and moved more rapidly toward our destination.
My friend Epwarp Harris had parted from us, at New
Orleans, and gone up the Mississippi to secure for me a col-
lection of preserved Reptiles and other objects; but, after a
more pleasant journey than ours, by way of Mobile, Pensacola,
and the level country between the latter and Augusta in
Georgia, joined us again at the house of our friend Dr Bacu-
MAN, where we arrived on the 5th of June. And here, good-
natured Reader, let me say to you, that the friendship which
had so long subsisted between that reverend gentleman and
xx INTRODUCTION,
myself, became still more cemented by the marriage of his
eldest daughter to my youngest son.
In the course of our long journeys through woods and over
plains, and of our sinuous sailings along the many bays,
creeks or bayous, which we visited on this expedition, not-
withstanding all our exertions and constant anxiety, we did
not discover a single bird not previously known. However,
the enterprise proved exceedingly interesting to my com-
panions and myself, and I trust its results will be found to
possess some value in your eyes also, for, as you will perceive,
it has enabled me to speak with more confidence on the mi-
gratory movements of a good number of species which visit
us from southern climes during the breeding season. It also
enables me to define more accurately than I could otherwise
have done, the geographical distribution of most of those
which at various times make their appearance in the different
sections of the United States, and other portions of North
America.
Leaving Charleston, we reached Norfolk by a steamer, af-
ter a short passage of thirty-eight hours, and proceeded at
once to Washington, where I presented myself to the Presi-
dent of the United States, Martin Van Buren, to whom I
had letters from my amiable and celebrated friend, WasHine-
TON Irvine, Esq., and offered my best thanks to the heads
of the several departments, and my various friends. We then
passed rapidly through Baltimore and Philadelphia, my wish
being to reach New York as soon as possible. There I re-
mained a fortnight, while my son and daughter-in-law visited
the Falls of Niagara. They having returned, we embarked,
on the 16th of July 1837, on board the American packet-ship,
INTRODUCTION. xxi
the England, commanded by Rosert Waite, Esq., for Liver-
pool, where, seventeen days after, we were safely landed.
Here we quickly paid our respects to the RaTupones, the
CuorLeEys, and other friends, to whom bidding adieu at the
same time, we proceeded to join my family in London, where,
on the 7th of August, we once more met all together.
I found the publication of the ‘‘ Birds of America” in a sa-
tisfactory state of progression, but received the disagreeable
intelligence that a great number of my British patrons had
discontinued their subscriptions, and that most of those who
still received the numbers as they came out, were desirous of
seeing the work finished in Eighty Numbers, as I had at first
anticipated. On this account, | found myself obliged to intro-
duce, and in some instances to crowd, a number of species
into one and the same plate, in order to try to meet the wishes
of those who had by their subscriptions in some measure as-
sisted me in the publication of that work, This, however, I
did in such a manner as seemed best to accord with the affi-
nities of the species. But, Reader, Dr Townsenp meantime
returned to Philadelphia, after an absence of about four years,
and with a second collection, containing several rare and new
birds, which, after meeting with the same difficulties as on the
former occasion, in consequence of the opposition of various en-
lightened persons at Philadelphia, although Dr TownsENpD was
extremely desirous that every thing new or rare belonging to
our Fauna should be given to me, I received only a few weeks
before closing the engraving of my plates. A few others did
not reach me until several days after. What was I to do?
Why, Reader, to publish them to be sure; for this I should
have done, to the best of my power, even if every subscriber in
xxii INTRODUCTION.
Europe had refused to take them. What! said I, shall the.
last volume of the “ Birds of America” be now closed, at a
time when new species are in my hands? No! And in spite
of threats from this quarter and that, that such and such per-
sons would discontinue their subscriptions (which indeed they
have done, and refused to take the few numbers that would
have rendered their copies complete), my wish to do all that
was in my power has been accomplished :—AlIl Dr TownsEnn’s
species, as well as some received through different channels,
have been published. To that enthusiastic naturalist and ex-
cellent friend I am also deeply indebted for the valuable notes
which he has forwarded to me through my friend Epwarp
Harris.
I had the gratification of receiving at London a diplo-
ma from the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec ; and
since then have been favoured with a list of the birds which
have been observed in the environs of that city, by W1LL1AM
SHEPPARD, Esq., his lady, and son, for which I offer them my
most sincere thanks. I am also much indebted to the mem-
bers of the Council of the Zoological Society of London, who
have never ceased to furnish me with whatever American
specimens their valuable museum contains, allowing me to
take them to my house. I am farther indebted to my excel-
lent and generous friend Professor J. T. Henstow of Cambridge
for the continuance of his most kind services to me. Nor
must I here omit mentioning the efficient aid I have received
from THomas DurHAM WetR, Esq. of Boghead, in the county
of Linlithgow, and Mr Macpurr Carrra®, Preserver of Animals
in Edinburgh, who have kindly procured for me many speci-
INTRODUCTION. xxiii
mens of British birds for comparison with such of our Ame-
rican species as seemed to be identical.
For several years past I have felt a great desire to place
before the world an account of the digestive organs of our
various birds. With this view I have, at a great expense, ob-
tained specimens preserved entire in spirits. In collecting
them I have received the most effectual aid from several of my
American friends, residing in different parts of the country ;
and in particular from the Rev. Dr BacuMman of Charleston in
South Carolina, Colonel TaroporE ANDERSON of Baltimore, Dr
Ricuarp Haran of Philadelphia, Dr THomas M. Brewer of
Boston in Massachusetts, Taomas M‘Cuttocu, Esq. of Pictou in
Nova Scotia; ALEXANDER GorpoN, Esq. of London, who wrote
to Havannah for Flamingoes; Jean CHartranp, Esq. who
sent me a pair of these birds from Matanzas in Cuba; and from
Captain Napoteon Coste of the United States’ Revenue Service.
Besides the valuable contributions of these friends, to whom my
warmest thanks are due, a vast number of specimens were pro-
cured by the members of my several parties, in Labrador, in
Texas, and in various parts of the United States, as well as
many purchased from Mr Warp of New York. An account.
of the digestive organs and trachea of these, generally concise,
but occasionally of considerable length, you will find under
the articles to which they refer, in the present volume. These
anatomical descriptions, as well as the sketches by which they
are sometimes illustrated, have been executed by my learned
friend Witt1am Maccitiivray, who in the most agreeable
manner consented to undertake the labour, by no means small,
of such a task, and to whom those who are interested in the
progress of Ornithological science, as well as myself, must
xxiv : INTRODUCTION.
therefore feel indebted. These details I had resolved to pre-.
sent to you, because I have thought that no perfect knowledge
of the affinities of species can be obtained until their internal
organization is known. I believe the time to be fast approach-
ing when much of the results obtained from the inspection of
the exterior alone will be laid aside : when museums filled with
stuffed skins will be considered insufficient to afford a know-
ledge of birds; and when the student will go forth not only to
observe the habits and haunts of animals, but to procure spe-
cimens of them to be carefully dissected.
When I commenced the present volume, I expected that it
should contain descriptions of all the species represented in
the fourth volume of my Illustrations; but, on proceeding, I
found that, even without Episodes, which I have been obliged
to exclude, in order to make room for anatomical notices, of
more interest to the scientific reader, I could not include more
than the usual number of one hundred species. In the fifth
and concluding volume, the printing of which has already be-
gun, you will find Descriptions of upwards of a hundred spe-
cies, many of which are new to science, together with Lists
illustrative of the geographical distribution of birds, an Ap-
pendix containing additions and corrections, and, finally, a
Synopsis of the Birds of North America, methodically ar-
ranged, with generic and specific characters.
JOHN J. AUDUBON.
Epinsuren, Ist November 1838.
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
Canvass-back Duck, .
Dusky Duck,
Bartramian Sandpiper, .
Turnstone, .
‘Purple Gallinule,
Great Northern Diver or Loon,
Blue Heron,
Tell-Tale Godwit,
Common Tern,
Spotted Sandpiper,
American White Pelican, .
Long-tailed Duck,
Blue-winged Teal, ;
Black-headed or Laughing Gull,
Knot or Ash-coloured Sandpiper,
Anhinga or Snake-Bird,
Surf Duck,. . .
American Avoset,
Least Tern,
Little Sandpiper,
Roseate Spoonbill,
Red-headed Duck, :
Black Skimmer or Razor-billed
Shearwater, \
Bonapartian Gull,
Buffel-headed Duck,
Common Gannet,
VOL, IV.
Fuligula valisneriana,
Anas obscura, .
Totanus Bartramius,
Strepsilas Interpres,
Gallinula martinica,
Colymbus glacialis,
Ardea cerulea,
Totanus melanoleucus,
Sterna Hirundo, .
Totanus macularius,
Pelecanus americanus, .
Fuligula glacials,
Anas discors, .
Larus Atricilla, .
Tringa islandica,
Plotus Anhinga, .
Fuligula perspicillata,
Recurvirostra americana,
Sterna minuta,
Tringa pusilla,
Platalea Ajaja,
Fuligula Ferina, . .
Rhynchops nigra,
Larus Bonapartit,
Fuligula Albeola,
Sula bassana, .
103
111
118
130
136
161
168
175
180
188
198
203
212
217
222
XxVi TABLE OF CONTENTS.
Shoveller Duck,
Black-necked Stilt, .
Yellow-breasted Rail,
American Ring-Plover,
Goosander,
Pied Duck,
Green Heron,
Black-bellied Plover,
Red-breasted Snipe,
Yellow-crowned Heron,
American Bittern,
Brewer’s Duck,
Little Guillemot,
Least Petrel,
Great Auk,
Golden-eye Duck,
Ruddy Duck, .
Long-legged Sandpiper,
American Widgeon,
Black-throated Diver,
Smew, or White Nun,
Gadwall Duck,
Least Water-Rail,
Rocky-Mountain Plover,
Great Cinereous Owl,
Black-shouldered Hawk,
Chestnut-backed Titmouse,
Black-cap Titmouse,
Chestnut-crowned Titmouse, .
Louisiana Tanager,
Scarlet Tanager,
Macgillivray’s Finch,
Marsh Hawk,
Common Magpie,
Pine Grosbeak,
Arkansaw Flycatcher, .
Swallow-tailed Flycatcher,
Say’s Flycatcher,
Anas clypeata,
Himantopus nigricollis,
Rallus noveboracensis,
Charadrius semipalmatus,
Mergus Merganser, .
Fuligula labradora, .
Ardea virescens,
Charadrius helveticus,
Scolopax noveboracensis,
Ardea violacea,
Ardea minor,
Anas Breweri,
Uria Alle, .
Thalassidroma pelagica,
Alca impennis,
Fuligula Clangula,
Fuligula rubida,
Tringa Himantopus,
Anas americana,
Colymbus arcticus,
Mergus Albellus,
Anas strepera,
Rallus jamaicensis,
Charadrius montanus,
Strix cinerea,
Falco dispar, .
Parus rufescens,
Parus atricapillus,
Parus minimus,
Tanagra ludoviciana,
Tanagra rubra,
Fringilla Macgillivraii,
Falco cyaneus,
Corvus Pica, .
Pyrrhula Enucleator,
Musicapa verticalis,
Musicapa forficata, .
Musicapa Saya,
241 |
24:7
251
256
26]
271
274
280
285
290
296
302
304
310
316
318
326
332
337
345
350
353
359
362
364
367 |
371 -
374
382
. ooo
388
394
396
408
414
422
426
428
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
Winter Wren,
Rock Wren,
Dusky Grous, :
Yellow-billed Magpie, .
Steller’s Jay,
Ultramarine Jay,
Clarke’s Nutcracker,
Bohemian Chatterer,
White-winged Crossbill,
Lapland Longspur,
Iceland or Jer Falcon, .
Band-tailed Pigeon,
Rock Grous, :
Mountain Mocking Bird,
Varied Thrush,
American Dipper,
Cock of the Plains,
- Common Buzzard,
Evening Grosbeak,
Black-headed Grosbeak,
Sharp-shinned or Slate-coloured
Hawk,
Lesser Redpoll,
Trumpeter Swan,
Scolopaceous Courlan,
Hawk Owl, , :
Biainceked Humming Bird,
Tengmalm’s Owl,
Snow Goose, :
Sharp-tailed Grous, .
Long-eared Owl,
Black-throated Bunting,
Bank Swallow or Sand Martin,
Rough-winged Swallow,
Violet-green Swallow, .
Great American Egret,
Glossy Ibis,
Troglodytes hyemalis,
Troglodytes obsoletus,
Tetrao obscurus,
Corvus Nuttalli,
Corvus Stelleri,
Corvus ultramarinus,
Nucifraga columbiana,
Bombycilla garrula,
Loxia leucoptera,
Emberiza lapponica,
Falco islandicus,
Columba faseiata,
Tetrao rupestris,
Turdus montanus,
Turdus nevius,
Cinclus americanus,
Tetrao Urophasianus,
Falco Buteo,
Fringilla vespertina,
Fringilla melanocephala,
Falco fuscus,
Fringilla Linaria,
Cygnus Buccinator,
Aramus scolopaceus,
Strix funerea,
Trochilus rufus,
Strix Tengmalmi,
Anser hyperboreus,
Tetrao Phasianellus,
Strix Otus,
Emberiza americana,
HMirundo riparia,
Hirundo serripennis,
Hirundo thalassina,
Ardea Egretta,
Ibis Falcinellus,
OHO OND ot S$ eo w
eee El dll ne
op CF WN — ©
po No =| = =
—- OO ON DD
22.
boww dow pw vo
Oman of CO
30.
ew © oo Co Co e OG OG Ww
OMNI Da Pw NH
( exxvills )
LIST OF ENGRAVINGS ON WOOD.
. Stomach and proventriculus of Plotus Anhinga,
. Trachea and stomach of Platalea Ajaja,
. Stomach and proventriculus of Rhynchops nigra,
. Stomach, proventriculus, and intestine of Sula alba, One-third size,
. Stomach and cesophagus of Ardea virescens,
Stomach and proventriculus of Charadrius helveticus,
. Stomach and proventriculus of Scolopax noveboracensis,
. Digestive organs of Ardea minor, :
. Digestive organs of Uria Alle, : :
. Stomach and proventriculus of Uria Alle opened,
. Cloaca and cceca of Uria Alle,
. Digestive organs of Thalassidroma pelagica,
. Stomach, proventriculus, and duodenum of 7) ialabehcin eas
pelagica,
. Stomach and intestines of Thalassidroma pelagica,
. Digestive organs and inferior larynx of Anas americana,
. Digestive organs and part of trachea of Anas strepera,
. Digestive organs of Parus atricapillus,
. Digestive Organs of Tanagra rubra,
. Digestive Organs of Falco cyaneus, —
Digestive Organs of Pyrrhula Enucleator,
. Another view of the same, :
. Digestive Organs of Muscicapa verticalis,
. Digestive Organs of Troglodytes hyemalis,
. Digestive Organs of Loxia leucoptera,
. Digestive Organs of Falco islandicus,
. Digestive Organs of Falco fuscus,
. Digestive organs of Aramus scolopaceus,
Digestive organs of Strix funerea,
. Ceca and cloaca of Strix funerea,
2. Aperture of ear of Strix funerea,
. External ear of Strix Otus,
. Coeca and cloaca of Strix Otus,
. Digestive organs of Hmberiza americana, ; ;
. Tail of Hirundo riparia,
. Tail of Hirundo serripennis,
. Part of outer primary of Hirundo serripennis,
. Coecum and cloaca of Ardea Egretta, ° :
. Digestive Organs of Pelecanus Americanus, . One-third size,
. Sternum of Pelecanus Americanus,
Page
99
Rather less than half size, 102
Full size, 159
Half size,
Full size,
Full size,
197
211
239
279
285
289
301
307
307
307
314
314
Half s:ze,
Full size,
Full size,
314
343
358
381
393
407
420
420
425
442
471
478
529
549
554
554
554
578
578
583
595
595
595
606
ORNITHOLOGICAL BIOGRAPHY.
CANVASS-BACK DUCK.
FULIGULA VALISNERIANA, STEPHENS.
PLATE CCCI. Mate anp FEMALE.
TuE range of the celebrated Duck with the history of which I com-
mence the fourth volume of my Biographs, may be considered as limited
on the one hand by the mouths of the Mississippi, and on the other by
the Hudson or North River. Beyond the latter it is rarely seen at any
season on our eastern coasts ; and this circumstance, conjoined with its
being now and then observed on the upper waters of our Western Dis-
tricts, and its breeding in great numbers on the borders of Bear River,
which flows into the salt lake of Timpanajoz in upper California, as
well as in the marshes and along the banks of streams in many parts of
the Rocky Mountains, induces me to believe that the individuals of this
species, instead of progeeding along the shores, pass overland towards
their breeding grounds, however far northward they may be situated.
According to Dr Ricuarpson, it breeds in all parts of the Fur-Coun-
tries, from the 50th parallel to their most northern limits.
While in our Atlantic Districts, it is found in much greater num-
bers on the Chesapeake and the streams that flow into it, than any
where else. Indeed it is not more than twenty years since its regular
appearance and sojourn on the waters of the Southern States has been
observed or at least acknowledged. Although at New Orleans, where
it goes by the name of Canard Cheval, it has been known to the oldest
duck-shooters now alive, from their earliest recollection, it is not more
than about fifteen years since it began to rise, from a very low price to
two dollars the pair, at which it sold during my visit in March 1837.
VOL. Iv. A
2 CANVASS-BACK DUCK.
This enhancement of its value I look upon as having arisen from
the preference given to it by the epicures of our Middle Districts, who
have strangely lauded it as superior to every other duck in the world.
This alleged pre-eminence has indeed become so deeply impressed on
the minds of many of our Southerns, that they have on various occa-
sions procured the transportation of numbers of Canvass-backs from |
Baltimore to Charleston in South Carolina, and even to Savannah in
Georgia, although this species is by no means uncommon within a few
miles of the latter city, as well as on the Great Santee River. I well
remember that on my pointing out to a friend, now alas dead, several
dozens of these birds in the market of Savannah, he would scarcely be-
lieve that I was not mistaken, and assured me that they were looked upon
as being poor, dry, and very fishy, in short not half so good as Mallards,
or Blue-winged Teals. With this I cordially agreed, for there, at that
season, they are not better than represented.
I found this species in considerable numbers on and about the nu-
merous inlets and rivers of East Florida; but did not see a single indi-
vidual on the Gulf of St Lawrence, along the coast of Labrador, or on
that of Newfoundland.
It arrives in the neighbourhood of New Orleans from the 20th of
October to the end of December, coming in flocks of eight or twelve,
probably the members of a single family, and, unlike many other species,
keeping in small groups during winter. At the approach of spring
however they flock together, and about the first of April depart in large,
bodies. During their stay, they are wont to alight on wet prairies
and muddy ponds in all open places, feeding on the seeds of various
plants, of which may be particularized the wild oat and the water lily.
According to ALExANDER WILsow, who first described this species,
their arrival in autumn in the Middle Districts takes place about the
15th of October ; but more recent writers say, that “ unless the
weather to the north has been severe, the Canvass-back rarely appears
till the middle of November.” With this I fully agree, being con-
vinced that their journeys to and from their breeding places are per-
formed across the country. Were this perfectly ascertained, it would
prove that this species, unlike most other ducks, instead of removing
farther southward in autumn and winter, takes what may be called
a lateral march toward our Eastern Districts, in which it remains
until the weather has become too cold for its constitution, when it is
CANVASS-BACK DUCK. 3
forced a second time to migrate, and betake itself to warmer parts of
the country, where it continues during the rest of the winter.
The flight of this species, although resembling that of our larger
sea-ducks in having the appearance of being rather laboured, is strong,
rapid, at times very elevated, and well sustained. It swims deeply, es-
pecially when under apprehension of danger, and this probably the
better to enable it to escape by diving, at which it is almost as ex-
pert as our sea or diving ducks. But although its speed on the water
is considerable, it moves rather heavily on land. Its food varies, ac-
cording to the season and locality. The plant named Valisnerta, on
which it is said to feed when on the head waters of the Chesapeake,
is not found equally abundant in other parts, and even there is at times
so reduced in quantity, that this duck and several other species which
are equally fond of it, are obliged to have recourse to fishes, tadpoles,
water-lizards, leeches, snails, and mollusca, as well as such seeds as
they can meet with; all which have been in greater or less quantity
found in their stomach.
Nothing is known of its manners during the breeding season; and
we are equally ignorant of the changes of plumage which, like other
species, it may undergo at that period.
As I have not had very good opportunities of making myself ac-
quainted with the modes in which the Canvass-backs are obtained for
the markets, I here present an account of duck-shooting on the waters
of the Chesapeake, published some years ago in the “ Cabinet of Natu-
ral History,” and of which a copy has been transmitted to me by its
author, Dr J. J. Suarpxess, of Philadelphia, to whom, for this and
other marks of attention, I offer my best thanks.
“The Chesapeake Bay, with its tributary streams, has, from its
discovery, been known as the greatest resort of water-fowl in the
United States. This has depended on the profusion of their food,
which is accessible on the immense flats or shoals that are found near
the mouth of the Susquehanna, along the entire length of North-East
and Elk Rivers, and on the shores of the bay and connecting streams,
as far south as York and James Rivers.
“The quantity of fowl of late years has been decidedly less than
in times gone by; and I have met with persons who have assured me
that the number has decreased one-half in the last fifteen years. This
change has arisen, most probably, from the vast increase in their de-
B2
4 CANVASS-BACK DUCK.
struction, from the greater number of persons who now make a busi-
ness or pleasure of this sport, as well as the constant disturbance they |
meet with on many of their feeding grounds, which induces them to
distribute themselves more widely, and forsake their usual haunts.
*“« As early as the first and second weeks in October, the smaller
ducks, as the Buffel-head, Anas Albeola ; South-southerly, A. glacialis ;
and the Ruddy or Heavy-tailed Duck, A. rubidus, begin to shew them-
selves in the upper part of the hay; and by the last of the month, the
Black-head, A. Marila; Widgeon or Bald-pate, A. Americana; Red-
head, A. Ferina; and the Goose, A. Canadensis, appear, and rapidly
distribute themselves down the bay. The Canvass-back, A. Valisneria,
and the Swan, Cygnus Americanus, rarely, unless the weather to the.
north has been severe, appear in quantities till the middle of Novem-
ber, All these fowl, when first arrived, are thin and tasteless, from
their privation during their migration, and perhaps preparatory ar-
rangements, and require some days at least of undisturbed repose, to
give them that peculiar flavour for which some of them are so cele-
brated. During the low tides succeeding their arrival, the birds sit on
the flats far from the shores, and rarely rise to the wing unless dis-
turbed ; but when the spring-tides render the water too deep for feed-
ing, they commence their career, and pass down the bay in the morn-
ing, and return in the evening. Most of these fowl feed on the same
grass, which grows abundantly on the shallows in the bay and adjacent
waters, and has been called duck-grass, Valisnerta Americana. It grows
from six to eighteen inches in length, and is readily pulled up by the
root. Persons who have closely observed these ducks while feeding,
say that the Canvass-back and Black-head dive and pull the grass from
the ground, and feed on the’roots, and that the Red-head and Bald-
pate then consume the leaves. Indeed, although the Bald-pate is a
much smaller bird than the Canvass-back, it has been seen to rob the
latter, immediately on its return from ander the water, of all its spoil.
‘* All these larger ducks are found together when feeding, but se-
parate when on the wing. That they feed on the same grass, is evi-
dent from the similarity of flavour ; and those most accustomed to the
article have a difficulty in deciding on the kind of duck from the taste.
Indeed, the Bald-pate is generally preferred by residents.
** By the middle of December, particularly if the weather has been
a little severe, the fowl of every kind have become so fat, that I have
CANVASS-BACK DUCK. 5
seen Canvass-backs burst open in the breast in falling on the water ;
and spending less time in feeding, they pass up and down the bay from
river to river, in their morning and evening flights, giving, at certain
localities, great opportunities for destruction. They pursue, even in
their short passages, very much the order of their migratory movements,
flying in a line, or baseless triangle; and when the wind blows on the
potnts which may lie on their course, the sportsman has great chances of
success. These points or courses of the ducks are materially affected
by the winds, for they avoid, if possible, an approach to the shore ; but
when a strong breeze sets them on these projections of the land, they
are compelled to pass within shot, and often over the land itself.
‘In the Susquehanna and Elk rivers, there are few of these points for
sheoting, and there success depends on approaching them while on their
feeding grounds. After leaving the eastern point at the mouth of the
Susquehanna and Turkey Point, the western side of the Elk River,
which are both moderately good for flying shooting, the first place of
much celebrity is the Narrows, between Spesutic Island and the western
shore. These narrows are about three miles in length, and from three
to five hundred yards in breadth. By the middle of November, the
Canvass-backs in particular, begin to feed in this passage, and the en-
trance and outlet, as well as many intermediate spots, become very
successful stations. A few miles further down the western shore is
Taylor’s Island, which is situated at the mouth of the Rumney, and
Abbey Island at the mouth of Bush River, which are both celebrated
for ducks, as well as swans and geese. These are the most northerly
points where large fowl are met with, and projecting out between
deep coves, where immense numbers of these birds feed, they possess
great advantages. The south point of Bush River, or Legoe’s Point,
and Robbin’s and Rickett’s Points near Gunpowder River, are fruitful
localities. Immediately at the mouth of this river is situated Carroll’s
Island, which has long been known as a great shooting ground, and is
in the rentage of a company at a high rate. Maxwell's Point, as well
as some others up this and other rivers, and even further down the bay,
are good places, but less celebrated than those I have mentioned.
Most of these points are let out as shooting grounds to companies and
individuals, and they are esteemed so valuable that intruders are se-
verely treated.
“It has been ascertained that disturbing the fowl on the feeding flats
6 CANVASS-BACK DUCK.
is followed in most cases by their forsaking those haunts, and seeking
others ; hence, in the rivers leading to the bay near flying points, they —
are never annoyed by boat-shooting, either by night or day, and al-
though the discharge of guns from the shore may arouse them for a
time, they soon return; whereas a boat or sail in chase a few times,
will make them forsake a favourite spot for days.
‘“ From the great number of ducks that are seen in all directions, one
would suppose that there could be no doubt of success at any one
of the points in the course of flight; but whilst they have such cor-
rect vision as to distance, and wide range of space, unless attending
circumstances are favourable, a sportsman may be days without a pro-
mising shot. From the western side of the bay, and it is there the best
grounds are found, the southerly winds are the most favourable ; and,
if a high tide is attended by a smart frost and mild south wind, or even
calm morning, the number of birds set in motion becomes incon-
ceivable, and they approach the points so closely, that even a mode-
rately good shot can procure from fifty to one hundred ducks a-day.
This has often occurred, and I have seen eight fat Canvass-backs killed
at one discharge into a flock, from a small gun.
“ To a stranger visiting these waters, the innumerable ducks, feeding
in beds of thousands, or filling the air with their careering, with the
great numbers of beautiful white swans resting near the shores, like
banks of driven snow, might induce him to suppose that the facilities
for their destruction were equal to their profusion, and that with so
large an object in view, a sportsman could scarcely miss his aim,
But, when he considers the great thickness of their covering, the ve-
locity of their flight, the rapidity and duration of their diving, and the
great influence that circumstances of wind and weather have on the
chances of success, it becomes a matter of wonder how so many are
destroyed.
“The usual mode of taking these birds has been, till recently, by shoot-
ing them from the points during their flight, or from the land or boats,
on their feeding grounds, or by toling, as it is strangely termed, an
operation by which the ducks are sometimes induced to approach with-
in a few feet of the shore, from a distance often of several hundred
yards. A spot is usually selected where the birds have not been much
disturbed, and where they feed at three or four hundred yards from,
and can approach to within forty or fifty yards of the shore, as they
CANVASS-BACK DUCK. 7
will never come nearer than they can swim freely. The higher the
tides, and the calmer the day, the better, for they feed closer to the
shores and see more distinctly. Most persons on these waters have a
race of small white or liver-coloured dogs, which they familiarly call
the toler breed, but which appear to be the ordinary poodle. These
dogs are extremely playful, and are taught to run up and down the
shore, in sight of the ducks, either by the motion of the hand, or by
throwing chips from side to side. They soon become perfectly ac-
quainted with their business, and as they discover the ducks approach-
ing them, make their jumps less high till they almost crawl on the
ground, to prevent the birds discovering what the object of their curio-
sity may be. This disposition to examine rarities has been taken ad-
vantage of by using a red or black handkerchief by day, and a white
one by night in toling, or even by gently plashing the water on the
shore. The nearest ducks soon notice the strange appearance, raise
their heads, gaze intently for a moment, and then push for the shore,
followed by the rest. On many occasions, I have seen thousands of
them swimming in a solid mass direct to the object ; and by removing
the dog farther into the grass, they have been brought within fifteen
feet of the bank. When they have approached to about thirty or forty
yards, their curiosity is generally satisfied, and after swimming up
and down for a few seconds, they retrograde to their former station.
The moment to shoot is while they present their sides, and forty or fifty
ducks have often been killed by a small gun. The Black-heads toll the
most readily, then the Red-heads, next the Canvass-backs, and the Bald-
pates rarely. This also is the ratio of their approach to the points in
flying, although, if the Canvass-back has determined on his direction,
few circumstances will change his course. The total absence of cover
or precaution against exposure to sight, or even a large fire, will not
turn these birds aside on such occasions. In flying-shooting, the Bald-
pates are a great nuisance, for they are so shy that they not only avoid
the points themselves, but by their whistling and confusion of flight at
such times, alarm others.
‘‘ Simple as it may appear to shoot with suecess into a solid mass of
ducks sitting on the water at forty or fifty yards’ distance, yet when
you recollect that youare placed nearly level with the surface, the object
opposed to you, even though composed of hundreds of individuals, may
be in appearance but a few feet in width. To give, therefore, the best
8 CANVASS-BACK DUCK.
promise of success, old duckers recommend that the nearest duck should
be in perfect relief above the sight, whatever the size of the column,
to avoid the common result of over-shooting. The correctness of this
principle I saw illustrated in an instance in which I had toled to within
a space of from forty to seventy yards off the shore, a bed of certainly
hundreds of ducks. Twenty yards beyond the outside birds of the
dense mass, were five Black-heads, one of which was alone killed out
of the whole number, by a deliberate aim into the middle of the large
flock from a rest, by a heavy well-proved duck-gun.
*“‘ Before I leave the subject of sitting-shooting, I will mention an oc-
currence that took place in Bush River, a few years since. A man
whose house was situated near the bank, on rising early one morning,
observed that the river had frozen, except an open space of ten or twelve
feet in diameter, about eighty yards from the shore, nearly opposite
his house. The spot was full of ducks, and with a heavy gun he fired
into it. Many were killed, and those that flew soon returned, and
were again and again shot at, till, fearful that he was injuring those
already his own, he ceased the massacre, and brought on shore ninety-
two ducks, most of which were Canvass-backs.
“To prevent the dogs, whilst toling, from running in, they are not
allowed to go into the water to bring out the ducks, but another breed
of large dogs of the Newfoundland and water-spaniel mixture are em-
ployed. These animals, whilst toling is in progression, or at a point,
take apparently as much interest in success as the sportsman himself.
During a flight, their eyes are incessantly occupied in watching the di-
rection from whence the birds come; and I have frequently seen them
indicate by their manner, the approach of a flock so distant that the
human eye would have overlooked it. As the ducks come on, the dog
lies down, but still closely observing them, and the moment the dis-
charge occurs, jumps up to see the effect. If a duck falls dead, they
plunge to bring it; but many of them wait to see how he falls, and
whither he swims, and they seem to be as aware as the gunner, of the
improbability of capture, and will not make the attempt, knowing from
experience that a bird merely winged will generally save himself by
swimming and diving. These dogs usually bring one duck at a time
out of the water; but a real Newfoundland, who was with me and my
company this autumn, was seen on several occasions to swim twenty
yards further, and take a second in the mouth to carry on shore. The
CANVASS-BACK DUCK. fe)
indefatigability and ambition of these animals are remarkable, and a
gentleman informed me he had known his dog bring, in the space of
one hour, twenty Canvass-backs and three Swans from the water, when
the weather was so severe that the animal was covered with icicles,
and to prevent his freezing he took his great-coat to envelope him.
Some dogs will dive a considerable distance after a duck, but a crippled
Canvass-back or Black-head, will swim so far under the water, that they
can rarely be caught by the dog; and it often has been observed, that
the moment one of these ducks, if merely winged, reaches the surface,
he passes under, and however calm, cannot be seen again. To give
an idea of the extreme rapidity with which a duck can dive, I will re-
late an occurrence which was noticed by myself, and a similar one was _
observed by another of the party the same day. A male South-souther- (
ly was shot at in the water by a percussion-gun, and after escaping the (
shot by diving, commenced his flight. When about forty yards from
the boat, he had acquired an elevation of a foot or more from the sur-
face. A second percussion-gun was discharged, and he dived from the
wing at the flash, and though the spot of entrance was covered by the
shot, soon rose unharmed and flew.
‘“* Canvass-backs, when wounded on the streams near the bay, instantly
direct their course for it, and there nestle among the grass on the shores
till cured, or destroyed by eagles, hawks, gulls, foxes, or other vermin,
that are constantly on the search. If adead Canvass-back be not soon
secured, it becomes a prey to the gulls, which rarely touch any other
kind. I have seen severe contests take place between crippled Can-
vass-backs and Gulls ; and although a pounce or two generally prevents
further resistance, sometimes they are driven off. If the bird is re-
markably savoury, the gull makes such a noise, that others are soon
collected, when possession is determined by courage or strength.
“ Another mode of taking Ducks consistsin placing gilling-nets under
water on the feeding-grounds, and when they dive for food, their head
and wings become entangled in the meshes, and they are drowned.
This plan, though successful at first, soon drives the bird from these
places; and in some cases, a few applications have entirely prevented
their return for some weeks. Paddling upon them in the night or day
produces the same effect, and although practised to some extent on
Bush River is highly disapproved of by persons shooting from points.
For the last three years a man has been occupied on this stream with
10 CANVASS-BACK DUCK.
a gun of great size, fixed on a swivel in a boat, and the destruction of
game on their feeding-flats has been immense ; but so unpopular is the
plan, that many schemes have been privately proposed of destroying
his boat and gun, and he has been fired at with balls so often that his
expeditions are at present confined to the night. Sailing with a stiff
breeze upon the geese and swans, or throwing rifle-balls from the shore
into their beds, is sometimes successful.
“ Moonlight shooting has not been a general practice, but as these
birds are in motion during light nights, they could readily be brought
within range by “ honking” them when flying. This sound is very
perfectly imitated at Egg Harbour; and I have seen geese drawn at a
right angle from their course by this note. They can indeed be made
to hover over the spot, and if a captive bird was employed, the success
would become certain.
“‘ Notwithstanding the apparent facilities that are offered of success,
the amusement of duck-shooting is probably one ef the most exposing
to cold and wet, and those who undertake its enjoyment without a
courage “ screwed to the sticking-point,” will soon discover that “ to
one good a thousand ills oppose.” It is indeed no parlour sport, for
after creeping through mud and mire, often for hundreds of yards, to
be at last disappointed, and stand exposed on points to the “ pelting
rain or more than freezing cold,” for hours, without even the pro-
mise of a shot, would try the patience of even Franxuin’s “ glo-
rious nibbler.” It is, however, replete with excitement and charm,
and to one who can enter on the pleasure, with a system formed for
polar cold, and a spirit to endure “ the weary toil of many a stormy
day,” it will yield a harvest of health and delight, that the “ roamer of
the woods” can rarely enjoy.”
Although this far-famed bird was named by its discoverer after
the plant Valisneria Americana, on which it partially feeds when on
fresh-water, its subsistence is by no means dependent upon that species,
which indeed is not extensively distributed, but is chiefly derived from
the grass-wrack or Eel-grass, Zostera marina, which is very abundant
on the shallows and flats along the whole sea-coast. Its flesh seems to
me not generally much superior to that of the Pochard or Red-head,
which often mingles in the same flocks; and both species are very fre-
quently promiscuously sold in the markets as Canvass-backs.
In the Plate are represented two Males anda Female. In the back
CANVASS-BACK DUCK. 11
ground is a view of Baltimore, which I have had great pleasure in in-
troducing, on account of the hospitality which I have there experien-
ced, and the generosity of its inhabitants, who, on the occasion of a
quantity of my plates having been destroyed by the mob during an
outburst of political feeling, indemnified me for the loss.
Furicuta VatisneRta, Bonap. Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 392.
Anas Vatisnenia, Wils, Amer. Ornith, vol. viii. p. 103. pl. 70. fig. 5.
Furicuta VauLisnERia, Richards. and Swains. Fauna Bor. Amer. iv. Part II. p. 450.
Canvass-BaCKED Duck, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 430.
Adult Male. Plate CCCI. Fig. 1, 2.
Bill as long as the head, deeper than broad at the base, the margins
parallel, slightly dilated towards the end, which is rounded, the fron-
tal angles rather narrow and pointed. Upper mandible with the dor-
sal line at first straight and declinate, then slightly concave, direct for
a short space near the tip, where it is incurved, the ridge broad and
concave at the base, narrowed at the middle, enlarged and convex at
the end, the sides nearly erect and concave at the base, becoming an-
teriorly more and more declinate and convex, the edges curved up-
wards, with.about 50 lamelle, the unguis small and oblong. Nostrils
submedial, linear-oblong, rather large, pervious, near the ridge, in an
oblong depression covered with soft membrane. Lower mandible flat-
tened, being but slightly convex, with the angle very long and rather
narrow, the dorsal line very short and straight, the erect edges with
about 55 inferior and 105 superior lamellz, the unguis obovato-elliptical.
Head rather large, compressed, convex above. Eyes small. Neck
of moderate length, rather thick. Body full, depressed. Wings small.
Feet very short, strong, placed rather far behind; tarsus very short,
compressed, anteriorly with narrow scutella continuous with those of
the middle toe, and having another series commencing half-way down
and continuous with those of the outer toe, the rest reticulated with
angular scales. Hind toe small, with an inner expanded margin or
web; middle toe nearly double the length of the tarsus, outer a little
shorter. Claws small, compressed, that of the first toe very small and
curved, of the third toe larger and more expanded than the rest.
Plumage dense, soft, blended. Feathers of the upper part of the
12 CANVASS-BACK DUCK.
head small and rather compact, of the rest of the head and neck small,
blended, and glossy. Wings shortish, narrow, pointed; primary quills
strong, tapering, the first longest, the second almost as long, the rest
rapidly diminishing ; secondary quills broad and rounded, the inner
elongated and tapering. Tail very short, much rounded, or wedge-
shaped, of fourteen feathers.
Bill black, with a tinge of green. Iris bright carmine. Upper
part of the head, and a space along the base of the bill dusky ; a small
transverse band of white on what is called the chin; the rest of the
head, and the neck all round, for more than half its length, of a rich
brownish-red. A broad belt of brownish-black occupies the lower
part of the neck, and the fore part of the body, of which the posterior
part is of the same colour, more extended on the back than under the
tail. Back and scapulars white or greyish-white, very minutely tra-
versed by undulating black lines ; wing-coverts similar but darker.
Alular feathers greyish-brown. Primary quills brownish-black, tinged
with grey towards the base; the shaft brown. Secondaries ash-grey,
whitish, and undulated with dark grey towards the end; five of them
also having a narrow stripe of black along their outer margin. Tail
brownish-grey, towards the end ash-grey. The lower parts white, the
sides and abdomen marked with fine undulating grey lines, of which
there are faint traces on most of the other feathers. The feet are
greyish-blue tinged with yellow.
Length to end of tail 22 inches, to end of wings 20, to end of
claws 25; extent of wings 33; wing, from flexure, 93; tail 219; bill
along the back, measured from the tip of the frontal process to the
end of the unguis, 3; lower mandible along the edge 2,4 ; tarsus 1};
first toe ;6, its claw 75,; middle toe 219, its claw ,,; outer toe
searcely shorter; inner, 74 shorter. Weight 33 lb.
Adult Female. Plate CCCI. Fig. 2.
The Female has the bill coloured as in the male; the iris reddish-
brown ; the feet lead-grey ; the upper parts greyish-brown ; the
top of the head darker, its anterior part light reddish; the chin
whitish; the neck greyish-brown, as are the sides and abdomen; the
breast white ; wing-coverts brownish-grey ; primary quills greyish-
brown, dusky at the end; secondary quills ash-grey, five of the inner
with an external black margin, the innermost greyish-brown like the
CANVASS-BACK DUCK. 13
back, and with some of the scapulars faintly undulated with darker.
Tail greyish-brown, paler at the end; axillars and smaller under
wing-coverts white, as in the male.
Length to end of tail, 20} inches, to end of wings 183, to end of claws,
231; extent of wings, 302: wing from flexure, 93. Weigh 22 lb.
This species is very closely allied to the Pochard, or Red-headed
Duck, Fuligula Ferina, but is much larger, and differs in having the
bill proportionally higher at the base, and less dilated towards the end.
The colours are also generally similar, but present differences. The
upper parts of the Canvass-back are much whiter than those of the
Pochard ; the head of the former is dusky above, of the latter uni-
form with the neck; and the white spot on the chin is wanting in the
Pochard.
The Digestive and Respiratory Organs of a male shot near Balti-
more present the following characters.
The upper mandible is broadly and deeply concave. The tongue,
which is thick and fleshy, as in other ducks, is 2,4, inches long, its sides
parallel, slightly sloping, and furnished with two series of bristly fila-
ments; its base with numerous straight conical papilla directed back-
wards, its upper surface marked with a broad median groove, the lower
flat, its extremity formed by a thin semi-circular appendage, a quarter
of an inch in length. The cesophagus passes along the right side of the
neck, for six inches has a diameter of ,5, then dilates to ;%, so as to
form a slight crop, again contracts as it enters the thorax, and in ter-
minating forms the proventriculus, which is 12 inches in length,
with oblong glandules, generally a twelfth of an inch in length. The
stomach is a very large and powerful gizzard, of a broadly elliptical
form, with extremely thick lateral muscles, the left being 1} in thickness,
the right }2, the tendons large and strong. The transverse diameter
of the gizzard is 213 inches, the longitudinal, from the cardiac orifice
to the bulge of the inferior muscle, 274. Its cuticular lining is of very
dense texture, and rugous; the grinding plates opposite the lateral .
muscles about half a twelfth thick, and slightly rugous. The intestine,
which is 5 feet 9 inches in length, first forms in the usual manner the
duodenal fold, at the distance of 5 inches from the pylorus, encloses the
pancreas, receives the biliary ducts, and passing under the right lobe
14 CANVASS-BACK DUCK.
of the liver, proceeds backward beneath the kidneys, is convoluted in
several large folds, and finally from above the stomach, passes in a di-
rect course to the anus. Its coats are thick, its inner surface villous,
and its diameter is considerable, being in the first part of the duodenum
;;, then for two feet from ;5, to ;4, enlarged again to ,8,, and so con-
tinuing to the rectum, which is 6 inches long, 4 inch in diameter, and
ends in an enlargement or cloaca, about an inch in diameter. The
coeca, which commence at the distance of 6 inches from the anus, are 8
inches long, slender, 4, in diameter for 3 inches, afterwards about 55,,
with the extremity obtuse. The cesophagus and stomach contained
young shoots of Zostera marina, and in the latter were numerous par-
ticles of quartz.
The trachea, when moderately extended, measures 10 inches in
length, and is furnished with strong lateral or contractor muscles, a
pair of cleido-tracheal, and a pair of more slender sterno-tracheal. Its
diameter at the upper part is 44 twelfths, it gradually contracts to 33
twelfths, enlarges to 44 twelfths, and at the distance of 7} inches from
the upper extremity, forms a dilatation about an inch in length, and
7, in its greatest diameter, but composed of distinct rings, then con-
tracts to #;, and ends in a bony and membranous expansion, forming
on the left side an irregular thin disk, convex towards the right, and
flattened towards the left where it is membranous. The expansions
of the trachea are thus similar to those of the Red-breasted Mergan-
ser, but of less extent; the rings are of equal breadth on both sides,
but alternately overlap each other, one side being partially concealed
by the corresponding sides of those above and below it, while the
other stands exposed. The lower larnyx is formed of ten united rings,
together with the bony and membranous expansion described. The
tracheal rings, rather broad and osseous, are 118; the half-rings of the
bronchi about 16. .
( 15)
DUSKY DUCK.
ANAS OBSCURA, GMEL.
PLATE CCCII. Mate anp Femate.
Tus species, which is known in all parts of the United States by
the name of ‘“‘ Black Duck,” extends its migrations from the Straits of
Belle Isle, on the coast of Labrador, to the province of Texas. Strange
as the fact may appear, it breeds in both these countries, as well as in
many of the intermediate districts. On the 10th of May 1833, I found
it breeding along the marshy edges of inland pools, near the Bay of
Fundy, and, on Whitehead Island in the same bay, saw several young
birds of the same species, which, although apparently not more than a
week old, were extremely active both on land and in the water. On
the 30th of April 1837, my son discovered a nest on Galveston Island,
in Texas. It was formed of grass and feathers, the eggs eight in num-
ber, lying on the former, surrounded with the down and some feathers
of the bird, to the height of about three inches. The internal diame-
ter of the nest was about six inches, and its walls were nearly three
in thickness. The female was sitting, but flew off in silence as he ap-
proached. ‘The situation selected was a clump of tall slender grass, on
a rather sandy ridge, more than a hundred yards from the nearest wa-
ter, but surrounded by partially dried salt-marshes. On the same
island, in the course of several successive days, we saw many of these
ducks, which, by their actions, shewed that they also had nests. I
may here state my belief, that the Gadwall, Blue-winged Teal, Green-
winged Teal, Mallard, American Widgeon, and Spoon-billed Duck, all
breed in that country, as I observed them there late in May, when they
were evidently paired. How far this fact may harmonize with the
theories of writers respecting the migration of birds in general, is more
than I can at present stop to consider. I have found the Black Duck
breeding on lakes near the Mississippi, as far up as its confluence with
the Ohio, as well as in Pennsylvania and New Jersey; and every one
acquainted with its habits will tell you, that it rears its young in all
the Eastern States intervening between that last mentioned and the St
16 DUSKY DUCK.
Lawrence, and is of not less frequent occurrence along the margins of »
all our great lakes. It is even found on the Columbia River, and on
the streams of the Rocky Mountains ; but as Dr Ricuarpson has not
mentioned his having observed it in Hudson’s Bay or farther north, we
may suppose that it does not visit those countries.
On arriving in Labrador, on the 17th June 1833, we found the Dusky
Ducks in the act of incubation, but for nearly a month after, met with
no young birds, which induced me to suppose that this species does
not reach that country at so early a period as many others, but lingers
behind so as to be nearly four weeks later than some of them. At the
end of four weeks after our arrival, all the females we met with had
young broods, which they led about the fresh-water ponds, and along
their margins, either in search of food, or to secure them from danger.
None of these broods exceeded seven or eight in number, and, at this
early period of their life, we found them covered with long soft down
of a deep brown colour. When alarmed they would dive with great
celerity several times in succession, but soon became fatigued, made
for the shore, ran a few feet from the water, and squatted among the
grass, where they were easily caught either by some of our party, or by
the Gulls, which are constantly on the look-out for such dainty food.
At other times, as soon as the mother apprehends danger, she calls her
young around her, when the little things form themselves into a line
in her wake, and carefully follow her in all her movements. If a Hawk
or a Gull make a plunge towards them, she utters a loud ery of alarm,
and then runs as it were along the surface of the water, when the young
dive as quick as lightning, and do not rise again until they find them-
selves among the weeds or the rocks along the shores. When they
thus dive, they separate and pursue different directions, and on reach-
ing the land lie close among the herbage until assured, by the well-
known voice of their parent, that the danger is over. If they have
often been disturbed in one pond, their anxious mother leads them
overland to another; but she never, I believe, conducts them to the
open sea, until they are able to fly. The young grow with remarkable
rapidity, for, by the middle of August, they almost equal their parents
in size; and their apprehension of danger keeps pace with their growth,
for at the period of their southward migration, which takes place in
the beginning of September, they are as wild and as ‘cunning as the
oldest and most experienced of their species. Eac brood migrates
DUSKY DUCK. 17
separately ; and the old males, which abandoned the females when in-
cubation commenced, set out in groups of eight or ten. Indeed, it is
not common to see birds of this species assemble in such flocks as their
relatives the Mallards, although they at times associate with almost
all the fresh-water Ducks.
The males, on leaving the females, join together in small bands,
and retire into the interior of the marshes, where they remain until
their moult is completed. My young friend Cootzpex brought me a
pair shot on the 4th of July, in Labrador, in so ragged a state that
very few feathers remained even on the wings. On his approaching
them, they skimmed over the surface of the water with such rapidity,
that when shot at they seemed as if flying away. On examining
these individuals I found them to be sterile, and I am of opinion that
those which are prolific moult at a later period, nature thus giving
more protracted vigour to those which have charge of a young brood.
I think, Reader, you will be of the same opinion, when I have told you,
that on the 5th of July I found some which had young, and which
were still in full plumage, and others, that were broodless, almost des-
titute of feathers.
As many of the nests found in Labrador differed from the one
mentioned above, I will give you an account of them. In several in-
stances, we found them imbedded in the deep moss, at the distance of
a few feet or yards from the water. They were composed of a great
quantity of dry grass and other vegetable substances ; and the eggs were
always placed directly on this bed without the intervention of the
down and feathers, which, however, surrounded them, and which, as I
observed, the bird always uses to cover them when she is about to leave
the nest for a time. Should she be deprived of her eggs, she goes in
search of a male, and lays another set; but unless a robbery of this
kind happens, she raises only a single brood in the season. But although
this is the case in Labrador, I was assured that this species rears two
broods yearly in Texas, although, having been but a short time in that
country, I cannot vouch for the truth of this assertion. The eggs are
two inches and a quarter in length, one inch and five-eighths in
breadth, shaped like those of the domestic fowl, with a smooth surface,
and of a uniform yellowish-white colour, like that of ivory tarnished
by long exposure. The young, like those of the Mallard, acquire the
full beauty of their spring plumage before the season of reproduction
VOL. LY. B
18 DUSKY DUCK.
commences, but exhibit none of the curious changes which that species
undergoes. |
Although the Dusky Duck is often seen on salt-water bays or
inlets, it resembles the Mallard in its habits, being fond of swampy
marshes, rice-fields, and the shady margins of our rivers, during the
whole of its stay in such portions of the Southern States as it is
known to breed in. ‘They are equally voracious, and may sometimes
be seen with their crops so protruded as to destroy the natural elegance
of their form. They devour, with the greatest eagerness, water-lizards,
young frogs and toads, tadpoles, all sorts of insects, acorns, beech-nuts,
and every kind of grain that they can obtain. They also, at times,
seize on small quadrupeds, gobble up earth-worms and leeches, and when
in salt water, feed on shell-fish. When on the water, they often pro-
cure their food by immersing their head and neck, and, like the Mal-
lard, sift the produce of muddy pools. Like that species also, they
will descend in a spiral manner from on high, to alight under an oak
or a beech, when they have discovered the mast to be abundant.
Shy and vigilant, they are with difficulty approached by the gunner,
unless under cover or on horseback, or in what sportsmen call floats, or
shallow boats made for the purpose of procuring water-fowl. They
are, however, easily caught in traps set on the margins of the waters
to which they resort, and baited with Indian corn, rice, or other grain.
They may also be enticed to wheel round, and even alight, by imitating
their notes, which, in both sexes, seem to me almost precisely to re-
semble those of the Mallard. From that species, indeed, they scarcely
differ in external form, excepting in wanting the curiously recurved
feathers of the tail, which Nature, as if clearly to distinguish the two
species, had purposely omitted in them.
The flight of this Duck, which, in as far as I know,‘is peculiar to
America, is powerful, rapid, and as sustained as that of the Mallard.
While travelling by day they may be distinguished from that species by
the whiteness of their lower wing-coverts, which form a strong contrast
to the deep tints of the rest of their plumage, and which I have attempt-
ed to represent in the figure of the female birdin my plate. Their pro-
gress through the air, when at full speed, must, I think, be at the rate
of more than a mile in a minute, or about seventy miles in an hour.
When about to alight, they descend with double rapidity, causing a
strong rustling sound by the weight of their compact body and the
DUSKY DUCK. 19
rapid movements of their pointed wings. When alarmed by a shot or
otherwise, they rise off their feet by a single powerful spring, fly di-
rectly upwards for eight or ten yards, and then proceed in a straight
line. Now, if you are an expert hand, is the moment to touch your
trigger, and if you delay, be sure your shot will fall short.
As it is attached to particular feeding grounds, and returns to them
until greatly molested, you may, by secreting yourself within shooting
distance, anticipate a good result; for even although shot at, it will
reappear several times in succession in the course of a few hours, un-
less it has been wounded. The gunners in the vicinity of Boston, in
Massachusetts, who kill great numbers of these birds, on account of
the high price obtained for them in the fine market of that beautiful
and hospitable city, procure them in the following manner :-—They
keep live decoy-ducks of the Mallard kind, which they take with them
in their floats or boats. On arriving at a place which they know to be
suitable, they push or haul their boat into some small nook, and con-
ceal it among the grass or rushes. Then they place their decoys, one
in front of their ambush, the rest on either side, each having a line at-
tached to one of its feet, with a stone at the other end, by which it is kept
as if riding at anchor. One of the birds is retained in the boat, where
the gunner lies concealed, and in cold weather amply covered with
thick and heavy clothing. No sooner is all m order, than the decoy-
ducks, should some wild birds appear, sound their loud call-notes,
anxious as they feel to be delivered from their sad bondage. Should
this fail to produce the desired effect of drawing the wild ducks near,
the poor bird in the boat is pinched on the rump, when it immediately
calls aloud; those at anchor respond, and the joint clamour attracts
the travellers, who now check their onward speed, wheel several times
over the spot, and at last alight. The gunner seldom waits long for a
shot, and often kills fifteen or twenty of the Black Ducks at a single
discharge of his huge piece, which is not unfrequently charged with as
much as a quarter of a pound of powder and three quarters of a pound
of shot !
The Black Ducks generally appear in the sound of Long Island
in September or October, but in very cold weather proceed southward ;
while those which breed in Texas, as I have been informed, remain
there all the year. At their first arrival they betake themselves to
the fresh-water ponds, and soon become fat, when they afford excel-
B2
20 DUSKY DUCK.
lent eating; but when the ponds are covered with ice, and they are
forced to betake themselves to estuaries or inlets of the sea, their
flesh becomes less juicy and assumes a fishy flavour. During con-
tinued frost they collect into larger bodies than at any other time, a
flock once alighted seeming to attract others, until at last hundreds
of them meet, especially in the dawn and towards sunset. ‘The larger
the flock however, the more difficult it is to approach it, for many
sentinels are seen on the look-out, while the rest are asleep or feeding
along the shores Unlike the “ Sea Ducks,” this species does not ride
at anchor, as it were, during its hours of repose.
My friend, the Reverend Dr Joun Bacuman, assures me that this
bird, which some years ago was rather scarce in South Carolina, is
now becoming quite abundant in that state, where, during autumn and
winter, it resorts to the rice fields. After feeding a few weeks on the
seeds it becomes fat, juicy, and tender. He adds that the farther in-
land, the more plentifully does it occur, which may be owing to the
many steamers that ply on the rivers along the sea coast, where very
few are to be seen. They are however followed in their retreats, and
shot in great numbers, so that the markets of Charleston are now amply
supplied with them. He also informs me that he has known hybrid
broods produced by a male of this species and the common domestic
duck ; and that he had three of these hybrid females, the eggs of all
of which were productive. The young birds were larger than either of
their parents, but although they laid eggs in the course of the follow-
ing spring, not one of these proved impregnated. He further states
that he procured three nests of the Dusky Duck in the State of New
York.
The young of this species, in the early part of autumn, afford de-
licious eating, and, in my estimation, are much uperior in this respect
to the more celebrated Canvass-back Duck. That the species should
not before now have been brought into a state of perfect domestica-
tion, only indicates our reluctance unnecessarily to augment the com-
forts which have been so bountifully accorded by Nature to the inhabi-
tants of our happy country. In our eastern markets the price of these
pirds is from a dollar to a dollar and fifty cents the pair. They are dearer
at New Orleans, but much cheaper in the States of Ohio and Kentucky,
where they are still more abundant. Their feathers are elastic, and
as valuable as those of any other species.
DUSKY DUCK. 21
I have represented a pair of these birds procured in the full per-
fection of their plumage.
Anas opscura, Lath. Synops. i. p. 545.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the
United States, p. 384.
Dusxy Duck, Anas osscura, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p. 141. pl. 72. fig. 5.
Dusxy Ducx, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 392.
Adult Male. Plate CCCII. Fig. 1.
Bill about the length of the head, higher than broad at the base,
depressed and widened towards the end, rounded at the tip. Upper
mandible with the dorsal line sloping and a little concave, the ridge at
the base broad and flat, towards the end broadly convex, as are the
sides, the edges soft and thin, the marginal lamella about forty on each
side; the unguis obovate, curved, abrupt at the end. Nasal groove
elliptical, sub-basal, filled by the soft membrane of the bill; nostrils
sub-basal, placed near the ridge, longitudinal, elliptical, pervious. Lower
mandible slightly curved upwards, flattened, with the angle very long,
narrow, and rather pointed, the lamellz about sixty.
Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed; neck rather long and
slender ; body full, depressed. Feet short, stout, placed a little behind
the centre of the body; legs bare a little above the joint; tarsus short,
a little compressed, anteriorly with small scutella, externally of which
is a series continuous with those of the outer toe, laterally and behind
with reticulated angular scales. Hind toe extremely small, with a
very narrow membrane ; third toe longest, fourth a little shorter, but
longer than the second ; the scutella of the second and third oblique, of
the outer transverse ; the three anterior toes connected by reticulated
membranes, the outer with a thick margin, the inner with the margin
extended into a slightly lobed web. Claws small, arched, compressed,
rather obtuse, that of the middle toe much larger, with a dilated, thin
edge.
Plumage dense, soft, and elastic ; on the head and neck the feathers
linear-oblong, on the other parts in general broad and rounded. Wings
of moderate breadth and length, acute; primaries narrow and taper-
ing, the second longest, the first very little shorter ; secondaries broad,
curved inwards, the inner elongated and tapering. Tail short, much
rounded, of eighteen acute feathers, none of which are reserved.
22 DUSKY DUCK.
Bill yellowish-green, the unguis dusky. Iris dark brown. Feet
orange-red, the webs dusky. The upper part of the head is glossy
brownish-black, the feathers margined with light brown ; the sides of
the head and a band over the eye are light greyish-brown, with longi-
tudinal dusky streaks; the middle of the neck is similar, but more
dusky. The general colour is blackish-brown, a little paler beneath, all
the feathers margined with pale reddish-brown. The wing-coverts are
greyish-dusky, with a faint tinge of green; the ends of the secondary
coverts velvet-black. Primaries and their coverts blackish-brown, with
the shafts brown; secondaries darker; the speculum is green, blue,
violet, or amethyst purple, according to the light in which it is viewed,
bounded by velvet-black, the feathers also tipped with a narrow line
of white. The whole under surface of the wing, and the axillaries,
white.
Length to end of tail 244 inches, to end of claws 26; extent of
wings 381; bill 2,4, along the back ; wing from flexure 114; tail 4,4 ;
tarsus 154; middle toe 2,3, its claw 4; ; first toe ;5, its claw %- Weight
3 lb.
Adult Female. Plate CCCII. Fig. 2.
The female, which is somewhat smaller, resembles the male in co-
lour, but is more brown, and has the speculum of the same tints, but
without the white terminal line.
Length to end of tail 22 inches, to end of wings 21%, to end of
claws 22; wing from flexure 101; extent of wings 34} ; tarsus 2, mid-
dle toe and claw 24; hind toe and claw 75.
In this species, the number of feathers in the tail is eighteen, al-
though it has been represented as sixteen. In form and proportions
the Dusky Duck is very closely allied to the Mallard. The following
account of the digestive and respiratory organs is obtained from the ex-
amination of an adult male.
On the upper mandible are 43 lamelle; on the lower, 85 in the
upper, and 56 in the lower series. The tongue is 1,, inch long, with
the sides parallel and furnished with a double row of filaments, nume-
rous small conical papille at the base, a median groove on the upper
surface, and a thin rounded appendage, a twelfth and a half in length
at the tip. The aperture of the glottis is 7,4, long, with very nume-
DUSKY DUCK. 23
rous minute papille behind. ‘The cesophagus 12 inches long, of a uni-
form diameter of ;4,, until near the lower part of the neck, where it
enlarges to 78, again contracts as it enters the thorax, ending in the
proventriculus, which is 1} long, with numerous oblong glandules,
about a twelfth in length. Gizzard obliquely elliptical, 2} inches
across, 1,8, in length, its lateral muscles extremely large, the left }¢ in
thickness, the right ,%; their tendons large and strong; the lower
muscle moderately thick; the cuticular lining firm and rugous, the
grinding surfaces nearly smooth. The intestine, which is 5 feet 74
inches long, is slender and nearly uniform in diameter, measuring ;5
across in the duodenal portion, 3, in the rest of its extent; the rectum
33 inches long, dilated into a globular cloaca 1 inch in length, and of
nearly the same diameter. The ceca are 6} long, }4 in diameter for
2 inches of their length, enlarged to ,% in the rest of their extent, and
terminating in an obtuse extremity.
The trachea, moderately extended, is 10 inches long. Its lateral or
contractor muscles are strong, and it is furnished with a pair of cleido
tracheals, and a pair of sterno-tracheals. The number of rings is 136,
besides 12 united rings forming a large inferior larynx, which has a
transversely oblong bony expansion, forming on the left side a bulging
and rounded sac. There are 28 bronchial half rings on the right side,
26 on the left.
(2449
BARTRAMIAN SANDPIPER.
ToTANUS BARTRAMIUS, TEMM.
PLATE CCCIII. Mater anp FEMate.
Tue Bartramian Sandpiper is the most truly terrestrial of its tribe
with which I am acquainted. It is even more inclined, at all seasons,
to keep away from the water, than the Kildeer Plover, which may of-
ten be seen wading in shallow pools, or searching along the sandy or
muddy margins of the shores of the sea, or of fresh-water lakes and
streams. Although not unfrequently met with in the vicinity of such
places, it never ventures to wade into them; and yet the form and
length of its legs and feet would naturally induce a person not ac-
quainted with its habits to consider it as a wading bird.
The dry upland plains of those sections of Louisiana called Opel-
lousas and Attacapas, are amply peopled with this species in early
spring, as well as in autumn. They arrive there from the vast prairies
of Texas and Mexico, where they spend the winter, in the beginning
of March, or about the period of the first appearance of the Martins,
Hirundo purpurea, and return about the first of August. They are
equally abundant on all the western prairies on either side of the Mis-
souri, where, however, they arrive about a month later than in Loui-
siana, whence they disperse over the United States, reaching the middle
districts early in May, and the State of Maine by the middle of that
month, or about the same period at which they are seen in Indiana,
Kentucky, and Ohio. Some proceed as far north as the plains adjoin-
ing the Saskatchewan River, where Dr Ricnarpson met with this spe -
cies in the month of May.
It has been supposed that the Bartramian Sandpiper never forms large
flocks, but this is not correct, for in the neighbourhood of New Orleans,
where it is called the “* Papabote,” it usually arrives in great bands in
spring, and is met with on the open plains and large grassy savannahs,
where it generally remains about two weeks, though sometimes indi-
viduals may be seen as late as the 15th of May. I have observed the
same circumstances on our western prairies, but have thought that
they were afterwards obliged to separate into small flocks, or even into
BARTRAMIAN SANDPIPER. 25
pairs, as soon as they are ready to seek proper places for breeding in,
for I have seldom found more than two pairs with nests or young in
the same field or piece of ground. On their first arrival, they are ge-
nerally thin, but on their return southward, in the beginning of Au-
gust, when they tarry in Louisiana until the first of October, they are
fat and juicy. I have observed, that in spring, when they are poor,
they are usually much less shy than in autumn, when they are exceed-
ingly wary and difficult of approach; but this general observation is not
without exceptions, and the difference, I think, depends on the nature
. of the localities in which they happen to be found at either period.
When on newly ploughed fields, which they are fond of frequenting,
they see a person at a greater distance than when they are searching
for food among the slender grasses of the plains. I have also thought
that the size of the flocks may depend upon similar contingencies, for
this bird is by no means fond of the society of man.
Like the Spotted Sandpiper, Totanus macularius, they not unfre-
quently alight on fences, trees, and out-houses ; but whether in such
situations or on the ground, they seldom settle without raising both
wings upright to their full extent, and uttering their loud and pro-
longed, but pleasing notes. ‘They run with great activity, stop sud-
denly, and vibrate their body once or twice. When earnestly followed
by the sportsman, they lower their heads in the manner of Witson’s
Plover, and the species called the Piping, and run off rapidly, or squat,
according to the urgency of the occasion. At other times, they par-
tially extend their wings, run a few steps as if about to fly, and then
cunningly move off sideways, and conceal themselves among the grass,
or behind a clod. You are not unfrequently rendered aware of your
being within sight of them, by unexpectedly hearing their plaintive
and mellow notes, a circumstance, however, which I always concluded
to be indicative of the wariness of their disposition, for although you
have just heard those well-known cries, yet, on searching for the bird,
you nowhere see it, for the cunning creature has slipped away and hid
itself. When wounded in the wing, they run to a ereat distance, and
are rarely found.
Like all experienced travellers, they appear to accommodate them-
selves to circumstances as regards their food, for in Louisiana, they
feed on cantharides and other coleopterous insects ; in Massachusetts on
grasshoppers, on which my friend Nurraut says, they soon grow very
26 BARTRAMIAN SANDPIPER.
fat ; in the Carolinas on crickets and other insects, as well as the seeds:
of the crab-grass, Digitaria sanguinaria ; and in the barrens of Ken-
tucky they often pick the strawberries. Those which feed much on
cantharides, require to be very carefully cleaned, otherwise persons
eating them are liable to suffer severely. Several gentlemen of New
Orleans have assured me, that they have seen persons at dinner ob-
liged to leave the room at once, under such circumstances, which can-
not well be described here. When flavoured. with the ripe strawber-
ries, on which they have fed, their flesh is truly delicious.
This species performs its migrations by night as well as by day. -
Its flight is rather swift and well sustained. While travelling, it ge-
nerally flies so high as to be beyond reach of the gun: but if the wea-
ther be cloudy, or if it blow hard, it flies lower, and may easily be shot.
It generally proceeds in straggling bands, and moves along with con-
tinuous easy beats of the wings, but sails, as it were, when about to
alight, as well as during the love season.
As long ago as 1805 and 1806, I observed this species win Sih in
the meadows and green-fields of my plantation of Millgrove, near the
banks of Perkioming Creek. Since then, I have known of its rearing
broods in different parts of Pennsylvania, in the State of New York,
and in various districts to the eastward as far as the confines of Maine ;
but I did not find it in Newfoundland or Labrador ; and I have reason
to believe that it does not breed to the south of Maryland.
My friend, the Rev. Dr Bacuman, has informed me that the Bar-
tramian Sandpipermakes its appearance in South Carolina aboutthe 15th
of July, the hottest period of the year, in considerable numbers, be-
takes itself at once to the high grassy lands, and there remains about a
month. He considers it to be then on its return from the north, and
states that it is very fat and affords delicious food. His manner of shoot-
ing them is, to ride in a chair or gig over the fields which they frequent,
or along the roads in their neighbourhood, by which means they can
be approached near enough to enable the sportsman to shoot with al-
most a certainty of success, as the bird rises out of the grass. If one
attempts to get near them on foot, they rise at too great a distance,
then sweep in circles over the spot, and alight a considerable way off.
They are seldom met with there in flocks of more than four or five in-
dividuals.
I have found the eggs of this bird laid on the bare earth, in a hollow
BARTRAMIAN SANDPIPER. 27
scooped out to the depth of about an inch and a half, near the roots of
a tuft of rank grass, in the middle of a meadow, and seen some nests
of the same species formed of loosely arranged grasses, and placed al-
most beneath low bushes growing on poor elevated ridges, furnished with
ascanty vegetation. I have also heard my esteemed young friend, JoHn
Trupeav, state that he had discovered one on a high part of the bank of
the Delaware River. When disturbed while on its nest, but unobserved,
it runs thirty or forty yards, and then flies off as if severely wounded.
Should it have young, its attempts to decoy you away are quite enough
to induce you to desist from harassing it. The eggs measure an inch and
five and a half eighths, by an inch and a quarter in their greatest
breadth. In form they resemble those of Totanus macularius, being
broadly rounded atone end, andrather pointed at the other; their surface
smooth ; their ground colour dull greyish-yellow, with numerous spots of
light purple and reddish-brown. They are placed in the nest in the same
manner as those of the Spotted Sandpiper, that is, with the smaller
ends together, which is also the case with those of the Tell-tale Godwit,
Wilson’s Plover, and the Kildeer Plover. The young, which run about
immediately after exclusion, grow rapidly, and in about a month are
able to use their wings, after which, they and their parents gradually,
and according to the temperature of the season, move southward.
In Massachusetts, and to the eastward of that state, this species is
best known by the name of “Upland Plover,” and in some other dis-
tricts itis named the Field Plover. The drawing from which the plate
was engraved was taken from individuals shot near Bayou Sara, in the
State of Mississippi.
Toranus Bartramtius, Ch. Bonap., Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 262.
Tries Bartrramia, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vii. p. 63. pl. 59. fig. 2.
Bartramian TarrteER, WVuttall, Manual, vol. i. p. 169.
Toranus Bartramtivs, Richards. and Swains. Fauna Bor. Amer. vol. ii- p. 391._
Adult Male. Plate CCCIII. Fig. 1.
Bill a little longer than the head, slender, straight, slightly defected
at the end. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, the ridge
convex, the sides grooved beyond the middle, afterwards convex, the
edges inflected, the tips a little deflected, and tapering to an obtuse
28 BARTRAMIAN SANDPIPER
point. Nostrils sub-basal, lateral, linear, pervious, nearer the edge than
the dorsal line. Lower mandible, with the angle very narrow and elon-
gated, beyond it the outline slightly convex, the sides sloping outwards
and concave until the middle, afterwards flattened, the edges sharp,
the point very narrow.
Head rather small, convex above, compressed. Neck of moderate
length, slender. Body rather slender. Feet long and slender; tibia
bare for about half its length, scutellate before and behind; tarsus
long, slender, having before and behind numerous scutella, the narrow
lateral spaces with very small oblong scales. Toes slender, the first
very short, the second much shorter than the fourth, the third and
fourth connected at the base by a web; the scutella numerous; claws
small, compressed, slightly arched, rather blunt.
Plumage soft, on the neck and lower parts, blended; on the upper
rather distinct. Wings rather long, acute, narrow; primaries taper-
ing, and rounded, the first longest, the second a little shorter, the rest
rapidly graduated; secondaries obliquely rounded, the inner elongated
and tapering. Tail of moderate length, much rounded, of twelve ra-
ther narrow feathers.
Bill yellowish -green, the tip dusky, the edges towards the base
yellow. Iris dark hazel. Legs and tarsi light yellowish-grey, toes
rather darker, claws brownish-black. Upper part of the head dark
brown, with a median pale yellowish-brown line, the margins of the
feathers also of that colour, which prevails along the sides of the head
and the back of the neck, which are streaked with dusky; the eye sur-
rounded with yellowish-white. Throat yellowish white, without spots ;
fore-part and sides of the neck, with a portion of the breast and sides
of the body, cream-coloured, with dusky lines, which gradually become
arrow-shaped on the breast, forming a double transverse band ; the fea-
thers on the sides barred; the rest of the lower parts yellowish-white,
the lower tail-coverts rich cream-coloured. Axillar feathers and lower
wing-coverts white, banded with brownish-black. On the upper parts
the feathers are dark brown, glossed with green, with rich cream-colour-
ed margins; the rump darker. On the margins of the scapulars, with-
in the pale edge, is a series of dusky spots, which towards the end be-
come continuous. Alula, primary coverts, and primary quills, blackish-
brown, the inner webs crossed by white bands, until about an inch from
the end, the shaft of the first quill white, those of the rest dusky.
BARTRAMIAN SANDPIPER. 29
Y
Secondaries greyish-brown, their outer margins pale brown, with dusky
spots; the inner darker. The two middle feathers of the tail are dark
olive, tinged with grey, transversely barred with black, the last bar ar-
row-shaped, the margins light cream-colour: the next feather on each
side lighter, and tinged with yellowish-red; the rest gradually lighter,
the outer white, all barred with black.
Length to end of tail 124 inches, to end of wings 11}, to end of
claws 133; extent of wings 22; wing from flexure 7; tail 33; bare
part of tibia ~,; tarsus 1 43, first toe ;4, its claw 1,4,; middle-toe 1,
its claw 24, ; bill along the ridge 1,4,; along the edge of lower man-
dible 13,. Weight 6 oz.
Female. Plate CCCIII. Fig. 2.
The female is a little larger, and weighs 7 oz., but resembles the
male in colour. The individual of which the weight is here given
was very fat, but I have never met with any that weighed three-fourths
of a pound, as described by Wutson !
Length to end of tail 13 inches, to end of claws 14, extent of wings
223.
In an adult bird of this species, the tongue measures seven-twelfths
of an inch in length, and is sagittate at the base, with conical papilla,
of which the outermost is much larger, then contracted, being deeper
than broad, and tapering to a very acute compressed point. Aperture
of the glottis ,% long, with numerous papille behind, the middle two
largest. The cesophagus is 5} inches long, of uniform diameter, measur-
ing about ,*°, across, and passing along the right side of the neck, along
with the trachea. Proventriculus oblong, ,8, in diameter, its glandules
extremely numerous, oblong, half a twelfth in length. The stomach is
a strong gizzard of an oblong form; an inch and a twelfth long, nine-
twelfths in breadth, its lateral muscles of moderate thickness, the right
12> the left 73, the central tendons oblong, 3, in diameter. The cu-
ticular lining is tough, of moderate thickness, longitudinally rugous,
the grinding plates scarcely thicker than the rest. The intestine is
18 inches long, its diameter generally 34. The rectum 2! inches long ;
the ceca 2,%,, very slender, their greatest diameter being only 14; the
cloaca globular, about 4 inch in diameter. The stomach was filled
with remains of grasshoppers, of a deep red colour, with which the
30 BARTRAMIAN SANDPIPER.
inner coat was tinged, together with the head of a Libellula. No gra-_
vel or other hard substances.
The trachea moderately extended is 3}$ inches long, its transverse
diameter 24, diminishing to 33. The rings are unossified and ex-
tremely thin, 105 in number; the contractor or lateral muscles feeble ;
the inferior larynx simple, with a single pair of tracheali-bronchiales,
and the usual sterno-tracheales ; the bronchi of about 15 half-rings.
This individual presented a very remarkable accumulation of fat
over the abdominal and pectoral muscles, and especially about the
furcula.
@ sale)
TURNSTONE.
STREPSILAS INTERPRES, ILLIGER.
PLATE CCCIV. Apbutt 1n SUMMER anD WINTER.
Turis bird, which, in its full vernal dress, is one of the most beauti-
ful of its family, is found along the southern coasts of the United
States during winter, from North Carolina to the mouth of the Sabine
River, in considerable numbers, although perhaps as many travel at
that season into Texas and Mexico, where I observed it on its journey
eastward, from the beginning of April to the end of May 1837. I pro-
cured many specimens in the course of my rambles along the shores of
the Florida Keys, and in the neighbourhood of St Augustine, and have
met with it in May and June, as well as in September and October, in
almost every part of our maritime shores, from Maine to Maryland.
On the coast of Labrador I looked for it in vain, although Dr Ricx-
ARDSON mentions their arrival at their breeding quarters on the shores
of Hudson’s Bay and the Arctic Sea up to the seventy-fifth parallel.
In spring the Turnstone is rarely met with in flocks exceeding five
or six individuals, but often associates with other species, such as the
Knot, the Red-backed Sandpiper, and the Tringa subarquata. To-
wards the end of autumn, however, they collect into large flocks,
and so continue during the winter. I have never seen it on the
margins of rivers or lakes, but always on the shores of the sea,
although it prefers those of the extensive inlets so numerous on
our coasts. At times it rambles to considerable distances from the
beach, for I have found it on rocky islands thirty miles from the main-
land ; and on two occasions, whilst crossing the Atlantic, I saw several
flocks near the Great Banks flying swiftly, and rather close to the water
around the ships, after which they shot off toward the south-west, and
in a few minutes were out of sight. It seems to be a hardy bird, for
some of them remain in our Eastern Districts until severe frost pre-
vails. Having seen some, in the beginning of June, and in superb
plumage, on the high grounds of the Island of Grand Mannan, in the
Bay of Fundy, I supposed that they bred there, although none of my
party succeeded in discovering their nests. Indeed the young, as I
32 TURNSTONE.
have been informed, are obtained there, and along the coast of Maine,
in the latter part of July.
I have found this bird much more shy when in company with other
species than when in flocks by itself, when it appears to suspect no
danger from man. Many instances of this seeming inattention have
occurred to me, among others the following:—When I was on the
island of Galveston in Texas, my friend Epwarp Harkxts, my son, and
some others of our party, had shot four deer, which the sailors had
brought to our little camp near the shore. Feeling myself rather fa~
tigued, I did not return to the bushes with the rest, who went in search
of more venison for our numerous crew, but proposed, with the assist-
ance of one of the sailors, to skin the deer. After each animal was
stripped of its hide, and deprived of its head and feet, which were
thrown away, the sailor and I took it to the water and washed it. To
my surprise, I observed four Turnstones directly in our way to the
water. They merely ran to a little distance out of our course, and on
our returning, came back immediately to the same place ; this they
did four different times, and, after we were done, they remained busily
_ engaged in searching for food. None of them was more than fifteen
or twenty yards distant, and I was delighted to see the ingenuity with
which they turned over the oyster-shells, clods of mud, and other small
bodies left exposed by the retiring tide. Whenever the object was
not too large, the bird bent its legs to half their length, placed its bill
beneath it, and with a sudden quick jerk of the head pushed it off,
when it quickly picked up the food which was thus exposed to view,
and walked deliberately to the next shell to perform the same opera-
tion. In several instances, when the clusters of oyster-shells or clods
of mud were too heavy to be removed in the ordinary way, they would
use not only the bill and head, but also the breast, pushing the object
with all their strength, and reminding me of the labour which I have
undergone in turning over a large turtle. Among the sea-weeds that
had been cast on the shore, they used only the bill, tossing the garbage
from side to side, with a dexterity extremely pleasant to behold. In
this manner, I saw these four Turnstones examine almost every part
of the shore along a space of from thirty to forty yards ; after which I
drove them away, that our hunters might not kill them on their return.
On another occasion, when in company with Mr Harris, and on
the same island I witnessed the salve pleasing proceeding, several
TURNSTONE. 33
Turnstones being engaged in searching for food in precisely the same
manner. At other times, and especially when in the neighbourhood of
St Augustine, in East Florida, I used to amuse myself with watching
these birds on the racoon-oyster banks, using my glass for the purpose.
I observed that they would search for such oysters as had been killed
by the heat of the sun, and pick out their flesh precisely in the man-
ner of our Common Oyster-catcher, Hamatopus palliatus, while they
would strike at such small bivalves as had thin shells, and break them,
as I afterwards ascertained, by walking to the spot. While on the
Florida coast, near Cape Sable, I shot one in the month of May, that
had its stomach filled with those beautiful shells, which, on account of
their resemblance to grains of rice, are commonly named rice-shells.
I have always looked upon the Turnstone, while at its avocations,
as a species very nearly allied to the Oyster-catcher ; and, although it
certainly differs in some particulars, were I to place it in a position
determined by its affinities, I should remove it at once from the Tringa
family. Its mode of searching for food around pebbles and other ob-
jects, the comparative strength of its legs, its retiring disposition, and
its loud whistling notes while on wing, will, I think, prove at some
period that what I have ventured to advance may be in accordance
with the only true system, by which I mean Nature’s own system,
could one be so fortunate as to understand it.
While this species remains in the United States, although its resi-
dence is protracted to many months, very few individuals are met with
in as complete plumage as the one represented in my plate with the
wings fully extended; for out of a vast number of specimens procured
from the beginning of March to the end of May, or from August to
May, I have scarcely found two to correspond precisely in their markings.
For this reason, no doubt exists in my mind that this species, as well
as the Knot and several others, loses its rich summer plumage soon
after the breeding season, when the oldest become scarcely distinguish-
able from the young. In the spring months, however, I have observed
that they gradually improve in beauty, and acquire full-coloured fea-
thers in patches on the upper and lower surfaces of the body, in the
_same manner as the Knot, the Red-breasted Snipe, the Godwits, and
several other species. According to Mr Hewitson, the eggs are four in
number, rather suddenly pointed towards the smaller end, generally an
inch and four and a half eighths in length, an inch and one and a half
VOL, IV. c
34 TURNSTONE.
eighths in their greatest breadth, their ground colour pale yellowish-.
green, marked with irregular patches and streaks of brownish-red, and
a few lines of black.
My drawing of the Turnstones represented in the plate was made
at Philadelphia, in the end of May 1824; and the beautiful specimen
exhibited in the act of flying, I procured near Camden, while in the
agreeable company of my talented friend Lr Surur, who, alas! is now
no more.
I have not observed any remarkable difference m the plumage of
the sexes at any season of the year. The males I have generally
found to be somewhat larger than the females, which, as is well known,
is not the case in the Tringa family.
My worthy friend, Dr Bacuman, once had a bird of this species
alive. It had recovered from a slight wound in the wing, when he
presented it to a lady, a friend of his and mine, who fed it on boiled
rice, and bread soaked in milk, of both of which it was very fond. It
continued in.a state of captivity upwards of a year, but was at last
killed by accident. It had become perfectly gentle, would eat from
the hand of its kind mistress, frequently bathed in a basin placed near
it for the purpose, and never attempted to escape, although left quite
at liberty to do so. :
Trinca intERPRES, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol i. p. 248.—Lath. Ind. Orn. vol. ii. p. 738-
TRINGA MORINELLA, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 249.
TuRNSTONE, TRINGA INTERPRES, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vii. p. 32. pl. 57. fig. 1-
Srrepsrias cotiaris, Temm. Man. d’Ornith, part ii. p. 553.
Srrepsitas InreRPRES, Ch. Bonap. Synopsis of Birds of the United States, 299.
TurnsTone or Sea-DoTTEREL, Wuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 30.
Adult Male in Summer. Plate CCCIV. Fig. 1.
Bill a little shorter than the head, rather stout, compressed, taper-
ing, straightish, being recurvate in a slight degree. Upper mandible
with the dorsal line very slightly concave, the nasal groove extending
to the middle, the sides beyond it sloping, the tip depressed and blunt-
ed. Nostrils sub-basal linear-oblong, pervious. Lower mandible with
the angle short, the dorsal line ascending and slightly convex, the sides
convex, the edges sharp, the tip depressed and blunted.
Head small, ovate ; eyes of moderate size. Neck of ordinary length.
TURNSTONE. 85
Body rather full. Feet of moderate length, stout; tibia bare at the
lower part, and covered with reticulated scales ; tarsus roundish, with
numerous broad anterior scutella; toes four, the first very small, and
placed higher than the rest; the anterior toes free to the base, dis-
tinctly margined on both edges, the inner toe a little shorter than the
outer, the third or middle toe considerably longer ; claws rather small,
arcuate, compressed, blunted.
Plumage full, soft, rather dense, and glossy ; feathers on the hind
neck blended, and rather narrow, on the other parts ovate. Wings
long, pointed, of moderate breadth: primaries with strong shafts, ra-
ther broad, narrowed towards the end, the first longest, the rest rapidly
decreasing ; outer secondaries incurved, obliquely rounded; inner elon-
gated, one of them extending to half an inch of the tip of the longest
primary, when the wing is closed. ‘Tail rather short, slightly rounded,
of twelve moderately broad, rounded feathers.
Bill black. Ivris hazel. Feet deep orange red, claws black. Plu-
mage variegated with white, black, brown, and red. Upper parts of
the head and nape streaked with black and reddish-white ; a broad band
of white crosses the forehead, passes over the eyes, and down the sides
of the neck, the hind-part of which is reddish-white faintly mottled
with dusky ; a frontal band of black curves downwards before the eye,
enclosing a white patch on the lore, and meeting another black band
glossed with blue, which proceeds down the neck, from the base of the
lower mandible, enlarging behind the ear, covering the whole anterior
part of the neck, and passing along the shoulder over the scapulars;
the throat, hind part of the back, the outer scapulars, upper tail-coverts,
and the under parts of the body and wings, white. Anterior smaller
wing-coverts dusky, the rest bright chestnut or brownish-orange, as are
the outer webs of the inner tertiaries; alula, primary coverts, outer
secondary coverts and quills blackish-brown, their inner webs becoming
white towards the base; a broad band of white extends across the
wing, including the bases of the primary quills, excepting the outer
four, and the ends of the secondary coverts ; the shafts of the primaries
white. Tail white, with a broad blackish-brown bar towards the end,
broader in the middle, the tips white. A dusky band crosses the rump.
Length to end of tail 9 inches, to end of wings 83, to end of claws
10; extent of wings 182; along the ridge 9,4,, along the edge of lower
mandible +4; wing from flexure 67;; tail 2;4; tarsus +3; hind toe
c2
36 TURNSTONE.
aa nea, ; :
73» its claw 4; middle toe 39, its claw 34. Average weight of three .
specimens 33 oz.
Male in winter. Plate CCCIV. Fig. 2. —
In winter, the throat, lower parts, middle of the back, upper tail-
coverts, and band across the wing, are white, as in summer; the tail,
and quills, are also similarly coloured, but the inner secondaries are des-
titute of red, of which there are no traces on the upper parts, they be--
ing of a dark greyish-brown colour, the feathers tipped or margined
with paler; the outer edges of the outer scapulars, and some of the
smaller wing-coverts, white ; on the sides and fore part of the neck the
feathers blackish, with white shafts.
Individuals vary much according to age and sex, as well in size as
in colour, scarcely two in summer plumage being found exactly similar.
In a male bird, the tongue is £4 of an inch in length, sagittate and
papillate at the base, concave above, narrow, and tapering to the point.
The cesophagus is 4} inches long, inclines to the right, is rather nar-
row, and uniform, its diameter #. Proventriculus oblong, .8, in length,
iz In breadth, its glandules cylindrical. Stomach oblong, }} in length,
its cuticular lining very tough and hard, with broad longitudinal rug,
its lateral muscles moderately large. Intestine 17} inches long, slen-
der, varying in diameter from ?4 to 74; rectum 13; ceca 1,8, 44 in
diameter at the commencement, ;4 toward the end; cloaca globular.
The trachea is 3} inches long, 2, in breadth, contracts to ; ; its
lateral muscles very thin ; sterno-tracheal slender, a pair of tracheali-
bronchial muscles. The rings are very thin and unossified, 104 in
number. Bronchi of moderate length, with about 15 half rings.
In a female, the oesophagus is 4} inches long, the intestine 18. In
both individuals, the stomach contained fragments of shells, and claws
of very small crabs: which were also found in the intestine, although
there more comminuted.
sari)
PURPLE GALLINULE.
GALLINULA MARTINICA, LaTH.
PLATE CCCV. Mate.
Reaber, although you may think it strange, I candidly assure you
that I have experienced a thousand times more pleasure while looking
at the Purple Gallinule flirting its tail while gaily moving over the
broad leaves of the water-lily, than I have ever done while silently
sitting in the corner of a crowded apartment, gazing on the fiutterings
of gaudy fans and the wavings of flowing plumes. Would that I were
once more extended on some green grassy couch, in my native
Louisiana, or that I lay concealed under some beautiful tree, over-
hanging the dark bayou, on whose waters the bird of beauty is wont
to display its graceful movements, and the rich hues of its glossy
plumage! Methinks I now see the charming creature gliding sylph-
like over the leaves that cover the lake, with the aid of her lengthened
toes, so admirably adapted for the purpose, and seeking the mate, who,
devotedly attached as he is, has absented himself, perhaps in search of
some secluded spot in which to place their nest. Now he comes,
gracefully dividing the waters of the tranquil pool, his frontal crest
glowing with the brightest azure. Look at his wings, how elegantly
they are spread and obliquely raised; see how his expanded tail
strikes the water; and mark the movements of his head, which is al-
ternately thrown backward and forward, as if he were congratulating
his mate on their happy meeting. Now both birds walk along cling-
ing to the stems and blades, their voices clearly disclosing their mutual
feelings of delight, and they retire to some concealed place on the near-
est shore, where we lose sight of them for a time.
Now, side by side, they look for the most secure spot among the
tall rushes that border the lake, and there they will soon form a
nest, removed alike from danger to be dreaded from the inhabitants of
the land as of the water. On the thick mass of withered leaves are
deposited the precious eggs, from which in time emerge the dusky
younglings, that presently betake themselves to the water, over which
38 PURPLE GALLINULE.
they wander, guided by their affectionate parent, until it becomes ex-
pedient for the party to disperse.
The Purple Gallinule is a constant resident in the United States,
although peculiar to their southern districts, where I have met with it
at all seasons. It is in the Floridas, the lower parts of Alabama, and
among the broad marshes bordering the Gulf of Mexico, in Lower
Louisiana, that I have observed its habits. Beyond the Carolinas
eastward, it is only met with as an accidental straggler. It never, I
believe, ascends the Mississippi beyond Memphis, where indeed it is
but rarely seen; but between Natchez and the mouths of the great
river, it is abundant on all the retired bayous and small lakes. The
southern portions of Georgia are also furnished with it; but in South
Carolina it is rare. Proceeding southwestward along the Gulf of
Mexico, I have found it as far as Texas, where it breeds, as well as in
Louisiana, where I observed it coming from the south in May 1837.
Having studied the habits of this bird under every advantage in
Louisiana, and especially in the neighbourhood of New Orleans, and
the mouths of the Mississippi, I will now, good Reader, place before
you the results of my observation. In the summer months, the Purple
Gallinules remove with their broods to the prairies or large savannahs
bordering the bayous or lakes on which they have bred, and remain in
those places, which are generally covered with thick and tall grass,
until the beginning of September, when the vegetation having been
dried up by the intense heat and drought, neither food nor sufficient
concealment can be obtained. The young birds usually abandon these
plains first, and while the colour of their plumage is still green, instead
of purplish-blue, which tint, however, is assumed before the return of
spring. During all this while, its notes are as frequently heard as
during the breeding season. They resemble the delicate whistling
sounds of the Blue-winged Teal during its residence with us. At this
season also its flesh is best, although it never equals that of the Fresh-
water Marsh-hen, Rallus elegans, or of the Sora Rail, Rallus carolinus.
On the approach of winter, all the Purple Gallinules leave the sa-
vannahs, and betake themselves to the immediate vicinity of ponds,
bayous, or rivers, where through experience they become shy, vigilant,
and cunning. ‘They seldom remove from one place to another, or tra-
vel at all, unless by night, although in sequestered parts they feed both
on land and on the water by day.
PURPLE GALLINULE. 39
The Purple Gallinule breeds at a remarkably early period of the
year. I have found young birds in their jetty down clothing in Fe-
bruary, and they have been observed in the same month by the keepers
of the lighthouse at the south-west Pass of the Mississippi, at Key
West, and in other places. The parent birds are sometimes so very
intent on saving their young, as to suffer themselves to be caught. At
this period their calls are almost incessantly heard during the whole
night, and are elicited during the day by any musical or remarkable
noise. The nest is generally placed among a kind of rushes that are
green at all seasons, round, very pithy, rarely more than five feet high,
and grow more along the margins of ponds than in the water itself.
The birds gather many of them, and fasten them at the height of two
or three feet, and there the nest is placed. It is composed of the
most delicate rushes, whether green or withered, and is quite as sub-
stantial as that of the Common Gallinule, flattish, having an internal dia-
meter of eight or ten inches, while the entire breadth is about fifteen.
The eggs, which are from five to seven, rarely more, are very simi-
lar to those of the Common Gallinule, being of a light greyish-yellow,
spotted with blackish-brown. The young are at first quite black, and
covered with down. They are fully fledged by the first of June, when,
as I have said, they and their parents remove to the wet savannahs in
the neighbourhood.
The jerking motions of the tail of this bird, whenever it is disturbed,
or attracted by any remarkable object, are very quick, and so often re-
peated as to have a curious appearance. It runs with great speed, and
dives with equal address, often moving off under water with nothing
but the bill above. The lightness and ease with which it walks on the
floating plants are surprising, for in proceeding they scarcely produce
any perceptible disturbance of the water. When swimming in full se-
curity, they move buoyantly and gracefully, throwing the head forward
at every propelling motion of the feet. The flight of this species is less
swift than that of the Common Gallinule, or of the Rails, unless when it
is travelling far, when it flies high, and advances in a direct course by
continued flappings ; but when it is in its breeding or feeding grounds,
its flight is slow and short, seldom exceeding thirty or forty yards, and
with the legs hanging down ; and it alights among the herbage with
its wings spread upwards in the manner of the Rails. It often alights
40 PURPLE GALLINULE.
on the low branches of trees and bushes growing over the water, and
walks lightly and gracefully over them.
It is seldom that more than one Purple Gallinule is shot at a time,
unless in the beginning of the love season, when the male and female
are apt to swim or walk close together. The male at this period is
said to be able to inflate the frontal plate while strutting, but I have
never been fortunate enough to observe this.
The Purple Gallinule not unfrequently alights on ships at sea.
While at the Island of Galveston, on the 26th of April, I was offered
several live individuals by the officers of the Boston frigate, which they
had caught on board. My friend Joun Bacuman once received three
specimens that had been caught three hundred miles from land, one of
them having come through the cabin window. He also obtained from
the Hon. Mr Pornser a fine specimen caught on board, on the Santee
River, in South Carolina, in May. It is easily kept alive if fed with
bread soaked in milk; and on this food I have known several that re-
mained in good health for years. In Louisiana, where it is called Rale
Bleu, its flesh is not held in much estimation, but is used by the ne-
groes for making gombo.
My friend Bacuman considers this species as rather scarce in South
Carolina and Georgia, but states that it breeds there, as he has occa-
sionally observed pairs on the head waters or preserves of rice planta-
tions during summer, but never met with any in winter. The extreme
limit of its range eastward is the neighbourhood of Boston, where a few
individuals have been procured.
I think I may safely tell you that the figure of the Purple Gallinule
exhibited in the plate, is the first ever published from a drawing taken
from Nature !
Furica martinica, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 259.
GaLLinuLa martinica, Lath. Ind Ornith. p. 769.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. p. 336.
GALLINULA PorPHYRIO, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. ix. p. 67. pl. 73. fig. 2.
PurpLE GaLuinuce, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 221.
Adult Male in Spring. Plate CCCV.
Bill as long as the head, nearly straight, stout, deep, compressed, ta-
pering. Upper mandible with a soft ovate plate at the base extending
over a great part of the head, the dorsal line beyond this plate straight-
PURPLE GALLINULE. 41
ish and slightly declinate as far as the middle, then arcuato-declinate,
the ridge gradually narrowed until over the nostrils. afterwards consi-
derably widened, the sides nearly erect, the edges sharp, the notch
obsolete. Nasal groove extending nearly to the middle of the bill,
broad ; nostrils sub-medial, lateral, oblong, direct, pervious. Lower
mandible with the angle rather long and narrow, the sides nearly erect
and slightly concave, the dorsal line beyond the angle ascending, straight,
the edges sharp and direct, the tip narrowed, rather sharp.
Head small, oblong, compressed. Eyes of moderate size. Body
much compressed. Feet large, long; tibia bare a considerable way
above the joint, and reticulated ; tarsus long, stout, compressed, ante-
riorly covered with very broad scutella, laterally and posteriorly with
two series of broad scutella, between which on the posterior edge is a
series of very minute scales; hind toe comparatively small, middle toe
longest, and much longer than the tarsus, fourth longer than second ;
toes free, slender, compressed, with numerous broad scutella above,
obliquely flattened beneath, marginate; claws very long, slender,
slightly arched, much compressed, tapering to a very acute point.
Plumage blended, firm, glossy, the feathers ovato-oblong, broad at
the end. Wings rather long, broad, rather concave ; ovula large : pri-
maries incurvate, broad, third longest, second a twelfth of an inch
shorter, fourth two-twelfths shorter than second, which exceeds the
first by eleven-twelfths ; secondaries broad and grounded. Tail short,
much rounded, of twelve rather weak, rounded feathers, which but
slightly exceed the lower coverts.
Frontal plate ultramarine blue; bill bright carmine, tipped with
bright yellow. Iris bright carmine ; margins of eyelids white. Tarsi,
toes, and claws bright yellow. Head, fore part of neck, and breast rich
purplish-blue ; abdomen and feathers of legs dusky ; sides green ; low-
er wing-coverts light green; sides of the neck light purplish-blue, sha-
ded into verdigris and brownish-green above; the fore part of the
back verdigris-green, shaded with olivaceous ; the hind part and upper
tail-coverts olivaceous ; the coverts and outer webs of the quills green-
ish-blue, the inner webs clove-brown ; tail-feathers olivaceous.
Length to end of tail 133 inches, to end of wings 134, to end of
claws 18; extent of wings 211; bill along the ridge, including frontal
plate 2; edge of lower mandible 13 ; tarsus 23 ; hind toe 1, its claw +$ ;
middle toe 274, its claw 7%.
42 PURPLE GALLINULE.
Weight of one individual 73 0z., of another 84, both males; of a
fourth 7 oz.; of a fifth 54; and of a sixth only 43. |
The female is somewhat smaller, but similar to the male, the frontal
plate is less extended, and the tints of the plumage a little less vivid.
The young are at first covered with black down. When fledged
they are olivaceous on the upper parts, dull purple beneath; the bill
dull green. After the first moult, the bill is light carmine, greenish-
yellow at the end, the head dark purple; the plumage coloured as
above described, but less brilliant, the tarsi and toes greenish-yellow.
In a male bird, the tongue is 10 twelfths of an inch long, sagittate
at the base, with conical papille, of which the outer are larger, slightly
concave above, horny towards the end, which is thin, rather obtuse, and
lacerated. On the middle line of the roof of the mouth anteriorly is a
row of large blunt papilla, behind which are two rows; aperture of poste-
rior nares linear. (Esophagus 7 inches long, of moderate width, its great-
est diameter, at the lower part of the neck, where it isa little dilated, 8
twelfths. Proventriculus 1,4 long; its glandules 1,4, long. Sto-
mach a large and powerful gizzard, broadly elliptical, 1} inch long, 1,4
broad, its lateral muscles large, the tendons covering nearly their whole
surface, the left muscles 1 inch think, the right 7, the cuticular lining
moderately rugous. Intestine 21 inches long, from 7; to 7% in diame-
ter. Rectum 23 inches; ceca 2, their diameter ;% towards the end.
Trachea, moderately extended, 5} inches long, its greatest breadth
34,, its least 1,4. Its rings 130, very slender, unossified, collapsed,
and owing to their narrowness in the middle line before and behind,
seeming as if broken there ; bronchi with 15 half-rings. The contrac-
tor muscles moderate, the sterno-tracheal slender ; a pair of muscles on
the lower larynx, from the lower rings of the trachea to the membrane
over the first bronchial ring.
In the mouth was a small frog, in the pharynx two, in the cesopha-
gus two more, a large piece of root, numerous fragments of insects,
and a leach, the frogs 24 inches long. In the gizzard were seeds, and —
fragments of white fleshy roots.
( 43°)
GREAT NORTHERN DIVER OR LOON.
~ CoLYMBUS GLACIALIS, LINN.
PLATE CCCVI. Aputr Mate anp Youne MAte.
Tue Loon, as this interesting species of Diver is generally called
in the United States, is a strong, active, and vigilant bird. When it
has acquired its perfect plumage, which is not altered in colour at any
successive moult, it is really a beautiful creature; and the student of
Nature who has opportunities of observing its habits, cannot fail to de-
rive much pleasure from watching it as it pursues its avocations. View
it as it buoyantly swims over the heaving billows of the Atlantic, or
as it glides along deeply immersed, when apprehensive of danger, on
the placid lake, on the grassy islet of which its nest is placed; calcu-
late, if you can, the speed of its flight, as it shoots across the sky ;
mark the many plunges it performs in quest of its finny food, or in
eluding its enemies ; list to the loud and plaintive notes which it issues,
either to announce its safety to its mate, or to invite some traveller of
its race to alight, and find repose and food; follow the anxious and
careful mother-bird, as she leads about her precious charge ; and you
will not count your labour lost, for you will have watched the ways of
one of the wondrous creations of unlimited Power and unerring Wis-
dom. You will find pleasure too in admiring the glossy tints of its
head and neck, and the singular regularity of the unnumbered spots
by which its dusky back and wings are checkered.
I have met with the Great Diver, in winter, on all the water-
courses of the United States, whence, however, it departs when the
cold becomes extreme, and the surface is converted into an impene-
trable sheet of ice. I have seen it also along the whole of our Atlan-
tic coast, from Maine to the extremity of Florida, and from thence to
the mouths of the Mississippi, and the shores of Texas, about Galves-
ton Island, where some individuals in the plumage characteristic of the
second moult, were observed in the course of my late expedition, in
the month of April 1837. Indeed, as is the case with most other species
of migrating birds, the young remove farther south that the old indi-
44 GREAT NORTHERN DIVER OR LOON.
viduals, which are better able to withstand the cold and tempests of
the wintry season. |
The migratory movements of this bird seem to be differently ma-
naged in the spring and autumn. In the latter case, a great number of
young Loons are seen to alight on the head waters of our great streams,
on which, without much exertion, being aided by the current, they
float along, diving at intervals in pursuit of the numerous fishes, as
they proceed toward milder climes. The few old birds which, at a
later date, appear on the same water-courses, frequently take to wing,
and shorten their way by flying at a considerable elevation directly
across the great bends or peninsulas. These modes of travelling are
also adopted by those which advance along the Atlantic coasts, where,
indeed, the birds have the double advantage of meeting with food and
obtaining repose, on the rivers and on the sea. I think, however, that
this maritime course is followed only by such of the Loons as have
bred in the more immediate vicinity of the coast. But whether you
are in the interior, or on the coast, it is seldom that you see at a time
more than one Loon travelling at this season; whereas, in spring, they
proceed in pairs, the male taking the lead, as is easily ascertained by
observing that the bird in the rear is the smallest.
Although its wings are rather small, its flight is strong and rapid,
so that it is enabled to traverse a large extent of country on wing.
When travelling, or even when only raised from its nest, it moves
through the air with all the swiftness of the other species of its tribe,
generally passing directly from one point to another, however distant
it may be. Its long transits are at times performed at so great an ele-
vation, that its form can scarcely be distinguished, and yet, even then,
in calm weather, the noise of its wings striking the air comes distinctly
on your ear. I have seen them thus, on their way towards Labrador,
passing over the head waters of the Bay of Fundy, to cross the Gulf
of St Lawrence. Whenever it chances to alight on the water, in the
course of its long journeys, it almost immediately dives, as if to taste
the water, and judge whether it contains food suited to its appetite.
On emerging, and after haying somewhat raised the fore part of its
body, shaken its wings, and by a strong shiver rearranged its plumage,
it emits its loud echoing call-note, to induce, perchance, some travel-
ler of its tribe to alight for awhile, that they may communicate to each
other their experience of the past, or their hopes of the future. There
GREAT NORTHERN DIVER OR LOON. 45
is an absurd notion, entertained by persons unacquainted with the na-
ture of this bird, that its plaintive cries are a sure indication of vio-
lent storms. Sailors, in particular, are ever apt to consider these call-
notes as portentous. In the course of a voyage from Charleston to the
Florida Keys, in May 1832, I several times saw and heard Loons tra-
velling eastward; but, notwithstanding all the dire forebodings of the
crew, who believed that a hurricane was at hand, our passage was ex-
ceedingly pleasant. Although I have heard the notes of the Loon in
rainy and blowy weather, yet I never heard them so frequent or so
loud, both by day and by night, as on the Ohio, during that delightful
and peculiarly American autumnal season called the Indian Summer ;
when, although not so much as a cloud was seen for weeks, I have fre-
quently observed the passing birds checking their flight, or heard the
murmuring plash which they produced on alighting upon the placid
water, to rest and refresh themselves.
Another strange notion, not deserving of credit, although you will
find it gravely announced in books, is that, when the Loon is breeding,
it will dart down suddenly from the air, and alight securely in its nest.
I have never witnessed such a procedure, although I have closely
watched, from under cover, at least twenty pairs. On such occasions
I have seen the incubating bird pass over the dear spot several times
in succession, gradually rounding and descending so as at last to
alight obliquely on the water, which it always did at a considerable
distance from the nest, and did not approach it until after glancing
around and listening attentively, as if to assure itself that it was not
watched, when it would swim to the shore, and resume its ofiice.
The Loon breeds in various parts of the United States, from Mary-
land to Maine. I have ascertained that it nestles in the former of these
States, on the Susquehannah river, as well as in the districts between
Kentucky and Canada, and on our great lakes. Dr Rictarpson states
that it is found breeding as far north as the 70th degree of latitude.
The situation and form of the nest differ according to circumstances.
Some of those which breed in the State of Maine, place it on the hil-
locks of weeds and mud prepared by the musk-rat, on the edges of the
lakes, or at some distance from them among the rushes. Other nests,
found on the head-waters of the Wabash River, were situated on the
mud, amid the rank weeds, more than ten yards from the water.
Authors have said that only one pair breed on a lake; but I have found
46 GREAT NORTHERN DIVER OR LOON.
three pairs, with their nests, on a pond not exceeding a quarter of a
mile in length, in the State of Maine. One that I saw after the young
had left it, on Cayuga Lake, in 1824, was almost afloat, and rudely at-
tached to the rushes, more than forty yards from the land, though its
base was laid on the bottom, the water being eight or nine inches
deep. Others examined in Labrador were placed on dry land, several
yards from the water, and raised to the height of nearly a foot above
the decayed moss on which they were laid. But, in cases when the
nest was found at any distance from the water, we discovered a well-
beaten path leading to it, and very much resembling those made by the
Beaver, to which the hunters give the name of “ crawls.” The nest,
wherever placed, is bulky, and formed of the vegetable substances
found in the immediate vicinity, such as fresh or withered grasses and
herbaceous plants. The internal part, or the true nest, which is rarely
less than a foot, and is sometimes fifteen inches, in diameter, is raised
upon the external or inferior mass, to the height of seven or eight
inches. Such was one found on the 5th July 1835, in Labrador, and
which was placed within three yards of the edge of a considerable
pond of limpid water, supposed to have been produced by the melt-
ing of the snow, and upwards of a mile distant from the sea. Of
the many nests which I have examined, I have found more containing
three than two eggs, and I am confident that the former number is
that which more frequently occurs, although many European, and some
American writers, who probably never saw a nest of this bird, allege
the contrary. The eggs average three inches and three quarters in
length, by two inches and a quarter in their greatest breadth, and thus
are considerably elongated, being particularly narrowed from the bulge
to the smaller end, which is rather pointed. They are of a dull green-
ish-ochry tint, rather indistinctly marked with spots of dark umber,
which are more numerous toward the larger extremity. The weight
of two of these eggs, containing young nearly ready to emerge, was
ten ounces and a half. In Maine the Loon lays fully a month earlier
than in Labrador, and about the same period as on the Wabash.
On approaching the female while sitting on her eggs, I assured my-
self that she incubates with her body laid flat upon them, in the same
way as the Domestic Duck, and that, on perceiving the intruder, she
squats close, and so remains until he is almost over her, when she
springs up with great force, and makes at once for the water, in a
GREAT NORTHERN DIVER OR LOON. 47
scrambling and sliding manner, pushing herself along the ground. On
gaining the water, she dives at once, emerges at a great distance, and
very rarely suffers herself to be approached within gunshot. Some-
times they swim so deeply immersed as scarcely to be perceptible, and
keep as much as possible among the rushes and other water plants.
When the eggs are on the eve of being hatched, the mother, when dis-
turbed, often cries loudly and dismally for some time, but seldom flies
off. At other times, when I found the eggs to have been recently laid,
the bird, on reaching the water, and diving, swam lightly, flapping its
wings, drank once or twice, and moved about at a respectful distance.
On such occasions, should you persist in watching it, it rises on wing
and flies off. Should you not mark the spot in which the nest is, but
leave it to go in pursuit of the bird, you may search for hours before
finding it, for the path leading from the water to it is generally covered
over by the herbage. Once while approaching a spot in which I knew
a Loon to be engaged in forming her nest, I was disappointed at not
finding her at work: her keen sense of hearing had apprised her of my
purpose, and cunningly must she have slipped away, for, on finding her
absent, although I had not heard any noise, I happened to look toward
the water, and there she was, gliding off in the quiet manner usual on
such occasions.
The young of the Loon are covered at birth with a kind of black
stiff down, and in a day or two after are led to the water by their
mother. They swim and dive extremely well even at this early stage
of their existence, and after being fed by regurgitation for about a fort-
night, receive portions of fish, aquatic insects, and small reptiles, until
they are able to maintain themselves. During this period, grey feathers
appear among the down of the back and belly, and the black quill-
feathers of the wings and tail gradually elongate. They, are generally
very fat, and so clumsy as to be easily caught on land, if their retreat
to the water be cut off. But should you miss your opportunity, and
the birds succeed in gaining the liquid element, into which they drop
like so many Terrapins, you will be astonished to see them as it were
run over the water with extreme celerity, leaving behind them a dis-
tinct furrow. This power of traversing the surface of the water is
possessed not only by the young and old of this species, but by all
other kinds of swimmers, including even Gallinules and Coots. When
48 GREAT NORTHERN DIVER OR LOON.
the young are well able to fly, the mother entices them to remove from
the pond or lake on which they have been bred, and leads them on wing
to the nearest part of the sea, after which she leaves them to shift for
themselves. Now and then, after this period, the end of August or be-
ginning of September, I have still seen the young of a brood, two or
three in number, continuing together until they were induced to travel
southward, when they generally set out singly.
Having given you a figure of a young bird, taken in October 1819
from a specimen obtained on the Ohio, I will not here trouble you with
its description, but merely state that the young undergo their first
moult in December, when they are seen singularly patched with por-
tions of new plumage beautifully speckled with white, on a bed of al-
most uniform ash-brown. I was told, while in the State of Maine,
that if the young were caught soon after being hatched, and before
they had been in the water, they would, if thrown into it, immediately
follow a paddled canoe anywhere ; but, as I have not myself made the
experiment, I cannot speak of this as a fact.
Although it has been generally asserted that Loons cannot walk
or run in an efficient manner, I feel assured that on emergency the
case is very different. An instance which occurred to my youngest
son, JouN Woopunouse, who accompanied me to Labrador, may here
be related. One day, when he was in pursuit of some King Ducks, a
Loon chanced to fly immediately over him within-shooting distance of
his enormous double-barrelled gun. The moment was propitious, and
on firing he was glad to see the bird fall broken-winged on the bare
granitic rocks. As if perfectly aware of its danger, it immediately
rose erect on its feet, and inclining its body slightly forward, ran ot,
stumbled, rose again, and getting along in this manner actually reach-
ed the water before my son, who is by no means slow of foot. The
space traversed was fully an hundred yards, and the water to an equal
distance was not more than ankle-deep. The bird and its pursuer ran
swiftly through the water, and just as both reached a sudden break about
four feet in depth, the Loon, which had been wounded elsewhere than in
the wing, expired and floated at the disposal of its enemy, who brought
it on board the Ripley; when I entered this anecdote in my journal.
These birds are so very strong and hardy that some of the old ones
remain in Maine and Massachusetts until all the fresh waters are
GREAT NORTHERN DIVER OR LOON. 49
frozen, first leaving the quiet lakes and ponds, then the slow streams,
and lastly the turbulent pools below waterfalls, which latter they do
not quit until they are overhung by icicles and deserted of fish. On
the other hand, this species returns northward at a later period than
most others that breed in high latitudes. I have witnessed the arrival
of some on the coast of Labrador, after they had crossed the Gulf of
St Lawrence, as late as the 20th of June, after which they had scarce-
ly four months to seek out a breeding place, lay their eggs, hatch and
rear their young, and with them remove southward, before the rigour
of winter commenced.
The Great Northern Diver is a heavy-bodied bird, and generally
swims rather deep in the water, more especially if apprehensive of im-
mediate danger, when scarcely more than two inches in height of its
back can be seen above the surface. As its body is more flattened
than that of the Cormorant, this circumstance might seem to favour
the action in question ; but other species less depressed exhibit the
same peculiarity ; and I have thought that in all of these the internal
structure alone can account for this peculiar faculty.
With the exception of that most expert of all divers, the Anhinga,
and the Great Auk, the Loon is perhaps the most accomplished.
Whether it be fishing in deep water amid rolling billows, or engaged
in eluding its foes, it disappears beneath the surface so suddenly, re-
mains so long in the water, and rises at so extraordinary a distance, of-
ten in a direction quite the reverse of that supposed to be followed by
it, that your eyes become wearied in searching for it, and you renounce
the wish of procuring it out of sheer vexation. At least, this has very
frequently happened to me; nay, I have at times abandoned the chase
when the bird was so severely wounded as to be obliged to dive imme-
diately beside my boat, and had it not died of exhaustion and floated
near enough to be seized by me, I felt as if I could not have pulled my
oars any longer, and was willing to admit that I was outdone by a
Loon.
In Labrador, where these birds were abundant, my son JOHN one
day shot at one on wing, which fell upon the water to appearance
quite dead, and remained on its back motionless until we had leisurely
rowed to it, when a sailor put out his hand to take it up. The Loon,
however, to our surprise, suddenly sprung up, and dived, and while we
stood amazed, watching its appearance, we saw it come up at the dis-
VOL. IV. D
50 GREAT NORTHERN DIVER OR LOON.
tance of about an hundred yards, shake its head, and disgorge a quan-
tity of fish mixed with blood: on which it dived again, and seemed
lost to us. We rowed however to the spot in all haste, and the mo-
ment it rose, sent another shot after it, which terminated its career.
On examining it afterwards, we found it quite riddled by the heavy
shot.
If ever so slightly wounded, the Loon prefers diving to flying off,
and all your endeavours to kill it are almost sure to prove unavailing:
You may shoot at it under such circumstances, but you will lose both
your time and your ammunition. Its keenness of sight defies the best
percussion-locked gun, for it is generally deep in the water before the
shot reaches the spot where it has been. When fatigued with diving
in the ordinary manner, it will sink backwards, like a Grebe or a Frog,
make for some concealed spot among the rushes, and there lie until
your eyes ache with searching, and your stomach admonishes you of
the propriety of retiring.
Loons are now and then caught in fishermen’s nets, and are soon
drowned. I have also caught them with hooks fastened to lines laid
across the Ohio, but on no such occasion have I taken the bird alive. A
method of shooting these birds, which I have often practised, and which
was several times successfully employed by our Labrador party, may here
be related. On seeing a Loon on the water, at whatever distance, the
sportsman immediately places himself under the nearest cover on the
shore, and remains there as carefully concealed as possible. A few
minutes are allowed to pass, to give the wary and sharp-sighted bird
all due confidence ; during which time the gun, charged with large
shot, is laid in a convenient position. The gunner then takes his cap or
pocket-handkerchief, which if brightly coloured is so much the better,
and raising it in one hand, waves it three or four times, and then sud-
denly conceals it. The bird commonly detects the signal at once, .
and, probably imagining the object thus exhibited to be one of its own
species, gradually advances, emitting its love-notes, which resemble a
coarse laugh, as it proceeds. The sportsman imitates these notes,
making them loud and yet somewhat mellow, waving his cap or ker-
chief at the same time, and this he continues to do at intervals. The
Loon, in order to arrive more quickly, dives, perhaps rises within
fifty yards of him, and calling less loudly, advances with considerable
caution. He shews the signal less frequently, imitates the notes of
GREAT NORTHERN DIVER OR LOON. 51
the bird more faintly, and carefully keeps himself concealed, until the
Loon, having approached within twenty or even ten paces, dives and
on emerging raises itself up to shake its wings, when off goes the shot,
and the deluded bird floats dead on the water. Many species of Ducks
are procured in nearly the same manner. The male Turkey, in the
gobbling season, and the Stag in autumn. may also be drawn within shot
by the same means. I once “ tolled” two Loons with my hat from a
distance of nearly half a mile, and although they were at one time so
near to me that I could clearly perceive the colour of their eyes, I had
no sure opportunity of firing at them, as it was in the pairing season,
and they never once dived, or raised their wings to flap them, so that,
knowing the extreme agility with which they disappear when they have
seen a gun snap, I judged it useless to shoot. Until my visit to La-
brador I had supposed, agreeably to the common belief, that the Loons
always repose at night on the water, which, however, I have since as-
sured myself they rarely if ever do.
Colonel Monracu, than whom none has written more correctly on the
habits of the birds of Great Britain, having procured a wounded Loon,
placed it in a pond, and observed the manner in which it made its way
under the surface of the water. “In swimming and diving,” he re-
marks, ‘ only the legs are used and not the wings, as in the Guillemot
and Auk tribes, and by their position so far behind, and their little de-
viation from the line of the body, the bird is enabled to propel itself
in the water with great velocity, in a straight line, as well as turn with
astonishing quickness.” This I have no doubt was the case with the
individual observed ; but that this is not the usual mode of proceeding
of the species is equally true. Having myself seen Loons pass and
repass under boats, at the distance of several feet from the surface,
and propel themselves both with their feet, and their half-extended
wings, I am inclined to believe that when not wounded, and when
pursuing their prey, they usually employ all the limbs.
My friend Tuomas Nurraxt, who kept one for some time, gives
the following account of its manners while in his possession. ‘“ A
young bird of this kind which I obtained in the Salt Marsh at Chelsea
Beach, and transferred to a fish-pond, made a good deal of plaint, and
would sometimes wander out of his more natural element, and hide and
bask in the grass. On these occasions he lay very still until nearly ap-
proached, and then slid into the pond and uttered his usual plaint.
p2
52 GREAT NORTHERN DIVER OR LOON.
When out ata distance he made the same cautious efforts to hide, and
would commonly defend himself in great anger, by darting at the in-
truder, and striking powerfully with his dagger-like bill. This bird,
with a pink-coloured iris-like albinos, appeared to suffer from the glare
of broad day-light, and was inclined to hide from its effects, but be-
came very active towards the dusk of the evening. The pupil of the
eye in this individual, like that of nocturnal animals, appeared indeed
dilatable ; and the one in question often put down his head and eyes
into the water to observe the situation of his prey. This bird was a
most expert and indefatigable diver, and remained down sometimes
for several minutes, often swimming under water, and as it were flying
with the velocity of an arrow in the air. Though at length inclining
to become docile, and shewing no alarm when visited, it constantly
betrayed its wandering habits, and every night was found to have
waddled to some hiding place, where it seemed to prefer hunger to
the loss of liberty, and never could be restrained from exercising its
instinct to move onwards to some secure or more suitable asylum.”
The same valued friend has corroborated the result of my observa-
tions respecting the number of eggs usually laid by this species, by
stating as follows: “* About the 11th of June, through the kindness of
Dr J. W. Harris, I received three eggs, which had been taken from
the nest of a Loon, made in a hummock, or elevated grassy hillock, at
Sebago Pond, in New Hampshire.”
The range of this species is immense. It occurs on the waters
that fall into the Pacific Ocean, and has been observed on the Colum-
bia River. In the Fur Countries it is plentiful; and, as I have al-
ready stated, it breeds in many parts of the United States. It is
found equally in Europe, and the northern parts of Asia. In all these
countries it moves southward on the approach of winter, and returns
when the mild weather commences in spring.
_ Unlike the Cormorant, the Loon usually swallows its food under
the water, unless when it happens to bring up a shell-fish or a crusta-
ceous animal, which it munches for a while before it swallows it.
Fishes of numerous kinds, aquatic insects, water-lizards, frogs, and
leeches, have been found by me in its stomach, in which there is
also generally much coarse gravel, and sometimes the roots of fresh-
water plants.
Although the flesh of the Loon is not very palatable, being tough,
GREAT NORTHERN DIVER OR LOON. 53
rank, and dark coloured, I have seen it much relished by many lovers
of good-living, especially at Boston, where it was not unfrequently
served almost raw at the table of the house where I boarded.
A female bird particularly examined by me presented the following
appearances. From the point of the bill to the end of the tail it mea-
sured 34 inches ; to the claws 41; the extended wings were 71; the bill
measured 5 inches along the gape; the breadth of the body was 8
inches, its depth only four ; the wings were 2 inches shorter than the
tail; and the weight was 10 lb. 11 oz. avoirdupois. The first primary
was longest. The trachea, which was even and flattened, being in
diameter about 3 of an inch by 3 inch, was 16 inches long. The eggs
werenumerous. The gizzard was moderate, and contained many large
pebbles. The intestines were 7 feet long, and about the same size as
a Swan’s quill. Every bone and sinew was strong and tough. The
tongue resembled in shape and size that of the Ivory-billed Wood-
pecker. The bones of the wing and leg were almost solid, the cavity
for the marrow being very small. All the bones of this specimen
were presented to Mr Yuomas Attis, of the Friend’s Retreat, near
York.
My friend Captain James Criark Ross, of the Royal Navy of
England, once placed at my disposal a specimen of the Loon procured
in a very high latitude, and which, having closely inspected it, I found
to differ from the one represented in the plate, only in having the
point of the bill slightly elevated or recurved, and of a fine yellow
tint. Dr RicHarpson informed me that, on one of his arduous north-
ern journeys, he saw a very large and handsomely crested Diver, which,
although somewhat prematurely, I propose honouring with the name
of Colymbus Richardsoni.
Cortymgus exaciaxis, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 221. Adult.—Lath. Ind. Ornith.
p- 799.
Cotymsus Immer, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol.i. p. 222. Young.—Lath. Ind, Ornith. p. 800.
Corymsus exraciatis, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 420,
Great Norruern Diver or Loon, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. ix. pl. 74, fig. 3.
CotymsBus exactatis, Richards. and Swains. Fauna Bor. Amer. vol. ii. p. 474.
Loon, or Great Nortuern Diver, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 513.
Adult Male. Plate CCCVI. Fig. 1.
Bill as long as the head, straight, stout, much compressed, tapering
54 GREAT NORTHERN DIVER OR LOON.
to a point. Upper mandible with the dorsal line descending and slightly
convex towards the end, the ridge convex, narrowed towards the point,
the sides convex beyond the nostrils, the edges sharp and considerably
inflected, the tip narrow and sharpish. Nasal groove short, nostrils
basal, linear, direct, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle ex-
tremely narrow, and extending beyond the middle, the dorsal line
straight and sloping upwards to the point, the ridge convex and nar-
row, the edges sharp and involute ; the tip attenuated.
Head of moderate size, oblong, narrowed before. Neck rather
long and thick. Eyes of moderate size. Body elongated, much de-
pressed, of an elliptical form viewed from above. Wings small. Feet
short, rather large, placed very far back; tibia almost entirely con-
cealed ; tarsus short, exceedingly compressed, sharp-edged before and
behind, covered all over with reticulated angular scales ; hind toe ex-
tremely small, connected with the second by a very small membrane ;
the anterior toes united by articulated membranes, the fourth or outer
longest, the third a little shorter, the second considerably shorter than
the third, all covered above with very numerous narrow scutella, the
second toe with a free two-lobed membrane ; claws very small, depres-
sed, blunt.
Plumage short and dense; of the head and neck very short, and
blended ; of the lower parts blended, short, with slight gloss; of the
upper compact, glossy; the feathers in general oblong, those of the
upper parts with the extremity abrupt. Wings proportionally very
small and narrow, curved ; primaries strong, tapering, the first longest,
the second almost as long, the rest rapidly graduated ; secondaries
broad, and rounded. Tail extremely short, rounded, of twenty feathers.
Bill black. Iris deep bright red. Feet, tarsi, and toes, of a livid
greyish-blue, their inner sides tinged with pale yellowish flesh-colour ;
claws black, lighter at the base ; webs brownish-black, lighter in the
middle. Head and neck dark greenish-blue, with purple reflections.
On the throat a small transverse patch of white, longitudinally striated
with dusky ; about the middle of the neck, two large patches of the
same, separated in front to the distance of an inch, behind continuous,
but when the feathers are laid close, appearing as if separated by a
longitudinal dark band about half an inch in breadth. The under parts
glossy white, excepting the feathers on the sides under the wing, which
are black, each with two, three, or four elliptical white spots, a faint
GREAT NORTHERN DIVER OR LOON. : 55
dusky band across the vent, the lower tail-coverts, which are brownish-
black tipped with white, and the axillar feathers and larger wing-co-
verts, which have a dusky streak along the middle. The sides of the
neck at its lower part are longitudinally’streaked with black and white,
there being twe oblong spots of the latter on each feather towards the
end. ‘The upper parts are glossy black, variegated with spots of white
in regular transverse slightly-curved lines having the convexity back-
wards. These spots vary in form and size, being small and roundish
towards the neck and sides, larger and somewhat four-sided along the
middle of the back: largest and rectangular on the scapulars, very
small and roundish on the hind part of the back and tail-coverts. The
upper part of the wing is similar, with smallish spots; the alula and
quill brownish-black, a few of the inner secondaries only having two
white spots at their extremity. Tail brownish-black, paler at the tip.
Aduit Male. Adult Male. Young.
Length to the end of tail, 3 322 36 311
Bee ean ee ee Uae ota aaines claws, : 391 402 36
Jeg ei eeawe As Gace aa sese) WILieSR ; dl — 29%
2 cg LS a pea carpal joint, 163 _ 163
Extent of wings, ? : ; 572 52 54i
Wing from flexure, . ‘ : 15} — 142
Depth of body, : i : aa 6 —
Breadth, A : é ; et 91 wuld
Bill along the ridge, s ; — 3y5 —
Gape-line, : : 4 : _ 45 —
Tarsus, 4 ; : ; = 375 —
Hind toe, 2 ] é F — 93 —
Its claw, ! 3 f : — 72: —
Outer toe and claw, s ‘ — 4} —
Middle toe, : : 3 : — 4 a
Inner, ... 2 4 : : — 37% -
Tail: : : : i — 2975 —
Wing from flexure, : : —_— 143 —
Weight, 5 : 8% 84 9
The female is generally smaller, but in all other respects resembles
the male. Weight 10 Ib. 11 oz.
56 GREAT NORTHERN DIVER OR LOON.
Young in winter. Plate CCCVI. Fig. 2.
Bill pale yellowish-green, the ridge and tip of the upper mandible
dusky. Iris brown. Feet dusky externally, pale yellowish flesh-co-
lour internally, webs dusky, but yellow in the middle. Claws yellow-
ish-brown. All the upper parts are of a uniform dark greyish-brown,
each feather margined with lighter, the lower parts white; the sides
of the neck at the lower part whitish, streaked with dusky ; the sides
dusky, without spots.
Towards spring the eye assumes a redder tint, and the plumage of
the upper parts gradually becomes spotted with white ; and when the
moult is completed about the end of summer, the plumage is as in the
adult, although the tints are improved at each successive moult for se-
veral years.
A fine male killed at Boston, 34 inches in length, with an alar ex-
tent of 56, presents the following characters. There is a general layer
of subcutaneous adipose tissue, and the skin is very tenacious. The
external aperture of the ear roundish, very small, having a diameter
of only 2 lines. The tongue is 2 inches 1 line in length, fleshy, as
high as broad, slightly concave and longitudinally grooved above, ta-
pering to a horny point. On the palate are 6 rows of papillae; the
posterior aperture of the nares is linear 23 inches in length. The
aperture of the glottis is } an inch long, with numerous papille along its
sides and behind. The pharynx is extremely dilatable, as is the
cesophagus, which is 17 inches long, passes along the right side of the
neck, together with the trachea, and when distended has an average
diameter of 23 inches, but on entering the thorax contracts to 12.
The structure of the cesophagus in birds may be very conveniently
examined in this species, the different layers being remarkably deve-
loped in it. Properly speaking, it has only two coats,—the outer mus-
cular, its external layer composed of transverse or circular fibres, the
internal of equally distinct longitudinal fibres, which are not straight,
but irregularly undulated. The inner, or mucous coat, when con-
tracted falls into longitudinal plaits. The proventriculus is 23 inches
long, the glandules large, roundish, simple, and disposed in a conti-
nuous belt. Over this part, the transverse muscular fibres are remark-
ably developed. The right lobe of the liver is 53 inches long, the
left lobe 54. The heart is very large, of a broadly conical form, 3
GREAT NORTHERN DIVER OR LOON. 57
inches long, 2% inches in breadth. The stomach is three inches long,
21 in breadth, of an elliptical form, a little compressed ; its lateral
muscles 9 lines in thickness, and composed of strong large fasciculi ;
the tendons 14 inch in diameter; the cuticular lining thick, its up-
per and lower parts marked with strong longitudinal ridges having
numerous transverse fissures; the grinding surfaces irregularly wrinkle ',
with a deep fissure down the middle of each. The pylorus is 8 lines
in diameter when distended, and is destitute of valve, but has a
strong prominent rim. In the stomach were remains of fishes, and
some pebbles, chiefly quartz, the largest 4 lines long. The intestine
measures 6 feet 6 inches in length, and varies in diameter from 8
to 6 lines. The rectum is 33 inches long, the cloaca extremely large,
forming a cavity about 3 inches in diameter. The czeca are 1} inch
long, cylindrical, rounded at the extremity; one of them 7 lines, the
other 9 lines, in diameter.
The trachea, when moderately extended, measures 133 inches in
length, inconsiderably depressed, its transverse diameter at the upper
part 92 lines, at the lower 64 lines ; the rings cartilaginous, of mo-
derate breadth, uniform, with a contraction in the middle before and
behind, their number 134, the four lowest united. The bronchi are
composed of about 20 narrow cartilaginous half rings. The contractor
muscles are very broad but thin, their fibres irregularly disposed in
front; they become thicker and narrower toward the lower part, and
are continued beyond the sterno-tracheal muscles, which come off
from the 20th ring from the inferior larynx, to the membrane between
the last tracheal and first bronchial ring.
( 38 )
BLUE HERON.
ARDEA C@RULEA, Linn.
PLATE CCCVII. Aputr Mate ann Youns.
Atone with a few other Herons, this is, comparatively speaking,
confined within narrow limits along our southern coast in winter. It
occurs, however, in most parts of the Floridas, where it is a constant
resident, and whence, at the approach of summer, vast multitudes are
seen proceeding northward, in search of suitable places in which
they may rear their young in security. Many, however, go south-
ward, beyond the limits of the United States, and proceed coastwise
to Texas and Mexico to spend the winter, especially the younger
birds, when still in that singular white plumage which differs so much
from that of the young of every other known species of this genus,
except that of the Reddish Egret ( A, rufescens). At New Orleans,
where it arrives at the same period, both from Mexico and the Flori-
das, its first appearance in spring is about the beginning of March;
at which time also multitudes leave the Floridas on their way east-
ward, to settle in Georgia, the Carolinas, and other States farther
east, as far as Long Island in that of New York. Beyond this, I
believe, no birds of the species have been met with. They rarely, if
ever, proceed far inland, or leave the shores of our large rivers and
estuaries. On the Mississippi, the swamps and lakes on the borders
of which are so well adapted to the habits of these birds, few indivi-
duals are ever seen above Natchez. About the beginning of Sep-
tember, by which time the young are able to shift for themselves, they
return southward.
When in the Floridas, during winter, I observed that the Blue
Herons associated with other species, particularly the White Heron,
Ardea alba, and the Louisiana Heron, Ardea Ludoviciana, all of which
were in the habit of roosting together in the thick evergreen low
bushes that cover the central parts of the islands along the coast.
‘Their passage to and from their feeding places, is as regular as the
rising and setting of the sun, and, unless frequently disturbed, they
BLUE HERON. 59
betake themselves every night to the same locality, and almost to the
same spot. In the morning, they rise with one accord from the roosts
on which they have been standing all night on one leg, the other
drawn up among the feathers of the abdomen, their neck retracted,
and their head and bill buried beneath their scapulars. On emerging
from their retreats, they at once proceed to some distant place in
search of food, and spend the day principally on the head waters of
the rivers, and the fresh-water lakes of the interior, giving a decided
preference to the soft mud banks, where small crabs or fiddlers are
abundant, on which they feed greedily, when the inland ponds have
been dried up, and consequently no longer supply them with such
fishes as they are wont to feed upon.
There, and at this season, Reader, you may see this graceful Heron,
quietly and in silence walking along the margins of the water, with an
elegance and grace which can never fail to please you. Each regularly-
timed step is lightly measured, while the keen eye of the bird seeks
for and watches the equally cautious movements of the objects towards
which it advances with all imaginable care. When at a proper dis-
tance, it darts forth its bill with astonishing celerity, to pierce and se-
cure its prey; and this it does with so much precision, that, while
watching some at a distance with a glass, I rarely observed an instance
of failure. If fish is plentiful, on the shallows near the shore, when it
has caught one, it immediately swallows it, and runs briskly through
the water, striking here and there, and thus capturing several in suc-
cession. Two or three dashes of this sort, afford sufficient nourish-
-ment for several hours, and when the bird has obtained enough it re-
tires to some quiet place, and remains there in an attitude of repose
until its hunger returns. During this period of rest, however, it is as
watchful as ever, and on hearing the least noise, or perceiving the slight-
est appearance of danger, spreads its wings, and flies off to some other
place, sometimes to a very distant one. About an hour before sunset,
they are again seen anxiously searching for food. When at length sa-
tisfied, they rise simultaneously from all parts of the marsh, or shore,
arrange themselves into loose bodies, and ascending to the height of
fifty or sixty yards in the air, fly in a straight course towards their
roosting place. I saw very few of these birds during the winter, on
or near the river St John in Florida; but on several occasions met
60 BLUE HERON.
with some on small ponds in the pine barrens, at a considerable dis-
ance from any large stream, whither they had been attracted by the
great number of frogs.
The flight of the Blue Heron is rather swifter than that of the Egret,
Ardea candidissima, and considerably more so than that of the Great Blue
Heron, Ardea Herodias, but very similar to that of the Louisiana Heron,
Ardea Ludoviciana. When the bird is travelling,the motion is performed
by flappings in quick succession, which rapidly propel it in a direct
line, until it is about to alight, when it descends in circular sailings of
considerable extent towards the spot selected. During strong adverse
winds, they fly low, and in a continuous line, passing at the necessary
distance from the shores to avoid danger, whether at an early or a late
hour of the day. I recollect that once, on such an occasion, when, on
the 15th of March, I was in company with my friend Joun Bacumay, I
saw a large flock about sunset arising from across the river, and circling
over a large pond, eight miles distant from Charleston. So cautious
were they, that although the flock was composed of several hundred indi-
viduals, we could not manage to get so much as a chance of killing
one. I have been surprised to see how soon the Blue Herons become
shy after reaching the districts to which they remove for the purpose
of breeding from their great rendezvous the Floridas, where I never
experienced any difficulty in procuring as many as I wished. In Loui-
siana, on the other hand, I have found them equally vigilant on their
first arrival. On several occasions, when I had placed myself under
cover, to shoot at some, while on their way to their roosts or to their
feeding grounds, I found it necessary to shift from one place to ano-
ther, for if one of them had been fired at and had fallen ina particular
place, all that were in its company took care not to pass again near it,
but when coming up diverged several hundred yards, and increased
their speed until past, when they would assume their more leisurely
flappings. In South Carolina, where they are very shy on their arrival,
I have seen them fly off on hearing the very distant report of a gun,
and alight on the tops of the tallest trees, where they would congre-
gate in hundreds, and whence they would again fly off on the least ap-
prehension of danger. But when once these Herons have chosen a place
to nestle in, or reached one in which they bred the preceding year,
they become so tame as to allow you to shoot as many as you are dis-
posed to have.
BLUE HERON. 61
While on Cayo Island, in the Gulf of Mexico, on the 10th of April
1837, I observed large flocks of the Blue and Green Herons, Ardea
cerulea and A. virescens, arriving from the westward about the middle
of the day. They flew at a considerable height, and came down like
so many hawks, to alight on the low bushes growing around the se-
questered ponds; and this without any other noise than the rustling
of their wings as they glided through the air towards the spot on which
they at once alighted. There they remained until sunset, when they
all flew off, so that none were seen there next day. This shews that
although these species migrate both by day and night, they are quite
diurnal during the period of their residence in any section of the coun-
try which they may have chosen for a season. It is more than pro-
bable that it has been from want of personal knowledge of the habits
of these birds, that authors have asserted that all Herons are noctur-
nally inclined. This certainly is by no means the case, although they
find it advantageous to travel by night during their migrations, which
is a remarkable circumstance as opposed to their ordinary habits. In
the instance above mentioned, I found the birds remarkably gentle,
which was probably owing to fatigue.
The Blue Heron breeds earlier or later according to the tempera-
ture of the district to which it resorts for that purpose, and therefore
earlier in Florida, where, however, considerable numbers remain, during
the whole year than in other parts of the United States. Thus I have
found them in the southern parts of that country, sitting on their eggs,
on the Ist of March, fully a month earlier than in the vicinity of
Bayou Sara, on the Mississippi, where they are as much in advance of
those which betake themselves, in very small numbers indeed, to our
Middle Districts, in which they rarely begin to breed before the fifteenth
of May.
The situations which they choose for their nests are exceedingly
varied. I have found them sitting on their eggs on the Florida Keys,
and on the islands in the Bay of Galveston, in Texas, in nests placed
amidst and upon the most tangled cactuses, so abundant on those cu-
rious isles, on the latter of which the climbing Rattlesnake often
gorges itself with the eggs of this and other species of Heron, as well
as with their unfledged young. In the Lower parts of Louisiana, it
breeds on low bushes of the water-willow, as it also does in South
Carolina; whereas, on the islands on the coast of New Jersey, and
62 BLUE HERON.
even on the mainland of that State, it places its nest on the branches
of the cedar and other suitable trees. Wherever you find its breeding
place, you may expect to see other birds in company with it, for like
all other species, excepting perhaps the Louisiana Heron, it rarely ob-
jects to admit into its society the Night Heron, the Yellow-crowned
Heron, or the White Egret.
The heronries of the southern portions of the United States are
often of such extraordinary size as to astonish the passing traveller.
I confess that I myself might have been as sceptical on this point as
some who, having been accustomed to find in all places the Heron to
be a solitary bird, cannot be prevailed on to believe the contrary, had
I not seen with my own eyes the vast multitudes of individuals of dif-
ferent species breeding together in peace in certain favourable locali-
ties. Such persons may be excused from giving that credit to my ac-
count of the Passenger Pigeon which posterity will, I trust, accord
to it.
The nest of the Blue Heron, wherever situated, is loosely formed
of dry sticks, sometimes intermixed with green leaves of various trees,
and with grass or moss, according as these materials happen to be
plentiful in the neighbourhood. It is nearly flat, and can. scarcely be
said to have a regular lining. Sometimes you see a solitary nest fixed
on a cactus, a bush, or a tree; but a little beyond this you may observe
from six to ten, placed almost as closely together as you would have put
them had you measured out the space necessary for containing them.
Some are seen low over the water, while others are placed high ; for,
like the rest of its tribe, this species is rather fond of placing its tene-
ment over or near the liquid element.
The eggs are usually three, rarely four; and I have never found a nest
of this species containing five eggs, as is stated by Wi1son, who, pro-
bably found a nest of the Green Heron containing that number among
others of the present species. ‘They measure an inch and three quar-
ters in length, by an inch and a quarter in breadth, being about the
size of those of Ardea candidissima, though rather more elongated, and
precisely of the same colour.
The young bird is at first almost destitute of feathers, but scantily
covered with yellowish-white down. When fully fledged, its bill
and legs are greenish-black, and its plumage pure white, or slightly
BLUE HERON. 63
tinged with cream-colour, the tips of the three outer primaries light
greyish-blue. Of this colour the bird remains until the breeding sea-
son, when, however, some individuals exhibit a few straggling pale
blue feathers. When they have entered on their second year, these
young birds become spotted with deeper blue on some parts of the
body, or on the head and neck, thus appearing singularly patched with
that colour and pure white, the former increasing with the age of the
bird in so remarkable a manner, that you may see specimens of these
birds with portions even of the pendant feathers of their head or shoul-.
ders so marked. And these are produced by full moultings, by which
T mean the unexpected appearance, as it were, of feathers growing out
of the skin of the bird coloured entirely blue, as is the case in many of
our land birds. In all these stages of plumage, and from the first spring
after birth, the young birds breed with others, as is equally the case
with Ardea rufescens. You may see a pure white individual paired
with one of a full blue colour, or with one patched with blue and white.
The young, after leaving their parents, remain separate from the old
birds until the next breeding season. At no period can the young of
this species be confounded with, or mistaken for that of the Ardea can-
didissima, by a person really acquainted with these birds, for the Blue
Heron is not only larger than the latter, but the very colour of its feet
and legs is perfectly distinctive. Indeed, during the time when the
young Blue Heron is quite white (excepting on the tips of the outer
primaries), it would be easier to confound it with the young of the
Reddish Egret, Ardea rufescens, than with that of any other, were the
feathers. of its hind head and neck of the same curious curled appear-
ance as those of that species.
My friend Joun Bacuman informs me, that in South Carolina, this
species not unfrequently breeds in the company of the Louisiana He-
ron, the nests and eggs of which, he adds, are very similar. He has
specimens of these birds in all the different stages which I have de-
seribed. At New Orleans, the Blue Herons, during the transition of
their plumage from white to blue, are called “ Egrettes folles,” or
foolish Egrets, on account of their unusual tameness. My friend
Bacumawn and I, shot, on the 6th and 9th of April, several specimens
spotted with blue feathers, and having their crests and trains similarly
mixed, although of full length ; but in most of the specimens obtained,
64 BLUE HERON.
the white was still prevalent. I have shot some in Louisiana, in au-
tumn, in the same curious dress.
This species, though larger than the Snowy Heron, Ardea candidis-
sima, is considerably inferior to it in courage ; and I was much amused
as well as surprised, when at Galveston Bay, on the 24th of April
1837, to see one of that species alight near a Purple Heron, attack it,
and pursue it as far as I could follow them with my eyes. When the
Blue Herons are on the sea-coast they not unfrequently repose on the
large mud or sand bars, at some distance from the adjacent marshes ;
but they generally prefer roosting on trees or bushes, when there are
any in their neighbourhood. The Creoles of Louisiana not unfrequently
eat the flesh of this species, and although they by no means consider it
equal to that of the Night Heron, some of them have assured me that
it is not bad food. Like other birds of this family, they become larger
with age, and the male is usually somewhat superior in size to the
female ; but, with this exception, no difference can be perceived in the
external appearance of the sexes.
ARDEA c@RULEA Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. 1. p. 238.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. it. p. 689.
ARDEA C@RULEA, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis, p. 300.
Biur Heron, Arprea ceruLEA, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vii. p. 117. pl. 62. fig. 3.
Adult.
Brus Heron, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 58.
Adult Male in full plumage. Plate CCCVI. Fig. 1.
Bill much longer than the head, rather slender, very slightly decurved,
compressed, tapering to apoint. Upper mandible with the dorsal line
nearly straight for two-thirds of its length, then slightly decurved, the
ridge convex, broad at the base, gradually narrowed to the point; a
groove from the base to near the end, the sides convex beneath, the
edges thin and sharp, with a slight notch close to the tips. _ Nostrils
basal, linear, longitudinal, with a membrane above and behind. Lower
mandible with the angle extremely narrow and elongated, the dorsal
line beyond it ascending and almost straight, the sides sloping outwards,
and flattened, the edges sharp and slightly inflected, the tip acumi-
nate.
Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck very long and slen-
der. Body slender and compressed. Feet very long; tibia elongated,
BLUE HERON. 65
its lower half bare, very slender, covered all round with angular scales,
of which the posterior are large ; tarsus elongated, slender, compressed,
anteriorly covered with numerous broad scutella, laterally and behind
with angular scales. Toes long, slender, with numerous broad scutella
above, flattened and reticularly granulate beneath. Claws rather long,
arched, compressed, acute, that of hind toe much larger and more curved,
the inner edge of that of the third finely and regularly pectinate.
Space between the bill and eye, and around the latter, bare. Plu-
mage soft, thin, and blended. Feathers of the upper and hind part of
the head very long, linear, with loose barbs; of the sides of the neck
loose and inclined obliquely backwards, of its lower part much elonga-
ted, narrow, and tapering to a point; of the middle of the back
extremely long, linear, acuminate, their tips projecting about five
inches beyond the tail. Wings long, and very broad ; primaries broad,
tapering, and rounded, the first, second and third almost equal, the
latter being only a twelfth of an inch longer; secondaries broad and
rounded ; some of the inner only half an inch shorter than the longest
primary, when the wing is closed. Tail very short, small, even, of twelve
rather weak feathers.
Bill ultramarine blue at the base, gradually shaded into black to-
wards the point ; the bare space between it and the eye, as well as the
edges of the eyelids, ultramarine. Iris pale yellow. Legs, tarsi, toes,
and claws, black. Head and neck of a rich deep purple, inclining to
vinaceous; the lower part of the neck and all the other parts deep
greyish-blue, the edges of the feathers lighter.
Length to end of tail 244 inches, to end of wings 25, to end of elon-
gated dorsal feathers 26, to end of claws 302 ; wing from flexure ES
tail 43%; extent of wings 42; bill along the ridge 3y4;, along the edge
of lower mandible 4; bare part of tibia 234 ; tarsus 3, ; first toe 11. its
claw 7%; middle toe 23, its claw 74. Weight 1 lb.
The female is similar to the male, but smaller. Weight 11 oz.
The young are at first sparely covered with yellowish-white down.
When a fortnight old, the bill is yellow, with the tips greenish-black ;
the feet greenish-yellow, the claws dusky, with the tips greyish-yellow.
The general colour of the plumage is pure white, but the down which
tips the feathers of the head is brownish-white; two of the alular feathers
are tinged with dull bluish-grey, and the outer seven or eight pri-
maries are broadly margined on both sides to the length of about an
VOL. IV. E
66 BLUE HERON.
inch and a half with the same colour of a deeper tint, the extreme tip.
-white.
When fully fledged, the bare parts at the base of the bill, and the
basal half of the upper mandible, are light greenish-blue, the rest black ;
the lower mandible yellow, with a patch of black, an inch and a quarter
in length on each side at the end. Legs, tarsi, and toes greenish-blue,
the sides yellowish; claws dusky. The feathers of the head are
slightly elongated ; those of the back are also elongated, but much
broader and shorter than in the adult. The feathers on the upper
part of the head are of a faint bluish-grey; and the alular feathers
and eight outer primaries are tinged with the same colour. At
this period, the length to the end of the tail is 22 inches, to end of
claws 283; bill along the ridge 27; wing from flexure 11; tail 4,%.
In November, when the moult is advanced. The bill is black,
dull blue at the base. The feet are nearly black, as are the claws.
The occipital feathers are now two inches and a half in length, and
some of the dorsal feathers extend as far as the tips of the wings ; those
of the lower part of the neck have also a length of about three inches.
The general colour of the plumage is white; the upper part of the
head, the hind neck, back, anterior edge of the wing, and outer pri-
maries at the end, of a faint bluish-grey tint; some of the elongated
feathers of the back darker.
Length to end of tail 22 inches; to end of claws 294; bill 3;
wing from flexure 114.
A year old. Bill nearly as in the adult; feet bluish-black, the
plumage is white, with the upper parts pale greyish-blue as in Novem-
ber, but the whole interspersed with numerous feathers of a deep
greyish-blue, similar to that of the adult; the primaries and tail being
still white.
Length to end of tail 23; ; extent of wings 323; bill 33. Weight
9 oz.
At the age of a year the bird propagates, so that individuals in
the white, mottled, or blue plumage, may be seen breeding together.
When only a few weeks old, the serrature of the claw of the mid-
dle toe is scarcely perceptible, exhibiting merely faint indications of
points upon a very slight margin. This margin enlarges, and when
the bird is completely fledged the serratures are perfectly formed.
BLUE HERON. 67
In this bird, as in most other Herons, the crura of the lower
mandible are thin, flexible, and elastic, the angle filled by an elastic
membrane covered by the skin. The tongue is | inch long, sagittate
at the base, tapering to a point. The roof of the mouth has a median
prominent ridge, and two lateral lines; the palate is convex ; the pos-
terior aperture of the nares 10 lines in length. The pharynx may be
dilated to 13 inch; the cesophagus, which is 12 inches long, is when
dilated 10 lines in diameter at its upper part, and gradually contracts
to 7 lines; at the curvature of the neck it lies directly behind, having
passed down on the left side, along with the trachea. Its walls are
extremely thin, contrasting in this respect with the cesophagus of the
Great Northern Diver and other swimming piscivorous birds. The
proventriculus is 1 inch long, its glandules cylindrical, and extreme-
ly slender. The stomach seems as if it merely formed a basal sac to
the cesophagus, its muscles being extremely thin, its tendons cireu-
lar and half an inch in diameter; cuticular lining soft. ‘The intes-
tine is long and very narrow, 5 feet 10 inches in length, 2 lines in
diameter at the upper part, 1} near the rectum, which is 23 inches
long, with a diameter of 43 lines, and terminates in a nipple-like cecum,
projecting 3 lines beyond the entrance of the small intestine, but
having no appearance of the two lateral appendages usually called
ceca. In this respect, the Blue Heron agrees with others of the
same family. ‘The cloaca is about an inch in length and breadth.
The trachea, when extended, is 83 inches long. The rings 170
in number, are osseous and circular, so that the organ preserves its
eylindrical form under all circumstances. They are, like those of all
Herons, of equal breadth on both sides, not broad on one side
and narrow on the other, as has been represented. The contractor
muscles are very slender, as are the sterno-tracheal; the former send
down a slip on each side to the first bronchial ring. The diameter
of the trachea is 2 lines at the upper part, 13 at the lower. The
bronchi are short, wide, conical, of about 13 half rings.
The right lobe of the liver is 21 inches long, the left lobe 13; the
heart 1} in length, 8 lines broad, of an oblong conical form. The sto-
mach contained remains of insects and crustaceous animals, together
with a few seeds.
( 68 )
TELL-TALE GODWIT.
TOTANUS MELANOLEUCUS, VIEILL.
PLATE CCCVIII. Mate ann FEemate.
Ir is my opinion that they who have given so much importance to
the cry of this bird, as to believe it to be mainly instrumental in en-
suring the safety of other species, and in particular of Ducks, have
called in the aid of their imagination to increase the interest of what
requires no such illustration. A person unacquainted with this God-
wit would believe, on reading its history as recorded in books, that
the safety of these birds depends on the friendly warning of their long-
billed and long-tongued neighbour. And yet it is at no season more
noisy or more vigilant than the Kildeer Plover, nor ever half so much
so as the Semipalmated species, the reiterated vociferations of which
are so annoying. It is true that the Tell-tale is quite loquacious
enough; nay, you, Reader, and I, may admit that it is a cunning and
watchful bird, ever willing to admonish you or me, or any other per-
son whom it may observe advancing towards it with no good intent,
that it has all along watched us. But then, when one has observed
the habits of this bird for a considerable time, in different situations,
and when no other feathered creatures are in sight, he will be con-
vinced that the Tell-tale merely intends by its cries to preserve itself,
and not generously to warn others of their danger. So you may safely
banish from your mind the apprehension, which the reading of books
may have caused, that duck-shooting in the marshes of our Middle Dis-
tricts, is as hopeless a pursuit as “ a wild goose chase.”
The Tell-tale Godwit has a great range in the United States,
where, indeed, I have found it in almost every district, and at all sea-
sons. It spends the winter along the shores of our estuaries, rivers,
and ponds, and in the rice-fields, from Maryland to Mexico. It is
abundant then in South Carolina, the Floridas, and along the shores
of the Gulf of Mexico, as far as Texas, where I found it in consider-
able numbers and paired, in the months of April and May, along with
the Yellow-shank Snipe, Totanus flavipes. It is also met with in
spring and autumn over the whole interior of the country, and I have
Se
TELL-TALE GODWIT. 69
found it quite abundant at those seasons along the entire length of
the Mississippi, Ohio, and Missouri rivers, as well as on the Arkansas.
They congregate in great numbers in the inland marshes of Florida,
and along its rivers, during the winter. I found them near Eastport,
in the State of Maine, on the 11th of May 1833; and on the coast
of Labrador, on the 18th of June of the same year. In Newfound-
land, on the 11th of August, the young were equal in size to their
parents, and being extremely fat, tender, and juicy, afforded excellent
eating. In general, however, these birds are thin and have a fishy taste.
In the State of Maine and the province of New Brunswick, the
Tell-tale is known by the name of “ Humility,” which, however, is an
appellation that ill accords with its vociferous habits. ‘lhe Creoles
>
of New Orleans call it “ Clou-clou ;” and were these syllables ra-
pidly enunciated from two to five times in succession, the sounds
would have some resemblance to the usual notes of the species.
When these Godwits arrive in the vicinity of New Orleans about
the middle of March, they appear in considerable flocks. They retire,
however, in the beginning of May, and return about the first of July,
from which time they continue there until the end of autumn, some
indeed remaining all winter. It seems, that at the period of their
disappearance at New Orleans, they retire to the vast marshes near
the sea-shore, and there breed, for I have found them abundant near
the passes or mouths of the Mississippi in pairs, on the first of April,
when the air is warmer than in the interior. They are said to breed
in the marshes along the coast of New Jersey, where, according to
Wilson, they arrive early in April, and continue until November. It
is a curious fact that the Tell-tale Godwit, as well as some other birds
of similar habits, is of very rare occurrence along the shores ot Massa-
chusetts and Maine. This, however, seems to be accounted for by
the absence there of the large spongy marshes, to which these birds
are fond of resorting.
Although found in the vicinity of both salt and fresh water, at all
seasons, it usually prefers the latter, and the spots which appear to be
best adapted to its nature are ponds of which the water is shallow
and the shores muddy, so that they can waik and wade at ease upon
them. Wherever such ponds occur, whether in plantations or in the
interior of forests, or on extensive savannahs or prairies, there you
will find them actively employed, wading so far into the water as to
70 TELL-TALE GODWIT.
seem as if they were swimming. If just alighted after ever so short
a flight, they hold their wings upright for a considerable time, as if
doubtful of not having obtained good footing. Closing their wings,
they then move nimbly about the pool, and are seen catching small
fishes, insects, worms, or snails, which they do with rapidity and a
considerable degree of grace, for their steps are light, and the ba-
lancing or vibratory motion of their body, while their head is gently
moved backwards and forwards, is very pleasing to the eye.
I have often observed these birds on large logs floating on the
Mississippi, and moving gently with the current, and this sometimes
in company with the Snowy Heron, Ardea candidissima, or the Ame-
rican Crow, Corvus Americanus. In such situations, they procure
shrimps and the fry of fishes. In autumn, they are extremely prone
to betake themselves to the margins of our most sequestered lakes in
the interior of Louisiana and Kentucky, where the summer heat has
left exposed great flats of soft sandy mud abounding with food suited
to their appetite, and where they are much less likely to be disturbed
than when on the marshes on the sea-shore, or on the margins of ri-
vers. When they have been some time in the salt-marshes, and have
eaten indiscriminately small shell-fish, worms, and fry, they acquire a
disagreeable fishy taste, and being at the same time time less fat, are
scarcely fit for the table. They are social birds, and frequently mingle
with other waders, as well as with the smaller ducks, such as the Blue-
winged and Green-winged Teals. In the salt-marshes they associate
with Curlews, Willets, and other species, with which they live in
peace, and on the watchfulness of which they depend quite as much as
on their own.
The flight of the Tell-tale Godwit, or “ Great Yellow-Shank,” as
it is generally named in the Western Country, is swift, at times ele-
vated, and, when necessary, sustained. They pass through the air with
their necks and legs stretched to their full length, and roam over the
places which they select several times before they alight, emitting
their well-known and easily imitated whistling notes, should any sus-
picious object be in sight, or if they are anxious to receive the answer
of some of their own tribe that have already alighted. At such
times, any person who can imitate their cries can easily check their
flight, and in a few moments induce them to pass or to alight within
shooting distance. This 1 have not unfrequently succeeded in doing,
®
TELL-TALE GODWIT. 71
when they were, at the commencement of my calls, almost half a mile
distant. Nay, I have sometimes seen them so gentle, that on my
killing several in a flock, the rest would only remove a few yards.
I have always found that the cries of this bird were louder and
more frequent during the period of its breeding, when scarcely any
birds were in the vicinity. I therefore conclude that its cries are then
more intended to draw you from the spot where its nest is concealed,
than for any other purpose, as on such occasions the bird either moves
off on foot, or flies away and alights at a short distance from the place
where its treasure lies.
When in Labrador, I found these birds breeding, two or three
pairs together, in the delightful quiet valleys bounded by rugged hills
of considerable height, and watered by limpid brooks. These val-
leys exhibit, in June and July, the richest verdure, luxuriant grasses
of various species growing here and there in separate beds many yards
in extent, while the intervening spaces, which are comparatively bare,
are of that boggy nature so congenial to the habits of these species.
In one of those pleasing retreats my son found a pair of Tell-tales, in
the month of June, both of which were procured. The female was
found to contain a full-formed egg, and some more of the size of peas.
The eggs are four, pyriform, 2} inches long, 14! in their greatest
breadth, pale greenish-yellow, marked with blotches of umber and pale
purplish-grey.
The plumage of this bird has a very different appearance in autumn
and winter from that which it presents at the approach of the breeding
season. This has led some students of Nature in the United States
to suppose, that there exist two nearly allied species; but this, I am
confident, is not the case. The female is larger than the male, but
only in a slight degree.
Dr RicHarpson has found this species on the Saskatchewan and
Dr Townsenp on the Columbia River.
ToraNnus MELANOLEUCUS, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 324.
TEeLL-TALE Gopwit or Snipe, Scolopax vociferus, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vii.
p. 57, pl. 58, fig. 5.
TELL-TALE, or GREATER YELLOW-Suanks, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 148.
ToraNnus vociFEeRusS, TELL-TaLE, Richards. and Swains. Faun. Bor. Amer. vol. ii.
p- 389.
72 TELL-TALE GODWIT.
Adult male. Plate CCCVIII. Fig 1.
Bill much longer than the head, very slender, subcylindrical, straight,
flexible, compressed at the base, the point rather depressed and obtuse.
Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, the ridge convex, broader
at the base beyond the nostrils blended with the sides, which are con-
vex, the edges thick, with a groove running their whole length, the
tip slightly deflected. Lower mandible with the angle very long and
narrow, the dorsal line straight, the sides convex, with aslight groove
in their basal half, the sides convex, the edges grooved longitudinally,
the tip narrow. Nasal groove long and narrow, extending to nearly
half the length of the bill; nostrils basal, linear, direct, pervious.
Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed, eyes large. Neck ra-
ther long and slender. Body slender. Feet very long and slender;
tibia bare for half its length, scutellate before and behind, tarsus
compressed, also scutellate before and behind ; hind toe very small and
elevated ; fore toes of moderate length, very slender, connected at the
base by webs, of which the outer is larger; second or inner toe con-
siderably shorter than fourth, which is in a similar degree exceeded by
the third ; all covered with numerous scutella above, flattened beneath,
and marginate. Claws small, slightly arched, much compressed, rather
obtuse, that of the middle toe much larger, with the inner edge dilated.
Plumage soft and blended, on the fore part of the head very short.
Wings long, narrow, pointed; primaries narrow and tapering, first
longest, second a little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ; secondaries
short, broad, incurved, obliquely rounded, the inner elongated and ta-
pering. Tail short, doubly emarginate in a slight degree, of twelve
rounded feathers.
Bill black, tinged with bluish-grey at the base. Iris dark brown.
Feet bright yellow, claws brownish-black. Upper part of the head,
lores, cheeks, and the neck all round, excepting the throat, streaked
with brownish-black, on a white ground, tinged with grey on the head
and hind neck; the throat, breast, and abdomen, are pure white,
the sides and lower tail-coverts barred with brownish-black, as are the
axillar feathers and lower wing-coverts, the lower surface of the pri-
maries light grey, their shafts white. The upper parts generally are
black, glossed with green, each feather margined with white triangu-
lar spots. The hind part of the rump and the upper tail-coverts
white, barred with dusky. ‘The anterior smaller wing-coverts, alula,
TELL-TALE GODWIT. 73
primary coverts, and primary quills, brownish-black, without spots ;
shaft of first primary white, of the rest brown. ‘Tail-feathers white,
with numerous bands of dark greyish-brown, the middle six feathers
more or less of a light brownish-grey toward the end, the bars not ex-
tending over their central part, their tips white. Length to end of
tail 14 inches, to end of wings 14, to end of claws 16; extent of wings
243; bill along the ridge 272, along the edge of the lower mandible
2,5, wing from flexure 8,4 ; tail 374 ; bare part of tibia 1}; tarsus 2,4;
hind toe and claw #4; middle toe and claw 1%. Weight 6 oz.
Aduit Femaie. Plate CCCVIII. Fig. 2.
The female resembles the male.
Length to end of tail 13%, to end of wings 143, to end of claws
17%; extent of wings 253. Weight 63 oz.
Both sexes become darker on the upper parts, at the approach of
spring. ‘This dark colour disappears after their autumnal moult.
The tongue is 13% inch in length, slender, sagittate and papillate at
the base, triangular, tapering toa fine point. On the roof of the mouth
are two rows of large blunt papille directed backwards; the edges
of the mandibles are thick and grooved; the posterior aperture of the
nares linear, ;°, long. The cesophagus, 6} inches in length, passes
along the right side of the neck, and has a diameter of ,°, of an inch in
its upper part, but is dilated to yz before it enters the thorax. The
proventriculus is oblong, ;*; in length, its glandules oblong. The sto-
mach is oblong, 1,4, inch in length, 75 in breadth, its lateral muscles of
moderate size, the tendons ,%, in diameter, the cuticular lining hard,
with large longitudinal ruge, and of a deep red colour. The intes-
tine 2 feet 8 inches long, varying in diameter from 74 to x4. The rec-
tum 1,%, inch long ; the ceca 4 inches ;z long, of an oblong form, with
the extremity rounded, their diameter 7}.
In another individual, the cesophagus is 6} inches long; the sto-
mach 1,3; the intestine 2 feet 3 inches ; the rectum 1;%,,the cxcea 47,
their diameter 4.
The trachea, 4,8, inches long, ?4 in diameter above, ;4 below; of
120 unossified rings; its contractor muscles feeble, the sterno-tracheal
moderate; a single pair of inferior laryngeal; the bronchial rings
about 15.
( 74)
COMMON TERN.
STERNA HirunpDo, Linn.
PLATE CCCIX. Anbutr.
AurHoucn the Prince of Musicnano has thought that the bird
named the Common Tern in America, differs from that bearing the
same name in Europe, and has in consequence changed its appellation
to that of Wilson’s Tern, I am of opinion that no difference exists
between the Common Terns of the two Continents. The cry of both
is besides precisely similar, so that with me there is no doubt what-
ever as to their identity. Experience has shewn me that the mark-
ings or white spots on the primary quills of Gulls, at one time assumed
as a criterion by which species might be distinguished, cannot in the
least be depended on, varying, as they always do, in individuals of
the same species, at almost each successive moult. Then why, Reader,
should not Terns exhibit analogous changes? The fact is, they do so;
and it is almost impossible, on closely inspecting a dozen or more
specimens procured at the same period, in either country, to find two
individuals exactly corresponding in every particular. Some have the
bill almost entirely black, while others have it more or less red and
black, and tipped with yellow. The length of the tail-feathers, that of
the tarsus, and the size of the inter-digital membranes, are all found
to differ in some degree, if minutely compared. If species are to be
founded on such slight differences, an ample field is open to those
who are ambitious of being discoverers. At all events, I cannot help
remarking here, that it seems to me improper to impose new names
on objects, until it is proved by undeniable facts that they present
permanent differences.
I have observed this species along the Atlantic coast of North
America, from Galveston Island in Texas to the Straits of Belle Isle
on the coast of Labrador, both in spring and in early autumn. But
when on the islands in Galveston Bay, in the month of April, I saw
only a few arriving there from the west ; whereas, in the beginning of
May great numbers arrived there from the east, settled at once, and
commenced breeding. I felt eonvinced that the numbers which came
— ae
COMMON TERN. 75
from the direction of the Floridas were much greater than those which
arrived from the westward, and judged it probable that vast numbers
had at the same time left the Peninsula on their way northward.
Should other travellers observe the same or similar phenomena at the
season mentioned, it will be proved that this species does not extend
its autumnal migration so far as several others, which I observed ar-
riving at Galveston Island from the south-west, for example, the Least
Tern, Sterna minuta, the Cayenne 'Tern, St. cayana, and the Black
Tern, St. nigra.
The Common Tern commences breeding on the coast of our Middle
Districts about the 5th of May. On my voyage to Labrador, I found
its eggs on the islands in the Gulf of St Lawrence, and especially on
the Magdalene Islands, which I visited on the 11th of that month.
On the 18th I saw them in great abundance in the neighbourhood of
American Harbour, on the coast of Labrador, where thousands of
Terns were plunging headlong after shrimps all round us. In that
country, their eggs were deposited among the short grass, and the
places which they occupied were but slightly scratched; whereas on
the Magdalene Islands, where they breed on sandy ridges, slight hol-
lows were scooped out, as is generally the case along the eastern coast
of the United States. Their sojourn in Labrador is of short dura-
tion ; and when we were at Newfoundland, on the 14th of August,
multitudes were already passing southward. At the same period con-
siderable numbers pass by an inland route from the Canadas, and all
our great lakes, travelling along the Ohio and Mississippi. While re-
siding at Henderson, and afterwards at Cincinnati, I had ample op-
portunities of watching their movements in the month of September.
And yet, you will think it strange, that, during their vernal migration,
I never saw one ascend any of these rivers or the streams connected
with them. Perhaps the inferior temperature of the waters, compared
with those of the ocean, in the early spring months, may induce them
to abandon their route at that season. In autumn, on the contrary,
when these rivers are heated and reduced in size, the Terns may find
in them an abundant supply of the fry of various fishes. It would
thus appear, being corroborated by other observations which I have
made relative to migration, that species whose range is extensive, are
determined in their movements by a genial temperature and an abun-
dant supply of food.
76 COMMON TERN.
With an easy and buoyant flight, the Tern visits the whole of our
indented coasts, with the intention of procuring food, or of rearing its
young, amidst all the comforts and enjoyments which kind Nature has
provided for it. Full of agreeable sensations, the mated pair glide
along side by side, as gaily as ever glided bridegroom and bride. The
air is warm, the sky of the purest azure, and in every nook the glit-
tering fry tempts them to satiate their appetite. Here, dancing in
the sunshine, with noisy mirth, the vast congregation spreads over the
sandy shores, where, from immemorial time, the species has taken up
its temporary abode. They all alight, and with minced steps, and
tails carefully raised so as not to be injured by the sand, the different
pairs move about, renew their caresses, and scoop out a little cavity in
the soil. If you come again in a few days, you will find the place co-
vered with eggs. There they lie, three in each hollow, beautifully
spotted and pointed; and as they receive heat enough from the sun,
the birds have left them until evening. But not absent are they from
the cherished spot, for they have seen you, and now they all fly up
screaming. Although unable to drive you away, they seem most an-
xiously to urge your departure by every entreaty they can devise ;
just as you would do, were your family endangered by some creature
as much stronger than yourself as you are superior to them. Humanity
fills your heart, you feel for them as a parent feels, and you willingly
abandon the place. The eggs are soon hatched; the young in due
time follow their parents, who, not considering their pleasant labour
ended when they are able to fly, feed them on wing in the manner of
swallows, until they are quite capable of procuring their subsistence
themselves. So soon as this is the case, the young birds fly off in bands,
to seek on distant shores, and in sunny climes, the plentiful food which
the ocean yields.
The nest of the Common ‘Tern is, as I have said, a mere hollow
made in the loose sand of some island or mainland beach, scantily
tufted with wiry grass, or strewed with sea-weeds. Their eggs never
exceed three in number; their average length is 1 inch 53 eighths,
their breadth 14 inch. They vary greatly in their markings, as is the
case with those of all the smaller species of this family ; but their
ground colour is generally pale yellowish-green, blotched and spotted
with brownish-black and purplish-grey or neutral tint.
The young, which are fed with small fishes, shrimps, and insects,
COMMON TERN. 77
separate from the old birds when fully fledged, and do not again asso-
ciate with them until the following spring, when both are found breed-
ing in the same places. It seems quite curious to see these young birds
in winter, during boisterous weather, throwing themselves into the
remotest parts of estuaries, and even visiting salt-water ponds at some
distance from the sea, as I have often seen them do at Charleston,
in South Carolina, when accompanied by my friend the Rev. Dr
Bacuman. ‘Their plumage is then so very different from that of the
old birds, that one might readily believe them to be of another spe-
cies, did he not observe that their mode of flying and their notes
are the same. Not less strange is it, that on such occasions none of
the old birds are to be seen in the place, they having remained,
braving the fury of the tempest, on the outer harbours. In the be-
ginning of winter, young birds also sometimes ascend the Mississippi
as far as Natchez; and in the same manner betake themselves to all
the large lakes bordering the Gulf of Mexico. There, as well as else-
where, you see them plunge into the water, and instantaneously secure
their prey, rise as quickly, and dash into another spot hard by, when-
ever food happens to be abundant.
I have many times seen the Common Tern suddenly fly up and
come close over a man or a dog, without the least apparent provoca-
tion, indeed when far distant from its nest, and then pass and repass
repeatedly within a few yards, emitting a plaintive cry, as if its eggs
or young were in the immediate vicinity. At other times, when the
birds were yet distant from their young, and carrying fish in their bills,
they would, on seeing a man, round to, drop their food, and perform
the same evolutions. I, however, know nothing more remarkable of
this species of Tern, than that it should breed, as I know from per-
sonal observation to be the case, along the whole of our Atlantic coast,
in suitable places, from Texas to Labrador.
When travelling in stormy weather, they skim over the surface of
the water, moving rapidly and close together ; whereas in fine weather,
they rise high, and proceed in a straggling manner. Now and then I
have seen them alight among Tringas of different species, as well as
among Razor-billed Shearwaters, on outward sand beaches.
78 COMMON TERN.
Sterna Hirvunno, Linn. Syst. Nat., vol. i. p.227.—Lath. Ind. Ornith., vol. ii. p. 807.
—Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, 354.—Richards. and
Swains. Fauna Bor. Amer. vol. ii. p. 412.
Great TERN, SteRNA Hirunvo, Wils. Amer. Ornith., vol. viii. p. 76, pl. 60, fig. 1.
Great or Common TERN, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 271.
Adult Male. Plate CCCIX.
Bill about the same length as the head, rather slender, compressed,
nearly straight, tapering to a narrow point. Upper mandible with the
dorsal line slightly arched, the ridge rather broad and convex at the
base, narrow towards the end, the sides sloping, convex towards the
end, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip very slender. Nasal groove
rather long, and with a faint groove and ridge extending obliquely to
the edge of the mandible; nostrils sub-basal, linear, direct, pervious.
Lower mandible with the angle very narrow, extending beyond the
middle, the dorsal line straight, the sides ascending and convex, the
edges sharp and inflected, the tip very acute.
Head of moderate size, oblong; neck of moderate length; body *
very slender. Feet very small; tibia bare for a considerable space ;
tarsus very short, slender, compressed, covered anteriorly with twenty-
two small seutella, laterally and behind with reticular scales ; toes very
small, slender, the first extremely small, the third longest, the fourth
considerably shorter, the second shorter than the fourth in the same
proportion ; the anterior toes connected by reticulated webs, which are
deeply coneave at their margin. Claws arched, compressed, that of
the hind toe smallest, of the middle by much the largest, and having
the inner edge thin and dilated.
Plumage soft, close, blended, very short on the fore part of the
head; the feathers, in general, broad and rounded; wings very long,
narrow, and pointed; primary quills tapering to a rounded point,
slightly curved inwards, the first longest, the rest rapidly graduated ;
secondary quills short, broad incurved, obliquely rounded, the imner
more tapering. Tail long, very deeply forked, of twelve feathers, of
which the outer are tapering, the middle short and rounded.
Bill bright coral-red, black towards the end, the tip light yellow;
inside of mouth reddish-orange ; eye hazel. Feet coral-red, lighter
than the bill; claws brownish-black. Upper part of the head, and
the hind neck half-way down, deep black, the anterior part tinged
with brown, the posterior with blue. The sides of the head, the fore
COMMON TERN. 79
neck, and all the lower parts, white, with a slight tinge of greyish-
blue on the breast. Back, scapulars, and wings, light greyish-blue,
the edges of the wings, the rump, and upper tail-coverts, white, slightly
tinged with grey. First primary, with the outer web deep black, the
shaft white, on the inner web a greyish-black band running along the
shaft, narrow at the base, and widening so as to occupy the whole
breadth of the web for an inch at the end, where it is hoary. The
next five have the outer web, and a varying portion of the inner, in
nearly their whole length hoary, but at the same time with a dusky
Shade, which becomes more apparent at the ends; the rest of the
quills are like the back, but margined and tipped with white. Tail-
feathers with the inner webs white, the outer webs of the colour of the
back, paler on the middle feathers, gradually deepening outwards, and
on the outer feathers dark or blackish-grey.
Length to end of tail 16 inches, to the fork of the tail 11, to end of
wings 153, to end of claws 11}; extent of wings 31!; wing from
' flexure 11;%; tail to end of lateral feathers 7;4, to fork 375; bare part
of tibia 74; tarsus 73; hind toe and claw 3, middle toe and claw 1,y.
Weight 5 oz.
The female is similar to the male, but rather smaller. In some
instances I have seen a small portion of the forehead white.
Length to end of tail 15 inches, to the fork 113, to end of wings
153, to end of elaws 11; extent of wings 301; wing from flexure 10}.
Weight 5 oz.
The young in their first plumage, have the bill dull greenish-black,
with the tip yellowish ; the feet greenish-yellow.
In winter, the bill is black, with the base pale orange, and the tip
yellowish ; the feet orange-yellow. The colours are as in the adult,
the forehead white, the rest of the head dusky, the upper parts 7 ll
the feathers slightly margined with lighter.
Length to end of tail 123, to the fork 11; to end of wings 14, to
end of claws 103; extent of wings 29}; wing from flexure 8}.
America and British specimens present no essential differences
when compared in considerable numbers. The outer web of the la-
teral tail-feather is blackish-grey, and the inner webs of the tail-feathers
are white in all the specimens collected for comparison. The tarsus in
American specimens varies in length from 9 to 103 twelfths, and the
80 COMMON TERN.
claw of the middle toe from 23 to 43 twelfths; but similar differences
are observed in the British birds.
The tongue is 1; inch long, sagittate and papillate at the base,
very slender, tapering, the point slit, the upper surface a little concave,
the lower horny towards the end. Aperture of posterior nares linear,
9 twelfths long. Palate with a middle and two lateral ridges. Eso-
phagus 6 inches long, extremely wide, its average diameter on the
neck 7 twelfths, within the thorax 11 twelfths. The stomach is mus-
cular, 1 inch long, the lateral muscles not distinguishable, the fasciculi
of fibres being disposed as in the rapacious birds; the central tendi-
nous spaces 3 twelfths in diameter; the cuticular lining strong, with
broad longitudinal rug. The contents of the stomach, fishes. 'The
proventriculus 1 inch long. Intestine 1 foot 7 inches long, of mo-
derate diameter, convoluted, varying from 23 twelfths to 21 twelfths.
Rectum 1 inch long. Coca 5 twelfths long, with a diameter of } of a
twelfth.
The trachea is 31 inches long, 23 twelfths in breadth above, 13
twelfth below; its rings 103, feeble and unossified; the lateral mus-
cles extremely slender; there are sterno-tracheal muscles, but none
besides. Bronchial half-rings about 18.
( <eIny
SPOTTED SANDPIPER.
TOTANUS MACULARIUS, TEMM.
PLATE CCCX. Mate anp Femate.
In the course of my last journey in search of information respect-
ing the birds which at one season or other are found within the limits
of the United States, I observed so vast a number of them in Texas.
that I almost concluded that more than two-thirds of our species oc-
cur there. Among them I observed the beautiful bird now before you.
The Spotted Sandpiper has a wonderfully extensive range, for I
have met with it not only in most parts of the United States, but also on
the shores of Labrador, where, on the 17th June 1833, I found it breed-
ing. On the 29th of July, the young were fully fledged, and scamper-
ing over the rocks about us, amid the putrid and drying cod-fish. In
that country it breeds later by three months than in Texas; for on
the head waters of Buffalo Bayou, about sixty miles from the margin
of the Mexican Gulf, I saw broods already well grown on the 5th of
May 1837. On the same day of the same month in 1832, a similar occur-
rence happened on an island near Indian Key, on the south-east coast
of Florida. In Newfoundland, on the other hand, the young were just
fully fledged on the 11th of August 1833. It appears strange that
none were observed by Dr Ricuarpson on the shores of Hudson’s Bay,
or in the interior of that country. They are quite abundant along the
margins of the Mississippi, the Ohio, and their tributaries, where they
remain until driven off by the cold, and return about the beginning of
April, at which period the Purple Martin also makes its appearance.
In our Middle Districts, they arrive a fortnight later. On the Island
of Jestico, in the Gulf of St Lawrence, about twenty pairs had nests
and eggs on the 11th of June; and the air was filled with the pleasing
sound of their voices while we remained there. The nests were
placed among the tall slender grass that covered the southern part of
the island. They were more bulky and more neatly constructed than
any that I have examined southward of the Gulf of St Lawrence ; and
yet they were not to be compared with those found in Labrador, where,
in every instance they were concealed under ledges of rocks extend-
VOL. Iv. ¥F
82 SPOTTED SANDPIPER.
ing for sevéral feet over them, so that I probably should not have
observed them, had not the birds flown off as I was passing. These
nests were made of dry moss, raised to the height of from six to nine
inches, and well finished within with slender grasses and feathers of
the Eider Duck. As usual however, the eggs were always four, when
the bird was sitting. They measure an inch and a quarter in length,
by an inch at their thickest part, so that they have a shortish and bulky
appearance, though they run almost to a poimt. They are smooth, and
handsomely marked with blotches of deep brown and others of a lighter
tint, on a greyish-yellow ground, the spots being larger and closer to-
wards the rounded end. Both sexes incubate, and remain with their
brood until the time of their departure.
My learned friend Tuomas Nutraut has described the manners of
this species as observed in the neighbourhood of Boston, with so much
truth and accuracy, that I cannot do better than present you with his
account of it, the more especially, that in so doing, I have an oppor-
tunity of expressing the high opinion I entertain of his talents and va-
ried accomplishments. ‘‘ The Peet Weet is one of the most familiar and
common of all the New England marsh birds, arriving along our river
shores, and low meadows, about the beginning of May, from their mild
or tropical winter quarters in Mexico. As soon as it arrives on the coast,
small roving flocks are seen, at various times of the day, coursing rapidly
along the borders of our tide-water streams, flying swiftly and rather
low, in circular sweeps along the meanders of the rock or river, and
occasionally crossing from side to side, in rather a sportive and cheer-
ful mien, than as the needy foragers they appear at the close of the
autumn. While flying out in these wide circuits, agitated by superior
feelings to those of hunger and necessity, we hear the shores re-echo
the shrill and rapid whistle of ’ weet, ’ weet, ’ weet, ’ weet, and usually
closing the note with something like a warble, as they approach their
companions on the strand. The cry then varies to ’peet, weet, *weet,
> weet, beginning high and gradually declining into a somewhat plain-
tive tone. As the season advances, our little lively marine wanderers
often trace the streams some distance into the interior, resting usually
in fresh meadows among the grass, sometimes even near the house,
and I have seen their eggs laid in a strawberry bed; and the young and
old, pleased with their allowed protection, familiarly fed, and probed
the margin of the adjoining duck-pond, for their usual fare of worms
oe
SPOTTED SANDPIPER. 83
and insects. They have the very frequent habit of balancing or
wagging the tail, in which even the young join as soon as they are
fledged. From the middle to the close of May, the pairs, seceding
from their companions, seek out a place for their nest, which is
always in a dry open field of grass or grain, sometimes in the seclu-
sion and shade of a field of maize, but most commonly in a dry pas-
ture, contiguous to the sea shore; and. in some of the solitary and small
sea islands, several pairs sometimes nestle near to each other, in the
immediate vicinity of the noisy nurseries of the quailing Terns. On
being flushed from her eggs, the female goes off without uttering
any complaint ; but when surprised with her young, she practises all
the arts of dissimulation common to many other birds, fluttering in the
path, as if badly wounded, and generally proceeds in this way so far
as to deceive a dog, and cause it to overlook the brood, for whose pro-
tection these instinctive arts are practised; nor are the young without
their artful instinct, for on hearing the reiterated cries of their parents,
they scatter about, and squatting still in the withered grass, almost
exactly their colour, it is with careful search very difficult to discover
them, so that in nine times out of ten, they would be overlooked, and only
be endangered by the tread, which they would endure sooner than be-
tray their cautious retreat.
“ At a later period the shores and marshes resound with the quick,
clear, and oft-repeated note of peet weet, peet weet, followed up by a
plaintive call on the young, of peet, peet, peet? peet? If this is not
answered by the scattered brood, a reiterated weet, "weet, ’weet, ‘wait,
*wait, is heard, the voice dropping on the final syllables. The whole
marsh and the shores at times echo to this loud, lively, and solicitous
call of the affectionate parents for their brood. The cry, of course, is
most frequent toward evening, when the little family, separated by the
necessity of scattering themselves over the ground in quest of food,
are again desirous of reassembling to roost. The young, as soon as
hatched, run about the grass, and utter from the first a weak plaintive
peep, at length more frequent and audible; and an imitation of the
whistle of peet weet, is almost sure to meet with an answer from the
sympathizing broods, which now throng our marshes. When the note
appears to be answered, the parents hurry, and repeat their call with
great quickness. Young and old, previous to their departure, fre-
quent the sea shores, like most of the species, but never associate with
F2
34 SPOTTED SANDPIPER.
other kinds, nor become gregarious, living always in families till the time
of their departure, which usually occurs about the middle of October.”
My esteemed friend THomas Maccu.tocu of Pictou, Nova Scotia,
having transmitted to me a curious account of the attachment of one
of these birds to her eggs, I here insert it with pleasure. ‘ Being
on an excursion to the Hardwood Heights, which rise to the west of
Pictou, my attention was attracted by the warble of a little bird, which
appeared to me entirely new, and which proceeded from a small thicket
a short way off. Whilst crossing an intervening meadow, I acciden-
tally raised a Spotted Sandpiper from its nest, and having marked the
spot I hastened forwards ; but the shyness of the object of my pursuit
rendered all my efforts unavailing, and returning to the nest which I
had just left, I expected to find it still unoccupied; but the Sandpiper
had again resumed her place, and left it with great reluctance, on my
near approach. The nest contained four eggs, which I determined to
remove on my return at night, and for the purpose of preventing the
bird sitting again upon them, I placed a number of stones in a slant-
ing position over the nest, and so close that it was impossible for the
bird to get into it. On my return in the evening, however, I observed
the little creature rise from beside the stones apparently in greater
trepidation than ever, and more anxious to draw me away by the exhi-
bition of all those little arts which they practise for this purpose. On
examining the spot I was very much surprised to find that the poor
thing had not only hollowed out a new nest, but had actually succeed-
ed in abstracting two eggs from the other nest. How the bird had
contrived to remove the eggs I cannot conceive, as the stones remained
unaltered. This attachment to its nest and eggs appeared to me more
singular as the bird had just commenced incubation, the eggs exhibit-
ing very little appearance of the young.”
In addition to the observations of THomas Nurta.t, I must in-
form you that this species is often observed to alight on the branches
of trees hanging over water-courses, on which they walk deliberately,
and with their usual delicate elegance of gait, and balancing of both
body and tail. ‘They are also wont to alight more frequently on the rails
and stakes of fences, or on walls. I have seen them on the tops
of hay-stacks, where they seemed to be engaged in pursuing insects.
On several occasions I have found their nests in orchards of both ©
peach and apple trees, at a considerable distance from water, the
SPOTTED SANDPIPER. 85
use of which, indeed, they do not appear to require much during the
progress of incubation, or the first weeks after hatching their young,
when I have seen them rambling in search of food over large open
fields of sweet potatoes and other vegetables, in the neighbourhood of
some of our cities.
While these birds are flying, in the love season, the points of their
wings are considerably bent down, and they propel themselves by strong
and decided beats, supporting themselves afterwards by slow tremulous.
motions of their pinions, to the distance of some yards, when they re-
peat the strong beats, and thus continue until they realight, uttering
all the while their well-known notes, so accurately described by my
friend NutTatt.
In the autumnal months, along the shores of La Belle Riviere, I
have often with much delight watched the movements of these birds,
when I have been surprised to see the pertinacity with which, after
the first frosts, they would pursue their migration down the stream,
for on attempting to make them fly the other way, they would rise,
sometimes to the height of twenty yards, and flying over head or along
the river, proceed downwards, although at any other time they would
exhibit no such propensity. They run along the shores, and through
shallow water, with great nimbleness ; and while courting, the male
struts before the female, with depressed wings, spreading out his tail
and trailing it along the ground, in the manner of the Migratory and
Rufous Thrushes.
The young become very fat in autumn, and afford delicious eating,
for as they feed much on worms, aquatic insects, and small mol-
lusea, their flesh seldom has a fishy taste. The male and female are
alike, and almost equal in size. The young differ from the old until
the approach of winter, when, with the exception of their being rather
smaller, no difference can be perceived.
This species occurs also in Europe, and a few individuals have been
shot in England,
86 SPOTTED SANDPIPER.
Toranus macuLarius, Zemm. Man. d’Ornith. part ii. p. 656.—Ch. Bonaparte, Sy-
nopsis of Birds of United States, p. 325.
SpottTep Sanprirer, Trinea macuLanria, Wils. Amer. Ornith. pl. 59. fig. 1.
Srortrep TaTLer or Peet WEE T, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 162.
Adult Male. Plate CCCX. Fig. 1.
Bill a little longer than the head, very slender, subcylindrical,
straight, flexible, compressed, the point rather obtuse. Upper man-
dible with the dorsal line straight, the ridge convex, broader at the
base, slightly depressed towards the end, the sides sloping, towards
the end convex, the edges sharp, the tip slightly deflected. Nasal
groove extending over three-fourths of the length of the bill; nostrils
basal, linear, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle very long and
extremely narrow, the dorsal line straight, the sides grooved at the
base, convex towards the end.
Head small, oblong. Eyesrather large. Neck of moderate length.
Body rather slender. Feet rather long and slender ; tibia bare nearly
half its length, scutellate before and behind ; tarsus also scutellate be-
fore and behind; hind toe very small and elevated; fore toes rather
long, very slender, connected by basal webs, of which the outer is much
larger ; second toe considerably shorter than fourth ; all flat beneath,
and marginate. Claws small, slightly arched, much compressed, ra-
ther sharp, that of the middle toe much larger, with the inner edge
considerably dilated.
Plumage very soft, blended, on the fore part of the head very short.
Wings long, narrow, pointed ; primaries rather narrow and tapering,
first longest, the rest rapidly graduated ; secondaries short, broad, in-
curved, obliquely rounded, the inner elongated and tapering. Tail
of moderate length, much rounded, of twelve rounded feathers.
Bill greenish-olive above, yellow beneath, the point of both man-
dibles black. Eye hazel. Feet pale yellowish flesh-colour, claws black.
All the upper parts shining deep brownish-olive, the head longitudi-
nally streaked, the back transversely barred, with black. A line from
the bill to the eye and beyond it white, another beneath it dusky. All
the lower parts white, marked with numerous brownish-black spots,
smaller on the throat, largest and roundish on the breast and sides.
Axillary feathers pure white, lower wing-coverts white mottled with
dusky. Quills brownish-black, glossed with green, the elongated in-
SPOTTED SANDPIPER. 87
ner secondaries like the back ; the primaries slightly tipped with white,
the secondaries, excepting the inner, more distinctly so, the white
forming on them a conspicuous band. Four middle tail-feathers like
the back, with a band of black at the end, the tip white ; the next pair
on each side similar, with the white tip larger; the next barred with
dusky on the outer web ; the lateral feather with the outer web white
similarly barred.
Length to end of tail 8 inches, to end of wings 73, to end of claws
$1; extent of wings 13%; wing from flexure 47; tail 2; bill along the
ridge 1; tarsus 1% ; hind toe and claw #5 ; middle toe and claw 1,2.
Female. Plate CCCX. Fig. 2.
There is hardly any difference between the sexes.
The young in winter have the bill black at the end, dusky olive
above, yellow beneath; the feet yellowish flesh-colour. The lower
parts are brownish-white, without spots; the upper of the same brown-
ish-olive as in the adult, but the head and hind neck destitute of streaks,
and the rest with narrower and more numerous dusky bars.
The tongue is 10 twelfths long, slender, tapering to a point, grooved
above, sagittate and papillate at the base. The roof of the mouth with a
single row of papillz, posteriorly divided into two series. Cisophagus 3
inches and 8 twelfths long, its diameter 2 twelfths, and nearly uniform.
Proventriculus 3 inch long, 33 twelfths in diameter. Stomach elliptical,
83 twelfths long, 63 twelfths in breadth; its lateral muscles strong,
the tendinous spaces oblong; the cuticular lining with large longitudi-
nal ruge, and of adeepred colour. The contents of the stomach in this
individual were remains of marine insects, and quartz sand. Intestine
10 inches long, its diameter varying from 1} twelfth to 1 twelfth: it
enlarges near the rectum to 2 twelfths. Rectum 1 inch and 1 twelfth;
coeca 1 inch and 1 twelfth, their diameter 4 of a twelfth.
The trachea is 2 inches and 8 twelfths long, its diameter from 2
twelfths to 1 twelfth ; its rings 105, feeble and unossified. The late-
ral muscles extremely feeble ; sterno-tracheals moderate ; a single pair
of inferior laryngeal muscles.
( 88 )
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN.
PELECANUS AMERICANUS.
PLATE CCCXI. Anpurttr Mate.
I FEEL great pleasure, good Reader, in assuring you, that our White
Pelican, which has hitherto been considered the same as that found in
Europe, is quite different. In consequence of this discovery, I have
honoured it with the name of my beloved country, over the mighty
streams of which, may this splendid bird wander free and unmolested
to the most distant times, as it has already done from the misty ages
of unknown antiquity.
In Dr Ricuarvson’s Introduction to the second volume of the
Fauna Boreali-Americana, we are informed, that the Pelecanus Onocro-
talus (which is the bird now named P. Americanus) flies in dense
flocks all the summer in the fur countries. At page 472, the same in-
trepid traveller says, that ‘“ Pelicans are numerous in the interior of
the fur countries up to the sixty-first parallel ; but they seldom come
within two hundred miles of Hudson’s Bay. They deposit their eggs
usually on rocky islands, on the brink of cascades, where they can
scarcely be approached ; but they are otherwise by no means shy birds.”
My learned friend also speaks of the ‘‘ long thin bony process seen on
the upper mandible of the bill of this species ;” and although neither
he nor Mr Swarnson pointed out the actual differences otherwise exist-
ing between this and the European species, he states that no such ap-
pearance has been described as occurring on the bills of the White Pe-
licans of the old Continent.
When, somewhat more than thirty years ago, I first removed to
Kentucky, Pelicans of this species were frequently seen by me on the
sand-bars of the Ohio, and on the rock-bound waters of the rapids
of that majestic river, situated, as you well know, between Louisville
and Shippingport. Nay when, a few years afterwards, I established
myself at Henderson, the White Pelicans were so abundant that I of-
ten killed several at a shot, on a well known sand-bar, which protects
Canoe Creek Island. During those delightful days of my early man-
hood, how often have I watched them with delight! Methinks in-
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN. 89
deed, Reader, those days have returned to me, as if to enable me the
better once more to read the scattered notes contained in my often-
searched journals.
Ranged along the margins of the sand-bar, in broken array, stand
a hundred heavy-bodied Pelicans. Gorgeous tints, all autumnal, en-
rich the foliage of every tree around, the reflection of which, like
fragments of the rainbow, seems to fill the very depths of the placid
and almost sleeping waters of the Ohio. The subdued and ruddy
beams of the orb of day assure me that the Indian summer has com-
menced, that happy season of unrivalled loveliness and serenity, sym-
bolic of autumnal life, which to every enthusiastic lover of nature
must be the purest and calmest period of his career. Pluming them-
selves, the gorged Pelicans patiently wait the return of hunger.
Should one chance to gape, all, as if by sympathy, in succession open
their long and broad mandibles, yawning lazily and Iudicrously.
Now, the whole length of their largest quills is passed through the
bill, until at length their apparel is as beautifully trimmed as if the
party were to figure at aroute. But mark, the red beams of the set-
ting sun tinge the tall tops of the forest trees ; the birds experience
the cravings of hunger, and to satisfy them they must now labour.
Clumsily do they rise on their columnar legs, and heavily waddle to
the water. But now, how changed do they seem! Lightly do they
float, as they marshal themselves, and extend their line, and now
their broad paddle-like feet propel them onwards. In yonder nook,
the small fry are dancing in the quiet water, perhaps in their own
manner bidding farewell to the orb of day, perhaps seeking something
for their supper. Thousands there are, all gay, and the very manner
of their mirth, causing the waters to sparkle, invites their foes to ad-
vance toward the shoal. And now the Pelicans, aware of the facul-
ties of their scaly prey, at once spread out their broad wings, press
closely forward with powerful strokes of their feet, drive the little fishes
toward the shallow shore, and then, with their enormous pouches
spread like so many bag-nets, scoop them out and devour them in
thousands.
How strange it is, Reader, that birds of this species should be
found breeding in the Fur Countries, at about the same period when
they are to be found on the waters of the inland bays of the Mexican
Gulf! On the 2d of April 1837, I met with these birds in abundance at
90 AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN.
the south-west entrance or mouth of the Mississippi, and afterwards saw
them in the course of the same season, in almost every inlet, bay, or
river, as I advanced toward Texas, where I found some of them in
the Bay of Galveston, on the Ist of May. Nay, while on the Island
of Grande Terre, I was assured by Mr Anpry, a sugar-planter, who has
resided there for some years, that he had observed White Pelicans
along the shores every month of the year. Can it be, that in this
species of bird, as in many others, barren individuals should remain in
sections of countries altogether forsaken by those which are repro-
ductive? The latter, we know, travel to the Rocky Mountains and the
Fur Countries of the north, and there breed. Or do some of these
birds, as well as of certain species of our ducks, remain and repro-
duce in those southern localities, induced to do so by some organic
or instinctive peculiarity ? Ah, Reader, how little do we yet know of
the wonderful combinations of Nature’s arrangements, to render every
individual of her creation comfortable and happy under all the cir-
cumstances in which they may be placed !
My friend Jonn BacuMan, in a note to me, says that “ this bird
is now more rare on our coast than it was thirty years ago; for I
have heard it stated that it formerly bred on the sand banks of our
Bird Islands. I saw a flock on the Bird Banks off Bull’s Island, on
the 1st day of July 1814, when I procured two full-plumaged old birds,
and was under the impression that they had laid eggs on one of those
banks, but the latter had the day previous to my visit been overflowed
by a spring tide, accompanied with heavy wind.”
A single pair of our White Pelicans were procured not far from
Philadelphia, on the Delaware or Schuylkill, ten or twelve years ago.
These were the only birds of this kind that, I believe, were ever ob-
served in our Middle Districts, where even the Brown Pelican, Pelecanus
Jfuscus, is never seen. Nor have I heard that an individual of either
species has ever been met with on any part of the shores of our
Eastern States. From these facts, it may be concluded that the
White Pelicans reach the Fur Countries of Hudson’s Bay by inland
journeys, and mostly by passing along our great western rivers in the
spring months, as they are also wont. to do, though with less rapid ~
movements, in autumn.
Reader, I have thought a thousand times perhaps that the present
state of migration of many of our birds, is in a manner artificial, and
~— a + We %
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN. 91
that a portion of the myriads of Ducks, Geese, and other kinds, which
leave our Southern Districts every spring for higher latitudes, were
formerly in the habit of remaining and breeding im every section of
the country that was found to be favourable for that purpose. It seems
to me that it is now on account of the difficulties they meet with, from
the constantly increasing numbers of our hostile species, that these
creatures are urged to proceed towards wild and uninhabited parts of
the world, where they find that security from molestation necessary
to enable them to rear their innocent progeny, but which is now de-
nied them in countries once their own.
The White American Pelican never descends from on wing upon
its prey, as is the habit of the Brown Pelican ; and, although on many
occasions it fishes in the manner above described, it varies its mode
according to circumstances, such as a feeling of security, or the acci-
dental meeting with shoals of fishes in such shallows as the birds can
well compass. ‘They never dive for their food, but only thrust their
head into the waters as far as their neck can reach, and withdraw it
as soon as they have caught something, or have missed it, for their
head is seldom out of sight more than half a minute at a time. When
they are upon rivers, they usually feed along the margin of the water,
though, I believe, mostly in swimming depth, when they proceed with
greater celerity than when on the sand. While thus swimming, you
see their necks extended, with their upper mandible only above the
water, the lower being laterally extended, and ready to receive what-
ever fish or other food may chance to come into the net-like apparatus
attached to it.
As this species is often seen along the sea shores searching for
food, as well as on fresh water, I will give you a description of its
manners there. While on the Island of Barataria in April 1837, I
gne afternoon observed a number of White Pelicans in company with
a flock of the Brown species, all at work, searching for food, the Brown
in the manner already described, the White in the following. They
all swam against the wind and current, with their wings partially ex-
tended, and the neck stretched out, the upper mandible alone appear-
ing above the surface, while the lower must have been used as a scoop-
net, as I saw it raised from time to time, and brought to meet the up-
per, when the whole bill immediately fell to a perpendicular position,
the water was allowed to run out, and the bill being again raised up-
92 AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN.
wards, the fish was swallowed. After thus swimming for about an_
hundred yards in an extended line, and parallel to cach other, they
would rise on wing, wheel about, and realight at the place where their
fishing had commenced, when they would repeat the same actions.
They kept farther from the shore than the Brown Pelicans, and in deeper
water, though at times one of the latter would dive after fish close to
some of them, without their shewing the least degree of: enmity to-
wards each other. I continued watching them more than an hour,
concealed among a large quantity of drifted logs, until their fishing
was finished, when they all, White and Brown together, flew off to the
lee of another island, no doubt to spend the night there, for these birds
are altogether diurnal. When gorged, they retire to the shores, to
small islands in bays or rivers, or sit on logs floating in shallow water,
at a good distance from the beach; in all which situations they are
prone to lie down, or stand closely together.
Being anxious, when on my last expedition, to procure several speci-
mens of these birds for the purpose of presenting you with an account of
their anatomical structure, I requested all on board our vessel to shoot
them on.all occasions; but no birds having been procured, I was ob-
liged to set out with a “ select party” for the purpose. Having heard
some of the sailors say that large flocks of White Pelicans had been seen
on the inner islets of Barataria Bay, within the island called Grande
Terre, we had a boat manned, and my friend Epwarp Harris, my son,
and myself, went off in search of them. After a while we saw large
flocks of these birds on some grounded logs, but found that it was no
easy matter to get near them, on account of the shallowness of the
bay, the water being scarcely two feet in depth for upwards of half a
mile about us. Quietly, and with all possible care, we neared a flock ;
and strange it was for me to be once more within shooting distance of
White Pelicans. It would no doubt be a very interesting sight to you,
were you to mark the gravity and sedateness of some hundreds of these
Pelicans, closely huddled together on a heap of stranded logs, or a
small bank of racoon oysters. They were lying on their breasts, but
as we neared them they all arose deliberately to their full height.
Some, gently sliding from the logs, swam off towards the nearest
flock, as unapprehensive of danger as if they had been a mile distant.
But now their bright eyes were distinctly visible to us, our guns,
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN. 93
charged with buckshot, were in readiness, and my son was lying in the
bow of the boat waiting for the signal. “Fire!”—The report is instantly
heard, the affrighted birds spread their wings and hurry away, leaving
behind three of their companions floating on the water. Another shot
from a different gun brought down a fourth from on wing; and as a
few were scampering off wounded, we gave chase, and soon placed all
our prizes in the after sheets. About a quarter of a mile farther on,
we killed two, and pursued several that were severely wounded in the
wing, but they escaped, for they swam off so rapidly that we could not
propel our boat with sufficient force amidst the tortuous shallows. The
Pelicans appeared tame, if not almost stupid; and at one place, where
there were about sixty on an immense log, could we have gone twenty
yards nearer, we might have killed eight or ten at a single discharge.
But we had already a full cargo, and therefore returned to the vessel,
on the decks of which the wounded birds were allowed to roam at large.
We found these Pelicans hard to kill, and some which were perforated
with buckshot did not expire until eight or ten minutes after they were
fired at. A wonderful instance of this tenacity of life was to be seen
on board a schooner then at anchor in the harbour. A Pelican had been
grazed on the hind part of the head with an ounce ball from a musket,
and yet five days afterwards it was apparently convalescent, and had
become quite gentle. When wounded, they swim rather sluggishly,
and do not attempt to dive, or even to bite, like the Brown Pelicans, |
although they are twice as large, and proportionally stronger. After
being shot at, they are perfectly silent, but when alighted they utter
a hollow guttural sound somewhat resembling that produced by blow-
ing through the bung-hole of a cask.
The White Pelicans appear almost inactive during the greater
part of the day, fishing only soon after sunrise, and again about an
hour before sunset; though at times the whole flock will mount high
in the air, and perform extended gyrations in the manner of the Hoop-
ing Crane, Wood Ibis, and Vultures. These movements are probably
performed for the purpose of assisting their digestion, and of airing
themselves, in the higher and cooler regions of the atmosphere.
Whilst on the ground, they at times spread their wings to the breeze,
or to the rays of the sun; but this act is much more rarely performed
by them than by the Brown Pelicans. When walking, they seem ex-
ceedingly awkward, and like many cowardly individuals of our own
94 AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN.
species, are apt to snap at objects which they appear to know perfectly |
to be so far superior to them as to disdain taking notice of them.
Their usual manner of flight is precisely similar to that of our Brown
species. It is said byauthors that the White Pelican can alight on trees;
but I have never seen a single instance of its doing so. I am of opi-
nion that the ridge projecting from the upper mandible increases in
size as the bird grows older, and that it uses that apparatus as a means
of defence or of attack, when engaged with its rivals in the love-
season.
The number of small fishes destroyed by a single bird of this spe-
cies may appear to you, as it did to me, quite extraordinary. While
I was at General Hzernanvez’s plantation in East Florida, one of
them chanced to pass close over the house of my generous host,
and was brought dead to the ground. It was not a mature bird; but
apparently about eighteen months old. On opening it, we found in its
stomach several hundreds of fishes, of the size of what are usually
called minnows. Among the many which I have at different times exa-
mined, I never found one containing fishes as large as those commonly
swallowed by the Brown species, which, in my opinion, is more likely
to secure a large fish by plunging upon it from on wing, than a bird
which must swim after its prey.
This beautiful species,—for, Reader, it is truly beautiful, and you
would say so were you to pick it up in all the natural cleanness of its
plumage, from the surface of the water,—carries its crest broadly ex-
panded, as if divided into two parts from the centre of the head. The
brightness of its eyes seemed to me to rival that of the purest diamond ;
and in the love season, or the spring of the year, the orange-red colour
of its legs and feet, as well as of the pouch and bill, is wonderfully en-
riched, being as represented in my plate, while during the autumnal
months these parts are pale. Its flesh is rank, fishy, and nauseous,
and therefore quite unfit for food, unless in cases of extreme necessity.
The idea that these birds are easily caught when gorged with fish, is
quite incorrect, for when approached, on such an occasion, they throw
up their food, as Vultures are wont to do.
I regret exceedingly that I cannot say any thing respecting their
nests, eggs, or young, as I have not been in the countries in which
they are said to breed.
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN. 95
PELEcanus AMERICANUS.
Adult Male. Plate CCCXI.
Bill a little more than thrice the length of the head, rather slender,
almost straight, depressed. Upper mandible linear, depressed, convex
at the base, gradually flattened and a little enlarged to near the end,
when it again narrows, and terminates in a hooked point. The ridge is
broad and convex at the base, becomes gradually narrowed and flat-
tened beyond the middle, is elevated into a thin crest about an inch
high, of a fibrous structure, and about three inches in length (in some
specimens as much as five inches) which is continued forwards of less
elevation to the extent of an inch farther. The ridge of the mandible
is then narrow and flat, and terminates in the unguis, which is oblong,
slightly carinate above, curved, obtuse, concave beneath. The edges
are very sharp and a little involute ; the lower surface of the mandible
has a median slender sharp ridge, on each side of which, at the dis-
tance of a quarter of an inch is a stronger ridge having a groove in its
whole length; the sides then slope upwards to the incurved margin,
and in this latter space is received the edge of the other mandible.
Lower mandible having its crura separated, very slender, elastic, and
meeting only at the very extremity, so that the angle or interspace
may be described as extremely long, occupying in fact the whole length
of the bill excepting four-twelfths of an inch at the end ; for two-thirds
of its length from the base, the lower mandible is broader than the up-
per, which is owing to the crura lying obliquely, but beyond the crest
it is narrower ; the extremely short dorsal line ascending, convex, the
edges inflected, sharp, and longitudinally grooved. To the lower man-
dible, in place of the skin or membrane filling up the angle in most
other birds, is appended a vast sac seven inches in depth opposite the
base of the bill, and extending down the throat about eight inches, so
that its length from the tip of the lower mandible is twenty-one and a half
inches, It is formed of the skin, which is thin, transparent, elastic, ru-
gous, highly vascular, and capable of being expanded like a net, supported
by the elastic mandibles to the breadth of nine and a half inches.
Head small, oblong; neck long, stout ; body full, rather flattened.
Feet short and very stout; tibia bare at its lower part, covered all
round with small scales ; tarsus short, very stout, compressed, covered
all round with hexagonal seales, of which the anterior are much larger ;
96 AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN,
toes in the same plane, all connected by reticulated webs, the first
shortest, the second an inch shorter than the fourth, which is consider-
ably longer than the third, scaly at the base, scutellate over the rest
of their extent. Claws short, strong, curved, rather blunt, that of
the middle toe with a sharp pectinate inner edge.
Feathers of the head and neck exceedingly small, slender, and of a
downy texture, those on 'the fore part of the head a little more com-
pact; on the nape they are elongated, acuminate, and form a longi-
tudinal narrow crest, which runs down the back of the neck. The fea-
thers in general are lanceolate, acuminate, and of moderately dense
texture ; those at the junction of the neck and breast anteriorly are
stiffer and more elongated. Wings very long, rather narrow, rounded ;
the humerus and cubitus very long in proportion; primaries much
curved ; secondaries rather narrow, also incurved toward the end, the
inner extending when the wing is closed far beyond the tips of the pri-
maries. Tail short, broad, rounded, of twenty-four feathers, which are
broad and abruptly acuminate.
Bill bare, space about the eye, and feet, rich bright yellow, becom-
ing brighter before their departure for their breeding grounds; claws
yellowish-brewn ; tip of the bill brighter than the rest. Iris white, in
younger birds dusky. The general colour of the plumage is pure white ;
the crest, the elongated feathers on the fore part of the breast, and
those near the edge of the cubitus, pale yellow. The alula, primary
coverts, and primary quills, black, the shafts white, becoming brownish-
black, toward the end. The inner ten secondaries are white, the rest
black, more or less tipped with greyish-white, their bases white, that
colour more extended on the inner than the outer, the shafts of all the
quills white beneath, those of the secondaries tinged with grey.
Dimensions of an old male. Length to end of tail 612 inches, to
end of wing 612, to end of claws 663, from the point of the bill to
the carpal joint 40; extent of wings 103; wing from flexure 243;
length of cubitus 15; tail 61; bill along the ridge 133, along the edge
of lower mandible 15; breadth of lower mandible at the base 2; bare
part of tibia 1; tarsus 4;%; middle toe 44, its claw 3; outer toe 43,
its claw 3%; inner toe 3, its claw ;4; hind toe 12, its claw 4. Weight
173 |b.
The female is rather less, and in as far as I am warranted by the
fi
a
pe
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN. 97
examination of several individuals in stating, is destitute of the horny
erest of the upper mandible.
A male, shot near Grande Terre, in the Gulf of Mexico, examined.
The skin is very thin, but the subcutaneous cellular tissue is extremely
developed, forming a thick reticular layer over the whole body. The
internal cells are also of vast size, the right hepatic being 43 inches
long, the right abdominal 43 by 4; the left abdominal 54 by 4; the
elavicular cell is not formed by a single cavity, but of numberless
cellules, like those of the subcutaneous tissue. The heart » is trian-
gular, pointed, 8 inches long, 2 inches and 10 twelfths in breadth ;
the aorta branches at the base, as in other birds, sending off the two
trunks which separate into the subclavian and carotid. The lobes of
the liver are extremely unequal, the right, 0, being 4 inches in length,
and 2} in breadth, while the left, p, is only 2 inches long, and 1; inch
broad.
The mandibles are entirely covered with skin, of which the subeu-
taneous tissue is wanting, the cutis condensed, and the cuticle in large
irregular longitudinal plates, leaving the surface somewhat rough and
sealy. The crest-like excrescence on the ridge of the upper mandible
is not formed of bone, nor otherwise connected with the osseous sur-
face, which is smooth and continuous beneath it, than by being placed
upon it, like any other part of the skin, and when softened by immer-
sion in a liquid may be bent a little to either side. It is composed
internally of erect slender plates of a fibrous texture, externally of
horny fibres, which are erect on the sides, and longitudinal on the
broadened ridge ; these fibres being continuous with the cutis and cu-
ticle. ‘The skin of the mandible is continuous with that of the pouch,
of which the structure is as follows. Externally there is a layer of cu-
ticle, beneath which is the cutis, extremely thin, and with the cuticle
thrown into longitudinal rug when contracted. The internal surface
is also of cuticle, and beneath it is a layer of cutis. Between these
two very thin layers of skin, is interposed an equally thin layer, com-
posed of two sets of very slender muscular fibres, separated from each
other, and running in two opposite directions. The outer fibres run
in fasciculi from the lower and inner edge of the mandible; those from
its base pass downwards, those arising more anteriorly pass gradu-
VOL. lv. G
98 AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN.
ally more forwards, and spreading out, reach the middle line of the
pouch. The inner fibres have the same origin, and pass in a contrary
direction, backwards and inwards. From the hyoid bone to the junc-
tion of the two crura of the mandible, which takes place almost at the
very tip, there extends a thin band of longitudinal muscular fibres, in
the centre of which is a cord of elastic tissue. By means of this appa-
ratus, the sac is contracted, so as to occupy little space. When the
bill is opened, the crura of the lower mandible separate from each
other to a considerable extent, by the action of the muscles inserted
into their base, this depending upon their oblique position, and the sac
isexpanded. The upper mandible is capable of being moved to a con-
siderable extent.
Below the anterior angle of the eye is asmall sac about 5 twelfths
of an inch in length, with an external aperture of 2 twelfths, and filled
with a pulpy substance. The nostrils are linear, about 3 twelfths of
an inch long, and quite concealed by the wrinkles of the skin. The
aperture of the posterior nares 8 twelfths. The tongue is an extremely
small, papilliform body, 34 twelfths of an inch long, and 1 twelfth in .
diameter. The aperture of the glottis is linear, 8 twelfths in length,
destitute of papilla behind.
The pharynx is about 23 inches in breadth. The esophagus a, at
the commencement, or opposite the tongue, has a diameter of about 6
inches, and contracts until the middle of the neck, where it is 3
inches in width ; at its entrance into the thorax at b it contracts to 14
inch, but is dilatable to 3 ches ; at this part, its inner coat is thrown
into very prominent longitudinal ruge. The structure of the cesopha-
gus is similar to that of the Loon already described, but its muscular
coat is much thinner. On entering the thorax, it again expands to a
diameter of 3 inches. Its length from the glottis, exclusive of the pro-
ventriculus, is 2 feet. The proventriculus, cd, when not extended,
has a diameter of 2 inches, its length being 4 inches and 8 twelfths.
It is marked internally with six longitudinal broad ridges, about half
an inch in breadth, and separated by grooves; and its cuticular lining
is 14 twelfths thick, of a compact but soft texture, elevated into tor-
tuous reticulated ridges. The glandules, which are cylindrical, the
largest 3 twelfths of an inch long, 3 twelfth in diameter, form a com-
plete elongated belt. The muscular coat is also very thick. its inner
a
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN. 99
layer composed of transverse, its outer of longitudinal fibres, and the
greatest thickness of the walls of the proventriculus is about 43
twelfths of an inch. The stomach, e, properly so called, is extremely
small, being of a roundish, compressed form, 1} inches in length, and
of the same breadth ; its muscular coat composed of slender fasciculi,
and not presenting a distinction into lateral and inferior muscles, its
inner coat smooth. Appended to it on the right side is a sac f, of a
roundish form, 1,%, inch in length, and 14 in breadth, joming it by a
contraction, of which the diameter is } inch, and opening directly into
G2
100 AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN.
the proventriculus, as well as into the stomach; its walls thin, its ©
inner surface smooth, with numerous mucous crypts irregularly dis-
posed. The pylorus, g, is exceedingly small, 13 twelfths in diameter,
with a thickened margin.
The duodenum g, i, 7, passes backwards and upwards to the length
of 64 inches, returns upon itself enclosing the pancreas, receives the
biliary ducts at the distance of 14 inches from the pylorus. ‘The gall-
bladder is oblong, 2 inches long, and 10 twelfths broad. The intestine
then forms numerous conyolutions, j,4,/, occupying the whole abdo-
men, and lying in part over the stomach and proventriculus. Its en-
tire length is 10 feet 10 inches. Its diameter varies little, it being at
the upper part 5 twelfths of an inch, towards the rectum 34 twelfths.
The rectum is 5} inches long, including the cloaca, m, which is glo-
bular, and about 24 inches in diameter. The ceeca are 1 inch and 1
twelfth in length, 4 twelfths in diameter, cylindrical, rounded at the
end. The muscular coat of the intestine is very strong, the inner vil-
lous.
One of the testes is 1 inch long, the other 14; their form oblong.
In the proventriculus and stomach is a vast accumulation of small
lumbrici, about 13 inch in length, and amounting to about 1000.
The trachea is 1 foot 10 inches long, a little flattened, } inch in di-
ameter throughout, but a little narrower about the middle ; the rings
160, not ossified, excepting the lower. The contractor muscles are very
small; as are the sterno-tracheal ; and the inferior larynx is destitute
of muscles. The bronchi are large, 5 twelfths in diameter, of 25 half
rings.
The upper mandible is hollow in its whole extent; but the lateral
spaces intervening between the edges of the median bone or ridge and
the margins, are filled with a beautiful net-work of bony spicule. The
two superior maxillary branches of the fifth pair of nerves, which are
very large, being about 1 twelfth of an inch in diameter at the base,
run close together along the median line, sending off branches at inter-
vals, and extending to the end of the mandible. The lower mandible
is also hollow, and similarly reticulated. The inferior maxillary
branch, having entered on the inner side at the base, runs in like man-
ner along its whole length, and is of the same thickness; by an aper-
ture on the outer side near the base, it sends off a branch almost as
i i -
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN. 101
thick, which runs within the membrane of the gular sac, parallel to the
mandible, and about half an inch distant from it, sending off branches
at intervals. The sac is plentifully supplied with bloodvessels.
The nasal cavity is of an oblong form, 1 inch and 5 twelfths in
length, passing obliquely backwards and upwards from the aperture of
the posterior nares, and opening externally by curving forwards ; its
greatest diameter 5 twelfths, in its lower third 3 twelfths, and so con-
tinuing until it expands into the inferior slit-like aperture, which is 8
twelfths long. The cavity of the nose is thus small, and the olfactory
nerve, which passes out from the anterior part of the brain, is a slender
filament, about 4 of a twelfth in diameter. It runs at first through a
bony tube, then passes along the bony septum of the orbits, in contact
for a short space with the superior maxillary nerve of the fifth pair,
which at its commencement makes a great curve upwards, and crosses
the orbit to enter the maxillary cavity, which has no communication
with the olfactory. Fig. 2 represents the sternum viewed from before.
It is remarkable chiefly for its great breadth and convexity. Its sides,
a, b, c, d, are nearly parallel; its posterior margin broad, with two
shallow notches, ¢, f, separated by a short conical obtuse median pro-
cess. The crest or ridge, 4, 7, is carried forward in front, where it is only,
however, of moderate height, and is not continued to the posterior ex-
tremity, but terminates at 2, in the most convex part. The coracoid
bones, 7, 7, are extremely large, very broad at their lower part, and
having a-deep groove and thin elongated process, j, at the upper for the
tendon of the pectoralis medius, which raises the wing. The furcula,
k, k, 1, is anchylosed with the crest of the sternum, at 4, has its crura
moderately stout and much diverging, and its upper extremity very
broad and recurvate. The scapula, of which only the anterior process
Z, 1, is seen, is small. A sternal apparatus like this indicates a steady
and powerful flight, the wings being supported upon a very firm basis,
and well separated. The great mass of the pectoral muscle being
thrown forward, it acts more directly than in such birds as the Gallinz
and Ducks, in which it is placed farther backwards, and although its
bulk is not so great as in them, it is more advantageously situated.
The sternal apparatus of this Pelican is thus extremely similar to that
of the Cormorant, and the American Anhinga, and is also constructed
102 AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN.
on the same plan as that of the Gannets, although in the latter its
body is more elongated.
( 103 )
LONG-TAILED DUCK.
FULIGULA GLACIALIS, Bonar.
PLATE CCCXII. Mate anp Femate 1n SummMER, Mate 1n WinTER,
AND UNFLEDGED YOUNG.
In the course of one of my rambles along the borders of a large
fresh-water lake, near Bras-d’or in Labrador, on the 28th of July 1833,
I was delighted by the sight of several young broods of this species of
Duck, all carefully attended to by their anxious and watchful mothers.
Not a male bird was on the lake, which was fully two miles distant from
the sea, and I concluded that in this species, as in many others, the
males abandon the females after incubation has commenced. I watched
their motions a good while, searching at the same time for the nests,
one of which I was not long in discovering. Although it was quite des-
titute of anything bearing the appearance of life, it still contained the
down which the mother had plucked from herself for the purpose of
keeping her eggs warm. It was placed under an alder bush, among
rank weeds, not more than eight or nine feet from the edge of the
water, and was formed of rather coarse grass, with an upper layer of
finer weeds, which were neatly arranged, while the down filled the
bottom of the cavity, now apparently flattened by the long sitting of
the bird. The number of young broods in sight induced me to search
for more nests, and in about an hour I discovered six more, in one of
which I was delighted to find two rotten eggs. They measured 2 inches
and 3 long, by 1 broad, were of a uniform pale yellowish-green, and
quite smooth.
My young companions had, unfortunately for me, walked that
morning to Blane Sablon, about thirty miles distant, down the Straits
of Belle Isle ; and having no dog to assist me in procuring some of the
young ducks, I was obliged to enact the part of one myself, although
the thermometer that day was 45° 50’, and the atmosphere felt chilly.
I gave chase to the younglings, which made for different parts of the
shore, as I followed them up to my middle in the water, while they
dived before me like so many Water-witches, the mothers keeping
aloof, and sounding their notes of alarm and admonition. I was fortu-
104 LONG-TAILED DUCK.
nate enough to procure several of the young birds, and afterwards shot
one of the old, which having young much smaller than the rest, was
more anxious for their safety, and kept with them within shot. She
and the young were afterwards put in rum, to be subsequently exa-
mined. I counted eleven broods on the same pond, and Mr Jongs as-
sured me that these birds always breed in numbers together, but rarely
on the same lake two successive years. Their plumage was ragged,
in so far as I could judge, and the individual which I shot was similar.
They never dived while in my sight, but seemed constantly to urge
their young to do so, and the little things so profited by the advice of
their parents, that had they remained in the water, instead of making,
after a while, for the land, I believe I should not have succeeded, after
all my exertions, in capturing a single one of them.
The gentleman above mentioned informed me that the old birds
keep the young in the ponds until they are quite able to fly, or until
the end of August, when the flocks remove on wing to the sea, and
soon after leave the coast, seldom reappearing before the first days of
May, or about two weeks before most other kinds of ducks. The little
ones which I procured, were as you see them represented in my plate.
Those that were larger were of the same colour, and none shewed any
feathers on their bodies. Now and then, like all other young ducks,
they would skim over the surface of the water with astonishing ra-
pidity, emitting a sharp note somewhat resembling the syllables pee,
pee, pee, and would then dive with the quickness of thought. When
squatted among the moss, they allowed me to take them without ma-
king any attempt to escape. The young were put in a tub, and had
some soaked biscuit placed near them; but they were all found dead
the next morning.
‘The range of this noisy, lively, and beautiful duck, extends along
our coast as far south as Texas, and it is also found at the mouth
of the Columbia River; but the species is never found on any of
our fresh-water courses, and Iam quite confident that Mr Say mistook
for it the Pintail Duck, Anas acuta, when he says that he found it on
the waters of the Missouri. During all my residence in the neighbour-
hood of the Mississippi, and in the course of all my journeys on and
along its waters, I never saw one of these birds, or heard of any having
occurred on that stream above its confluence with the Gulf of Mexico;
whereas the Pintails are extremely abundant there, as well as on the
LONG-TAILED DUCK. 105
Missouri, the Ohio, and all our western streams, in spring and autumn.
Few Long-tailed Ducks are to be seen in the market of New Orleans,
and in fact they are altogether what our gunners usually call “ sea
ducks.” -
The period of the first appearance of this species in autumn de-
pends much on the state of the weather. I have known a difference
of a whole month in the Sound, and quite as much in Chesapeake Bay,
in both of which it is most abundant in winter, rarely proceeding far-
ther south until driven away by extreme cold. Their advance from
Labrador and Newfoundland along the coast, until they reach Long
Island, is more hurried than afterwards. They arrive in small flocks,
which are soon joined by others, and as they are prone to congregate, vast
numbers are seen together in winter, when their cacklings, though dif-
ferent from those of our frogs in spring, are almost as incessant from
sunset untildawn. For my part, I have never perceived any resemblance
which their notes bear to the words “* south-southerly,” but think their
noisy cries as duckish as those of the Mallard, although sharper and
more musical. The best imitation is given by my friend Nurratt,
but if you attempt to reduce the syllables to sounds, there is some
probability of your at least succeeding in exciting laughter in yourself
or others. He says the notes are “ ogh, ough, egh,” and again “ ogh,
ogh, ogh, ough, egh,” and adds that they are guttural, and have a ludi-
crous drawling tone. Dr Ricnarpson informs us that “ the peculiar cry
of this duck is celebrated in the songs of the Canadian voyagers.” This
to my mind would imply that the Long-tailed Ducks are seen by these
adventurous travellers on the waters of the inland streams, which
would appear to be at variance with their usual habits, for unless du-
ring the breeding season, they give a decided preference to the sea;
and indeed generally keep in deep water. Owing to their reiterated
eries these birds are named “ Noisy Ducks ;” but they have various
appellations, among others those of “ old wives,” and “ old squaws.”
Although, like all sea-ducks, the ‘“‘ Old Wife” swims deeply, it moves
with a grace and celerity, which if not superior to those of any of its
tribe, are at least equal; and when the weather is rough, and the
waters agitated, it raises its tail in the same manner as the Ruddy
Duck and Pintail. When advancing in smooth water, its speed is
such as to cause a considerable swell before it, such as sea-faring per-
sons usually call a “ bone.” Like all others of its tribe, it also pre-
106 LONG-TAILED DUCK.
fers swimming against both wind and tide, as then it can sooner take
wing if necessary. In calm and pleasant weather, like its congeners,
it is fond of throwing its body almost over, and of pluming itself in
that position. When on wing, the long feathers of its tail do not
seem to aid its progress, any more than in other species.
It seldom removes from the north on its way to our Middle Dis-
tricts in large flocks ; but at the approach of the breeding season, and
after the birds appear to be all paired, they fly northward in long lines,
or broad fronts, moving high or low according to the state of the
weather, passing at times at a considerable distance from the shores,
but flying close to the points of every cape, although they never pass
over an isthmus however narrow. Their flight is swift, well sustained,
and accompanied with a well-marked whistling of their wings. Being
expert divers, it is difficult to kill them on the water; and if you hap-
pen to wound one but slightly, I would advise you, Reader, to give
up the chase, unless you have hit it while on the ice, in which case you
will find that it runs rather awkwardly. Their flesh is none of the
best, being dark, generally tough, and to the taste fishy; for which
reason they are now-a-days frequently brought to our markets plucked,
with the head and feet cut off, and called by the venders by all names
excepting old wives, squaws, noisy ducks, or south-southerlies. The
food of this species consists chiefly of shell-fish ; but in the stomachs
of those killed on fresh water in Labrador, I found small fishes, and a
quantity of grass and its roots.
From the great number of specimens which I have procured in our
Middle Districts in winter, and those which I have seen killed during
the love season in the north, I am induced to think that the elongated
feathers of the tail of this species scarcely if at all, differ in length at
these different periods, although some writers have said that in spring
they are much longer than in winter, in which latter season, however,
I think the old males differ only in the colour of their plumage from
their state in spring. I have obtained male specimens at New York
and at Baltimore early in March, when they were already much changed
from their appearance in winter; but my friend Bacuman informs me
that he has never seen one with any appearance of the summer plu-
mage at Charleston in South Carolina, where however, he adds, this
species is not common.
I have represented two male birds, one in its full spring dress, the
LONG-TAILED DUCK. 107
other in that of winter. You will also find in the same plate the first
figure ever given of an adult female, accompanied with as many young-
lings as I could conveniently introduce. Whtson gave the figure of a
young male in the first winter as that of a female.
Anas eraciazis, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 203.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 864.
Furieuta exactatis, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis, p. 395.
Lone-TaiLeD Ducx, Anas exactaLis, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p. 93. pl. 70.
fig. 1. male, pl. 70. fig. 2. female.
Lone-TAILED Duck, Haretpa exactatis, Richardson and Swainson, Fauna Bor.
Amer. vol. ii. p. 460.
Lone-TaILED Duck, WVuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 453.
Adult male in summer. Plate CCCXII. Fig. 1.
Bill shorter than the head, higher than broad at the base, gradually
depressed toward the end, the sides nearly parallel, the tip rounded.
Upper mandible with the basal angles inconspicuous, the dorsal line
descending and straight to the unguis, then convex and decurved, the
ridge broad and flattened at the base, convex toward the end, the sides
sloping and convex, the unguis roundish, the edges membranous, very
narrow at the base, enlarged towards the end, with about thirty lamel-
lz ending in a projecting point. Nostrils sub-basal, oblong, direct,
large, pervious, near the ridge, in an oblong groove with a soft mem-
brane. Lower mandible flat, a little curved upwards, the angle very
long and narrow, the unguis broad and rounded, the erect edges with
about forty direct lamelle.
Head oblong, compressed, of moderate size. Eyes of moderate
size. Neck rather short. Body compact, rather elongated, and some-
what depressed. Feet short, stout, placed rather far behind; tarsus
very short, compressed, anteriorly with a series of small scutella, ex-
ternally of which are five in a line with the outer toe, the rest reticu-
lated with angular scales. Hind toe very small, with a free membrane
beneath ; outer toe, which is the longest, almost double the length of
the tarsus, middle toe scarcely shorter than outer; anterior toes with
numerous narrow scutella, webbed, the margin of the webs concave ;
inner toe with a two-lobed expanded margin. Claws small, slightly
arched, blunt.
Plumage dense, blended, elastic, stiffish ; but soft and glossy on the
head; the feathers broad and slightly rounded at the end. Scapulars
108 LONG-TAILED DUCK.
elongated, acuminate, the posterior decurved over the wing. Wings
shortish, narrow, pointed; primary quills curved, strong, tapering, the
second longest, exceeding the first by about one twelfth of an inch, the
rest rapidly decreasing ; secondaries broad and rounded, the inner elon-
gated and pointed. ‘Tail of fourteen pointed feathers, the outer very
short, the middle extremely attenuated and slightly recurved, the in-
termediate proportional.
Bill black in its basal half, orange-yellow towards the end, the un-
guis bluish-grey. Iris bright carmine. Feet light bluish-grey, the
webs dusky, claws black. A large oblong greyish-white patch on each
side of the head from the bill to behind the ear; the upper part of the
head and nape black, that colour being narrowed in front by the en-
croachment of the white patches. The neck all round, and anterior
half of the breast, of a rich dark chocolate-brown ; the back and wing-
coverts brownish-black; the scapulars broadly margined with light
reddish-brown ; the quills are of the same chocolate tint as the breast,
the secondaries margined externally with lighter, the primaries inter-
nally. The middle four feathers of the tail brownish-black, the outer
two of these slightly margined with white, all the rest white, but the
inner with a longitudinal dusky patch on the outer web.
Length to end of tail 23 inches, to end of wings 15, to end of claws
17; extent of wings 293; wing from flexure 94; middle tail-feathers
10, lateral tail-feathers 23 ; bill along the ridge 15%, along the edge of
lower mandible 1,8; tarsus 1,4; outer toe and claw 2,5, middle toe
and claw 1;%, hind toe and claw 7.
Female in summer. Plate CCCXII. Fig. 3.
The female is somewhat less than the male, and differs not only in
colour, but in the scapulars, which are not elongated, and in the tail,
which is short and rounded. The bill and feet are dusky green,
the iris yellow. The head is dark greyish-brown, with a patch of
greyish-white surrounding the eye, but not extending to the bill;
there is a larger patch of the same colour on the side of the neck,
the hind part of which is similar to the head, the fore part greyish-
brown, the feathers broadly margined with whitish. All the upper
parts are of a dark greyish-brown, the two lateral tail-feathers edged
with white ; the lower parts white, the feathers under the wings slightly
tinged with grey.
LONG-TAILED DUCK. 109
Length to end of tail 153 inches, to end of wings 143, to end of
claws 16%; extent of wings 26}; wing from flexure 8 ; middle tail-
feathers 23%, lateral 2}; bill along the ridge 13%, along the edge of
lower mandible 1,°s.
Adult male in winter. Plate CCCXII. Fig. 2.
The outer half of the bill rich orange-yellow, that colour extending
to the base along the ridge, the unguis and the basal half black, as well
as the unguis and edges of the lower mandible. The head, neck, the
fore part of back and scapulars, white ; the space about the eye pale
greyish-red, and a large oblong patch of chocolate brown on the side
of the neck. The upper parts, including the four middle tail-feathers,
are brownish-black, but the secondary quills tinged with reddish-brown,
and having paler margins. The anterior half of the breast chocolate
brown, the rest of the lower parts and the four lateral tail-feathers
white.
Unfledged young. Plate CCCXII.
The young when newly excluded are covered with stiffish down.
Bill and feet greenish-dusky ; the upper parts chocolate-brown ; a small
spot of white under the eye; throat and lower parts whitish, as well
as an oblong patch on the cheeks.
The young male in winter, that is, after its first moult, has the bill
and legs dusky green. The head and half of the neck are whitish ;
the upper part of the former and a patch on the side of the latter mottled
with brownish-black and chocolate. The upper parts brownish-black,
variegated with brownish-red, the still unelongated scapulars chiefly of
the latter colour. A broad undefined belt of reddish-brown over the
lower fore part of the neck ; the rest of the lower parts greyish-white.
Length to end of tail 22 inches; extent of wings 29.
The young female in winter is similar to the adult, but with the
upper parts paler, the light-coloured patches on the head and neck more
dusky, and the lower parts of a less pure white.
Adult males, assuming the summer plumage, about April, present
a curious intermixture of the variously coloured feathers of the two
seasons.
110 LONG-TAILED DUCK.
In a male bird, the tongue is 1 inch and 5 twelfths long, papillate
at the base,‘fleshy, with two rows of bristles along the edges. There’
are 35 lamellz on each side of the upper, and about 40 on the lower
mandible. The cesophagus is 73 inches long, 7 twelfths in diameter
at the upper part, towards the lower parts of the neck dilated to 1 inch,
and continuing so to the end. The proventriculus is 1 inch 3 twelfths
long, its glandules cylindrical and 2 twelfths long. The stomach is a
very powerful gizzard, of a roundish form, 13 inch in length, 2 inches
and 2 twelfths in breadth ; its tendons large; the right muscle 10
twelfths, the left 11 twelfths in thickness. The cuticular lining is
thick, and slightly rugous; the grinding plates thicker and denser.
The contents of the stomach are small muscles and particles of quartz,
some of which are 3 twelfths in diameter. The intestine is 5 feet 6
inches long, its diameter nearly uniform, about 4 twelfths; the rectum
enlarged to 5 twelfths, its length 23 inches. Coceca 4} inches long, 3
twelfths in diameter, their extremity rounded; the cloaca globular,
about 9 twelfths in diameter.
The trachea, moderately extended, measures 6 inches in length, its
breadth at the top 5 twelfths, about the middle 3% twelfths. The
number of ordinary rings is 72; at the lower part there are 6 expanded
rings which are broad posteriorly and on the sides, but extremely nar-
row before ; beyond this is a solid bony expansion of 7 united rings,
forming anteriorly a transversely oblong case, having a membrane
in front. The contractor muscles are very large, for two inches at
the top expanded over the fore part, sending off two cleido-tracheals,
then passing down along the edges of the six enlarged rings, and ter-
minating on the drum, where the sterno-tracheals come off.
CBU
BLUE-WINGED TEAL.
ANAS DIscors, Linn.
PLATE CCCXIII. Mate ann FEMALE.
Is it not strange, Reader, that birds which are known to be abun-
dant on the Saskatchewan River during the breeding season, and
which have been observed as far north as the 57th parallel, should also
be found breeding at nearly the same period in Texas? Stranger still
it is that species should proceed from certain points, or winter quarters,
to both of the above-mentioned regions, without paying any regard to
the intermediate districts, which yet seem to be as well adapted for
breeding in, as they afford thousands of convenient and secluded loca-
lities for that purpose. Yet these facts, and many others connected
with Nature’s wonderful arrangements, we may look upon as intended
_ to increase the innate desire which every true lover of Nature has to
study her beautiful and marvellous works.
Having for some years observed such habits exhibited by the Blue-
winged Teal and other birds, I have been induced to believe in the
existence of what I would term a double sense of migration in many
species, acted upon both in spring and in autumn, and giving to them
at the latter period, the power as well as the desire of removing
from the higher latitudes to opposite or meridional parts, thus to enter
into the formation of the Fauna of different countries, from which
again they are instigated to return to the place of their nativity, and
thence diverge toward new sections of the globe equally adapted to
their wants. If these observations should prove not unfounded, we
need no longer be surprised to meet in different portions of the world
with species which hitherto were supposed to be inhabitants only of far
distant shores.
The mouths of the Mississippi, surrounded by extensive flat marshes,
which are muddy, and in some degree periodically inundated by the
overflowings of that great stream, or by the tides of the Mexican Gulf,
and having in the winter months a mildness of temperature favourable
to almost all our species of Waders and Swimmers, may be looked upon
as the great rendezvous of the Blue-winged Teals, which are seen ar-
112 BLUE-WINGED TEAL.
riving there coastways, in autumn and the greater part of winter, to
meet the multitudes that have travelled across the interior from the
north and west. At New Orleans, and during spring, when this bird
is in full plumage, it is called by the Creoles of Louisiana ‘“ Sarcelle
Printanniere ;” and in autumn, when scarcely an individual can be seen
retaining the beauty of its spring plumage, it is known as the “ Sar-
b)
celle Automniere ;” in consequence of which double appellation, many
persons imagine that there are two Blue-winged Teals.
They are the first ducks that arrive in that part of the country,
frequently making their appearance in the beginning of September,
in large flocks, when they are exceedingly fat. ‘They depart, however,
when the cold becomes so intense as to form ice; and in this respect
they differ from the Green-winged Teals, which brave the coldest
weather of that country. ‘Toward the end of February, however, they
are as abundant as ever, but they are then poor, although their plu-
mage is perfected, and the males are very beautiful. During their
stay, they are seen on bayous and ponds, along the banks of the Mis-
sissippi, and on the large and muddy sand-bars around, feeding on
grasses and their seeds, particularly in autumn, when they are very
fond of the wild pimento. Many remain as late as the 15th of May,
in company with the Shoveller and Gadwall Ducks, with which they
are usually fond of associating.
On my reaching the south-western pass of the Mississippi, on the
1st April 1837, I found these birds very abundant there, in full plum-
age, and in flocks of various sizes. On the 11th of the same month,
when about an hundred miles to the westward, we saw large and dense
flocks flying in the same direction. On the 15th, at Derniere Isle, the
Blue-wings were very plentiful and gentle. Two days after, they were
quite as numerous round Rabbit Island, in the Bay called Cote Blanche ;
and on the 26th they were found on all the ponds and salt bayous or
inlets of Galveston Island in Texas, as well as on the water-courses
of the interior, where I was assured that they bred in great numbers.
Though on account of the nature of the localities in which these Teals
breed, and which cannot be explored otherwise than in extremely light
canoes, or by risking being engulphed in oozy morasses covered with
tall grass, we were not so fortunate as to find any of their nests, we
could easily judge by their manceuvres both while on wing and on the
water, that we were not far from their well-concealed treasures and
7.
BLUE-WINGED TEAL. 113
the females which we procured unequivocally exhibited the state of
exhaustion common in the course of incubation.
During the months of September and October, this species is plenti-
ful on the Ohio, and in the whole of the Western Country, through
which they pass again in April, but without tarrying. On the other
hand, they seem to prolong their stay at this season in our Eastern Dis-
tricts more than in autumn; and this is also the case in South Caro-
lina, as I learn from the observations of my friend Joun Bacumay,
who has seen them mated there as early as February. I have found
them in the Boston markets on the 8th of September, but it is very
rare to see any of them there in full spring dress. I saw or heard of none
when I was in Labrador and Newfoundland ; from which it may be in-
ferred that those found in the Fur Countries reach them through the
interior. They also occur on the Columbia River. On the 21st of
March 1821, I saw many Blue-winged Teals copulating on the Mis-
sissippi, a little below Natchez; yet none of these birds have been
known to breed in that section of the country. They were at the time
mentioned on a sand-bar in company with some American Widgeons,
_ which also were similarly employed.
The flight of the Blue-winged Teal is extremely rapid and well
sustained. Indeed, I have thought that, when travelling, it passes
through the air with a speed equal to that of the Passenger Pigeon.
When flying in flocks in clear sunny weather, the blue of their wings
glistens like polished steel, so as to give them the most lively appear-
ance ; and while they are wheeling over the places in which they in-
tend to alight, their wings being alternately thrown in the shade and
exposed to the bright light, the glowing and varied lustre thus pro-
duced, at whatever distance they may be, draws your eyes involun
tarily towards them. When advancing against a stiff breeze, they al-
' ternately shew their upper and lower surfaces, and you are struck by
the vivid steel-blue of their mantle, which resembles the dancing light
of a piece of glass suddenly reflected on a distant object. During their
flight, they almost constantly emit their soft lisping note, which they
also utter when alighted and under apprehension of danger. I have
never observed them travelling in company with other ducks, but have
seen them at times passing over the sea at a considerable distance from
land. Before alighting, and almost under any circumstances, and in
any locality, these Teals pass and repass several times over the place,
VOL, Iv. H
114 BLUE-WINGED TEAL.
as if to assure themselves of the absence of danger, or, should there be
cause of apprehension, to watch until it is over. They swim buoy-
antly, and generally in a close body, at times nearly touching each
other. Indeed, during their first appearance in autumn, when you
are apt to meet with a flock entirely composed of young birds, you
may, by using a little care, kill a considerable number at one shot. I
was assured by a gunner residing at New Orleans, that as many as one
hundred and twenty had been killed by himself at a single discharge ;
and I myself saw a friend of mine kill eighty-four by pulling together
the triggers of his double-barrelled gun !
The Blue-winged Teal is easily kept in captivity, and soon becomes
very docile. In this state it feeds freely on coarse corn meal, and I
have no doubt that it could readily be domesticated, in which case, so
tender and savoury is its flesh that it would quickly put the merits of
the widely celebrated Canvass-backed Duck in the shade.
In the course of my stay in East Florida, at General HernanpEz’s,
and Mr Butow’s, I have observed this Teal in company with the Red-
breasted Snipe, the Tell-tale Godwit, and the Yellow-shank Snipe. I
observed the same circumstance in Texas.
During the time of their residence on the Delaware River, they
feed principally on the seeds of the wild oats, which I also found them
to do whilst at Green Bay. I have been assured by persons residing
on the island of Cuba, that the Blue-winged Teal is abundant, and
breeds there.
The old males lose the spring plumage of the head almost entirely
during a great portion of the autumn and winter, but it is reassumed
sometimes as early as the beginning of January. The young of both
sexes in their first plumage resemble the females, but the males ac-
quire their full beauty before they are a year old.
Anas piscors, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol i. p. 205.—Lath. Ind. Orn. vol. ii. p. 854.
BiuE-wincep Treat, Anas piscors, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p. 74. pl. 68.
fig. 4. Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 397. :
Anas piscors, Ch. Bonap. Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 385.
Anas piscors, BLUE-wiNnGED TraL, Richards. and Swains. Fauna Bor, Amer. vol. ii.
p- 444.
Adult Male. Plate CCCXIII. Fig. 1.
es. =
BLUE-WINGED TEAL. 115
Bill almost as long as the head, deeper than broad at the base, de-
pressed towards the end, its breadth nearly equal in its whole length,
being however a little enlarged towards the rounded tip. Upper man-
dible with the dorsal line at first sloping, then nearly straight, on the
unguis decurved, the ridge broad and flat at the base, suddenly nar-
rowed over the nostrils, broader and convex towards the end ; the sides
erect at the base, afterwards sloping and convex; the narrow mem-
branous margins a little broader towards the end. Nostrils sub-basal,
near the ridge, rather small, elliptical, pervious. Lower mandible
flattened, straight, with the angle very long and rather narrow, the
dorsal line very short, and slightly convex, the sides internally erect,
with about a hundred and twenty lamellz.
Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Neck of moderate
length, rather slender. Body full, depressed. Feet short, placed ra-
ther far back ; tarsus short, compressed, at its lower part anteriorly
with two series of scutella, the rest covered with reticulated angular
seales. Toes with numerous scutella above ; first toe very small and
with a narrow membrane beneath ; third longest, fourth about a quarter
of an inch shorter; the anterior toes united by reticulated webs, of
which the outer is deeply sinuate; claws small, curved, compressed,
acute, the hind one smaller and more curved, that of the third toe
largest, and with the inner margin sharp.
Plumage dense, soft, and blended. Feathers of the head and neck,
very small and slender, of the back and lower parts in general broad
and rounded. Wings of moderate length, rather narrow and acute ;
primaries strong, slightly curved, tapering, the first scarcely longer
than the second, the rest rapidly decreasing; secondaries broad, the
outer obliquely rounded, the inner elongated and acuminate, as are
the scapulars. Tail short, rounded and acuminate, of fourteen rather
narrow, acuminate feathers.
Bill bluish-black. Iris dark hazel. Feet dull yellow, webs dusky,
claws brownish-black, with the tips greyish-yellow. Upper part of the
head black; a semilunar patch of pure white on the side of the head
before the eye, margined before and behind with black. The rest of
the head, and the anterior parts of the neck of a deep purplish-blue,
with purplish-red reflections; the lower hind neck and fore part of
back, brownish-black, glossed with green, each feather with a curved
band of pale reddish-buff, and a line or band of the same in the centre ;
H2
116 BLUE-WINGED TEAL.
the hind part of the back greenish-brown, the feathers edged with
paler. The smaller wing-coverts of a rich ultramarine blue, silky with
almost metallic lustre. Alula, primary coverts, and primary quills,
greyish-brown, edged with pale bluish ; outer secondaries of the same
colour, those of the speculum duck-green, changing to blue and bronze,
with a narrow line of white along their terminal margin; the inner
greenish-black on the outer web, greenish-brown on the inner, with a
central line and narrow external margin of pale reddish-buff, the more
elongated scapulars similar, but some of them margined with greenish-
blue. Secondary coverts brown, with their terminal portion white.
Tail-feathers chocolate brown, slightly glossed with green, their mar-
gins buffy. The lower parts are pale reddish-orange, shaded on the
breast with purplish-red, and thickly spotted with black, the number
of roundish or elliptical spots on each feather varying from ten to
twenty-five, those on the upper and hind parts of the sides running in-
to transverse bars. Axillar feathers, some of the lower wing;coverts,
and a patch on the side of the rump pure white; lower tail-coverts
brownish-black.
Length to end of tail 16 inches, to end of claws 144, to end of wings
also 147; extent of wings 314; wing from flexure 7,4, ; tail 33%; bill
along the back 13, from frontal process to tip 11; tarsus 1,% ; first toe
and claw ;’z ; middle toe and claw 1}$ ; outer toe and claw 1,5. Weight
124 oz.
Adult Female. Plate CCCXIII. Fig. 2.
Bill greenish-dusky ; iris hazel ; feet of a duller yellow than those
of the male, the head and neck are pale dull buff, longitudinally marked —
with brownish-black lines, which are broader and darker on the top of
the head ; the fore part of the cheeks and the throat whitish, without
markings. The upper parts are dark brown, the feathers margined
with brownish-white ; the smaller wing-coverts coloured as in the male,
but less brilliantly ; no blue on the scapulars, which are also less elon-
gated. On the lower parts, the feathers are dusky brown, broadly mar-
gined with light brownish-grey, of which there is a streak or spot in
the centre. The axillary feathers, and some of the lower wing-coverts
are white, but the patch of that colour so conspicuous in the male is
wanting.
Length to end of tail 15 inches, to end of wings 143, to end of claws
BLUE-WINGED TEAL. 117
154; extent of wings 24; wing from flexure 7}; tail 274; bill along
the ridge 2,4. Weight 103 oz.
The young birds are similar to the female, but paler, and without
the green speculum.
In a male, the roof of the mouth is deeply concave, with a prominent
. middle ridge, on which are a few blunt papille ; on the upper mandible
are 50 lamelle, on the lower about 65 below, and 85 above. The
tongue, 8 twelfths long, large and fleshy, has two rows of lateral bris-
tles. The cesophagus is 83 inches long, 4 twelfths in diameter until
the middle of the neck, when it enlarges gradually to half an inch. The
proventriculus is 14 inch in length, with oblong glandules. The sto-
mach is a strong roundish gizzard, 1 inch and 2 twelfths long, 14 inch
broad ; its left muscle 7 twelfths thick, the right 63 twelfths ; its cu-
ticular lining or epithelium of moderate thickness and longitudinally
rugous. The intestine, 5 feet 1 inch long, varies in diameter from 3
to 2 twelfths ; the cceca are 2 inches 10 twelfths long, cylindrical and
rounded, their diameter 3 twelfths ; the cloaca globular. The contents
of the stomach were gravel and seeds of plants.
The trachea is 6 inches and 2 twelfths long; its diameter at the
top 4 twelfths, at the middle 2 twelfths, at the lower part 31 twelfths.
The inferior larynx is formed of three or four united rings, and has an
irregular roundish bony expansion on the left side. The number of
rings of the trachea is 98, of the bronchi about 25. The contractor
muscles are large ; cleido-tracheales and sterno-tracheales.
( 118)
BLACK-HEADED, OR LAUGHING GULL.
LARUS ATRICILLA, LINN.
PLATE CCCXIV. Mace In sprine, AND YOUNG.
Before entering upon the peculiar habits of this Gull, allow me,
good-natured Reader, to present you with some general observations
on the genus to which it belongs.
At the approach of autumn, it frequently happens that the young
birds of several species associate together, congregating at times in
vast numbers, and especially during low tides, on the outer margins of
sand-bars situated in estuaries. 'There you may hear them keeping up
an almost incessant cackle, and see them running about. dressing their
plumage, or patiently waiting the rising of the waters, on which much
desired event taking place, they generally disperse, and fly off to search
for food. If disturbed while thus reposing, they shew greater shyness,
perhaps, than at any other time, and the loud note of alarm from one
of the group soon reaches your ear. Look at them now, Reader, as
they simultaneously spread their wings, and after a step or two launch
into the air, gradually ascend, and in silence rise to a great height,
performing extended gyrations, and advancing toward the open sea.
It seldom happens that when one of the larger species is shot, its
companions will come to the rescue, as is the case with the smaller,
such as the Kittiwake, and the present species. I have thought it
remarkable how keenly and aptly Gulls generally discover at once the
intentions towards them of individuals of our own species. ‘To the
peaceable and industrious fisherman they scarcely pay any regard, whe-
ther he drags his heavy net along the shore, or patiently waits until his
well-baited hook is gulped below the dancing yet well-anchored bark,
over the side of which he leans in constant and anxious expectation. At
such a time indeed, if the fisher has had much success, and his boat dis-
plays a good store, Gulls will almost assail him like so many beggars, and
perhaps receive from him a trifling yet dainty morsel. But, on the op-
posite side of the bay, see how carefully and suspiciously the same
birds are watching every step of the man who, with a long gun held in
a trailing position, tries to approach the flock of sleeping Widgeons.
BLACK-HEADED, OR LAUGHING GULL. 1i9
Why, not one of the Gulls will go within three times the range of his
murderous engine ; and, as if to assure him of their knowledge of his
designs, they merely laugh at him from their secure station.
When congregated during the love-season, their loquacity has never
failed to remind me of the impetuous, unmusical, and yet not unpleas-
ant notes of our thieving Red-winged Starlings. But when apart, and
at all times excepting the periods of pairing or breeding, or while some
of the smaller species are chased by their vigilant enemies the Jagers,
they are usually silent birds, especially when on wing. In rainy or
squally weather, they skim low over the water, or the land, always
against the wind, passing at times within a few feet of the surface.
Again, at such times, I have observed Gulls of every species with which
I am acquainted, suddenly give a shake or two to their wings, and stop
as it were for a moment in their flight, as if they had espied something
worthy of their attention below; but, on closely observing them, I have
become convinced that such manceuvres were performed only with the
view of readjusting their whole plumage, which had perhaps been dis-
arranged by a side current of wind.
All Gulls are wonderfully tenacious of life. When wounded or
closely pursued, they are very apt to disgorge their food, or to sustain
themselves against the agonies of death with uncommon vigour. They
appear indeed to be possessed of extraordinary powers of respiration,
through means of which they revive at the very moment when you might
conceive them to have actually reached the last gasp. I have seen cases
in which individuals of this tribe, after having been strongly squeezed
for several minutes across the body, and after their throats had been
crammed with cotton or tow, recovered as soon as the pressure was
remitted, and immediately attempted to bite with as much eagerness as
when first seized, when, by the by, they are wont to mute, as well as
when suddenly surprised and taking to wing. In certain states of the
atmosphere, Gulls, as well as other birds, appear much larger than they
actually are; and on such occasions, they, of course, seem nearer than you
would find them to be; for which reason, I would advise you, Reader,
to be on your guard, for you may be strangely misled as to the distance
at which you suppose the bird to be, and pull your trigger merely to
send your shot into the sand, far short from the Gulls or other light-
coloured birds in view.
120 BLACK-HEADED, OR LAUGHING GULL.
Much confusion appears to exist among authors regarding our
Laughing Gull, and this, in my humble opinion, simply because not one
of them has studied it, in its native haunts, and at all seasons, since the
period when it was briefly characterized by our great master Linnzvs,
who, after all that has been said against him, has not yet had his equal.
ALEXANDER Witson, who, it seems, knew something of the habits of
this bird, thought it however identical with the Larus ridibundus of
Europe, as is shewn by the synonymes which he has given. Others,who
only examined some dried skins, without knowing so much as the day
or even the year in which they had been shot, or their sex, or whether
the feathers before them had once belonged to a bird that was breed-
ing, or barren, when it was procured, described its remains perhaps
well enough for their own purpose, but certainly not with all the
accuracy which is necessary to establish once and for ever a distinct
species of bird. Others, not at all aware that most Gulls, and the pre-
sent species in particular, assume, in the season of pairing, and in a
portion of the breeding time, beautiful rosy tints in certain parts of
their plumage, which at other periods are pure white, have thought
that differences of this sort, joined to those of the differently-sized
white spots observable in particular specimens, and not corresponding
with the like markings in other birds of the same size and form, more
or less observable at different periods on the tips of the quills, were
quite sufficient to prove that the young bird, and the breeding bird,
and the barren bird, of one and the same species, differed specifically
from the old bird, or the winter-plumage bird. But, Reader, let us
come to the point at once.
At the approach of the breeding season, or, as I like best to term
it, the love season, this species becomes first hooded, and the white
feathers of its breast, and those of the lower surface of its wings, as-
sume arich blush of roseate tint. If the birds procured at that time
are several years old and perfect in their powers of reproduction, which
is easily ascertained on the spot, their primary quills shew little or no
white at their extremities, and their hood descends about three quar-
ters of an inch lower on the throat than on the hind part of the head,
provided the bird be a male. But should they be barren birds, the hood
will be wanting, that portion of their plumage remaining as during win-
ter, and although the primaries will be black, or nearly so, each of them
BLACK-HEADED, OR LAUGHING GULL. 121
will be broadly tipped, or marked at the end, with a white spot, which
in some instances will be found to be fully half an inch in size; yet
the tail of these birds, as if to prove that they are adults, is as purely
white to its extreme tip, as in those that are breeding ; but neither the
breast, nor the under wing-coverts, will exhibit the rosy tint of one in
the full perfection of its powers.
The males of all the Gulls with which I am acquainted, are larger
than the females ; and this difference of size is observable in the young
birds even before they are fully fledged. In all of these, however, put-
ting aside their sex, I have found great differences of size to exist, some-
times as much as two inches in length, with proportional differences in
the bills, tarsi, and toes ; and this, in specimens procured from one flock
of these gulls at a single discharge of the gun, and at different seasons of
the year. The colour of their bills too is far from being always alike, be-
ing brownish-red in some, purplish or of a‘rich and deep carmine in
others. As to the white spots on the extremities of the primary quills
of birds of this family, I would have you, Reader, never to consider
them as affording essential characters. Nay, if you neglect them al-
together, you will save yourself much trouble, as they will only mis-
lead you by their interminable changes, and you may see that the spots
on one wing are sometimes different in size and number from those on
the other wing of the same specimen. [f all this be correct, as I assure
you it must be, being the result of numberless observations made in
the course of many years, in the very places of resort of our different
Gulls, will you not agree with me, Reader, that the difficulty of dis-
tinguishing two very nearly allied species must be almost insuperable
when one has nothing better than a few dried skins for objects of ob-
servation and comparison ?
The Black-headed Gull may be said to be a constant resident along
the southern coast of the United States, from South Carolina to the
Sabine River; and I have found it abundant over all that extent both
in winter and in summer, but more especially on the shores and keys
of the Floridas, where I found it breeding, as well as on some islands
in the Bay of Galveston in Texas. A very great number of these birds
however remove, at the approach of spring, towards the Middle and
Eastern Districts, along the shores of which they breed in considerable
numbers, particularly on those of New Jersey and Long Island, as well
122 BLACK-HEADED, OR LAUGHING GULL.
as on several islands in the Sound. ‘They constantly evince a dislike
to rocky shores, and therefore are seldom seen beyond Massachusetts,
in which State indeed they are exceedingly rare.
None were observed by any members of my party on the Magdalene
Islands, or on the coasts of Labrador or Newfoundland. I never met
with any of them on the Mississippi above New Orleans, although they
are plentiful in that neighbourhood during winter, and until the breed-
ing season commences ; and I think that this species never travels be-
yond the influence of the tide-waters of any stream. Wi son, in speak-
ing of it, says that it is seen on the newly ploughed fields, and around
the houses of the farmers of New Jersey; but the habit of visiting
ploughed grounds I have not observed in any one of the American
Gulls, although I have frequently noticed it in some of the European
species, particularly Larus canus, L. ridibundus, and L. argentatus.
At all periods of the year, the Black-headed Gulls keep in flocks
formed of many families ; and in the breeding season, or even as soon
as their courtships have commenced, they assemble by hundreds of
pairs, or even by thousands. At this time they are so clamorous as to
stun your ear with their laughing-like cries, though at other seasons
they are generally silent, unless when suddenly alarmed, or when
chased by the Jager. Their loves are conducted with extreme pom-
posity : they strut and bow to the females, throwing their head back-
wards, like all other Gulls, although in a less degree and with a less
curious motion than Cormorants. You see them first stretching their
heads forwards; then with open bill, vibrating tongue, and eyes all
glowing, they emit their loud laughing notes, which, in a general sense,
resemble those of many other species, though they are not precisely simi-
lar to those of any. But before I proceed with my account of their man-
ners, I will give you the result of some curious observations which I
made on them in Florida.
Previously to my visit to that interesting peninsula, I had not un-
frequently noticed indications of strong amatory propensities in several
species of Gulls, but never to the extent exhibited by the present spe-
cies, many of which I saw copulating in the latter part of autumn and
in winter, fully three months before the usual time of depositing their
eggs in that country. Similar observations were made on Larus argen-
tatus, on the coast of Maine, and on Larus marinus, in the Bay of
Fundy. Nay, even in Europe I have seen this extraordinary tendency
BLACK-HEADED, OR LAUGHING GULL. 123
to reproduce out of season, as it were. On some such occasions, when
I was at St Augustine, in the month of December, I have observed
four or five males of the present species paying their addresses to one
female, who received their courtesies with evident welcome. Yet the
females in that country did not deposit eggs until the 20th day of April.
The most surprising fact of all was, that, although these birds were
paired, and copulated regularly, by the Ist of February, not one had
acquired the spring or summer plumage, or the dark coloured hood, or
the rosy tint of the breast, nor lost the white spots on the tips of their
primary quills. This change, however, was apparent by the 5th of
March, became daily stronger, and was perfected by the 15th of that
month. A few exceptions occurred among the numbers procured at
these periods, but the generality of the birds were as above described.
Whilst at Great Egg Harbour, in May 1829, shortly after my re-
turn from England, I found this species breeding in great numbers on
the margins of a vast salt marsh, bordering the sea-shore, though sepa-
rated from the Atlantic by a long and narrow island. About sunrise
every morning, an immense number of these birds would rise in the
air, as if by common consent, and wing their way across the land, pro-
bably intent on reaching the lower shores of the Delaware River, or
indeed farther towards the head waters of Chesapeake Bay. They
formed themselves into long straggling lines, following each other sing-
ly, at the distance of a few yards. About an hour before sunset, the
same birds were seen returning in an extended front, now all silent, al-
though in the morning their cries were incessant, and lasted until they
were out of sight. On arriving at the breeding ground, they imme-
diately settled upon their nests. Ona few occasions, when it rained
and blew hard, the numbers that left the nests were comparatively .
few, and those, as I thought, mostly males. Instead of travelling high,
as they were wont to do in fair and calm weather, they skimmed closely
over the land, contending with the wind with surprising pertinacity,
and successfully too. At such times they were also quite silent. I
now and then observed some of them whilst on wing, and at a consi-
derable height, suddenly check their course, as if to examine some ob-
ject below; but on none of these occasions did I see one attempt to
alight, for it soon resumed its wonted course, and rejoined its com-
panions.
Now, Reader, though I am growing old, I yet feel desirous of ac-
124 BLACK-HEADED, OR LAUGHING GULL.
quiring knowledge regarding the habits of our birds, and should much
like to learn from you the reasons why these gulls went off in lines
from their breeding grounds, and returned in an extended front?
Was it, in the latter case, because they were afraid of passing their
nests unknowingly ; or, in the former, under the necessity of follow-
ing an experienced leader, who, under the stimulus of an empty maw,
readily undertook the office, but who, like many other bon-vivants, be-
came in the evening too dull to be of use to his companions ?
This species breeds, according to the latitude, from the Ist of
March to the middle of June; and I have thought that on the Tortuga
Keys, it produced two broods each season. In New Jersey, and far-
ther to the eastward, the nest resembles that of the Ring-billed Gull,
or Common American Gull, Larus zonorhynchus, being formed of dried
sea-weeds, and land plants, two and sometimes three inches high, with
a regular rounded cavity, from four and a half to five inches in diame-
ter, and an inch and a half in depth. This cavity is formed of finer
grasses, placed in a pretty regular circular form. I once found a nest
formed as it were of two; that is to say, two pairs had formed a nest
of nearly double the ordinary size, and the two birds sat close to each
other during rainy weather, but separately, each on its own three eggs.
I observed that the males, as well as the females, thus concerned in
this new sort of partnership, evinced as much mutual fondness as if
they were brothers. On the Tortugas, where these Gulls also breed
in abundance, I found their eggs deposited in slight hollows scooped
in the sand. Whilst at Galveston, in Texas, I found their nests
somewhat less bulky than in the Jerseys, which proved to me how
much birds are guided in these matters by differences in atmospheric
temperature and locality.
I never found more than three eggs in anest. Their average length
is two inches and half an eighth, their greatest breadth a trifle more
than an inch and a half. They vary somewhat in their general tint,
but are usually of a light earthy olive, blotched and spotted with dull
reddish-brown and some black, the markings rather more abundant to-
wards the larger end. Asan article of food, they are excellent. These
gulls are extremely anxious about their eggs, aswell as their young, which
are apt to wander away from the nest while yet quite small. They are
able to fly at the end of six weeks, and soon after this are abandoned
by their parents, when the old and young birds keep apart in flocks
a
BLACK-HEADED, OR LAUGHING GULL. 125
until the following spring, when, I think, the latter nearly attain the
plumage of their parents, though they are still smaller, and have the
terminal band on the tail.
The Black-headed Gull frequently associates with the Razor-billed
Shearwater, Rhynchops nigra, in winter; and I can safely say that I
have seen more than a thousand of each kind alight on the same points
of estuaries and mouths of rivers; the Gulls standing or sitting by them-
selves, at no great distance from the Razor-bills. Now and then they
would all suddenly rise on wing as if frightened, perform a few evolu-
tions in the air, and again settle on the very same spot, still, however,
keeping separate. While thus in the company of the Razor-bills, the
Gulls are with great difficulty approached, the former being exceed-
ingly wary, and almost always rising when a person draws near, the
Gulls immediately following them, and the two great flocks making off
to some distant point, generally not very accessible. If taken up on
being wounded, these gulls are apt to bite severely. If, on being shot
at, they fall on the water, they swim fast and lightly, their companions
all the while soaring above, and plunging towards them, as if intent on
rescuing them. This great sympathy often proves fatal to them, for,
if the gunner is inclined, he may shoot them down without any diffi-
culty, and the more he kills the more his chances are increased.
On the 10th of May 1832, it was my good fortune to be snugly on
board the “ Lady of the Green Mantle,” or, in other words, the fine
revenue cutter the Marion. The Gulls that laughed whilst our anchors
were swiftly descending towards the marvellous productions of the
deep, soon had occasion to be sorrowful enough. As they were in
great numbers, officers and men, as well as the American Woodsman,
gazing upon them from the high decks of the gallant bark, had ample
opportunities of observing their motions. ‘They were all busily en-
gaged on wing, hovering here and there around the Brown Pelicans,
intent on watching their plunges into the water, and all clamorously
teasing their best benefactors. As with broadly extended pouch and
lower mandible, the Pelican went down headlong, so gracefully fol-
lowed the gay rosy-breasted Gull, which, on the brown bird’s emer-
ging, alighted nimbly on its very head, and with a gentle stoop in-
stantly snatched from the mouth of its purveyor the glittering fry that
moment entrapped !
Is this not quite strange, Reader? Aye, truly it is. The sight of
126 BLACK-HEADED, OR LAUGHING GULL.
these manceuvres rendered me almost frantic with delight. At times,
several gulls would attempt to alight on the head of the same Pelican,
but finding this impossible, they would at once sustain themselves
around it, and snatch every morsel that escaped from the pouch of the
great bird. So very dexterous were some of the Gulls at this sport,
that I have seen them actually catch a little fish as it leaped from
the yet partially open bill of the Pelican. And now, Reader, I will
conclude this long article with some fragments from my journals.
‘Tortugas, May 1832.—Whilst here, I often saw the Black-headed
Gull of Wilson, sucking the eggs of Sterna fuliginosa, and Sterna stolida.
Our sailors assured me that these gulls also eat the young of these two
species of Terns when newly hatched.
Great Egg Harbour, May 1829.—Like all other gulls, the Larus
Atricilla disgorges its food when attacked bya Lestris, or when wounded,
or suddenly surprised ; but on all occasions of respite this gull is apt
to return to it, and vulture-like to swallow it anew. It differs how-
ever from the larger species of gulls, by never, as far as I have ob-
served, picking up bivalve shells, for the purpose of letting them fall
to break them, and afterwards feed on their contents. On the
ground they walk with considerable alertness, and not without a cer-
tain degree of elegance, especially during the love season. Whilst
floating or swimming on the waiter, they are graceful in a high degree,
and when seen, as they oftentimes are, in groups of many pairs, rising
with, or sinking amidst the billows, which ever and anon break on the
sandy shores of the coast, their alternate appearance brings to the
mind of the bystander ideas connected with objects altogether different
from the simple yet beautiful Laughing Gull.
April 1. 1837.—South-west pass of the Mississippi. L. Aétricilla
abundant here at this season, as well as at New Orleans. Saw some
floating on logs during a heavy breeze. Not noisy yet, though they
and L. zonorhynchus are in full spring dress (the old birds).
- Barataria Bay, April 1837.—This species is abundant, following
the porpoises, whilst the latter are fishing, and attending on them, as
they do on the Brown Pelicans, which I saw here tormented by these
birds, as in the Floridas. These Gulls follow the Brown Pelicans
to their roosts, and along with them sit on grounded logs, at some dis-
tance from the shores, to avoid the attacks of racoons and other car-
nivorous animals.
BLACK-HEADED, OR LAUGHING GULL. 127
Galveston Bay, April 26. 1837.—Black-headed Gulls are not unfre-
quently seen hovering over the inner ponds of these islands, as if in
search of food. They are now all paired, and very noisy.
May 4.—I observed to-day that at the single cry of a Black-
headed Gull, all others within hearing at once came towards the caller,
and this never failed when any of them had found floating garbage on
which to feed. These, as well as all other gulls, pat the water with
their feet, their legs being partially extended, whilst assisting them-
selves with the bill to pick up any floating food. At this time the
whole group emit a more plaintive single note than usual. They come
not unfrequently within a few yards of our vessel at anchor, and when
the food thrown to them is exhausted, they separate, and at once renew
their repeated cries. I observed that the few immature birds among
the old ones, were quite silent even when in the company of the adults.
When the young are nearly able to fly, they are by no means bad eating.
Larus Arriciiia, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 225.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 812.
—Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 359.
Biack-HEADED GuxiL, Larus ripisunDus, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. ix. p. 89.
pl. 74. fig. 4.
BLack-HEADED GULL, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 291.
Adult Male in spring. Plate CCCXIV. Fig. 1.
Bill rather shorter than the head, nearly straight, moderately
stout, compressed. Upper mandible with its dorsal outline straight to
the middle, then curved and declinate, the ridge convex, the sides rapid-
ly sloping, the edges sharp and direct, the tip rather obtuse but sharp-
edged. Nasal groove rather long and narrow; nostrils in its fore part,
longitudinal, submedial, large, linear-oblong, broader anteriorly, per-
vious. Lower mandible with the angle long and pointed, the outline
of its crura decurved anteriorly, that of the ridge slightly concave and
ascending, the sides erect and nearly flat.
Head of moderate size. Neck of ordinary length. Body compact.
Feet rather long, stoutish ; tibia bare below for three-fourths of an inch,
covered behind with narrow scutella; tarsus compressed, anteriorly
covered with numerous curved scutella, laterally with small oblong
scales, posteriorly with small scutella. Toes slender, of moderate
length, covered above with numerous scutella; first extremely small,
128 BLACK-HEADED, OR LAUGHING GULL.
second much shorter than fourth, third two-twelfths of an inch longer
than the latter; anterior toes connected by reticulated webs, the outer
and inner slightly marginate ; claws small, slightly arched, compressed,
thin-edged, that of the middle toe with an expanded inner margin.
Plumage close, soft, and blended. Wings very long and pointed ;
primaries tapering to a rounded point; first longest, second a twelfth
of an inch shorter, the rest rapidly diminishing; secondaries broad,
incurvate, and obliquely rounded, the inner straight and more elon-
gated. Tail of moderate length, even, of twelve broad, rounded
feathers.
Bill and feet, as wellas the margin of eyelids, and the inside of the
mouth, of a rich deep carmine; claws brownish-black. Iris bluish-
black. The head and a portion of the upper part of the neck all
round, blackish lead-grey, darker on the upper part of the head and
along the posterior margin, which descends lower in front, or to the
extent of about two inches and a half from the base of the lower man-
dible ; two narrow white bands bordering the upper and lower eyelids.
Lower neck all round, the whole lower surface, the rump and tail, pure
white ; but the fore part of the neck and the breast, down to the legs, of
a beautiful light rosy tint. The back and wings are greyish-blue,
with a very slight tinge of purple, excepting a large terminal por-
tion of the secondaries, and the tips of the primaries, which are
white. The first primary is black, with a tinge of grey on the in-
ner web at the base; the second and third similar, with the grey
more extended; on the fourth it extends over two-thirds; the fifth is
black only for an inch and a half; and on the sixth the black is re-
duced to two spots near the end; the other parts and the remaining
primaries of the same general colour as the back.
Length to end of tail 17 inches, to end of wings 20, to end of claws
17; extent of wings 403; wing from flexure 12}9; tail 5,4; bill along
the ridge 111, along the edge of lower mandible 2} ; tarsus 2; hind toe
and claw #4, ; middle toe and claw 1,% ; outer toe and claw 13; inner
toe and claw 1,%.
The female is precisely similar to the male, but considerably
smaller.
In winter the head is white, the feathers on its upper part and on
the nape more or less brownish-grey in their concealed part, that co-
lour appearing in slight patches here and there, and especially along
ae i nie
BLACK-HEADED OR LAUGHING GULL. 129
the posterior margin of the part that is coloured in summer, as well as
on a small space before the eye. The rosy tint of the breast disap-
pears after the breeding season. In other respects the plumage is as
in summer.
Young fully fledged. Plate CCCXIV. Fig. 2.
Bill, feet, inside of mouth, and edges of eyelids, olivaceous brown.
The upper parts are brownish-grey, the feathers edged with paler ;
the hind part of the back light bluish-grey ; upper tail-coverts nearly
white ; tail pale greyish-blue, with a broad band of brownish-black
at the end, the extreme tips narrowly edged with white, the outer
margin of the lateral feathers of the same colour. The first four pri-
maries are destitute of white at the tip. A smaller patch before
the eye, two slight bands on the eyelids, and the throat, greyish-white ;
the lower part of the neck brownish-grey, the rest of the lower parts
greyish-white, the sides darker, the axillars ash-grey, the lower surface
of the wing dusky-grey.
In an adult male, the tongue is 14 inch long, slender, tapering, emar-
ginate at the base, with minute papilla, the tip horny along the back.
The cesophagus is 64 inches long, 5 twelfths in diameter until it enters
the thorax, then dilates to 1 inch and 5 twelfths; its walls are extremely
thin, its inner coat longitudinally plaited. Proventriculus very short,
the belt of oblong glandules being only 7 twelfths in breadth. Sto-
mach rather small, oblong, 14 inch long, 10 twelfths broad; its lateral
muscles rather thick, the tendons large ; the inner coat thick, horny,
and thrown into very prominent longitudinal rugz, its upper margin
abrupt, and manifestly not continuous with the inner coat of the pro-
ventriculus, as some have supposed the epithelium to be in all birds.
In the stomach remains of fishes. Intestines 1 foot 93 inches long, its
general diameter 1 inch. Rectum 13 inch; coeca extremely small, 23
twelfths long, 3 twelfth in diameter.
Trachea 53 inches long ; its rings 110, extremely thin and feeble ;
its diameter at the top 44 twelfths, at the lower part 23 twelfths. The
lateral muscles are scarcely perceptible, the sterno-tracheal very
slender; the inferior larynx small; the bronchi of moderate length
and width, with 25 half-rings.
VoL. 1Y. I
( 180 )
KNOT OR ASH-COLOURED SANDPIPER.
TRINGA ISLANDICA, Linn.
PLATE CCCXV. Apuvut 1n SUMMER AND WINTER.
Tue Knot, good Reader, is a handsome and interesting species,
whether in its spring or in its winter plumage, and, provided it be young
and fat, is always welcome to the palate of the connoisseur in dainties.
As to its habits, however, during the breeding season, I am sorry to
inform you that I know nothing at all, for in Labrador, whither I went
to examine them, I did not find a single individual. I have been in-
formed that several students of nature have visited its breeding places ;
but why they have given us no information on the subject, seeing that
not only you and I, but many persons besides, would be glad to hear
about it, is what we cannot account for.
I do not wish you to infer from these remarks, that the persons
alluded to are the only ones who have neglected to note down on
the spot observations which might be interesting and useful. I my-
self am very conscious of my own remissness in this respect, and deeply
regret the many opportunities of studying nature which have been
in a manner lost to me, on account of a temporary supineness which
has seized upon me, at the very moment when the objects of my pur-
suit were placed within my reach by that bountiful Being to whom we
owe all our earthly enjoyments, and all our hopes of that future hap-
piness which we strive to merit.
I have traced the Knot along the shores of our Atlantic states, from
Texas to the entrance of the Bay of Fundy, in the months of April
and May, and again in the autumnal months. I have also found it in
winter in East Florida, and therefore feel confident that some of the
“species do not proceed beyond our southern limits at that season.
Whilst on the Bay of Galveston, in Texas, in April 1837, I daily ob-
served groups of Knots arriving there, and proceeding eastward, mean-
dering along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. In the interior of the
United States I never observed one, and for this reason I am in-
clined to think that the species moves northward along the coast. But
as I did not find any in Nova Scotia, Labrador, or Newfoundland, I
KNOT OR ASH-COLOURED SANDPIPER. 131
consider it probable that those which betake themselves to the fur coun-
tries, turn off from our Atlantic shores when they have reached the en-
trance of the Bay of Fundy. However this may be, it is certain that
they reach a very high latitude, and that some stop to breed about Hud-
son’s Bay, where Dr RicHarpson found them in summer.
On some few occasions I have observed the Knot associating with
the Tell-tale Godwit and Semi-palmated Snipe, about a mile from the
sea, along the margins of ponds of brackish-water; but such localities
seemed in a manner unnatural to them, and it was seldom that more
than two or three were seen there. Along the shores, in spring, I have
not unfrequently thought that they seemed dull, as if they had lost
themselves, for they would allow a person to go very near, and sel-
dom took to wing unless induced to do so by companions of other spe-
cies, who were better aware of their situation. In autumn, when they
at times collect into very large flocks, I have often followed them until
I obtained as many as I wished. Witson has so beautifully described
their movements at such times, that, although I have often witnessed
them myself, I prefer giving his own words.
“Tn activity it is superior to the Turnstone ; and traces the flowing
and recession of the waves along the sandy beach with great nimble-
ness, wading and searching among the loosened particles for its favour-
ite food, which is a small thin oval bivalve shell-fish, of a white or
pearl-colour, and not larger than the seed of an apple. These usually
lie at a short distance below the surface; but in some places are
seen at low water in heaps, like masses of wet grain, in quantities of
more than a bushel together. During the latter part of summer and
autumn, these minute shell-fish constitute the food of almost all those
busy flocks that run with such activity along the sands, among the flow-
ing and retreating waves. ‘They are universally swallowed whole; but
the action of the bird’s stomach, assisted by the shells themselves, soon
reduces them to a pulp. Digging for these in the hard sand would
be a work of considerable labour, whereas, when the particles are
loosened by the flowing of the sea, the birds collect them with great
ease and dexterity. It is amusing to observe with what adroitness they
follow and elude the tumbling surf, while at the same time they seem
wholly intent on collecting their food.”
I have however seen the Knot probe the wet sands, on the borders
of oozy salt marshes, thrusting in its bill to the feathers on the forehead,
i
132 KNOT OR ASH-COLOURED SANDPIPER.
and this with the same dexterity as several other species. Its flight is
swift, at times rather elevated, and well sustained. At their first ar-
rival in autumn, when they are occasionally seen in great numbers in
the same flock, their aérial evolutions are very beautiful, for, like our
Parrakeet, Passenger Pigeon, Rice-bird, Red-winged Starling, and other
birds, they follow each other in their course, with a celerity that seems
almost incomprehensible, when the individuals are so near each other that
one might suppose it impossible for them to turn and wheel without inter-
fering with each other. At such times, their lower and upper parts are
alternately seen, the flock exhibiting now a dusky appearance, and again
gleaming like a meteor.
Many of these young birds continue mottled with dull reddish-
orange on their lower parts until the winter is far advanced. 'The old
individuals have their whole upper plumage of a uniform grey, and their
lower parts white. As those of the first year have their markings at
that season handsomer than at any other period of their lives, I have
given the figure of one in preference to that of an adult.
It has been supposed by some that two different species of Knot
occur in the United States, but I am of a different opinion. The di-
mensions of birds of this family, as well as of many others, are extremely
variable; and, on shooting eight or ten Knots, it would be difficult to
find two of them having exactly the same size and proportions. If I
add to this the very remarkable changes of plumage exhibited by birds
of this family before and after maturity, you will not think it strange
that Witson should have mistaken the young of the Knot for a sepa-
rate species from the old bird in its spring dress. Indeed, I am obliged
to tell you that I have been much puzzled, when, on picking up several
of these birds from the same flock, I have found some having longer and
thicker bills than others, with as strange a difference in the size of their
eyes. These differences I have endeavoured to represent in my plate.
My friend Joun Bacuman states, that this species is quite abun-
dant in South Carolina, in its autumn and spring migrations, but that
he has never seen it there in full plumage. In that country it is
called the “« May Bird,” which, however, is a name also given to the
Rice Bird. Along the coasts of our Middle District, it is usually known
by the name of “* Grey-back.”
KNOT OR ASH-COLOURED SANDPIPER. 133
TRINGA ISLANDICA, CANUTUS, CINEREA, GRIsEA, &c. of Linneus and Latham, &c.
Trinea istanpica, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 350.
ReEp-BREASTED SANDPIPER, TRincA RuFA, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vii. p. 43, pl.
57, fig. 5. Summer.
AsH-coLourRED SanpprreR, TrinGa cinEREA, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vil. p. 36,
pl. 57, fig. 2. Winter.
Kwor, or AsH-coLouRED SanpriPER, Nuttall, Manual, vol. il. p. 125.
TrinGa CINEREA, Richards. and Swains. Fauna Bor.-Amer. vol. ii. p. 387.
Adult Male in Summer. Plate CCCXV. Fig. 1.
Bill rather longer than the head, slender, straight, compressed, ta-
pering, with the tip a little enlarged and blunt. Upper mandible with
the dorsal line straight, and slightly declinate, the ridge narrow and
flattened until towards the end, when it becomes considerably broader,
the sides sloping, the tip convex above and ending in a blunt point, the
edges thick and flattened. Nasal groove extending to near the tip ;
nostrils basal, linear, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle long
and very narrow, the dorsal line straight, the sides sloping outwards,
with a long narrow groove, the tip a little broader, but tapering.
Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Eyes of moderate size.
Neck of ordinary length. Body rather full. Feet rather long, slender ;
tibia bare, a third part’ of its length ; tarsus somewhat compressed, an-
teriorly and posteriorly with numerous small scutella; hind toe very
small, the rest of moderate length, slender, the fourth slightly longer
than the second, the third longest ; all free, broadly marginate, flattened
beneath, and with numerous scutella above. Claws small, slightly
arched, compressed, rather obtuse, that of the third toe much larger,
with the inner edge dilated.
Plumage very soft, blended on the head, neck, and lower parts, the
feathers rather distinct above. Wings very long and pointed; prima-
ries tapering, obtuse, the first longest, the second two-twelfths of an
inch shorter, the rest rapidly decreasing ; outer secondaries slightly in-
curved, inner elongated, straight and tapering, one of them extending
when the wing is closed, to an inch and a quarter from its tip. Tail
rather short, nearly even, of twelve rather broad feathers which taper
to a broad point.
Bill and feet black. Iris dark hazel. Upper part of the head and
hind neck light grey, tinged with buff, and longitudinally streaked with
dusky ; fore part of back and scapulars, variegated with brownish-black
134 KNOT OR ASH-COLOURED SANDPIPER.
and yellowish, and each feather with several spots of the latter and
tipped with whitish ; the hind part of the back, rump, and upper tail-
coverts, white, barred with black; wing-coverts ash-grey, edged with
paler. Alula and primary-coverts brownish-black, tipped with white ;
primaries similar, their shafts and the outer margins of all excepting
the first three, white, the inner webs towards the base light grey; se-
condaries and their coverts grey, margined with white. Tail-feathers
ash-grey tinged with brown, and narrowly edged with white. The
sides of the head, fore part of neck, breast, and abdomen, rich brown-
ish-orange; lower tail-coverts and feathers of the legs, white, each of
the former with a central dusky narrow-shaped or elongated spot, axil-
laries white barred with dusky ; lower wing-coverts dusky with white
margins.
Length to end of tail 103 inches, to end of wings 102, to end of
claws 113; extent of wings 21; wing from flexure 7; tail 2,4; bill
along the ridge 1,4, along the edge of lower mandible 14% ; tarsus 14;
hind toe and claw ;4,; middle toe and claw 135. Weight 53 oz.
The female is similar to the male, but considerably larger.
Length to end of tail 102 inches. Weight 6 ounces.
In Winter. Plate CCCXV. Fig. 2.
Bill greenish-black, eye of a darker brown. Feet dull yellowish-
green ; claws dusky. ‘The upper parts are deep ash-grey, each feather
margined with whitish ; feathers of the rump greyish-white, upper tail-
coverts white, barred with dusky. The quills and tail feathers as in
summer. A band from the bill over the eye to the hind part of head,
white; loral space, cheeks, and sides of neck pale grey, streaked with
darker ; throat and lower parts in general, white; the sides, axillar fea-
thers, and under wing-coverts, barred or spotted with dusky ; lower tail-
coverts as in Summer.
The young in autumn are of a dull light brownish-grey colour above,
each feather having a narrow whitish margin, within which is a dusky
line. The fore part and sides of the neck, and the fore part of the breast
dull greyish-white, with small dusky-grey longitudinal streaks ; the band
over the eye indistinct, the loral space darker. The bill and feet are of a
duller tint, and the eye darker, than in the adult in winter. Weight 4; oz.
KNOT OR ASH-COLOURED SANDPIPER. 135
On the roof of the mouth is a double series of small blunt papille.
The tongue is very slender, 1,4, inch long, emarginate and papillate at
the base, channelled above, horny beneath, the point rather acute. The
cesophagus is 4% inches long, narrow, its diameter 33 twelfths. The
proventriculus is oblong, 53 twelfths in diameter, 9 twelfths long. The
stomach is an extremely powerful gizzard, of a roundish form, 1
inch and 5 twelfths long, its greatest breadth 11 inch; the cuticular
lining thin, horny, with large longitudinal ruge. The intestine 25
inches long, its average diameter 33 twelfths; cceca cylindrical, 3
twelfths long. The contents of the stomach are fragments of mussels
and gravel, with which part of the intestine is also filled.
The trachea is 3} inches long, flattened, 2} twelfths broad at the top,
diminishing to 2 twelfths; its rings very slender and unossified, 98 in
number; the bronchial half-rings about 15. The lateral muscles very
thin, the sterno-tracheal slender.
( 186 )
ANHINGA OR SNAKE-BIRD.
Piotus AndinGaé, Linn.
PLATE CCCXVI. Mate ann FEemate.
Reaver, the pleasures which I have experienced in the course of
this chequered life of mine have been many ;—perhaps many more than
would have fallen to my share, had I not, fortunately for me, become
a devoted and enthusiastic lover of Nature’s beauteous and wondrous
works, which, in truth, I have been from the earliest period to which
my recollection extends ; and those who have known me best will not for
amoment consider it extravagant in me to say, that among the greatest
pleasures I have known, has been that derived from pursuing and faith-
fully describing such of our American birds as were previously unknown or
but little observed. Many sultry summer days I have passed amidst the
most dismal swamps of the secluded woods of Louisiana, watching with
anxiety and in silence the curious habits of the Anhinga; the female bird
now sitting closely on her eggs, in a nest constructed by herself and se-
curely placed on the widely extended branch of the tallest cypress, that,
as if by magic planted, stood in the midst of an ample lake, while with
keen eyes she watched every motion of the wily Buzzard and cunning
Crow, lest either of these cowardly marauders might deprive her of
her treasures; the partner of her cares and joys meanwhile, with out-
spread wings and fan-like tail, soaring on high, and glancing first anx-
iously towards her he loves, then in anger towards one and all of their
numerous enemies. In wider and bolder circles he moves, rising higher
and still higher, until at length, becoming a mere dusky speck, he al-
most vanishes from my sight amidst the expanse of the blue sky; but
now, suddenly closing his wings, and rushing downwards like a meteor,
I see him instantly alight erect upon the edge of the nest, and com-
placently gaze upon his beloved.
After some time, about three weeks perhaps, I have found the egg-
shells beneath the great cypress tree, cast out of the nest by the intelli-
gent and attentive mother, and floating on the green slime of the stagnant
pool. Climbing to the nest itself, I have seen the tender young clad in
ANHINGA OR SNAKE-BIRD. 137
down far softer than our sea-island cottons, writhing their slender and tre-
mulous necks, and with open mouths and extended pouches seeking, as
all infants are wont to seek, the food suited to their delicate frame.
Then, retiring to some concealed spot, I have seen the mother arrive
with a supply of finely masticated nutriment, compounded of various
fishes from the lake, and furnish each of her progeny by regurgitation
with its due proportion. Thus, also, I have watched the growth of the
younglings, marking their daily progress, which varied according to the
changes of temperature and the state of the atmosphere. At length, after
waiting many days in succession, I have seen them stand, in an almost
erect posture, on a space scarcely large enough to contain them. The
parents seemed aware of the condition of their brood, and, affectionate
as they still appeared to be, I thought their manner towards them was
altered, and I felt grieved. Indeed, sorely grieved I was when, next
week, I saw them discharge, as it were, their children, and force them
from the nest into the waters that were spread below. It is true that,
previous to this, I had seen the young Anhingas trying the power of
their wings as they stood upright on the nest, flapping them many mi-
nutes at atime; yet, although thus convinced that they were nearly
in a state to provide for themselves, it was not without a feeling of des-
pondency that I saw them hurled into the air, and alight on the water.
But, Reader, Nature in all this had acted beneficially ; and I afterwards
found that in thus expelling their young so soon, the old birds had in
view to rear another brood in the same spot, before the commencement
of unfavourable weather.
Many writers have described what they have been pleased to call
the habits of the Anhinga; nay, some have presumed to offer com-
ments upon them, and to generalize and form theories thereon, or even
to inform us gravely and oracularly what they ought to be, when the
basis of all their fancies was merely a dried skin and feathers appended.
Leaving these ornithologists for the present to amuse themselves in
their snug closets, I proceed to detail the real habits of this curious
bird, as I have observed and studied them in Nature.
The Snake-Bird is a constant resident in the Floridas, and the lower
parts of Louisiana, Alabama, and Georgia. Few remain during winter
in South Carolina, or in any district to the eastward of that State; but
some proceed as far as North Carolina in spring, and breed along the
138 ANHINGA OR SNAKE-BIRD.
coast. I have found it in Texas in the month of May, on the waters
of Buffalo Bayou, and the St Jacinto River, where it breeds, and
where, as I was told, it spends the winter. It rarely ascends the Mis-
sissippi beyond the neighbourhood of Natchez, from which most of the ~
individuals return to the mouths of that great stream, and the nume-
rous lakes, ponds, and bayous in its vicinity, where I have observed the
species at all seasons, as well as in the Floridas.
Being a bird which, by its habits, rarely fails to attract the notice
of the most indifferent observer, it has received various names. The
Creoles of Louisiana, about New Orleans, and as far up the Mississippi
as Pointe Coupé, call it “‘ Bec 4 Lancette,” on account of the form of its
bill; whilst at the mouths of the river it bears the name of ‘ Water
Crow.” In the southern parts of Florida, it is called the ‘* Grecian
Lady,” and in South Carolina it is best known by the name of “ Cor-
morant.” Yet in all these parts, it bears also the name of “ Snake-
Bird ;” but it is nowhere with us called the ‘ Black-bellied Darter,”
which, by the way, could only be with strict propriety applied to the
adult male.
Those which, on the one hand, ascend the Mississippi, and, on the
other, visit the Carolinas, arrive at their several places of resort early
in April, in some seasons even in March, and there remain until the
beginning of November. Although this bird is occasionally seen in
the immediate vicinity of the sea, and at times breeds not far from it,
I never met with an individual fishing in salt water. It gives a de-
cided preference to rivers, lakes, bayous, or lagoons in the interior, al-
ways however in the lowest and most level parts of the country. The
more retired and secluded the spot, the more willingly does the Snake-
Bird remain about it. Sometimes indeed I have suddenly come on
some in such small ponds, which I discovered by mere accident, and
in parts of woods so very secluded, that I was taken by surprise on
seeing them. The Floridas therefore are peculiarly adapted for this
species, as there the torpid waters of the streams, bayous, and lakes,
are most abundantly supplied with various species of fish, reptiles, and
insects, while the temperature is at all seasons congenial, and their
exemption from annoyance almost unparalleled. Wherever similar
situations occur in other parts of the Southern States, there the An-
hingas are met with in numbers proportioned to the extent of the
ANHINGA OR SNAKE-BIRD. 139
favourable localities. It is very seldom indeed that any are seen on
rapid streams, and more especially on clear water, a single instance of
such an occurrence being all that I have observed. Wherever you
may chance to find this bird, you will perceive that it has not left it-
self without the means of escape; you will never find one in a pond or
bayou completely enclosed by tall trees, so as to obstruct its passage ;
but will observe that it generally prefers ponds or lakes, surrounded by
deep and almost impenetrable morasses, and having a few large trees
growing out of the water near their centre, from the branches of which
they can easily mark the approach of an enemy, and make their escape
in good time. Unlike the Fish-hawk and Kings-fisher, the Anhinga
however never plunges or dives from an eminence in procuring its
prey, although from its habit of occasionally dropping in silence to the
water from its perch, for the purpose of afterwards swimming about and
diving in the manner of the Cormorant, some writers have been led to
believe that it does so.
The Black-bellied Darter, all whose names I shall use, for the pur-
pose of avoiding irksome repetitions, may be considered as indefinitely
gregarious ; by which I mean that you may see eight or more together
at times, during winter especially, or only two, as in the breeding sea-
son. On a few occasions, whilst in the interior of the southernmost
parts of Florida, I saw about thirty individuals on the same lake.
While exploring the St John’s River of that country in its whole length,
I sometimes saw several hundreds together. I procured a great num-
ber on that stream, on the lakes in its neighbourhood, and also on
those near the plantation of Mr Buxow, on the eastern side of the Pe-
ninsula. I observed that the young Darters, as well as those of the
Cormorants, Herons, and many other birds, kept apart from the old
individuals, which they however joined in spring, when they had at-
tained their full beauty of plumage.
The Anhinga is altogether a diurnal bird, and, like the Cormorant,
is fond of returning to the same roosting place every evening about dusk,
unless prevented by molestation. At times I have seen from three to
seven alight on the dead top branches of a tall tree, for the purposé
of there spending the night ; and this they repeated for several weeks,
until on my having killed some of them and wounded others, the rest
abandoned the spot, and after several furious contests with a party that
140 ANHINGA OR SNAKE-BIRD.
roosted about two miles off, succeeding in establishing themselves
among them. At such times they seldom sit very near each other, as
Cormorants do, but keep at a distance of a few feet or yards, accord-
ing to the nature of the branches. Whilst asleep, they stand with the
body almost erect, but never bend the tarsus so as to apply it in its
whole length, as the Cormorant does; they keep their head snugly
covered among their scapulars, and at times emit a wheezing sound,
which I supposed to be produced by their breathing. In rainy wea-
ther they often remain roosted the greater part of the day, and on such
occasions they stand erect, with their neck and head stretched up-
wards, remaining perfectly motionless, as if to allow the water to glide
off their plumage. Now and then, however, they suddenly ruffle their
feathers, violently shake themselves, and again compressing their form,
resume their singular position.
Their disposition to return to the same roosting places is so decided
that, when chased from their places of resort, they seldom fail to be-
take themselves to them during the day; and in this manner they
may easily be procured with some care. Whilst at Mr Butow’s, I
was almost daily in the habit of visiting a long, tortuous, bayou, many
miles in extent, which at that season (winter) was abundantly sup-
plied with Anhingas. ‘There the Otter, the Alligator, and many spe-
cies of birds, found an ample supply of food; and as I was constantly
watching them, I soon discovered a roosting place of the Snake-Birds,
which was a large dead tree. I found it impossible to get near them
either by cautiously advancing in the boat, or by creeping among the
briars, canes, and tangled palmettoes which profusely covered the
banks. I therefore paddled directly to the place, accompanied by
my faithful and sagacious Newfoundland dog. At my approach the
birds flew off towards the upper parts of the stream, and as I knew that
they might remain for hours, I had a boat sent after them with orders
to the Negroes to start all that they could see. Dragging up my little
bark, I then hid myself among the tangled plants, and, with my eyes
bent on the dead tree, and my gun in readiness, I remained until I saw
the beautiful bird alight and gaze around to see if all was right. Alas!
it was not aware of its danger, but, after a few moments, during which
I noted its curious motions, it fell dead into the water, while the re-
verberations consequent on the discharge of my gun alarmed the birds
ANHINGA OK SNAKE-BIRD. 14]
around, and by looking either up or down the bayou I could see many
Anhingas speeding away to other parts. My dog, as obedient as the
most submissive of servants, never stirred until ordered, when he would
walk cautiously into the water, swim up to’ the dead bird, and having
brought it to me, lie down gently in his place. In this manner, in the
course of one day I procured fourteen of these birds, and wounded se-
veral others. I may here at once tell you that all the roosting places
of the Anhinga which I have seen were over the water, either on the
shore or in the midst of some stagnant pool; and this situation they
seem to select because there they can enjoy the first gladdening rays
of the morning sun, or bask in the blaze of its noontide splendour, and
also observe with greater ease the approach of their enemies, as they
betake themselves to it after feeding, and remain there until hunger
urges them to fly off. There, trusting to the extraordinary keenness
of their beautiful bright eyes in spying the marauding sons of the forest,
or the not less dangerous enthusiast, who, probably like yourself, would
venture through mud and slime up to his very neck, to get within rifle
shot of a bird so remarkable in form and manners, the Anhingas, or
“‘ Grecian Ladies,” stand erect, with their wings and tail fully or par-
tially spread out in the sunshine, whilst their long slender necks and
heads are thrown as it were in every direction by the most curious
and sudden jerks and bendings. Their bills are open, and you see that
the intense heat of the atmosphere induces them to suffer their gular
pouch to hang loosely. What delightful sights and scenes these have
been to me, good Reader! With what anxiety have I waded toward
these birds, to watch their movements, while at the same time I cooled
my over-heated body, and left behind on the shores myriads of hungry
sand-flies, gnats, mosquitoes, and ticks, that had annoyed me for hours !
And oh! how great has been my pleasure when, after several failures,
I have at last picked up the spotted bird, examined it with care, and
then returned to the gloomy shore, to note my observations! Great too
is my pleasure in now relating to you the results of my long personal
experience, together with that of my excellent friend Dr Bacuman,
who has transmitted his observations on this bird to me.
Witsoy, I am inclined to think, never saw a live Anhinga; and
the notes, furnished by Mr Azsort of Georgia, which he has published,
are very far from being correct. In the supplementary volumes of
American Ornithology published in Philadelphia, the Editor, who visit-
142 ANHINGA OR SNAKE- BIRD.
ed the Floridas, added nothing of importance beyond giving more ac-
curate measurements of a single specimen than Witson had given from
the stuffed skins from which he made his figures, and which were in
the museum of that city.
The peculiar form, long wings, and large fan-like tail of the An-
hinga, would at once induce a person looking upon it to conclude that
it was intended by nature rather for protracted and powerful flight, than
for spending as it does more than half of its time by day in the water,
where its progress, one might suppose, would be greatly impeded by
the amplitude of these parts. Yet how different from such a supposi-
tion is the fact? The Anhinga in truth is the very first of all fresh-
water divers. With the quickness of thought it disappears beneath
the surface, and that so as scarcely to leave a ripple on the spot; and
when your anxious eyes seek around for the bird, you are astonished
to find it many hundred yards distant, the head perhaps merely above
water for a moment; or you may chance to perceive the bill alone
gently cutting the water, and producing a line of wake not observable
beyond the distance of thirty yards from where you are standing. With
habits like these it easily eludes all your efforts to procure it. When
shot at while perched, however severely wounded they may be, they
fall at once perpendicularly, the bill downward, the wings and tail
closed, and then dive and make their way under water to such a distance
that they are rarely obtained. Should you, however, see them again,
and set out in pursuit, they dive along the shores, attach themselves to
roots of trees or plants by the feet, and so remain until life is extinct.
When shot dead on the trees, they sometimes cling so firmly to the
branches that you must wait some minutes before they fall.
The generally received opinion or belief that the Anhinga always
swims with its body sunk beneath the surface is quite incorrect; for it
does so only when in sight of an enemy, and when under no apprehen-
sion of danger it is as buoyant as any other diving bird, such as a Cor-
morant, a Merganser, a Grebe, or a Diver. This erroneous opinion
has, however, been adopted simply because few persons have watched
the bird with sufficient care. When it first observes an enemy, it im-
mediately sinks its body deeper, in the manner of the birds just men-
tioned, and the nearer the danger approaches, the more does it sink,
until at last it swims off with the head and neck only above the sur-
face, when these parts, from their form and peculiar sinnous motion,
ANHINGA OR SNAKE-BIRD. 143
somewhat resemble the head and part of the body of a snake. It is in
fact from this circumstance that the Anhinga has received the name of
Snake-Bird. At such a time, it is seen constantly turning its head from
side to side, often opening its bill as if for the purpose of inhaling a
larger quantity of air, to enable it the better to dive, and remain under
water so long that when it next makes its appearance it is out of your
reach. When fishing in a state of security it dives precisely like a
Cormorant, returns to the surface as soon as it has procured a fish or
other article of food, shakes it, if it is not too large often throws it up
into the air, and receiving it conveniently in the bill, swallows it at
once, and recommences its search. But I doubt much if it ever seizes
on any thing that it cannot thus swallow whole. They have the curious
habit of diving under any floating substances, such as parcels of dead
weeds or leaves of trees which have accidentally been accumulated by
the winds or currents, or even the green slimy substances produced by
putrefaction. This habit is continued by the species when in a perfect
state of domestication, for I have seen one kept by my friend Joun
Bacuman thus diving when within a few feet of a quantity of floating
rice-chaff, in one of the tide-ponds in the neighbourhood of Charleston.
Like the Common Goose, it invariably depresses its head while swim-
ming under a low bridge, or a branch or trunk of a tree hanging over
the water. When it swims beneath the surface of the water, it spreads
its wings partially, but does not employ them as a means of propul.
sion, and keeps its tail always considerably expanded, using the feet as
paddles either simultaneously or alternately.
The quantity of fish consumed by this bird is astonishing; and
what I am about to relate on this subject will appear equally so. One
morning Dr Bacuman and I gave to an Anhinga a Black Fish, measur-
ing nine and a half inches, by two inches in diameter; and although
the head of the fish was considerably larger than its body, and its
strong and spinous fins appeared formidable, the bird, which was then
about seven months old, swallowed it entire, head foremost. It was
in appearance digested in an hour and a half, when the bird swallowed
three others of somewhat smaller size. At another time, we placed
before it a number of fishes about seven and a half inches long, of which
it swallowed nine in succession. It would devour at a meal forty or
more fishes about three inches and a half long. On several occasions
it was fed on Plaice, when it swallowed some that were four inches
144 ANHINGA OR SNAKE-BIRD.
broad, extending its throat, and compressing them during their descent |
into the stomach. It did not appear to relish eels, as it eat all the
other sorts first, and kept them to the last; and after having swallow-
ed them, it had great difficulty in keeping them down, but, although for
a while thwarted, it would renew its efforts, and at length master them.
When taken to the tide-pond at the foot of my friend’s garden, it would
now and then after diving return to the surface of the water with a
cray-fish in its mouth, which it pressed hard and dashed about in its bill,
evidently for the purpose of maiming it, before it would attempt to
swallow it, and it never caught a fish without bringing it up to sub-
ject it to the same operation.
While residing near Bayou Sara, in the State of Mississippi, I was
in the habit of occasionally visiting some acquaintances residing at
Pointe Coupé, nearly opposite the mouth of the bayou. One day, on
entering the house of an humble settler close on the western bank of
the Mississippi, 1 observed two young Anhingas that had been taken
out of a nest containing four, which had been built on a high cypress
in alake on the eastern side of the river. They were perfectly tame
and gentle, and much attached to their foster-parents, the man and
woman of the house, whom they followed wherever they went. They
fed with equal willingness on shrimps and fish, and when neither could
be had, contented themselves with boiled Indian corn, of which they
caught with great ease the grains as they were thrown one by one to
them. I was afterwards informed, that when a year old, they were
allowed to go to the river and fish for themselves, or to the ponds on
either side, and that they regularly returned towards night for the pur-
pose of roosting on the top of the house. Both birds were males, and.
in time they fought hard battles, but at last each met with a female,
which it enticed to the roost on the house-top, where all the four slept
at night for a while. Soon after, the females having probably laid their
eggs in the woods, they all disappeared, and were never again seen by
the persons who related this curious affair.
The Anhinga is shy and wary when residing in a densely peo-
pled part of the country, which, however, is rarely the case, as I
have already mentioned; but when in its favourite secluded and
peaceful haunts, where it has seldom or never been molested, it is
easily approached and without difficulty procured; nay, sometimes one
will remain standing in the same spot and in the same posture, un-
ANHINGA OR SNAKE-BIRD. 145
til you have fired several bullets from your rifle at it. Its mode of
fishing is not to plunge from a tree or stump in pursuit of its prey, but
to dive while swimming in the manner of Cormorants and many other
birds. Indeed, it could very seldom see a fish from above the surface
of the turbid waters which it prefers.
It moves along the branches of trees rather awkwardly ; but still it
walks there, with the aid of its wings, which it extends for that pur-
pose, and not unfrequently also using its bill in the manner of a Par-
rot. On the land, it walks and even runs with considerable ease, cer-
tainly with more expertness than the Cormorant, though much in the
same style. But it does not employ its tail to aid it, for, on the con-
trary, it carries that organ inclined upwards, and during its progress
from one place to another, the movements of its head and neck are con-
tinued. These movements, which, as I have said, resemble sudden
jerkings of the parts to their full extent, become extremely graceful
during the love season, when they are reduced to gentle curvatures.
I must not forget to say, that during all these movements, the gular
pouch is distended, and the bird emits rough guttural sounds. If they
are courting on wing, however, in the manner of Cormorants, Hawks,
and many other birds, they emit a whistling note, somewhat resembling
that of some of our rapacious birds, and which may be expressed by
the syllables ech, eck, eek, the first loudest, and the rest diminishing in
strength. When they are on the water, their call-notes so much re-
semble the rough grunting cries of the Florida Cormorant, that I have
often mistaken them for the latter.
The flight of the Anhinga is swift, and at times well sustained ;
but like the Cormorants, it has the habit of spreading its wings and
tail before it leaves its perch or the surface of the water, thus frequently
affording the sportsman a good opportunity of shooting it. When once
on wing, they can rise to a vast height, in beautiful gyrations, varied
during the love-season by zigzag lines chiefly performed by the male,
as he plays around his beloved. At times they quite disappear from
the gaze, lost as it were, in the upper regions of the air; and at other
times, when much lower, seem to remain suspended in the same spot
for several seconds. All this while, and indeed as long as they are
flying, their wings are directly extended, their neck stretched to its
full length, their tail more or less spread according to the movements
VOL. IV. K
146 ANHINGA OR SNAKE-BIRD.
to be performed, being closed when they descend, expanded and de-
elined to either side when they mount. During their migratory expe-
ditions, they beat their wings at times in the manner of the Cormo-
rant, and at other times sail like the Turkey Buzzard and some Hawks,
the former mode being more frequently observed when they are passing
over an extent of woodland, the latter when over a sheet of water. If
disturbed or alarmed, they fly with continuous beats of the wings, and
proceed with great velocity. As they find difficulty in leaving their
perch without previously expanding their wings, they are also, when
about to alight, obliged to use them in supporting their body, until
their feet have taken a sufficient hold of the branch on which they de-
sire to settle. In this respect, they exactly resemble the Florida Cor-
morant.
There are facts connected with the habits of birds which might af-
ford a pretty good idea of the relative temperatures of different parts
of the country during a given season; and those observed with regard
to the Anhinga seem to me peculiarly illustrative of this circumstance.
I have found the “ Grecian Lady” breeding on St John’s River in East
Florida, near Lake George, as early as the 23d of February; having
previously seen many of them caressing each other on the waters, and
again carrying sticks, fresh twigs, and other matters, to form their nests,
and having also shot females with the eggs largely developed. Now,
at the same period, perhaps not a single Anhinga is to be seen in the
neighbourhood of Natchez, only a few about New Orleans, in the east-
ern parts of Georgia, and the middle maritime portions of South Caro-
lina. In Louisiana this bird breeds in April or May, and in South
Carolina rarely before June, my friend Bacumawn having found eggs,
and young just hatched, as late as the 28th of that month. In North
Carolina, where only a few pairs breed, it is later by a fortnight.
I have already expressed my opinion that birds which thus breed
so much earlier in one section of the country than in another, espe-
cially when at great distances, may, after producing one or even two
broods, in the same year, still have time enough to proceed toward higher
latitudes for the purpose of again breeding. Actual observations have
moreover satisfied me that individuals of the same species produced in
warm latitudes have a stronger disposition toward reproduction than.
ANHINGA OR SNAKE-BIRD. 147
those of more northern climates. This being the case, and most birds
endowed with the power of migrating, having a tendency to exercise
it, may we not suppose that the pair of Anhingas which bred on the St
John’s in February, might be inclined to breed again either in South
Carolina or in the neighbourhood of Natchez, several months after.
- But, as yet, I have not been able to adduce positive proof of the accu-
racy of this opinion.
The nest of the Snake-bird is variously placed in different localities ;
sometimes in low bushes, and even on the common smilax, not more
than eight or ten feet above the water, if the place be secluded, or on
the lower or top branches of the highest trees, but always over the
water. In Louisiana and the State of Mississippi, where I have seen a
goodly number of nests, they were generally placed on very large and
tall cypresses, growing out of the central parts of lakes and ponds, or
overhanging the borders of lagoons, bayous, or rivers, distant from
inhabited places. They are frequently placed singly, but at times
amidst hundreds or even thousands of nests of several species of He-
rons, especially Ardea alba and A. Herodias, the Great White and
Great Blue Herons. As however in all cases the form, size, and com-
ponent materials are nearly the same, I will here describe a nest pro-
cured for the purpose by my friend Bacuman.
It measured fully two feet in diameter, and was of a flattened form,
much resembling that of the Florida Cormorant. The first or bottom
layer was made of dry sticks of different sizes, some nearly half an inch
in diameter, laid crosswise, but in a circular manner. Green branches
with leaves on them, of the common myrtle, Myrica cerifera, a quantity
of Spanish moss, and some slender roots, formed the upper and in-
side layer, which was as solid and compact as that of any nest of the
Heron tribe. This nest contained four eggs; another examined on
the same day had four young birds; a third only three; and in no in-
stance has a nest of the Anhinga been found with either eight eggs,
or “ two eggs and six young ones,” as mentioned by Mr Aszort, of
Georgia, in his notes transmitted to Wi1soy. Mr Aszott is however
correct in saying that this species “ will occupy the same tree for a se-
ries of years,” and I have myself known a pair to breed in the same
nest three seasons, augmenting and repairing it every succeeding
spring, as Cormorants and Herons are wont to do. The eggs average
K 2
148 ANHINGA OR SNAKE-BIRD.
two inches and five-eighths in length, by one and a quarter in diame-
ter, and are of an elongated oval form, of a dull uniform whitish colour
externally, being covered with a chalky substance, beneath which the
shell, on being carefully scraped, is of a light blue, precisely resembling
in this respect the eggs of the different species of American Cormo-
rants with which I am acquainted.
The young when about a fortnight old are clad with a uniform
buff-coloured down ; their bill is black, their feet yellowish-white, their
head and neck nearly naked; and now they resemble young Cormorants,
though of a different colour. The wing feathers make their appear-
ance through the down, and are dark brown. The birds in the same nest
differ as much in size as those of Cormorants, the largest being almost
twice the size of the smallest. At this age they are in the habit of raising
themselves by placing their bills on the upper part of the nest, or over
a branch if convenient, and drawing themselves up by their jaws, which
on such occasions they open very widely. This habit is continued by
young birds whilst in confinement, and was also observed in the Cor-
morant, Phalacrocoraz Carbo, the young of which assisted themselves
with their bills while crawling about on the deck of the Ripley. The
action is indeed performed by the Anhinga at all periods of its life.
At an early age the young utter a low wheezing call, and at times some
cries resembling those of the young of the smaller species of Herons.
From birth they are fed by regurgitation, which one might suppose an
irksome task to the parent birds, as during the act they open their
wings and raise their tails. I have not been able to ascertain the pe-
riod of incubation, but am sure that the male and the female sit alter-
nately, the latter however remaining much longer on the nest. Young
Anhingas when approached while in the nest cling tenaciously to it,
until seized, and if thrown down, they merely float on the water, and
are easily captured. On the contrary, the young Florida Cormorants
throw themselves into the water, and dive at once.
When they are three weeks old, the quills and tail-feathers grow
rapidly, but continue of the same dark-brown colour, and so remain
until they are able to fly, when they leave the nest, although they still
present a singular motley appearance, the breast and back being buff-
coloured, while the wings and tail are nearly black. After the feathers
of the wings and tail are nearly fully developed, those of the sides of
ANHINGA OR SNAKE-BIRD. 149
the body and breast become visible through the down, and the bird
appears more curiously mottled than before. The young male now as-
sumes the colour of the adult female, which it retains until the begin-
ning of October, when the breast becomes streaked with dusky ; white
spots shew themselves on the back, the black of which becomes more
intense, and the crimpings on the two middle feathers of the tail, which
have been more or less apparent from the first, are now perfect. By
the middle of February, the male is in full plumage, but the eyes have
not yet acquired their full colour, being only of a dull reddish-orange.
In this respect also two differences are observed between the Anhinga
and the Cormorants. The first is the rapid progress of the Anhinga
towards maturity of plumage, the other the retaining of its complete
dress through the whole of its life, no change taking place in its co-
lours at each successive moult. The Cormorants, on the contrary, take
three or four years to attain their full dress of the love season, which
lasts only during that period of excitement. The progress of the plu-
mage in the female Anhinga is as rapid as in the male, and the tints
also remain unaltered through each successive moult.
Like all other carnivorous and piscivorous birds, the Anhinga can
remain days and nights without food, apparently without being much
incommoded. When overtaken on being wounded, and especially if
brought to the ground, it seems to regard its enemies without fear.
On several occasions of this kind, I have seen it watch my approach,
or that of my dog, standing as erect as it could under the pain of its
wounds, with its head drawn back, its bill open, and its throat swelled
with anger until, when at a sure distance, it would dart its head for-
ward and give a severe wound. One which had thus struck at my dog’s
nose, hung to it until dragged to my feet over a space of thirty paces.
When seized by the neck, they scratch severely with their sharp claws,
and beat their wings about you with much more vigour than you would
suppose they could possess. Having witnessed the singular means
employed by this bird in making its escape on sudden emergencies, I
will here relate an instance, which evinces a kind of reason. Whilst
ascending the St John’s river in East Florida, along with Captain
Piercy of the U. S. Navy, our boat was rowed into a circular basin of
clear shallow water, having a sandy bottom ; such places being found
occasionally in that country, produced by the flowing of springs from
the more elevated sandy parts into the muddy rivers and lakes. We
150 ANHINGA OR SNAKE-BIRD.
entered the cove by passing between the branches of low trees, over-
hung by others of great height. The first object that attracted my
attention was a female Anhinga perched on the opposite side of the
cove, and, as I did not wish that it should be shot, we merely advanced
towards it, when it began to throw its head about, and watch our
motions. The place was small, and the enclosing trees high. Though
it might have flown upwards and escaped, it remained perched, but
evidently perturbed and apprehensive of danger. When the boat was
at a short distance, however, it suddenly threw itself backward, cutting
a somerset as it were, and, covered by the branches, darted straight
through the tangled forest, and was soon out of sight. Never before
nor since have I seen or heard of Anhingas flying through the woods.
For the following description of the Snake-bird’s breeding grounds,
a few miles distant from Charleston in South Carolina, I am indebted
to my friend Jonn Bacuman :—“ On the 28th of June 1837, accom-
panied by Dr Witson, Dr Drayton, and Witiiam Ramsay, Esq,, I
went to Chisholm Pond, about seven miles from the city, for the pur-
pose of seeing the Anhingas while breeding. The day was fine, and
in about an hour our horses brought us to the margin of the swamp.
We soon discovered a bird flying over us, and making for the upper
part of the pond toward a retired place, rendered almost inaccessible
in consequence of its being a morass overgrown with vines and rushes.
As there was no other way of examining their locality but by water,
we hauled ashore a small leaky canoe which we found in the pond,
caulked it in the best manner we could, so as to render it not unsafe,
although after all we could do to it, we found it still very leaky. It
proved uncomfortable enough, and could hold only two persons. So it
was agreed that I should proceed in it, accompanied by a servant, who
understood well how to paddle it.
“The pond is artificial, and such as in this country is called a “ Re-
serve.” It is situated at the upper part of rice fields, and is intended
to preserve water sufficient, when needed, to irrigate and overflow the
rice. It is studded with small islands, covered by a thick growth of
a small species of Laurel (Laurus geniculata) and the Black Willow
(Salix nigra), all entangled by various species of Smilax and other
plants. ‘These were at the time covered with Herons’ nests of several
kinds. Farther on the Night Herons also had formed a city. As I
proceeded onwards in my search I found the difficulties increasing.
ANHINGA OR SNAKE-BIRD. 151
The water became shallow, the mire deeper and softer, and the boat
required the best of management to be propelled along, for now it was
retarded by rushes and vines. Enormous live oaks and cypress trees
reared their majestic branches towards the pure sky above, covered as
they were with dangling masses of Spanish moss, reaching to the very
surface of the water, and turning day into night. Alligators of great
size wallowed in the mire, or were heard to plunge into it, from the
many logs which ever and anon intercepted my progress, while ter-
rapins, snakes, and other reptiles swarmed around. My situation
was thus not altogether so very pleasant, and the less so as it was
necessary for me to destroy as many musquitoes as possible, and guard
against being upset in such a truly “ dismal swamp.” We moved
extremely slowly, yet advanced, and at last, having reached an open
space where the trees were of small size and height, I espied the nest
of the Anhinga before me! The female was sitting on it, but on
our coming nearer she raised herself by her bill to a branch about
one foot above, and there stood with outstretched neck, like a statue.
It was cruel thus to disturb her in her own peaceful solitude; but
naturalists, alas! seldom consider this long, when the object of their
pursuit is in their view and almost within their grasp. Being now
within twenty yards of the innocent and interesting creature, I pointed
my short rifle towards her, and immediately fired ; but the unsteadiness
of the canoe, and perhaps that of a hand not accustomed to this wea-
pon, saved her life. She remained in her statue-like posture, the rifle
was reloaded, and thrice fired, without touching her; but at last a
bullet having cut through the branch on which she stood, she spread
her dark pinions, and launching into the air, was soon beyond the reach
of my eyes, and I trust of further danger.”
The same kind friend having procured eggs and young of this in-
teresting bird, I will present you with his observations respecting them.
He writes thus:—‘“ I brought home three young Snake-birds, two of
which I immediately undertook to raise and domesticate, entrusting the
third to the care of one of our mutual friends. I found no difficulty m
rearing one of them. The other, by neglect of my servant, died a few
weeks afterwards, during a short personal absence. Whilst these two
birds were yet in the same cage, it was curious indeed to see the smaller
one when hungry incessantly trying to force its bill into the mouth and
throat of the other, which, after being thus teased for a short time,
152 ANHINGA OR SNAKE-BIRD.
would open its mouth to suffer the little one to thrust its whole head
down the throat of its brother, from which it would receive the fish
that the latter had previously swallowed. In this singular manner did
the larger bird, which after awhile proved to be a male, continue to act
as if the foster-parent of his little sister, which indeed seemed to be
thrown upon his protection. The one still in my possession is fed
on fish, which it picks up, tosses a few times in the air, and swallows
at the first convenient opportunity, that is when the fish falls towards
its mouth head foremost. At the onset, when the fish was large, I had it
cut into pieces, thinking that the apparent slenderness of the bird’s neck
could not expand enough to swallow it whole; but I soon ascertained that
this was unnecessary. Fish three times the size of the neck were tossed
in the expanded jaws and gobbled at once, and immediately after, the bird
would come to my feet, clicking its bill in such an unequivocal man-
ner that I never failed to give it more. My pet was tame from the
beginning of its captivity, and followed me about the house, the
yard, and garden, until I thought it quite troublesome in consequence
of its peculiar attachment tome. The one given to our friend was
fed on fish and raw beef; but although it grew to its full size, never
seemed to thrive as well as the one I had, and finally died of an af-
fection causing spasms. This was a female, and although less bright
in colour than the adult of the same sex, the two middle feathers of
her tail were partially crimped, and her markings were the same.
While in the young state I frequently carried it to a pond, believing
that it would relish the water, and would improve in health ; but I in-
variably found it to scramble towards the shore as soon as possible, as
if dreading the element in which it was by nature destined to live.
When thrown into the pond, it usually dived at once, but the next in-
stant arose to the surface, and swam with all the buoyancy of a com-
mon duck. It is a fearless bird, keeping at bay the hens and turkeys
in the yard, and never sparing any dog that chances to pass by it,
dealing blows right and left with its sharp bill, and occasionally placing
itself at the trough where they are fed, to prevent them from taking a
morsel! of food till he has tantalized them sufficiently, when he leaves
them to share whatever he does not himself relish.
“ It was not until my bird was fully fledged that I found it willing
or anxious to go to the water, and then, whenever it saw me go to-
ward the pond, it accompanied me as far as the gate of the garden, seem-
ANHINGA OR SNAKE-BIRD. 153
ing to say “‘ Pray let me go.” On my opening this gate, it at once
followed me waddling along like a duck, and no sooner was it in sight of
its favourite element than it immediately let itself in, not with a plunge
or a dive, but by dropping from a plank into the stream, where for a
while it would swim like a duck, then, dipping its long neck, it would
dive for the purpose of procuring fish. The water was clear enough
to enable me to see all its movements, and after many various windings
it would emerge at the distance of forty or fifty yards. This bird
sleeps in the open air during warm nights, perched on the highest bar
of the fence, with its head under its wings, placed there from above its
back, and in rainy weather it often sits in the same position for nearly
the whole day. It appears to be very susceptible of cold, retreating
to the kitchen and near the fire, battling with the dogs or the cooks for
the most comfortable place on the hearth. Whenever the sun shines, it
spreads its wings and tail, rustles its feathers, and seems delighted
with our warmest sunny days. When walking and occasionally hop-
ping, it does not support itself by the tail, as Cormorants sometimes
do. When fishes are presented to it, it seizes and swallows them
greedily; but when these cannot be procured, we are forced to feed it
on meat, when it opens its mouth, and receives the food placed in it.
Occasionally it has spent several days without any food; but in those
cases the bird became very troublesome, harassing all around by its in-
cessant croakings, and giving blows to the servants, as if to remind
them of their neglect.
“ Once it made its escape, and flew off about a quarter of a mile into
the pond. Some boys happening to be there in a canoe, the bird ap-
proached them with open mouth, for it was hungry and wanted food.
They seeing such a strange creature pursuing them with a head some-
what like that of a snake, took alarm and paddled for the shore; but
my bird followed in their wake, and landed as soon as they did. They
now fled to the house, where the Anhinga also arrived, and was re-
cognised by some members of the family, who sent it back to me;
and I, to prevent its farther escape or loss, clipped one of its wings.”
I saw the bird above mentioned at my friend’s house at Charles-
ton in the winter of 1836, when on my way to the Gulf of Mexico, and
had many opportunities of watching its habits. It was killed by a
beautiful retriever presented to me by the Kart or Dersy, and its
154 ANHINGA OR SNAKE-BIRD.
death occasioned sorrow both to my friend and myself, as he had given.
it to me for the purpose of being sent to that nobleman.
Ever since I have been acquainted with the Anhinga, I have
thought that in form and habits it is intimately connected with the
Cormorants, and was induced to compare their manners. In some re-
spects I found them similar, in others different ; but when I discovered
that all these birds possess a remarkable peculiarity in the structure of
their feathers, I thought that their generic affinity could not be denied.
The Anhinga has its body and neck covered with what I would call
Jibrous feathers, having a very slender shaft; while its quills and tail-
feathers are compact, that is, perfect in structure, strong, and elastic.
Now the shafts of all these latter feathers are tubular from their bases
to their very extremities, which, in so far as I know, is not the case in
any other bird, excepting the Cormorants. They are all very elastic,
like those in the tails of our largest Woodpeckers, the shafts of which,
however, are filled with a spongy pith, as in all other land-birds, and in
all the aquatic species which I have examined, including Divers and
Grebes, as well as Plungers, such as Gannets, Kings-fishers, and Fishing
Hawks. The quills and tail-feathers of the Cormorants and Anhinga,
in short, have the barrel as in other birds, but the shaft hollow, even to
the tip, its walls being transparent, and of the same nature as the barrel.
Wiutson, who, it is acknowledged, made his figures from stuffed
specimens in the Philadelphia Museum, had no positive proof that the
bird which he took for a female was one, for he had not seen the An-
hinga alive or recently killed. Even his continuator, Mr Orp, pro-
cured only males during his visit to the Floridas. But the female which
I have represented was proved to be of that sex by dissection, and was
examined by myself nineteen years ago near Bayou Sara. Since that
time I have had numerous opportunities of satisfying myself as to this
point, by examining birds in various stages.
The substances which I have found in many individuals of this spe-
cies were fishes of various kinds, aquatic insects, crays, leeches, shrimps,
tadpoles, eggs of frogs, water-lizards, young alligators, water-snakes,
and small terrapins. I never observed any sand or gravel in the sto-
mach. On some occasions I found it distended to the utmost, and, as
I have already stated, the bird has great powers of digestion. Its ex-
crements are voided in a liquid state, and squirted toa considerable dis-
tance, as in Cormorants, Hawks, and all birds of prey.
ANHINGA OR SNAKE-BIRD. 155
The flesh of the Anhinga, after the bird is grown, is dark, firm, oily,
and unfit for food, with the exception of the smaller pectoral muscles
of the female, which are white and delicate. The crimpings of the
two middle tail-feathers become more deeply marked during the breed-
ing season, especially in the male. When young, the female shews
them only in a slight degree, and never has them so decided as the
male.
Puorus Anuinea, Linn, Syst. Nat., vol. i. p. 218.—Lath. Ind. Ornith., vol. ii. p.
895.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 411.
Prorus MELANOGASTER, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 895.
BLack-BELLIED DarTER, PLotus MELANOGASTER, Wils. Amer. Ornith., vol. ix.
p. 75, pl. 74, fig. 1. adult, and p. 82. pl. 74, fig. 2. young.
BLAcK-BELLIED Darter, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 507.
Adult male. Plate CCCXVI. Fig. 1.
Bill about twice the length of the head, almost straight, being very
slightly recurved, rather slender, compressed, tapering to a fine point.
Upper mandible with the dorsal outline slightly declinate, and almost
straight, being however somewhat convex, the ridge convex, gradually
narrowed, the sides sloping, the edges sharp, and beyond the middle
cut into minute slender-pointed serratures, which are directed back-
wards; the tips very slender. Lower mandible with the angle very
long and narrow, the dorsal line beyond it straight and ascending, the
sides sloping slightly outwards, the edges sharp and serrated like those
of the upper, the point extremely narrow ; the gape line slightly ascend-
ing towards the end. No external nostrils.
Head very small, oblong. Neck very long and slender. Body elon-
gated and slender. Feet very short and stout. ‘Tibia feathered to
the joint. Tarsus very short, roundish, reticulated all over, the scales
on the hind part extremely small. ‘Toes all connected by webs; the
first of moderate length, the second much longer, the fourth longest
and slightly margined externally ; the first toe and the first phalanges
of the rest, covered above with transverse series of scales, the rest of
their extent scutellate. Claws rather large, very strong, compressed,
curved, very acute ; the outer smallest, the third longest, with a deep
groove on the inner side, and a narrow thin edge, cut with parallel
slits ; those of the first and second toes nearly equal.
There is a bare space at the base of the upper mandible, including
156 ANHINGA OR SNAKE-BIRD.
the eye; the skin of the throat is bare and dilated, like that of the
Cormorants. The plumage of the head, neck, and body, is close,
blended, and of a silky texture; the feathers oblong, rounded, with
the filament disunited toward the end. On each side of the neck, from
near the eye to half its length, is a series of elongated narrow loose
feathers, a few of which are also dispersed over the back of the neck,
and which in the breeding season are an inch and a quarter in length.
The scapulars, which are very numerous, are elongated, lanceolate, ta-
pering to a point, compact, stiffish, elastic, highly glossed, gradually
increasing in size backwards, the outer web of the largest, crimped.
Wings of moderate length and breadth; primaries strong, firm, consi-
derably curved, the third longest, the second almost as long, the first a
little shorter than the fourth; the second, third, and fourth cut out on
the outer web. Secondaries a little decurved, broad, rounded and acu-
minate; the inner elongated, straightish, acuminate, and resembling
the posterior scapulars. ‘Tail very long, narrow, of twelve straight
feathers having strong shafts, and increasing in breadth from the base
to the end, which is rounded and very broad, the two middle feathers
have their outer webs curiously marked with transverse alternate ridges
and depressions.
Upper mandible dusky olive, the edges yellow; lower mandible
bright yellow, the edges and tips greenish; bare space about the eye
bluish-green ; gular sac bright orange. Iris bright carmine. Tarsi
and toes anteriorly dusky olive, the hind parts and webs yellow ; claws
brownish-black. The general colour of the head, neck, and body, is
glossy blackish-green ; of the scapulars, wings, and tail, glossy bluish-
black. The long loose feathers on the neck are purplish-white or pale
lilac. The lower part of the neck behind is marked with very nume-
rous minute oblong spots of white; which form two broad bands ex-
tending backwards, and gradually becoming more elongated, there be-
ing one along the centre of each feather including the scapulars. The
smaller wing-coverts are similarly marked with broader white spots
disposed in regular rows ; the four last of which have merely a central
line towards the tip, while the inner has a broad band extending from
near the base over the outer half of the inner web, and towards the end
including a portion of the outer web; the first row of small coverts,
and the secondary coverts are white excepting the portion of the imner
web. The five inner elongated secondaries are marked with a narrow
ANHINGA OR SNAKE-BIRD. 157
white band, occupying the inner half of the outer web, from about an
inch from their base to the extremity, near-which it includes a part of
the inner web. The tail-feathers tipped with a band of brownish-red,
fading into white.
Length to end of tail 353 inches, to end of wings 304, to end of
claws 283, to carpus 174; extent of wings 44; wing from flexure 14;
tail 113; bill along the ridge 31, along the edge of lower mandible
373; tarsus 1,4; hind toe 14, its claw ;; second toe 1 5%, its claw i323
third toe 2,%,, its claw ,; fourth toe 243, its claw 54. Weight 33 lb.
Adult Female. Plate CCCXVI. Fig. 2. The female has the plumage
similar in texture to that of the male, but only a few inconspicuous
elongated feathers on the neck. The bill is lighter than in the male,
the naked part around the eye darker, the eye and gular sac as in the
male; as are the feet. The upper part of the head and the hind neck
are dull greenish-brown, lighter at the lower part, the fore part of the
neck is pale reddish-brown, tinged with grey, lighter on the throat ; this
colour extends over part of the breast, an inch and a half beyond the
carpal joint, and terminates abruptly in a transverse band of deep red-
dish-chestnut ; the rest of the lower parts as in the male, as are the
upper, only the fore part of the back is tinged with brown, and its
spots less distinct.
Length to end of tail 34 inches, to end of wings 291, to end of
claws 273; to carpal joint 161; extent of wings 43. Weight 2 lb.
15 oz.
In external appearance and habits, the Snake-bird is very nearly
allied to the Cormorants. The structure of the feet is essentially the
same in both genera, as is that of the wings and tail, the latter how-
ever being more elongated in the Anhinga, in correspondence with the
neck. If one might suppose a small Cormorant elongated and attenu-
ated, with the feet rather enlarged but shortened, the head dimi-
nished in size, and the bill formed more on the model of that of a
Heron, being destitute of the distinct. ridge and curved unguis, he
would form a pretty correct notion of this bird. Not only is the bill
like that of a Heron, but the vertebra of the neck are very similar to
those of that family, and form the same abrupt curvatures between
the seventh and eighth vertebre. But all the other bones are those
158 ANHINGA OR SNAKE-BIRD.
of the Cormorants and Pelicans. The sternum in particular is almost
precisely similar to that of the Crested Cormorant, so that without
entering very minutely into its description, no differences could be
pointed out.
Both mandibles are concave within ; the palate flat, with two longi-
tudinal ridges ; the posterior aperture of the nares linear and 9 twelfths
long, the anterior or external aperture entirely obliterated. The lower
mandible has a distinct oblique joint at about a third of its length,
enabling it to be expanded to the extent of an inch and a half. The
pouch, which is small, is constructed in the same manner as that of
the Pelicans and Cormorants; its muscular fibres running from the
lower edge of the mandible downwards and backwards, and a slender
muscle passing from the anterior part of the hyoid bone to the junc-
tion of the crura of the mandible. The tongue is reduced to a mere
oblong knob, 13 twelfth long, and 3 twelfth in height. The aperture
of the glottis is 3 twelfths long, with two roundish thin edged flaps be-
hind, destitute of papille. There is a small bone appended to the oc-
cipital ridge, } inch in length, as in the Cormorants.
The cesophagus a 6, is 17 inches long, exceedingly delicate and dilat-
able, with external longitudinal fibres, the transverse fibres becoming
stronger towards the lower parts. Its diameter when moderately dilated
is 13 inch at the top, 1 inch farther down, at its entrance into the tho-
rax, 9 twelfths, and finally 14 inch; but it may be dilated to a much greater
extent. The proventricular glands, instead of forming a belt at the lower part
of the wsophagus, are placed on the right side in the form of a globular sac,
about an inch in diameter, communicating with the cesophagus, b, and sto-
mach, d. For two inches of the lower part of the cesophagus, 4, or at that
part usually occupied by the proventriculus, the transverse muscular fibres
are enlarged, and form an abrupt margin beneath ; on the inner surface
there are four irregular series of large apertures of gastric glandules or
crypts. The proventriculus itself, c, is composed of large crypts of irre-
gular form, with very wide apertures, and covered externally with
muscular fibres. The stomach, dd, is roundish, about an inch and three
quarters in diameter, with two roundish tendinous spaces, ¢, and fasciculi
of muscular fibres ; its inner coat thin, soft, and smooth. It opens by
an aperture a quarter of an inch in diameter into a small sac, f, precisely
similar to that of the Pelican, which has a muscular coat, with a soft
even internal membrane, like that of the stomach. The pylorus has a
ANHINGA OR SNAKE-BIRD. 159
diameter of 2 twelfths, is closed by a semilunar valve or flap, and is sur-
rounded by a disk of radiating ruge three-fourths of an inch in diame-
ter. The intestine, g 4, is 3 feet 4 inches long, its average diameter
21 twelfths, but only 1 twelfth at its junction with the rectum, which is
31 inches long, 3 twelfths in diameter. The cloaca globular, 14 inch
in diameter. There are no ceca properly so called, but a small rounded
termination of the rectum 2 twelfths in length as in the Herons.
160 ANHINGA OR SNAKE-BIRD.
The subcutaneous cellular tissue is largely developed, and the lon-
gitudinal cells on the neck are extremely large, as in Gannets and
Herons. The olfactory nerve is of moderate size, and the nasal cavity
is a simple compressed sac 4 twelfths in its greatest diameter. The
external nares are closed, and there are no supraorbital glands. ‘The
external aperture at the ear is circular, and not more than half a
twelfth in diameter.
The trachea is 133 inches long, much flattened, narrow at the up-
per extremity, where it is 21 twelfths in breadth, enlarging gradually
to 44 twelfths, and toward the lower larynx contracting to 2} twelfths.
The rings are very slender, unossified, and feeble ; their number 230;
the bronchial half-rings 25. The contractor muscles moderate ; ster-
no-tracheales ; and a pair of inferior muscles going to the last ring.
Ina young bird scarcely two days old, and measuring only 32 inches
in length, the two most remarkable circumstances observed refer to
the nostrils and stomach. The posterior or palatal aperture of the
nares is of the same form, and proportional size, as in the adult; the
nasal cavity is similar; but there is an external nasal aperture, or nos-
tril, on each side, so small as merely to admit the mystachial bristle of
a Common Squirrel, The stomach is of enormous size, occupying
three-fourths of the cavity of the thorax and abdomen, being 10 twelfths
of an inch long, and of an oval shape. The proventriculus is sepa-
rated from the stomach and formed into a roundish lobe, as in the old
bird; and beside it is the lobe or pouch appended to the stomach, and
from which the duodenum comes off. Even at this very early age, the
stomach was turgid with a pultaceous mass apparently composed of
“macerated fish, without any bones or other hard substances intermixed.
Here then we have an instance of external nares in the young of a
bird in which they are entirely obliterated in the adult.
(<j 16GB)
SURF DUCK.
FULIGULA PERSPICILLATA, Bonar.
PLATE CCCXVII. Mate anp Femate.
€
ALTHOUGH several years have elapsed since I visited the sterile
country of Labrador, I yet enjoy the remembrance of my rambles there ;
nay, Reader, many times have I wished that you and I were in it once
more, especially in the winter season. I calculate indeed how easily
this wish might be accomplished, were I ten years younger. Under
the haspitable roof of Mr Jonxs, while the tempest might be hurling
southward the drifting snows, I could live in peaceful content, cheered
by the matchless hand-organ of my kind hostess. Then, how pleasant
it would be in calm weather to traverse the snowy wastes, to trap the
cunning fox and the Jer Falcon,-allured by their favourite winter
food, the Rock Grous; with what delight should I gaze on the dim
red sun creeping along the southern horizon, or watch the flittering
beams of the northern aurora. Now, over the glittering snow, Jonss’s
Esquimaux curs might swiftly. convey us to his friends, here crossing
the ice-bound gulf, there traversing fissures and crags impassable in
summer. Then what long tales for the long nights, and sports for the
short days. The broad-antlered Caribou might have scampered before
me, but its bounds would have been suddenly checked by the fleeter
ball of my well-directed rifle. The wolf might have prowled around
us, until he had been captured in the deeply dug and well-baited pit.
Then Nature’s pure mantle would be seen slowly to disappear, the low
grounds would be inundated with the snow-waters, the warm breezes
would dry the mountain ridges, and with the first appearance of verdure
joy would cause every heart to bound. Thousands of seals would be seen
to snuff the milder air, myriads of tiny fishes would approach the shores,
and millions of feathered wanderers would pass over on whistling
pinions. But alas! I shall never spend a winter in Labrador.
While proceeding towards that country in 1833, on board the Rip-
ley, I found the waters of the Gulf of St Lawrence alive with ducks
of different species. ‘he nearer we approached the coast, the more
VOL. LV, L
162 SURF DUCK.
numerous did they become; and of the many kinds that presented
themselves to our anxious gaze, the Surf Duck was certainly not the
least numerous. It is true that in the noble bays of our own coast,
in the Sound, between New York and the Hook, on the broader waters
of the Chesapeake, and beyond them to the mouths of the Mississippi,
I had seen thousands of Surf Ducks ; but the numbers that passed the
shores of Labrador, bound for the far north, exceeded all my previous
conceptions. ‘
For more than a week after we had anchored in the lovely harbour
of Little Macatina, I had been anxiously searching for the nest of this
species, but in vain: the millions that sped along the shores had no
regard to my wishes. At length I found that a few pairs had remained
in the neighbourhood, and one morning, while in the company of Cap-
tain Emery, searching for the nests of the Red-breasted Merganser,
over a vast oozy and treacherous fresh-water marsh, I suddenly started
a female Surf Duck from her treasure. We were then about five miles
distant from our harbour, from which our party had come in two boats,
and fully five and a half miles from the waters of the Gulf of St Law-
rence. ‘The marsh was about three miles in length, and so unsafe that
more than once we both feared, as we were crossing it, that we might
never reach its margin. The nest was snugly placed amid the tall
leaves of a bunch of grass, and raised fully four inches above its roots.
It was entirely composed of withered and rotten weeds, the former
being circularly arranged over the latter, producing a well-rounded
cavity, six inches in diameter, by two and a half in depth. The bor-
ders of this inner cup were lined with the down of the bird, in the
same manner as the Eider Duck’s nest, and in it lay five eggs, the
smallest number I have ever found in any duck’s nest. They were
two inches and two and a half eighths in length, by one inch and five-
eighths in their greatest breadth ; more equally rounded at both ends
than usual; the shell perfectly smooth, and of a uniform pale yellow-
ish or cream colour. I took them on board, along with the female
bird, which was shot as she rose from her nest. We saw no male bird
near the spot; but in the course of the same day, met with several
males by themselves, about four miles distant from the marsh, as we
were returning to the harbour. This induced me to believe that, like
the Eider and other ducks that breed in Labrador, the males aban-
don the females as soon as incubation commences. I regret that, not-
SURF DUCK. 163
withstanding all my further exertions, I did not succeed in discovering
more nests or young birds.
In the States of Maine and Massachusetts, this species is best known
by the name of “ Butter-boat-billed Coot.” The gunners of Long
Island and New Jersey call it the Black Sea Duck. It is often seen
along the coast of South Carolina, where my friend Jonn Bacuman
has met with it. The Surf Duck is a powerful swimmer and an ex-
pert diver. It is frequently observed fishing at the depth of several
fathoms, and it floats buoyantly among the surf or the raging billows,
where it seems as unconcerned as if it were on the most tranquil
waters. It rises on wing, however, with considerable difficulty, and
in this respect resembles the Velvet Duck ; but when once fairly under
way, it flies with rapidity and to a great distance, passing close to the
water during heavy gales, but at the height of forty or fifty yards in
calm and pleasant weather. It is an uncommonly shy bird, and there-
fore difficult to be obtained, unless shot at while on wing, or when
asleep, and as it were at anchor on our bays, or near the shore, for it
dives as suddenly as the Velvet and Scoter Ducks, eluding even the best
percussion-locked guns. The female, which was killed as she flew off
from the nest, uttered a rough uncouth guttural cry, somewhat resem_
bling that of the Goosander on similar occasions; and I have never
heard any other sound from either sex.
The migration of the Surf Ducks eastward from our Southern coast,
begins at a very early season, as in the beginning of March none are
to be seen in the New Orleans markets. When I was at Eastport in
Maine, on the 7th of May 1833, they were all proceeding eastward.
How far up the St Lawrence they advance in winter I have not learned,
but they must give a decided preference to the waters of that noble
stream, if I may judge by the vast numbers which I saw apparently
coming from them as we approached the Labrador coast. I have never
seen this species on any fresh-water lake or river, in any part of the
interior, and therefore consider it as truly a marine duck.
During their stay with us, they are always seen in considerable
numbers together, and, unless perhaps during the breeding season,
they seem to be gregarious; for even during their travels northward
they always move in large and compact bodies. When I was at New-
foundiand, I was assured that they breed there in considerable num-
bers on the lakes of the interior. My friend Professor Maccuttoca,
LQ
164 SURF DUCK.
of Pictou, however informs me that none are seen in Nova Scotia in
summer. <A gentleman of Boston, with whom I once crossed the At-
lantic, assured me that the species is extremely abundant on the north-
ern shores of the Pacific Ocean, and about the mouth of Mackenzie's
River. Doctor TownsENnp mentions it as being also found on the Co-
lumbia. It appears that a single specimen of the Surf Duck has been
procured on the shores of Great Britain; and this has induced the orni-
thologists of that country to introduce it as a constituent of its Fauna.
In all the individuals which I have examined, I have found the sto-
mach to contain fish of different kinds, several species of shell-fish,
and quantities of gravel and sand, some of the fragments being of
large size. Their flesh is tough, rank, and fishy, so as to be scarcely
fit for food.
In the young males, in the month of September, the whole upper
plumage is mottled with darkish-brown and greyish-white, the latter
colour margining most of the feathers. The neck has a considerable
extent of dull greyish-white, spread over two or three inches, and ap-
proaching toward the cheeks and throat. This colour disappears about
the beginning of January, when they become of a more uniform dark tint,
the upper part of the head brownish-black, without any white spot ;
there is a patch of brownish-white at the base of the upper mandible
on each side ; another of an oblong form over the ear, and on the nape
are elongated greyish-white marks ; the bill and feet dusky green, the
iris brown. '
Anas perspicitiyata, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 201—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii.
p. 847.
Buacx or Surr Duck, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p. 49, pl. 67, fig. 2.
Furicura PERSPICILLATA, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States.
p. 389.
Oremia PERSPICILLATA, Richards. and Swains. Faun. Bor. Amer, vol. ii. p. 449-
Buacx or Surr Ducx, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 416.
Adult Male. Plate CCCXVII. Fig. 1.
Bill about the length of the head, very broad, as deep as broad at
the base, depressed towards the end, which is rounded. Upper man-
dible with the dorsal outline convex and descending, before the nostrils
concave, on the unguis convex and declinate ; the ridge broad and con-
vex at the base; the sides at the base erect, bulging, and very broad,
towards the end convex, the edges soft, with about 30 internal lamelle,
SURF DUCK. 165
for two-thirds from the base they are nearly parallel and straight, but
towards the end ascending, the unguis very large, somewhat triangu-
lar and rounded. Lower mandible flattened, with the angle long and
rather narrow, the dorsal line slightly convex, the edges with about 35
lamelle. Nostrils submedial, elliptical, large, pervious, near the ridge.
Head large, oblong, flattened above. Eyes of moderate size. Neck
short and thick. Body large, and much depressed. Feet short, placed
rather far behind ; tarsus very short, compressed, having anteriorly in
its whole length a series of small scutella, and above the outer toe a
partial series, the rest covered with reticular angular scales. Hind toe
small, with a free membrane beneath; anterior toes nearly double the
length of the tarsus, connected by reticulated membranes having a si-
nus on their free margins, the inner with a lobed marginal membrane,
the outer with a thick margin, the third and fourth about equal and
longest. Claws small, that of the first toe very small and curved, of
the middle toe largest, with a dilated inner edge, of the rest slender,
all rather obtuse.
Plumage soft, dense, blended, and glossy. Feathers on the head
and neck of a velvety texture. Wings rather short, narrow, and pointed ;
primary quills curved, strong, tapering, and pointed, the first longest,
the second little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ; secondaries broad
and rounded, the inner elongated and tapering. Tail very short, nar-
row, wedge-shaped, of fourteen stiff, narrow, pointed feathers.
Upper mandible with a nearly square black patch at the base, mar-
gined with orange, unless in front, where there is a patch of bluish-
white extending to near the nostrils, prominent part over the nostrils
deep reddish-orange, becoming lighter towards the unguis, and shaded
into rich yellow towards the margins; the unguis dingy greyish-yel-
low; lower mandible flesh-coloured, unguis darker. Ivis bright yel-
lowish-white. ‘Tarsi and toes orange-red, the webs dusky tinged with
green; claws black. The plumage is of a deep black, glossed with blue.
On the top of the head, between the eyes, is a roundish patch of white,
and on the nape a larger patch of an elongated form.
Length to end of tail 20 inches, to end of wings 18, to end of claws
22; extent of wings 334; bill from the angle in front 14; from the pro-
minence at the base 2}; along the edge of lower mandible 2,5, ; wing
from flexure 93; tail 33; tarsus 1,4; first toe and claw 43; outer toe,
and claw 24; middle toe and claw }, longer. Weight 2 lb. 7 oz.
166 SURF DUCK.
Adult Female. Plate CCCXVII. Fig. 2.
Bill greenish-black ; iris as in the male ; feet yellowish-orange, webs
greyish-dusky, claws black. The general colour of the plumage is brown-
ish-black ; darker on the top of the head, the back, wings, and tail ;
on the breast and sides the feathers edged with dull greyish-white.
Length to end of tail 19 inches, to end of wings 153, to end of claws
18; extent of wings 31}; wing from flexure 83; tarsus 13; middle toe
23, hind toe 7%. Weight 2 lb. 2 oz.
In an adult Male, the tongue is 1 inch 9 twelfths long, has nume-
rous conical papille at the base, is deeply grooved along the middle,
has two lateral series of bristles, and terminates in a thin rounded lobe,
2 twelfths long. On the middle line of the upper mandible are about
ten short conical papillz, and on each of its margins about 35 lamelle ;
on the lower an equal number. The heart is 1 inch 8 twelfths long,
1 inch 2 twelfths broad. The cesophagus, 8} inches long, is wide, its
diameter at the upper part being 1 inch, towards the middle of the
neck 1 inch and a quarter. The proventriculus is 11 inch long ; its
glandules cylindrical, 1} twelfths in length, and, as in all other ducks,
arranged so as to form a complete belt. The stomach is a powerful
gizzard of a roundish form, 1 inch 10 twelfths long, 1 inch 10 twelfths
broad, its lateral muscles, very large, the right 10 twelfths thick, the
left 9 twelfths. In the stomach were various small bivalve shells and
much gravel. The cuticular lining longitudinally rugous; the grind-
ing plates 3 inch indiameter. The intestine, 5 feet 7 inches in length,
has an average diameter of 6 twelfths. The rectum is 7} inches long,
8 twelfths in diameter. Of the cceca one is 3 inches 4 twelfths long, ey-
lindrical, obtuse, 23 twelfths in diameter, the other 43 inches long.
The aperture of the glottis is 8 twelfths long, with numerous minute
papilla behind. The trachea presents the same structure as that of the
Velvet Duck. Its upper rings, to the number of 9, are very narrow,
and continuous with a large bony expansion, 7 twelfths long, and 8
twelfths broad. Beyond this part its diameter is 5 twelfths, gradually
diminishes to 3 twelfths about the middle, then enlarges to 5 twelfths.
In this part the number of rings is 78. Then comes a roundish or
transversely elliptical enlargement, 1 inch 2 twelfths in breadth, 9
twelfths in length, convex before, slightly concave behind, and com-
posed of about 12 united rings. The trachea then contracts to 4 twelfths
SURF DUCK. 167
and presently enlarges to form the inferior larynx, which is large, os-
sified, but symmetrical. In this space there are 6 distinct rings, and
10 united. The entire length of the trachea is 73 inches, its rings are
all osseous and strong. The contractor muscles are very strong, pass
along the sides of the lower dilatation, on which are given off the cleido-
tracheals, then continue to the commencement of the inferior larynx,
where the sterno-tracheals come off. The bronchial half-rings 25, un-
ossified.
The cavity of the nose is very large, being 2 inches long, 3 inch
in diameter at the lower part, continued narrow in front over the di-
latation causing the external protuberance of the base of the bill. The
olfactory nerves are of moderate size; the maxillary branches of the
fifth pair very large.
( 168 )
AMERICAN AVOSET.
RECURVIRUSTRA AMERICANA, GMEL.
PLATE CCCXVIII. Aputtr Mate, anp Youne In WINTER.
Tue fact of this curious bird’s breeding in the interior of our coun-
try accidentally became known to me in June 1814. I was at the time
travelling on horseback from Henderson to Vincennes in the State of
Indiana. As I approached a large shallow pond in the neighbourhood
of the latter town, I was struck by the sight of several Avosets hover-
ing over the margins and islets of the pond, and although it was late,
and I was both fatigued and hungry, I could not resist the temptation
of endeavouring to find the cause of their being so far from the sea.
Leaving my horse at liberty, I walked toward the pond, when, on being
at once assailed by four of the birds, I felt confident that they had
nests, and that their mates were either sitting or tending their young.
The pond, which was about two hundred yards in length, and half
as wide, was surrounded by tall bulrushes extending to some dis-
tance from the margin. Near its centre were several islets, eight or
ten yards in length, and disposed in a line. Having made my way
through the rushes, I found the water only a few inches deep; but the
mud reached above my knees, as I carefully advanced towards the
nearest island. The four birds kept up a constant noise, remained on
wing, and at times dived through the air until close to me, evincing
their displeasure at my intrusion. My desire to shoot them however
was restrained by my anxiety to study their habits as closely as possi-
ble; and as soon as I had searched the different inlets, and found three
nests with eggs, and a female with her brood, I returned to my horse,
and proceeded to Vincennes, about two miles distant. Next morning
at sunrise I was snugly concealed amongst the rushes, with a fair view
of the whole pond. In about an hour the male birds ceased to fly over
me, and betook themselves to their ordinary occupations, when I noted
the following particulars.
On alighting, whether on the water or on the ground, the American
Avoset keeps its wings raised until it has fairly settled. If in the wa-
ter, it stands a few minutes balancing its head and neck, somewhat in
the manner of the Tell-tale Godwit. After this it stalks about search-
AMERICAN AVOSET. 169
ing for food, or runs after it, sometimes swimming for a yard or so
while passing from one shallow to another, or wading up to its body,
with the wings partially raised. Sometimes they would enter among
the rushes, and disappear for several minutes. They kept apart, but
crossed each other’s path in hundreds of ways, all perfectly silent, and
without shewing the least symptom of enmity towards each other, al-
though whenever a Sandpiper came near, they would instantly give
chase to it. On several occasions, when I purposely sent forth a loud
shrill whistle without stirring, they would suddenly cease from their
rambling, raise up their body and neck, emit each two or three notes,
and remain several minutes on the alert, after which they would fly to
their nests, and then return. They search for food precisely in the
manner of the Roseate Spoonbill, moving their heads to and fro side-
ways, while their bill is passing through the soft mud; and in many
instances, when the water was deeper, they would immerse their whole
head and a portion of the neck, as the Spoonbill and Red-breasted
Snipe are wont to do. When, on the contrary, they pursued aquatic
insects, such as swim on the surface, they ran after them, and on get-
ting up to them, suddenly seized them by thrusting the lower mandible
beneath them, while the other was raised a good way above the surface,
much in the manner of the Black Shear-water, which however performs
this act on wing. They were also expert at catching flying insects,
after which they ran with partially expanded wings.
I watched them as they were thus engaged about an hour, when
they all flew to the islets where the females were, emitting louder notes
than usual. The different pairs seemed to congratulate each other,
using various curious gestures ; and presently those which had been sit-
ting left the task to their mates and betook themselves to the water,
when they washed, shook their wings and tail, as if either heated or
tormented by insects, and then proceeded to search for food in the
manner above described. Now, Reader, wait afew moments until I eat
my humble breakfast.
About eleven o’clock the heat had become intense, and the Avosets
gave up their search, each retiring to a different part of the pond, where,
after pluming themselves, they drew their heads close to their shoul-
ders, and remained perfectly still, as if asleep, for about an hour, when
they shook themselves simultaneously, took to wing, and rising to the
height of thirty or forty yards, flew off towards the waters of the Wa-
bash River.
170 AMERICAN AVOSET.
I was now desirous of seeing one of the sitting birds on its nest,
and leaving my hiding place, slowly, and as silently as possible, pro-
ceeded toward the nearest islet on which I knew a nest to be, having
the evening before, to mark the precise spot, broken some of the weeds,
which were now withered by the heat of the sun. You, good Reader,
will not, I am sure, think me prolix ; but as some less considerate
persons may allege that I am tediously so, I must tell them here that
no student of Nature ever was, or ever can be, too particular while
thus marking the precise situation of a bird’s nest. Indeed, I myself
have lost many nests by being less attentive. After this short but va-
luable lecture, you and I will do our best to approach the sitting bird
unseen by it. Although a person can advance but slowly when wading
through mud and water knee-deep, it does not take much time to get
over forty or fifty yards, and thus I was soon on the small island where
the Avoset was comfortably seated on her nest. Softly and on all four
I crawled toward the spot, panting with heat and anxiety. Now,
Reader, I am actually within three feet of the unheeding creature,
peeping at her through the tall grasses. Lovely bird! how innocent,
how unsuspecting, and yet how near to thine enemy, albeit he be an
admirer of thy race! There she sits on her eggs, her head almost
mournfully sunk among the plumage, and her eyes, unanimated by
the sight of her mate, half closed, as if she dreamed of future scenes.
Her legs are bent beneath her in the usual manner. I have seen
this, and I am content. Now she observes me, poor thing, and off
she scrambles,—running, tumbling, and at last rising on wing, emit-
ting her clicking notes of grief and anxiety, which none but an in-
considerate or callous-hearted person could hear without sympathiz-
ing with her.
The alarm is sounded, the disturbed bird is floundering hither
and thither over the pool, now lying on the surface as if ready to
die, now limping to induce me to pursue her and abandon her eggs.
Alas, poor bird! Until that day I was not aware that gregarious
birds, on emitting cries of alarm, after having been scared from their
nest, could induce other incubating individuals to leave their eggs also,
and join in attempting to savethe colony. But so it was with the Avosets,
and the other two sitters immediately rose on wing and flew directly at
me, while the one with the four younglings betook herself to the water,
and waded quickly off, followed by her brood, which paddled along
swimming, to my astonishment, as well as ducklings of the same size.
AMERICAN AVOSET. 171
How far such cries as those of the Avoset may be heard by birds of
the same species I cannot tell; but this I know, that the individuals
which had gone toward the Wabash reappeared in a few minutes
after I had disturbed the first bird, and hovered over me. But now,
having, as I thought, obtained all desirable knowledge of these birds,
I shot down five of them, among which I unfortunately found three
females.
The nests were placed among the tallest grasses, and were entirely
composed of the same materials, but dried, and apparently of a former
year’s growth. There was not a twig of any kind about them. The
inner nest was about five inches in diameter, and lined with fine prairie
grass, different from that found on the islets of the pond, and about
two inches in depth, over a bed having a thickness of an inch anda
half. The islets did not seem to be liable to inundation, and none of
the nests exhibited any appearance of having been increased in
elevation since the commencement of incubation, as was the case
with those described by Witson. Like those of most waders, the
eggs were four in number, and placed with the small ends together.
They measured two inches in length, one inch and three-eighths in
their greatest breadth, and were, exactly as Wiutson tells us, “of
a dull olive colour, marked with large irregular blotches of black,
and with others of a fainter tint.” To this I have to add, that they
are pear-shaped and smooth. As to the time of hatching, I know
nothing.
Having made my notes, and picked up the dead birds, I carefully
waded through the rushes three times around the whole pond, but,
being without my dog, failed in discovering the young brood or their
mother. I visited the place twice the following day, again waded
round the pond, and searched all the islets, but without success: not
a single Avoset was to be seen; and I am persuaded that the mother
of the four younglings had removed them elsewhere.
Since that time my opportunities of meeting with the American
Avoset have been few. On the 7th of November 1819, while search-
ing for rare birds a few miles from New Orleans, I shot one which I
found by itself on the margin of Bayou St John. It was a young
male, of which I merely took the measurements and description. It
was very thin, and had probably been unable to proceed farther south.
Its stomach contained only two small fresh-water snails and a bit of
172 AMERICAN AVOSET.
stone. In May 1829, I saw three of these birds at Great Egg Har-
bour, but found no nests, although those of the Long-legged Avoset
of WILson were not uncommon. My friend Jonn Bacuman considers
them as rare in South Carolina, where, however, he has occasionally
‘seen some on the gravelly shores of the sea islands.
On the 16th of April 1837, my good friend Captain NaroLeon
Coste, of the United States Revenue Cutter the Campbell, on board
of which I then was, shot three individuals of this species on an im-
mense sand-bar, intersected by pools, about twelve miles from Der-
niere Island on the Gulf of Mexico, and brought them to me in perfect
order. They were larger, and perhaps handsomer, than any that I
have seen; and had been killed out of a flock of five while feeding.
He saw several large flocks on the same grounds, and assured me
that the only note they emitted was a single whistle. He also ob-
served their manner of feeding, which he represented as similar to that
described above.
My friend Tuomas NutTa.u says in a note, that he “ found this
species breeding on the islands of shallow ponds throughout the Rocky
Mountains about midsummer. ‘They exhibited great fear and clamour
at the approach of the party, but no nests were found, they being then
under march.” Dr Ricuarpson states, that it is abundant on the Sas-
katchewan Plains, where it frequents shallow lakes, and feeds on in-
sects and small fresh-water crustacea.
The flight of the American Avoset resembles that of the Himantopus
nigricollis. Both these birds pass through the air as if bent on remov-
ing to a great distance, much in the manner of the Tell-tale Godwit,
or with an easy, rather swift and continued flight, the legs and neck
fully extended. When plunging towards an intruder, it at times comes
downwards, and passes by you, with the speed of an arrow from a bow,
but usually in moving off again, it suffers its legs to hang considerably.
I have never seen one of them exhibit the bending and tremulous mo-
tions of the legs spoken of by writers, even when raised suddenly from
the nest; and I think that I am equally safe in saying, that the bill
has never been drawn from a fresh specimen, or before it has under-
gone a curvature, which it does not shew when the bird is alive. The
notes of this bird resemble the syllable click, sometimes repeated in a
very hurried manner, especially under alarm.
AMERICAN AVOSET. 173
Recurvrirostra Americana, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 787.—Ch. Bonaparte, Sy-
nopsis of Birds of United States, p. 394.
American AvosET, Recurvrrostra Americana, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vi.
p. 126, pl. 63, fig. 2.
Recurvirostra Americana, Richards. and Swains., Fauna Bor.-Amer. vol. ii. p.
375.
American Avoset, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 74.
Adult Male. Plate CCCXVIII. Fig. 1.
Bill more than twice the length of the head, very slender, much de-
pressed, tapering to a point, and slightly recurved. Upper mandible,
with the dorsal line straight for half its length, then a little curved
upwards, and at the tip slightly decurved, the ridge broad and flattened,
the edges rather thick, the nasal groove rather long and very narrow.
Nostrils linear, basal, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle long
and very narrow, the dorsal line slightly curved upwards, the point
very slender, extremely thin and a little curved upwards.
Head small, rounded above, rather compressed. Neck long. Body
compact, ovate. Legs very long, slender; tibia elongated, bare for
half its length, and reticulated ; tarsus very long, compressed, reticu-
lated with hexagonal scales; toes rather short, the first extremely
small ; outer toe a little longer than inner; the anterior toes connected
by webs of which the anterior margin is deeply concave, the lateral
toes thickly margined. Claws very small, compressed, rather blunt.
Plumage soft and blended. Wings long, of moderate breadth,
pointed ; primaries straightish, tapering, the first longest, the rest ra-
pidly graduated ; secondaries broad, incurved, the outer rounded, the
rest becoming pointed, the inner elongated and tapering. Tail short,
even, of twelve rather narrow, rounded feathers.
Bill black. Iris bright carmine. Feet light blue, webs flesh-co-
loured towards their edges, claws black. Head, neck, and fore part of
breast, reddish-buff, the parts around the base of the bill and the eye,
nearly white. The back is white; but on its fore part is a longitudi-
nal band of brownish-black elongated feathers on each side, and the
inner scapulars are of the same colour, the outer and the anterior edge
of the wing being white. The wing brownish-black, with a broad
band of white formed by the tips of the secondary coverts, four of the
inner secondaries, and the basal part, with the inner webs and outer
edges of the rest. The under parts white, excepting some of the pri-
mary quills and some of their coverts. which are greyish-brown.
Length to end of tai 18 inches, to end of wings 184, to end of claws
174 AMERICAN AVOSET.
23; extent of wings 302 ; wing from flexure 91; tail 31; bill along the
ridge 33 ; bare part of the tibia 22,; tarsus 38; hind toe and claw ¥, ;
middle toe and claw 143; breadth of foot extended 23. Weight 163 oz.
The Female is similar to the male, but somewhat smaller.
Young in winter. Plate CCCXVIII. Fig. 2.
The young in winter is similar to the adult, but with the head and
neck white, the dark colours of a browner tint.
Length to end of tail 18 inches, to end of wings 18}; extent of
wings 303. Weight 13 oz.
In structure the Avosets are similar to the Numenii and Totani.
In an adult female the tongue is very short in proportion to the length
of the bill, being only 1} inch long, slightly emarginate at the base
with a few conical papille, slender, tapering to a point, horny on the
back, and flattened above. On the palate are two longitudinal series
of blunt papilla. The posterior aperture of the nares is linear, 10
twelfths long, papillate on the edges. ‘The cesophagus is 7 inches and
9 twelfths long, inclines to the right side, and when the neck is bent
becomes posterior at the middle, as in the Herons and other long-neecked
birds; its diameter 5 twelfths at the upper part, dilated to 8 twelfths
previous to its entrance into the thorax. The proventriculus is 1 inch
long and 7 twelfths in diameter ; its glandules cylindrical, 1 twelfth
long. The stomach is a gizzard of moderate strength, oblong, 14 inch
in length, 10 twelfths in breadth, its right lateral muscle 4 twelfths
thick. Its contents were remains of small shells. Its immer membrane
of moderate thickness, hard, longitudinally rugous, and deeply tinged
with red. The intestine is 3 feet long, and 4 twelfths in diameter ;
the rectum 2 inches long ; of the coeca one is 2} inches long, the other
24, their diameter 2 twelfths.
In another individual the intestine is 3 feet 9 inches long; one of
the coeca 23 inches, the other 3; the stomach 13 by 1,3. Its contents
small shell-fish and fragments of quartz.
The trachea is 63 inches long ; its rmgs extremely thin and unossi-~
fied, 140 in number, its diameter 3; twelfths, nearly uniform through-
out, but rather narrower in the middle. The lateral muscles are very
thin. The bronchi are short, of about 10 rings.
ws...
(hacen
LEAST TERN.
STERNA MINUTA, LINN.
PLATE CCCXIX. Anutr anp Youne.
SYLPH-LIKE bird of the waters, how delightful has it been to me to
gaze on thy gliding movements, on the fannings of thy gentle wings,
on the delicate silvery glance of thy soft and sattiny bosom, as thou
camest from distant and unknown shores, when the winter had passed
away, and the mild breezes of early summer blew around thee, and
thou soughtest a place of safety in which to sojourn for a time. That
frail frame of thine must have suffered many a hardship. Fronting
that last damp and chilling blast, I have seen thee gathering up all
thy little strength to force thy way ; and when the fury of the tempest
assailed thee, wert thou not glad to seek for refuge under yon bold head-
land! Ah, deny it not, for I have seen the delight expressed by thee,
when after awhile, returning calm and sunshine revived thee, and thou
spreadest thy wings anew, to ramble gaily over the still turbulent wa-
ters. Well knowest thou, heaven-taught, each bar and shallow along
the desolate shore which thou skirtest pilotless; soon shalt thou reach the
haven where last summer smiled on thee and thy brood; and there shalt
thou gracefully alight by the side of one whose love is all to thee.
As no account of this species exists in the Fauna Boreali-Americana, it
is to be supposed that it is not met with beyond the western shores of La-
brador, where however I found it in abundance and breeding, in the be-
ginning of June 1833. On the 14th of August following I observed them
at Newfoundland, movingsouthward in detached parties of old andyoung,
against a strong breeze, and uttering their clamorous cries. Again,
in the end of April 1837, hundreds of pairs were breeding on the islands
of Galveston Bay in Texas, the numerous specimens which I then ex-
amined exhibiting no difference from those obtained in Labrador and
in our Middle Districts. Nay, once, in the middle of June, while
wading through the quick-sands of Bayou Sara in Louisiana, I came
to a high and dry sand-bar where I picked up several eggs belonging
to three pairs of birds of this species, although the distance was about
two hundred miles from the sea in a direct line. I have at various times
176 LEAST TERN.
observed this Tern on the waters of the Ohio in autumn, and now and
then in spring, atthe latter period in company with the Short-tailed Tern,
Sterna nigra, and have again met with it on the shores of Lake Erie.
I have also found it in winter on the eastern coast of the Floridas, but
in small numbers. Few birds indeed seem to me to be so irregular in
their migratory movements, for they appear to stop at any convenient
breeding place from Texas to Labrador.
This species in some of its habits resembles the Marsh Tern of
Witsoy, which I feel certain is the Sterna anglica of Montacu. The re-
semblance is especially manifest in the peculiar manner in which it
seizes insects while on wing over the pools of salt marshes and else-
where, where it is fond of rambling whenever the weather is at all
fine or pleasantly warm. It then plunges toward the ground or the
water, and, like a true Flycatcher, snatches its prey unawares from
the tops of the grasses, or whilst flying over the shallow green-mantled
pools.
Few birds are more gentle than this delicate species is at times ; for,
apparently unaware of danger from the vicinity of man, it allows him to
approach within a few yards, whether it be on wing or on the ground.
Indeed, in the latter case, I have seen it when gorged so reluctant to
fly off that I have more than once thought it was asleep, although on
coming up I was always disappointed in my attempts to catch it. No-
thing can exceed the lightness of the flight of this bird, which seems
to me to be among water-fowls, the analogue of the Humming-bird.
They move with great swiftness at times, at others balance them-
selves like hawks over their prey, then dart with the velocity of thought
to procure the tiny fry beneath the surface of the waters. When
you invade their breeding place, they will sometimes sweep far away,
and suddenly return, coming so near as almost to strike you. While
travelling, their light but firm flight is wonderfully sustained ; and on
hearing and seeing them on such occasions, one is tempted to believe
them to be the happiest of the happy. They seem as if marshalled
and proceeding to a merry-making, so gaily do they dance along, as if
to the music of their own lively cries. Now you see the whole group
suddenly check their onward speed, hover over a deep eddy supplied
with numberless shrimps, and dash headlong on their prey. Up
rises the little thing with the shrimp in its bill, and again down it
plunges ; and its movements are so light and graceful that you look on
LEAST TERN. 177
with pleasure, and are in no haste to depart. Should this scene be en-
acted while they have young in their company, the latter await in the
air the rise of their parents, meet them, and receive the food from
them. When all are satiated, they proceed on their journey, stopping
at another similar but distant place.
Although along our Southern and Middle Districts, the Least Tern
merely scoops a very slight hollow in which to deposit its eggs, doing
this from the first of April to the first of June, according to the
latitude of the place, those which I found breeding on the coast of
Labrador had formed very snug nests, composed of short fragments of
dry moss, well matted together, and nearly of the size of that of the
American Robin, Turdus migratorius; while those met with on the islands
near the Bay of Galveston, were observed to have laid their eggs upon
the dry drifted weeds which appeared to have been gathered by them
for the purpose. The nests are generally placed out of reach of the
tides, but on some occasions I have known the hopes of a whole co-
lony destroyed by the sudden overflow of their selected places caused by
a severe gale, and have observed that, on such occasions, their cla-
mour was as great as if they had been robbed of their eggs by man.
The number of eggs deposited by this species is more frequently
three than four. Like those of most other Terns, they differ some-
what in size and markings, although I never found any so large as
those described by Wrtson, who states that they measure nearly an
inch and three quarters in length, which would better agree with the
eggs of the Common Tern. The average of a basketful was found to
be one inch and two and a half eighths in length, by seven and a half
eighths in breadth. They are rather pointed at the smaller end, and
their ground colour is pale yellowish-white, blotched with irregular
dark brown spots, intermixed with others of a dull purplish tint.
I have found this Tern breeding among Shearwaters along the Flo-
rida coast; and my friend the Reverend Joun Bacuman has observed
the same circumstance on the “ Bird’s Banks,” on the coasts of South
Carolina, where it is abundant, as well as on Sullivan Island.
_ The common note of our Least Tern resembles that of the Barn
Swallow when disturbed about its nest, being as smartly and rapidly
repeated at times. When it proves convenient for it to alight on the
ground or on a sand-beach, after it has secured a prawn or small fish,
it does so, and there devours its prey piecemeal, but it more usually
VOL, IV. M
178 LEAST TERN.
swallows it on wing. On the ground it walks prettily, with short steps,
keeping its tail somewhat raised.
Sterna minutTA, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 228.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 809.
—Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 355.
Lesser TERN, StERNA MINUTA, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vii. p. 80, pl. 60, fig. 2.
Sitvery Tern, Wuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 280.
Adult Male. Plate CCCXIX. Fig. 1.
Bill about the length of the head, slender, tapering, much com-
pressed, nearly straight, extremely attenuated towards the end. Upper
mandible with the dorsal line slightly arched, the ridge rather broad
and convex at the base, narrow towards the end, the sides nearly erect,
the edges sharp and direct. Nasal groove short, extending to a fourth
of the length of the bill; nostrils basal, linear, direct, pervious. Lower
mandible with the angle extremely narrow, very acute, extending to
the middle, the dorsal line straightish, the sides erect, the edges sharp
and inflected, the tip extremely acute.
Head of moderate size, ovate; neck short ; body very slender; feet
small. Tibia bare below; tarsus very short, slender, compressed,
covered anteriorly with small scutella, laterally and behind with reti-
cular scales ; toes small, slender, the first extremely small, the third
longest, the fourth considerably shorter, all scutellate above, the an-
terior united by reticulated webs having a deeply concave margin.
Claws arched, compressed, acute, that of hind toe smallest, of middle
toe by much the largest, and having its inner edge thin and dilated.
Plumage soft, close, blended, very short on the fore part of the
head ; the feathers in general broad and rounded. Wings very long,
narrow, and pointed ; primary quills tapering, straight, the first longest,
the next five-twelfths of an inch shorter, the rest rapidly graduated;
secondary quills short, broad, incurved, narrowed towards the end, the
inner straight. Tail rather long, very deeply forked, the lateral
feathers extending an inch and seven-twelfths beyond the fork.
Bill light yellowish-orange, its tips black, but the extreme points
horn-colour. Iris hazel; feet light orange-red, the bare part of the
tibia dusky; claws black. On the forehead, a triangular white patch
extending to the middle of the eye; upper part of the head and the
nape, with a line from the eye to the bill, deep black; sides of the head,
LEAST TERN. 179
fore-neck and lower parts, pure white ; back and wings very pale bluish-
grey ; first two quills with the outer web greyish-black, and rather
less than half of thei* intier web of the same colour, the rest white,
extending to about half an inch from their extremities. Tail white
in summer, of a paler tint than the back at other times.
Length to end of tail 8} inches, to end of wings 94, to end of claws
73, to end of shortest tail-feathers 7; extent of wings 183; wing from
flexure 611; tail 34; bill along the ridge 73 twelfths, along the edge
of lower mandible 1,°,; tarsus 74; middle toe {4,, its claw 7.
The Female is alittle smaller than the male, but otherwise similar.
Young fledged. Plate CCCXIX. Fig. 2.
Bill greenish-black. Irisdusky. Feet pale yellowish-orange. All
the under parts dull greyish-white, as are the upper parts including
the tail; the hind part of the head streaked with dusky, on the back
and rump the feathers with a curved marginal band of greyish-brown ;
primary quills greyish-brown, the outer two darker. At this period the
tail is even, each feather narrowly margined with greyish-white.
In a male bird the tongue is 10 twelfths long, slender, triangular,
tapering to a point, horny beneath, emarginate and papillate at the
base. On the palate are five longitudinal ridges. The posterior aper-
ture of the nares is linear, 7 twelfths long. The cesophagus is 4 inches
2 twelfths long, very wide, its average diameter on the neck 43 twelfths,
within the thorax 9 twelfths; it is exceedingly thin and delicate, its
muscular fibres scarcely apparent, unless closely examined. ‘The pro-
ventriculus is only a quarter of an inch long. The stomach is 9
twelfths long, 8 twelfths broad, its lateral muscles of considerable size,
the cuticular lining dense, tough, longitudinally rugous, and of a red-
dish-brown colour, as in gulls. Contents of stomach and cesophagus,
small fishes, one of them 2 inches long. The intestine is 14 inches
long, its diameter 13 twelfths. The cceca are 2 twelfths long, nearly
1 twelfth in diameter.
The trachea is 2 inches and 4 twelfths long, its diameter 2 twelfths
at the top, diminishing to 1 twelfth; its rings about 105, unossified ;
its lateral muscles moderate, as are the sterno-tracheal, and single pair
of inferior laryngeal. The bronchial half-rings about 25.
mM 2
Cr1seny
LITTLE SANDPIPER.
TRINGA PUSILLA, WILS.
PLATE CCCXX. Mate anp FEMALE.
BEroreE proceeding to detail my observations on the habits of this
humble but extremely interesting bird, I deem it necessary to inform
you that I disclaim as species belonging to the United States, or even
to any part of North America, the following, which however are given
in the Synopsis of the Prince of Mustenano, and in the work of my
generous friend Tuomas Nutratt, viz., Tringa platyrhincha of 'Tem-
minck, 7’. Temminckii of Leister, 7. minuta of Leister, T. minuta of
Tremmincx, and 7. pusilla of Becustr1n. This opinion of mine I di-
vulged to the Prince of Musienano in London, and he has on this
account omitted these species in his recently published list. The extreme
confusion that exists with respect to these species, and many others of the
same tribe, is in my opinion caused solely by the anxiety of authors to
discover or invent new species, often founding distinctions on slight diffe-
rences in the length of bills, tarsi, or toes. Now, Reader, if in such large
species as the Grus Americana, for example, the young has been palmed
on the world of science as a distinct species for nearly a century past,
without any other kind of reason or proof than that obtained from
mere dried skins, can we be surprised that in birds so small as the
present, opportunities should have occurred of committing errors.
My opinion, which I do not present to you without due consideration,
is, that we have in the United States only the diminutive species
badly figured by Wrtson, and almost as carelessly described by that
wonderful man. To enter upon a long discussion as to the identity
of the present bird with any of the small Tringas enumerated
by European authors, would be to me quite as irksome as it would
prove unprofitable to you, for there scarcely exists a single descrip-
tion of these birds sufficiently accurate to enable one to decide with
certainty. All are as nearly as possible of the same size and colour,
excepting in those deviations dependent upon age, and the different
states of plumage. But in the most intimately allied species there
LITTLE SANDPIPER. 18]
are always marked differences in habits, and especially in the sound
of the voice.
That this species is naturally disposed to seek alpine sections of
the country for the purpose of reproduction, I obtained abundant proof
whilst in Labrador, where I found it plentiful, and breeding on the
moss-clad crests of the highest rocks, within short distances of the sea.
There are means through which the experienced student of Nature
may discover the hidden treasures of birds of this family, which to
others would prove useless, and which I shall here point out. At all
periods, excepting those at which they have nests containing eggs, or
young so small and delicate as to require all the care of their parents,
the flight of the present species usually resembles that of the Common
Snipe, Scolopaz Wilsonii ; but when startled from the nest, or from any
place in its immediate vicinity, it rises on wing, and moves off low over
the ground with deeply incurved wings, and with a whirring motion of
these organs, which, if as rapid as that of a Partridge, would appear
quite similar; but, on such occasions, our bird moves slowly before you,
and instead of uttering the note of independence, as it were, which it emits
at other times while freely and fearlessly travelling, it gives out sounds
weakened as if by grief or anxiety, for the purpose of inducing you to
follow it. If on the ground, it acts in a similar manner, moves off
slowly, and limping as if crippled, and this at times quite as much as
if you had really come upon it while on its nest, or surprised it with
its young. On all such occasions, Reader, you ought to mark well the
spot from which the bird has started, and, to assure yourself that your
eye may not be deceived, throw your cap or hat at your feet to serve
as a beacon, should necessity afterwards call for it, to guide you around
the place until you have discovered the nest which you are desirous of
seeing.
Through these means, on the 20th of July 1833, I after some
search found the nest and eggs of this species. The birds flew, to use
the words of my Journal, like Partridges, and not like Tringas. I
marked them well, for both the female and the male flew from near
the nest, and having left my fisher’s hat where I then stood, I walked
carefully over the moss hither and thither, until at last I came upon
the spot. My pleasure would have been greatly augmented had any
of my young companions been near; but the sailors who had rowed
me to the foot of the rocks exhibited little more delight than they
182 LITTLE SANDPIPER.
would have done on finding that their grog had been stopped. For
my part, I felt as happy as when, on the same coast, I for the first
time saw the nest and eggs of the Black-crowned Warbler, of which
you haye read an account in the second volume of this work. Four
beautiful eggs, larger than I had expected to see produced by birds
of so small a size, lay fairly beneath my eye as I knelt over them
for several minutes in perfect ecstasy. The nest had been formed
first, apparently, by the patting of the little creature’s feet on the
crisp moss, and in the slight hollow thus produced were laid a few
blades of slender dry grass bent in a circular manner, the internal dia-
meter of the nest being two inches and a half, and its depth an inch
and a quarter. The eggs, which were in shape just like those of the
Spotted Sandpiper, Totanus macularius, measured seven and a half
eighths of an inch in length, and three-fourths of an inch in breadth.
Their ground colour was a rich cream-yellow tint, blotched and dotted
with very dark umber, the markings larger and more numerous toward
the broad end. They were placed with their pointed ends together,
and were quite fresh. The nest lay under the lea.of a small rock, ex-
posed to all the heat the sun can afford in that country. No sooner had
the little creatures felt assured that I had discovered their treasure,
than they manifested a great increase of sorrow, flew from the top of
one crag to another in quick succession, and emitted notes resembling
the syllables peep, peet, which were by no means agreeable to my feel-
ings, for I was truly sorry to rob them of their eggs, although im-
pelled to do so by the love of science, which affords a convenient excuse
for even worse acts. i
This pair, however, would seem to have been late in depositing
their eggs, for on the 4th of August my party and myself saw young
birds almost as large as their parents, and agreeing in almost every
point with the descriptions given of Tringa Temmincku. Many small
flocks of these birds, consisting of old and young, were already depart-
ing from Labrador, and were seen on all our excursions. On the 11th
of August, we also found adult and young in great numbers. But not
a single newly hatched individual of this species could I procure, while
the young of the Ring Plover were very abundant.
I was surprised, whilst rambling along the shores of the Raritan
River, between New Jersey and New York, to find a great number of
Little Sandpipers, on the 29th of July 1832, leading me to believe that
LITTLE SANDPIPER. 183
they had probably bred on the elevated portions of Staten Island, al-
though on the other hand, they might have been barren birds. I have
been equally astonished to see large flocks of this species on the sand-
bars along the shores of the Ohio, below the great Rapids, about the
middle of August. According to Dr Ricnarpson, it “ breeds within
the Arctic Circle, arriving as soon as the snow melts. It was observed
on the 21st of May, on the swampy borders of small lakes in latitude
66°. The crops of those we killed were filled with a soft blackish
earth, and some white worms.” From the above quotation, I would
be almost inclined to believe that, like some others of our birds, which
are said to be found in northern Europe, this might be one.
The habits of the Little Sandpiper have been described with great
care and accuracy by my friend Tuomas Nurtauy. His account is in-
deed so perfect that I shall here lay it before you in preference to one
by myself. “The Peeps, as they have been called, are seen in the salt
marshes around Boston, as early as the 8th of July; indeed, so seldom
are they absent from us in the summer season, that they might be taken
for denizens of the state, or the neighbouring countries. When they
arrive, now and then accompanied by the semi-palmated species, the
air is sometimes, as it were, clouded with their flocks. Companies led
from place to place in quest of food, are seen whirling suddenly in cir-
cles, with a desultory flight, at a distance, resembling a swarm of hiv-
ing bees, seeking out some object on which to settle. At this time,
deceiving them by an imitation of their sharp and querulous whistle,
the fowler approaches, and adds destruction to the confusion of their
timorous and restless flight.. Flocking together for common security,
the fall of their companions, and their plaintive cry, excite so much
sympathy among the harmless Peeps, that, forgetting their own safety,
or not well perceiving the cause of the fatality which the gun spreads
among them, they fall sometimes in such a state of confusion, as to be
routed with but little effort, until the greedy sportsman is glutted with
his timorous and infatuated game. When much disturbed, they,
however, separate into small and wandering parties, and are now
seen gleaning their fare of larvae, worms, minute shell-fish, and insects,
in the salt marshes, or on the muddy and sedgy shores of tide rivers
and ponds. At such times they may be very nearly approached, be-
traying rather a heedless familiarity than a timorous mistrust of their
most wily enemy; and even when rudely startled, they will often re-
184 LITTLE SANDPIPER.
turn to the same place in the next instant, to pursue their lowly occu-
pation of scraping in the mud, whence, probably, originated the con-
temptible appellation of Hwmility, by which they and some other small
birds of similar habits have been distinguished. For the discovery
of their food, their flexible and sensitive awl-like bills are thrust into
the mire, marshy soil, or wet sand, in the manner of the Snipe and
Woodcock, and in this way they discover and route from their hiding
retreat, the larvee and soft worms which form a principal part of their
fare. At other times, they also give chase to insects, and pursue
their calling with amusing alacrity. When at length startled, or
about to join the company they have left, a sharp, short, and mono.
tonous whistle, like the word peet, or peep, is uttered, and they in-
stantly take to wing, and course along with the company they had
left. On seeing the larger marsh-birds feeding, as the Yellow-shanks
and others, a whirling flock of the Peeps will descend among them,
being generally allowed to feed in quiet; and at the approach of the
sportsman, these little timorous rovers are ready to give the alarm.
At first, a slender peep is heard, which is then followed by two or three
others, and presently peep, pip, pip’ pp, murmurs in a lisping whistle
through the quailing ranks, as they rise on the wing, and inevitably
entice with them their larger but less watchful associates. Towards
evening in fine weather, the marshes almost re-echo with the shrill but
rather murmuring or lisping, subdued, and querulous call of peet, and
then a repetition of pé-dee, pé-dée, deé-dée, which seems to be the col-
lecting cry of the old birds calling together their brood, for, when as-
sembled, the note changes into a confused murmur of peet, peet, attended
by a short and suppressed whistle.”
During my never-to-be-forgotten residence at Henderson, on the
banks of the fair Ohio, I was in the habit of frequently seeing large
flocks of these birds on the sandy shores of that river, during the
autumnal months, and finding after a while that they could easily be
driven into a partridge net, I laid one accordingly on several occa-
sions, when, by using gentle means, I induced many dozens of these
tiny, fat, and delicious birds to enter and become prisoners. I clipped
the wings of many of them, and turned them loose in my garden, for
the purpose of studying their habits in this sort of half-confined state ;
but they were all soon destroyed by these most destructive pests, the
Norway rats, which at that time infested all my premises.
LITTLE SANDPIPER. 185
I found these birds quite abundant on the whole coast of Flo-
rida, during winter, and I have no doubt that many remain with
us all the year; indeed, it would not at all surprise me to hear
that some of them actually breed in parts of the alpine districts
of our Middle States. I have also found them equally numerous
along the whole coast of the Bay of Mexico, during my recent visit to
Texas, when, late in April, some of them were still travelling from
farther south-west, and proceeding eastward. In South Carolina, they
are frequent in spring and autumn, along the borders of the rice fields,
and inland fresh-water ponds.
Since writing the above, my friend Dr TownsEnp has furnished
me with a list of some of the birds seen by him on the Rocky Moun-
' tains and the Columbia River, in which this species is mentioned as
being found along the shores of that celebrated stream of the far west.
Trinea Pusitta, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. v. p. 32, pl. 37, fig. 4—Ch. Bonap.,
Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 319.
Witson’s SanpriPer, Trinca Witsontt, Vutiall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 120.
Adult Male in Summer Plumage. Plate CCCXX. Fig. 1.
Bill shorter than the head, slender, straight, compressed, tapering
from the base to near the point, which is slightly swelled, but with
the tip rather acute. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight,
the ridge narrow and convex, a little broader and flattened towards
the end, the sides sloping, with the nasal groove extending to near the
tip. Lower mandible with the angle very long and narrow, the dorsal
line straight, towards the end slightly declinate, the sides sloping a
little outwards, with a groove extending to near the tip.
Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Neck rather short.
Body compact, ovate. Feet of moderate length and slender; tibia
bare a fourth of its length; tarsus of moderate length, compressed,
scutellate before and behind, so as to leave scarcely any intermediate
space; hind toe extremely small; anterior toes rather long, slender,
free, slightly margined, and with numerous scutella above. Claws
small, slightly arched, much compressed, that of the third toe larger,
with the inner edge a little dilated.
Plumage soft, blended on the neck and lower parts, somewhat com-
pact on the upper. Wings long, pointed ; primaries tapering, obtuse,
186 LITTLE SANDPIPER.
the first longest, the second very little shorter, the third rather more
than one-eighth of an inch shorter than the second, the rest rapidly
decreasing ; outer secondaries incurved, obliquely rounded, imner
straight, tapering, one of them reaching to two-twelfths of an inch of
the end of the first quill. Tail of moderate length, doubly emarginate,
that is with the middle feathers considerably longer than the lateral,
which are a little longer than the intermediate.
Bill greenish-dusky ; feet pale dull yellowish-green ; claws black ;
iris hazel. The feathers on the upper part of the head, and back, in-
cluding the scapulars, smaller wing-coverts, and inner secondaries,
black, broadly margined with light brownish-red ; some of the scapu-
lars margined externally with white, and the larger glossed with green.
Alula, primary coverts, primary quills, and outer secondaries, greyish-
black, all more or less narrowly tipped with greyish-white ; secondary
coverts largely tipped with the same; the primaries externally edged with
the same toward the base, as are the outer secondaries in a fainter de-
gree, the inner webs of some of the latter greyish-white towards the base.
Rump and upper tail-coverts black. The two middle tail-feathers
black, with pale brownish-red margins, the next feather on each side
greyish-brown, margined with greyish-white, the outer four pale
brownish-grey, very narrowly margined externally, more broadly round
their points and along the inner edges with greyish-white ; lateral
tail-coverts with the outer web white. From the forehead over the
eye to the occiput, a band of dull greyish-white, faintly streaked with
dusky ; loral band brownish-dusky, that colour extending to the ear-
coverts; the rest of the cheeks dull greyish-white, faintly streaked
with dusky ; the throat greyish-white ; the sides and fore part of the
neck of the same colour, faintly streaked with dusky ; the rest of the
lower parts, including the axillar and lateral rump feathers, pure
white ; the lower surface of the wing pale brownish-grey, the coverts
margined and tipped with greyish-white ; the shafts of the primaries
white.
Length to end of tail 58 inches, to end of wings 53, to end of
claws 52; extent of wings 113; from tip of bill to carpal joint 2;
wing from flexure 37%; tail 1,4; bill along the ridge 7; tarsus #4 ;
hind toe and claw 24, middle toe and claw 7%; outer toe and claw 7 ;
inner 4, shorter.
LITTLE SANDPIPER. 187
Adult Female. Plate CCCXX. Fig. 2.
The Female is somewhat larger than the male, but similarly co-
loured.
In autumn, previous to the moult, the upper parts are of a darker
colour, on account of the wearing of the red margins of the feathers.
On the roof of the mouth is a series of papillz, and the tongue is
7 twelfths long, extremely slender, and tapering to a fine point. The
cesophagus is 2 inches and 11] twelfths long, 1 twelfth in diameter ;
the proventriculus enlarged to 23 twelfths, its length 5 twelfths. The
stomach is a powerful gizzard, } inch long, 43 twelfths broad ; its late-
ral muscles large, as are the tendons. Its contents were coleopterous
and other insects. The epithelium longitudinally rugous, and of a
brownish-red colour. The intestine of moderate length, measuring 92
inches, its average diameter 1} twelfths, The cceca 1} inch long, their
greatest diameter } of a twelfth.
The trachea is 1;% inch long, flattened, unossified, 1} twelfth in
diameter at the top, diminishing to 1 twelfth; the number of rings
about 105. Bronchial half-rings 15.
( 188 )
ROSEATE SPOONBILL.
PLATALEA AJAJA, Linn.
PLATE CCCXXI. Aputtr Mate.
Tus beautiful and singular bird, although a constant resident in the
southern extremities of the peninsula of Florida, seldom extends its
journeys in an eastern direction beyond the State of North Carolina.
Indeed it is of extremely rare occurrence there, and even in South Ca-
rolina, my friend Joun Bacuman informs me that he has observed
only three individuals in the course of twenty years. He once obtained
a specimen in full plumage about ten miles north of Charleston. It is
rarely seen in the interior of the country, at any distance from the wa-
ters of the Atlantic, or those of the Gulf of Mexico. A specimen sent
to Witson at Philadelphia from the neighbourhood of the city of
Natchez, in the State of Mississippi, appears to have lost itself, as
during my stay in that section of the country I never heard of another ;
nor have I ever met with one of these birds farther up the Mississippi
than about thirty miles from its mouths. Although rather abundant on
some parts of the coast of Florida, I found it more so along the Bay of
Mexico, particularly in Galveston Bay in the Texas, where, as well as
on the Florida Keys, it breeds in flocks. The Spoonbills are so sensible
of cold, that those which spend the winter on the Keys, near Cape Sable
in Florida, rarely leave those parts for the neighbourhood of St Augus-
tine before the first days of March. But after this you may find them
along most of the water courses running parallel to the coast, and dis-
tant about half a mile or a mile from it. I saw none on any part of
the St John’s River; and from all the answers which I obtained to my
various inquiries respecting this bird, I feel confident that it never
breeds in the interior of the peninsula, nor is ever seen there in winter.
The Roseate Spoonbill is found for the most part along the marshy
and muddy borders of estuaries, the mouths of rivers, ponds, or sea
islands or keys partially overgrown with bushes, and perhaps still more
commonly along the shores of those singular salt-water bayous so
abundant within a mile or so of the shores, where they can reside
ROSEATE SPOONBILL. 189
and breed in perfect security in the midst of an abundance of food.
It is more or less gregarious at all seasons, and it is rare to meet with
fewer than half a dozen together, unless they have been dispersed by
a tempest, in which case one of them is now and then found in a situa.
tion where you would least expect it. At the approach of the breed-
ing season, these small flocks collect to form great bodies, as is the
manner of the Ibises, and resort to their former places of residence,
to which they regularly return, like Herons. During the moult,
which takes place in Florida late in May, the young of the preceding
year conceal themselves among the close branches of the mangroves
and other trees growing over narrow inlets, between secluded keys, or
on bayous, where they spend the whole day, and whence it is difficult
to start them. Toward night they return to their feeding grounds,
generally keeping apart from the old birds. In the same country the
old birds pass through their spring moult early in March, after which
they are truly beautiful, presenting the appearance which I have at-
tempted to represent in the plate before you. The sight of a flock
of fifteen or twenty of these full-dressed birds is extremely pleasing to
the student of nature, should he conceal himself from their view, for
then he may observe their movements and manners to advantage. Now,
they all stand with their wings widely extended to receive the sun’s rays,
or perhaps to court the cooling breeze, or they enjoy either seated on
their tarsi. Again, they all stalk about with graceful steps along the
margin of the muddy pool, or wade in the shallows in search of food.
After a while they rise simultaneously on wing, and gradually ascend
im a spiral manner -to a great height, where you see them crossing
each other in a thousand ways, like so many Vultures or Ibises. At
length, tired of this pastime, or perhaps urged by hunger, they return
to their feeding grounds in a zigzag course, and plunge through
the air, as if displaying their powers of flight before you. These
birds fly with their necks stretched forward to their full length,
and their legs and feet extended behind, moving otherwise in the
manner of Herons, or with easy flappings, until about to alight,
when they sail with expanded wings, passing once or twice over the
spot, and then gently coming to the ground, on which they run a few
steps. When travelling to a distant place they proceed in regular ranks,
but on ordinary occasions they fly in a confused manner. When the
sun is shining, and they are wheeling on wing previous to alighting,
190 ROSEATE SPOONBILL.
their roseate tints exhibit a richer glow, which is surpassed only by
the brillianey of the Scarlet Ibis, and American Flamingo.
This beautiful bird is usually fond of the company of our different
Herons, whose keen sight and vigilance are useful to it in apprising it
of danger, and allowing it to take flight in due time. When the Spoon-
bills are by themselves and feeding, they can easily be approached by
those who, like yourself perhaps, are expert at crawling over the mud
on hands and knees, through the tall and keen-edged saw-grass. I
well recollect my own success when, after having seen three of these
precious birds alight on their feeding grounds, about a quarter of a
mile from where I stood, I managed after something short of half
an hour to get within shot of them. Then, after viewing them for a
while unseen, I touched one of my triggers, and two of them fell upon
the surface of the shallow water. The other might, I believe, have
been as easily shot, for it stood, as I have seen Wild Turkey cocks
do on like occasions, looking with curious intensity as it were upon its
massacred friends, until, seeing me get up and wade towards them, it
hurriedly extended its broad wings, and flew off towards the sea-shore.
When wounded in the wing, they make towards deeper water, and, if
closely pursued, will swim to some distance, but without ever attempting
to dive, and when at last seized, offer no resistance. On the contrary,
if their wings are uninjured, though they may otherwise be severely
wounded, they rise and fly to a great distance, or drop while on the
way. I have considered these birds as tough to kill, and, when on
open ground, even without being in company with Herons, as difficult
of approach. They are as nocturnal as the night Heron, and, although
they seek for food at times during the middle of the day, their princi-
pal feeding time is from near sunset until daylight. To all such feed-
ing grounds as are exposed to the tides, they betake themselves when
it is low water, and search for food along the shallow margins until
driven off by the returning tide. Few birds are better aware of the
hours at which the waters are high or low, and when it is near ebb
you see them wending their way to the shore. Whenever a feeding
place seems to be productive, the Spoonbills are wont to return to it
until they have been much disturbed, and persons aware of this fact
may waylay them with success, as at such times one may shoot them
while passing over head. To procure their food, the Spoonbills first
generally alight near the water, into which they then wade up to the
ROSEATE SPOONBILL. 191
tibia, and immerse their bills in the water or soft mud, sometimes
with the head and even the whole neck beneath the surface. They
frequently withdraw these parts however, and look around to ascer-
tain if danger is near. They move their partially opened mandibles
laterally to and fro with a considerable degree of elegance, munching
the fry, insects, or small shell-fish, which they secure, before swallow-
ing them. When there are many together, one usually acts as senti-
nel, unless a Heron should be near; and in either case you may des-
pair of approaching them. I have never seen one of these birds feed-
ing in fresh water, although I have been told that this is sometimes
the case. To all those keys in the Floridas in which ponds have been
dug for the making of salt, they usually repair in the evening for the
purpose of feeding ; but the shallow inlets in the great salt marshes of
our southern coasts are their favourite places of resort.
The Roseate Spoonbills alight on trees with as much facility as
Herons, and even walk on their large branches. They usually nestle on
the tops of the mangroves, placing their nests at the distance of a few
yards from each other. They are formed 6f sticks of considerable size
and are flat, like most of those of the Heron tribe. The eggs are laid
about the middle of April, and are usually three. They measure two
inches and five-eighths in length, an inch and seven-eighths in their
greatest breadth, are slightly granulated, almost equally rounded at
both ends, and have a pure white colour. I have never seen the young
when recently hatched ; but when able to fly they are greyish-white.
The bill is then quite smooth, of a yellowish-green colour, as are the
legs and feet, as well as the skin on part of the head. Young birds in
their second year have the wings and the lower wing-coverts of a pale
roseate tint, the bill more richly coloured, and the legs and feet dark
brownish-red, or purplish. At this age, they are unadorned with the
curling feathers on the breast ; but in the third spring the bird is per-
fect, although it increases in size for several seasons after. I have never
seen one of these birds of the bright red colour assigned to them by
some authors.
While on one of the islands of Galveston Bay in Texas, I found
eight or ten nests of these birds, placed in low cactuses, amid some
hundreds of nests belonging to Herons of different species, but was not
rendered aware of the fact until I compared the eggs found there with
those procured in the Floridas, although I did at the time mention to
192 ROSEATE SPOONBILL.
my friend Kpwarp Haxris, and to my son, that I thought the eggs
and nests of which I speak were those of the Roseate Spoonbill and
not of the Herons. What rendered the fact doubtful, however, was,
that no Spoonbills were to be seen, as they had all betaken themselves
to flight on hearing the reports of our guns.
In connection with the procuring of some of these birds, I find a
rather curious occurrence recorded in my journal. On the 2d of May
1837, my party and I went on shore from the Revenue Cutter the
“ Campbell,” on the island of Galveston, for the purpose of obtaining
fish and prawns, the latter of which are in that country extremely
abundant, and certainly the largest I have ever seen. Our fishing over,
we were on the point of returning, when we saw three Spoonbills alight
on a sand-bar, and almost immediately proceed to the water in search
of food. My son was despatched after them, and having waded through
some muddy parts of the inlet on the shore of which we were standing,
he succeeded in getting near, and killed the finest of the three. Al-
most at the same instant, the back fins of a large fish, resembling those
of a shark, were seen meandering above the surface of the shallow wa-
ters. My son received prompt intelligence of this, to enable him to make
good his return. The monster moved about rather slowly, and Joun
having rammed home a couple of bullets, lodged them in its body, on
which it floundered about apparently in great agony. One of our boats
immediately pushed toward the spot, and my son was taken on board,
while the animal used its best efforts to get into deeper water. Now
sailors and all joined in the chase. The gun was again charged with
balls, my son waded once more towards it, and lodged the missiles in
its body, while from the bow of the boat it received several blows from
the oars and gaff-hook. The tars all leaped into the water, and the
bleeding fish was at once closely beset. The boatswain at a single
lucky stroke cut off its tail, and having afterwards fastened the hook in
one of its eyes, we dragged it to the beach. About a hundred Mexi-
can prisoners, Texian soldiers, and officers, were there; but instead
of our prize turning out a shark, it proved to be a sawfish, measur-
ing rather more than twelve feet in length. From its body we took
out alive ten young ones. It was cut into pieces by the Mexican pri-
soners, and soon devoured. Five or six of the young were put into
rum, and ultimately carried to England.
The feathers of the wings and tail of the Roseate Spoonbill are ma-
Pratt:
ROSEATE SPOONBILL. 193
nufactured into fans by the Indians and Negroes of Florida; and at St
Augustine these ornaments form in some degree a regular article of
trade. Their flesh is oily and poor eating.
Prataxea Asasa, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 231.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 668.
—Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 346.
RosEaTE SroonBit1, Pratatea Asasa, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vii. p. 123, pl. 63,
fig. 1.— Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 79.
Adult Male. Plate CCCXXI.
Bill very long, excessively depressed, being when viewed laterally
very slender, but when seen from above nearly as broad as the head at
the base, considerably contracted in the middle, and at the end expanded
into a large obovate disk much broader than the head. Upper mandi-
ble with the dorsal outline almost straight, descending at the base, at
the tip decurved, the ridge extremely broad and flat, gradually widen-
ing beyond the nostrils, at the end terminated by the very small, de-
curved, blunt claw; the sides declinate at the base, horizontally flat-
tened towards the end, separated in their whole length from the ridge
by a narrow groove, their margins soft and blunt. Nostrils basal, ob-
long-linear, of moderate size. Lower mandible with the angle very
long, narrow, rounded, the crura narrow, and gradually flattened, the
extremity expanded into a flattened disk as in the upper. The man-
dibles are covered with soft skin, which for half their length is rough
with roundish plates having their anterior margin somewhat prominent.
Head of moderate size, flattened above. Neck long and slender.
Body compact, ovate. Legs long and rather slender ; tibia bare in its
lower half, and reticulate ; tarsus rather long, stout, roundish, covered
all round with reticulated subhexagonal scales; toes rather long, mode-
rately stout, covered above with numerous scutella, but at the base re-
ticulated ; first more slender, articulated on the same plane; second
considerably shorter than third, which is in the same proportion ex-
ceeded by the fourth. Claws moderate, arched, compressed, laterally
grooved, rather obtuse.
The head, gular sac, and a small part of the neck, destitute of
feathers. Those on the neck linear or lanceolate, small, with dis-
united barbs ; a tuft on the lower and fore part of the neck recurved
and silky. The feathers on the other parts are of moderate length,
VOL. Iv. N
194 ROSEATE SPOONBILL.
ovate, rather compact above, blended beneath. Wings long and very
broad ; primaries firm, broad, tapering, but rounded, the second longest,
the third next, the first a quarter of an inch shorter ; secondaries broad
and broadly rounded. Tail short, even, of twelve rather broad,
abruptly rounded feathers.
Bill yellowish-grey at the base, mottled with brownish-black, in the
rest of its extent pale greenish-blue, light on the margins; base of
margin of lower mandible greenish-yellow. Iris bright carmine. Feet
pale lake ; claws brownish-black. Head yellowish-green ; space around
the eye and the gular sac orpiment orange; a band of black from the
lower mandible to the occiput. Feathers of the neck white. Back
and wings of a beautiful delicate rose colour; the lower parts of a
deeper tint; the tuft of recurved feathers on the fore neck, a broad
band across the wing along the cubitus, and the upper and lower tail-
coverts, of a rich and pure carmine with silky lustre. The shafts of
all the quills and scapulars are light carmine. On each side of the
lower part of the neck and fore part of the body a patch of pale ochre.
Tail feathers ochre-yellow, but at the base pale roseate, with the shafts
carmine.
Length to end of tail 302 inches, to end of wings 293, to end of
claws 36; extent of wings 53; bill 7; breadth of gape 13, depth of
pouch 2; breadth of bill at the base 13; at the end 2;4; bare part of
tibia 3; tarsus 4; hind toe and claw 114; second toe and claw 2;% ;
middle toe and claw 33%: outer toe and claw 3;;; wing from flexure
151; tail 42. Weight 4 lb. 2 oz.
The female is smaller, but resembles the male.
Length to end of tail 28 inches, to end of wings 28, to end of claws
353; extent of wings 48. Weight 3 lb.
The affinities of this remarkable bird being variously represented °
by authors, it becomes a matter of considerable interest to determine
its relations according to its internal organs. The skin is thin, but
tough, and the subcutaneous cellular tissue is largely developed. In
these respects its affinity is to the Ibises and Curlews, as much at least
as to any other birds. On the roof of the mouth are two rows of blunt
papille, as in many Scolopacide. The tongue is extremely small,
being only 3 twelfths of an inch in length, but 7 twelfths in breadth at
the base, where it is emarginate and furnished with numerous delicate
ROSEATE SPOONBILL. 195
papille, the outer much larger. The gular membrane is very dilatable
and of the same general nature as that of the Cormorants and Pelicans,
haying a longitudinal series of muscular fibres along the centre, with
two layers of fasciculi interposed between the external skin and the
internal, the inner fasciculi running parallel to the lower mandible, the
outer transversely. The bill is similar to that of the Pelican’s modi-
fied, the middle part or ridge being flattened, and the unguis abbre-
viated. he breadth of the mouth is within 14, inch. The external
aperture of the ear isroundish, 4 twelfths in diameter, that of the mea-
tus oblique, oblong, 3 twelfths across. The cesophagus, a b, is 17 inches
long (including the proventriculus, as in all the other measurements) ;
its diameter at the top 12 inch, at the distance of six inches, it contracts
to 5 twelfths, then for four inches enlarges, having its greatest diameter
1,4, inch; between the coracoid bones it again contracts to half an inch,
and on entering the thorax enlarges to an inch. The proventriculus
is bulbiform, 13 inch long, its glandules very large, cylindrical, the
longest being } inch, and 1 twelfth in diameter. The stomach, cd, is a
powerful gizzard of a roundish form, 1 inch 11 twelfths long, and 1 inch
10 twelfths broad; the muscular fibres disposed in large fasciculi all
around, but not forming distinct lateral muscles; the central tendons
very large, being 10 twelfths in diameter ; the cuticular lining exces-
sively thick, of a rather soft texture, divided by deep longitudinal ir-
regular fissures, its greatest thickness’ being about half an inch. The
intestine def is very long, measuring 8 feet 94 inches, of moderate
diameter, varying from 4 to 34 twelfths. It is compactly and beautifully
arranged in very numerous somewhat concentric folds, being coiled up
like a rope, the duodenum de, curving backwards and upwards over the
stomach for five inches, then returning, and enclosing the pancreas, until
under the right lobe of the liver where it receives the biliary ducts.
The cloaca is globular, 2 inches in diameter when distended ; the rec-
tum, exclusive of the cloaca 34 inches, and having at its upper extre-
mity two bulging knobs in place of cceca. Now, the cesophagus and
proventriculus are those of a Numenius, the stomach that of a Heron
in the arrangement of its fasciculi, and in the softness of its epithe-
lium ; but otherwise it differs in being much larger and more muscu-
lar. ‘The intestines are thicker and more muscular than those of
Herons, and differ more especially in having two ccecal appendages,
which however are extremely short, whereas the herons have merely
a single coecal prominence.
n 2
196 ROSEATE SPOONBILL.
The heart, g, is remarkably large, being 1 inch and 10 twelfths long,
1 inch and a half in breadth. The lobes of the liver, h, i, are very large,
and about equal, their greatest length being 3 inches; the gall-bladder
globular, 8 twelfths in diameter. One of the testes is 11 twelfths long,
9 twelfths broad; the other 10 twelfths by 7 twelfths; their great size
being accounted for by the individual’s having been killed in the breed-
ing season.
In a female of much smaller size the cesophagus is 15 inches long ;
the stomach 2 inches in length, 1 inch and 9 twelfths broad; the in-
testine 7 feet 7 inches. The contents of the stomach, fishes, shrimps,
and fragments of shells.
One of the most remarkable deviations from ordinary forms in this
bird is the division of the trachea previous to its entering the thorax. It may
be described as very short, a little flattened, and quite membranous,
the rings being cartilaginous and very thin. Its diameter at the top
is 5 twelfths, and it is scarcely less at the lower part, where, half-way
down the neck, is formed an inferior larynx, /, which is scarcely enlarged.
The two bronchi /m, /m, are in consequence excessively elongated.
They are compressed, 5 twelfths in diameter at the commencement,
gradually contracting to 3 twelfths, and enlarging a little towards the
end; and are singular in this respect that the rings of the upper fourth
are incomplete, the tube being completed by membrane in the usual man-
ner, whereas in the rest of their extent, the rings are elliptical, entire,
stronger, and those at the lower part united or anchylosed on the inner
side. The rings of the trachea are 105, of the two bronchi 73 and 71.
The contractor muscles are feeble and terminate at the lower larynx;
from which no muscle extends along the bronchi, which, until they
enter the thorax, run parallel and in contact, being enclosed within a
common sheath of dense cellular tissue. The bronchi have the last ring
much enlarged, and open into a funnel, which passing backwards and
terminating in one of the abdominal cells, is perforated above with
eight or ten transverse elliptical slits, which open into similar tubes or
tunnels, opening in the same manner into smaller tubes, and thus
ramifying through the lungs.
In the male bird, of which the upper part of the trachea has been
destroyed, there are in one bronchus 80, in the other 71 rings, 20 of
the upper rings being incomplete.
The vertebre of the neck have no resemblance to those of Herons.
ROSEATE SPOONBILL. 197
nor does that part curve in the same abrupt manner ; and the sternum
is in all essential respects similar to that of the Curlews, Tringas, and
other birds of that family, it having a very prominent crest, with two
In fact, the sternum of Tringa
deep posterior notches on each side.
Cinclus is almost an exact miniature of it.
Sa J)
The compact form of the body, its great muscularity, the form of
the legs, the length and slenderness of the neck, the form and bareness
of the head, and the elongation of the bill, especially when it is lateral-
ly viewed, all indicate an affinity to the Tantali and Numenii. But
the Spoonbills are also allied in various degrees to the Herons and Pe-
licanine ; so that they clearly present one of those remarkable centres
of radiation, demonstrative of the absurdity of quinary and circular ar-
rangements, founded merely on a comparison of skins.
( 198 ')
RED-HEADED DUCK.
FuLicuiLaA FERINA, STEPHENS.
PLATE CCCXXII. Mate ann FEemate.
Ar New Orleans, this bird is commonly known by the name of
“‘ Dos Gris.” It arrives there in great flocks, about the first of No-
vember, and departs late in April, or in the beginning of May. On the
lakes Borgne, St John, and Ponchartrain, it is very abundant, keeping
in large flocks, separate from the other species. In that part of the
country its food consists of small fishes, in pursuit of which it is seen
constantly diving. It is caught in different sorts of nets, and easily
kept in confinement, feeding greedily on Indian corn, whether entire
or crushed by the millstone. In 1816, many thousands of these ducks
as well as others of different species, were caught in nets by a French-
man, who usually sent them alive to market in cages from the narrows
of the Lakes, especially from those called “ La pointe aux herbes,”
and the “ Isle aux pins.” So many of them, however, were procured
by this man, that he after a while gave up sending them alive, on ac-
count of the great difficulty he encountered in procuring a sufficient
number of cages for their accommodation.
Although Dr RicHarpson informs us that this species breeds “ in
all parts of the fur-countries, from the fiftieth parallel to their most
northern limits,” I saw none of these birds during the spring and sum-
mer months which I spent on the coast of Labrador. I was equally
unsuccessful in my search for it in Newfoundland. Indeed, I have ne-
ver observed it eastward of the State of Massachusetts, although from
thence it is more and more abundant the farther south you proceed,
until you reach the tributaries of the Mississippi. Beyond the mouths
of that river, these birds are rarely seen; and when I was there in
April 1837, none were observed by my party or myself after we had
left the south-west Pass on our way westward. In the Texas none
were even heard of. From these circumstances I have inferred that,
along with several other species, the Red-headed Duck reaches the
Middle and Southern States by passing overland or following our
great streams, such as the Ohio, Missouri, and Mississippi, westward,
RED-HEADED DUCK. 199
and the North River, and others eastward, both in its vernal and au-
tumnal migrations. This I am the more inclined to believe, on ac-
count of the great numbers which on such occasions I have seen in
ponds in the States of Hlinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky.
I found it abundant in the marshes near St Augustine, in Kast
Florida, on the 8th November 1831, when the young males of that
year had the breast and lower neck mottled with brown and blackish
feathers ; and yet whilst at General Hernanbez’s, in that district, on
the 20th of December, they were in almost perfect plumage. At this
latter period they were shy, and kept in company with Mallards, Ame-
rican Wigeons, Scaup Ducks, and Spoonbills, generally in shallow fresh-
water ponds, at some distance from the sea shore. In south Carolina,
these ducks are now.much more abundant than they were twenty years
ago, especially on the Santee River, where my friend Dr Samuge. Wit-
son has shot many of them, as well as of the Canvass-back species.
The Red-headed Duck may be said to be equaily fond of salt and
fresh water, and is found in abundance, during its stay with us, on the
Chesapeake Bay, especially in the month of March, when it associates
with the Canvass-back and other Ducks, and is offered for sale in the
Baltimore markets in great numbers. ‘Chere I have seen them sold at
75 cents the pair, which was lower by 25 cents than their price at New
Orleans in April 1837.
Although they dive much and to a great depth, while in our bays
and estuaries, yet when in the shallow ponds of the interior, they are
seen dabbling the mud along the shores, much in the manner of
the Mallard ; and on occasionally shooting them there, I have found
their stomach crammed with young tadpoles and small water-lizards,
as well as blades of the grasses growing around the banks. Nay, on
several occasions, I have found pretty large acorns and beech-nuts in
their throats, as well as snails, entire or broken, and fragments of the
shells of various small unios, together with much gravel.
In confinement, they do not exhibit that degree of awkwardness
attributed to them when on land. It is true that the habitual shorten-
ing of the neck detracts from their beauty, so that in this state they
cannot be said to present a graceful appearance ; yet their aspect has
always been pleasing to my sight. Their notes are rough and coarse,
and bear less resemblance to the eries of those species which are pe-
culiar to fresh water than those of any other of their tribe. Their flight
200 RED-HEADED DUCK.
is performed in a hurried manner, and they start from the water pell-
mell; yet they can continue very long on wing, and the motions of
their pinions, especially at night, produce a clear whistling sound.
The fine pair from which I made the two figures in the plate were
given me by my friend Dante, WezsTER, Esq. of Boston, Massachu-
sets, whose talents and accomplishments are too well known to require
any eulogium from me.
The flesh of this bird is generally esteemed, insomuch that many
persons know no difference between it and that of the Canvass-back
Duck, for which it is not unfrequently sold; but I look upon it as far
inferior to that of many other ducks. Individuals of both sexes vary
much in size. On comparing American with European skins, I am
unable to perceive any difference of colour or proportions indicative of
specific distinction.
Anas Ferina, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 31—JZath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii p. 862.
Rep-HEADED Duck, Anas Frertna, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p. 110, pl. 70,
fig. 6.
Fuxieura Frerina, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 392.
Fuuieura Ferina, Richards. and Swains. Fauna Bor.-Amer. vol. ii. p. 452.
Tue RepD-HEADED Duck, or Pocnarp, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 434.
Adult Male. Plate CCCXXII. . Fig. 1.
Bill as long as the head, deeper than broad at the base, the mar-
gins parallel, slightly dilated towards the end, which is rounded, the
frontal angles rather narrow and pointed. Upper mandible with the
dorsal line at first straight and declinate, then slightly concave, direct
for a short space near the tip, where it is incurved, the ridge broad and
concave at the base, narrowed at the middle, enlarged and convex at
the end; the sides nearly erect at the base, becoming anteriorly more
and more declinate and convex, the edges curved, with about 45 la-
melle, the unguis elliptical, and abruptly rounded at the end. Nostrils
submedial, oblong, rather large, pervious, near the ridge, in an oblong
depression covered with soft membrane. Lower mandible flattened,
being but slightly convex, with the angle very long and rather narrow,
the dorsal line very short and slightly convex, the erect edges with
about 55 inferior lamellz ; the unguis obovate and abrupt.
Head rather large, compressed, convex above. Eyes small. Neck
RED-HEADED DUCK. 201
of moderate length, rather thick. Body full, depressed. Wings small.
Feet very short, strong, placed rather far behind ; tarsus very short,
compressed, anteriorly with narrow scutella continuous with those of
the middle toe, and having another series commencing half-way down
and continuous with those of the outer toe, the rest reticulated with
angular scales. Hind toe small, with an inner expanded margin or
web; middle toe nearly double the length of the tarsus, outer a little
shorter. Claws small, compressed, that of the first toe very small and
curved, of the third toe larger and more expanded than the rest.
Plumage dense, soft, blended. Feathers of the upper part of the
- head small and rather compact, of the rest of the head and neck small,
blended, and glossy. Wings shortish, narrow, pointed; primary quills
strong, tapering, the first longest, the second almost as long, the rest
rapidly diminishing; secondary quills broad and rounded, the inner
elongated and tapering. ‘Tail very short, much rounded, or wedge-
shaped, of fourteen feathers.
Bill light greyish-blue, with a broad band of black at the end, and
a dusky patch anterior to the nostrils. Iris orange-yellow. Head and
neck all round, for more than half its length of a rich brownish-red,
glossed with carmine above. A broad belt of brownish-black occupies
the lower part of the neck, and the fore part of the body, of which the
posterior part is of the same colour, more extended on the back
than under the tail. Back and scapulars pale greyish-white, very mi-
nutely traversed by dark brownish-grey lines; the sides and abdomen
similar, the undulations gradually fading away into the greyish-white
of the middle of the breast; upper wing-coverts brownish-grey, the
feathers faintly undulated with whitish toward the end. Primary
quills brownish-grey, dusky along the outer web and at the end ; secon-
daries ash-grey, narrowly tipped with white, the outer faintly tinged
with yellow, and almost imperceptibly dotted with whitish, four or five
of the inner of a purer tint tinged with blue, and having a narrow
brownish-black line along the margin; the innermost like the scapulars
but more dusky. ‘Tail brownish-grey, towards the end lighter. Axillar
feathers and lower wing-coverts white. Feet dull greyish-blue, the
webs dusky, the claws black.
Length to end of tail 20 inches, to end of wings 182, to end of claws
22; extent of wings 33; wing from flexure 9,4,; tail 2,8; bill along
the ridge 2, from the tips of the frontal processes 2;4, ; tarsus 14, first toe
202 RED-HEADED DUCK.
and claw +$; second toe 172, its claw #4, third toe 2,5, its claw 43 ;
fourth toe 2,%, its claw 34. Weight 24 lb. '
Adult Female. Plate CCCXXII. Fig. 2.
The female has the bill of a dusky bluish-grey, with a broad band
of black at the end, and a narrow transverse blue line, narrower than
in the male. Iris yellow. Feet as in the male, the head and upper
part of the neck dull reddish-brown, darker above, and lighter on the
fore part of the cheeks and along a streak behind the eye. The rest
of the neck all round, and the upper parts in general, are dull greyish-
brown, the feathers paler at their extremity; the flanks and fore part
of the neck dull reddish-brown, the feathers broadly tipped with pale
greyish-brown The wings are as in the male, but of a darker tint,
and without undulations. The tail as in the male. Lower wing-
coverts light grey, those in the middle-white ; middle of breast greyish-
white, hind part of abdomen light brownish-grey.
Length to end of tail 21 inches, to end of claws 233; extent of
wings 323. Weight 2 lb. 7 oz.
The following account of the digestive organs is taken from a Bri-
tish specimen, an adult male, examined by Mr Macetttivray in March
1836.
The tongue is 1 inch and 10 twelfths long, 63 twelfths broad, its
sides furnished with two series of bristly filaments. The cesophagus
is 11 inches long, with a diameter of nearly 5 twelfths at the top, 8
twelfths at the lower part of the neck. The proventriculus has a dia-
meter of 9 twelfths ; its glandules are cylindrical, and 2 twelfths long.
The stomach is an extremely powerful gizzard, of an elliptical form,
compressed, oblique, its length 23 inches, its breadth 1%; its lateral
muscles more than half an inch thick; the cuticular coat rather thin,
but very tough, slightly rugous, with two circular thicker parts oppo-
-site the centres of the lateral muscles. The upper part forms a small
sae, from which the duodenum comes off; the pylorus without valve.
The intestine is 5 feet 4 inches long, narrowest in its upper part
where its diameter is 4 twelfths, widest at the middle, where it is 63
twelfths, near the cceca ;°5. The rectum is 5} inches long, its diameter
6 twelfths; the cceca 7 inches long, nearly cylindrical, 4 twelfths in
diameter, a little narrower at the commencement.
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( 203 )
BLACK SKIMMER OR RAZOR-BILLED SHEARWATER.
RHYNCHOPS NIGRA, Linn.
PLATE CCCXXIII. Mate.
Tus bird, one of the most singularly endowed by nature, is a con-
stant resident on all the sandy and marshy shores of our more southern
States, from South Carolina to the Sabine River, and doubtless also in
Texas, where I found it quite abundant in the beginning of spring.
At this season parties of Black Skimmers extend their movements east-
ward as far as the sands of Long Island, beyond which however I have
not seen them. Indeed in Massachusetts and Maine this bird is known
only to such navigators as have observed it in the southern and tropical
regions,
To study its habits therefore, the naturalist must seek the exten-
sive sand-bars, estuaries, and mouths of the rivers of our Southern
States, and enter the sinuous bayous intersecting the broad marshes
along their coasts. There, during the warm sunshine of the winter
days, you will see thousands of Skimmers, covered as it were with their
gloomy mantles, peaceably lying beside each other, and so crowded
together as to present to your eye the appearance of an immense black
pall accidentally spread on the sand. Such times are their hours of
rest, and I believe of sleep, as, although partially diurnal, and per-
fectly able to discern danger by day, they rarely feed then, unless
the weather be cloudy. On the same sands, yet apart from them,
equal numbers of our common Black-headed Gulls may be seen enjoy-
ing the same comfort in security. Indeed the Skimmers are rarely at
such times found on sand or gravel banks which are not separated
from the neighbouring shores by some broad and deep piece of water.
I think I can safely venture to say that in such places, and at the
periods mentioned, I have seen not fewer than ten thousand of these
birds in a single flock. Should you now attempt to approach them,
you will find that as soon as you have reached within twice the range
of your long duck-gun, the crowded Skimmers simultaneously rise on
204 BLACK SKIMMER.
their feet, and watch all your movements. If you advance nearer, the
whole flock suddenly taking to wing, fill the air with their harsh cries,
and soon reaching a considerable height, range widely around, until, your
patience being exhausted, you abandon the place. When thus taking
to wing in countless multitudes, the snowy white of their under parts
gladdens your eye, but anon, when they all veer through the air, the black
of their long wings and upper parts produces a remarkable contrast to
the blue sky above. Their aérial evolutions on such occasions are pecu-
liar and pleasing, as they at times appear to be intent on removing to a
great distance, then suddenly round to, and once more pass almost over
you, flying so close together as to appear like a black cloud, first as-
cending, and then rushing down like a torrent. Should they see that
you are retiring, they wheel a few times close over the ground, and
when assured that there is no longer any danger, they alight pell-mell,
with wings extended upwards, but presently closed, and once more
huddling together they lie down on the ground, to remain until forced
off by the tide. When the Skimmers repose on the shores of the main-
land during high-water, they seldom continue long on the same spot,
as if they felt doubtful of security; and a person watching them at
such times might suppose that they were engaged in searching for
food.
No sooner has the dusk of evening arrived than the Skimmers be-
gin to disperse, rise from their place of rest singly, in pairs, or in
parties from three or four to eight or ten, apparently according to the
degree of hunger they feel, and proceed in different directions along
parts of the shores previously known to them, sometimes going up
tide-rivers to a considerable distance. They spend the whole night
on wing, searching diligently for food. Of this I had ample and satis-
factory proof when ascending the St John River in East Florida, in
the United States’ Schooner the Spark. The hoarse cries of the
Skimmers never ceased more than an hour, so that I could easily know
whether they were passing upwards or downwards in the dark. And
this happened too when I was at least a hundred miles from the mouth
of the river.
Being aware, previously to my several visits to the peninsula of
the Floridas and other parts of our southern coasts where the Razor-
bills are abundant, of the observations made on this species by M.
BLACK SKIMMER. 205
Lesson, I paid all imaginable attention to them, always aided with
an excellent glass, in order to find whether or not they fed on bivalve
shell-fish found in the shallows of sand-bars and other places at low
water ; but not in one single instance did I see any such occurrence, and
in regard to this matter I agree with Wrtson in asserting that, while
with us, these birds do not feed on shell-fish. M. Lesson’s words are
as follows :—“ Quoique le Bec-en-ciseaux semble defavorisé par la
forme de son bec, nous acquimes la preuve qu'il savait s’en servir avec
avantage et avec la plus grande adresse. Les plages sabloneuses de
Peuce sont en effect remplies de Mactres, coquilles bivalves, que la
marée descendente laisse presque 4 sec dans des petites mares; le
Bec-en-ciseaux trés au fait de cet phenomene, se place aupres de ces
mollusques, attend que leur valves s’entrouvrent un peu, et profite
aussitot de ce movement en enforcant la lame inferieure et tranchante
de son bec entre les valves qui se reserrent. L’oiseaux enleve alors
la coquille, la frappe sur la greve, coupe le ligament du mollusque, et
peut ensuite avaler celui-ci sans obstacle. Plusieurs fois nous avons
été temoins de cet instinct trés perfectionne¢.”
While watching the movements of the Black Skimmer as it was
searching for food, sometimes a full hour before it was dark, I have
seen it pass its lower mandible at an angle of about 45 degrees into
the water, whilst its moveable upper mandible was elevated a little above
the surface. In this manner, with wings raised and extended, it
ploughed as it were, the element in which its quarry lay to the extent
of several yards at a time, rising and falling alternately, and that as
frequently as it thought it necessary for securing its food when in
sight of it; for I am certain that these birds never immerse their lower
mandible until they have observed the object of their pursuit, for which
reason their eyes are constantly directed downwards like those of Terns
and Gannets. I have at times stood nearly an hour by the side of a
small pond of salt water having a communication with the sea or a bay,
while these birds would pass within a very few yards of me, then ap-
parently quite regardless of my presence, and proceed fishing in the
manner above described. Although silent at the commencement of
their pursuit, they become noisy as the darkness draws on, and then
give out their usual call notes, which resemble the syllables hurh, hurk,
twice or thrice repeated at short intervals, as if to induce some of their
companions to follow in their wake. I have seen a few of these birds
206 BLACK SKIMMER.
glide in this manner in search of prey over a long salt-marsh bayou, or
inlet, following the whole of its sinuosities, now and then lower them-
selves to the water, pass their bill along the surface, and on seizing a
prawn or a small fish, instantly rise, munch and swallow it on wing.
While at Galveston Island, and in the company of my generous friend
Epwarp Harris and my son, I observed three Black Skimmers, which
having noticed a Night Heron passing over them, at once rose in
the air, gave chase to it, and continued their pursuit for several hun-
dred yards, as if intent on overtaking it. Their cries during this chase
differed from their usual notes, and resembled the barkings of a very
small dog.
The flight of the Black Skimmer is perhaps more elegant than that
of any water bird with which I am acquainted. The great length of
its narrow wings, its partially elongated forked tail, its thin body and ex-
tremely compressed bill, all appear contrived to assure it that buoyancy
of motion which one cannot but admire when he sees it on wing. Itis
able to maintain itself against the heaviest gale ; and I believe no in-
stance has been recorded of any bird of this species having been forced
inland by the most violent storm. But, to observe the aérial move-
ments of the Skimmer to the best advantage, you must visit its haunts
in the love season. Several males, excited by the ardour of their desires,
are seen pursuing a yet unmated female. The coy one, shooting aslant
to either side, dashes along with marvellous speed, flying hither and
thither, upwards, downwards, in all directions. Her suitors strive to
overtake her; they emit their love-cries with vehemence ; you are
gladdened by their softly and tenderly enunciated ha, ha, or the hack,
hack, cae, cae, of the last in the chase. Like the female they all per-
form the most curious zigzags, as they follow in close pursuit, and as
each beau at length passes her in succession, he extends his wings for
an instant, and in a manner struts by her side. Sometimes a flock is
seen to leave a sand-bar, and fly off in a direct course, each individual
apparently intent on distancing his companions; and then their mingling
eries of ha, ha, hack, hack, cae, cae, fill the air. I once saw one of these
birds fly round a whole flock that had alighted, keeping at the height
of about twenty yards, but now and then tumbling as if its wings had
suddenly failed, and again almost upsetting, in the manner of the
Tumbler Pigeon.
On the 5th of May 1837,I was much surprised to find a large flock
BLACK SKIMMER. | 207
of Skimmers alighted and apparently asleep, on a dry grassy part of
the interior of Galveston Island in Texas, while I was watching some
marsh hawks that were breeding in the neighbourhood. On returning
to the shore, however, I found that the tide was much higher than usual,
in consequence of a recent severe gale, and had covered all the sand
banks on which I had at other times observed them resting by day.
The instinct or sagacity which enables the Razor-bills, after being
scattered in all directions in quest of food during a long night, often at
great distances from each other, to congregate again towards morning,
previously to their alighting on a spot to rest, has appeared to me truly
wonderful; and I have been tempted to believe that the place of ren-
dezvous had been agreed upon the evening before. They have a great
enmity towards Crows and Turkey Buzzards when at their breeding
ground, and on the first appearance of these marauders, some dozens of
Skimmers at once give chase to them, rarely desisting until quite out
of sight.
Although parties of these birds remove from the south to betake
themselves to the eastern shores, and breed there, they seldom arrive
at Great Egg Harbour before the middle of May, or deposit their eggs
until a month after, or about the period when, in the Floridas and on
the coast of Georgia and South Carolina, the young are hatched. To
these latter sections of the country we will return, Reader, to observe
their actions at this interesting period. Were I to speak of the vast
numbers that congregate for the purpose of breeding, some of my
readers might receive the account with as little favour as they have ac-
corded to that which I have given of the wild pigeons; and therefore
I will present you with a statement by my friend the Rev. Joun
Bacuman, which he has inserted in my journal. ‘‘ These birds are
very abundant, and breed in great numbers on the sea islands at Bull’s
Bay. Probably twenty thousand nests were seen at a time. The
sailors collected an enormous number of their eggs. The birds screamed
all the while, and whenever a Pelican or Turkey Buzzard passed near,
they assailed it by hundreds, pouncing on the back of the latter, that
came to rob them of their eggs, and pursued them fairly out of sight.
They had laid on the dry sand, and the following morning we observed
many fresh-laid eggs, when some had been removed the previous after-
noon.” Then, Reader, judge of the deafening angry cries of such a
multitude, and see them all over your head begging for mercy as it
208 BLACK SKIMMER.
were, and earnestly urging you and your cruel sailors to retire and
leave them in the peaceful charge of their young, or to settle on their
lovely rounded eggs, should it rain or feel chilly.
The Skimmer forms no other nest than a slight hollow in the ©
sand. The eggs, I believe, are always three, and measure an inch and
three quarters in length, an inch and three-eighths in breadth. As if
to be assimilated to the colours of the birds themselves, they have a
pure white ground, largely patched or blotched with black or very dark
umber, with here and there a large spot of a light purplish tint. They
are as good to eat as those of most Gulls, but inferior to the eggs of
Plovers and other birds of that tribe. The young are clumsy, much
of the same colour as the sand on which they lie, and are not able to fly
until about six weeks, when you now perceive their resemblance to their
parents. They are fed at first by the regurgitation of the finely macerated
contents of the gullets of the old birds, and ultimately pick up the shrimps,
prawns, small crabs, and fishes dropped before them. As soon as they are
able to walk about, they cluster together in the manner of the young
of the Common Gannet, and it is really marvellous how the parents
can distinguish them individually on such occasions. This bird walks
in the manner of the Terns, with short steps, and the tail slightly
elevated. When gorged and fatigued, both old and young birds are
wont to lie flat on the sand, and extend their bills before them; and
when thus reposing in fancied security, may sometimes be slaughtered
in great numbers by the single discharge of a gun. When shot at while
on wing, and brought to the water, they merely float, and are easily
secured. If the sportsman is desirous of obtaining more, he may easily
do so, as others pass in full clamour close over the wounded bird.
Ruyncnoprs nicra, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol i. p. 228.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 802.
—Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 352.
Brack Skimmer, or SHEAR-waTER, Ruyncuors nicra, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol.
vii. p. 85, pl. 60, fig. 4.— Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 264.
Adult Male. Plate CCCXXIII.
_ Bill longer than the head, nearly straight, tetragonal at the base,
suddenly extremely compressed, and continuing so to the end. Upper
mandible much shorter than the lower, its dorsal outline very slightly
convex, its ridge sharp, the sides erect, more or less convex, the edges
BLACK SKIMMER. 209
approximated so as to leave merely a very narrow groove between them ;
the tip a little rounded when viewed laterally. Nasal groove rather
short, narrow near the margin; nostrils linear-oblong, sub-basal in the
_soft membrane. Lower mandible with the angle extremely short, the
dorsal outline straight or slightly decurved, the sides erect, the edges
united into a very thin blade which fits into the narrow groove of the
upper mandible, the tip rounded or abrupt when viewed laterally.
Head rather large, oblong, considerably elevated in front. Neck short
and thick. Body short, ovate, and compact. Feet short, moderately
stout ; tibia bare below, with narrow transverse scutella before and be-
hind ; tarsus short, moderately compressed, anteriorly covered with
broad scutella, reticulated on the sides and behind; toes very small ;
the first extremely short, and free; the inner much shorter than the
outer, which is but slightly exceeded by the middle toe; the webs very
deeply concave at the margin, especially the inner. Claws long, com-
pressed, tapering, slightly arched, rather obtuse, the inner edge of the
middle toe dilated and extremely thin. Plumage moderately full, soft,
and blended ; the feathers oblong and rounded. Wings extremely
elongated, and very narrow: the primary quills excessively long; the
first longest, the rest rapidly graduated ; the secondaries short, broad,
incurved, obliquely pointed, some of the inner more elongated. Tail
rather short, deeply forked, of twelve feathers, disposed in two inclined
planes. )
Bill of a rich carmine, inclining to vermilion for about half its
length, the rest black. Iris hazel. Feet of the same colour as the base
of the bill, claws black. The upper parts are deep brownish-black ;
the secondary quills, and four or five of the primaries, tipped with white ;
the latter on their inner web chiefly. Tail-feathers black, broadly mar-
gined on both sides with white, the outer more extensively ; the middle
tail-coverts black, the lateral black on the inner and white on the outer
web. A broad band of white over the forehead, extending to the fore
part of the eye; cheeks and throat of the same colour; the rest of the
neck and lower parts in spring and summer of a delicate cream-colour ;
axillary feathers, lower wing-coverts, and a large portion of the se-
condary quills, white; the coverts along the edge of the wing black.
Length from point of upper mandible to end of tail 20 inches, to
end of wings 244, to end of claws 17; to carpal joint 8}; extent of
wings 48; upper mandible 3}; its edge 33; from base to point of lower
VOL. Iv. 6)
210 BLA€K SKIMMER.
mandible 43; depth of bill at the base 1; wing from flexure 15% ; tail
to the fork 33; to end of longest feather 51; tarsus 11; hind toe and
claw 7‘; middle toe }$; its claw 74. Weight 13 oz.
The female, which is smaller, is similar to the male, but with the
tail-feathers white, excepting a longitudinal band including the shaft.
Length to end of tail 16%, to end of wings 20}, to end of claws 164,
to carpus 8; extent of wings 443. Weight 10 oz.
After the first autumnal moult, there is on the hind part of the neck
a broad band of white mottled with greyish-black ; the lower parts
pure white, the upper of a duller black; the bill and feet less richly
coloured.
Length to end of tail 16} inches, to end of wings 20, to end of claws
143, to carpus 63; extent of wings 42.
In some individuals at this period, the mandibles are of equal
length.
The palate is flat, with two longitudinal series of papille directed
backwards. The upper mandible is extremely contracted, having inter-
nally only a very narrow groove, into which is received the single thin
edge of the lower mandible. The posterior aperture of the nares is 1,5,
inch long, with a transverse line of papille at the middle on each side,
and another behind. The tongue is sagittiform, 64 twelfths long, with
two conical papillz at the base, soft, fleshy, flat above, horny beneath.
Aperture of the glottis 43 twelfths long, with numerous small papille
behind. Lobes of the liver equal, 14 inch long. The heart of mode-
rate size, 1; long, 10 twelfths broad.
The cesophagus, of which only the lower portion, a, is seen in the
figure, is 8 inches long, gradually contracts from a diameter of 1 inch
to 4 twelfths, then enlarges until opposite the liver, where its greatest
diameter is 174. Its external transverse fibres are very distinct, as
are the internal longitudinal. The proventriculus, 6, is 9 twelfths
long, its glandules extremely small and numerous, roundish, scarcely
a quarter of a twelfth in length. The stomach, ¢, d, e, is rather small,
oblong, 1 inch 4 twelfths long, 11 twelfths broad, muscular, with the
lateral muscles moderate. The cuticular lining of the stomach is dis-
posed in nine broad longitudinal ruge of a light red colour, as in the
smaller Gulls and Terns. Its lateral muscles are about 4 twelfths thick,
BLACK SKIMMER. 211
the tendons, ¢, 6 twelfths in diameter. The intestine is 2 feet 4 inches
long, its average diameter 23 twelfths. The rectum is 2 inches long.
One of the cceea is 4, the other 3 twelfths, their diameter 1} twelfths.
In another individual, the intestine is 22+ inches long; the coeca 5
twelfths long, 1 twelfth in diameter; the rectum 1} inch long; the
cloaca 9 twelfths in diameter.
The trachea is 53 inches long, round, but not ossified, its diameter
at the top 5 twelfths, contracting gradually to 24 twelfths. The late-
ral or contractor muscles are small; the sterno-tracheal slender ; there
is a pair of inferior laryngeals, going to the last ring of the trachea.
The number of rings is 90, and a large inferior ring. The bronchi are
of moderate length, but wider, their diameter being 34 twelfths at the
upper part; the number of their half-rings about 18.
The digestive organs of this bird are precisely similar to those of
the Terns and smaller Gulls, to which it is also allied by many of its
habits.
C eee
BONAPARTIAN GULL.
Larus BONAPARTII, SWAINS.
PLATE CCCXXIV. Mate, Femate, anp Youne.
My first acquaintance with this species took place whilst I was at
Cincinnati, in the beginning of August 1819. I was crossing the Ohio,
along with Mr Rozert Best, then curator of the Cincinnati Museum,
for the purpose of visiting the Cliff Swallows which had taken up their
abode on the walls of the garrison on the Kentucky side, when we ob-
served two Gulls sweeping gracefully over the tranquil waters. Now
they would alight side by side, as if intent on holding a close conversa-
tion; then they would rise on wing and range about, looking down-
wards with sidelong glances, searching for small fishes, or perhaps eye-
ing the bits of garbage that floated on the surface. We watched them
for nearly half an hour, and having learned something of their manners,
shot one, which happened to be a female. On her dropping, her mate
almost immediately alighted beside her, and was shot. There, side by
side, as in life, so in death, floated the lovely birds. One, having a dark
bluish nearly black head, was found to be the male ; the other, with a
brown head, was a female. On the 12th of November 1820, I shot one
a few miles below the mouth of the Arkansas, on the Mississippi, which
corresponded in all respects with the male just mentioned.
No sooner do the shads and old-wives enter the bays and rivers of
our Middle Districts, than this Gull begins to shew itself on the coast,
following these fishes as if dependent upon them for their support, which
however is not the case, for at the time when these inhabitants of the
deep deposit their spawn in our waters, the Gull has advanced beyond
the eastern limits of the United States. However, after the first of
April, thousands of Bonapartian Gulls are seen gambling over the wa-
ters of Chesapeake Bay, and proceeding eastward, keeping pace with
the shoals of fishes.
During my stay at Eastport in Maine, in May 1833, these Gulls
were to be seen in vast numbers in the harbour of Passamaquody at
high water, and in equal quantities at low water on all the sand and
mud-bars in the neighbourhood. They were extremely gentle, searcely
—
BONAPARTIAN GULL. 213
heeded us, and flew around our boats so close that any number might
have been procured. My son Joun shot seventeen of them at a single
discharge of his double-barrelled gun, but all of them proved to be
young birds of the preceding year. On examining these specimens, we
found no development of the ovaries in several, which, from their smaller
size, we supposed to be females, nor any enlargement of the testes in the
males ; and as these young birds kept apart from those which had brown
and black hoods, I concluded that they would not breed until the fol-
lowing spring. Their stomachs were filled with coleopterous «insects,
which they caught on the wing, or picked up from the water, into
which they fell in great numbers when overtaken by a cold fog, while
attempting to cross the bay. On the 24th of August 1831, when at
Eastport with my family, I shot ten of these Gulls. The adult birds
had already lost their dark hood, and the young were in fine plumage:
In the stomach of all were shrimps, very small fishes, and fat substances.
The old birds were still in pairs.
When exploring the Bay of Fundy, in May 1833, I was assured by
the captain and sailors, as well as the intelligent pilot of the Revenue
Tender, the Nancy, that this Gull bred in great abundance on the
islands off Grand Manan; but unfortunately I was unable to certify
the fact, as I set out for Labrador previous to the time at which they
breed in that part of the country. None of them were observed on any
part of the Gulf of St Lawrence, or on the coast of Labrador or New-
foundland. In winter this species is common in the harbour of Charles-
ton, but none are seen at that season near the mouths of the Missis-
sippi.
The flight of this Gull is light, elevated, and rapid, resembling in
buoyancy that of some of our Terns more than that of most of our
Gulls, which move their wings more sedately. 1 found the adult birds
-in moult in August. Although their notes are different from those of
all our other species, being shriller and more frequent, I am unable to
represent them intelligibly by words
Since I began to study the habits of Gulls, and observe their changes
of plumage, whether at the approach of the love season, or in autumn,
I have thought that the dark tint of their hoods was in the first instance
caused by the extremities of the feathers then gradually changing from
white to black or brown, without the actual renewal of the feathers
themselves, as happens in some species of land-birds. At Eastport, I
214 BONAPARTIAN GULL.
had frequent opportunities of seeing the black-hooded males copulating
with the brown-hooded females, so that the colour of the head in the
summer season is really distinctive of the sexes. I found in London a
pair of these birds, of which the sexes were distinguished by the co-
lour of the head, and which had been brought from Greenland. They
were forwarded by me to the Earu of Dersy, in whose aviaries they
are probably still to be seen.
This is certainly the species described in the Fauna Boreali-Ame-
ricana under the same name; but it is there stated that the females
agree precisely with the males, their hood being therefore ‘“ greyish-
black ;” which I have never found to be the case. As to the Larus
capistratus of Bonaparte’s Synopsis, I have nowhere met with a Brown-
headed Gull having the tail ‘‘ sub-emarginate ;” and I infer that the bird
described by him under that name is merely the female of the present
species.
Larus Bonapartil, BonaPaRTIAN GULL, Richards. and Swains. Fauna Bor.-Amer.
vol. ii. p. 425.
Brown-mMaskED Gutt, Larus capistratus, Bonap. Amer. Ornith., vol. iv.
Female.
Larus caPistratTus, Oh. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 358.
Bonapartian Guux, Wuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 294.
Adult Male in Spring Plumage. Plate CCCXXIV. Fig. 1.
Bill shorter than the head, nearly straight, slender, compressed.
Upper mandible with its dorsal line straight to the middle, then curved
and declinate, the ridge narrow, the sides slightly convex, the edges
sharp and a little inflected, the tips narrow but rather obtuse, with a
slight notch on each side. Nasal groove rather long and narrow; nos-
trils in its fore part, longitudinal, submedial, linear, pervious. Lower
mandible with a slight prominence at the end of the angle, which is
long and narrow, the dorsal line then ascending and slightly concave,
‘the ridge convex, the sides nearly erect and flattened.
Head of moderate size, ovate, narrowed anteriorly, convex above.
Eyes of moderate size. Neck rather short. Body rather slender.
Wings very long. Feet of moderate length, rather strong ; tibia bare
below for a short space, covered behind with narrow scutella; tarsus
compressed, anteriorly covered with numerous scutella and three in-
BONAPARTIAN GULL. 215
ferior series of transverse scalés, laterally with oblong scales, poste-
riorly with oblique scutella. Toes slender, with numerous scutella;
first extremely small, second considerably shorter than fourth, third
longest ; anterior toes connected by reticulated webs, of which the an-
terior margins are deeply concave, the outer and inner slightly margi-
nate. Claws small, compressed, moderately arched, rather obtuse, that
of middle toe with an expanded inner edge.
Plumage full, close, soft, blended. Wings very long and pointed ;
primaries tapering and rounded, first longest, second very little shorter,
the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries obliquely pointed, the rounded
extremity extending beyond the tip’ of the shaft, which is exterior to
it, the inner feathers more elongated. Tail of moderate length, al-
most even, the middle feathers slightly longer.
Bill black, inside of mouth vermilion. Iris reddish hazel. Feet
orange, slightly tinged with vermilion; claws dusky brown. Head
‘and upper part of neck all round, greyish-black, that colour extending
half an inch lower on the throat than on the occiput. A white band
divided by a narrow black line margining the eye behind; the remain-
ing part:of the neck white; back, scapulars and wings, light greyish-
blue. The anterior ridge of the wing, alula, smaller coverts on the
carpal margin, four outer primary coverts, shaft and inner web of the
outer primary, both webs of second, inner webs of third and fourth
white ; of which colour also are the rump, tail, and all the lower parts.
Outer web of first quill, excepting a small portion towards the end, its
tip to the length of half an inch, black, as are the ends of the next six,
which however have a small tip of white. the black on some of them
about an inch long, andrunning along the inner edge to a considerable
extent:
Length to end of tail 143 itiches, to end of wings 15%, to end of
claws 131; extent of wings 321; wing from flexure 103; tail 45% ;
bill along the ridge 1,4, along the edge of lower mandible 1}2; tarsus
1; hind toe and claw #,; middle toe 1,%; its claw #4, outer toe
14,, its claw 23; inner toe }3, its claw 7}. Weight 64 oz.
Adult Female. Plate CCCXXIV. Fig. 2.
The female is somewhat smaller, and resembles the male, but has
the head and upper part of the neck umber brown.
216 BONAPARTIAN GULL.
Young in December. Plate CCCXXIV. Fig. 3.
Bill greyish-black, iris dark brown ; feet flesh-coloured, claws dusky.
Head and neck greyish-white ; a small black patch about an inch be-
hind the eye on each side. Upper parts dull bluish-grey, many of the
wing-coverts greyish brown, edged with paler; quills as in the adult ;
rump and tail white, the latter with a broad band of black at the end,
the tips narrowly edged with whitish.
Length to end of tail 133, to end of wings 158, to end of claws 13;
extent of wings 324 inches. Weight 6 oz.
The white spots on the tips of the wings vary greatly in size, and
are frequently obliterated when the feathers become worn.
Palate with five series of small distant papille. Tongue 1 inch 13
twelfths long, slender, tapering to a slit point, emarginate and pa-
pillate at the base, horny towards the end. Aperture of posterior
nares linear, 9 twelfths long. Heart 1 inch long, 9 twelfths broad.
Right lobe of liver 1 inch 11 twelfths long, the other lobe 1 inch 7
twelfths.
The cesophagus is 63 inches long, very wide with rather thin pa-
rietes, its average diameter when dilated 10 twelfths, within the
thorax enlarged to 1 inch 2 twelfths. ‘The transverse muscular fibres
are distinct, the internal longitudinal less so; the mucous coat longi-
tudinally plicate. The proventriculus is } inch long, with very nu-
merous small glandules. The stomach is a small oblong gizzard, 10
twelfths long, 8 twelfths broad ; its lateral muscles rather large, as are
its tendons. ‘The inner coat or epithelium is of moderate thickness,
dense, with nine longitudinal broad ruge, and of a brownish-red colour.
The intestine is 243 inches long, its diameter 2 twelfths. The rec-
tum is 13 inch long. The cceca are 2 twelfths long, 1 twelfth in dia-
meter, cylindrical and obtuse.
The intestine of another individual, a male, is 203 inches long, 3
twelfths in diameter.
The trachea is 3 inches 10 twelfths long, its diameter at the top
3 twelfths, at the lower part 2} twelfths, the rings very feeble, unos-
sified, about 130 in number. The sterno-tracheal muscles are very
slender, as are the contractors ; and there is a pair of inferior laryngeals.
The bronchi are of moderate length, with about 18 half rings.
(4218)
BUFFEL-HEADED DUCK.
FULIGULA ALBEOLA, Bonap.
PLATE CCCXXV. Mate ann FEMALE.
THERE are no portions of the Union on the waters of which this
beautiful miniature of the Golden-eye Duck is not to be found, either
during the autumnal months or in winter; and, therefore, to point out
any particular district as more or less favoured by its transient visits
would be useless. ‘The miller’s dam is ornamented by its presence ;
the secluded creeks of the Middle States are equally favoured by it as
the stagnant bayous and lakesof Lower Louisiana ; in the Carolinas and
on the Ohio, it is not less frequent ; it being known in these different
districts by the names of Spirit Duck, Butter-box, Marrionette, Dip-
per, and Die-dipper. It generally returns from the far north, where
it is said to breed, about the beginning of September, and many reach
the neighbourhood of New Orleans by the middle of October, at which
period I have also observed them in the Floridas. Their departure
from these different portions of our country varies from the beginning
of March to the end of May. On the 11th of that month in 1833, I
shot some of them near Eastport in Maine. None of them have, I
believe, been found breeding within the limits of the Union. During
the period of their movements towards the north, I found them ex-
ceedingly abundant on the waters of the Bay of Fundy, the males in
flocks, and in full dress, preceding the females about a fortnight, as is
the case with many other birds.
The Marrionette—and I think the name a pretty one—is a very
hardy bird, for it remains at times during extremely cold weather on
the Ohio, when it is thickly covered with floating ice, among which it
is seen diving almost constantly in search of food. When the river is
frozen over, they seek the head waters of the rapid streams, in the tur-
bulent eddies of which they find abundance of food. Possessed of a
feeling of security arising from the rapidity with which they can dive,
they often allow you to go quite near them, though they will then
watch every motion, and at the snap of your gun, or on its being dis-
charged, disappear with the swiftness of thought, and perhaps as quick-
218 BUFFEL-HEADED DUCK.
ly rise again, within a few yards as if to ascertain the cause of their
alarm. I have sometimes been much amused to see the apparent glee
with which these little Dippers would thus dive at the repeated snap-
pings of a miserable flint lock, patiently tried by some vagrant boys,
who becoming fatigued with the ill luck of their piece. would lay it
aside, and throw stones at the birds, which would appear quite pleased.
Their flight is as rapid as that of our Hooded Merganser, for they
pass through the air by regularly repeated beats of their wings, with
surprising speed; and yet this is the best time for the experienced
sportsman to shoot them, as they usually fly low. Their note is a
mere croak, much resembling that of the Golden-eye, but feebler. At
the approach of spring, the males often swell their throats and expand
the feathers of the head, whilst they utter these sounds, and whilst
moving with great pomposity over the waters. Often too, they charge
against each other, as if about to engage in combat, but I have never
seen them actually fighting.
When these birds return to us from the north, the number of the
young so very much exceeds that of the old, that to find males in full
plumage is much more uncommon than toward the time of their de-
parture, when I have thought the males as numerous as the females.
Although at times they are very fat, their flesh is fishy and disagree-
able. Many of them, however, are offered for sale in our markets.
I have often found some of them on inland ponds, which they seemed
loth to leave, for, although repeatedly shot at, they would return. Their
food is much varied according to situation. On the sea-coast, or in es-
tuaries, they dive after shrimps, small fry, and bivalve shells; and in
fresh-water, they feed on small crayfish, leeches, and snails, and even
grasses.
Not having found any of these birds in Labrador or Newfoundland,
I am unable to say anything as to their nests. Dr Ricuarpson states,
that they frequent the rivers and fresh-water lakes throughout the Fur
Countries in great numbers, but does not mention having observed them
breeding. As in almost all other species of this family, the young of
both sexes in autumn resemble the adult female. Dr Townsenp has
found this species on the streams of the Rocky Mountains, and it has
been observed as far westward as Monterey in New California.
BUFFEL-HEADED DUCK. 219
Anas Atseota, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 199.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 867.
Anas BucEPHALA, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 200; Anas RusTICca, p. 201.
BurreL-HEADED Duck, Anas AtBEota, Wilson, American Ornith. vol. viii. p. 51,
pl. 67, fig. 2, 3.
Fuxrieguta ALBEota, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of United States, p. 394.
Cianeuta AtBEoxa, Spirit Ducx, Richards. and Swains. Fauna Bor.-Amer. vol.
ii, p, 458,
Spirit Ducx, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 445.
Adult Male. Plate CCCXXV. Fig. 1.
Bill much shorter than the head, comparatively narrow, deeper than
broad at the base, gradually depressed towards the end, which isrounded.
Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight and sloping to the mid-
dle, then nearly straight, at the end decurved ; the ridge broad and
flat at the base, narrowed between the nostrils, convex towards the end,
the sides convex, the edges soft, with about thirty-five lamelle, the un-
guis oblong. Nostrils submedial, linear, pervious, nearer the ridge
than the margin. Lower mandible flat, ascending, curved at the base,
the angle long, rather narrow, the dorsal line very slightly convex, the
edges with about forty lamelle, the unguis broadly elliptical.
Head rather large, compressed. . Eyes of moderate size. Neck
short and thick. Body compact, depressed. Feet very short, placed
far back ; tarsus very short, compressed, having anteriorly in its whole
length a series of small scutella, and above the outer toe a few broad
scales, the rest covered with reticular angular scales. Hind toe very
small, with a free membrane beneath; anterior toes longer than the
tarsus, connected by reticulated membranes, having a sinus on their
free margins, the inner with a narrow lobed marginal membrane, the
outer with a thickened edge, the third and fourth about equal and
longest, all covered above with numerous narrow scutella. Claws small,
slightly arched, obtuse, that of first toe very small, of third largest, and
with an inner thin edge.
Plumage dense, soft and blended. Feathers on the fore part of the
head very small and rounded, on the upper and hind parts linear and
elongated, as they also are on the lateral and hind parts of the upper
neck, so that when raised, they give the head an extremely tumid ap-
pearance, which is the more marked that the feathers of the neck im-
mediately beneath are short. Wings very small, decurved, pointed ;
the outer primaries pointed, the first longest, the rest rapidly graduated ;
220 BUFFEL-HEADED DUCK.
the secondaries incurved, obliquely rounded, the inner much elongated
and acuminate. Tail short, graduated, of sixteen feathers.
Bill light greyish-blue. Iris hazel. Feet very pale flesh-colour,
claws brownish-black. Fore part of the head of a deep rich green, up-
per part rich bluish-purple, of which colour also are the elongated fea-
thers on the fore part and sides of the neck, the hind part of the lat-
ter deep green; a broad band of pure white from one cheek to the other
over the occiput. The coloured parts of the head and neck are splen-
dent and changeable. The rest of the neck, the lower parts, the outer
seapulars, and a large patch on the wing, including the greater part
of the smaller coverts and some of the secondary coverts and quills,
pure white, the scapulars narrowly margined with black, as are the in-
ner lateral feathers. Axillary feathers brownish-black, some of them
white on the margins and towards the end ; lower wing-coverts brown-
ish-black, the smaller tipped with white. The back. inner scapulars,
and inner secondary quills, velvet-black. The feathers on the ante-
rior edge of the wing are black, narrowly edged with white; alula,
primary coverts, and primary quills deep black. The feathers on the
rump gradually fade into greyish-white, and those of the tail are brown-
ish-grey, with the edges paler, and the shafts dusky.
Length to end of tail 143 inches, to end of wings 133, to end of
claws 153; extent of wings 23; wing from flexure 63; tail 31; bill
along the ridge 1;%, along the edge of lower mandible 154; tarsus 1,%,
hind toe and claw 7; outer toe 274, its claw 24; middle toe 2, its
claw #4; inner toe and claw 1,4. Weight 1 lb.
Adult Female. Plate CCCXXV. Fig. 2.
The female is much smaller. The plumage of the head is not
elongated as in the male, but there is a ridge of longish feathers down
the occiput and nape. Bill darker than that of the male; feet grey-
ish-blue, with the webs dusky. Head, upper part of neck, hind neck,
back and wings, greyish-brown ; a short transverse white band from
beneath the eye, and a slight speck of the same on the lower eyelid.
Six of the secondary quills white on the outer web. Lower parts
white, shaded into light greyish-brown on the sides ; tail dull greyish-
brown.
Length to end of tail 13 inches, to end of claws 133, to end of wings
113; extent of wings 22}. Weight 8 oz.
BUFFEL-HEADED DUCK. 221
Individuals of both sexes differ much in size, and in the tints of
their plumage.
In an adult male, the tongue is 1 inch and 2 twelfths long, fleshy,
and of the same general form as in the other ducks already described.
The cesophagus is 62 inches long, passes along the right side, has a
diameter at the top of 44 twelfths, enlarges about the middle to 9
twelfths, and contracts to } inch as it enters the thorax. The proven-
triculus is 1 inch long, 8 twelfths in its greatest diameter, its glandules,
which are of moderate size, forming a complete belt, as in all other
ducks. The stomach is a muscular gizzard of a roundish form, 1 inch
5 twelfths long, 1 inch 4 twelfths in breadth; its lateral muscles 5
twelfths in thickness ; its epithelium tough, hard, and slightly rugous.
The intestine is 3 feet 11 inches long; its average diameter 3 twelfths,
its walls thick, and its inner surface villous. The rectum is 3 inches
long; the coeca 2} inches in length, their diameter at the commence-
ment 1 twelfth, towards the end 2 twelfths.
The trachea is 5 inches long, much flattened, its rings unossified,
its diameter at the top 2% twelfths, towards the lower part 3 twelfths,
having scarcely any appearance of dilatation at the part which is so
excessively enlarged in the Golden-eyed Duck, which in form and ha-
bits is yet very closely allied. The lateral muscles are strong, and
there are cleido-tracheal and sterno-tracheal muscles, as in other ducks.
( 222 )
COMMON GANNET.
SULA BASSANA, LACEP.
PLATE CCCXXVI. Aputr Mate anp Youne.
On the morning of the 14th of June 1833, the white sails of the
Ripley were spread before a propitious breeze, and onward she might
be seen gaily wending her way toward the shores of Labrador. We
had well explored the Magdalene Islands, and were anxious to visit
the Great Gannet Rock, where, according to our pilot, the birds
from which it derives its name bred. For several days I had ob-
served numerous files proceeding northward, and marked their mode
of flight while thus travelling. As our bark dashed through the heay-
ing billows, my anxiety to reach the desired spot increased. At length,
about ten o’clock, we discerned at a distance a white speck, which our
pilot assured us was the celebrated rock of our wishes. After a while
I could distinctly see its top from the deck, and thought that it was
still covered with snow several feet deep. As we approached it, I
imagined that the atmosphere around was filled with flakes, but on my
turning to the pilot, who smiled at my simplicity, I was assured that
nothing was in sight but the Gannets and their island home. I rubbed
my eyes, took up my glass, and saw that the strange dimness of the
air before us was caused by the innumerable birds, whose white bodies
and black-tipped pinions produced a blended tint of light-grey. When
we had advanced to within half a mile, this magnificent veil of floating
Gannets was easily seen, now shooting upwards, as if intent on reach-
ing the sky, then descending as if to join the feathered masses below,
and again diverging toward either side and sweeping over the surface
of the ocean. The Ripley now partially furled her sails, and lay to,
when all on board were eager to scale the abrupt sides of the mountain
isle, and satisfy their curiosity.
Judge, Reader, of our disappointment. The weather, which hi-
therto had been beautiful, suddenly changed, and we were assailed by
a fearful storm. However, the whale-boat was hoisted over, and
manned by four sturdy “ down-easters,” along with THomas LincoLn |
CQMMON GANNBET. 223
and my son. I remained on board the Ripley, and commenced my
distant observations, which I shall relate in due time.
An hour has elapsed; the boat, which had been hid from our
sight, is now in view ; the waves run high, and all around looks dis-
mal. See what exertions the rowers make ; it blows a hurricane, and
each successive billow seems destined to overwhelm their fragile bark.
My anxiety is intense, as you may imagine; in the midst of my friends
and the crew I watch every movement of the boat, now balanced on the
very crest of a rolling and foaming wave, now sunk far into the deep
trough. We see how eagerly yet calmly they pull. My son stands
erect, steering with a long oar, and Lincotn is bailing the water
which is gaining on him, for the spray ever and anon dashes over the bow.
But they draw near, a rope is-thrown and caught, the whale-boat is
hauled close under our lee-board; in a moment more all are safe on
deck, the helm round, the schooner to, and away under bare poles she
scuds toward Labrador.
Tuomas Lincoxn and my son were much exhausted, and the sailors
required a double allowance of grog. A quantity of eggs of various
kinds, and several birds, had been procured, for wherever sufficient
room for a gannet’s nest was not afforded on the rock, one or two Guil-
lemots occupied the spot, and on the ledges below the Kittiwakes lay
thick like snow-flakes. The discharging of their guns produced no other
effect than to cause the birds killed or severely wounded to fall into
the water, for the cries of the countless multitudes drowned every other
noise. The party had their clothes smeared with the nauseous excre-
ments of hundreds of gannets and other birds, which in shooting off
from their nests caused numerous eggs to fall, of which some were pro-
cured entire. The confusion on and around the rock was represented
as battling all description ; and as we gazed on the mass now gradually
fading on our sight, we all judged it well worth the while to cross the
ocean to see such a sight. But yet it was in some measure a painful
sight to me, for I had not been able to land on this great breeding-
place, of which, however, I here present a description given by our
pilot Mr Gopwin. ;
“‘ The top of the main rock is a quarter of a mile wide, from north
to south, but narrower in the other direction. Its elevation is esti-
mated at about four hundred feet. It stands in Lat. 47° 52’. The
surf beats its base with great violence, unless after a long calm, and it
is extremely difficult to land upon it, and still more so to ascend to the
224 COMMON GANNET.
top or platform. The only point on which a boat may be landed lies”
on the south side, and the moment the boat strikes it must be hauled
dry on the rocks. The whole surface of the upper platform is closely
covered with nests, placed about two feet asunder, and in such regular
order that a person may see between the lines, which run north and
south, as if looking along the furrows of a deeply ploughed field. The
Labrador fishermen and others who annually visit this extraordinary
resort of the Gannets, for the purpose of procuring their flesh to bait
their cod-fish hooks, ascend armed with heavy short clubs, in parties
of eight, ten, or more, and at once begin their work of destruction.
At sight of these unwelcome intruders, the affrighted birds rise on
wing with a noise like thunder, and fly off in such a hurried and con-
fused manner as to impede each other’s progress, by which thousands
are forced downwards, and accumulate into a bank many feet high ;
the men beating and killing them with their clubs until fatigued, or
satisfied with the number they have slain.” Here Mr Gopwin assu-
red us that he had visited the Gannet Rock ten seasons in succession,
for the purpose just mentioned, and added, that on one of these oc-
casions, “six men had destroyed five hundred and forty Gannets in
about an hour, after which the party rested a while, and until most
of the living birds had left their immediate neighbourhood, for all
around them, beyond the distance of about a hundred yards, thou-
sands of Gannets were yet sitting on their nests, and the air was
filled with multitudes of others. The dead birds are now roughly
skinned, and the flesh of the breast cut up in pieces of different sizes,
which will keep good for bait about a fortnight or three weeks. So
great is the destruction of these birds for the purpose mentioned, that
the quantity of their flesh so procured supplies with bait upwards of
forty boats, which lie fishing close to the Island of Brion each season.
By the 20th of May the rock is covered with birds on their nests and
eggs, and about a month afterwards the young are hatched. The earth
is scratched by the birds for a few inches deep, and the edges surrounded
by sea-weeds and other rubbish, to the height of eight or ten inches,
tolerably well matted together. Each female Gannet lays a single egg,
which is pure white, but not larger than a good-sized hen’s egg. When
the young are hatched, they are bluish-black, and for a fortnight or
more their skin is not unlike that of the common dog-fish. They gra-
dually become downy and white, and when five or six weeks old look
like great lumps of carded wool.”
COMMON GANNET. 225
I was well pleased with this plain statement of our pilot, as I had
with my glass observed the regularity of the lines of nests, and seen
many of the birds digging the earth with their strong bills, while hun-
dreds of them were carrying quantities of that long sea-weed called
Kel-grass, which they seem to bring from towards the Magdalene
Islands. While the Ripley lay to near the rock, thousands of the Gan-
nets constantly flew over our heads; and although I shot at and brought
several to the water, neither the reports nor the sight of their dead
companions seemed to make any impression on them.
On weighing several of the Gannets brought on board, I found them
to average rather more than seven pounds ; but Mr Gopwin assured me
that when the young birds are almost ready to fly, they weigh eight
.and sometimes nine pounds. This I afterwards ascertained to be
true, and I account for the difference exhibited at this period by the
young birds, by the great profusion of food with which their parents
supply them, regardless in a great measure of their own wants. The
Pilot further told me that the stench on the summit of the rock was
insupportable, covered as it is during the breeding season, and after
the first visits of the fishermen, with the remains of carcasses of old and
young birds, broken and rotten eggs, excrements, and multitudes of
fishes. He added that the Gannets, although cowardly birds, at times
stand and await the approach of a man, with open bill, and strike furious
and dangerous blows. Let me now, Reader, assure you that unless
you had seen the sight witnessed by my party and myself that day, you
could not form a correct idea of the impression it has to this moment
left on my mind.
The extent of the southward migration of the Gannet, after it has
reared its young, is far greater perhaps than has hitherto been supposed.
I have frequently seen it on the Guif of Mexico, in the latter part of
autumn and in winter; and a few were met with, in the course of my
last expedition, as far as the entrance of the Sabine River into the Bay
of Mexico. Being entirely a maritime species, it never proceeds in-
land, unless forced by violent gales, which have produced a few such
instances in Nova Scotia and the State of Maine, as well as the Fiori-
das, where I saw one that had been found dead in the woods two days
after a furious hurricane. The greater number of the birds of this spe-
cies seen in these warm latitudes during winter are young of that or
the preceding year. My friend Jorn Bacuman has informed me that
VOL. Iv. Pp
226 COMMON GANNET.
during one of his visits to the Sea Islands off the shores of South
Carolina, on the 2d of July 1836, he observed a flock of Gannets
of from fifty to an hundred, all of the colouring of the one in my plate,
and which was a bird in its first winter plumage. They were seen
during several days on and about Cole’s Island, at times on the sands,
at others among the rolling breakers. He also mentions having heard
Mr Giuzs, an acquaintance of his, who knows much about birds, say, ,
that in the course of the preceding summer he had seen a pair of Gan-
nets going to, and returning from, a nest inatree! This is in ac-
cordance with the report of Captain Narotron CostE, who commanded
the United States Revenue Cutter, the Campbell, placed at my dispo-
sal during my visit to the Texas, and who was Lieutenant as well as Pilot
of the Marion. He stated that he had found a breeding place on the
coast of Georgia, occupied by a flock of old, and therefore White Gan-
nets, the nests of all of which were placed upon trees. No one can be
greatly surprised at these reports, who knows, as I do, that the Brown
Gannet, Sula fusca, breeds both on trees and on dry elevated sand bars.
During winter months I have generally observed single birds at some
considerable distance from the shore out at sea, sometimes indeed be-
yond what mariners call soundings, but rarely young ones, they generally
keeping much nearer to the shores, and procuring their food in shallower
water.
The flight of the Gannet is powerful, well sustained, and at times
extremely elegant. While travelling, whether in fine or foul weather,
they fly low over the surface of the water, flapping their wings thirty
or forty times in succession, in the manner of the Ibis and the Brown
Pelican, and then sailing about an equal distance, with the wings at
right angles to the body, and the neck extended forwards. But, Reader,
to judge of the elegance of this bird while on wing, I would advise you to
gaze on it from the deck of any of our packet ships, when her com-
mander has first communicated the joyful news that you are less than
three hundred miles from the nearest shore, whether it be that of merry
England or of my own beloved country. You would then see the power-
ful fisher, on well-spread pinions, and high over the water, glide
silently along, surveying each swelling wave below, and coursing with so
much ease and buoyancy as to tempt you to think that had you been
furnished with equal powers of flight, you might perform a journey of
eighty or ninety miles without the slightest fatigue in a single hour.
But perhaps at the very moment when these thoughts have crossed.
COMMON GANNET. 227
your mind, as they many times have crossed mine on such occasions,
they are suddenly checked by the action of the bird, which, intent on
filling its empty stomach, and heedless of your fancies, plunges headlong
through the air, with the speed of a meteor, and instantaneously snatches
the fish which its keen sight had discovered from on high. Now per-
chance you may see the snow-white bird sit buoyantly for a while on
the bosom of its beloved element. either munching its prey, or swallow-
ing it at once. Or perhaps, if disappointed in its attempt, you will see
it rise by continued flappings, shaking its tail sideways the while, and
snugly covering its broad webbed feet among the under coverts of that
useful rudder, after which it proceeds in a straight course, until its
wings being well supplied by the flowing air, it gradually ascends to its
former height, and commences its search anew.
In severe windy weather, I have seen the Gannet propelling itself
against the gale by sweeps of considerable extent, placing its body al-
most sideways or obliquely, and thus alternately, in the manner of Pe-
trels and Guillemots; and I have thought that the bird then moved
with more velocity than at any other time, except when plunging after
its prey. Persons who have seen it while engaged in procuring food,
must, like myself, have been surprised when they have read in books
that Gannets “ are never known to dive,” and yet are assured that they
“have been taken by a fish fastened to a board sunk to the depth of
two fathoms, in which case the neck has either been found dislocated,
or the bill firmly fixed in the wood.” With such statements before him,
one might think that his own vision had been defective, had he not
been careful to note down at once the result of his observations. And
as this is a matter of habit with me, I will offer you mine, good Reader,
not caring one jot for what has been said to you before on the subject.
I have seen the Gannet plunge, and afterwards remain under the
surface of the water for at least one minute at atime. On one occasion
of this kind. I shot one just as it emerged, and which held a fish firmly
in its bill, and had two others half-way down its throat. This has in-
duced me to believe that it sometimes follows its prey in the water,
and seizes several fishes in succession. At other times I have observed
the Gannet plunge amidst a shoal of launces so as scarcely to enter the
water, and afterwards follow them, swimming, or as it were running,
on the water, with its wings extended upwards, and striking to the
right and left until it was satiated. While on the Gulf of Mexico, I
228 COMMON GANNET.
wounded a Gannet, which, on falling to the water, swam so fast before
the boat, that we rowed about a quarter of a mile before we reached it,
when it suddenly turned towards us, opened its bill, as if intent on de-
fending itself, but was killed with the stroke of an oar by one of the
sailors. When shot at without even being touched, these birds-often
disgorge their food in the manner of Vultures; and this they always
do when wounded, if their stomach and gullet happen to be full.
Sometimes, after being wounded in the wings, they will float and allow
you to take them, without making any attempt to escape. Nay, my
young friend, GrorcE C. Suattuck, M.D., of Boston, while with me
at Labrador, caught one which he found walking amongst a great num-
ber of Guillemots, on a low and rocky island.
When they are on their favourite breeding rocks, and about to fly,
they elevate their head, throw it backward, open the bill, and emit a
loud prolonged ery, before launching themselves into the air, in doing
which they waddle a few paces with their wings partially extended.
After starting, their first motion is greatly inclined downwards, but they
presently recover, and seem to support themselves with ease. When
they are twenty or thirty yards off, you observe them shaking the tail
sideways, and then hiding their feet among the under coverts of the tail.
At other times they suddenly open their feet, moving them as if for
the purpose of grasping some object below, in the same manner as some
hawks, but only for a few moments, when again the tail is shaken, and
the feet hidden as before. They beat their wings and sail alternately,
even when flying around their breeding places.
On the ground the movements of the Gannet are exceedingly awk-
ward, and it marches with hampered steps, assisting itself with the
wings, or keeping them partially open, to prevent its falling. Their
walk, indeed, is merely a hobble. When the sun shines, they are fond
of opening their wings and beating them in the manner of Cormorants,
shaking the head meanwhile rather violently, and emitting their usual
uncouth guttural notes of cara, karew, karow. You may well imagine
the effect of a concert performed by all the Gannets congregated for
the purpose of breeding on such a rock as that in the Gulf of St Law-
rence, where, amidst the uproar produced by the repetition of these
notes, you now and then distinguish the loud and continued wolfish
howling-like sounds of those about to fly off.
The newly-finished nest of this bird is fully two feet high, and quite-
COMMON GANNET. 229
as broad externally. It is composed of seaweeds and maritime grasses,
the former being at times brought from considerable distances. Thus,
the Gannets breeding on the rocks in the Gulf of St Lawrence, carry
weeds from the Magdalene Islands, which are about thirtymiles distant.
The grasses are pulled or dug up from the surface of the breeding place
itself, often in great clods consisting of roots and earth, and leaving
holes not unlike the entrances to the burrows of the Puffm. The nests,
like those of Cormorants, are enlarged or repaired annually. The
single egg, of a rather elongated oval form, averages three inches and
one-twelfth in length, by two inches in its greatest breadth, and is
covered with an irregular roughish coating of white calcareous matter,
which on being scraped off, leaves exposed the pale greenish-blue tint
of the under layer.
The birds usually reach the rock when already paired, in files often
of hundreds, and are soon seen billing in the manner of Cormorants, and
copulating on the rocks, but never, like the birds just mentioned, on the
water, as some have supposed’ The period of their arrival at their breed-
ing grounds appears to depend much on the latitude of the place; for, on
the Bass Rock, in the Firth of Forth, which I had the pleasure of visiting
in the agreeable company of my learned friend Witttam MacciLLIvRay
and his son, on the 19th of August 1835, the Gannets are first seen in
February, whereas in the Gulf of St Lawrence they rarely reach the
Great Rock until the middle of April or beginning of May; and at
Chateau Beau in the Straits of Belle Isle, not until a fortnight or three
weeks later. Like the members of most large communities, the
Gannets, though so truly gregarious at this season, shew a considerable
degree of animosity towards their more immediate neighbours as soon
as incubation commences. A lazy bird perhaps, finding it easier to
rob the nest of its friend of weeds and sods, than to convey them
from some distant place, seizes some, on which the other resents
the injury, and some well-directed thrusts of their strong bills are
made, in open day and in full view of the assembled sitters, who rarely
fail to look on with interest, and pass the news from one to another,
until all are apprized of the quarrel. ‘Uhe time however passes on.
The patient mother, to lend more warmth to her only egg, plucks a few
of the feathers from some distance beneath her breast. In sunny
weather, she expands those of her upper parts, and passing her bili along
their roots, destroys the vile insects that lurk there. Should a boister-
230 COMMON GANNET.
ous gale or a thick cold fog mar the beauty of the day, she gathers
her apparel around her, and shrinks deeper into her bed; and should —
it rain, she places her body so as to prevent the inundation of ‘her
household. How happy, Reader, must she be when now and then her
keen eyes distinguish in the crowd her affectionate mate, as he returns
from the chase, with loaded bill, and has already marked ‘her among
the thousand beauties all equally anxious for the arrival of their lords !
Now by her side he alights as gently as is in his nature, presents her
with a welcome repast, talks perhaps cheeringly to her, and again
opening his broad wings departs in search of a shoal of herrings. At
length, the oval chest opens, and out crawls the tender young ; but lo!
the little thing is black. What a strange contrast to the almost pure
white of the parent! Yet the mother loves it, with all the tender-
ness of other mothers. She has anxiously expected its appearance,
and at once she nurses it with care; but so tender is it that she pre-
fers waiting a while before she feeds it. The time however soon comes,
and with exceeding care she provides some well macerated morsels
which she drops into its open mouth; so well prepared are they that
there is no instance on record of a Gannet, even of that tender age,
having suffered from dyspepsia or indigestion.
The male Gannet assists in incubating, though he sits less assi-
duously than the female; and, on such occasions, the free bird sup-
plies the other with food. The sight of the young Gannet just af-
ter birth might not please the eye of many, for it is then quite naked,
and of a deep bluish-black, much resembling a young Cormorant.
Its abdomen is extremely large, its neck thin, its head large, its eyes
as yet sightless, its wings but slightly developed. When you look at
it three weeks afterwards, it has grown much, and almost entirely
changed its colour, for, now, with the exception of certain parts of the
neck, the short thighs, and the belly, it is covered with yellowish soft
and thick down. In this state it looks perhaps as uncouth as at first,
but it grows so rapidly that at the end of three weeks more, you find
its downy coat patched with feathers in the most picturesque manner
imaginabie. Looking around you, you observe that all the young are
not of the same growth; for all the Gannets do not lay on the same
day, and probably all the young are not equally supplied with food.
At this period, the great eyrie looks as if all its parts had become
common property ; the nests, which were once well fashioned are
gee So
COMMON GANNET. 231
trampled down ; the young birds stand everywhere or anywhere ; lazy-
looking creatures they are, and with an appearance of non-chalance
which I have never observed in any other species of bird, and which
would lead you to think that they care as little about the present as
the future. Now the old birds are freed of part of their cares, they
drop such fish as they have obtained by the side of their young, and,
like Cormorants, Pelicans, or Herons, seldom bring a supply oftener
than once a-day. Strange to say, the young birds at this period do
not appear to pay the least attention to the old ones, which occasion-
ally alight near them, and drop fish for them te feed upon.
Gannets do not feed, as some have supposed, and as many have be-
lieved, on herring only; for I have found in their stomachs codlings
eight inches in length, as well as very large American mackerels,
which, bythe way, are quite different from those so abundantly met with
on the coasts,of Europe.
The young never leave the spot on which they have been reared
until they are well able to fly, when they separate from the old birds,
and do not rejoin them until at least a year after. Although I have
in a few instances found individuals yet patched with dark-grey spots,
and with most of their primary quills still black, I am confident that
it is not until the end of two years that they acquire their full plu-
mage. I have seen some with one wing almost pure black, and the
tail of that colour also ; others with the tail only black; and several
with pure black feathers interspersed among the general white plu-
mage.
I know of no other bird that has so few formidable enemies as the
Gannet. Not one of the species of Lestris with which I am acquaint-
ed, ever attempts to molest it; and, although I have seen the Frigate
Pelican in quest of food within a short distance of it, I never saw it
offer injury. The insular rocks on which it breeds are of course in-
accessible to quadrupeds. ‘The only animals, so far as I know, that
feed on the eggs or young, are the Larus marinus and Larus glaucus.
It is said that the Skua, Lestris Catarractes, sometimes pursues the
Gannets, but that species does not exist in North America; and I am
inclined to doubt the truth of this statement, for I have never seen
a Lestris of any kind attack a bird equal to itself in size and strength.
Soon after the young Gannets are able to fly, all the birds of the
species leave the breeding place, and absent themselves until the fol-
232 COMMON GANNET.
lowing season. While at Newfoundland, I was told that the English
and French fishermen who inhabit that country salt young Gannets for —
winter provision, as is done in Scotland; but I sawnone there. In my
estimation, the flesh of this bird is so bad that, as long as any other can
be procured, it ought to be rejected.
Tt is a curious fact, that the Gannets often procure mackerels or
herrings four or five weeks before the fishermen fall in with them on
our coast; but this is easily explained by their extensive wanderings.
Although this bird is easily kept in captivity, it is far from being a
pleasant pet. Its ordure is abundant, disagreeable to the eye as well
as the nose; its gait is awkward; and even its pale owl-like eyes glare
on you with an unpleasant expression. Add to this, the expense of its
food, and I can easily conceive that you will not give it a place in your
aviary, unless for the mere amusement of seeing it catch the food thrown
to it, which it does like a dog.
The feathers of the lower parts of the Gannet differ from those of
most other birds, in being extremely convex externally, which gives
the bird the appearance of being covered beneath with light shell-work,
exceedingly difficult to be represented in a drawing.
My highly esteemed and talented friend Wittiam MaceiLiivray
having given a full account of the habits of the Gannet, as observed
on the Bass Rock in Scotland, I here present it to you.
“ The Bass is an abrupt rock, having a basis of about a mile in cir-
cumference, and of an oblong form. The cliffs are perpendicular in
some places, overhanging in others, and everywhere precipitous, ex-
cepting at the narrow extremity next the land, where, sloping less
abruptly, they form at the base a low projection, on which is the only
landing-place. Above this are the ruins of the fortifications and houses,
the Bass having formerly been used as a State-prison. The rocks are
in some places apparently two hundred feet in height, and the summit,
towards which the surface rises in an irregular manner, is probably a
hundred and fifty feet higher. In as far as I observed, the whole mass
is of a uniform structure, consisting of trap, intermediate between
greenstone and clinkstone, of a duil brownish-red colour, and small
granular structure. Although a great portion of the upper surface of
the island is composed of rock, there is an abundant vegetation, con-
sisting chiefly of Festuca ovina, F’. duriuscula, and a few other grasses,
mixed with the plants usually found in maritime situations.
COMMON GANNET. 233
-« The circumstance connected with the Bass most interesting to the
Zoologist, is its being one of the few places in Britain to which the
Gannet resorts during the breeding season. The number which I saw
on the 13th May 1831, when I for the first time visited it along with
some friends, might be estimated at twenty thousand. Every part of
the mural faces of the rock, especially towards their summits, was more
or less covered by them. In one spot near the landing place, about
forty yards in circumference, and on a gentle slope of gravelly ground,
about three hundred individuals were sitting in peaceful security on
their nests. '
* The Gannets arrive about the middle of February or the beginning
of March, and depart in October ; some years a few individuals remain
during the winter. The nests are composed of grass and sea-weeds,
generally placed on the bare rock or earth, elevated in the form of a
truncated cone, of which the base is about twenty inches in diameter,
with a shallow terminal cavity. On the summit of the island are
numerous holes in the turf, from eight to fifteen inches deep, and
from six to nine broad, formed by the Gannets in pulling away grass
and turf for their nests. They are placed on all parts of the rocks
where a convenient spot occurs, but are much more numerous towards
the summit. Some of them on the face of the rock, or in a shallow
fissure, and which have been occupied for years, are piled up to the
height of from three to five feet, but in this case they always lean
against the rock. The egg, which is solitary, and presents nothing re-
markable in its position, is of an elongated oval form, bluish-white,
dull, with a chalky surface, usually patched with yellowish-brown
dirt. It is subjected to what might appear rough usage, for the bird
in alighting, flying off, or when disturbed by the intrusion of human
visitors, tosses it about, and often stands upon it.
“ When sitting, the Gannets usually allow a person to approach with-
in three feet, sometimes much nearer, so that one may even touch
them. When one approaches them, they merely open their bill, and
utter their usual cry, or they rise and express some degree of resent-
ment, but seem to have very little apprehension of danger. They take |
advantage of the absence of their neighbours to pilfer the materials of
their nests, frequently two join in this act, and occasionally two may
be seen tugging at the same bunch, endeavouring to wrest it from
each other. They are constantly repairing their nests, which being
234 COMMON GANNET.
composed in a great measure of sea-weeds, shrink up in dry weather,
and decompose in wet ; and when seated close together they have fre-—
quent quarrels. I saw one seize its neighbour by the back of the
neck, until the latter, I may say, roared out; but in general, they are
satisfied with menacing each other with open bills and loud clamour.
In leaving the nest, they generally scatter about a quantity of the ma--
terials of which it is composed, for they are extremely awkward in their
motions when on the ground, hobbling and limping along, aiding
themselves with their wings, and draggling the abdominal feathers
and tail.
“In launching from the cliffs, they frequently utter a single plaintive
cry, perform a curve, having its concavity upwards, then shake the tail,
frequently the whole plimage, draw the feet backwards, placing them
close under the tail, on each side, and cover them with the feathers.
In some the feet were entirely covered, while in others parts of the
toes were apparent. In fiying, the body, tail, neck, and bill, are nearly
in a straight line, the wings extended and never brought close to the
body, and they move by regular flappings, alternating with short sail-
ings. In alighting, they generally ascend in a long curve, keeping
their feet spread, and come down rather heavily, often finding it diff-
cult to balance themselves, and sometimes, when the place is very steep,
or when another bird attacks them, flying off, to try it a second time.
On the rocks they stand with the body nearly horizontal, or they lie
on their belly, although some may be seen in‘an oblique or even nearly
erect posture. They usually repose with the head resting between the
shoulders, the bill concealed among the feathers of the back. I caught
one in that state, by walking up to it, and seizing it by the tail and
the tips of the wings, which cross each other over it.
‘“‘ Owing to their interference with each other, a constant noise is
kept up amongst them. Their cry is hoarse and harsh, and may be ex-
pressed by the syllables carra, carra, carra, or hirra, kirra, kirra, or
crac, crac, crac. ‘The ery varies considerably in different individuals,
some having a sharper voice than others, and when unusually irritated
they repeat it with great rapidity. An ornithological writer thinks
they ery grog, grog ; but neither Mr Avpuson nor myself interpreted
their notes so, otherwise we could have satisfied a few at least, as we
had a bottle of whisky and a keg of water.
“The young are at first covered with very beautiful close snow-white
eS a Er ee
COMMON GANNET. 235
down; at the age of about six weeks the feathers make their appear-
ance among the down; when two months old the birds are pretty well
fledged, and at the end of three months they are able to fly. The old
bird at first feeds the young with a kind of fish-soup prepared in its
gullet and stomach, and which it introduces drop by drop as it were
into its throat. But when its nursling is pretty well grown, it places
its bill within its mouth, and disgorges the fish either entire or in frag-
ments. They never carry fish to the rock in their bills. ‘lhe smallest
number of young killed in a year is a thousand, the greatest two thou-
sand; but in general the number is fifteen or sixteen hundred. After
being plucked, they are sold at from sixpence to a shilling each. The
price of a young bird for stuffing is two shillings; of an old bird five,
of an egg one. For the information contained in this paragraph I am
indebted to the keeper.
“ At the period of my second visit with Mr Aupvuzon (the 19th
August 1835), the nests in most places had almost entirely disappeared,
for it is only during incubation that the birds keep them in constant
repair. The young were in various stages, a few quite small and
covered all over with white down, the greater number partially fledged,
with the down remaining on the head and neck, and some nearly ready
to fly, and having merely a few tufts of down on the hind neck. The
young lay flat, either on the remnants of their nest, or on the bare rock
or ground. They are very patient and uncomplaining ; in fact, none
uttered a single cry while we were inspecting them. I observed an
old bird, with its own young beside it, squeeze the neck of another
youngling with considerable force The poor bird bore the persecution
with perfect resignation, and merely cowered under the bill of the ty-
rant. The young of the latter also attacked its neighbour, but was
instantly checked, on which it meekly desisted. One of the men in-
formed me that last year there were fourteen nests, each with two eggs.
In such cases, one of the young is said tobe much smaller than the
other.”
PELEcanus BassaNnus, Linn. Nat. vol. i. p. 217.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 891.
Sura Bassana, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 408.
Gannet, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 495.
Adult Male. Plate CCCXXVI. Fig. 1.
236 COMMON GANNET.
Bill longer than the head, opening beyond the eyes, straight, elon-
gated-conical, moderately compressed. Upper mandible with the dor-
sal line straight and declinate, at the end convex and a little decurved ;
ridge very broad, convex, with a slight median carina, and separated
on each side, from the sides, which are nearly perpendicular, slightly
convex, and have an additional narrow jointed piece below the eye ;
edges sharp, direct, irregularly serrate, with numerous slender cuts
directed backwards ; tip compressed, a little decurved, rather acute.
No external nostrils. Lower mandible with the angle very long and
narrow, the dorsal line straight, ascending, the sides erect, convex, the
edges sharp and serrated, the tip compressed and sharp.
Head large; neck of moderate length and very thick, body of
moderate bulk, rather elongated; wings long. Feet short, strong,
placed rather far behind ; tibiz concealed ; tarsus very short, rounded
before, sharp behind, at its upper part anteriorly with rather large
roundish-flat scales, in the rest of its extent with very small oblong
tubercles ; anteriorly there are three lines of small transversely oblong
scutella, which run down the toes. The latter are long and slender,
all united by membranes, which are reticularly granulated, and have
their margins straight; first toe rather small, directed inwards and
forwards, middle toe longest, the outer almost equal. Claws of mode-
rate size, slightly arched, those of the first and middle toes depressed,
the latter with its inner edge thin and pectinated.
Plumage generally close, rather compact, the feathers small and
rounded ; those on the head and neck blended and slightly glossed. A
bare space between the bill and the eye, surrounding the latter, and ex-
tending an inch behind the angle of the mouth. The gular membrane
also bare for a small breadth, extending two inches beyond the base of
the mandible. About a quarter of an inch of the tibia bare. Wings
very long, narrow, acute ; primaries strong, narrow, tapering rapidly
to a rounded point; first longest, second about a quarter of an inch
shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ; secondaries short, rather broad,
rounded, with a minute acumen. ‘Tail rather long, cuneate, of twelve
narrow tapering feathers.
Bill pale bluish-grey, tinged with green towards the base ; the lines
on the upper mandible blackish-blue; the bare space about the eye,
and that on the throat, blackish-blue. Iris white. Tarsi, toes, and
webs brownish-black, the bands of narrow scutella on the tarsus and
COMMON GANNET. 237
toes light greenish-blue ; claws greyish-white. The general colour of
the plumage is white; the upper part of the head and the hind neck
of a fine buff colour. Primary quills brownish-black, their shafts white
toward the base.
Length to end of tail 403 inches, to end of wings 381, to end of
claws 41; extent of wings 75; wing from flexure 203; tail 10; bill
along the ridge 4, along the edge of lower mandible 6; tarsus 2343
first toe and claw 14; middle toe 33%, its claw 7%; outer toe 383; its
claw jy. Weight 7 lb.
The Female is similar to the male, but rather smaller.
Young fully fledged. Plate CCCXXVI. Fig. 2.
Bill light greyish-brown ; the bare space around the eye pale grey-
ish-blue. Iris green. Feet dusky, the narrow bands of scutella pale
greyish-blue ; claws greyish-white. The head, neck, and upper parts
are chocolate brown, each feather with a terminal narrow triangular
white spot; the lower parts greyish-white, spotted with greyish-brown ;
each feather having a broad terminal margin of that colour. The
quills and tail-feathers are brownish-black. An individual shot in Oc-
tober measured as follows :—
Length to end of tail 38 inches, to end of claws 323; extent of
wings 72. Weight 3 lb. 40z. This individual, however, was very
poor.
Three individuals shot in the neighbourhood of Boston, Massachu-
setts, presented the following dimensions, which are here given as indi-
cative of the difference of size frequently observed :—
Length to end of tail, ; 383 383 ah
BAO Ps sidins gece as a wings, . 37} 374 35
SOAR o eae eee claws, . 341 34t 33
Extent of wings, : 733 72 681
Wing from flexure, . ; ee 173 191
An adult Male killed near Boston. The cellular tissue of the back
exhibits vacuities of very large size, intervening between the skin and
the muscles: one, at the lower part of the neck behind, being 5 inches
in length; another 54 inches long, extending from the furcula down
238 COMMON GANNET.
the humerus; and behind the wings four others, extending to the last
rib. Branches from these pass between the muscles, which present
the appearance of having been as it were dissected. A cell of enormous
size covers the side of the abdomen, and another pair run down the
middle of it, separated by a partition in the median line. That part of
the cellular tissue which adheres to the bases of the feathers is also
remarkably loose ; and, close to each of them, is a roundish aperture of
large size, communicating with the great cavities mentioned above.
Between the pectoralis major and the subjacent muscles is a large in-
terspace formed by a great cell. The internal thoracic and abdominal
cells are also.very large.
On the roof of the mouth are five sharp ridges. The nasal aper-
ture is 1 inch and 5 twelfths long, linear, with a soft longitudinal flap
on each side. The tongue is extremely small, being only 7 twelfths
long, 1 twelfth broad, blunt at the extremity, and with two papille at
the base. The bare skin between the crura of the mandibles is of the
same structure as. that of the Pelicans and Cormorants, but of small
extent, its posterior acute extremity not extending farther than that at
the base of the bill. The aperture of the glottis is 7} twelfths long.
The thyroid bone has an anterior curved prolongation, which projects
forwards, and from the extremity of which comes the elastic ligament
by which it is connected with the hyoid bone. The cesophagus, a, b, is 15
inches long, measured to the commencement of the proventriculus, ex-
tremely dilated, its diameter 25 inches at the top, contracting to 2
inches as it enters the thorax, its narrowest part 1 inch 4 twelfths ; its
transverse muscular fibres moderately strong. The proventriculus, c, d,is
excessively large, 31 inches long, its greatest diameter 2} inches. The
glandules are cylindrical, 3 twelfths long, forming a very broad belt,
separated however at its narrowest part by a longitudinal interval of 5
twelfths of an inch, and having three partial divisions on its lower
edge. The greatest length of the proventriculus, or breadth of the
belt of glanduies, is 2; inches. The mucous coat of the cesophagus is
smooth, but thrown into longitudinal plice when contracted; that of
the proventriculus is continuous, and of the same nature, being marked
with extremely minute reticulated lines, of which the more prominent
have a longitudinal direction. The stomach, properly so called, de, is ex-
tremely small, being only 1 inch 9 twelfths long, and about the same
breadth. Its inner coat is similar to that of the cesophagus and pro-
COMMON GANNET. 239
ventriculus, being destitute of epithelium ; several large mucous crypts
are scattered over its surface. The pylorus is small, having a diameter
of nearly 3 twelfths, and a marginal flap or valve on one side. The intes-
tine, f, g, 2, is of moderate length, measuring 53 inches. The duodenum
at first passes upwards in the direction of the liver for 2 inches, fg, is then
recurved for 3 inches, g,/, ascends for 4 inches, /,7, and receives the biliary
ducts, then passes toward the spine and forms a curvature. The ave-
rage diameter of the intestine is 5 twelfths at the upper part, and it
gradually contracts to 3 twelfths. The rectum, 4, measured to the anus
is 5+ inches. It gradually enlarges from 4 to 63 twelfths. The cloaca, m,
is globular, 9 twelfths long, 8 twelfths broad. The coeca are 3 twelfths
long, 13 twelfth broad.
The lobes of the liver are extremely unequal, as is always the case
when the stomach or the proventriculus is excessively large, the right
lobe being 22 inches long, the left 1 inch and 8 twelfths. The gall-
240 COMMON GANNET.
bladder, n, is very large, of an oblong form, rounded at both ends, 1 inch
and 8 twelfths long.
The trachea is 12 inches long, moderately ossified, round, its dia-
meter at the top 7 twelfths, gradually narrowing to 4 twelfths; the
rings 124, the lower 4 united. The bronchi are large, their diameter
greater than that of the lower part of the trachea; of 25 cartilaginous
half-rings. The lateral or contractor muscles of the trachea are of mo-
derate strength ; the sterno-tracheals strong ; a pair of inferior laryn-
geal muscles attached to the glandular-looking, yellowish-white bodies
inserted upon the membrane between the first and second rings of the
bronchi.
‘The olfactory nerve comes off from the extreme anterior point of
the cerebrum, enters a canal in the spongy tissue of the bone, and runs
in it close to the septum between the eyes for 10 twelfths of an inch,
with a slight curve. It then enters the nasal cavity, which is of an ir-
regular triangular form, 13 inch long at the external or palatal aper-
ture, 10 twelfths in height. The supramaxillary branch of the fifth
pair runs along the upper edge of the orbit, and by a canal in the spongy
tissue of the bones, enters the great cavity of the upper mandible, keep-
ing nearer its lower surface, and there branching. This cavity appears
to have no communication with the nasal; nor has the latter any pas-
sage towards the obliterated external nostrils. The lachrymal duct
passes obliquely inwards from the anterior corner of the eye, and en-
ters the nasal cavity by an aperture 4 twelfth in diameter, near its an-
terior margin.
In the cloaca was found a solid calculus, half an inch in diameter,
of an irregular form, white within, externally pale yellowish-brown,
and marked with grooves impressed by the action of the sphincter ani.
The digestive and respiratory organs of the American Gannet are
thus precisely similar to those of the European. In external form,
proportions, and colours, there are no appreciable differences. The
young in all stages are similar. ‘The flight, voice, general habits, and
all other circumstances, are the same. What, then, shall we say to those
who have pretended that the American bird differs from the European ?
Merely this, compare the two, outside and inside, shew us differences,
and then we shall judge if they be sufficient to indicate different spe-
cies; but until you have done this, do not imagine that a mere “‘ Sula
Americana Nob.,” is enough to satisfy the world on this or any similar
point.
( 241 +)
SHOVELLER DUCK.
ANAS CLYPEATA, LINN.
PLATE CCCXXVII. Mate anp Femate.
Tue Creoles of Louisiana are well acquainted with this species, un-
der the name of “ Micoine,” the etymology of which I am unable to
trace. In that country it arrives, both from the westward and from
the eastern inland districts, along with the Blue-winged eal, or at the
commencement of autumn. It associates with that species, to which, as
well as to the Green-winged, the Mallard, the Dusky Duck, and the
Gadwall, I should consider it very nearly allied, notwithstanding the
peculiar expansion of its bill. The Shovellers remain in the lower
parts of Louisiana during the whole of the winter, and depart along
with the Blue-wings between the end of April and the middle of May.
There, in early spring, they resort chiefly to ponds, where they feed on
grasses and their seeds, as well as at times a small kind of onion, the
bulbs of which they pull up from the moist grounds on their margins.
This may perhaps to some seem strange, but I have long since made
up my mind to learn from Nature, and believe what is, rather than
what philosophers imagine ought to be. Having fed through the
night, they collect towards dawn into large bands, and betake them-
selves to the margins of sand-bars on the Mississippi, where they spend
the greater part of the day. At other times I have found them swim-
ming or wading along the muddy margins of ponds and streams, im-
mersing the head and part of the neck while alternately moving the
bill to either side, in the manner of the Roseate Spoonbill, sifting as it
were the contents of the soft mud or water, and ejecting the substances
unfit for food. Repeated inspection of the stomach has shewn me that
the Shoveller is not more nice as to the quality of its food than the
Mallard or any other of the Duck tribe, for I have found in it leeches,
small fishes, large ground-worms, and snails. ‘They never however,
I believe, feed by semi-immersion, like the Mallards and Teais; nor
do they dive unless hard pressed, or when in a sportive mood, when
they will dash for a moment beneath the surface.
VOL. Iv.
242 SHOVELLER DUCK.
This species is generally considered scarce in the United States,
and I believe it is so, for, although many pass northward and breed in
the Fur Countries, a greater number spend the summer months in the
Texas and the districts farther westward. It is however abundant on
the streams of the Rocky Mountains, as well as on the tributaries of the
Columbia River, where it was frequently observed by Dr TownsEenp,
during summer.
We have no Ducks in the United States whose plumage is more
changeable than that of the male of this beautiful species. While the
female is sitting on her eggs, he undergoes a moult, after which he ap-
pears mottled, and seems as if inclined to assume the garb of his part-
ner. From this period, the beginning of July, until late in November,
very few finely-coloured males are to be seen, and only such as have not
mated that season, in which case they do not moult until the beginning
of winter, as if to be the sooner ready to associate with females on the
approach of the next breeding season.
In the Carolinas, this species, though found during winter in the
rice fields, is not abundant; more than three or four being seldom seen
together. In our Central and Eastern Districts, they are rather rare,
and a male in full dress is not to be obtained without difficulty, although
I have seen some in the markets of New York and Philadelphia.
The Shoveller walks prettily, and I have often admired its move-
ments in the puddles formed by heavy dashes of rain in our southern
corn-fields, where I have found it in company with the Wood Duck,
the Mallard, and the Pin-tail. Its flight resembles that of the Blue-
winged Teal; and in tenderness as well as in flavour, it rivals, as an
article of food, that beautiful bird. No sportsman who is a judge
will ever pass a Shoveller to shoot a Canvass-back. It is rarely how-
ever found on salt water, and that only when compelled to resort
thither.
In the beginning of May, when I was in Texas, I found Shovel-
lers breeding in considerable numbers. The males had already left
the females, and were seen on the sand-bars of the Bay of Galveston,
up to the River St Jacinto, but none of my party discovered the nest.
During the autumn, they are to be seen on the waters adjoining the
Ohio, and generally in ponds in company with the Bald-pate or Ame-
rican Widgeon, when they become very fat, and afford delicious eating.
At this time I have been often much pleased when, on perceiving a flock
ro pnd we Eh
SHOVELLER DUCK. 243
of eight or nine of these ducks, probably members of a single family, and
cautiously approaching them, while they were busily engaged in search-
ing for food with their heads and necks immersed, I have obtained
several of them at the first shot, and as the survivors flew off have suc-
ceeded in procuring one or two more. On such occasions, they rise al-
most perpendicularly to the height of fifteen or twenty feet, and then
fly off in a direct course, in the manner of Mallards.
Awas cLtypeEata, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol.i. p. 200.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 856-—
Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 382.
SHovELteR, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p. 45, pl. 67, fig. 7.
Anas CLYPEATA, SHOVELLER, Richards. and Swains. Faun. Bor.-Amer. vol. ii.
p. 439.
SHovELteER, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 439.
Adult Male. Plate CCCX XVII. Fig. 1.
Bill longer than the head, higher than broad at the base, depressed
and much widened towards the end, where its breadth is doubled
Upper mandible with the dorsal line sloping and very slightly con
cave, the ridge at the base broad, narrowed over the nostrils; sides
nearly erect at the base, gradually more declinate and convex; the
tip very broadly rounded, with the unguis oblong, rather small, curved
and rounded at the extremity; the margins soft, with very nume-
rous lamellae, which are prolonged beyond the edges and taper to a
point, unless at the commencement of the broadest part of the bill.
Nasal groove elliptical, and filled by the soft membrane of the bill;
nostrils elliptical, pervious, placed near the ridge. Lower mandible
slightly curved upwards, with the angle very long and narrow, the
unguis obovate.
Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed, rounded above; neck
moderate ; body rather full, slightly depressed. Feet short, stout,
placed a little behind the centre of the body; legs bare a little above
the joint; tarsus very short, moderately compressed, anteriorly with
small scutella, and an external short series of larger, on the other
parts reticulated with small scales. Hind toe very small, with a nar-
row free membrane ; third toe longest, fourth almost as long ; the three
anterior slender, with numerous oblique scutella, and connected by
webs which have the margin concave and denticulate ; the inner
244 SHOVELLER DUCK.
toe with a broad margin. Claws small, arched, compressed, acute ;
that of middle toe slightly dilated on the inner edge.
Plumage dense, soft, and elastic; of the head and neck short,
blended, and splendent, of the occiput and nape considerably elongated ;
of the other parts in general broad and rounded. Wings of moderate
length, acute; primaries narrow and tapering, the first longest, the
second very little shorter ; the secondaries broad, curved inwards ; the
inner elongated and tapering. Tail short, rounded, of fourteen acute
feathers, of which the two middle extend five twelfths of an inch be-
yond the next.
Bill greyish-black tinged with yellow. Iris reddish-orange. Feet
vermilion ; claws dusky. Head and upper part of neck, deep green
with purplish reflections, the top of the head of a darker tint with less
vivid gloss. A longitudinal band on the hind neck and the back,
greyish-brown, the feathers edged with paler; the rump and upper
tail-coverts greenish-black. The anterior scapulars white, the poste-
rior elongated, light blue on the outer web, longitudinally banded with
white and greenish-black on the inner. Smaller wing-coverts light
blue ; alula, primary coverts, and primary quills blackish-brown, their
shafts white. Outer secondaries greyish-brown, eight of them ex-
ternally of a rich duck-green; the inner greenish-black, with a longi-
tudinal white streak ; the secondary coverts broadly tipped with white-
Tail-feathers greyish-brown, irregularly variegated and margined with
reddish-white, that colour enlarging on the outer feathers. Lower
part of neck pure white; breast and middle part of abdomen dull
purplish-chestnut. A large patch of white on each side of the rump,
with a band of the same towards the tail; lower tail-coverts greenish-
black, with bright green and blue reflections ; axillaries and lower
wing-coverts pure white.
Length to end of tail 203 inches, to end of wings 19, to end of
claws 211; extent of wings 314: bill along the ridge 234; wing from
flexure 93; ; tail 23; tarsus 1,4 ; first toe and claw ,§, ; third toe 1y4,.
its toe ;°;, fourth toe 14%, its claw 33. Weight 1 lb. 9 oz.
Female. Plate CCCXXVII. Fig. 2.
Bill dull yellowish-green, iris paler than in the male; feet as in the
male but lighter, The upper parts are blackish-brown, the feathers
edged with light reddish-brown ; the throat and sides of the head are
SHOVELLER DUCK. 245
light reddish-brown, which is the prevailing colour over the lower part
of the neck, a portion of the breast and the sides, of which however
the feathers are margined with dusky ; the middle cf the breast white.
Smaller wing-coverts dull brownish-grey ; alula and primaries as in the
male ; inner secondaries brownish-black ; the speculum as in the male,
but paler, and changing to blue; the secondary coverts tipped with
white ; tail nearly as in the male.
Length to end of tail 17 inches; to end of claws 20; bill along the
ridge 2; extent of wings 292. Weight 1 Ib. 1 oz.
The bill of a male measures 2 inches and 8 twelfths along the ridge,
the frontal angles 4 twelfths more; the breadth of the upper mandible
at the base is 81 twelfths, near the end 1 inch and 3 twelfths. The
roof of the mouth is broadly and deeply concave, with a prominent
median ridge, which becomes papillate towards the base; the edges of
the mandible soft, direct, inflected towards the end; lamella project-
ing beyond the margins and tapering to a pomt. On each side of the
lower mandible are about 220 lamelle, and about 180 on the upper.
The tongue is 23 inches long, deeply emarginate at the base, with nu-
merous papille, for half an inch narrow and compressed, then for an
inch expanded, with a thin longitudinal flap above on each side divid-
ed into lamelle and minute bristles, at its anterior part having a breadth
of 1 inch and terminating abruptly, but with a median thin semi-
circular tip, which is 3 twelfths long.
The cesophagus is 8 inches and 10 twelfths long, 43 twelfths in dia-
meter, its walls thick. The proventriculus is oblong, 1 inch in length ;
its glandules of moderate size. ‘The stomach is a strong gizzard of
moderate size ; the lateral muscles and their tendons large as in all
other ducks. The intestine is very long, measuring 8 feet, and very
narrow, its diameter being from 2 twelfths to 13 twelfth, for half its
length, after which it enlarges to 3} twelfths at the distance of about
2 feet from ‘the commencement of the rectum, then gradually dimi-
nishes to 2 twelfths. The rectum is 3 inches 2 twelfths long, the
cceca 4 inches, their diameter for 14 inch 1} twelfth, afterwards 34
twelfths.
_The trachea is 6 inches 9 twelfths long, very little flattened, its
diameter at the upper part 23 twelfths, gradually enlarging to 4 twelfths.
On the left side of the inferior larynx there is a rounded expansion of
246 SHOVELLER DUCK.
very moderate size compared with that observed in many other ducks.
The rings are 98; those at the lower part broader and much stronger,
but all of them ossified. The bronchial half rings about 35.
In another individual, the stomach is 13 inch long, 1,°, broad; the
right lateral muscle 6 twelfths thick. Contents, particles of quartz,
and fragments of shells. Intestine 11 feet 6 inches long; cceca 64
inches long ; rectum 33 inches.
Long intestines, like long bills, often exhibit great differences in
the same species ; for which reason characters taken from the length
of these parts must be received with-latitude. Even in the Rapacious
Birds, in which the intestine is generally very short, considerable dif-
ferences are observed in individuals of the same sex and size. It will
be seen from the above statement that the Shoveller has a longer and
more slender intestine than any other American duck. In this respect
it is analogous to Pandion and Haliaetus among the Raptores; gene-
ralizing vaguely from the consideration of which, as some have done,
one might be apt to conclude that it is more piscivorous than the
Canvass-back and Pochard, which however is by no means the case.
Although in some birds and mammalia a very elongated intestinal
canal is connected with piscivorous habits, yet many birds which feed
exclusively on fish, such as Gannets, Auks, and Guillemots, have the in-
testine of only moderate length or short. It appears simply that when
for some reason resulting from the economy of the species, the intestine
must be elongated, it is made proportionally narrow ; whereas if it be
expedient that it should be short, its calibre is increased.
( (Razin)
BLACK-NECKED STILT.
HIMANTOPUS NIGRICOLLIS, VIEILL.
PLATE CCCXXVIII. Aputt Mate.
A rew individuals of this singular species occasionally pass the
winter in the lower parts of Louisiana, especially in the section called
Oppellousas. I have also found it at the same period in the Floridas,
but the greater number follow the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, and
proceed beyond our southern limits. In April 1837, I observed their
first appearance at Galveston Bay in Texas, where many remained
until our departure. They were in small flocks, seldom composed of
more than seven or eight individuals, which almost immediately sepa-
rated into parties of two or three, and commenced their search for food.
They kept about the small shallow brackish ponds on the islands of
the bay, and now and then were observed following the sinuosities of
bayous in company with other birds. They were much more shy than
they are while breeding, and it was with some difficulty that we pro-
cured specimens. When one was killed, the rest would fly to a con-
siderable distance, sometimes from one island to another, in a rapid
manner, with regular beats of the wings, their necks and legs extended.
On such occasions they uttered a whistling cry, different from the cleek,
cleck, cleck, which they emit when they have nests or young.
All the writers who have described the habits of this bird, allege
that it walks with a “ staggering gait ;” but this is by no means the
case, for they appeared to us to walk as firmly as any other long-legged
birds, such as Herons, Curlews, and the American Avoset; and I had
many opportunities of observing them, as had my friend Enwarp
Harris, my son, and all the members of our party.
Toward the end of April, flocks of this bird reach the Middle Dis-
tricts, by following the coast, for they are very rarely met with at any
great distance from the sea shore. They generally betake themselves
to extensive marshes abounding in muddy inlets and small ponds, in
the vicinity of which they usually place their nests. About the middle
of May, parties of from ten to twenty collect, and are seen wading
sometimes up to their breast, in search of food, which is extremely
248 BLACK-NECKED STILT.
abundant in such places. ‘They are now paired, and select suitable
spots for their nests, which are generally not far distant from each
other, and near the margins of the ponds, or on small islets. The
nest is very similar to that of the Willet, or Semi-palmated Snipe,
Totanus semipalmatus, being rather large, and formed of dry weeds and
the twigs of small shrubs. I have never observed the singular man-
ner of augmenting and raising their tenements, described by ALEx-
awpER Witson, although, like him, I have found and examined se-
veral in the very same districts. The eggs are always four, placed
with the smaller ends together, pyriform, almost 2 inches long, with
the smaller end rounded, 13 in their greatest breadth; of a pale yel-
lowish-clay colour, and plentifully marked with large irregular blotches
and lines of brownish-black. )
While the females are sitting, the males pay them much attention,
acting in this respect like those of the American Avoset, watching the
approach of intruders, giving chase to the Red-winged Starlings, as well
as to the Fishing and American Crows, and assailing the truant young
gunner or egger. When there is no appearance of annoyance, they
sometimes roam as far as the sea-beach. When the young are hatched,
they leave the nest, and follow their parents through the grass, but on
the appearance of danger squat and remain motionless. About the
beginning of September, young and old commence their journey south-
ward.
This species is rather scarce along the shores of the Carolinas ; nor
is it abundant in any part of the United States, and is seldom seen to
the eastward beyond Long Island. Its food consists of insects, small
crustacea, worms, and young fry of fishes. I have frequently observed
them running after flies, and attempting to seize the smaller Libellule.
When wounded so as to fall on the water, they are unable to dive, but
on reaching the shore they run nimbly off and hide themselves.
I feel confident that in spring the males migrate apart from the
females, but in autumn in company with them. The flesh of this spe-
cies is not decidedly good or bad, being of ordinary quality. The
males are larger than the females, and individuals of both sexes vary
considerably in size,
BLACK-NECKED STILT. 249
Lone-LEGGED AvosretT, ReEcurvirostra Himantoprus, Wils. Amer. Ornith.
vol. vii. p. 48, pl. 55, fig. 1.
Himantorus nicricotiis, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States,
p. 322.
Biack-NECKED Stitt, Vuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 8.
Adult Male. Plate CCCX XVIII.
Bill about twice as long as the head, very slender, roundish, taper-
ing, slightly recurved. Upper mandible with its outline very slightly
curved upwards, at the tip declinate ; the ridge convex, the sides con-
vex, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip narrow and rather acute.
Nasal groove nearly half the length of the bill; nostrils linear, direct,
sub-basal, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle very long and
narrow, the sides grooved as far as the angle, the edges sharp and in-
flected, the tip narrow.
Head small, ovate, rounded above; neck very long and slender ;
body rather compact. Legs extremely elongated and slender ; tibia
bare for more than half its length, covered anteriorly with large curved
scutella; tarsus very long, moderately compressed, scutellate before,
reticulate on the sides; toes of moderate length, slender; hind toe
wanting, outer a little longer than inner, and connected with the middle
toe by a web extending nearly to the second joint; the inner toe also
connected with the middle by a very short web. Claws small, nearly
straight, moderately compressed.
Plumage ordinary, the feathers ovate and rounded. Wings very
long, of moderate breadth, acute, the first quill longest, the other pri-
maries rapidly graduated. Tail short, even, of twelve feathers.
Bill black, iris bright carmine; feet lake-coloured, claws dusky.
Forehead, a spot above the eye, another below it, fore part and sides of
the neck, and all the other lower parts, pure white. Upper part of head,
hind neck, and upper parts, bluish-black, glossed with green ; tail white.
Length to end of tail 144 inches, to end of wings 164, to end of
claws 217; extent of wings 27; wing from flexure 9; tail 222; pill
along the ridge 2;%,, along the edge of lower mandible 21; bare part
of tibia 33; tarsus 424 ; middle toe 14, its claw;. Weight 63 oz.
The Female is smaller than the male but otherwise similar.
Length to end of tail 14 inches, to end of wings 154, to end of claws
20; extent of wings 253. Weight 5 oz.
250 BLACK-NECKED STILT.
The median ridge of the anterior part of the roof of the mouth is
furnished with a few short papilla. The tongue is 1 inch 2 twelfths
long, slender, tapering, emarginate and papillate at the base. The
esophagus is 7 inches long, with an average diameter of 4 twelfths ;
the proventriculus 9 twelfths long, and 6 twelfths in diameter. The
stomach is elliptical, 1 inch in length, 83 twelfths in breadth; its la-
teral muscles of moderate strength, the right being 4 twelfths thick;
the inner coat or epithelium dense, longitudinally rugous, and of a
brownish-red colour. The intestine is 20 inches long, its diameter
varying from 3 to 13 twelfths. The ceca are 12 inch long, 72 im dia-
meter at the base, 2 twelfths towards the end, which is blunt.
The trachea is 54 inches long, rather wide, its diameter at the up-
per part 3 twelfths, gradually diminishing to 1} twelfth; the rings
120, unossified, excepting a few at the lower part. The contractor
muscles are feeble ; the sterno-tracheal slender. The bronchi are very
short, with about 10 half rings.
The Prince of Mustenano has introduced into his lately published
list a species of this genus, under the name of Himantopus Meaicanus.
I have received from Florida two skins, which from their large size
might at first sight be thought to differ from the common kind; but
after closely comparing them with my other specimens, I can find no
difference indicative of a distinction of species. Nor have I ever met
with individuals in North America of any other species than that above
described.
.
(2a)
YELLOW-BREASTED RAIL.
RatLus NovVEBORACENSIS, Bonar.
PLATE CCCXXIX. Mate.
Tue Prince of Musicnano, who purchased one of these birds in
the New York market, in February 1826, gave a figure of it, and con-
sidered it as an arctic species. This opinion, however, is incorrect, for
the Yellow-breasted Rail is a constant resident in the Peninsula of the
Floridas, as well as in the lower parts of Louisiana, where I have found
it at all seasons. That a few straggling individuals should proceed
northwards, advancing even to pretty high latitudes, is not much to be
wondered at, as we have a similar case in the Common Gallinule. But
at the season mentioned the individual referred to must have been for-
ced thither by a storm, as no Rails of any kind are found in that part
of the country in winter.
In the neighbourhood of New Orleans, this species is found in all
the deserted savannahs, covered with thick long grass, and pools of
shallow water. There you hear its sharp and curious notes many times
in the course of the day, just as you hear those of Rallus crepitans near
the sea-shore, more especially after the report of a gun, when they are
louder and more quickly repeated. ‘These sounds come on the ear so
as to induce you to believe that the bird is near; but whether this be
the case or not is not easily determined, for when you move towards a
spot in which you suppose it to be, the sounds recede at your approach,
and you may think yourself fortunate if, after half an hour of search,
you discover one on wing. Indeed, if we have a bird in America
approaching in its habits the Corn Crake of Europe, it is the Yellow-
breasted Rail; and were I disposed to systematize, I should consider
it as a connecting link between land and water birds, as in some of its
habits it also resembles the European Quail, a bird as fond at times of
damp meadows bordering rivers as this species is wont to be, when it
seeks for a place of safety in which to form its nest and rear its young.
In the Floridas, this bird is more abundant than even in Louisiana ;
and I met with it frequently in the course of my wanderings there, not
only on the mainland, but also on several of the keys, where they begin
breeding in March. On Sandy Island, near Cape Sable, I found several
252 YELLOW-BREASTED RAIL.
pairs, in May 1832. About New Orleans it commences breeding at the
same period. Dr Bacuman has procured specimens near Charleston. I
have also found a few near Vincennes on the Wabash River in summer,
when they had young broods. In the course of my stay at the Silver
Springs in Fast Florida, I observed a good number of these birds
along the margins of the lakes and swampy bayous, and had ample
opportunities of assuring myself that this species is far from being
nocturnal, as authors have alleged. at least when in places where they
are under no apprehension of danger. In those sultry solitudes I
have at times seen them following the margins of the muddy shores,
with delicate and measured steps, until attracted by something worthy
of their attention, when they suddenly jerked their tail upwards and
for a moment disappeared. Again, they would gracefully leap upon
the slender twig of some low shrub or bush, apparently in search
of small snails or other objects, jerking their tail at every move-
ment. There it was that I again saw the extraordinary power of con-
traction which their body is able to assume while they are pushing for-
ward between two or more stubborn branches. They were all so gen-
tle that I at times approached within a few yards of them, when they
would now and then look cunningty at me, rise more erect for a mo-
ment, and then resume their occupations.
When searched for by a dog, they seem as if determined to put him
out by continual manceuyring, running and cutting backwards within
a few yards of extent until the dog can no longer follow the last trail.
Just then they rise on wing, or run off to some other spot equally
adapted for security. A friend of mine who resides in New Orleans,
and has shot some hundreds of this species, told me that the best me-
thod of obtaining a shot is to lie concealed near an opening in the grass,
and call the bird out of cover by imitating its notes, when in a few
minutes, being extremely pugnacious, it comes to the clear space, and
may be easily shot. Its flesh is delicate and savoury.
The nest somewhat resembles that of Rallus elegans. It is gene-
rally placed upon the ground in the centre of a thick tuft of grass,
and the bed of it is at times elevated above the soil to the height of
four or five inches. It is composed of weeds of various kinds, and
is now and then covered over in the same manner as that of our
Meadow Lark. The eggs are from eight to ten, pure white, thin-
shelled, and measure 14 inch by nearly seven eighths. The young are
at frst black, and are able to follow their parents almost immediately
YELLOW-BREASTED RAIL. 253
after birth. I am induced to believe that two, or perhaps three, broods
are reared in the season.
The flight of this pretty little bird is rather swift, and more pro-
tracted than that of some of our Rails, especially when put up by a
dog coming inadvertently upon it. At other times, when in places
not frequented, it rises and removes to a distance rarely exceeding
thirty or forty yards, falling as it were among the grass with wings
stretched upwards and dangling legs. The gizzard is large and mus-
cular, as in the Water-hen and our other Rails. One which I opened
was filled with minute fresh-water shell-fish and gravel. They feed
also on insects of various kinds, and the seeds of grasses.
My friend Tuomas Nutraut has so well described the notes of
this bird, that I cannot do better than present you with his account of
them. ‘On the 6th of October (1831), having spent the night in a
lodge, on the borders of Fresh Pond, employed for decoying and shoot-
ing Ducks, I heard, about sunrise, the Yellow-breasted Rails begin to
stir among the reeds (Arundo Phragmites) that thickly skirt this retired
border of the lake, and in which, among a host of various kinds of
Blackbirds, they had for sometime roosted every night. As soon as
awake, they called out in an abrupt and cackling cry, ’krek, “krek,
‘krek, *krek, *kuk’ k’kh, which note, apparently from the young, was
answered by the parent (probably the hen), in a lower soothing note.
The whole of these uncouth and guttural notes have no bad resem-
blance to the croaking of the tree frog, as to sound. This call and an-
swer, uttered every morning, is thus kept up for several minutes in va-
rious tones, till the whole family, separated for the night, have met
and satisfactorily recognised each other.”
I once shot a female bird of this species near New Orleans upon
which I had nearly trodden as she was on the nest and about to lay an
egg, and which she dropped as she flew before me, previously to my
touching the trigger. In August and September I have found this
species uncommonly fat, and most delicious. The dithculty of procuring
them, however, renders them a rarity for the table even in those parts
of the country where they are most abundant.
I have no doubt that a few stragglers now and then go far north to
breed, as I find in the Fauna Boreali-Americana the following note
from Mr Hutchins’s manuscripts :—‘“ This elegant bird is an inhabi-
tant of the marshes (on the coast of Hudson’s Bay, near the efflux of
Severn River, where Mr Hutchins resided) from the middle of May to
254 YELLOW-BREASTED RAIL.
the end of September. It never flies above sixty yards at a time, but
runs with great rapidity among the long grass near the shores. In the
morning and evening it utters a note, which resembles the striking of
a flint and steel ; at other times it makes a shrieking noise. It builds
no nest, but lays from ten to sixteen perfectly white eggs among the
grass.”
Now, this making no nest is to me a convincing proof that the spe-
cies is not there in its natural place, but finding itself pushed for time,
and yet obliged to breed, is contented to do so under unfavourable cir-
cumstances. Dr Ricuarpson, who spent several years in the northern
parts of America, did not meet with this species. I saw none in La-
brador or Newfoundland ; and in the British provinces of New Bruns-
wick and Nova Scotia, the only bird of this family known is the Sora,
Rallus carolinus.
Gattinuta Novesoracenstis, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 771.
Rattus Noveporacensis, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States,
p. 335.—Ch. Bonaparte, American Ornith. vol. iv. p. 136, pl. 27, fig. 2.
YELLOW-BREASTED Ratt, Rattus Novesoracensis, Richards. and Swains. Fauna
Bor.-Amer. vol. ii. p. 402.
YELLOowW-BREASTED Rai, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 402.
Adult Male. Plate CCCX XIX.
Bill shorter than the head, rather stout, compressed, tapering.
Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight, being slightly
convex towards the end, the ridge narrow and convex in its whole
length, the sides convex towards the end, the edges sharp, slightly
overlapping, destitute of notch. Nasal groove broad, and extending to
a little beyond the middle of the bill; nostrils linear, lateral, subme-
dial, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle long and narrow, the
sides erect, the dorsal line sloping upwards, the edges a little inflected,
the tip narrowed, the gape-line straight.
Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck shortish. Body
compact, deeper than broad. Feet of moderate length, rather stout ;
tibia bare a short way above the joint; tarsus of ordinary length, com-
pressed, anteriorly covered with broad scutella, posteriorly with smaller,
and on the sides reticulated. Hind toe small and very slender; mid-
dle toe longest, and longer than the tarsus; inner toe considerably
shorter than the outer ; toes free, with numerous scutella above. Claws
YELLOW-BREASTED RAIL. 255
much compressed, slightly arched, tapering to a fine point, flat and
marginate beneath.
Plumage rather stiff, but soft, blended, and slightly glossed above.
Feathers of the forehead somewhat bristly, broad and rounded ; of the
hind parts elongated. Wings short, broad, concave ; alula large, pri-
maries curved, broad, abruptly rounded, the second longest, third
searcely shorter, first equal to seventh; secondaries broad and rounded,
the inner elongated, some of them extending a quarter of an inch be-
yond the longest primary. Tail extremely short, much rounded,.of ten
feeble rounded feathers; the upper and lower tail-coverts as long as
the tail-feathers.
Bill greenish-black, with the base dull yellowish-orange. Iris hazel.
Feet and claws light flesh-colour. Upper part of the head and hind
neck blackish-brown, the feathers slightly edged with dull light brown-
ish-red, those on the occiput and hind neck with a small white spot on
the outer edge. The upper parts are brownish-black, longitudinally
streaked with brownish-yellow, each feather being broadly margined
with the latter, and crossed with from one to three narrow white bars.
Alula greyish-brown, each feather with a white dot near the tip ; pri-
maries similar, the outer four unspotted; the edge of the wing, and
the basal half of the outer web of the first primary yellowish-white ;
outer secondaries greyish-brown, white towards the end, three of them
having that colour extending over more than half of their length ; in-
ner secondaries like the back; as are the tail-feathers. Loral space
and a line beyond the eye blackish-brown. Sides of the head, neck,
and anterior part of the body light brownish-red, each feather termi-
nally margined with deep brown ; sides like the back; axillaries,
lower wing-coverts, and middle of the abdomen, pure white ; sides of
the rump like the back; lower tail-coverts brownish-red, with faint
whitish dots.
Length to end of tail 7% inches, to end of claws 93, to end of wings
7; extent of wings 121; wing from flexure 334; tail 134; tarsus 44;
first toe and claw 3%; second toe +$, its claw 3%; third toe 1,4, its
claw 34; fourth toe 4%, its claw #%. Weight 23 oz.
The Female is smaller than the male, but similar in colour.
Length to end of tail 6} inches, to end of claws 83; extent of
wings ll. Weight 2 oz.
( 256 )
AMERICAN RING PLOVER.
CHARADRIUS SEMIPALMATUS, Bonar.
PLATE CCCXXX. Mate anp Youne.
I nave had great pleasure in observing the migrations of this spe-
cies, particularly in early spring, when great numbers enter the south-
ern portions of the United States, on their way northward, where it
is now well known to breed. At that period, whatever attempts you
may make to prevent their progress, they always endeavour to advance
eastward ; whereas in early autumn, they will rove in any direction,
as if perfectly aware that, the task imposed upon them by Nature hav-
ing been accomplished, they may enjoy their leisure. Those which
pass the winter within the limits of the Union, are mostly found along
the shores of South Carolina, Georgia, the Floridas, and as far south
as the mouths of the Mississippi; there being no doubt that many re-
main on the coasts of the Gulf of Mexico, as I have found some there
early in spring, before observing those which I knew by their manners
to be recently arrived. In the course of my late visit to Texas, I
found them on Galveston Bay, where I observed some arriving from
the westward.
During their polar migration, they proceed rather swiftly, for al-
though they appear to touch at every place likely to afford them food
and repose, they seldom tarry long. Thus, many individuals, which
may have been in Texas early in April, not unfrequently reach Labra-
dor by the middle of May ; although some are a month later in reach-
ing the ultimate point of their journey, which, according to Dr
Ricuarpson, sometimes extends as far as the Arctic Regions.
While with us in spring, they confine themselves to the sandy
beaches of our sea-coasts, whether on the mainland or on islands; but
when they arrive at their breeding stations, they abandon their mari-
time life, and resort to mountainous mossy lands, as is also the custom
with several other species. On my way to Labrador, I saw some of
them in almost every place at which we landed ; and when I reached
Nastasguan Bay, they were breeding in all the spots that were adapted
for that purpose. Their manners formed an agreeable subject of
AMERICAN RING PLOVER. 257
observation to all the members of my party. As soon as one of us was
noticed by a Ring Plover, it would at once stand still and become si-
lent. If we did the same, it continued, and seldom failed to wear out
our patience. If we advanced, it would lower itself and squat on the
moss or bare rock until approached, when it would suddenly rise on its
feet, droop its wings, depress its head, and run with great speed to a
considerable distance, uttering all the while a low rolling and querulous
ery, very pleasing to the ear. On being surprised when in charge of
their young, they would open their wings to the full extent, and beat
the ground with their extremities, as if unable to rise. If pursued,
they allowed us to come within a few feet, then took flight, and at-
tempted to decoy us away from their young, which lay so close that we
very seldom discovered them, but which, on being traced, ran swiftly
off, uttering a plaintive peep often repeated, that never failed to bring
their parents to their aid. At Labrador, the Ring Plover begins to
breed in the beginning of June. On the 2d of July, I procured seve-
ral young birds apparently about a week old ; they ran briskly to avoid
us, and concealed themselves so closely by squatting, that it was very
difficult to discover them even when only a few feet distant.
This species, like the Piping Plover, Charadrius melodus, forms no
nest ; and whilst the latter scoops a place in the sand for its eggs, the
Ring Plover forms a similar cavity in the moss, in a place sheltered
from the north winds, and exposed to the full rays of the sun, usually
near the margins of small ponds formed by the melting of the snow,
and surrounded by short grass. Some of these pools are found on the
tops of the highest rocks of that country. The eggs, like those of all
the family, are four, and placed with the small ends together. They
are broad at the larger end, rather sharp at the other, measure 11 inch
in length, 7} inches in their greatest breadth, are of a dull yellowish
colour, irregularly blotched and spotted all over with dark brown of
different tints. The young are at first of a yellowish-grey colour, pret-
tily marked with darker spots on the shoulders and rump. As soon as
their parents dismissed them, they were observed searching for food
among the drying cod-fish, and along the beaches.
By the 12th of August, all the individuals which had bred in La-
brador and Newfoundland, had taken their departure, migrating south-
ward in company with the Phalaropes and Schintz’s Sandpipers.
Many of these birds proceed by our great lakes and rivers, they being
VOL. IV. R
258 AMERICAN RING PLOVER.
sometimes seen in September along the shores of the Ohio and Missis-
sippi. At this period they are now and then observed on ploughed
lands, where they appear to procure different species of seeds and in-
sects. Along the whole extent of our Atlantic shores, they are nume-
rous at this season, and great numbers are killed, the flesh of the young
birds especially being juicy and tender.
The flight of this species is swift and sustained. They are fond of
associating with other birds of similar habits, and are generally unsus-
picious, so that they are easily approached. When on wing, their
notes are sharp, sonorous, and frequently repeated. ‘The young mem-
bers of my party were often much amused by witnessing our pointer
chasing the old birds, whilst the latter, as if perfectly aware of the su-
periority in speed, would seem to coax him on, and never failed to ex-
haust him by flying along the declivities of the rocks up to their sum-
mits, and afterwards plunging downwards to the base, thus forming
great circuits over a limited range. Their food consists of small crus-
tacea, mollusca, and the eggs of various marine animals. The old
males are very pugnacious in the breeding season, and engage in obsti-
nate conflicts, drooping their wings, and trailing their tail fully spread
out in the manner of some species of Grouse on similar occasions.
Rine Prover, Trinega Hraticura, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vii. p. 65, pl. 59,
fig. 3.
CHARADRIUS SEMIPALMATUS, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States,
p- 296.
American Rine Prover, CHARADRIUS SEMIPALMATUS, Richards. and Swains.
Fauna. Bor.-Amer. vol. li. p. 367.
SEMIPALMATED Rine Puiover, Wutiall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 24.
Adult Male. Plate CCCXXX. Fig. 1.
Bill shorter than the head, straight, somewhat cylindrical. Upper
mandible with the dorsal line straight for half its length, then bulging
a little and curving to the tip, which is rather acute, the sides sloping
at the base, convex towards the end, where the edges are sharp and
direct. Nasal groove extended along more than half of the mandible ;
nostrils basal, linear, in the lower part of the membrane, open, and per-
vious. Lower mandible with the angle short, narrow, but rounded,
the sides at the base sloping outwards and flat, the dorsal line ascend-
jng and slightly convex, the edges sharp and involute towards the tip.
AMERICAN RING PLOVER. 259
Head of moderate size, oblong, rather compressed, the forehead
rounded. Eyes large. Neck rather short. Body ovate, compact.
Wings long. Feet slender, of moderate length ; tibia bare a conside-
rable way above the joint; tarsus of moderate length, rather com-
pressed, covered all round with sub-hexagonal scales; toes slender ;
the hind toe wanting ; third or middle toe much longer than the outer,
which exceeds the inner; all with numerous scutella; the outer con-
nected with the middle toe by a web which extends to the second joint
of the former, and runs along the edge of the latter, forming a broad
margin, the outer toe also connected with the middle toe by a short
membrane which does not extend more than half-way to the second
joint. Claws small, slightly arched, compressed, rather blunt, that of
the middle toe having the inner edge dilated.
Plumage soft and blended ; the feathers rounded, those of the back
somewhat distinct. Wings long and pointed; primary quills tapering,
the first longest, the second a little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ;
outer secondaries incurved and obliquely emarginate ; the inner taper-
ing and elongated, one of them reaching to half an inch from the tip of
the longest primary. ‘Tail of moderate length, considerably rounded,
of twelve feathers.
Bill black, its basal half rich orange. Iris deep hazel. Feet pale
flesh-colour, claws black. Forehead, loral space, and a band passing
below the eye and including the auriculars, black ; the rest of the head
above and the nape, light greyish-brown, tinged with dull olive. A
broad band between the eyes, continuous with a streak over them, a
small band on the lower eyelid, and a ring on the middle of the neck,
enlarged in front so as to cover the throat, pure white. A broad ring
of black on the lower part of the neck, broader in front. All the lower
parts and the sides of the rump white. The upper parts of the same
greyish-brown as the head, the scapulars and elongated inner seconda-
ries more decidedly glossed with olive. Alula, primary coverts, and
primary quills dusky, the coverts tipped with white, the outer prima-
ries, with a portion of the shaft white, the inner with an elongated
patch of white on the outer web in addition, and the proximal part of
the inner web of the same colour. Secondary quills with a narrow ter-
minal margin of white, which is much enlarged on (or in some specimens
covers) the two next to the elongated ones, which are externally mar-
gined with brownish-white. Tail pale greyish-brown, brownish black
260 AMERICAN RING PLOVER.
towards the end, the tip white, enlarging on the outer, and including
the whole of the lateral feather, and the outer web of the next.
Length to end of tail 7} inches, to end of wings 8, to end of claws
7; extent of wings 14; bill along.the ridge 4, along the edge of lower
mandible ;4; wing from flexure 5, tail 24; tarsus 44, middle toe and
claw +g. Weight 13 oz.
The Female is a little larger than the male, but similar, although the
black markings are tinged with brown.
Young in September. Plate CCCXXX. Fig. 2.
Bill dusky, at the base yellowish. Feet pale yellowish-green, claws
dusky. Upper parts lighter than in the adult, the feathers margined
with pale yellowish-grey ; no black band on the forehead, or on the
neck, but a patch of dusky on the side of the neck and breast; the
band from the bill to behind the eye greyish-brown.
This species exhibits a very intimate affinity to Charadrius Hiati-
cula of Europe, which is precisely similar in form, proportions, and co-
louring, but considerably larger, and having the feet orange-coloured,
with the webs much less extended.
ee
( 261 )
GOOSANDER.
MERGUS MERGANSER, LINN.
PLATE CCCXXXI. Mate anp FEMALE.
Tuts species may be said to be a constant resident with us, as
many individuals breed in the interior of the States of New York,
Massachusetts, and Maine. When I first resided in Kentucky,
some bred there also, although at the present day none pass the sum-
mer in that country. In the latter part of autumn, in winter, and in
early spring, they are found in all parts of the Union; in Texas I
procured some in April 1837, and in the beginning of May saw a con-
siderable flock in Galveston Bay. How much farther southward their
migrations extend I know not, but from having observed them coming
from that direction, I suspect that they advance pretty far into the in-
terior of Mexico, from which some perhaps cross to the Arkansas
River, on which I have also seen them. On the Mississippi, the Ohio,
and their tributaries, Goosanders are found during the coldest weather ;
and when the larger streams are covered with ice, they betake them-
selves to such smaller creeks as have very rapid currents or cascades,
about which they feed. But there are parts of our southern coast,
where they are exceedingly rare, such as South Carolina, where my
friend Dr Bacumawn has never seen one, and the Floridas, in which
none occurred to me during my rambles there. Indeed one is sur-
prised to find that among birds like this, which is so hardy as to re-
main in our North-eastern States during the severest part of the winter,
some should extend their movements at the same season as far to the
south-west as Texas; but facts like these are beyond our philosophy.
In the lower parts of Louisiana, this species is called the “ Bec-scie-
de-mer,” probably because there it is found only on the large salt-
water lakes, and about the mouths of the Mississippi, and to distin-
guish it from the Hooded Merganser, which there is more usually seen
on fresh water. I have been assured by Professor MacCuttocnu of
Pictou that it now and then breeds in Nova Scotia. Yet I found none
in Labrador or Newfoundland, where the Red-breasted species was
breeding in great numbers. Dr RicHarpsow found it in abundance
in the Fur Countries.
262 GOOSANDER.
The Goosander is a vigorous and robust bird. It swims deeply,
but with considerable speed, even against a strong current, running
waters being generally preferred by it, even when rather shallow, pro-
vided their beds are of sand or pebbles, for it is rarely seen on
muddy or stagnant waters, even during the breeding season, when it
returns to the inland lakes. Like the Grebes it has the power of
sinking backwards, and it dives expertly, remaining occasionally seve-
ral minutes beneath the surface. It usually swims and dives against
the current, and close by the shores, extricating itself from floating ice
by passing under it. Its yoracity is great, so that it consumes an ex-
traordinary quantity of fish. I have found fishes in its stomach seven
inches in length, and of smaller kinds so many as to weigh more than
half a pound. Digestion takes place with great rapidity, insomuch
that some which I have fed in captivity devoured more than two
dozen of fishes about four inches in length, four times daily, and yet
always seemed to be desirous of more. The alleged awkwardness of
this bird when on shore is a fable, for I have seen individuals while
courting in spring run with great celerity fifty or more yards at a time,
keeping nearly in an erect position. On occasions of this kind I have
observed on the sand-bars of the Mississippi flocks of seven or eight
males chasing each other with great animosity. At other times, how-
ever, they are not fond of walking much, but when on shore are gene-
rally seen lying flat on the ground. At times the Mergansers rise al-
most at once on wing from the water, but at others they seem to find
considerable difficulty, patting it with their feet for many yards.
‘These differences seem to depend on various circumstances, such as
their being suddenly surprised, or during violent winds. They gene-
rally, if not always, rise on wing against the breeze.
The flight of the Goosander is powerful, and as rapid and sustained
as that of the Red-breasted and Hooded Mergansers. When fairly
under way and at a good height, they advance in an almost direct course
and proceed with surprising velocity, so that, when suddenly ap-
prised of the vicinity of man, they at times find it difficult to check
their speed so quickly as may be necessary for their safety. I well re-
member that on several occasions having watched one of these birds
flying directly up a creek and towards me, I have taken aim at it and
fired when it was at the proper distance, and yet such had been its
velocity that it would advance, after being shot, many yards towards me.
ae
GOOSANDER. 263
When rising from the water, whatever number may be in the flock,
they all start together, paddle off with their feet and wings, stretching
out their necks, and thus run as it were on the water to the dis-
tance of twenty or thirty yards with great velocity, extending in a
front, or following each other in a line, according to the extent of
the space before them. They then gradually ascend to the height of the
trees, and move off to some considerable distance, but often return to
the same place. They seem to ascertain the fertility of the waters by
sipping a little on their alighting, and then, having found appearances
favourable, they open their bills, apparently to take a deep inspiration,
and immediately dive. When they have procured a sufficiency of
food, they betake themselves to some sand-bar, on which they repose
until it is digested.
The Goosander rises to the surface with the fish in its bill, and,
shifting it about until it is in a proper position, swallows it head fore-
most, then dives for more. So deeply does it swim, that on such occa-
sions not more than a third of its body is seen on the surface ; and
there is very little chance of shooting it, for it dives on seeing the flash,
or even on hearing the click of the lock. The only chance of procur-
ing one at such times is when, on coming to the surface, it stretches
itself up and beats its wings If it is only wounded, it often exhi-
bits great tenacity of life, and diving at once remains a long time
in the water. On emerging, it is seen shaking its head violently, for
the purpose of disgorging its food, and, perhaps, the blood that has
flowed into its lungs ; and, on effecting this, it again plunges headlong.
At length, you see it come to the surface, with its beautifully tinged
breast upwards; but if your object be to obtain game, you will have
little satisfaction in procuring a Goosander or any of its genus, for they
are all fishy, oily, tough, and fitted for the palate of none but expe-
rienced epicures. The food of the Goosander consists chiefly of fish,
but also of bivalve shells, snails, leeches, aquatic lizards, crays, and
frogs.
Now, good Reader, Spring has once more gladdened the face of
Nature, pearly drops hang on every leaf, glistening in the bright sun-
shine, and thousands of gay insects flutter around. My light canoe is
ready. Leap in, seat yourself snugly in the bow, and sit still while I
paddle you to the green islands of this beautiful lake, where we shall
probably find a Merganser or two, perhaps a female sitting on her eggs.
264 GOOSANDER.
As to the dog, we need him not; so lie thee down, Baron, until I re-
turn. I was always fond of ‘paddling my own canoe,” and I never
met with a single accident so long as I managed it myself; but on
more occasions than one I have been turned out as gently as one turns
himself in bed, and having put the frail bark to rights, have assisted.
the awkward fellow who had caused the disaster, dived for his gun and
my own, and conducted him to the camp to dry his garments. There-
fore, be quiet, and fear nothing. See! what’s that? Nothing, friend,
but the head of a musk-rat. But look there, how swiftly swims that
beautiful Loon! Heed him not; have I not already told you all that
I know about him? How smooth and silvery are the pure waters,
how beautiful those tall trees! The dogwood is in full bloom, so are
the maples, whose rich red blossoms cluster on the twigs. Here we
are just entering the rushes of this little island. Get out, and wade to
the shore with all possible gentleness; or allow me to do so; for -to
lighten our slight bark, one of us must get into the water. Softly we
advance as I pull the canoe by the bow ; but now, squat, for here are
tracks of the Goosander. There now lies the female close before us.
She thinks we have not seen her, for she crouches closer upon her eggs.
Alarm her not, or she will soon depart. There she croaks, and scram-
bling off through the tall grass, flies off on rapid wings. Look at the
nest ! count the eggs if you choose, but allow me, if you please, to de-
seribe them.
The islands on which the Goosander is wont to breed are mostly
small, as if selected for the purpose of allowing the sitting bird to get
soon to the water in case of danger. The nest is very large, at times
raised seven or eight inches on the top of a bed of all the dead weeds
which the bird can gather in the neighbourhood. Properly speaking,
the real nest, however, is not larger than that of the Dusky Duck, and
is rather neatly formed externally of fibrous roots, and lined round the
edges with the down of the bird. The interior is about seven and a
half inches in diameter, and four inches in depth. There are seldom
more than seven or eight eggs, which measure two inches and seven-
eighths in length, by two inches in breadth, are of an elliptical form,
being nearly equally rounded at both ends, smooth, and of a uniform
dull cream-colour. The young are led to the water in a few hours after
they are hatched, and are covered with fur-like hair, of a reddish-brown
colour about the head and neck, the hody lightish grey. They are ex-
GOOSANDER. 265
cellent divers, and run on the surface with surprising velocity ; but
they are not able to fly for nearly two months, when, being fat, they
are easily fatigued if closely pursued, and on such occasions will often
betake themselves to the shore, lie down, and even allow you to lay
hold of them. My friend Tuomas Nurratu has given an interesting
account of his chase of a brood of Goosanders.
« Early in the month of May 1832, while descending the Susque-
hannah near to Dunstown, a few miles below the gorge of the Alle-
ghanies, through which that river meanders near the foot of the Bald
Eagle Mountain, G. Lyman, Esq. and myself observed, near the head
of a little bushy island, some Wild Duck, as we thought, with her
brood making off round a point which closed the view. On rowing to
the spot, the wily parent had still continued her retreat, and we gave
chase to the party, which with all the exertions that could be made in
rowing, still kept at a respectful distance before us. We now per-
ceived that these diminutive possessors of their natal island were a fe-
male Goosander or Dun Diver, with a small but active little brood of
eight young ones. On pushing the chase for near half an hour, the
young, becoming somewhat fatigued, drew around their natural protec-
tor, who now and then bore them along crowding on her back. At
length, stealing nearly from our sight, as the chase relaxed, the mo-
ther landed at a distance on the gravelly shore, which being nearly of
her own grey colour and that of her family, served for some time, as a
complete concealment. When approached again, however, they took
to the water, and after a second attempt, in which the young strove to
escape by repeated divings, we succeeded in cutting off the retreat of
one of the family, which was at length taken from behind a flat boat
under which it had finally retreated to hide. We now examined the
little stranger, and found it to be a young Merganser of this species,
not bigger than the egg of a Goose, and yet already a most elegant
epitome of its female parent, generally grey, with the rufous head and
neck, and the rudiments of a growing crest. After suffering itself to
be examined with great calmness, and without any apparent fear, we
restored it to its more natural element, and, at the first effort, this
little diminutive of its species flew under the water like an arrow, and
coming out to the surface only at considerable distances, we soon lost
sight of it, making good its aquatic retreat in quest of the parent. On
inquiry, we learned from the tavern-keeper, that for several years past
266 GOOSANDER.
a nest or brood of these birds had annually been seen near this “ere
and secluded island.”
The male Goosanders leave the females immediately after incuba-
tion has commenced, and are then seen in the wildest parts of the
country. Several females are often found breeding on the same
island, and it is after their young are pretty well grown, that they
moult. Fora number of years past, I have sometimes entertained
a hope, at the approach of the breeding season, of finding a male
Goosander having his head adorned with a broad erectile crest, like
that of the female and young, but I have hitherto been disappointed,
and am therefore unable to say whether such a crest ever exists in that
sex. The young of both sexes retain the colouring of the female for
two years, during which time the males can be distinguished from the
females only by their being much larger. The males have not the
rich buffy tint on the breast until about two years after they have com-
menced breeding, and the first perceptible change by which their sex
is distinguished is the appearance of black feathers on the head and
neck. Until of late years, the females were thought to be of a dis-
tinct species, to which the name of Dun Diver was given.
Many writers have said that this bird breeds in the hollows of
trees, or on their branches; but of the various nests which I have
found, not one occurred in such situations ; and the Hooded Merganser
is the only species of this genus which I have observed nestling in an
elevated place.
The notes of the Goosander are harsh, consisting of hoarse croaks,
seldom uttered unless the bird be suddenly startled, or when courting.
The females are usually silent, but when with their young brood, and
pursued, they emit the same guttural sounds as the males. Goosanders
are easily caught with hooks baited with fish; my friend Joun BacuMan
has procured them in this manner on the Hudson River, and I also
have on the Ohio.
Along with the representation of a pair of adult birds of this spe-
cies, I have given a correct view of the Cohoes Falls 1 the State of
New York.
GOOSANDER. 267
Mercus Mereanser, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. 208.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 828.
—Oh. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 397.
GoosanDER, Mercus Mereanser, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p. 68, pl. 68, fig. 1
Male, and fig. 2. Female.—Richards. and Swains. Fauna ‘Bor.-Amer. vol. ii.
p. 461.—Wuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 460.
Adult Male. Plate CCCXXXI. Fig. 1.
Bill about the length of the head, straight, strong, tapering, higher
than broad at the base, nearly cylindrical toward the end. Upper
mandible with the dorsal outline sloping gently to the middle, then
straight, along the unguis suddenly decurved ; the ridge broad at the
base, then convex ; the sides sloping rapidly at the base, convex to-
ward the end; the edges serrated beneath ; the unguis oblong, much
curved, abruptly rounded at the end. Nasal groove elongated ; nos-
trils submedial, linear, direct, pervious. Lower mandible with the
angle very narrow, and extended to the unguis, which is obovate ; the
sides nearly erect in their outer half, with a long narrow groove, the
edges serrate within.
Head rather large, compressed, oblong. Neck rather short, thick.
Body full, depressed. Feet placed far behind, short, stout ; tibia bare
for about a quarter of an inch; tarsus very short, compressed, ante-
riorly covered with small scutella, and another row on the lower half
externally, the sides reticulate. Hind toe very small, with an inferior
free membrane ; anterior toes half as long again as the tarsus; second
shorter than fourth, which is almost as long as the third, all connected
by reticulated webs, which are deeply concave ; the outer toe slightly
margined, the inner with a broad marginal membrane. Claws rather
small, moderately arched, compressed, acute, that of the middle toe with
a thin inner edge.
Plumage moderately full, dense, soft, glossy. Feathers of the head
and neck silky, blended, elongated along the median line, so as to form
a not conspicuous crest; of the back rather compact; of the lower
parts blended. Wings short, of moderate breadth, convex, acute ; pri-
maries narrow, tapering, the first scarcely shorter than the second, the
rest rapidly graduated ; secondaries rather short, narrow, rounded, the
inner elongated and tapering. Tail short, much rounded, of eighteen
rather narrow rounded feathers.
Bill bright vermilion, with the unguis black. Iris carmine. Feet
orange-red in winter, bright vermilion in the breeding season. Head
*
268 GOOSANDER.
and upper half of neck greenish-black, splendent, with bright green re-
flections; hind part of neck below white ; fore part of neck and all the
under parts of a delicate reddish-buff; the sides of the rump and part
of the abdomen greyish-white, finely undulated and dotted with dark
grey; some of the lower wing-coverts dusky, the larger coverts and
primaries light grey. ‘The fore part of the back, and the inner scapu-
lars, glossy black; the hind part ash-grey, becoming lighter and finally
undulated on the rump. Upper tail-coverts and tail-feathers deep
grey, outer scapulars white ; a transverse band of black at the base of
the wing, concealed by the scapulars. _Wing-coverts white; alula,
primary coverts, primary quills, and a band formed by the base of the
first row of large coverts, black ; secondaries white, six of them margined
externally with a black line, the innermost margined on both webs,
but more broadly on the inner, and with the tip black.
Length to end of tail 27 inches, to end of claws 263, to end of wings
24, to carpal joint 133, to end of green on the neck 74; extent of wings
36; bill along the ridge 2;%, along the edge of lower mandible 374 ;
wing from flexure 114; tail 5; tarsus 14%; first toe and claw +$; outer
toe 274, its claw #4; middle toe 23%, its claw 7. Weight 5 lb. Of
another 33 lb.
Dimensions of two other Males:
Length to end of tail, : : 26 257 inches.
. claws, ‘ : 27 25
Seavenensccccncesvacs wings, : ; 24 234
Extent of wings, ; ; ’ 38 35
Female. Plate CCCXXXI.
The female is much smaller. The bill, eyes, and feet are coloured
as in the male, but the ridge of the bill is black, and the nail whitish ;
the longitudinal crest is much more elongated, being composed of linear
feathers, some of them fully two inches and a half long. Head and upper
part of neck brownish-red ; throat white ; all the upper parts, with the
sides of the body and rump deep ash-grey, the feathers paler at the mar-
gin. Smaller wing-coverts and inner secondaries grey ; bases and tips of
secondary coverts black, the intermediate part white ; middle second-
aries white, outer and primaries black ; anterior part of neck below
faintly banded with ash-grey ; breast and abdomen white, slightly
tinged with buff.
GOOSANDER. 269
Length to end of tail 24 inches, to end of claws 233, to end of
wings 203; extent of wings 34; bill along the ridge 1}, along the
edge of lower mandible 23; wing from flexure 10;; tail 44; tarsus
15%; hind toe and claw * ; middle toe 27%, its claw 72; outer toe 274,
its claw 7s.
The young males after the autumnal moult, and until the middle of
summer, resemble the females.
An adult male obtained near Boston examined. The heart is 2
inches long; the lobes of the liver are nearly equal, the right being 3
inches 7 twelfths long, the left 3 inches 3 twelfths.
The upper mandible has about 28 recurved conical, acute, horny
papillz, and an internal series of smaller, on each side ; the tip of the un-
guis serrulate ; on the lower mandible are about 40 of the same nature.
The tongue is 2 inches 1 twelfth long, fleshy, emarginate, and papillate
at the base, tapering, with a double row of slender reversed papille
along the upper surface, and two lateral series of filaments on each
side; the tip lacerated, horny on the back. Posterior nasal aperture
. oblong, 10 twelfths in length, papillate on the edges. Aperture of the
glottis 44 twelfths long. The mouth is 10 twelfths in breadth, but
may be extended to 1 inch 9 twelfths. The cesophagus is 104 inches
long, its diameter 1 inch 7 twelfths on the neck, contracting to 8
twelfths as it enters the thorax, but again expanding; the external
coat of transverse muscular fibres very thick ; the internal layer of lon-
gitudinal fibres very distinct ; the mucous coat thrown into prominent
longitudinal plaits when contracted ; the mucous follicles disposed in
longitudinal single series. The proventriculus is 2 inches long, the
glandules very numerous, oblong, about 2 twelfths in length, forming
a complete belt. The stomach is a strong gizzard, of moderate size, 2
inches long, the lateral muscles 5 twelfths thick ; the epithelium very
thick, nearly 1 twelfth, longitudinally rugous. In the stomach and
gullet was a fish 9 inches long, the portions lying in the stomach and
proventriculus partially dissolved, the rest 4 inches long, not acted
upon ; there were also two fragments of quartz, one of them a quarter
of an inch long. The intestine is long, measuring 6 feet 3 inches, its
diameter from 5 to 3 twelfths. The cceca are 2 inches long, for half
an inch 13 twelfth in diameter, in the rest of their extent 4 twelfths.
270 GOOSANDER.
The rectum 5 inches long, including the cloaca, which has a diameter
of an inch and a quarter. .
The trachea, 104 inches long, has at first a diameter of 4 twelfths,
dilates gradually to 8 twelfths, then contracts to 4 twelfths, enlarges a
second time to 7 twelfths, and gradually contracts to 3 twelfths. In
this space the rings, 146, are strong, broad, and osseous. At its lower
part is an enormous dilatation composed of numerous united rings,
bulging irregularly on the right side and behind, and on the left ex-
panded into a case having two large spaces filled by membrane; the
greatest diameter of this tympanum is 2 inches and 2 twelfths. The
bronchi come off at the distance of nearly an inch from each other, and
are short, but wide, with about 25 half-rings. The lateral or contractor
muscles are very strong, give off a pair of cleido-tracheals from the
second enlargement, and at the commencement of the labyrinth the
sterno-tracheals, which are also very large; but there are no other in-
ferior laryngeal muscles.
The intestine of a male in the first winter is 6 feet 8 inches long,
its greatest diameter half an inch, wider towards the rectum than at
the upper part, where the diameter is 4 twelfths. Rectum 4} inches
long, exclusive of the cloaca. Coeca 2} inches. Contents of stomach,
remains of fishes and a great quantity of quartz fragments.
An adult Female. M£sophagus 104 inches long ; stomach 2 inches
long ; intestine 5 feet 3 inches; rectum 43; cceca 27%. The trachea
9 inches long, of uniform diameter, 4 twelfths, with a very slight dila-
tation toward the lower part, and at the lower larynx contracted to 3
twelfths ; the last ring is very large, laterally dilated, but symmetrical ;
the bronchi come off at the distance of 5 twelfths from each other, and
are composed of 25 rings. The tracheal rings 150.
With respect to their digestive organs, the Mergansers are perhaps
more allied to the Divers than to the Ducks. In this, as in other re-
spects, they seem to be placed on the limits of the two families.
( 27)
PIED DUCK.
FULIGULA LABRADORA, GMEL.
PLATE CCCXXXII. Mate anp Fematre.
A.ttTHouGH no birds of this species occurred to me when I was in
Labrador, my son, Joun Woopuouse, and the young friends who ac-
companied him on the 28th of July 1833 to Blane Sablon, found, placed
on the top of the low tangled fir-bushes, several deserted nests, which
from the report of the English clerk of the fishing establishment there,
we learned to belong to the Pied Duck. ‘They had much the appear-
ance of those of the Eider Duck, being very large, formed externally
of fir twigs, internally of dried grass, and lined with down. It would thus
seem that the Pied Duck breeds earlier than most of its tribe. It is sur-
prising that this species is not mentioned by Dr RicHarpson in the
Fauna Boreali-Americana, as it is a very hardy bird, and is met with
along the coasts of Nova Scotia, Maine, and Massachusetts, during the
most severe cold of winter. My friend Professor MacCuttocn of Pictou
has procured several in his immediate neighbourhood ; and the Honour-
able DanieL Wessrexr of Boston sent me a fine pair killed by himself,
on the Vineyard Islands, on the coast of Massachusetts, from which I
made the drawing for the plate before you. ‘The female has not, I be-
lieve, been hitherto figured ; yet the one represented was not an old bird.
The range of this species along our shores does not extend farther
southward than Chesapeake Bay, where I have seen some near the in-
flux of the St James River. I have also met with several in the Balti-
more market. Along the coast of New Jersey and Long Island it oc-
curs in greater or less number every year. It also at times enters the
Delaware River in Pennsylvania, and ascends that stream at least as
far as Philadelphia. A bird-stuffer whom I knew at Camden had
many fine specimens, all of which he had procured by baiting fish-
hooks with the common mussel, on a ‘ trot-line” sunk a few feet be-
neath the surface, but on which he never found one alive, on account
of the manner in which these Ducks dive and flounder when securely
hooked. All the specimens which I saw with this person, male and
female, were in perfect plumage ; and I have not enjoyed opportuni-
ties of seeing the changes which this species undergoes.
272 PIED DUCK.
The Pied Duck seems to be a truly marine bird, seldom entering
rivers unless urged by stress of weather. It procures its food by diving
amidst the rolling surf over sand or mud bars; although at times it
comes along the shore, and searches in the manner of the Spoonbill
Duck. Its usual fare consists of small shell-fish, fry, and various kinds
of sea-weeds, along with which it swallows much sand and gravel. Its
flight is swift, and its wings emit a whistling sound. It is usually seen
in flocks of from seven to ten, probably the members of one family.
Awas LaBprapora, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 859.
Prep Duck, Anas Laprapora, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p. 91, pl. 69, fig. 6. male.
Furicura LaBrapora, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 391.
Prep Duck, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 428.
Adult Male. Plate CCCXXXII. Fig. 1.
Bill nearly as long as the head, rather broader than high at the
base, the sides nearly parallel, but at the end enlarged by soft membra-
nous expansions to the upper mandible. The latter has the dorsal out-
line at first straight and declinate, then direct and slightly convex, at
the extremity decurved ; the ridge broad at the base, convex toward
the end; the sides sloping at the base, then convex, the extremity broad
and rounded, the unguis broadly obovate ; the margins soft, expanded
toward the end, and with about 50 lamelle, of which the anterior are
inconspicuous. Nasal groove oblong, nostrils linear-oblong, sub-basal
near the ridge. Lower mandible flattened, curved upwards, with the
angle very long and narrow, the dorsal line very short, and nearly
straight, the nearly erect edges with about 30 large and prominent
lamellz ; the unguis very broad.
Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Eyes small. Neck
rather short and thick. Body full, depressed. Feet very short, strong,
placed rather far behind; tarsus very short, compressed, with two an-
terior series of rather small scutella, the sides and back part reticulat-
ed with angular scales. Hind toe very small, with a free membrane
beneath ; outer anterior toes double the length of the tarsus, and nearly
equal, the inner much shorter, and with a broad marginal membrane.
Claws small, slightly arched, compressed, rather acute.
Plumage dense, soft, blended ; feathers of the head and neck small,
oblong; those on the lower part of the cheeks very stiff, having the
terminal filaments more or less united into a horny plate. Wings
short, of moderate breadth, concave, acute; primary quills curved,
PIED DUCK. 273
strong, tapering, the second very slightly longer than the first, the rest
rapidly graduated ; secondary quills broad and rounded, the inner elon-
gated and tapering. Tail very short, much rounded, of fourteen ta-
pering feathers.
Bill with the basal space between the nostrils running into a
rounded point in the middle, pale greyish-blue ; the sides of the base,
and the edges of both mandibles for two-thirds of their length, dull pale
orange; the rest of the bill black. Iris reddish-hazel. Feet light
greyish-blue, webs and claws dusky. Head and upper half of neck
white, excepting -an elongated black patch on the top of the head and
nape. Below the middle of the neck is a black ring, from the hind
part of which proceeds a longitudinal band of the same colour, gra-
dually becoming wider on the back and rump; below the black ring
anteriorly is a broad band of white, passing backwards on each side so
as to include the scapulars. All the under parts black, excepting the
axillaries and lower wing-coverts. Upper wing-coverts and secondary
quills white, some of the inner quills with a narrow external black mar-
gin; alula, primary coverts, and primary quills, brownish-black. Tail
brownish-black, tinged with grey, the shafts black ; upper tail-coverts
dusky, minutely dotted with reddish-brown.
Length to end of tail 20 inches, to end of claws 223, to end of
wings 1834; extent of wings 30; wing from flexure 94; tail 33; bill
along the ridge 17, along the edge of lower mandible 22; tarsus 1;
middle toe 23, its claw 3, hind toe 43, its claw !; outer toe and claw
slightly longer than middle ; inner toe 14, its claw#. Weight 1b. 144 oz.
Female. Plate CCCXXXII. Fig. 2.
The female is less than the male. The bill, iris, and feet are
coloured as in the male; sides of the forehead white (not in the figure,
it having been taken from a young bird). The general colour is
brownish-grey, darker on the head, cheeks, back, rump, and abdomen,
of a lighter tint approaching to ash-grey, on the throat, breast, wing-
coverts, and inner secondaries, which are margined externally with
black ; seven or eight of the secondary quills white ; the primaries and
tail-feathers as in the male.
Length to end of tail 184 inches, to end of claws 198, to end of
wings 17; extent of wings 29; wing from flexure 9; tail 32; bill
along the ridge 1g, along the edge of lower mandible 23; tarsus 14;
hind toe and claw 3; middle toe and elaw 23. Weight 1 Ib. 1 oz.
VOL, IV. :S)
(274),
GREEN HERON.
ARDEA VIRESCENS, LINN.
PLATE CCCXXXIII. Mate anp Youne.
Tuts species is more generally known than any of our Herons, it
being very extensively dispersed in spring, summer, and early autumn.
It ranges along our many rivers to great distances from the sea, being
common on the Missouri and its branches, from which it spreads to all
such localities as are favourable to its habits. ‘Co the north of the
United States, however, it is very seldom seen, it being of rare occur-
rence even in Nova Scotia. At the approach of winter it retires to the
Floridas and Lower Louisiana, where individuals, however, reside all
the year, and many remove southward beyond the limits of our country,
I have observed their return in early spring, when arriving in flocks
of from twenty to fifty individuals. They would plunge downwards
from their elevated line of march, cutting various zigzags, until they
would all simultaneously alight on the tops of the trees or bushes of
some swampy place, or on the borders of miry ponds. These halts
took place pretty regularly about an hour after sun-rise. The day was
occupied by them, as well as by some other species, especially the
Blue, the Yellow-crowned, and Night Herons, all of which at this pe-
riod travelled eastward, in resting, cleansing their bodies, and search-
ing for food. When the sun approached the western horizon, they
would at once ascend in the air, arrange their lines, and commence
their flight, which, I have no doubt, continued all night. You may
therefore, good Reader, conclude that Herons are not only diurnal birds
when feeding, but also able to travel at night when the powerful im-
pulse of migration urges them from one portion of the country to ano-
ther. But although on their northward journey, the Green Herons
travel in flocks, it is a curious fact, that, unlike our smaller Waders,
Ducks, Geese, and Cranes, they usually return southward at the ap-
proach of winter, singly or in very small flocks.
Stagnant pools or bayous, and the margins of the most limpid streams,
are alike resorted to by this species for the purpose of procuring food.
It is little alarmed by the presence of man, and you may often see it
——~ ee
GREEN HERON. 275
close to houses, on the mill-dams, or even raising its brood on the trees
of gardens. 'This is often the case in the suburbs of Charleston in South
Carolina, where I have seen several nests on the same live oak in the
grounds of the Honourable Joel Poinset, as well as in those of other
cities of the Southern States. The gentleness, or as many would say,
the stupidity of this bird is truly remarkable, for it will at times allow
you to approach within a few paces, looking as unconcernedly upon
you as the House Sparrow is wont to do in the streets of London.
Although they not unfrequently breed in single pairs ; they also as-
sociate, not only forming communities of their own kind, but ming-
ling with the larger species of their tribe, and with the Boat-tailed
Grakles, and other birds. On the 23d May 1831, I found two nests of
the Green Heron on one of the Florida Keys, close to some of Ardea
rufescens and A. cwrulea. Now and then a dozen or more of their nests
are found on a bunch of vines in the middle of a pond, and placed with-
in two or three feet of the water; while in other cases, they place their
tenements on the highest branches of tall cypresses. In our Middle
Districts, however, and especially at some distance from the sea, it is
very seldom that more than a single nest is seen in one locality.
The nest of the Green Heron, like that of almost every other spe-
cies of the tribe, is flat and composed of sticks, loosely arranged, among
which are sometimes green twigs with their leaves still attached. The
eggs are three or four, seldom more, an inch and three-eighths in length,
an inch and one-eighth in breadth, nearly equally rounded at both ends,
and of a delicate sea-green colour. According to the locality, they
are deposited from the middle of March to the beginning of June. In
the Southern States, two broods are frequently reared, but in the
Middle and Northern Districts, seldom more than one.
The young, which are at first of a deep livid colour, sparingly co-
vered here and there, and more especially about the head, with longish
tufts of soft hair-like down, of a brownish colour, remain in the nest
until nearly able to fly ; but if disturbed, at once leave their couch, and
scramble along the branches, clinging to them with their feet, so as not
to be easily drawn off.
After the spring migration is over, the flight of this species is ra-
ther feeble, and when they are passing from one spot to another, they
frequently use a stronger flap of their wings at intervals. On such oc-
casions, they scarcely contract their neck ; but when travelling to a con-
276 GREEN HERON.
siderable distance, they draw it in like all other species of the tribe,
and advance with regular and firm movements of their wings. When
alighting to rest, they come down with such force, that their passage
causes a rustling sound like that produced by birds of prey when poun-
cing on their quarry, and on perching they stretch up their neck and
jerk their tail repeatedly for some time, as they are also wont to do
on any other occasion’ when alarmed.
The Green Herons feed all day long, but, as I think, rarely at
night. Their food consists of frogs, fishes, snails, tadpoles, water li-
zards, crabs, and small quadrupeds, all of which they procure without
much exertion, they being abundant in the places to which they usu-
ally resort. Their gait is light but firm. During the love-season they
exhibit many curious gestures, erecting all the feathers of their neck,
swelling their throat, and uttering a rough guttural note like qua, qua,
several times repeated by the male as he struts before the female. This
note is also usually emitted when they are started, but when fairly on
wing they proceed in silence. The flesh of this species affords tolerable
eating, and Green Herons are not unfrequently seen in the markets of
our Southern cities, especially of New Orleans.
The young attain their full beauty in the second spring, but con-
tinue to grow for at least another year. The changes which they ex-
hibit, although by no means so remarkable as those of Ardea rufescens
and A. cwrulea, have proved sufficient to cause mistakes among authors
who had nothing but skins on which to found their decisions. I have
given figures of an adult in full plumage, and of an immature bird, to
enable you to judge how carefully Nature ought to be studied to enable
you to keep free of mistakes.
ArpeEa virEscens, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol i. p. 238.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. 1. p. 684.
—Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 307.
GREEN Heron, ARDEA virESCENS, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p. 97, pl. 61,
fig. 1.—WNuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 63.
Adult Male. Plate CCCXXXIII. Fig. 1.
Bill longer than the head, straight, rather slender, tapering to a
very acute point, higher than broad at the base, compressed towards
the end. Upper mandible with its dorsal line very slightly arched, the
GREEN HERON. 277
ridge broad and rather flattened at the base, narrowed towards the end,
the sides sloping, erect towards the edges, which are sharp and direct,
the tip acute. Nasal depression long, with a groove extending to near
the point; nostrils basal, linear, longitudinal. Lower mandible with
the angle very long and narrow, the dorsal line sloping upwards, the
sides sloping outwards and nearly flat, the edges sharp, the tip acu-
minate.
“ead oblong, much compressed. - Neck long. [ody very slender,
much compressed. Feet rather long, moderately stout ; tibia bare for
- about an inch ; tarsi of moderate length, covered with hexagonal scales
of which some of the anterior are much larger and scutelliform. Toes
rather long and slender, with numerous scutella above ; hind toe stout,
second and fourth nearly equal, third much longer; claws rather long,
slender, arched, compressed, acute, that of middle toe expanded and
serrated on the inner edge.
A large space extending from the bill to behind the eye bare. Plu-
mage very soft, loose, and blended ; feathers of the hind head elongated
and erectile, as are those of the neck generally, but especially of its
hind and lower anterior parts; of the fore part of the back much elon-
gated and acuminate, scapulars very large. Wings short, very broad,
rounded ; second and third quills equal and longest, first and fourth
equal and but slightly shorter, the rest slowly graduated ; secondaries
broad and rounded. ‘Tail very short, even, of twelve, broad, soft fea-
thers.
Bill greenish-black above, bright yellow beneath. Iris and bare
part about the eye also bright yellow. Feet, greenish-yellow, claws
dusky. Upper part of the head and nape glossy deep green. Neck
purplish-red, tinged with lilac behind, and having anteriorly a longitu-
dinal band of white, spotted with dusky-brown; a similar white band along
the base of lower mandible to beyond the eye. Elongated feathers of
the back greyish-green, in some lights bluish-grey, with the shafts
bluish-white ; the rest of the back similar ; the upper tail-coverts and
tail bluish-green ; the lateral feathers slightly margined with white.
Scapulars, wing-coverts, and inner secondaries, deep glossy green,
bordered with yellowish-white ; primary quills and outer secondaries
greyish-blue tinged with green. Lower parts pale purplish-brown
tinged with grey; axillary feathers purplish-grey, as are some of the
lower wing-coverts ; lower tail-coverts greyish-white.
278 GREEN HERON.
Length to end of tail 173 inches, to end of wings 173, to end of claws
24, to carpal joint 114; extent of wings 27 ; wing from flexure 135
tail 32 ; bill along the ridge 2}, along the edge of lower mandible 33 ;
bare part of tibia 1; tarsus 2; hind toe {, its claw 4; middle toe 1,
its claw % ; inner toe 1%, its claw } ; outer toe 1§, its claw 1. Weight
74 02.
The Female is considerably smaller, but otherwise similar.
Length to end of tail 17 inches, to end of wings 17, to end of claws
212; extent of wings 25. Weight 6} oz.
Young fully fledged. Plate CCCXX XIII.
The bill dull greyish-green, the lower mandible lighter ; bare space
around the eye greenish-blue, with the exception of a streak of yellow at
the upper part. Iris yellow. Feet greenish-yellow, duller than in the
adult. The hind neck light brownish-red, the fore part of the neck
and all the under parts white, longitudinally streaked with brownish-
red, some of the long feathers on the sides of the neck also white. At
this age there are no elongated feathers on the back, which is greenish-
blue, as well as the scapulars, and tail-feathers. Wing as in the adult,
but the smaller feathers on its anterior part more red, the coverts with a
small triangular tip of white, and the quills narrowly tipped and mar-
gined with the same.
Length to end of tail 173 inches, to end of wings 17, to end of claws
23 ; extent of wings 25. Weight 63 oz.
The roof of the mouth is anteriorly a little concave, with a median
prominent line ; the palate convex ; the lower jaw with a kind of joint
about an inch trom the base, its intercrural membrane or skin very ex-
tensile. The tongue is 17% inch long, very slender, trigonal, emarginate
at the base, with a groove along the middle, and pointed. Posterior aper-
tures of nares linear, $ inch long. Esophagus, a, 4 c, 10 inches long,
its walls delicate, its diameter at the upper part 1} inch, gradually con-
tracting to } inch at its entrance into the thorax. The lobes of the liver
unequal, the right 1 inch 5 twelfths long, the left 11 twelfths ; the gall-
bladder large, 7 twelfths long. The stomach, c, d, is membranous, of an
oblong form, 9 twelfths long, 10 twelfths in breadth ; its tendons ellip-
ey !
GREEN HERON. 279
tical, 5 twelfths by 3 twelfths. The proventriculus, cc, 9 twelfths long,
with a complete belt of oblong glandules. me Bp —|
5 BSS
There is a small roundish pyloric lobe e. =
Intestine, fg, 2 feet 11 inches long, its
diameter uniform, 1 twelfth, or about the
thickness of a crow’s quill. Rectum en-
larged to 3 twelfths, and 3; inches long,
its ccecal extremity rounded, and only one-
twelfth long.
The trachea is 71 inches long, of near-
lyuniform diameter, averaging 2 twelfths;
the rings 160, nearly circular and ossified.
The bronchial half-rings about 18. The
lateral muscles are very inconspicuous ;
sterno-tracheals ; and a pair of inferior
laryngeal, going to the first b onchial
rings.
The Herons generally differ from the
other Gralle in having the cesophagus -
much wider and similar to that of the
fish-eating palmipedes; the stomach in
a manner membranous, like that of the ra-
pacious land-birds, without lateral muscles
or strong epithelium ; the intestine ex-
tremely slender, and the anterior extre-
mity of the large intestine or rectum fur-
nished with a single ccecum, in place of two, as in almost all other
birds.
( 280 )
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER.
CHARADRIUS HELVETICUS, Wi1son.
PLATE CCCXXXIV, Mate in SummMER, Youne, anD ADULT IN WINTER.
Tuis beautiful bird makes its appearance on our southern coasts in
the beginning of April, as I had many opportunities of observing in the
course of my journey along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, in the
spring of 1837. Instead of being congregated in large flocks, as is the
case during their southward migration in autumn, they are seen com-
ing in small numbers, but at short intervals, so as almost to form a con-
tinuous line. ‘They travel chiefly by night, and rest for a great part
of the day along the margins of the sea, either reposing on the ‘sands
in the sunshine, or searching the beaches for food. After dusk their
well-known cries give note of their passage, but by day they remain
silent, even when forced to betake themselves to flight. On such oc-
casions they generally wheel over the waters, and not unfrequently re-
turn to the spot which they had at first selected. I have traced this
species along the whole of our eastern coast, and beyond it to the rug-
ged shores of Labrador, where my party procured a few, on the moss-
covered rocks, although we did not then find any nests, and where some
young birds were obtained in the beginning of August.
Individuals of this species spend the summer months in the mountain-
ous parts of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut, where they breed.
I found their nests near the waters of the Delaware and the Perkioming
Creek, when I resided in the first of these States, and in the same lo-
calities as those of Totanus Bartramius, as well as in ploughed fields.
The nest is merely a slight hollow with afew blades of grass. The
eggs are four, an inch and seven and a-half eighths in length, an inch
and three-eighths in their greatest breadth ; their ground-coiour yel-
lowish-white, tinged with olivaceous, and pretty generally covered with
blotches and dots of light brown, and pale purple, the markings being
more abundant toward the small end. Their form is s:milar to that
of the egg of the Guillemot, that is, broadly rounded at the large end,
then tapering, with the sides nearly straight, and the narrow end
rounded. When sitting, these birds will remain until they are almost
trodden upon. On being started, they fly off a few yards, alight running,
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER. 251
and use all the artifices employed on such occasions to induce the intruder
to set out in pursuit. The young leave the nest almost immediately
after they are hatched, and shouid one approach them the parents be-
come very clamorous, and fly around until they are assured of the safety
of their brood, when they take a long flight, and disappear for a time.
Unless during the breeding season, they are exceedingly shy ; but their
anxiety for their young renders them forgetful of the danger which
they incur in approaching man. The young, when two or three weeks
old, run with great celerity, and squat in perfect silence when appre-
hensive of danger. When they are able to fly, several families unite,
and betake themselves to the sea-shore, where other flocks gradually
arrive, until at length, on the approach of cold weather, almost ail of
them begin to move southward. Aithough the great body of these
~ Plovers pass beyond the limits of the United States, some remain on
the shores of the Floridas during winter. In their habits they are more
maritime than the Golden Plovers, which, when migrating, generally
advance over the land.
The flight of this bird is swift, strong, and well sustained. When
roaming over large sand-bars, they move in compact bodies, whirling
round, and suddenly veering, so as alternately to exhibit their upper and
lower parts. At this time old and young are intermixed, and many of
the former have lost the black so conspicuous on the neck and breast
in summer. During winter, or as long as they frequent the sea-shore,
they feed on marine insects, worms, and small shell-fish ; and when
they are in the interior, on grasshoppers and other insects, as well as
berries of various kinds, on which they fatten so as to become tolerably
good eating.
This species is known in Pennsylvania by the name of Whistling
Field Plover, suggested by the loud and modulated cries which it emits
during the love-season. In the Eastern States, as well as in Kentucky,
it is called the Bull-head ; but in the South its most common appellation
is Black-bellied Plover. I have seen it, though sparingly, along the
shores of the Ohio, probably during its passage from the north.
As its habits agree with those of the Plovers generally, and its form
is similar to that of the Golden Plover and other species, the only dif-
ference being the presence of a rudimentary hind toe, it was scarcely
necessary to distinguish it generically from Charadrius, as many recent
authors have done.
282 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER.
Trinca HELVETICA, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 250.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii.
p. 728.
Trinea squatarora, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 252.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii.
p- 729.
Biack-BELLIED PLover, CHARADRIUS HELVETICUS, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vii.
p- 41, pl. 59, fig. 4. Summer.
CuaRaDRIUS HELVETICUS, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States,
p. 298. ‘
Grey Lapwine, VANELLUS MELANOGASTER, Richards. and Swains. Fauna Bor.-
Amer. vol. ii. p. 370.
BiackK-BELLIED or Swiss Prover, WVwitall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 26.
Adult Male in summer. Plate CCCXXXIV. Fig. 1.
Bill as long as the head, straight, somewhat compressed, stout.
Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight and slightly sloping for
more than half its length, then bulging a little and arched to the tip,
which is rather acute, the sides flat and sloping at the base, convex to-
wards the end, where the edges are sharp and inclinate. Nasal groove
extended to a little more than half the length of the mandible ; nostrils
sub-basal, linear, open and pervious. Lower mandible with the angle
rather long and narrow, the sides at the base erect and nearly flat, the
dorsal line ascending and slightly convex, the edges sharp and involute
towards the narrow tip.
Head of moderate size, roundish, the forehead much rounded.
Eyes large. Neck rather short. Body ovate, rather full. Feet rather
long, slender ; tibia bare for a considerable space ; tarsus rather com-
pressed, covered all round with reticulated hexagonal scales; toes of
moderate length, slender; the first extremely diminutive, with an
equally minute claw; the second shorter than the fourth, which is
much exceeded by the third ; the anterior toes are rather broadly mar-
ginate, the web between the third and fourth extending to the second
joint of the latter, that between it and the second smaller. Claws
small, compressed, slightly arched, acute.
Plumage soft, blended, the feathers broad and rounded. Wings
long and pointed, primary quills tapering, the first longest, the second
a quarter of an inch shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ; secondaries
short, broad, obliquely rounded; the inner tapering and elongated.
Tail rather short, slightly rounded, of twelve rounded feathers.
Bill and claws black. Iris and feet greyish-black. Forehead
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER. 283
yellowish-white, the rest of the head and the hind neck greyish-
white, spotted with dusky. The upper parts are variegated with
black, yellowish-brown, and white, the feathers being tipped with
the latter. The hind part of the rump, the upper tail-coverts, and the
tail-feathers, white, transversely barred with brownish-black, the tail
tipped with white, and having four dark bars on the middle feathers,
and seven or eight on the outer webs of the rest. Alula, primary
coverts, and primary quills brownish-black, the coverts terminally mar-
- gined with white ; shafts of the primaries about the middle, and part
of the inner web towards the base, white ; the inner six with a white
patch on the outer web towards the base, and margined with white ex-
ternally ; the outer secondary feathers white at the base and margined
with the same ; the inner dusky, with marginal white triangular spots.
A narrow ring round the eye, and a broad longitudinal band on the
side of the neck white ; loral space, cheeks, fore part of neck, breast,
and axillar feathers, black ; the rest of the lower parts white, the lower
primary coverts grey towards the end.
Length to end of tail 113 inches, to end of wings 12}, to end of
claws 14; extent of wings 25; wing from flexure 81; tail 33; bill
along the ridge 14, along the edge of lower mandible 1}; bare part of
tibia 3 ; tarsus 2; hind toe 13; middle toe 1}, its claw } ; outer toe and
claw 13; inner toe 1. Weight 63 oz.
The Female resembles the male, but has the black of the lower
parts of a less deep tint.
Young about a week old. Plate CCCX XXIV. Fig. 2.
Bill and feet dull greenish-brown. Iris brown. The general co-
lour is pale brownish-yellow, mottled with dusky ; a whitish ring round
the eye; tail with a black band, rump whitish, primary quills dusky,
the outer edges of the secondaries whitish.
The young in autumn.
Bill greyish-black ; feet bluish-grey. The upper parts brownish-
black, spotted with white, some of the spots yellow; the wings and
tail as in the adult, but the latter tinged with grey, and having eight
dark bars on all the feathers. The fore part and sides of the neck,
and the sides of the body, greyish-white, mottled with brownish-grey ;
axillary feathers brownish-black; the rest of the lower parts white.
284 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER.
Adult in winter. Plate CCCXXXIV. Fig. 3.
The adult in winter has the upper parts light greyish-brown, the
margins of the feathers much lighter; the sides and fore parts of the
neck pale grey, with dark grey streaks and spots; lower parts white.
In other respects the colours are as in summer.
In an adult male of this species, there is a double row of papille
on the roof of the mouth. The tongue is 1 inch long, slender, taper-
ing, emarginate and papillate at the base, grooved above, horny on the: ~
back. The cesophagus a, is 5 inches
long, at its upper part 4 twelfths in
diameter, enlarged to } inch on the
lower part of the neck. The proven-
triculus, 6, oblong, its greatest dia-
meter 8 twelfths, its glandules oblong
and about a twelfth in length. The
stomach, c,d,¢, 7, is a very powerful
gizzard of an irregular roundish form,
1 inch 5 twelfths long, 1 inch 34
twelfths in breadth; itslateral muscles
very large and distinct, the right d,
4 twelfths thick, the left, ¢, 3 twelfths,
the tendons large; the epithelium
thick, longitudinally rugous, and of a
reddish colour. The intestine 95h, 2,
is 2 feet 2 inches long, its diameter
about 2 twelfths; the cceca 2 inches
2 twelfths long, their diameter at the
base half a twelfth, toward the end 2 twelfths ; the rectum 3 twelfth®
in diameter, and 2} inches long.
In the stomach were several shrimps. The lobes of the liver very
unequal, the right being 2} inches in length, the other 174. No gall-
bladder.
The trachea is wide, flattened, membranous, 4 twelfths broad at
the upper part, gradually diminishing to 2 twelfths, its rings which are
very slender, about 100. The lateral muscles exceedingly thin, but be-
coming more distinct towards the lower part ; the sterno-tracheal slen-
der. Bronchi of moderate length, of about 20 half-rings.
RED-BREASTED SNIPE.
Scotopax NOVEBORACENSIS, GMEL.
PLATE CCCXXXV. Aputt 1n SUMMER aND WINTER.
On our arrival at the mouths of the Mississippi, on the first of
April 1837, I observed large flocks of this species on their way east-
ward. They were still in their winter plumage, and it was pleasing
to see in how short a period that garb was changed, as we had oppor-
tunities of observing during sur progress. At Grande Terre, on the
4th, several having reddish feathers scattered over their lower parts
were procured. On the 13th, at Cayo Island, the change of colour was
very considerable in some specimens, which I found to be- old birds,
while the younger were quite grey above, and white beneath. At
Derniere Isle on the 16th, several were shot in as fine plumage as
that represented in my plate, and few, even of the younger birds, were
without some of the markings peculiar to the summer dress. Their
numbers were exceedingly great, and continued without diminution
until we reached Galveston Bay in Texas, on the 26th of the same
month. How far they proceed beyond that place to spend the winter
I am unable to say; but their range over North America is known to
be very extensive, as they have been found on the Columbia River on
the western coast, on the borders of the great northern lakes, and over
the whole extent of the Fur Countries, from the time of their appear-
ance in spring until that of their return southward in autumn.
Although much more abundant along the coast, and in its vicinity,
the Red-breasted Snipe is not uncommon in many parts of the interior,
especially in autumn, and I have procured many individuals along the
muddy margins of lakes, more than three hundred miles in a direct
line from the sea. Its migratory movements are performed with un-
common celerity, as many are observed along the coast of New Jersey
early in April, and afterwards on the borders of the arctic sea, in time
to rear young, and return to our Eastern and Middle Districts before
the end of August.
This bird exhibits at times a manner of feeding which appeared to
me singular, and which I repeatedly witnessed while at Grande Terre
286 RED-BREASTED SNIPE.
in Louisiana. While watching their manner of walking and wading
along sand-bars and muddy flats, I saw that as long as the water was
not deeper than the length of their bills, they probed the ground be-
neath them precisely in the manner of the American Snipe, Scolopawx
Wilsoni ; but when the water reached their bodies, they immersed the
head and a portion of the neck, and remained thus sufficiently long to
satisfy me that, while in this position, they probed several spots before
raising their head to breathe. On such grounds asare yet soft, although
not covered with water, they bore holes as deep as the soil will admit,
and this with surprising rapidity, occupying but a few moments in one
spot, and probing as they advance. I have watched some dozens at
this work for half an hour at a time, when I was completely concealed
from their view. Godwits, which are also borers, probe the mud or moist
earth often in an oblique direction, whilst the Woodcock, the Common
Snipe, and the present species, thrust in their bills perpendicularly.
The latter bird also seizes many sorts of insects, and at times small
fry, as well as the seeds of plants that have dropped into the water.
Dr Ricuarpson informs us that “ individuals killed on the Saskatche-
wan plains had the crops filled with leeches and fragments of coleop-
tera.”
The flight of this bird is rapid, strong, and remarkably well-sus-
tained. When rising in large numbers, which they usually do simul-
taneously, they crowd together, are apt to launch upwards in the air
for a while, and after performing several evolutions in contrary direc-
tions, glide towards the ground, and wend their way close to it, until
finding a suitable place, they alight in a very compact body, and stand
for a moment. Sometimes, as if alarmed, they recommence their
meandering flight, and after a while return to the same spot, alighting
in the same manner. Then is the time when the gunner may carry
havoe amongst them; but in two or three minutes they separate and
search for food, when you must either put them up to have a good shot,
or wait the arrival of another flock at the same place, which often hap-
pens, for these birds seldom suffer any of their species to pass without
sending them a note of invitation. It is not at all uncommon to shoot
twenty or thirty of them at once. I have been present when 127
were killed by discharging three barrels, and have heard of many
dozens having been procured at a shot. When wounded and brought
to the water, they try in vain to dive, and on reaching the nearest
RED-BREASTED SNIPE. 2&7
part of the shore, they usually run a few steps and squat among the
grass,, when it becomes difficult to find them. ‘Those which have
escaped unhurt often remain looking upon their dead companions, some-
times waiting until shot at a second time. When they are fat, they
afford good eating, but their flesh is at no time so savoury as that of the
common American Snipe.
The cry of this species when on wing is a single and rather mel-
low weet. When on the ground I have heard them emit a continued
guttural rolling sound, such as is on certain occasions given out by the
species last mentioned. Their call-note resembles the soft and pleas-
ing sound of a whistle; but I have never heard them emit it while
travelling. Nothing is known respecting their breeding, and yet there
can be little doubt that many of them must rear young within the
limits of the Union.
By the Creoles of Louisiana the Red-breasted Snipe is named
«¢ Becassine de Mer,” as well as “ Carouk.” In South Carolina it is
more abundant in the autumnal months than in spring, when I should
think they fly directly across from the Floridas toward Cape Hatteras,
as my friend Dr Bacuman informs me that he never saw one of them
in spring in the vicinity of Charleston.
Sconorax NovEBORACENSIS, Gel. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 658.—Lath. Ind. Ornith.
vol. ii. p. 723:
Scotopax GRIsEA, Gmel. Syst. Nat. vol.i. p.658.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 724.
—Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 330.
Rep-BreastED SyrPe, Wilson, Amer. Ornith. vol. vii. p. 48, pl. 58, fig. 2. Summer.
ScoLopax NOVEBORACENSIS, New Yorx Gopwir, Richards. and Swains. Fauna
Bor.-Amer. vol. ii. p, 398.
Brown or RED BreastepD Snipe, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 181.
Adult Male in summer. Plate CCCXXXV. Fig. 1.
Bill twice as long as the head, subulate, straight, compressed for
more than half its length, depressed towards the end. Upper man-
dible with the dorsal line declinate at the base, then straight, at the
end slightly arched, that part being considerably enlarged, the ridge
convex, towards the end flattened, the sides with a narrow groove ex-
tending to near the tip, the edges soft and obtuse or flattened, the tip
narrowed but blunt. Nostrils basal, linear, very small. Lower man-
dible with the angle extremely long and narrow, the sides nearly erect,
288 RED-BREASTED SNIPE.
with a longitudinal groove, the edges flattened and directly meeting |
those of the upper mandible, the extremity enlarged, the tip contracted
and rather blunt.
Head rather small, oblong, narrowed anteriorly, the forehead ele-
vated and rounded. Neck rather short. Body rather full. Legs of
moderate length, slender; tibia bare below, scutellate before and be-
hind; tarsus with numerous scutella before, smaller ones behind, and
reticulated sides; toes very slender, free, with numerous scutella above,
flattened and slightly marginate beneath ; first very small and elevated,
third with its claw scarcely so long as the tarsus, lateral toes nearly
equal, the outer connected with the middle by a web. Claws small,
slightly arched, compressed, rather acute.
Plumage very soft, blended, rather dense, on the fore part of the
head very short. Wings long, narrow, pointed; primaries rather
broad, tapering to an obtuse point, the first longest, the rest rapidly
graduated ; secondaries broad, obliquely terminated, with the inner
web projecting beyond the outer; the inner much elongated, one of
them reaching to half an inch of the tip of the wing when it is closed.
Tail moderate, nearly even, the middle feathers a little longer, of
twelve rounded feathers.
Bill dark olive. Iris reddish-hazel. Feet light yellowish-olive,
claws black. Upper parts brownish-black, variegated with light brown-
ish-red, the feathers being margined and the scapulars obliquely bar-
red with that colour. Hind part of back, upper tail-coverts and tail-
feathers, light reddish-buff, obliquely barred with black, the bars on the
tail seven or eight, and its tip white. Wing-coverts and secondaries grey-
ish-brown, margined with greyish-white ; the secondary coverts tip-
ped with white, the quills tipped and obliquely banded with the same ;
alula, primary coverts and quills brownish-black, the shaft of the first
quill white. From the base of the bill to the eye, and surrounding it, a
dull reddish-white band ; loral space dusky. All the lower parts dull
orange-red, with streaks and spots of black, more numerous along the
sides, and on the tail-coverts.
Length to end of tail 104 inches, to end of wings 10, to end of
claws 111; extent of wings 183; wing from flexure 63; tail 2}; bill
along the ridge 24; along the edge of lower mandible 24; bare part
of tibia 4; tarsus 124; middle toe and claw 1}; hind toe and claw %.
inner toe and claw 1; outer toe and claw 74. Weight 3} oz.
[od
Se
RED-BREASTED SNIPE. 289
Adult in Winter. Plate CCCXXXV. Fig. 2.”
The bill, iris, and feet as in summer. Upper part of head and hind
neck dusky grey, with which the feathers of the fore part of the back,
seapulars and wing-coverts are margined, their central parts being
brownish-black. A white band from the bill over the eye ; margins of
eyelids also white. Hind part of back and tail barred with dusky as
in summer. Quills as in summer, the inner marked with grey in place
of brownish-red. Loral space, cheeks, and sides of the neck, pale grey ;
throat and lower parts white; the sides,.axillary feathers, and lower
tail-feathers, barred with dusky ; lower wing-coverts dusky, edged with
white, and having a central streak of the same. Individuals exhibit
great differences in the length of the bills and tarsi.
On the upper mandible internally are three series of minute papille,
which become larger on the palate. While the
upper mandible is flat beneath, the lower is
deeply concave, and its crura elastic and capable
of being separated near the base to the distance
of three-fourths of an inch. The tongue, which
is 2 inches long, and of a slender form, carinate
beneath, with the tip pointed, lies in the deep
hollow of the lower mandible, and being deeply
concave above, leaves a vacant space, by which,
when the bill is immersed in the mud and the
tips separated, the food passes along. The ceso-
phagus is 43 inches long, 1 inch in diameter, and
nearly uniform. The proventriculus, a, }, c, is bul-
biform, its diameter 6 twelfths. The stomach, ¢, d, ¢, f, is an vbiong giz-
zard of moderate strength, with the lateral and inferior muscles decided,
the tendons large, its length 1 inch, its breadth 8 twelfths The epi-
thelium is dense, tough, with numerous longitudinal ruge, and of a red-
dish colour. The contents of the stomach were very small hard hemi-
spherical seeds and vegetable fibres. The intestine, f, gs 4, 194 inches
long, its diameter 3 twelfths in its upper part ; the cceca 13 inch long,
and from 1 to 2 tweifths in diameter, with the extremity obtuse.
The trachea is wide, flattened, 34 inches long, 23 twelfths broad at
the top, gradually diminishing to 2 twelfths ; the rings about 130. The
contractor muscles are very thin, the sterno-tracheal slender ; and there
is a pair of inferior iaryngeal. ‘Che bronchial half rings are about 25.
VOL. Iv. a
( 290 )
YELLOW-CROWNED HERON.
ARDEA VIOLACEA, LINN.
PLATE CCCXXXVI. Aputt anp Youne.
Tuer Yellow-crowned Heron, which is one of the handsomest spe-
cies of its tribe, is called “ Cap-cap” by the Creoles of Lower Louisi-
ana, in which country it is watched and shot with great eagerness, on
account of the excellence of its flesh. It arrives about New Orleans
toward the end of March, and departs in the middle of October. On
arriving, they throw themselves among the thickets along the bayous,
where they breed. Like the Night Heron, this species may be enticed
near by imitating its cries, when it approaches, cutting many curious
zigzags in the air, and alights close by. It is a curious circumstance
that when passing over several gunners placed on the watch for them,
they dive toward the ground if shot at and missed, and this they do
several times in succession, according to the number of shots. It is in
the evening and at dawn that they are chiefly obtained. ‘They are
said not to travel in boisterous weather, or when there is thunder ; and
I have heard the same stated with regard to the Night Heron.
In some parts of the Southern States, this species is quite abun-
dant, while in the intermediate tracts it is seldom or never met with.
Thus, in the Floridas, I found great numbers on a bayou near Halifax
River, but afterwards saw none until I reached one of the keys, more
than two hundred miles distant, and farther south, where it was breed-
ing in society. The first of these flocks I saw in winter, the other on
the 22d of May. Again, while proceeding toward the Texas, we saw
a few on an island in Bay Blanche, but met with none afterwards until
we reached Galveston Island, where they were plentiful. They sel-
_dom advance eastward far beyond North Carolina, and I am not aware
of any having been seen farther than New Jersey. On the other hand,
they are not generally found on the Mississippi beyond Natchez, al-
though stragglers may sometimes be seen farther up.
This species is by no means entirely nocturnal, for I have seen it
searching tor food among the roots of mangroves at all hours of the
day, and that as assiduously as any diurnal bird, following the margins
eS) a ewes
YELLOW-CROWNED HERON. 291
of rivers, and seizing on both aquatic and terrestrial animals. Whilst
at Galveston, I frequently saw a large flock similarly occupied. When
they had satisfied their hunger, they would quietly remove to some
safe distance toward the middle of an island, where, standing in a
crouching posture on the ground, they presented a very singular appear-
ance. ‘hat they are able to see to a considerable distance on fine
clear nights, I have no doubt, as I am confident that their migratory
movements are usually performed at such times, having seen them, as
well as several other species, come down from a considerable height in
the air, after sun-rise, for the purpose of resting and procuring food.
The flight of the Yellow-crowned Heron is rather slow, and less
protracted than that of the Night Heron, which it however somewhat
resembles. When in numbers, and surprised on their perches, they
usually rise almost perpendicularly for thirty or forty yards, and then
take a particular direction, leading them to some well-known place.
Whenever I have started them from the nest, especially on the Flori-
da Keys, they would sneak off on wing quite low, under cover of the
mangroves, and fly in this manner until they had performed the circuit
of the island, when they would alight close to me, as if to see whether
I had taken their eggs or young.
When on the ground, they exhibit little of the elegance displayed
by the Louisiana, the Reddish, the Blue, or the White Herons; they
advance with a less sedate pace, and seldom extend their neck much
even when about to seize their food, which they appear to do with lit-
tle concern, picking it up from the ground in the manner of a domestic
fowl. Nor are they at all delicate in the choice of their viands, but
swallow snails, fish, small snakes, crabs, crays, lizards, and leeches, as
well as small quadrupeds, and young birds that have fallen from their
nests. One which was killed by my friend Epwarp Harris, Esq., on
the 19th of April 1837, on an island in the Bay of Terre Blanche, about
4 o’clock in the evening, was, when opened next morning, found to have
swallowed a terrapin, measuring about an inch and a half in length, by
one in breadth. It was still alive, and greatly surprised my compa-
nions as well as myself by crawling about when liberated.
This species places its nest either high or low, according to the na-
ture of the place selected for it, and the abundance of food in the neigh-
bourhood. In the interior of swampy woods, in Lower Louisiana, I
have found the nests placed on the tops of the loftiest cypresses, and
292 YELLOW-CROWNED HERON.
on low bushes, but seldom so close together as those of many other
Herons. On the Florida Keys, where I have examined more of these
tenements than in any other part, I found them either on the tops of
mangroves, which there seldom attain a greater height than twenty-
five feet, or on their lowest branches, and not more than two or three
feet from the water. In the Carolinas, they usually resort to swamps,
nestling on the bushes along their margins. The nest is similar to that
of other Herons, being formed of dry sticks loosely put together, a few
weeds, with at times a scanty lining of fibrous roots. ‘The eggs are
generally three, never, in as far as I have seen, more, of a pale blue
colour, inclining to green, thin-shelled, and averaging two inches in
length by an inch and three and a half eighths in their greatest breadth.
The young seldom remain in the nest until able to fly, as is the case
with those of some other species, but usually leave it to follow their pa-
rents along the shores. If scared from the nest, they scramble along
the branches with considerable agility, and hide whenever an opportu-
nity occurs. I have given the figure of a young bird procured in Oc-
tober.
The differences between the periods at which this bird breeds in
different latitudes, correspond with those observed with respect to
other species of the same tribe. Thus, eggs and young. may be pro-
cured on the Florida Keys six weeks sooner than in South Carolina,
although two broods are usually raised in both districts, the birds fre-
quently removing from one place to another for the purpose. The
beautiful slender plumes on the head and back generally fall off soon
after incubation commences, although I have on a few occasions found
the male still bearing these ornaments when the female was sitting on
her second set of eggs. When the young are just able to fly I have
found them good eating, but the old birds I never relished.
When wounded, the Yellow-crowned Heron defends itself vigo-
rously with its claws, the scratches inflicted by which are severe, and
also strikes with the bill. If not brought to the ground, in a place
where the trees are close and thickly branched, it is difficult to obtain
them without a second shot, for they scamper quickly from one twig to
another, and are very soon out of reach.
Winsor complains that the name ‘* Yellow-crowned” should be
given to this species, and this would almost induce me to suppose that
he had never seen one in the breeding season, when the white of the
> ee
YELLOW-CROWNED HERON. 293
head is strongly tinged with yellow, which however disappears at the
approach of autumn, when the bird might with all propriety be named
the White-crowned Heron.
The adult bird represented in the plate was shot by my friend Dr
Bacuman, a few miles from Charleston, while I was in his company ;
and the drawing of the plant was made by his amiable sister-in-law,
Miss Martin.
Arpea viotacea, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 268.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. 11. p. 690.
—Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 306.
YELLOw-cRowNED Heron, Arpea viotacea, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p. 26,
pl. 65, fig. 1. Adult.
Wuirter-crowneD Heron, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ui. p. 52.
Adult Male in spring plumage. Plate CCCXXXVI. Fig. 1.
Bill a little longer than the head, strong, straight, moderately com-
pressed, tapering. Upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly arched
and declinate, the ridge broad, convex, the sides bulging, the edges
sharp and overlapping, the tip slender, with a distinct notch. Nasal
depression wide, with a broad shallow groove extending towards the end
of the mandible ; nostrils basal, oblong, pervious. Lower mandible with
the angle very long and narrow, the dorsal line straight and sloping
upwards, the sides sloping outwards and flat, the edges sharp, obscurely
serrulate, the tip slender.
Head large, oblong, compressed. Eyes large. Neck long. Body
slender, much compressed. Feet long, moderately stout ; tibia bare at
its lower part, with reticular angular scales; tarsus covered anterior-
ly for more than half its length with scutella, over the rest of its ex-
tent with angular scales; toes long and rather slender, with numerous
seutella above, flat beneath, marginate ; hind toe stout, fourth a little
longer than second, third much longer. Claws of moderate size, arched,
compressed, acute, that of middle toe beautifully pectinate on the in-
ner edge.
Plumage loose, soft, and blended ; feathers on the upper part of the
head lanceolate and acuminate, those on the occiput very long, linear,
forming a pendant crest, which however is capable of being erected ; or
the sides of the neck oblong, and directed obliquely backwards ; on the
fore part of the back ovate-oblong ; on the lower part generally very
long and loose. Between the scapule are two longitudinal series of
294 YELLOW-CROWNED HERON.
very elongated feathers, with loose margins, the longest extending far
beyond the end of the tail. Wings long, of great breadth, rounded ; the
primaries broad and rounded, the third longest, the second and fourth
nearly equal, the first half an inch shorter than the longest, the rest
slowly graduated ; secondaries very broad, rounded, the inner elongated,
some of them nearly as long as the outer primaries when the wing is
closed. Tail short, even, of twelve broad, rounded feathers.
Bill black. Iris reddish-orange ; margins of eyelids and bare space
in front of the eye, dull yellowish-green. Tibia, upper part of the
tarsus, its hind part, and the soles, bright yellow ; the scutella and scales,
the fore part of the tarsus, the toes, and the claws, black. Upper part
of the head pale reddish-yellow in front, white behind, of which colour
are most of the elongated crest feathers, as well as an oblong patch ex-
tending from the corner of the mouth, beneath, to behind the ear. The
rest of the head, and asmall portion of the neck all round, bluish-black ;
that colour extending nearly half-way down the neck behind. The
rest of the neck all round, as well as the upper and lower surface of the
body, light greyish-blue; the feathers of the fore part of the back,
and wings, having their central parts bluish-black, which is also the
case with the elongated loose feathers, the dark part margined with
bluish-white. Alular, primary coverts, and primary quills, dark bluish-
grey ; secondaries and tail-feathers of a lighter tint.
Length to end of tail 23} inches, to end of wings 25, to end of loose
feathers 30, to end of claws 304, to carpal joint 12}; extent of wings
43>; bill along the ridge 23, along the edge of lower mandible 4;
width of gape 1; ; depth of bill at base 74; wing from flexure 12}; bare
part of tibia 21; tarsus 4}; middle toe 23, its claw 2; outer toe LZ, its
claw §?; inner toe 13, its claw #44 hind toe 1, its claw 3; tail 5. Weight
1 Ib. 9 oz.
The Female resembles the male, but is somewhat smaller.
The Young in October. Plate CCCXXXVI. Fig. 2.
Bill greenish-black, the lower and basal part of the lower mandible
greenish-yellow, as are the eyelids and bare space before the eye.
Iris pale orange. Legs and feet dull yellowish-green, the scutella and
scales in front, as well as the claws, dusky. Upper part of head and
hind neck, black, longitudinally marked with somewhat triangular
elongated white spots ; sides of the head and neck pale dull yellowish-
YELLOW-CROWNED HERON. 295
- prown, streaked with darker; the upper parts light grey tinged with
brown, the feathers edged with yellowish-white, and tipped with a
triangular spot of the same ; the primaries and their coverts with the
tail darker, margined with dull white. The fore part of the neck, and
all the lower parts, dull yellowish-grey, each feather with its central
part dark greyish-brown ; lower tail-coverts unspotted.
Length to end of tail 234, to end of claws 293; extent of wings 40.
Weight 1 lb. 7 oz.
Adult Male from South Carolina.
' The upper mandible is slightly concave, with a median prominent
ridge, the palate convex with two ridges; the posterior aperture of the
nares linear, with an oblique papillate flap on each side; the lower
mandible deeply concave. The tongue is of moderate length, measur-
ing 12 inch, emarginate at the base, trigonal, flat above, tapering to a
point. The cesophagus, which is 12 inches long, gradually diminishes in
diameter from 14 inch to 1 inch. The proventriculus is 13 inch long,
its glandules cylindrical, forming a complete belt, the largest 3 twelfths
long. The stomach is roundish, 2 inches in diameter, compressed ; its
muscular coat thin, and composed of large fasciculi ; its tendinous spaces
nearly 1 inch in diameter; its inner coat even, soft, and destitute of
epithelium. There is a small roundish pyloric lobe, 4 twelfths in dia-
meter ; the aperture of the pylorus is extremely small, having a diame-
ter of only half a twelfth. The intestine is long and very slender, 6
feet 3 inches in length, its diameter at the upper part 3 twelfths ; di-
minishing to 2} twelfths, for about a foot from the extremity enlarged
to 5eighths ; the rectum 6} inches long ; the coecum 5 twelfths long, 1;
twelfth in diameter at the base, tapering to 1 twelfth, the extremity
rounded. The stomach contained fragments of crustacea.
The trachea is 8} inches long, cylindrical ; the rings 154, and ossi-
fied ; its diameter at the top 53 twelfths, diminishing in the space of an
inch and a half to 3 twelfths, and so continuing nearly to the end,
when it contracts to 24 twelfths. The last rings are much extended,
and divided into two portions, the last transverse half ring arched, and
5 twelfths in length. The bronchi are in consequence very wide at
the top, gradually taper, and are composed of about 25 half rings. —
The contractor muscles are very feeble ; the sterno-tracheal slender ;
a pair of inferior laryngeal muscles inserted into the first bronchial
ring.
( 296 )
AMERICAN BITTERN,
ARDEA MINOR, WILs.
PLATE CCCXXXVII. Mate anp FEmaAtce.
Ir never was my fortune to have a good opportunity of observing
all the habits of this very remarkable bird, which in many respects
differs from most other Herons. It is a winter resident in the Penin- ©
sula of the Floridas, as well as many of the keys or islets which border
its shores. But the greater number of individuals which pass over the
United States, on their way northward, in March, come from places
beyond our southern limits. During my residence in Kentucky, I never
saw or heard of the occurrence of one of them; and although I have
killed and assisted in killing a considerable number at various times of
the year, I never heard their booming or love-notes ; or, if I have, 1
did not feel assured that the sounds which reached my ears were those
of the American Bittern. This may probably appear strange, consi-
dering the many years I have spent in searching our swamps, marshes,
and woods. Yet true it is that in all my rambles I had not the good
fortune to come upon one of these birds sitting on its eggs either
among the grass or rushes, or on the branches of low bushes, where, I
have been informed, it builds.
In Lower Louisiana, it is called the “‘ Garde Soleil,” because they
say it will stand on one foot for hours, with its eyes, or one of them at
least, fixed on the orb of day, and frequently spread out its wings, in
the manner of Cormorants and Vultures, to enjoy the heat, or perhaps
the gentle breeze. There it is seldom obtained in spring, but is a re-
gular autumnal visitant, appearing early in October, and frequenting
the marshes both of fresh and salt water, where many remain until the
beginning of May. It is then common in the markets of New Orleans,
where it is bought by the poorer classes to make gombo soup. In
almost every other part of the United States it is commonly called the
“Indian Pullet,” or “ Indian Hen.” ’
Although in a particular place, apparently favourable, some dozens
of these birds may be found to-day, yet, perhaps, on visiting it to-mor-
row, you will not find one remaining; and districts resorted to one sea-
AMERICAN BITTERN. 297
son or year, will be found deserted by them the next. ‘That they mi-
grate by night I have always felt assured, but that they are altogether
nocturnal is rather uncertain, for in more than half a dozen instances
I have surprised them in the act of procuring food in the middle of
the day when the sun was shining brightly. That they are extremely
timid I well know, for on several occasions, when I have suddenly come
upon them, they have stood still from mere terror, until I have knocked
them down with an oar or a stick. Yet, when wounded, and their
courage is raised, they shew great willingness to defend themselves, and
if in the presence of a dog, they never fail to spread out to their
full extent the feathers of the neck, leaving its hind part bare, ruffle
those of their body, extend their wings, and strike violently at their
enemy. When seized they scratch furiously, and endeavour to bite,
so that, unless great care be taken, they may inflict severe wounds.
I never saw one of them fly farther than thirty or forty yards at a
time ; and on such occasions, their movements were so sluggish as to
give opportunities of easily shooting them; for they generally rise
within a few yards of you, and fly off very slowly in a direct course.
Their cries at such times greatly resemble those of the Night and
Yellow-crowned. Herons.
My friends, Dr Bacuman and Mr Norra tt, have both heard the
love-notes of this bird. The former says, in a letter to me, “ their
hoarse croakings, as if their throats were filled with water, were heard
on every side ;” and the latter states that “instead of the bémp or
boomp of the true Bittern, their call is something like the uncouth syl-
lables of ’pump-at-gah, but uttered in the same low, bellowing tone.”
Dr Bacuman procured, on the 29th April 1833, about forty miles
from Charleston, individuals, in the ovaries of which he found eggs so
large as to induce him to believe that they would have been laid in
the course of a single week. Some others which were procured by him
and myself within nine miles of Charleston, on the 29th of March,
had the eggs extremely small.
While at Passamaquody Bay, at the eastern extremity of the Uni-
ted States, I was assured that this species bred in the vicinity ; but I
saw none there, or in any of the numerous places examined on my way
to Labrador and Newfoundland. In neither of these countries did I
meet with a single person who was acquainted with it.
In few other species of maritime or marsh birds have I seen so
298 AMERICAN BITTERN.
much difference of size and weight, even in the same sex. Of about
twenty specimens in my possession, scarcely two correspond in the
length of the bills, legs, or wings. The plate before you was engraved
from a drawing made by my son Joun Woopuouse.
American Birrern, ArpeEa minor, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vii. p. 35, pl. 65,
fig. 3.
ARDEA minor, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 307.
American Birrern, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 60.
American Birrern, ARDEA LENTIGINOSA, Richards. and Swains. Fauna Bor.-
Amer. vol. ii. p. 374.
Adult Male. Plate CCCXXXVII. Fig. 1.
Bill longer than the head, moderately stout, straight, compressed,
tapering to the point. Upper mandible with its dorsal line straight,
towards the end slightly convex and declinate, the ridge broad and
rather rounded at the base, gradually narrowed to the middle, then a
little enlarged, and again narrowed to the point, the sides bulging, to-
wards the margin erect, the edges sharp, towards the end obscurely
serrated, the tip narrow, with a distinct notch or sinus on each side.
Nasal groove oblong, with a long depressed line in front; nostrils sub-
basal, linear, longitudinal. Lower mandible with the angle very long
and extremely narrow, the dorsal line ascending and slightly convex,
the sides flattened and sloping outwards, the edges sharp, direct, ob-
scurely serrulate, the tip extremely slender.
Head small, oblong, much compressed. Neck long. Body slender,
much compressed. Legs longish, stout ; tibia bare for about an inch,
reticulated all round, the scales on the hind part larger ; tarsus round-
ish, with numerous large scutella before, reticulated behind with angu-
lar scales; toes very long, slender, marginate, the fourth and third
connected by a short web, not reaching the second joint of the former ;
first toe large, second longer than fourth, all covered with numerous
large scutella above ; claws long, slender, tapering, slightly arched,
that of hind toe much larger and more arched.
Eyelids, and a large space before the eye, bare. Plumage loose,
soft, and blended ; hind part of neck in its whole length, and a large
space on the fore part of the breast without feathers, but covered,
AMERICAN BITTERN. 299
those on the neck being directed obliquely backwards. Wings rather
short, broad, convex ; primaries broad, rounded, the first pointed,
shorter than the third, which is slightly exceeded by the second, the
rest slowly graduated ; secondaries very broad, rounded, the inner
elongated so as slightly to exceed the primaries when the wing is
closed. Tail very short, rounded, of ten feathers.
Bill dull yellowish-green, the ridge of the upper mandible brownish-
black, of a lighter tint toward the base. Bare space before the eye
brown ; eyelids greenish-yellow ; iris reddish-yellow. Feet dull yel-
lowish-green ; claws wood-brown. Upper part of the head brownish-
grey ; a streak of pale buff over the eye to behind the ear; a dusky
streak from the posterior angle of the eye; the cheek and an oblique
band to the middle of the neck light brownish-yellow ; beneath which
is a dusky brown line from the base of the lower mandible, continuous
with a gradually enlarged band of black, which runs along the side of
the neck ; the upper parts yellowish-brown, patched, mottled, freckled,
and barred with dark brown ; alula, primary coverts, and most of the
quills, deep bluish-grey, approaching to black; the tips of all these
feathers light reddish-brown, dotted with bluish-grey. The fore part
of the neck white above, yellowish-white beneath, the throat with a
middle longitudinal line of yellowish-brown spots ; on the rest of the
neck each feather with a light brown central mark edged with darker,
the rest of the lower parts dull yellowish-white, most of the feathers
marked like those on the neck.
Length to end of tail 27 inches, to end of wings 264, to carpal
joint 17, to end of claws 323; extent of wings 45; wing from flexure
131; tail 42; bill along the ridge 33, along the edge of lower mandible
41; breadth of mouth 1; depth of bill at base 2; bare part of tibia 1;
tarsus 32; hind toe 13, its claw 14; middle toe 32; its claw 1; outer
toe 23, its claw 4; inner toe 2}, its claw 3. Weight 1 lb. 7 oz.
Female. Plate CCCXXXVII. Fig. 2.
The Female resembles the male, but is somewhat smaller with the
colours duller.
Length to end of tail 26} inches, to end of wings 254, to end of
claws 272; extent of wings 423; wing from flexure 12}. Weight 1 lb.
3 OZ.
300 AMERICAN BITTERN.
The dimensions of a young male shot in autumn were as follows: —
To end of tail 24 inches, to end of wings 24, to end of claws 29;
extent of wings 26; wing from flexure 103. Weight 1 lb. 14 oz.
In dissecting this bird, the extreme compression of the body strikes
one with surprise, its greatest breadth being scarcely an inch and a
half, although it is capable of being much dilated. The great
length and thickness of the neck are also remarkable ; but these cir-
cumstances are not peculiar to the present species, being equally ob-
served in many other Herons. On the roof of the mouth are three
longitudinal ridges ; the aperture of the posterior nares is linear, with
an oblique iiap on each side; the lower mandible is deeply concave,
its crura elastic and expansile ; the tongue 2;'; inches long, sagittate
at the base with a single very slender papilla on each side, trigonal,
tapering, flattened above ; the width of the mouth is 10 twelfths ; but the
pharynx is much wider. The cesophagus, a 6 c, which is fifteen inches
long, is very wide, having at its upper part, when inflated, a diameter
of 2 inches, but gradually contracting to 4 inch at its entrance into
the thorax, and again expanding to 1 inch. Its walls are extremely
thin, and when contracted, its mucous coat forms strongly marked lon-
gitudinal plaits. ‘The proventriculus is very wide, its glandules oblong
and arranged in a belt 10 twelfths in breadth. The stomach, ¢, is of
moderate size, membranous, that is with its muscular coat very thin,
and not forming lateral muscles ; its tendinous spaces large and round,
its inner coat smooth and soft; its greatest diameter 1 inch. There
is a smail roundish pyloric lobe, as in other Herons. Both lobes of the
liver lie on the right side of the proventriculus; one, 7, being 1 inch 10
twelfths, the other, 7, 1 inch 2 twelfths long; the gall-bladder large, 11
twelfths long. The intestine is long and very slender, measuring 4
feet 7 inches, with a diameter of only 2 twelfths at its upper part, and
14 twelfth at the lower, when inflated ; the rectum 4 inches long, and
4 twelfths in diameter, its anterior extremity rounded, and having a
minute papilliform termination, only 1 twelfth long.
The trachea, which is 123 inches long, differs from that of ordinary
Herons in being much compressed, especially at its upper and lower ex-
tremities ; the middle part being less so. It is also proportionally
wider, and its rings are narrower. At the top its diameter is 5 twelfths,
at the middle 41 twelfths, towards the lower part 43 twelfths, at the
AMERICAN BiTTERN. 301
end 41 twelfths. The rings are osseous, in number 180; the five lower
divided in front and behind, and much
arched, the last measuring half an inch in a
direct line between its extremities. The
bronchi are in consequence very broad at
their commencement, but gradually taper,
and are composed of about 18 half rings.
The contractor muscles are inconspicuous, the
sterno-tracheal slender ; and there is a single
pair of inferior laryngeal, going to the first
bronchial ring. The aperture of the glottis
is 8 twelfths long, without any papillz, but a |
with a deep groove behind, and two thin- — f ay aH
edged flaps. | |
In the digestive organs of this bird, there
is nothing remarkably different from that of
other Herons. The stomach contained re-
mains of fishes and large coleopterous in-
sects. The examination of the trachea, bron-
chi, and lungs, would not lead us to suppose
that its cry is of the curious character re-
presented, although it certainly would in-
duce us to believe it different from that of or-
dinary Herons, which have the trachea nar-
rower, round, and with broader and more
bony rings.
Although in external appearance and ha-
bits it exhibits some affinity to the Rails,
its digestive organs have no resemblance to
theirs.
An egg presented by Dr Brewer of Boston measures two inches in
length by one inch and a half, and is of a broadly oval shape, rather
pointed at the smaller end, and of a uniform dull olivaceous tint.
(HBd27*)
BREWER’S DUCK.
ANAS BREWERI.
PLATE CCCXXXVIII. Mate.
Tue beautiful Duck from which I made the drawing copied on the
plate befere you, was shot on Lake Barataria, in Louisiana, in Feb-
ruary 1822. It was in company with seven or eight Canvass-back
Ducks. No other individuals of the species were in sight at the time,
and all my efforts to procure another have been ineffectual.
You will see that this curious bird is named in the plate “ Anas
glocitans,” the descriptions of that species having induced me to con-
sider it identical with this. But on comparing my drawing with spe-
cimens in the Museum of the Zoological Society of London, I found
that the former represents a much larger bird, which, besides, is ditfe-
rently coloured in some of its parts. The individual figured was a
male; but I have some doubts whether it had acquired the full beauty
of its mature plumage, and I considered it at the time as a bird of the
preceding season.
In form and proportions this bird is very nearly allied to the Mal-
lard, from which it differs in having the bill considerably narrower, in
wanting the recurved feathers of the tail, in having the feet dull
yellow in place of orange-red, the speculum more green and duller,
without the white bands of that bird, and in the large patch of light
red on the side of the head. It may possibly be an accidental variety,
or a hybrid between that bird and some other species, perhaps the
Gadwall, to which also it bears a great resemblance.
Bill nearly as long as the head, higher than broad at the base, de-
pressed and widened towards the end, rounded :at the tip, the lamellz
short and numerous, the unguis obovate, curved, the nasal groove ellip-
tical, the nostrils oblong.
Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed ; neck rather long and
slender; body full, depressed. Feet short, stout, placed behind the
centre of the body; legs bare a little above the joint; tarsus short, a
little compressed, anteriorly with small scutella, laterally and behind
BREWER’S DUCK. 303
with reticulated angular scales. Hind toe very small, with a narrow
free membrane ; third toe longest, fourth a little shorter ; claws small,
arched, compressed, acute,
Plumage dense, soft, and elastic ; of the hind head and neck short
and blended; of the other parts in general broad and rounded. Wings
of moderate length, acute ; tail short, graduated.
Bill dull yellow, slightly tinged with green, dusky along the ridge.
Iris brown. Feet dull yellow, claws dusky, webs dull grey. Head
and upper part of the neck deep glossy green; but there is an elon-
gated patch of pale reddish-yellow, extending from the base of the bill
over the cheek to two inches and a quarter behind the eye, and meet-
ing that of the other side on the chin; the space immediately over and
behind the eye light dull purple. A narrow ring of pale yellowish-red
on the middle of the neck ; the lower part of the neck dull brownish-
red, the feathers with a transverse band of dusky, and edged with
paler. The upper parts are dull greyish-brown, transversely undulated
with dusky; the smaller wing-coverts without undulations, but each
feather with a dusky bar behind another of light dull yellow; first row
of smaller coverts tipped with black; primaries and their coverts, light
brownish-grey ; some of the outer secondaries similar, the next five or
six duck-green, the next light grey with a dusky patch toward the end.
The rump and upper tail-coverts black, as are the parts under the tail,
excepting two longitudinal white bands ; tail-feathers light brownish-
grey, edged with whitish. All the rest of the lower parts are greyish-
white tinged with yellow, beautifully undulated with dusky lines, on
the middle of the breast these lines less numerous, and each feather
with a reddish-grey central streak.
Length to end of tail 23 inches, to end of claws 24; extent of wings
39 ; bill along the ridge 24, along the edge of lower mandible 23 ; tar-
sus 13, middle toe 2, its claw 7%; hind toe j, its claw 3. Weight 2 lb.
9 oz.
I have named this Duck after my friend THomas M. Brewer of
Boston, as a mark of the estimation in which I hold him as an accom-
plished ornithologist.
6h BOAY 5
LITTLE GUILLEMOT.
“ URIA ALLE, TEM.
PLATE CCCXXXIX. Mate ann Fremate.
‘Hts interesting little bird sometimes makes its appearance on our
eastern coasts during very cold and stormy weather. It does not pro-
ceed much farther southward than the shores of New Jersey, where it
is of very rare occurrence. Now and then some are caught in a state
of exhaustion, as I have known to be the case especially in Passama-
quody Bay near Eastport in Maine, and in the vicinity of Boston and
Salem in Massachusetts.
In the course of my voyages across the Atlantic, I have often ob-
served the Little Guillemots in small groups, rising and flying to short
distances at the approach of the ship, or diving close to the bow and re-
appearing a little way behind. Now with expanded wings they would
flutter and run as it were on the surface of the deep ; again, they would
seem to be busily engaged in procuring food, which consisted apparent-
ly of shrimps, other crustacea, and particles of sea-weeds, all of which
I have found in their stomach. I have often thought how easy it
would be to catch these tiny wanderers of the ocean with nets thrown
expertly from the bow of a boat, for they manifest very little appre-
hension of danger from the proximity of one, insomuch that I have
seen several killed with the oars. ‘Those which were caught alive and
placed on the deck, would at first rest a few minutes with their bodies
flat, then rise upright and run about briskly, or attempt to fly off,
which they sometimes accomplished, when they happened to go in a
straight course the whole length of the ship so as to rise easily over
the bulwarks. On effecting their escape they would alight on the
water and immediately disappear.
During my visit to Labrador and Newfoundland I met with none
of these birds, although the cod-fishers assured me that they frequently
breed there. I am informed by Dr Townsenp that this species is
found near the mouth of the Columbia River.
ad atl
= oe Oe
eer Coe He
LITTLE GUILLEMOT. 305
Aca auie, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol.i. p. 211.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 795-
Lintie Aux, Atca ate, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. ix. p. 94, pl. 74, fig. 5.
Uria axxe, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 425.
Lirtite Guittemot, Uria ature, Richards. and Swains. Faun. Bor.-Amer. vol. ii.
p- 479-
Lirtte Aux, or Sra Dove, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 531.
Adult Male in summer. Plate CCCXXXIX.
Bill shorter than the head, stout, straightish, subpentagonal at the
base, compressed towards the end. Upper mandible with the dorsal
line convexo-declinate, the ridge convex, the sides sloping, the edges
sharp and overlapping, the tip rather obtuse. Nasal depression short
and broad; nostrils basal, oblong, with a horny operculum. Lowér
mandible with the angle long and wide, the dorsal outline very short,
ascending, and straight, the sides convex, toward the end ascending
and flattened, the edges thin and inclinate, the tip acute, with a sinus
behind.
Body full and compact ; neck short and thick ; head large, ovate.
Feet short, rather stout ; tibia bare for two-twelfths of an inch ; tarsus
very short, compressed, covered anteriorly with oblique scutella, be-
hind with angular scales; hind toe wanting; anterior toes connected
by reticulated webs, the inner much shorter than the outer, which is
almost as long as the middle; the scutella numerous. Claws rather
small, moderately arched, compressed, rather acute, that of the middle
toe having its inner edge considerably expanded.
Plumage dense, blended, glossy. Wings of moderate length, nar-
row, pointed ; primaries pointed, the first longest, the rest rapidly gra-
duated; secondaries rounded. Tail very short, slightly rounded, of
twelve feathers.
Bill black. Iris dark hazel. Feet pale flesh-coloured ; webs dusky ;
claws black. Inside of mouth light yellow. ‘The head, upper part of
neck, and all the upper surface, glossy bluish-black. A small spot on
the upper eyelid, another on the lower, several longitudinal streaks on
the scapulars, and a bar along the tips of the secondary quills, white.
The lower parts white ; the feathers on the sides under the wings have
the outer webs white, the inner dusky ; lower wing-coverts blackish-
grey.
Length to end of tail 74 inches, to end of claws 72, to end of wings
67, to carpal joint 27; extent of wings 141; wing from flexure 47; bill
VOL. Iv. U
306 LITTLE GUILLEMOT.
along the ridge “, along the edge of lower mandible 1 ; tarsus ?; mid-
dle toe 1, its claw +; outer toe 1, claw #; inner toe 2, its claw 4. Weight
84 oz.
Adult Female, in winter. Plate CCCXXXIX. Fig. 2.
In winter, the throat and the lower parts of the cheeks are white ;
the sides and fore part of the neck white, irregularly barred with
blackish-grey ; the upper parts of a duller black than in summer.
There is nothing very remarkable in the anatomy of this bird, be-
yond what is observed in the Auks and Guillemots. The ribs extend
wery far back, and, having the dorsal and sternal portions much elon-
gated, are capable of aiding in giving much enlargement to the body,
of which the internal, or thoracic and abdominal cells are very large.
The subcutaneous cells are also largely developed, as in many other
diving and plunging birds.
The roof of the mouth is flat, broad, and covered with numerous
series of short horny papille directed backwards. The tongue is large,
fleshy, 10 twelfths of an inch long, emarginate at the base, flat above,
horny on the back. The heart is large, measuring 10 twelfths in length,
83 twelfths in breadth. The right lobe of the liver is 1,% inch in
length, the left 1,5; the gall-bladder is elliptical. The kidneys are
very large.
The cesophagus, Fig. 1, a, is 3 inches 10 twelfths long, its walls
very thin, its inner or mucous coat thrown into longitudinal plates ; its
diameter at the middle of the neck 5 eighths, diminishing to 4 twelfths
as it enters the thorax. It then enlarges and forms the proventriculus,
ce, which has a diameter of 8 twelfths ; the glandules are cylindrical,
very numerous, and arranged in a complete belt, half an inch in breadth,
in the usual manner, as seen in Fig. 2, bc. The stomach, properly so
ealled, Fig 1, dg, is oblong, 11 twelfths in length, 8 twelfths in breadth ;
its muscular coat moderately thick, and disposed into two lateral muscles
with large tendons ; its epithelium, Fig. 2, cde, thick, hard, with nu-
merous longitudinal and transverse ruge, and of a dark reddish colour.
The duodenum, fg, curves in the usual manner at the distance of
11 inch, ascends toward the upper surface of the right lobe of the
liver for 1 inch and 10 twelfths, then forms 4 loops, and from above
the proventriculus, passes directly -backward. The length of the in-
LITTLE GUILLEMOT. 307
testine, fg hi, is 164 inches, its diameter 2} twelfths, and nearly uni-
form as far as the rectum, which is 1! inch long, at first 3 twelfths in
diameter, enlarged into an ovate cloaca of great size, Fig. 3. b; the
ceca a, a, 43 twelfths long, cylindrical, } twelfth in diameter, obtuse.
The trachea, Fig. 1. /, 7, is very wide, flattened, its rings unossified,
its length 2;% inches, its breadth 3 twelfths, nearly uniform, but at the
lower part contracted to 2 twelfths. There are 75 rings, with 5 infe-
rior blended rings, which are divided before and behind. The bronchi,
Fig. 1. m, m, are wide and rather elongated, with about 25 half rings.
The contractor muscles are extremely thin, the sterno-tracheal slender ;
there is a pair of inferior laryngeal attached to the first bronchial
rings.
The above account of the digestive organs of this bird will be seen
to be very different from that given by Sir Everard Home, who has, in
all probability, mistaken the species. ‘ There is still,” says he, “ one
308 LITTLE GUILLEMOT.
more variety in the structure of the digestive organs of birds, that live
principally upon animal food, which has come under my observation ;
and with an account of which I shall conclude the present lecture.
This bird is the Alcea Alle of Linnzus, the Little Auk. The termina-
tion of the cesophagus is only known by the ending of the cuticular
lining, and the beginning of the gastric glands ; for the cardiac cavity
is one continued tube, extending considerably lower down in the cavity
of the abdomen, and gradually enlarging at the lower part: it then
turns up to the right side, about half-way to the origin of the cavity,
and is there connected to a small gizzard, the digastric muscle of which
is strong, and a small portion of the internal surface on each side has
a hard cuticular covering. The gastric glands at the upper part are
placed in four distinct longitudinal rows, becoming more and more nu-
merous towards the lower part of the cavity, and extend to the bottom,
where it turns up. ‘The extent of the cavity in which the gastric
glands are placed, exceeds any thing met with in the other birds that
live upon fish ; and the turn which the cavity takes almost directly up-
wards, and the gizzard being at the highest part instead of the lowest,
are peculiarities, as far as I am acquainted, not met with in any other
birds of prey. ‘This mechanism, which will be better understood by
examining the engraving, makes the obstacles to the food in its passage
to the intestines unusually great ; and enables the bird to digest both
fishes and sea-worms with crustaceous shells. It appears to be given
for the purpose of economizing the food in two different ways,—one
vetaining it longer in the cardiac cavity, the other supplying that ca-
vity with a greater quantity of gastric liquor than in other birds. This
opinion is further confirmed by the habits of life of this particular spe-
cies of bird, which spends a portion of the year in the frozen regions
of Nova Zembla, where the supplies of nourishment must be both
scanty and precarious.”
With respect to this statement and the reasonings founded upon it,
it will be seen from the description and accompanying figures above,
taken directly from nature, and without the least reference to the dis-
sections or theories of any person, that the cesophagus and stomach of the
Little Auk or Guillemot, Alca Alle of Linneus, are very similar to those
of other Auks, Guillemots, Divers, and fish-eating birds in general.
‘Yhe cardiac or proventricular cayity forms no curve ; and the gizzard
«ith which it is connected, is not small, nor has it merely a small por-
LITTLE GUILLEMOT. 309
tion of the internal surface on each side covered with a hard cuticular
lining; for the epithelium covers its whole surface, and is of consider-
able extent. The gastric glands are not at all disposed as represented
by Sir E. Home, but are aggregated in the form of a compact belt half
an inch broad, Fig. 2. 4, ¢. As to the ingenious reasoning by which
the economy of the Little Auk is so satisfactorily accounted for, it is
enough here to say, that having no foundation, it is of less than no
value. But were there such a curvature as that in question, there
could be no propriety in supposing that it presented any great obstacle
to the passage of the food, or retained it longer than usual. Nor is
the statement as to scanty and precarious supply of nourishment cor-
rect; for the Arctic Seas, to which this bird resorts in vast numbers,
are represented by navigators as abounding in small crustacea, on which
chiefly the Little Auk feeds, and that to such an extent as to colour
the water for leagues. Besides, if there were such a scarcity of food
in Nova Zembla, why should the birds go there? In short, the whole
statement is incorréct; and the many compilers, from Dr Carus to
the most recent, who have pressed it into their service, may, in their
future editions, with propriety leave it out, and supply its place with
something equally ingenious.
The egg of this’ species measures one inch and nearly five-eighths
in length, one inch and an eighth in its greatest breadth. It is re-
markably large for the size of the bird, and of a dull uniform pale
greenish- blue.
( 310.4
LEAST PETREL.
THALASSIDROMA PELAGICA, LEACH.
PLATE CCCXL. Mater anp FEMALE.
In August 1830, being becalmed on the banks of Newfoundland,
I obtained several individuals of this species from a flock composed
chiefly of Thalassidroma Leachii, and Th. Wilsoni. Their smaller size,
and the more rapid motions of their wings, rendered them quite con-
spicuous, and suggested the idea of their being a new species, although
a closer inspection shewed them to belong to. the present. In their
general manners, while feeding, floating on the water, or rambling
round the boat in which I went in pursuit of them, they did not differ
materially from the other species. Their flight, however, was more
hurried and irregular, and none of them uttered any note or cry, even
when wounded and captured. I have been assured that this bird breeds
on the sandy beaches of Sable Island on the coast of Nova Scotia ;
but not having had an opportunity of visiting it, or any other breed-
ing place, I here present you with Mr Hewirson’s observations on
this subject.
*¢ In an excursion,” says this amiable and enterprising naturalist,
“through the Shetland Islands during the present summer, in search of
rarities for this work (the British Oology), 1 had the very great satis-
faction of seeing and taking many of these most interesting birds alive ;
they breed in great numbers on several of the islands, principally upon
Foula, the north of Hunst, and upon Papa, and Oxna, two small islands
in the Bay of Scalloway ; the last of these I visited on the 31st of May
in hopes of procuring their eggs (it being the season in which most of
the sea-birds begin to lay); but in this I was disappointed ; the fisher-
men who knew them well by the name of Swallows, assured me that
my search would be quite useless, that they had not yet ‘ come up
‘rom sea,” and so it proved. Sixteen days after this (June 16th and
three following days) I was at Foula, but was alike unsuccessful, the
birds had arrived at their breeding places, but had not yet begun lay-
ing their eggs ; numbers of them were sitting in their holes, and were
easily caught ; one man brought me about a dozen tied up in an old
LEAST PETREL. 311
stocking, two of which ! kept alive in my room for nearly three days,
and derived very great pleasure from their company ; during the day
they were mostly inactive, and after pacing about the floor for a short
time, poking their head into every hole, they hid themselves between
the feet of the table and the wall: I could not prevail upon them to
eat any thing, though I tried to tempt them with fish and oil; their
manner of walking is very light and pleasing, and differing from that
of every other bird which I have seen; they carry their body so far
forward and so nearly horizontal, as to give them the appearance of
being out of equilibrium. In the evening, toward sun-set, they left
their hiding places, and for hours afterwards, never ceased in their en-
deavours to regain their liberty ; flying round and round the room, or
fluttering against the windows ; when flying, their length of wing,
and white above the tail, gives them a good deal the appearance of our
House-Martin. I went to bed and watched them in their noiseless
flight long ere | fell asleep, but in the morning they had disappeared ;
one had fortunately made its escape through a broken pane in the win-
dow which a towel should have occupied, the other had fallen into a
basin, full of the yolks of eggs which I had been blowing, and was
drowned. I regretted much the fate of a being so interesting, by its
very remarkable, wandering, solitary, and harmless life. Before leaving
Shetland [ again visited the island of Oxna, and though so late as the
30th of June, they were only just beginning to lay their eggs. In
Foula they breed in the holes in the cliff, at a great height above the
sea; but here under stones which form the beach, at a depth of three
or four feet, or more, according to that of the stones; as they go down
to the earth, beneath them, on which to lay their eggs. In walking
over the surface, I could hear them, very distinctly, smging in a sort
ef warbling chatter, a good deal like swallows when fluttering above
our chimneys, but harsher ; and in this way, by listening attentively,
was guided to their retreat, and, after throwing out stones as large as
I could lift on all sides of me, seldom failed in capturing two or three
seated on their nests, either under the lowest stone or between two of
them. The nests, though of much the same materials as the ground
on which they were placed, seem to have been made with care ; they
were of small bits of stalks of plants, and pieces of hard dry earth.
Like the rest of the genus, the Stormy Petrel lays invariably one egg
only. During the day-time they remain within their holes ; and though
312 LEAST PETREL.
the fishermen are constantly passing over their heads (the beach under
which they breed being appropriated for the drying of fish), they are
then seldom heard, but toward night become extremely querulous ; and
when most other birds are gone to rest, issue forth in great numbers,
spreading themselves far over the surface of the sea. The fishermen
then meet them very numerously ; and though they have not pre-
viously seen one, are sure to be surrounded by them upon throwing
pieces of fish overboard.”
The egg measures one inch and an eighth in length, six and a half
eighths in breadth, is nearly equally rounded at both ends, rather thick-
shelled, and pure white, but generally with numerous minute dots of
dull red at the larger end, sometimes forming a circular band.
ProcEtiaria PELAGICA, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 212.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii.
p. 826.
Stormy Perret, Nutiall, Manual, vol. i. p. 327.
Adult Male. Plate CCCXL. Fig. 1.
Bill shorter than the head, slender, compressed towards the end,
straight, with the tips curved. Upper mandible with the nostrils
forming a tube at the base, beyond which, for a short space, the dorsal
line is nearly straight, then suddenly decurved, the sides declinate, the
edges sharp, the tip compressed and acute. Lower mandible with the
angle rather long, narrow, and pointed, the dorsal line beyond it very
slightly concave and decurved, the sides erect, the edges sharp, the tip
slightly decurved.
Head of moderate size, roundish, anteriorly narrowed. Neck short.
Body rather slender. Feet of moderate length, very slender; tibia
bare at its lower part; tarsus very slender, reticulate; hind toe ex-
tremely minute, being reduced, as it were, to a slightly decurved claw ;
anterior toes rather long and extremely slender, obscurely scutellate
above, connected by striated webs with concave margins. Claws slen-
der, arched, compressed, acute.
Plumage very soft, blended, the feathers distinct only on the wings,
which are very long and narrow ; primary quills tapering, but rounded,
the second longest, the first three and a half twelfths, the third a twelfth
and a half shorter; secondaries short, the outer incurved, obliquely
LEAST PETREL. 313
rounded. Tail rather long, broad, slightly rounded, of twelve broad
rounded feathers.
Bill and feet black. Iris dark brown. The general colour of the
upper parts is greyish-black, with a tinge of brown, and moderately
glossed ; the lower parts of a sooty brown; the secondary coverts mar-
gined externally with dull greyish-white ; the feathers of the rump and
the upper tail-coverts white, with the shafts black, the tail-coverts
broadly tipped with black.
Length to end of tail 52 inches, to end of claws 5}, to end of wings
61; extent of wings 133; wing from flexure 5}; tail 2}; bill above
4, along the edge of lower mandible 3; tarsus 4; middle toe and claw ;
outer toe nearly equal; inner toe and claw #. Weight 44 drachms ;
the individual poor.
Adult Female. Plate CCCXL. Fig. 2.
The Female resembles the male.
A male bird, from Nova Scotia, examined. The upper mandible
internally has a longitudinal median ridge ; the palate is convex, with
two lateral ridges. The tongue is 54 twelfths long, emarginate and
serrulate at the base, very much flattened, tapering to a horny point.
The heart, Fig. 1, a, is of a very elongated narrow conical form, 2
twelfths in length, 4 twelfths in breadth at the base. The lobes of the
liver, 6, c, are equal, 64 twelfths long. The cesophagus, d, ¢, is 1 inch
10 twelfths long, of a uniform diameter of 21 twelfths; behind the
liver, it enters as it were a large sac, f, g, h, 9 twelfths of an inch long,
which gradually expands to a diameter of 6 twelfths, forming a broad
rounded fundus g, then curves forwards on the right side, and at / ter-
minates in a small gizzard, about 3 twelfths long, and nearly of the
same breadth, from the left side of which comes off the intestine. The
latter passes forward, curving to the right, behind and in contact with
the posterior surfaces of the liver, then forms the duodenal fold, h, j, &
in the usual manner. The intestine, on arriving at the right lobe of
the liver, at 4, receives the biliary duct, curves backward beneath the
kidneys, and forms several convolutions, which terminate above the
proventriculus. It then becomes much narrower, and passes directly
backward, in a straight course to the rectum, which is only 4 twelfths
of an inch long. The cceca are oblong, 13 twelfth in length, and
7
314 LEAST PETREL.
2 twelfth in diameter. The intestine is 83 inches long, its diameter
diminishing gradually from 2 twelfths to ? of a twelfth.
== J
Fig. 1. Fig. 2.
In Fig. 2. are represented :—the lower part of the cesophagus, d, ¢,
J; the proventricular sac, /, g, 4; the very small gizzard, h; the duo-
denal fold of the intestine, 7, 7,4. Here the parts are viewed from
the left side.
Fig. 3. represents :—the proventricular sac thrust forward, /, g, 4;
the gizzard, 4; the duodenum, 7%, j, #, pulled to the right side ; the con-
volutions of the intestine, /, m, under the kidneys, the cceca, x; the
rectum, 0, and the cloaca, p.
The proventricular glands are very numerous, but not so closely
placed as is usual, although scattered over a much larger extent, from
e tog in Fig. 2. Between the termination of the glands and the sto-
mach there is a portion destitute of glandules. ‘The stomach or giz-
zard has its muscular coat thick, its tendons moderate, its inner sur-
face covered with a rather thick but not very hard epithelium, which
is more prolonged on two opposite sides, although in the fundus it is
complete.
This curious digestive apparatus agrees very nearly with that de-
scribed and figured by Sir Everarp Home as that of Alea Alle. The-
stomach, it is seen, is excessively large in proportion to the size of the
LEAST PETREL. 315
bird ; but why it should be so, and moreover be curved in this manner,
is not very obvious. Conjectures are easily made, and might run in
this form. This little bird, which wanders over the face of the ocean,
subsisting upon garbage, oily and fatty substances, small fishes, and
even sea-weeds, requires alarge stomach for the reception of its hetero-
geneous fare, which not being always very nutritious or easily digesti-
ple, must be very plentifully intermixed with the gastric juices, and
detained a considerable time ; which conditions are accordingly provided
for by the very great number and extensive dispersion of the proven-
tricular glandules, and the curve of the organ. Should any hard sub-
stances, as crustacea, be introduced, they are pounded by the gizzard ;
but as the bird is little addicted to feeding on such substances, that
organ is reduced to a very small size.
The aperture of the glottis is 14 twelfth long. The trachea is 1
inch 7 twelfths in length, wide, flattened, its diameter from 2 twelfths
to 13 twelfth; its rings unossified, 82 in number. The bronchi are
short, wide, of about 12 half rings.
C esto. ©)
GREAT AUK.
ALCA IMPENNIS, Linn.
PLATE CCCXLI. Anutr.
Tue only authentic account of the occurrence of this bird on our
coast that I possess, was obtained from Mr Henry Have t, brother
of my Engraver, who, when on his passage from New York to Eng-
land, hooked a Great Auk on the banks of Newfoundland, in extremely
boisterous weather. On being hauled on board, it was left at liberty
on the deck. It walked very awkwardly, often tumbling over, bit
évery one within reach of its powerful bill; and refused food of all kinds.
After continuing several days on board, it was restored to its proper
element.
When I was in Labrador, many of the fishermen asSured me that
the “ Penguin,” as they name this bird, breeds on a low rocky island
to the south-east of Newfoundland, where they destroy great numbers
of the young for bait; but as this intelligence came to me when the
season was too far advanced, I had no opportunity of ascertaining its
accuracy. In Newfoundland, however, I received similar information
from several individuals An old gunner residing on Chelsea Beach,
near Boston, told me that he well remembered the time when the Pen-
guins were plentiful about Nahant and some other islands in the Bay.
The egg is very large, measuring five inches in length, and three
in its greatest breadth. In form it resembles that of the Common
Guillemot; the shellis thick and rather rough to the touch ; its colour
yellowish-white, with long irregular lines and blotches of brownish-
black, more numerous at the larger end.
Acca 1MPENNIs, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 210.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 791.
Great Aux, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 553.
Adult in Summer. Plate CCCXLI. Figs. 1, 2.
Bill as long as the head, feathered as far as the nostrils, beyond
which it is very high, exceedingly compressed, tapering, and slightly
» eee
GREAT AUK. 317
declinate. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight for an inch
and a quarter, then declinate and decurvate to the end, the ridge very
narrow, broader at the base; the sides nearly flat, with a basal ridge
succeeded by a deep groove, then a large flat space, succeeded by eight
oblique curved ridges, the edges sharp toward the end, the tip decur-
ved and obtuse. Nostrils marginal, linear, short, pervious, but con-
cealed by the feathers. Lower mandible with the angle long, the sides
extremely narrow and linear for half their length, the horny part not
being extended over the bone, which is covered with feathers, after-
wards deep and compressed, with the dorsal line at first convex, then
ascending and concave to the end, the sides flat, with about ten trans-
verse ridges, the edges sharp. the tip deflected.
Head large, oblong, anteriorly narrowed. Eyes rather small. Neck
short and thick. Body compact and full. Wings extremely small, but
perfectly formed. Feet placed far behind, short, very strong; tursus
short, compressed, anteriorly scutellate, laterally covered with angular
scales, those on the hind part very small. Hind toe wanting; third
toe longest, outer nearly as long, inner much shorter, lateral toes mar-
ginate, all with numerous scutella and several rows of angular scales
above, and connected by reticulated webs. Claws rather small, nar-
row, arched, convex above, and obtuse.
Plumage close, blended, very soft, on the head and neck short and
velvety. Wings diminutive, much pointed; the primaries tapering
to an acute point, the first longest, the rest rapidly graduated, their
coverts long; secondaries short and broad, scarcely longer than their
coverts. Tail short, pointed, of fourteen feathers.
Bill black, with the grooves between the transverse ridges white.
Iris hazel. Feet and claws black. Fore part of the neck below, and
all the lower’ parts white, of which colour also is a large oblong patch
before each eye, and the tips of the secondary quills; the rest black,
the throat and sides of the neck tinged with chocolate-brown, the wings
with greyish-brown, the head, hind neck, and back glossed with olive-
green. ;
Length to end of tail 29 inches, to end of wings 233, to end of
claws 314, to carpal joint 181; extent of wings 272 ; wing from flexure
74; tail 24, bill along the ridge 33, along the edge of lower mandible
44, greatest depth of upper mandible 1, depth of lower §; width of
gape 17; tarsus 2; middle toe 23, its claw 3; outer toe 23; its claw
33.4 ates 4
%t; inner toe 2, its claw *#.
(316.5
GOLDEN-EYE DUCK.
FULIGULA CLANGULA, Bonap.
PLATE CCCXLII. Mate anp FemMate.
You have now before you another of our Ducks, which at least
equals any of the rest in the extent of its migrations. Braving the blasts
of the north, it visits the highest latitudes in spring, and returns at the
approach of winter, spreading over the whole country, as if it seemed
not to care in what region it spends its time, provided it find abundance
of water. Now propelling itself gaily, it may be seen searching the
pebbly or rocky bottom of the Ohio, or diving deep in the broad bays
of Massachusetts or the Chesapeake. Presently it emerges with a
cray-fish or a mussel held firmly in its bill. It shakes its head, and
over its flattened back roll the large pearly drops of water, unable to
penetrate the surface of its compact and oily plumage. The food is
swallowed, and the bird, having already glanced around, suddenly
plunges headlong. Happy being! Equally fitted for travelling through
the air and the water, and not altogether denied the pleasure of walking
on the shore ; endowed with a cunning, too, which preserves you from
many at least of the attempts of man to destroy you; and instinctively
sagacious enough to place your eggs deep in the hollow of a tree,
where they are secure from the nocturnal prowler, and, amid the down .
of your snowy breast, are fostered until the expected young come forth.
Then with your own bill you carry your brood to the lake, where un-
der your tender care they grow apace. The winged marauders, rapid
as their flight may be, cannot injure you there ; for while your young
ones sink into the deep waters, you arise on whistling wings, and,
swifter than Jer Falcon, speed away.
In South Carolina the Golden-eye is abundant during winter, when
it at times frequents the reserves of the rice-planters. I have also met
with it on the water-courses of the Floridas at that season. From
these countries westward and northward, it may be found in all parts
of the Union where the waters are not frozen. It is seldom seen on
small ponds entirely surrounded by trees, but perfers open places, and
GOLDEN-EYE DUCK. 319
on the Ohio is generally found in the more rapid parts, on the eddies
of which it dives for food.
This species exhibits a degree of cunning which surpasses that of
many other Ducks, and yet at times it appears quite careless. When
I have been walking, without any object in view, along the banks of
the Ohio, between Shippingport and Louisville, I have often seen the
Golden-eyes, fishing almost beneath me, when, although I had a gun,
they would suffer me to approach within an hundred paces. But at
other times, if I crawled or hid myself in any way while advancing to-
wards them, with a wish to fire at them, they would, as if perfectly
aware of my intentions, keep at a distance of fully two hundred yards.
On the former occasion they would follow their avocations quite un-
concernedly ; while on the latter, one of the flock would remain above
as if to give intimation of the least appearance of danger. If, in the
first instance, I fired my gun at them, they would all dive with the ce-
lerity of lightning, but on emerging, would shake their wings as if in
defiance. But if far away on the stream, when I fired at them, instead
of diving, they would all at once stretch their necks, bend their bodies
over the water, and paddle off with their broad webbed feet, until the
air would resound with the smart whistling of their wings, and away
they would speed, quite out of sight, up the river. In this part of the
country, they are generally known by the name of ‘“* Whistlers.”
I have observed that birds of this species rarely go to the shores to
rest until late in the evening, and even then they retire to secluded
rocks, slightly elevated above the surface, or to the margins of sand-bars,
well protected by surrounding waters. In either case, it is extremely
difficult fora man to get near them; but it is different with the sly
Racoon, which I have on several occasions surprised in the dawn, feed-
ing on one which it had caught under night. Yet, on some of the
bays of our sea-coasts, the Whistlers are easily enticed to alight by the
coarsest representations of their figures in wooden floats, and are shot
while they pass and repass over the place to assure themselves that
what they see is actually a bird of their own kind. This mode is suc-
cessfully followed in the Bay and Harbour of Boston in Massachusetts,
as well as farther to the eastward.
The Golden-eye is rarely if ever seen in the company of any other
species than those which are, like itself, expert divers; such, for example,
as the Mergansers, or the Buffel-headed Duck : and it is very rare to
320 GOLDEN-EYE DUCK.
see all the individuals of a flock immersed at once. Sometimes, when
suddenly surprised, they immediately dive, and do not rise again until
quite out of gun-shot. When wounded, it is next to impossible to
catch them; for their power of remaining under water is most surpris-
ing, and the sooner one gives up the chase the better.
The Golden-eye Ducks manifest a propensity to adhere to a place
which they find productive, and that to a most extraordinary degree.
One day, while approaching the shallow fording-place of Canoe Creek,
near Henderson, in Kentucky, I observed five Whistlers fishing and
swimming about. They allowed me to advance to within a few yards
of the shore, when, swimming close together, and shaking their necks,
they emitted their rough croaking notes. Not being desirous of shoot-
ing them, I slapped my hands smartly together, when in an instant
they all went down, but suddenly rose again, and running as it were
over the water for about ten yards, took flight, passed and repassed
several times over the ford, and alighted on the large branches of a
syeamore that hung over the creek, at no greater distance from where
I stood than about twenty yards. This was the first time in my life
that I had seen Golden-eyes alight on a tree.. I waded to the opposite
side, and gazed upon them with amazement for several minutes. When
on the eve of pursuing my course, one of them, gliding downwards with
nearly closed wings, launched upon the water, and at once dived. The
other four followed one after another, somewhat in the manner of
Pigeons or Starlings, as if to ascertain whether some danger might not
still exist. I left them at their avocations, and soon after met a family
of country people going to Henderson, one of whom asked me respect-
ing the depth of the ford, to which I replied that the water was low,
and added that they should be careful lest some ducks that I had left
there might frighten the horses on which the women were. The good
folks, with whom I was acquainted, laughed, and we parted.
About four o’clock, as I was returning, with a fine Turkey-cock
slung to my back, I met the same party, who told me that, “ sure
enough,” the ducks were at the ford, and I was likely to have “a good.
crack at them.” There they were when I went up, and I forced them
to fly off ; but as I was proceeding, and not more than fifty yards be-
yond the creek, I heard their splashings as they again alighted. In the
course of a fortnight I visited the place several times, but never missed
finding these five ducks there. This led me to inquire as to the cause,
a eo ee
GOLDEN-EYE DUCK. 321
and, having undressed, I waded out barefooted. and examined the bot-
tom, which I found to be composed of rather hard blue clay, full of
holes bored by cray-fish. But to make myself quite sure that these
creatures formed the attraction to the Ducks, I watched an opportu-
nity, and shot two of the latter, the examination of which satisfied me
on the subject.
I had long before this been convinced, that an abundant supply of
food afforded a powerful attraction to migrating birds, and on this sub-
ject you may remember my remarks in the articles of the Wild ‘Turkey
and Passenger Pigeon, in the first volume of this work ; but I had not
then, nor have I since, seen so strong an instance of pertinacity in at-
tachment to a particular spot.
The flight of this species is powerful, extremely rapid, and wonder-
fully protracted. It passes along with a speed equal to that of any of
the Duck tribe, and I believe can easily traverse the space of ninety
miles in an hour. The whistling of its wings may be distinctly heard
when it is more than half a mile distant. This statement may be found
to be in contradiction to those of probably every previous writer, for it
has been a general opinion, that the greater the extent of wing the
more rapid is the flight, which is anything but correct. On flying from
the water, they proceed for a considerable distance very low, not rising
to any height until they have advanced several hundred yards.
The only nest of the Golden-eye which I have examined, I disco-
vered, on the 15th of June, on the margin of a small creek about eight
miles from Green Bay. The female left it, probably to go in search
of food, whilst I was sitting under the tree in which it was, thinking
more of my peculiar situation than of birds of any kind, for I was al-
most destitute of ammunition, and bent on returning to my family,
then in Louisiana. How exciting are such moments to the ardent ob-
server of Nature! In an instant, hunger, fatigue, even the thoughts
of my beloved wife and children, vanished ; and in a few minutes I was
safely lodged on the tree, and thrusting my arm into the cavity of a large
broken branch. Nine beautiful, greenish, smooth eggs, almost equally
rounded at both ends, were at my disposal. They were laid on some
dry grass of the kind that grew on the edges of the creek, and were
deeply imbedded in the down of the bird. Not being then aware of
the necessity of measuring or keeping eggs, I roasted them on some
embers, and finding them truly delicious, soon satisfied my hunger.
VOL. lv. .
322 - GOLDEN-EYE DUCK.
While I was eating them, the bird returned, but no male was to be
seen. Whether many of these birds breed within the limits of the
Union I cannot tell. Dr Ricuarpson says they are abundant in the
Fur Countries, and Dr Townsenp states, that they are plentiful on the
Rocky Mountains and along the north-west coast of America.
Of the changes which the young males undergo, nothing is known
beyond the fact, that the young of both sexes resemble the adult fe-
male, until the approach of the first spring, when their general migra-
tion northward removes them from our observation.
At the approach of spring, I have observed this species swell the
throat and the feathers of the head, and emit their rough croaking
notes very frequently. The males at this period become very pugna-
cious, though, after all, they remove northward together, preceding the
females for at least a fortnight. They usually spend the autumn and
the earlier parts of winter separate from the females. These birds
have, like the Goosanders, a habit of shaking their heads violently
on emerging from the water Their flesh is fishy, and in my opinion
unfit for being eaten, unless in cases of excessive hunger. The food
of this species, while on fresh water, consists of fish of various kinds,
mollusea, young frogs, tadpoles, crayfish, and, I believe, some kinds
of grass. When on salt water, they feed principally on bivalves and
fishes of different species.
Anas Ciancuta, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 201.—ZLath. Ind. Ornith, vol. ii. p. 867.
Male.
Anas Graucion, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p..201.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 867.
Female and Young.
GoLpDEN-EYE, Anas Craneuta, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p. 62, pl. 67, fig. 6.
Furieurta Craneuta, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 393.
CLancuLA vuLeaRtIs, Common GoLDEN-EYE, Richards. and Swains. Fauna Bor.-
Amer. vol. ii. p. 456.
Common Go.LpENn-EYE, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 441.
Adult Male in winter. Plate CCCXLII. Fig. 1.
Bill shorter than the head, deeper than broad at the base, graduai-
ly depressed toward the end, which is rounded Upper mandible with
the dorsal line straight and sloping to the middle, then slightly con-
eave, and finally decurved; the ridge broad and rather concave at the
base, narrowed between the nostrils, convex towards the end, the frontal
GOLDEN-EYE DUCK. 323
angles long, the sides erect at the base, sloping and convex towards the
end, the edges soft, with about fifty lamellz, the unguis oblong and
decurved. Nostrils medial, linear, pervious, nearer the ridge than the
margin.. Lower mandible flattened, ascending, nearly straight, a little:
curved at the base, the angle long, rather narrow, the dorsal line very
slightly convex, the edges with about fifty lamellae, the unguis broadly
elliptical.
Head large, compressed. Eyes of moderate size. Neck short and
thick. Body compact, much depressed. Feet very short, placed far
back ; tarsus very short, compressed, having anteriorly in its whole
length a series of small scutella, and above the outer toe a few broad
scales, the rest covered with reticular angular scales. Hind toe very
small, with a broad free membrane beneath; anterior toes longer than
the tarsus, connected by reticulated membranes, having a sinus on
their free margins, the inner with a narrow, lobed, marginal membrane,
the outer with a thickened edge, the third and fourth about equal and
longest, all covered above with numerous narrow scutella. Claws
small, slightly arched, compressed, obtuse, that of first toe very small,
of third largest, and with an inner thin edge.
Plumage dense, soft and blended; feathers on the fore part of the
head and cheeks very small and rounded, on the upper and hind parts,
linear and elongated, as they also are on the lateral and hind parts of
the upper neck, so that when raised they give the head a very tumid
appearance, which is the more marked that the feathers of the neck
beneath are short. Wings small, decurved, pointed; the outer pri-
maries pointed, the first generally longest, the second slightly shorter,
in some specimens a little longer, the rest rapidly graduated; the se-
condaries incurved, obliquely rounded, the inner much elongated.
Tail short, graduated, of sixteen feathers.
Bill black. Iris bright yellow. Feet orange-yellow, webs dusky,
claws black. Head and upper part of neck deep green, changing to
purple in certain lights. Back, posterior scapulars, inner secondaries,
edge of wing, alula, primary coverts, primary quills, and four or five
outer secondaries, black,—the back being darker and glossy, the wing-
feathers tinged with brown. An elliptical patch between the base of
the bill and the eye, lower part of neck all round, sides of the body
anteriorly, the lower parts generally, the scapulars, excepting their
margins, which are black, a large patch on the wing, including many
324 GOLDEN-EYE DUCK.
of the smaller coverts, some of the secondary coverts, and six or seven
of the secondary quills, pure white. The basal part of the secondary
coverts black. Axillar feathers and lower wing-coverts dusky; the
elongated feathers of the sides have the inner, some of them also their
outer margins black, that colour in those of the innermost covering the
whole inner web. The feathers on the legs, and along the sides of the
rump dusky. The tail brownish-grey.
Length to end of tail 20 inches, to end of wings 174, to end of
claws 201; extent of wings 31}; bill along the ridge 12, from the angles
2, along the edge of lower mandible 275; wing from flexure 9; tail 43;
tarsus 1; ; hind toe £3, its claw 7 ; second toe 1%, its claw #4; third
toe 21, its claw #5; fourth toe 27%, its claw yy. Weight 2 lb. 4} oz.
Of another male, length to end of tail 193, to end of claws 214, to
end of wings 17 ; extent of wings 31.
Adult Female. Plate CCCXLII. Fig. 2.
The female is much smaller. Bill dusky, a portion at the end, not
however including the unguis, dull yellowish-orange. Eyes and feet
as in the male. Head and upper part of neck dull reddish-brown.
Lower part of neck and the sides of the body brownish-grey, the
feathers margined with pale grey. Upper parts greyish-brown,
much darker behind; tail brownish-grey ; wings brownish-black,
seven of their coverts, excepting at the bases, white, the smaller co-
verts lighter and tipped with greyish-white : the legs and sides of the
rump greyish-brown.
Length to end of tail 16 inches, to end of wings 15, to end of claws
174; extent of wings 28; wing from flexure 8}; tail 34; bill along
the ridge 13, from the angles 13, along the lower mandible 184; tarsus
134; hind toe 8, its claw 1!; middle toe 224, its claw 2; outer toe }
longer: inner toe and claw 2. Weight 13 lb.
An adult male examined. The tongue is 2 inches long, fleshy, pa-
pillate at the base, with two series of lateral filaments, a deep median
groove, and a thin semicircular tip, as in many other ducks. The ceso-
phagus is 10 inches long, of moderate diameter, dilated towards the
lower part of the neck to 3 inch; its walls very thick; the proventri- |
culus with numerous oblong glandules. The stomach is a large and
powerful gizzard, of a roundish form, 2 inches long, and of equal dia-
GOLDEN-EYE DUCK. 325
meter, its lateral muscles very large, and upwards of half an inch thick ;
its epithelium rugous. The intestine is 6 feet 1 inch long, its diameter
varying from 5 twelfths to 4 twelfths ; the rectum 4 inches long; the
coeca 31 inches in length, their greatest diameter 24 twelfths. The con-
tents of the stomach a soft mass of a reddish colour, in which are dis-
tinguished small mussels and remains of fishes, with some vegetable
fibres.
' The trachea is 9 inches long, for 4 inches narrow, its diameter
being about 43 twelfths, and its rings, which are 60 in number, carti-
laginous ; it then forms an ovato-oblong expansion, which, when drawn
out, is 24 inches long, and 1 inch in breadth, and is formed of ossified
and flattened rings, narrower behind, placed obliquely, and about 30 in
number ; it then contracts to a diameter of 5 twelfths, and has 16 free
rings, but below this the rings, 25 in number, become united or blend-
ed, and gradually expand into a vast irregular cavity, having a broad
bony frame in front, membranous behind, and separating to the dis-
tance of 1 inch, the bronchi, which are large, the right one much
larger and longer than the left, and composed of 20 rings, all of which
are almost complete and cartilaginous, excepting the two upper. The
rings of the left bronchus, also about 20, are more incomplete.
Now for conjectures. These enormous dilatations are intended
‘for strengthening the voice. But the voice is not strong in this duck,
Well, then, they are receptacles of air, to enable the bird to keep
longer under water. But the bird does not keep longer under water
than many other ducks, and besides, the female, which has no such di-
latations, dives as well as the male.
One use at least is this. A comparison of the windpipe of an
American Golden-eye, with those of two Scotch ones, shews that the
so-called Clangula Americana, is in this respect precisely similar to the
— Olangula chrysophthalma. Their digestive organs are also the same ;
and American skins compared with European skins, exhibit no diffe-
rences of the slightest importance. Some individuals, especially males,
have much larger bills than others, but this happens in the birds of
both countries, and the Golden-eye is not singular in this respect.
Clangula Americana, therefore, requires a better elucidation than the
_ appendage of a “* Nob,” before it can be admitted as a species.
( 826 )
RUDDY DUCK.
FULIGULA RUBIDA, Bonap.
PLATE CCCXLIIIL Mate, Femate, anp Youne.
Loox at this plate, Reader, and tell me whether you ever saw a
greater difference between young and old, or between male and female,
than is apparent here. You see a fine old male in the livery of the
breeding season, put on as it were expressly for the purpose of pleas-
ing the female for a while. The female has never been figured before ;
nor, I believe, has any representation been given of the young in the
autumnal plumage. Besides these, you have here the young male at
the approach of spring.
The Ruddy Duck is by no means a rare species in the United States ;
indeed I consider it quite abundant, especially during the winter months,
in the Peninsula of Florida, where I have shot upwards of forty in one
morning. In our Eastern Districts they make their appearance early
in September, and are then plentiful from Eastport to Boston, in
the markets of which, as well as of New York, I have seen them.
On the Ohio and Mississippi they arrive about the same period; and I
have no doubt that they will be found breeding in all our Western
Territories, as soon as attention is paid to such matters as the search-
ing for nests with the view of promoting science, or of domesticating
birds which might prove advantageous to the husbandman.
My friend Dr Bacuman informs me that this species is becoming
more abundant every winter in South Carolina. In the month of Feb-
ruary he has seen a space of the extent of an acre covered with it. Yet
he has never found one in full summer plumage in that country. It is
equally fond of salt or brackish and of fresh waters ; and thus we find
it at times on our sea-coast, bays, and mouths of rivers, as well as on
lakes and even small ponds in the interior, or on our salt marshes, pro-
vided they are not surrounded by trees, as it cannot rise high in the
air unless in an open space of considerable extent. At the time of
their arrival, they are seen in small flocks, more than from seven to ten
being seldom found together, until they reach the Southern States,
where they congregate in great flocks. When they leave their northern
RUDDY DUCK. " 327
breeding-grounds, some proceed along the coast, but a greater number
along our numerous rivers.
The flight of the Ruddy Duck is rapid, with a whirring sound, oc-
casioned by the concave form of the wings and their somewhat broad
ends, the whistling sound produced by other species having more
pointed and stiffer quills, not being heard in this, or only in a very
slight degree. They rise from the water with considerable difficulty,
being obliged to assist themselves with their broad webbed feet, and to
run as it were on the surface for several yards, always against the
breeze, when it blows smartly. ‘The strength of the muscles of their
feet enables them to spring from the ground at once. When they are
fairly on wing, they fly in the same manner as most of our travelling
ducks, sustain themselves with ease, and are apt to remove to great dis-
tances. They alight on the water more heavily than most others that are
not equally flattened and short in the body ; but they move on that ele-
ment with ease and grace, swimming deeply immersed, and procuring
their food altogether by diving, at which they are extremely expert. They
are generally disposed to keep under the lee of shores on all occasions.
When swimming without suspicion of danger, they carry the tail ele-
vated almost perpendicularly, and float lightly on the water; but as
soon as they are alarmed, they immediately sink deeper, in the manner
of the Anhinga, Grebes, and Cormorants, sometimes going out of sight
without leaving a ripple on the water. On small ponds they often dive
and conceal themselves among the grass along the shore, rather than
attempt to escape by flying, to accomplish which with certainty they
would require a large open space. I saw this very often when on
the plantation of General Hernanpez in Kast Florida. If wounded,
they dived and hid in the grass; but, as the ponds there were shallow,
and had the bottom rather firm, I often waded out and pursued them.
Then it was that I saw the curious manner in which they used their
tail when swimming, employing it now as a rudder, and again with a
vertical motion ; the wings being also slightly opened, and brought into
action as well as the feet. They are by no means shy, for I have often
waded toward them with my gun until very near them, when I cared not
about shooting them, but was on the look-out for a new Rail or Galli-
nule, along the margin of the ponds. They are often seen in company
with ‘feals, Scaup Ducks, Gadwalls, Shovellers, and Mallards, with all
of which they seem to agree.
328 RUDDY DUCK.
My opinion that the males of this species lose the brightness of
their spring dress before they return to us in autumn, is founded on the
occurrence of multitudes of males at that season destitute of the garb
in question, and my examination of many for the purpose of determin-
ing their sex and ascertaining that they were old birds. In February
1832, I saw immense flocks of Ruddy Ducks about an hundred miles
up the St John’s in Florida. They would start from the water, as our
schooner advanced under sail, patting it with their feet, so as to make
a curious and rather loud noise, somewhat resembling the fall of hail-
stones on the shingles. Their notes are uttered in a rather low tone
and very closely resemble those of the female Mallard. They afford
good eating when fat and young, and especially when they have been
feeding for some weeks on fresh waters, where their food generally con-
sists of the roots and blades of such grasses as spring from the bottom
of rivers and ponds, as well as of the seeds of many graminee. When
on salt marshes, they eat small univalve shells, fiddlers, and young crabs,
and on the sea-coast, they devour fry of various sorts. Along with .
their food, they swallow great quantities of sand or gravel.
At St Augustine, in Florida, I shot a young bird of this species
immediately under the walls of the fort. Although wounded severely
and with one of its legs broken close to the body, it dived at once
My Newfoundland dog leaped into the water, and on reaching the spot
where the bird had disappeared, dived also, andin a few moments came
up with the poor thing in his mouth. When the dog approached
I observed that the duck had seized his nose with its bill ; and when I
laid hold of it, it tried to bite me also. I have found this species hard
to kill, and when wounded very tenacious of life, swimming and diving
at times to the last gasp.
In the Fauna Boreali-Americana, the tail of the Ruddy Duck is
said to be composed of sixteen feathers, and in Nutratu’s Manual of
twenty ; but the number is eighteen.
Ruppy Duck, Anas rusrpa, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p. 137, pl. 71, fig. 5. male ;
pl. 130, fig. 6. young male.
Furicura rusipa, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p- 390.
FuricvuLa rusipa, Ruppy Duck, Richards. and Swains. Fauna Bor.-Amer. vol. ii
p. 455.
Ruppy Duck, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 426.
RUDDY DUCK. 329
Adult Malein summer. Plate CCCXLIII. Fig. 1.
Bill as long as the head, a little higher than broad at the base, de-
pressed and widened toward the end, which is rounded. Dorsal out-
line straight and declinate to the nostrils, then direct and slightly con-
cave, the sides sloping and concave at the base, broadly convex toward
the end, the edges soft, with about forty short erect lamelle interna:iy
on each side, the unguis linear-oblong, suddenly decurved and directed
backwards, its lower part transversely expanded and serrulate. | Nos-
trils in an oblong depression covered with skin, medial, rather smail,
linear-oblong, pervious. Lower mandible flattened, a little recurved,
its angle very long and narrow, the lamine about a hundred and forty
and extremely small, the unguis oblong.
Head rather large, oblong. Eyes of moderate size. Neck short
and thick. Body full, much depressed. Legs short and placed rather
far behind ; tibia bare for a short space ; tarsus very short, compressed,
with an anterior series of small scutella, an outer short series going to
the fourth toe, the rest reticulated. Hind toe very small, with a free
inferior web; anterior toes very long, slender, the middle toe double
the length of the tarsus, the outer almost as long, the inner consider-
ably shorter, and having a broad lobed margin ; the webs reticulated.
Claws rather small, slender, compressed, slightly arched, acute.
Plumage dense, blended, on the upper parts very soft ; on the fore
part of the head stiffish; on the lower parts with a silky gloss, and
stiff, having the extremities broad, and the barbs strong and pointed.
Wings very short, of moderate breadth, concave, pointed ; primaries
tapering, the first longest, obliquely rounded. ‘Tail short, much gra-
duated, of ezghteen stiff, narrow feathers, of which the shaft is very
strong, and runs out in a flattened concave point.
Bill and edges of eyelids greyish-blue. Iris hazel. Feet dull
greyish-blue ; webs inclining to dusky; claws greyish-brown. Upper
part of the head and nape deep bluish-black, that colour running
to a point about the middle of the neck; a large white patch on each
side of the head, from the bill to behind the ear, narrowed on the
throat. Neck all round, and all the upper parts, as well as the sides
of the rump, rich glossy brownish-red or chestnut; the lower parts
greyish-white, tinged with brown, and marked with transverse inter-
rupted bands of dusky. Wing-coverts, quills, and tail-feathers, black-
ish-brown.
330 RUDDY DUCK.
Length to end of tail 143 inches, to end of wings 123, to end of
claws 15, to carpal joint 71; extent of wings 214; wing from flexure
61; tail 33; bill along the ridge 13, along the edge of lower mandible
12; tarsus 1}; hind toe and claw #; inner toe 14, its claw }; middle
toe 23, its claw 3; outer toe 23, its claw j. Weight 13 lb. Average
measurements of six individuals.
The black on the head of the male is sometimes marked with a few
white feathers.
Adult Female in summer. Plate CCCXLIII. Fig. 2.
The plumage presents the same characters as in the male. ‘The
bill is of a darker greyish-blue ; iris as in the male; feet darker. The
top of the head, and all the upper parts, are dark reddish-brown,
minutely dotted and undulated with dusky ; wings and tail as in the
male ; lower parts duller than in the male, but similarly marked ; the
throat, and a band from the base of the upper mandible to beneath the
eye, brownish- white.
Male one year old. Plate CCCXLIII. Fig. 3.
Bill, eyes, and feet as in the adult. A similar white patch on the
side of the head ; upper part of head and hind neck dull blackish-brown ;
throat and sides of the neck greyish-brown ; lower part of neck, dull
reddish-brown, waved with dusky ; upper parts as in the adult, but of
a duller tint ; lower parts greyish-white.
Young in December. Plate CCCXLIII. Fig. 4.
Bill dusky ; iris hazel; feet yellowish-green, webs dusky. All the
upper parts dull reddish-brown tinged with grey, and barred with
dusky ; wings and tail dark greyish-brown. Cheeks, fore part and sides
of neck, and all the lower parts, dull yellowish-white, undulated with
dusky ; as is the rump above ; the lower tail-coverts white.
The tongue of a male is 1 inch 8 twelfths long, and of the same
general form as that of the Fuligule, but a little more dilated at the
end. ‘The cesophagus is } inch in diameter until its entrance into the
thorax, when it contracts, and again expands to 6 twelfths, to form the
proventriculus, of which the glandules are oblong, small, and very nu-
merous, occupying a space of 2} inches in length, The stomach is a
RUDDY DUCK. 331
strong gizzard, of a roundish form, 1 inch 5 twelfths long, 14 inch
broad ; its lateral muscles very large, and about 8 twelfths thick; the
epithelium confined to two round spaces 4 inch in diameter, opposite
the lateral muscles. The intestine is 5 feet 14 inch long, its diameter
varying from 5 twelfths to 34 twelfths. The rectum is 2 inches 10
twelfths long ; the coeca 4 inches 2 twelfths, their greatest diameter 24
twelfths.
In another male, the cesophagus is 74 inches long; the stomach 1
inch 5 twelfths long, 1 inch 6 twelfths broad ; the intestine 5 feet 11
inches long ; the rectum 2? inches ; the cceca 43 inches, their greatest
diameter 23 twelfths.
The trachea is 53 inches long. ‘The thyroid bone is comparatively
large, forming an expansion 7 twelfths long, 5 twelfths broad. At
_ its upper part the trachea has a diameter of 3 twelfths, about the
middle enlarges to 4 twelfths, and so continues nearly to the end,
when it contracts to 2 twelfths. The last ring is very large, being
formed of five or six united rings, of which the last two or three are
split ; but there is no expansion or tympanum as in other ducks.
The muscles are as in the other species of this family. The bronchi
are of moderate length, with about 15 half rings.
( 332 )
LONG-LEGGED SANDPIPER.
TrinGéA HimaAnTopPts, Bonap.
PLATE CCCXLIV.
I nave often spoken of the great differences as to size and colour
that are observed in birds of the same species, and which have fre-
quently given rise to mistakes, insomuch that the male, the female,
and the young, have been considered as so many distinct species. ‘The
Long-legged Sandpiper has been treated in this manner, and _ has lat-
terly reappeared under the name of 7’ringa Douglassii, in the Fauna
Boreali-Americana of my friends RrcHarpson and Swainson. Bona-
FARTE was, in truth, the first who described this bird; and although
some differences might be found between his specimen and the one de-
scribed in the work just mentioned, they are trifling compared with
those which I have observed between seven or eight individuals all
procured from the same flock ata single shot. It is strange that
neither Bonararre nor Swainson have mentioned the sex of their
specimen.
On the morning of the 4th of April 1837, while seated among the
drift wood that had accumulated on the southern shore of: the island of
Barataria, forty miles from the south-west pass of the Mississippi, and
occupied in observing some Pelicans, I saw a flock of about thirty
Long-legged Sandpipers alight within ten steps of me, near the wa-
ter. They immediately scattered, following the margin of the retir-
ing and advancing waves, in search of food, which I could see them
procure by probing the wet sand in the manner of Curlews, that is, to
the full length of their bill, holding it for a short time in the sand, as
if engaged in sucking up what they found. In this way they continued
feeding on an extended line of shore of about thirty yards, and it was
pleasing to see the alacrity with which they simultaneously advanced
and retreated, according to the motions of the water. In about three
quarters of an hour, during all which time I had watched them with
attention, they removed a few yards beyond the highest wash of the
waves, huddled close together, and began to plume and cleanse them-
selves. All of a sudden they ceased their occupation, stood still, and
LONG-LEGGED SANDPIPER. 333
several of them emitted a sharp teweet-tweet, somewhat resembling the
notes of Totanus solitarius ; immediately after which seven birds of
the same species passed close to me, and alighted near those which I
had already watched. They at once began to feed, and as I thought
that the first flock might join them, and that I might lose the oppor-
tunity of procuring specimens, in sufficient number, IJ fired and killed
eleven. ‘The rest flew off, and were joined by the second group, the
whole flying to windward in a compact body, and emitting every now
and then their sharp teeet, tweet, until out of sight and hearing.
My son Joun obtained several of these birds on the same island
while they were feeding on the margins of a fresh-water pond ; and we
saw them on almost every island and bay on our way to the Texas,
where we also procured some on Galveston Island.
The flight of these Sandpipers is rapid and regular. They move com-
pactly, and often when about to alight, or after being disturbed, in-
cline their bodies to either side, shewing alternately the upper and lower
parts. On foot they move more like Curlews than Tringas, they be-
ing as it were more sedate in their deportment. At times, on the ap-
proach of a person, they squat on the ground, very much in the man-
ner of the Esquimaux Curlew, Vwmenius borealis; and their flesh is as
delicate as that of the species just named. In the stomach of several
individuals I found small worms, minute shell-fish, and vegetable sub-
stances, among which were the hard seeds of plants unknown tome. I
suspect that in summer and autumn they feed on small fruits and
berries, though of this I have no proof.
Among those which we procured, I found the differences in the
colour of the plumage quite as great as in Scolopax noveboracensis, some
of the younger birds being yet in their winter dress, while the older had
already assumed a reddish colour on the cheeks, the top of the head, and
the breast. The females were all larger than the males, and differed from
’ each other not only in the markings of the plumage, but also in the
length of the bill, to the extent of a quarter of an inch, and of the legs,
toa still greater extent. Whether or not this species assumes a uniform
reddish tint in the breeding season, such as is observed in the Pigmy
Curlew, Tringa subarquata, 1 am unable to say, although I am much
inclined to think that it does.
Their passage through the United States is very rapid, both in
334 LONG-LEGGED SANDPIPER.
spring and autumn, Some few spend the winter ;in Lower Louisiana,
but nearly all proceed southward beyond the Texas.
Trinca Himantorus, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 316.
Trinea Dovctassit, Swainson, Doveras’s SanpDpPiPER, Richards. and Swains. Fauna
Bor.-Amer. vol. ii. 379.
Trinca HimanTopus, SLENDER-SHANKS SanpDpiIPER, Richards. and Swains. Fauna
Bor.-Amer. vol. ti. 380
Lone-LEGGED SanpPIPER, AUDUBON’s STILT SANDPIPER, and Douetass’ STILT
SanprireEr, Vutiall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 138, 140, 141.
Male in Spring, Plate CCCXLIV. Fig. 1.
Bill much longer than the head, very slender, subcylindrical, very
slightly decurved, compressed at the base, the end rather depressed,
considerably enlarged. Upper mandible with the dorsal line almost
straight, being very slightly decurved towards the end, the ridge nar-
row, convex, flattened towards the tip, the sides sloping, with a nar-
row groove extending nearly to the end, the edges rather blunt and
soft, the tip decurved. Nostrils basal, linear, pervious. Lower man-
dible with the angle long and very narrow, the dorsal line straight, to-
wards the end slightly deflected, the sides sloping outwards, with along
narrow groove, the tip a little broader.
Head small, oblong, compressed. Eyes small. Neck rather long.
Body slender. Feet long, very slender; tibia bare for an inch; tar-
sus long, slender, compressed, covered before and behind with nume-
rous small scutella ; hind toe very small, the rest of moderate length,
slender, the second very slightly longer than the fourth, the third very
little longer ; short basal webs, running out along the margins, that
between the third and fourth toes larger. Claws rather long, very
slender, slightly arched, tapering, compressed.
Plumage very soft, blended; the feathers somewhat distinct on
the back. “Wings very long, pointed; primaries tapering, the first
longest, the second slightly shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ; outer
secondaries slightly incurved, obliquely sinuate on the outer web to-
wards the end, the inner web rounded ; inner secondaries very narrow,
tapering, reaching to three-fourths of an inch of the longest primary
when the wing is closed. ‘ail of moderate length, nearly even, but
with the two middle feathers exceeding the rest by two and a half
twelfths of an inch, of twelve narrow, rounded feathers.
LONG-LEGGED SANDPIPER. 335
Bill black. Iris brown. Feet dull yellowish-green, claws black.
The upper parts are brownish-black, the feathers margined with red-
dish-white, the edges of the scapulars with serriform markings of the
same; rump and upper tail-coverts white, transversely barred with
dusky ; tail light grey, the feathers white at the base and along the
middle. Primary quills and their coverts brownish-black, the inner
tinged with grey, the shaft of the outer primary white, secondaries
brownish-grey, margined with reddish-white, the inner dusky. A broad
whitish line over the eye ; loral band dusky ; auriculars pale brownish-
red; fore part and sides of neck, greyish-white, tinged with red, and
longitudinally streaked with dusky ; the rest of the lower parts pale
reddish-brown, transversely barred with dusky ; the middle of the breast
and the abdomen without markings. Dimensions of five individuals.
Length to end of tail, 82 81 B 8 7
Bee pig ch? © (oe Se wings, 91 83 81 83 83
PP etic tgp + oppo claws, Td, 108. 0 103 103
Extent of wings, 162 16 Lage) Lape 6
Weight of an individual, 22 oz.
Female. Plate CCCXLIV. Fig. 2.
The female is considerably larger, but otherwise resembles the
male. Dimensions of five individuals.
Length to end of tail, ; 103 +11 93 103 84
ee wings, 11 102 118 113. = 103
= See ee claws, ’ 1383 123 114 122 113
Extent of wings, : 18 163 16% PGA sulif2
Weight of two en 4 oz., 34 oz.
The winter plumage differs considerably ; the bill, iris, and feet, are
as above. ‘The upper parts are brownish-grey, the head narrowly
streaked with dusky ; the rump as in summer; the seapulars plainly
margined with whitish; the quills as in summer. The band over the
eye lighter, the loral space grey; the fore part and sides of the neck
greyish-white, longitudinally streaked with grey, the sides similar, and
with the lower tail-coverts barred with grey, the rest of the lower parts
white.
Length to end of tail in a male 9 inches ; extent of wings 164; wing
336 LONG-LEGGED SANDPIPER.
from flexure 5}; tail 277; bill along the ridge 1,4, along the edge of
lower mandible 144; bare part of tibia 1; tarsus 134; hind toe and
claw #4; middle toe #2, its claw ?4.
The roof of the mouth is flat, with three rows of papilla. The
tongue is 1 inch 5 twelfths long, emarginate and papillate at the base,
very slender, concave above, tapering to a point. The cesophagus is
4 inches long, very narrow, its diameter 2 twelfths. The proventri-
culus is oblong, 7 twelfths in length, 33 twelfths in diameter. The
stomach is a strong gizzard of a roundish form, compressed, 8 twelfths
long, 73 twelfths broad ; its lateral muscles large, its epithelium very
dense, thick, longitudinally rugous, and of a reddish-brown colour.
The intestine is 123 inches long, its anterior part 23 twelfths in diame-
ter, the hind part 13 twelfth. The rectum is 14 inch long; the ceeca
11 twelfths long, 1 twelfth in diameter, obtuse.
The trachea is 3 inches long, ‘slender, its diameter at the upper
part 1% twelfths, gradually diminishing to the lower part, where it is
1 twelfth. The rings, about 110 in number, are slender and unossi-
fied, the two last divided. The bronchi have about 15 halfrings. The
contractor muscles are thin, the sterno-tracheal slender ; and there is a
pair of inferior laryngeal muscles going to the first bronchial rings.
In another individual, the intestine was 13} inches long, the rec-
tum 14 inch, the cceca 1 inch.
The contents of the gizzard in both were fragments of shells, small
black seeds, and much sand and gravel.
( 387 )
AMERICAN WIDGEON.
AnAés AMERICANA, GMEL.
PLATE CCCXLV. Mate anp FEMALE.
Tuts lively and very handsome Duck is abundant during winter at
New Orleans, where it is much esteemed on account of the juiciness of
its flesh, and is best known by the name of Zinzin. In the Western
Country, and in most parts of the Eastern and Middle States, it is
called the Bald Pate. Early in September it enters the United States
by their northern extremities, as well as from the Texas; and in both
these regions it is now well known to breed in nearly equal numbers.
Those which retreat south-westward remain along the coast and in the
interior of the Floridas, as well as all that portion of the Gulf of
Mexico extending to the mouths of the Mississippi, where they remain
until the latter part of April, sometimes even until the middle of May,
as they have but a comparatively short journey to perform in order to
arrive in Mexico in time to breed. On the coast of the Atlantic they
keep in the marshes in company with various species of the same family,
being in a manner indifferent as to their associates. During early
spring, in Louisiana, they are often seen alighted on extensive plains
that have very little water on them.
While advancing along the shores of the Bay of Mexico, in April
1837, I and my party observed this species in considerable numbers :
and during the whole of our stay in the Texas, we daily saw and very
frequently procured Widgeons. There they were found in ponds of
brackish water, as well as in the fresh-water streams. Before we left
that country they were all paired, and I was informed by the Honour-
able M. Fisuer, Secretary to the Texian Navy, that a good number of
them breed in the maritime districts, along with several other Ducks,
and that he annually received many of the young birds. Their man-
ners at this time fully proved the correctness of the statements of all
those who spoke to me on this subject. Indeed my opinion is that
some of these birds also propagate in certain portions of the most south-
ern districts of the Floridas, and in the Island of Cuba, as I have seen
Widgeons in the peninsula in single pairs, in the beginning of May.
VOL. IV. ¥
338 AMERICAN WIDGEON.
Their retrograde movements in spring, like those of other species,
depend much upon the temperature or the advance of the season; and
those which proceed northward set out on their journey much earlier
than those which move in the opposite direction, the former departing
from the middle of March to the 20th of April. ‘Their first appearance
on the waters of the Ohio takes place late in September or early in
October, when they at once throw themselves into the ponds of the in-
terior, and there remain until the waters are closed by ice, scarcely any
betaking themselves to the rivers, unless to repose on the sand-bars.
They are there, however, less abundant than nearer the sea-coast, and
usually associate with Pintails and ‘Teals, but rarely with Mallards or
Dusky Ducks. Whilst in those retired ponds of the forest, from one
to another of which they roam in quest of food, they are less noisy
than most other species, even than the Pintails, and in this respect
resemble the Blue-winged Teals, whose notes are feeble and delicate.
Those of the Widgeon are a soft whistle somewhat similar to the word
Sweet, enunciated as if produced by a flute or a hautboy, and in my
judgment not at all like the hew hew spoken off by Wirson. They are
less shy in those retired places than most species, or are to appearance
less aware of the danger of allowing the sportsman to approach them.
In feeding they immerse their neck and the anterior part of the
body, generally swimming closer together than other Ducks, in conse-
quence of which habits they are easily neared and often shot in great
numbers at a single discharge. During their stay in those districts
they feed on the roots and seeds of grasses, water-insects, beech-nuts,
small fry, and leeches, and are not so delicate as an article of food
as those procured in the rice-fields of South Carolina, or in the plan-
tations of Louisiana and Florida. On their return in spring (for in
mild winters they remain all the season in Kentucky), they generally
continue until the end of April, and usually pair before they depart ;
which induces me to believe that numbers of them breed within the
northern limits of the United States, although I have not heard of any
having actually been seen doing so.
On the lakes near New Orleans, as well as on the Chesapeake, they
are not unfrequently found in company with the Canvass-back Ducks.
Witson mentions their being partially supplied with food by the in-
dustry of the latter ; but they manage very well in most parts without
such assistance. When in fuli security, the Bald-pates feed at all
eS
c=
a A ie a Na a
AMERICAN WIDGEON. 339
hours of the day; but in thickly inhabited parts of the country, they
usually seek for food at night or early in the morning.
The flight of this species is rather swift, well sustained, and accom-
panied by the whistling sound of the wings usual in birds of this family.
They move in flocks of moderate size, and without much care as to the
disposition of their ranks, being sometimes extended into a front line,
sometimes in single file, frequently mingled confusedly, and flying at a
moderate height, whether over the land or over the water. When
they are first started, they fly almost perpendicularly, in a hurried and.
rather irregular manner. They walk prettily and with ease. After
heavy falls of rain in our Southern States, they often alight in the corn
fields, in company with other Ducks, where the ploughed earth, being
quite moist and soft, yields them an abundant supply of worms and in-
sects, as well as grains of corn, pease, and other equally nutritious
substances.
Dr Ricwarpson informs us that this species breeds in the woody
districts of the Fur Countries, up to their most northern limits, in lati-
tude 80°; and Dr Townsenp states that it is abundant on the Co-
lumbia River; but he has not furnished me with any account of its
breeding, and I have not had an opportunity of observing it during the
season of propagation, as I left the Texas without having found a nest
or young.
Anas Americana, Gmel. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 526—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. 11. p. 861.
—Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 384.
American WincGEon, Anas Americana, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p. 86, pl. 69,
fig. 4.
Mareca AmEricana, Stephens, AMERICAN WipGEON, Richards. and Swains. Fauna
Boreali-Americana, vol. ii. p. 445.
American WipeEon, Wuitall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 389.
Adult Male. Plate CCCXLV. Fig. 1.
Bill nearly as long as the head, deeper than broad at the base, de-
pressed towards the end, the sides nearly parallel, the tip rounded.
Upper mandible with the frontal angles short and obtuse, the dorsal
line at first sloping, then concave, at the end decurved, the ridge broad
and flat at the base, then broadly convex, the edges soft, with about
fifty-five internal lamellae, the unguis obovate, curved abruptly at the
end. Nostrils sub-basal, lateral, near the ridge, oblong, pervious.
340 AMERICAN WIDGEON.
Lower mandible flattened, its angle very long and rather narrow, the
dorsal line very short, slightly convex, the edges soft, with about se-
venty lamellz.
Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Neck rather long,
slender. Body elongated and slightly depressed. Feet very short ;
tibia bare for about a quarter of an inch; tarsus very short, compressed,
anteriorly with two series of scutella, the outer shorter, the rest co-
vered with reticulated angular scales ; toes obliquely scutellate above ;
first very small, free, with a narrow membrane beneath ; third longest,
fourth considerably shorter, second shorter than fourth ; their connect-
ing webs entire, on the edge crenate ; the second or inner toe with a
membranous margin. Claws small, slightly arched, compressed, rather
acute ; the hind one very small and more curved, that of the middle
toe curved outwards, and having the inner edge dilated.
Plumage dense, soft, blended. Feathers of the head and upper
neck oblong, small, those along the crown and occiput longer ; of the
lower parts ovate, glossy, with the extremities of the filaments stiffish.
Wings rather long, little curved, narrow, pointed ; the first quill longest,
the next scarcely shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ; secondaries very
short, broad, obliquely rounded ; the inner elongated and tapering ; the
tips of the filaments of the outer web of the first primary are separated
and curved a little outwards. Tail short, rounded and pointed, of six-
teen feathers, of which the middle pair are more pointed and project
considerably.
Bill light greyish-blue, with the extremity including the unguis,
and a portion of the margins, black. Iris hazel. Feet light bluish-
grey, the webs darker, the claws dusky. The upper part of the head
is white, more or less mottled with dusky on its sides ; the loral space
and cheeks reddish-white, dotted with greenish-black; a broad band
‘from the eye to behind the occiput deep green. The lower part of the
hind neck, the scapulars, and the fore part of the back, are minutely
transversely undulated with brownish-black and light brownish-red ;
the hind part similarly undulated with blackish-brown and greyish-
white. The smaller wing-coverts are brownish-grey; the primary
quills and coverts dark greyish-brown ; the secondary coverts white,
tipped with black. The speculum is duck-green anteriorly, bounded
by the black tips of the secondary coverts, black behind, internally
black with white streaks, the inner elongated secondaries having their
a ee a
—<—
AMERICAN WIDGEON. 341
outer webs black, margined with white, their inner webs brownish-
grey. The tail-feathers are light brownish-grey. The throat is brown-
ish-black ; the lower part of the neck in front, and the fore part of the
breast, light brownish-red ; the breast, belly, and sides of the rump,
white ; the sides of the body finely undulated with white and dusky ;
the rump beneath and the lower tail-coverts black.
Length to end of tail 203 inches, to end of claws 21; extent of
wings 344; bill to frontal processes 175, along the edge of lower man-
dible 144; wing from flexure 11; tail 44; tarsus 174; hind toe ;‘, its
claw 24, middle toe 1;4, its claw #4. Weight 1 lb. 14 oz.
Adult Female. Plate CCCXLV. Fig. 2.
The female is considerably smaller. The bill, feet, and iris are
coloured as in the male. The head and upper part of the neck all round,
are white or reddish-white, longitudinally streaked with brownish-
black, the top of the head transversely barred ; the lower part of the
neck in front and behind, the fore part of the back, and the scapulars,
"are blackish- brown, the feathers broadly margined with brownish-red,
and barred with the same, the bars on the back narrow; the hind part
of the back dusky; the upper tail-coverts barred with white. The
wings are greyish-brown; the secondary coverts tipped with white ;
the secondary quills are brownish-black, the inner greyish-brown, all
margined with white. The tail-feathers are greyish-brown, margined
with white. Ail the lower parts are white, excepting the feathers of
the sides, and under the tail, which are broadly barred with dusky and
light reddish-brown.
Length to end of tail 18 inches, to end of claws 194; extent of
wings 30; bill along the ridge 14%; wing from flexure 9,5 ; tail 3,4 ;
tarsus 14%; middle toe 1,%, its claw 74. Weight 1 lb. 5 oz.
A very great diversity of colouring exists in this species, which,
however, is not yet properly understood. Although males are often
found as described above, and as represented in the plate, others have
a very different appearance. Thus, an individual shot at the mouth
of the Mississippi, in the beginning of April 1837, has the head and
neck brownish-orange, the feathers ail minutely tipped with dark green,
the lower fore neck lilac; all the upper parts finely undulated with
white and dusky, as are the sides; the wing-coverts light brownish-
342 AMERICAN WIDGEON.
grey ; the other parts as described above, but the upper tail-coverts
black at the end. In some individuals the top of the head is reddish-
white, in others light red, in others pure white; in some, most of the
smaller wing-coverts are white, in others grey or brownish-grey; in
some the throat is whitish, in others black. These differences, no
doubt, depend upon age and season.
The American Widgeon has been considered distinct from the
European ; not on account of any difference in size or form, or texture
of plumage, but because it has in certain stages a green band on the
side of the head, which the European bird is said not to have. The
mirror is the same in both; the wing-coverts are white or grey in both ;
the crown is white, or cream-coloured, or orange-brown, in both; but
in the European the head and neck are described as reddish-chestnut,
and in the American as yellowish-white. Now, in fact, American birds
sometimes have the head and neck red, and European Birds sometimes
have the green streak on the side of the head. In short, on comparing
specimens from America, with others from India and Norway, I can-
not perceive any essential difference. At the same time, not having
traced our Widgeon through all its gradations, and being equally un-
acquainted with all those of the European and Asiatic Widgeon, I can-
not positively affirm that Anas Americana is identical with Anas Pe-
nelope.
A male preserved in spirits presents the following characters.
The roof of the mouth is deeply concave, with a median prominent
line, and numerous irregular small tubercles on the sides, with several
larger ones at the fore part. Two large branches of the supra-maxillary
nerve run in thisridge, as in otherducks. The tongue is 1 inch 5 twelfths
long, with numerous straight, pointed papillae at the base, a median
longitudinal groove, and a thin broadly rounded point. The eesopha-
gus, a bcd, is 10 inches long, narrow, dilating a little on the lower
part of the neck, where its diameter is 4 inch. The proventriculus,
bc, is 8 twelfths broad; its glands oblong, 2 twelfths in length, and
occupying a belt 1 inch 4 twelfths in breadth. The gizzard, e fg, is
extremely large, of a nearly regular elliptical form, placed obliquely,
its length 1 inch 8 twelfths, its breadth 24 inches ; its lateral muscles
extremely large, the left, ¢, 1 inch 2 twelfths in thickness, the other, 7,
1 inch and 1 twelfth ; the inferior muscle, g, only 1 twelfth. In the
was
AMERICAN WIDGEON.
a
344 AMERICAN WIDGEON.
cesophagus are contained slender leaves of grasses ; in the gizzard some
of these leaves and other vegetable matters, small seeds, and a great
quantity of sand. The cuticular lining or epithelium is dense, slightly
rugous, much thickened on the spaces opposite the middle of the la-
teral muscles. The duodenum, g / 7, is 54 inches in its first curve, g A,
and is then reflected for 7 inches, passes backwards under the kidneys
and forms several convolutions. The intestine, gh ijk J, is 6 feet 2
inches long, 3 inch in diameter in its duodenal portion, gradually con-
tracts to 4 twelfths at the distance of 18 inches from the pylorus, again
enlarges to 5 twelfths, and near the rectum to 7 twelfths. The rec-
tum is 43 inches long; the cceca 9 inches, their diameter for nearly 2
inches being 2 twelfths, after which they are enlarged, their greatest
diameter being 4 twelfths. The liver is large, the right lobe being 33
inches long, the left 24.
The trachea, m, is 74 inches long, of moderate diameter, the rings
roundish and ossified, about 140 in number, its breadth at the top 44
twelfths, gradually diminishing to 3 twelfths. At the lower part seve-
ral of the rings are united so as to form an irregular dilatation, bulg-
ing out into a rounded sac, m, on the left side, its greatest diameter
being 10 twelfths. The bronchi are of moderate length, wide, with
about 25 half rings. The contractor muscles are rather strong; and
besides the sterno-tracheals, 0, p, there is a pair of cleido-tracheals.
In a female, the gizzard is 2 inches in its greatest diameter ; the
intestine is 5 feet 2 inches long. The contents of the cesophagus and
stomach as in the male.
.
:
5
*
( 3845 )
BLACK-THROATED DIVER.
*CoLymMBus ArcTicus, LINN.
PLATE CCCXLVI. Mate, Femae, anp Youne.
One of the most remarkable circumstances relative to this beauti-
ful bird, which is intermediate between the Red-throated Diver and
the Loon, is the extraordinary extent to which the wanderings of the
young are carried in autumn and winter. It breeds in the remote re-
gions of the north, from which many of the old birds, it would seem,
do not remove far, while the young, as soon as they are able to travel,
take to wing and disperse, spreading not only over the greater part of
the United States, but beyond their south-western limits. In the
Texas I saw individuals of this species as late as the middle of April
1837 ; and I find it enumerated in a list of the birds observed by my
young friend Dr J. K. Townsend on the Columbia River, where he
also met with Oolymbus glacialis. Its ramblings over a considerable
portion of northern and eastern Europe have equally been noted, and
it has been found breeding in the extreme north of Scotland.
For many years I knew the young of this bird only by the name
“ Imber Diver,” applied by Bewicx to that of another species, and
now have pleasure in looking upon a drawing of mine, made about
thirty years ago, with that appellation attached to it. Very few old
birds in full plumage have been procured within the limits of the United
States, and none in as far as I know, farther south than the Capes of
Delaware.
No sooner has the foliage of the trees that border our western wa-
ters begun to drop and float on the gentle current of the fair Ohio, than
the Black-throated Diver makes its appearance there, moving slowly
with the stream. The Mississippi, Missouri, and their tributaries, are
at the same period supplied with these birds. Along our eastern and
southern shores they are seen from the end of autumn until spring.
Whilst in Labrador, I saw a few pairs courting on wing, much in
the manner of the Red-throated Diver; but all our exertions failed to
procure any of the nests, which I therefore think must have been placed
farther inland than those of the Loon or Red-throated Diver. I ob-
346 BLACK-THROATED DIVER.
served however, that in their generai habits they greatly resemble those
species, for on alighting on the water, they at once immerse their bills,
as if for the purpose of ascertaining whether it yields a supply of suit-
able food, and afterwards raise themselves and beat their wings.
This species has almost as powerful a flight as the Great Northern
Diver or Loon, and I think shoots through the air with even greater
velocity. When flying it moves its wings rapidly and continuously,
and has the neck and feet stretched out to their full length. I well re-
collect that while I was standing near the shore of a large inlet in
South Carolina, one of these birds, being shot while passing over my
head at full speed, did not, on account of the impetus, reach the ground
until upwards of twenty yards beyond me. They are equally expert
at diving, and fully as much so in eluding the pursuit of their enemies
when wounded. I saw my friend Mr Harris bring down one from on
wing, on which Naroteon Coste, and Wittiam Taytor, Captains of
the Revenue Cutter and Tender of which we had the use, paddled in
pursuit of it in a light canoe; but, although they advanced with all
the address of Indians, they proved unsuccessful, for after following it
both in the Bay of Cayo Island, and in the Bay of Mexico, for nearly
an hour, they were obliged to return without it, having found it appa-
rently not in the least fatigued, although it had dived sufficiently often
to travel above two miles, shifting its course at each immersion. It is
curious to observe how carefully these birds avoid the danger of sud-
den storms or heavy gales. On such occasions, I have seen Divers at
once seek the lee of rocks, islands, or artificial embankments, where
they could not only remain in security, but also procure their accus-
tomed food. At other times, when striving against the tempest, they
dive headlong from on wing, and are sure to reappear in the smooth
parts which sailors term the trough.
I once caught one of these birds on the Ohio, it having been inca-
pacitated from diving by having swallowed a large mussel, which stuck
in its throat. It was kept for several days, but refused food of every
kind, exhibited much bad humour, struck with its bill, and died of ina-
nition. The food of this species consists of fish, aquatic reptiles, tes-
taceous mollusca, and all sorts of small crustaceous animals. Its flesh
resembles that of the Loon, and is equally unfit to be eaten.
The eggs, which are sometimes two, more frequently three, ave-
rage three inches in length, by two in their greatest breadth, which
BLACK-THROATED DIVER. 347
is about a third of the whole length distant from the extremity. Their
form is that of the Red-throated Diver, which however they exceed
in size. he shell is rather thick, the surface roughish, the ground
colour chocolate tinged with olive, sparingly spotted at the larger end
with very dark umber and black, and sprinkled all over with very small
dots of the same colour.
I have represented an adult male, a female, and a young bird.
CotymsBus arcticus, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 221.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii.
p- 800.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 420.
Cotymesus arcricus, BLack-THROATED Diver, Richards. and Swains. Fauna Bore-
ali- Americana, vol. ii. p. 475.
BLack-THROATED Diver, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii.
Adult Male. Plate CCCXLVI. Fig. 1.
Bill as long as the head, straight, stout, higher than broad at the
base, much compressed toward the end, and tapering to a point. Up-
per mandible with the dorsal line descending and considerably convex
toward the end, the ridge convex, narrowed toward the point, the sides
convex beyond the nostrils, the edges involute for half their length in
the middle, direct at the base and toward the end, the tip narrow and
sharpish. Nasal groove rather long and narrowed; nostrils sub-basal,
linear, direct, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle extremely
narrow, and very long, the dorsal line ascending and very slightly con-
vex, the ridge convex and narrow, the edges sharp and involute, the
tip attenuated.
Head of moderate size, oblong, narrowed before. Neck rather long
and thick. Eyes of moderate size. Body elongated, much depressed,
of an elliptical form viewed from above. Wings small. Feet short,
rather large, placed very far back; tibia almost entirely concealed ;
tarsus short, exceedingly compressed, sharp-edged before and behind,
covered all over with reticulated angular scales, hind toe extremely
small, externally marginate, connected with the second for half its length
by a membrane, which extends, narrowing, to the end; the anterior toes
connected by articulated membranes, the fourth or outer longest, the
third a little shorter, the second considerably shorter than the third ;
all covered above with numerous narrow scutella ; the second toe with
a free two-lobed membrane, the claws very small, depressed, blunt.
348 BLACK-THROATED DIVER.
Plumage short and dense, of the head and neck very short, soft
and blended; of the lower parts short, blended, stiffish, considerably
glossed ; of the upper compact, glossy; the feathers on the lower part
of the sides of the neck much incurved, oblong with the terminal barbs
stiff ; those of the fore part of the back and the scapulars straight, ob-
long, abrupt. Wings proportionally very small and narrow, curved ;
primaries strong, tapering, the first longest, the second slightly shorter,
the rest rapidly graduated ; secondaries very short, broad, and rounded.
Tail extremely short, rounded, of eighteen feathers.
Bill black. Iris deep bright red. Feet greyish-blue, their imner
sides tinged with yellow; claws black, that of the inner toe yellowish at
the base. The upper part of the head and the hind neck are light grey
or hoary, the fore part and sides of the head darker. The upper parts
are glossy black tinged with green anteriorly, and shaded with brown
behind. On the fore part of the back are two longitudinal bands of
transverse white bars, the feathers being tipped with that colour; the
scapulars, excepting the outer, are marked in the same manner with
transverse rows of rather large square spots. Most of the wing-coverts
have two roundish spots of white near the end. The quills are black-
ish-brown, tinged with grey externally, paler on the inner webs; the
tail also blackish-brown. The fore neck, to the length of six and a
half inches, is purplish-black, ending angularly below, and with a trans-
verse interrupted band of linear white spots near the upper part; be-
yond which the sides of the neck are blackish-brown, with several lon-
gitudinal white streaks, formed by the edges of the feathers; on the
lower part of the neck a broad space is occupied by these longitudinal,
dusky, and white streaks the former of which gradually become nar-
rower. The lower parts are pure white, excepting a longitudinal band
on the sides under the wing, which is dusky.
Length to end of tail 29 inches, to end of wings 273, to end of claws
33; extent of wings 394 ;wing from flexure 123; tail 23; bill along the
ridge 254, along the edge of lower mandible 34, ; tarsus 3;'7; hind toe
zz, its claw 3%; second toe 3;%, its claw 71; third toe 3;%, its claw
54; fourth toe 44, its claw #4.
Adult Female. Plate CCCXLVI. Fig. 2.
The Female is smaller than the male, but is similarly coloured.
it Heerlen vo
BLACK-THROATED DIVER. 349
Young in Winter. Plate CCCXLVI. Fig. 3.
The texture of the plumage is less dense, the feathers on the neck
being more downy, and those of the back oblong and rounded. The
bill is light bluish-grey, dusky along the ridge; the iris brown; the
feet more dusky. The upper part of the head and the hind neck are
dark greyish-brown ; the sides of the head greyish-white, minutely
streaked with brown. The upper parts have a reticulated or scaly
appearance, the feathers being brownish-black, with broad bluish-grey
margins; the rump dull brownish-grey. The primaries and their co-
verts are brownish-black, the secondaries and tail-feathers dusky, mar-
gined with grey. ‘The fore part of the neck is greyish-white, mi-
nutely and faintly dotted with brown, its sides below streaked with the
same ; the lower parts, including the under surface of the wing, pure
white ; the sides of the body and rump, with part of the lower tail-co-
verts, dusky, edged with bluish-grey.
When in their first downy plumage, the young are of a uniform
brownish-black colour.
( 350 )
SMEW OR WHITE NUN.
MerGus ALBELLUSs, Linn.
PLATE CCCXLVII. Mate anp Femate.
‘The Smew is a bird of extremely rare occurrence in the United
States, insomuch that it must be considered merely as a transient or
accidental visitor. Indeed I have felt strong misgivings on reading
Witson’s article on this species, and cannot but think that he is mis-
taken when he states that it “is much more common on the coast of
New England than farther soutb,” and again “ In the ponds of New
England, and some of the lakes in the State of New York, where the
Smew is frequently observed—.” Now, although I have made di-
ligent inquiry, not only in New England, but in every part of our coun-
try where I thought it likely that the Smew might occur, I have not
met with any person well acquainted with birds of this family, who has
seen it. Whutson, in short, was in all probability misinformed, and it
is my opinion that his figure was made from a stuffed European speci-
men which was then in Peale’s Museum in Philadelphia, and that he
had taken the Buffel-headed Duck, seen at a distance, for this species,
as I am aware has been the case with other individuals.
The only specimen procured by me was shot by myself on Lake
Barataria, not far from New Orleans, in the winter of 1819. It was an
adult female in fine plumage. How it had wandered so far south is an
enigma to me ; but having found it, and made a drawing of it on the spot,
I have taken the liberty to add one of the other sex from an equally
fine specimen. After all, the Smew can scarcely be considered as
belonging to the American Fauna, any more than our Fork-tailed Hawk
can with propriety be calied a denizen of England; and in this I am
supported by all the great navigators of our Arctic Seas, such as Ross,
Parry, and Franktin, none of whom, nor any of their companions,
ever met with a single individual of this beautiful bird.
SMEW OR WHITE NUN. 351
Merevus AtBetyus, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 209.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii.
p- 831.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 398.
Smew or WuiteE Nun, Mercus Axusettyus, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p. 126,
pl. 71, fig. 4. Male.
The Smew, or WuitTeE Nun, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 467.
Adult Male. Plate CCCXLVII. Fig. 1.
Bill rather shorter than the head, straight, rather slender, a little
higher than broad at the base, tapering, somewhat cylindrical toward
the end. Upper mandible with the dorsal outline sloping gently and
slightly concave to the middle, then straight, at the tip decurved, the
ridge rather broad and flat at the base, then convex, the sides sloping
at the base, convex toward the end, the edges serrate beneath, with
about forty slightly reversed, compressed, tapering, tooth-like lamelle,
the unguis elliptical, much curved. Nasal groove oblong, sub-basal,
filled by a soft membrane ; nostrils oblong, submedial, direct, pervious.
Lower mandible with the angle very narrow and extended to the obo-
vate, very convex unguis, the sides rounded, with a long groove, the
edges with about sixty perpendicular sharp lamelle.
Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Neck of moderate
length. Body full and depressed. Feet placed far behind, extremely
short ; tibia bare for a quarter of an inch; tarsus extremely short, much
compressed, anteriorly covered with a series of very small scutella,
and another row on the lower half externally, the sides reticulate.
Hind toe very small, with an inferior free membrane; anterior toes
double the length of the tarsus; the second shorter than the fourth,
which is nearly as long as the third; all connected by reticulated webs,
of which the outer is deeply emarginate. Claws short, considerably
curved, compressed, acute, that of the middle toe with a thin inner edge.
Plumage full, soft, and blended; feathers of the head and upper
part of the hind neck very slender, and elongated along the median line
into a narrow decurved crest; those of the shoulders obovate and
abrupt, of the rest of the upper parts ovate, of the lower elliptical.
Wings very short, narrow, curved, and pointed ; primaries narrow, ta-
pering, the first scarcely longer than the second, the rest rapidly gra-
duated ; secondaries short, narrow, rounded, the inner tapering to an
obtuse point. ‘l'ail short, graduated, of sixteen rather narrow, tapering
feathers.
Bill dark greyish-blue. Iris bright red. Feet livid blue, claws dusky.
352 SMEW OR WHITE NUN.
The general colour of the plumage is pure white ; a short band on each
side of the hind neck bordering the crest, duck-green ; a broad patch on
the lore and below the eye, a narrow band across the lower part of the
hind neck, formed by single bars near the tips of the feathers, the mid-
dle of the back in its whole length, a short transverse bar under the
fore edge of the wing, the anterior margin of that organ to beyond the
carpal joint, the outer edges of the scapulars, the primary coverts, the
secondary coverts, and the outer secondary quills, excepting the tips
of both, deep black. The quills are also black, but of a less deep tint ;
the hind part of the back becomes tinged with grey, and the rump and
tail-feathers are dusky grey. The sides of the body and rump are
white, finely undulated with blackish-grey.
Length to end of tail 173 inches, to end of claws 184, to end of
wings 151; extent of wings 27; bill along the ridge 17%, along the
edge of lower mandible 17 ; wing from flexure 73 ; tail 33 ; tarsus 1/4 ;
first toe 4, its claw 3%; second toe 12, its claw 7, third toe 143, its
claw 44; fourth toe 148, its claw 7. Weight 1 lb. 8 oz.
Adult Female. Plate CCCXLVII. Fig. 2.
The Female is much smaller. The feathers of the hind part of the
head and neck are also elongated so as to form a crest. The bill, iris,
and feet, are coloured as in the male. All the lower parts are white,
excepting a broad band of light grey across the middle of the neck,
and a narrow portion of the sides, which are of a deeper tint. There
is a patch of brownish-black on the lore and beneath the eye; the
upper part of the head and half of the hind neck, are light reddish-
brown ; the rest of the hind neck, and all the upper parts, bluish-grey,
darker behind, and in the middle of the back approaching to black.
The wings as in the male, that is black, with a large patch of white,
and two narrow transverse bands of the same ; the tail dusky grey.
Length to end of tail 151 inches, to end of claws 164, to end of
wings 141; extent of wings 25. Weight 1 Ib. 4 oz.
( 358)
GADWALL DUCK.
ANAS STREPERA, LINN.
PLATE CCCXLVIII. Maze anp Femate.
I wave met with this species along the whole of our Atlantic
coast, from Eastport in Maine to Texas. It is, however, more abun-
dant in the interior than in most of our maritime districts, and is
particularly so on the tributaries of the Ohio, Missouri, and Missis-
sippi. In the early part of autumn and late in spring many are found
on the margins of our great lakes. Yet the Gadwall has been repre-
sented as not plentiful in the United States, probably on account of
its being generally dispersed, and not congregated in particular dis-
tricts.
The Creoles of Louisiana name it “ Violon,” on account of the
whistling sound of its wings. It arrives in the neighbourhood of New
Orleans and the mouths of the Mississippi along with the Widgeon,
and is fond of the company of the Red-head, to which it is about equal
as an article of food. The Gadwalls are usually seen in small flocks,
_and during winter resort to the larger lakes and the pools in the inte-
rior of the great marshes, adjoining the waters of the Gulf. In that
part of the country they feed on small fish, insects, and aquatic grasses.
Fewer of them are found in Massachusetts and the State of New York
than elsewhere, and this probably on account of these districts being
more elevated and less marshy than those farther south. My friend
Dr Bacuman informs me that they are rather plentiful in South Caro-
lina, where they are considered good eating, and where they arrive in
the beginning of October, but are more frequently met with at that sea-
son, and in early spring, than during winter, when a single individual
may sometimes be seen in a flock of other ducks.
While we were in the Texas, in the latter part of April and the
beginning of May, we found the Gadwall quite abundant on all the
inland ponds and streams, as well as on the brackish pools and inlets
of the islands and shores of Galveston Bay. Many of them had paired
and separated from the other ducks; and I was assured that this spe-
cies breeds there, as does the Dusky Duck, the Mallard, the Blue-
VOL. IV. Z
354 GADWALL DUCK.
winged Teal, the Widgeon, and the Shoveller, the young of all these
species being plentiful in the end of June and beginning of July. I
was satisfied as to the truth of the repeated assurances I had received
on this subject, by observing the manners of individuals of all these
species before my departure from that country. After a continuance
of rainy weather, Gadwalls are found in great numbers on the vast
prairies of Oppelousas and Attacapas, where I have been told they
continue until very late in spring, and some remain to breed.
This species dives well on occasion, especially on being wounded.
At the appearance of danger, it rises on wing—whether from the ground
or from the water—at a single spring, in the manner of the Mallard,
and, like it also, ascends almost perpendicularly for several yards, after
which it moves off in a direct course with great celerity. I have never
seen it dive on seeing the flash of the gun ; but when approached it al-
ways swims to the opposite part of the pond, and, when the danger in-
creases, flies off. On being wounded, it sometimes by diving makes its
escape among the grass, whereit squats and remains concealed. It walks
with ease, and prettily, often making incursions upon the land, when
the ponds are not surrounded by trees, for the purpose of searching for
food. It nibbles the tender shoots and blades of grasses with apparent
pleasure, and will feed on beech-nuts, acorns, and seeds of all kinds of
graminez, as well as on tadpoles, small fishes, and leeches. After
rain it alights in the corn-fields, like the Mallard, and picks up the
scattered grains of maize. ‘The common notes or cry of the female
have a considerable resemblance to those of the female Mallard; but
the cry of the male is weaker as in that species.
It is by no means shy in the Western Country, where I have often
found it associating with other species, which would leave the pond
before it. Near the sea, however, it is much more wary, and this no
doubt on account of the greater number of persons who there follow
‘shooting as a regular and profitable employment. From the following
note of my friend Dr Bacuman, you may judge how easily this fine
species might be domesticated.
“In the year 1812 I saw in Dutchess County, in the State of New
York, at the house of a miller, a fine flock of ducks, to the number of
at least thirty, which, from their peculiar appearance, struck me as dif-
fering from any I had before seen among the different varieties of the
tame Duck. On inquiry, I was informed that three years before, a
GADWALL DUCK. 355
pair of these ducks had been captured in the mill pond, whether in a trap,
or by being wounded, I cannot recollect. They were kept in the
poultry-yard, and, it was said, were easily tamed. One joint of the
wing was taken off, to prevent their flying away. In the following
spring they were suffered to go into the pond, and they returned daily
to the house to be fed. They built their nest on the edge of the pond,
and reared a large brood. The young were perfectly reconciled to do-
mestication, and made no attempts, even at the migratory season, to
fly away, although their wings were perfect. In the following season
they produced large broods. The family of the miller used them oc-
casionally as food, and considered them equal in flavour to the common
duck, and more easily raised. The old males were more beautiful than
any that I have examined since; and as yet domestication had pro-
duced no variety in their plumage.”
The migration of this species extends to the Fur Countries, where
it is said to breed. ‘The description of a male killed on the Saskatche-
wan River, on the 22d of May 1827, is given in the Fauna Boreali-
Americana; and I have a fine male procured by Dr 'TownsEnp on the
Columbia River.
Anas stREPERA, Linn. Syst. Nat vol. i. p. 200.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 859.—
Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 383.
Gapwa.1L, Anas sTREPERA, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p. 120, pl. 71, fig. 1.—
Richards. and Swains. Fauna Bor.-Amer. vol. ii. p. 440.
Gapwa tt or Grey, Nuttall, Manual, vol. i. p. 383.
Adult Male. Plate CCCXLVIII. Fig. 1.
Bill nearly as long as the head, deeper than broad at the base, de-
pressed towards the end, the sides parallel, the tip rounded. Upper
mandible with the frontal angles short and obtuse, the dorsal line at
first sloping, then slightly concave and direct, the ridge broad and flat
at the base, then broadly convex, the edges soft, with about fifty inter-
nal lamelle, the unguis roundish, curved abruptly at the end. Nostrils
sub-basal, lateral, rather small, oblong, pervious. Lower mandible flat-
tened, its angle very long and narrow, the dorsal line very short, slightly
convex, the edges soft, with about sixty lamelle.
Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Neck rather long,
slender. Body elongated, slightly depressed. Feet very short; tibia
bare for about a quarter of an inch ; tarsus very short, compressed, an-
356 GADWALL DUCK.
teriorly with two series of scutella, the outer shorter, the rest covered
with reticulated angular scales; toes obliquely scutellate above; first
very small, free, with a narrow membrane beneath; third longest,
fourth considerably shorter, second shorter than fourth, their connect-
ing webs entire, on the edge crenate; the second or inner toe with
a membranous margin. Claws small, slightly arched, compressed,
rather acute, the hind one very small and more curved, that of the
middle toe with an inner sharp edge.
Plumage dense, soft, blended. Feathers of the head short, of the
occiput and nape a little elongated, of the lower parts glossy with the
extremities of the filaments stiffish. Wings rather long, little curved,
pointed ; the first quill longest, the rest rapidly graduated; secon-
daries very broad, but pointed, the inner much elongated, and tapering
toa point. The tips of the filaments of the outer web of the first pri-
mary are separated and curved a little forwards. Tail short, rounded,
of sixteen strong pointed feathers, of which the middle pair project
considerably.
Bill bluish-black. Iris reddish hazel. Feet dull orange-yellow,
claws brownish-black, webs dusky. Head light yellowish-red, the up-
per part and nape much darker and barred with dusky ; the rest dotted
with the same. The lower part of the neck, the sides of the body, the
fore part of the back, and the outer scapulars, undulated with dusky,
and yellowish-white, the bands much larger and semicircular on the
fore part of the neck and breast ; the latter white, the abdomen faintly
and minutely undulated with brownish-grey; the elongated scapulars
brownish-grey, broadly margined with brownish-red ; the hind part of
the back brownish-black ; the rump all round, and the upper and lower
tail-coverts, bluish-black. The anterior smaller wing-coverts are light
grey, undulated with dusky, the middle coverts of a deep rich chestnut-
red; primary coverts brownish-grey, outer secondary coverts darker
and tinged with chestnut, the rest black, excepting the inner, which are
grey. Primaries and inner elongated secondaries brownish-grey, of
which colour also are the inner webs of the rest, part of the outer webs
of five of the outer black, and their terminal margins white, of which
colour are the whole outer webs of the three next to the inner elongated
quills. Tail brownish-grey, the feathers margined with paler.
Length to end of tail 213 inches, to end of wings 19, to end of claws
231; extent of wings 35; bill along the ridge 13, along the edge of
lower mandible 1% ; wing from flexure 11; tail 43 ; tarsus 13; hind toe
GADWALL DUCK. 357
and claw 4; second toe 13, its claw 74; third toe 14, its claw 74 ; outer
toe 174, its claw 74. Weight 1 lb. 10 oz.
Adult Female. Plate CCCXLVIII. Fig. 2.
The female is considerably smaller. Bill dusky along the ridge,
dull yellowish-orange on the sides. Iris hazel. Feet of a fainter tint
than in the male. Upper part of head brownish-black, the feathers
edged with light reddish-brown ; a streak over the eye, the cheeks, the
upper part of the neck all round, light yellowish-red tinged with grey,
and marked with small longitudinal dusky streaks, which are fainter
on the throat, that part being greyish-white ; the rest of the neck, the
sides, all the upper parts and the lower rump feathers brownish-black
broadly margined with yellowish-red. Wing-coverts brownish-grey,
edged with paler ; the wing otherwise as in the male, but the speculum
fainter. ‘lail-feathers, and their coverts dusky, laterally obliquely in-
dented with pale brownish-red, and margined with reddish-white.
Length to end of tail 19} inches, to end of wings 1832, to end of
claws 194; extent of wings 31; wing from flexure 8}; tail 33; tarsus
144 ; middle toe 124, its claw +.
In a male, the roof of the mouth is deeply concave, with a promi-
nent median ridge, and oblique grooves toward the end. The tongue
is 1 inch 10 twelfths long, fleshy, with a deep longitudinal groove, two
lateral series of filaments, and a thin broadly rounded tip, as in other
ducks. The cesophagus, a, b, is 103 inches long, 5 twelfths in diame-
ter for about four inches, then enlarged to 10 twelfths, and again con-
tracted as it enters the thorax. The proventriculus, 6 6, is 1 inch and
two twelfths long, its greatest diameter 8 twelfths. The stomach, cde,
is a very large and powerful gizzard, of an elliptical form, compressed,
1 inch and 9 twelfths long, 2 inches in its greatest breadth, or in the
direction of the lateral muscles, of which the right, ¢, is 10 twelfths
thick, the left, d, 9 twelfths. The epithelium is thick and rugous;
much thickened and forming two roundish, flat or slightly concave grind-
ing surfaces, opposite the muscles. The intestine, ¢fg, is 6 feet 10
inches long, wide, its diameter for 2 feet being 43 twelfths, towards the
rectum enlarging to 6 twelfths. It forms first a very long duodenal
curve, ce fg, and is then convoluted or coiled in numerous folds. The
rectum is 54 inches long; the cceca 11 inches, their greatest diameter
358 GADWALL DUCK.
6 twelfths, for 2 inches at the commencement 2 twelkths, towards the
end 22 twelfths, their extremity rounded.
ho,
The trachea, h, is 74 inches long ; its diameter at the upper part 4
twelfths, gradually diminishing to 34 twelfths; it then enlarges to, 5
twelfths, and contracts to 34 twelfths at the commencement of ‘thegdi-
latation of the inferior larynx, which is extremely similar to that of the
Widgeon, but larger ; there being an enlargement, 2, formed by a num-
ber of the lower rings united, and to the left side a rounded bony tympa-
num j; the greatest transverse diameter of this part, from 7 to j, is 1 inch
1 twelfth. The bronchi, & h, are of moderate size, covered with a dense
TA Ga ie et es ace
Vt
layer of adipose matter.
( 359 )
LEAST WATER RAIL.
RALLUS JAMAICENSIS, GMEL.
PLATE CCCXLIX. Mater anp Youne.
My knowledge of this pretty little species is altogether derived
from Titian Prats, Hsq., of Philadelphia, by whom, in October 1836,
I was favoured with the following letter :—
** T herewith send you the ‘ Little Rail’ of which we were speaking
yesterday, and the letter of Dr Rowan which relates to it. The young
died soon after I received them, but the old one lived with me until
the 26th of July (four days after its capture), evincing considerable
anxiety for the young, as long as they lived. Both young and old par-
took sparingly of Indian meal and water, or bread and water, and soon
became quite at home, and probably might have been domesticated,
had they been properly accommodated.
“The most remarkable part of the history of this individual is, that
after its death we should have discovered on dissection that it was a
male, rendering it singularly curious that he should have suffered him-
- self to be captured by hand while in defence of the young brood.
“There is now in the Museum a specimen of this species, which has
been in the collection for about thirty years, said to have been caught
in the vicinity of the city. It stands labelled ‘ Little Rail, Rallus mi-
nutus, Turton’s Linn ; but the authenticity of the specimen has always
been disputed by Bonararre and others, because none else had been
found; and the author just named expressed a belief that it was an
immature specimen of Rallus (Crea) Porzana of Europe.
“TI regret that I should have mislaid the measurements of the
specimen when recent, if any were taken, and cannot lay my hands on
them, or any thing more than the above notes. Respectfully yours, &c.
Titian R. Peat.”
Inclosed in Mr Perate’s letter was the following note from Dr
Rowan “to the Messrs PEAtzEs.”
360 LEAST WATER RAIL.
** On Saturday last I wrote to you of the Rail Bird breeding near
this place. I then described one that I caught last summer, which
was unlike the Rail in the fall season, and I presumed that all in the
wet ground were the same, but this day my men mowing around the
pond started up two of the usual kind. The hen flew a few rods, and
then flew back to her young in an instant, when they caught her to-
gether with her four young, which I herewith send you. Many more
can be caught. I have seen them in our meadow every month of the
year, but they never make a great noise except when very fat on the
wild oat’s seed. From the above you will conclude that they do not
migrate to the south, but breed here. Respectfully,
Tuomas Rowan.”
Ratuivs Jamatcensts, Brisson Sup. p. 140.—Gmel. Syst. Nat. vol. } p- 718.—Lath.
Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 761.
Adult Male. Plate CCCXLIX. Fig. 1.
Bill shorter than the head, rather stout, compressed, tapering.
Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight, being slightly
convex toward the end, the ridge narrow and convex in its whole
length, the sides convex towards the end, the edges sharp, the tip ra-
ther acute. Nasal groove extending to a little beyond the middle of
the bill; nostrils linear, lateral, submedial, pervious. Lower mandi-
ble with the angle long and narrow, the sides erect, the dorsal line
sloping upwards, the edges a little inflected, the tip narrowed, the gape
line straight.
Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck shortish. Body com-
pact, deeper than broad. Feet of moderate length, rather slender ; ti-
bia bare a short way above the joint; tarsus of ordinary length, com-
pressed, anteriorly covered with broad scutella, posteriorly with smaller,
and on the sides reticulated. Hind toe small and very slender ; middle
toe longest, and longer than the tarsus ; inner toe considerably shorter
than the outer ; toes free, with numerous scutella above. Claws of mo-
derate length, compressed, slightly arched, acute.
Plumage blended, slightly glossy above. Wings short and broad;
tapering, rounded, the first and second nearly equal and longest. Tail
very short, much rounded, of twelve feeble rounded feathers ; the up-
per and lower tail-coverts nearly as long as the tail-feathers.
LEAST WATER RAIL. 361
Bill black. Iris red. Feet bright yellowish-green, claws dusky.
The head and all the lower parts are very dark purplish-grey, on the
upper part of the head approaching to black, on the fore part of the
neck faintly undulated with paler, on the sides and hind parts barred
with greyish-white; the lower wing-coverts barred with grey and white ;
the lower tail-coverts of the latter colour. The hind neck and fore
part of the back dark chestnut ; the rest of the back and tail-co-
verts greyish-black, transversely barred with white. Wing-coverts and
inner secondaries reddish-brown, with white spots; the other quills
more dusky. The tail-feathers also reddish-brown, barred with dusky
and marked with white spots.
Length to end of tail 6 inches ; wing from flexure 37; tail 11’; ; bill
along the ridge 4, along the edge of lower mandible ?; bare part of
tibia 4; tarsus 1; hind toe and claw 4; middle toe and claw 1, outer
toe and claw 4; inner toe and claw 3.
Young a few days old. Plate CCCXLIX. Fig. 2.
While yet covered with down, the young is black all over; the bill
bright yellow, with the point of the upper mandible, and a band across
the middle of the lower, black ; the feet dull yellowish-green, the claws
dusky.
Since the above was written, I have received a letter from my
friend J. Trupeav, M. D., in which he says that his father shot a con-
siderable number of these Rails last winter in the vicinity of New
Orleans.
( 362 )
ROCK Y-MOUNTAIN PLOVER.
CHARADRIUS MONTANUS, TOWNSEND.
PLATE CCCL. FeEmate.
For the following brief account of this bird, I am indebted to my
jearned and obliging friend, T'Homas Nutra.
“« This remarkable species, so much allied to the Charadrius Wil-
soni, was scarcely seen by us for more than one or two days, and then
on the central table-land of the Rocky Mountains, in the plains near
the last of the streams of the Platte, pursued in our western and north-
ern route. It being the month of July when we saw it, there is little
doubt but that it was breeding in this subalpine region. The only in-
dividual shot, was seen skulking and running through the wormwood
bushes which so generally clothe those arid and dry wastes. After
running some time, it would remain perfectly still, as if conscious of
the difficulty of distinguishing it from the colour of the grey soil on
which it stood. All that we saw were similar to the present indivi-
dual, and none, however flushed, took to the wing. We do not re-
collect hearing from it the slightest complaint or note of any kind,
being intent probably on concealing its young or eggs by a perfect
silence.”
The skin from which I made my drawing was that of a female ;
and it is my opinion, that the male, when found, will have as distinct
markings as those exhibited by Charadrius melodus or Ch. semipalmatus.
CHARADRIUS MONTANUS, Rocky-MounTAIN Piover. Townsend, Journ. Acad. of
Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, vol. vii. p. 192.
Adult Female. Plate CCCL.
Bill shorter than the head, straight, somewhat cylindrical. Upper
mandible with the dorsal line straight to beyond the middle, then bulg-
ing a little and curving to the rather acute tip, which projects beyond
that of the lower mandible, the sides flat and sloping at the base, con-
vex towards the end. Nasal groove extended to the middle of the bill;
AR eso t 12
ROCKY-MOUNTAIN PLOVER. 363
nostrils basal, linear, open and pervious. Lower mandible with the
angle rather short, the sides at the base sloping outwards; the dorsal
line ascending and slightly convex, the edges sharp, the tip rather acute.
Head of moderate size, oblong, the forehead rounded. Legs rather
long and slender ; tibia bare half an inch above the joint ; tarsus slender,
compressed, covered with angular scales, of which the anterior are
much larger ; toes short, slender, with numerous scutella above, margi-
nate, the outer connected with the middle by a short membrane. Claws
small, compressed, slightly arched, rather acute.
Plumage soft, the feathers rather distinct on the upper parts, blend-
ed on the lower. Wings long and pointed; primary quills tapering,
the first longest by a quarter of an inch, the rest rapidly graduated ;
inner secondaries tapering and elongated, one of them nearly as long
as the outer primary when the wing is closed. Tail of moderate length,
even, of twelve feathers.
Bill black. Feet light dull brownish-yellow. Forehead, a band
over the eye, fore part of neck, and all the rest of the lower surface,
white ; top of the head and nape dark yellowish-brown, sides and hind
part of the neck dull ochre-yellow, which is the prevailing colour on
the upper parts, the feathers being broadly margined with it while their
central portion is greyish-brown. Wing-coverts lighter; primary
coverts and quills dusky, their shafts and margins white, that colour
becoming more extended on the inner and on some of the secondaries,
so as to form a conspicuous patch on the wing; inner secondaries like
the back. Tail yellowish-brown, tipped with yellowish-white, the two
outer broadly margined with the same.
Length to end of tail about 8} inches, to end of wings the same, to
end of claws 91; wing from flexure 63; tail 2}; tarsus 1#; middle
toe 2, claw 4.
( 364 )
GREAT CINEREOUS OWL.
STRIX CINEREA, GMELIN.
PLATE CCCLI.
Tuis finé Owl, which is the largest of the North American species,
is nowhere common with us, although it ranges from the north-eastern
coast of the United States to the sources of the Columbia River. It
has been procured near Eastport in Maine, and at Marble Head in
Massachusetts, where one of them was taken alive, perched on a
wood pile, early in the morning, in February 1831. I went to Salem
for the purpose of seeing it, but it had died, and I could not trace its
remains. The gentleman, Mr Ives, in whose keeping it had been for
several months, fed it on fish and small birds, of which it was very fond.
Besides shewing me various marks of attention, he gave me a drawing
of it made by his wife, which is still in my possession. It uttered at
times a tremulous cry not unlike that of the Little Screech Owl, Strix
Asio, and shewed a great antipathy to cats and dogs. In the winter of
1832, I saw one of these Owls flying over the harbour of Boston, Mas-
sachusetts, amid several Gulls, all of which continued teasing it until
it disappeared. I have seen specimens procured on the Rocky Moun-
tains by Dr TownsEnp, and several brought to London by the medical
officer who accompanied Captain Bacx in his late Arctic journey.
Among the individuals which I have examined I have found consider-
able differences as to size and markings, which may be attributed to age
and sex. My drawing was taken from a remarkably fine specimen in
the collection of the Zoological Society of London.
The comparatively small size of this bird’s eyes renders it probable
that it hunts by day, and the remarkable smallness of its feet and claws
induces me to think that it does not prey on large animals. Dr Ricwarp-
son says that ‘it is by no means a rare bird in the Fur Countries, being
an inhabitant of all the woody districts, lying between Lake Superior
and latitudes 67° or 68°, and between Hudson’s Bay and the Pacific.
It is common on the borders of Great Bear Lake; and there, and in
the higher parallels of latitude, it must pursue its prey, during the
summer months, by day-light. It keeps however within the woods,
GREAT CINEREOUS OWL. 365
and does not frequent the barren grounds, like the Snowy Owl, nor is
it so often met with in broad day light as the Hawk Owl, but hunts
principally when the sun is low; indeed, it is only at such times, when
the recesses of the woods are deeply shadowed, that the American hare
and the murine animals, on which the Cinereous Owl chiefly preys,
come forth to feed. On the 23d of May I discovered a nest of this
Owl, built on the top of a lofty balsam popiar, of sticks, and lined with
feathers. It contained three young, which were covered with a whit-
ish down. We got them by felling the tree, which was remarkably
thick ; and whilst this operation was going on, the two parent birds
flew in circles round the objects of their cares, keeping, however, so
high in the air as to be out of gunshot; they did not appear to be daz-
zled by the light. The young ones were kept alive for two months,
when they made their escape. They had the habit, common also to
other Owls, of throwing themselves back, and making a loud snapping
noise with their bills, when any one entered the room in which they
were kept.”
Srrrx cinerea, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 291.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. i. p. 58.—
Richards. and Swains. Fauna Bor.-Amer. vol. ii. p. 77.
Adult Female. Plate CCCLI.
Bill short, stout, broader than high at the base, its dorsal outline
convex to the end of the cere, which is covered with stiffish linear fea-
thers having their barbs separated, the ridge very broad, the sides
sloping and nearly flat, the tip compressed, decurved, acute; lower
mandible small, with the angle long and wide, the dorsal line convex,
the edges sharp, the tip narrow ; the gape-line straight, at the end de-
curved. Nostrils large, elliptical; eyes large, but proportionally smaller
than in most other Owls.
The body is slender, anteriorly broad, but seems large and full on
account of the great mass of plumage ; the neck short; the head ex-
tremely large. Feet rather short; the tarsi very short, and feathered ;
the toes very short and feathered, there being only two or three bare
scutella at their extremity. Claws slightly curved, long, slender, com-
pressed, tapering to an extremely narrow point.
Plumage very full, soft, and downy ; the feathers generally oblong.
Those on the face linear, stiffish, with loose barbs, and disposed in two
¥
366 GREAT CINEREOUS OWL.
large disks surrounding the eyes ; besides which there is a ruff of
softer linear, denser feathers from the forehead, behind the ears, to the
chin. The conch of the ear is very large, although greatly exceeded
by that of many other Owls, and furnished with an anterior semicircu-
lar operculum, beset with slender feathers. Wings very large, con-
cave; primaries, decurved toward the end, the first with the tips of
the filaments separated, and recurved in its whole length, the second
in its terminal half; the first quill short, being of the same length as
the sixth, the second 23 inches longer, the third 14 inch longer than
the second, 1 inch shorter than the fourth, which is the longest, or
equals the next. ‘The first five have their outer webs more or less cut
out towards the end, and the first seven have their inner webs sinuate.
The tail is long, ample, rounded, of twelve broad rounded feathers.
Bill yellow. Iris bright yellow. Claws brownish-black. The ge-
neral colour of the upper parts is greyish-brown, variegated with grey-
ish-white in irregular undulated markings ; the feathers on the upper
part of the head with two transverse white spots on each web; the
smaller wing-coverts of a darker brown, and less mottled than the
back; the outer scapulars with more white on their outer webs; the
primary quills blackish-brown toward the end, marked in the rest of
their extent with few broad light-grey oblique bands, which are dotted
and undulated with darker. ‘Tail-feathers similarly barred, darker to-
wards the end, the middle ones more intricately marked. The fea-
thers of the ruff are white towards the end, dark-brown in the centre.
The disks are on their inner side grey, with black tips; in the rest of
their extent greyish-white, with six bars of blackish-brown very regu-
larly disposed in a concentric manner; feathers on the chin or upper
part of throat greyish-white. All the under parts are greyish-brown,
variegated with greyish and yellowish white; the feet barred with the
same.
Length to end of tail 303 inches, to end of wings 271, to end of
claws 22; extent of wings 483; wing from flexure 194; tail 122; bill
along the ridge 1, along the edge of lower mandible 13; breadth of
gape 14; tarsus 24; hind toe 7%, its claw 4; middle toe 1, its claw
5
15.
( 867 )
BLACK-SHOULDERED HAWK.
FALCO DISPAR, TEMM.
PLATE CCCLI. Mate anp FEMate.
I nave traced the migration of this beautiful Hawk from the Texas
as far east as the mouth of the Santee River in South Carolina.
Cuar_es Bonaparte first introduced it into our Fauna, on the autho-
rity of a specimen procured in Kast Florida, by Titian Prats, Esq.
of Philadelphia, who it seems had some difficulty in obtaining it. On
the 8th of February 1834 I received one of these birds alive from Dr
RaveENEL of Charleston, who had kept it in his yard for eight days
previously, without being able to induce it to take any food. ‘The
beauty of its large eyes struck me at once, and I immediately made
a drawing of the bird, which was the first I had ever seen alive.
It proved to be a male, and was in beautiful plumage. Dr RaveNneL
told me that it walked about his yard with tolerable ease, although
one of its wings had been injured. On the 23d of the same month I
received another fine specimen, a female, from Francis Les, Esq.,
who had procured it on his plantation, forty miles west of Charleston,
and with it the following note. ‘ When first observed, it was perched
on atree in an erect posture. I saw at once that it was one of the birds
which you had desired me to procure for you, and went to the house
for my gun. On returning I saw the Hawk very high in the air,
sailing beautifully over a large wet meadow, where many Common
Snipes were feeding. It would now and then poise itself for a while,
in the manner of our Little Sparrow Hawk, and suddenly closing its
wings plunge towards its prey with great velocity, making a rumbling
noise as it passed through the air. Now and then, when about half-
way, itsuddenly checked its descent, recommenced hovering, and at last
marking its prey, rushed upon it and secured it. Its cries, on being
wounded, so much resembled those of the Mississippi Kite, that I
thought, as I was going to pick it up, that I had only got one of that
species. It was so shy that I was obliged to get on horseback before
I could approach it within gun shot.”
Mr H. Warp, who accompanied me on my expedition to the Floridas
368 BLACK-SHOULDERED HAWK.
found this species breeding on the plantation of ALexanpEr Mayzcx,
Esq., on the Santee River, early in the month of March, and shot three,
two of which, a male and a female, are now in my possession. Their
nests were placed on low trees near the margins of the river, and re-
sembled those of the American Crow, but had none of the substantial
lining of that bird’s nest. Mr Warp states, that at this time they
were seen flying over the cane brakes in pursuit of large insects, some-
what in the manner of the Mississippi Kite, and that they were very
shy.
My friend Joun Bacuman has seen this species fly in groups, at
a very great height, in the beginning of March, and thinks that it is
only of late years that they have located themselves in South Carolina,
where, however, five of them have been procured in one year.
The Black-shouldered Hawk appears to give a decided preference
to low lands, not distant from the shores of the Atlantic. On our way
toward the Texas, several of these birds were seen over the large mar-
shes, flying at a small elevation, and coursing in search of prey, much
in the manner of the Hen-harrier or Marsh Hawk, but all evidently
bent on proceeding to the eastward. Whether this species winters
there or not, I am unable to say, but that some remain all the year in
Florida, and even in South Carolina, I am quite confident.
The difference between the food of this species and that of the Mis-
sissippi Kite is surprising tome. I have never seen the latter seize
any bird, whereas the B!ack-shouldered Hawk, certainly does so, as in
the stomachs of two individuals which I examined were remains of
birds as well as of coleopterous insects. These two birds agree nearly
with the description of the one procured by Mr Tirtaw PEate, except-
ing in the length of the wings, which in them and in several others
that have come under my notice, have their tips fully an inch shorter
than the end of the tail. A breeding female differed from the rest in
having the eyes dull yellowish-red ; the tail-feathers had all been ash-
grey, all the primaries were edged with white, and many of the se-
condaries were still of a light brownish-grey ; the black spots under the
wings were smaller than usual; the abdomen was also tinged with
brownish-grey. I am therefore of opinion, that these birds undergo as
many changes of plumage as the Mississippi Kite.
BLACK-SHOULDERED HAWK. 369
Briacx-winceD Hawk, Fatco mELanorprerus, Ch. Bonaparte, Amer. Orn. vol. ii.
pl. 11. fig. 1. Female,
FaLco MELANOPTERUS, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 31.
Fatco pispar, Temm. Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis. Append. p. 435.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLII. Fig. 1.
Bill short, broader than deep at the base, with the gape very wide.
Upper mandible with the cere covered at the base with bristly feathers,
the dorsal line convex and declinate to the end of the cere, then curved
downwards in about the third of a circle, the sides at the base sloping,
towards the end convex and erect, the sharp edges with a distinct fes-
toon, the tip narrow and acute. Lower mandible with the angle very
wide and long, the dorsal outline very short, ascending and slightly
convex, the sharp edges inflected, the tip obliquely truncate and nar-
row. Nostrils elliptical, rather large, in the fore part of the cere.
Head rather large, broad, flattened above, with the superciliary
ridges prominent. Eyes large, directed obliquely forwards. Neck
short ; body compact. Legs of moderate length ; tibia long and mus-
cular ; tarsus very short, stout, roundish, covered anteriorly with feathers
for half its length, the rest with small roundish scales , toes short, thick,
tuberculate and papillate beneath, scaly above, like the tarsus, but with
three large scutella at the end. Claws long, curved, conical, extremely
pointed, that of middle toe with an inner edge.
Plumage soft, blended, full, on the back rather compact. Feathers
of the cere, lore, and eyelids, bristle-pointed. Wings very long and
pointed, the second quill longest, the third nearly as long, the first
longer than the fourth ; the first, second, and third with the outer web
attenuated toward the end; the first and second with the inner web
sinuated ; secondaries very broad, rounded, the inner web exceeding
the outer. Tail of twelve feathers, of moderate breadth, long, emargi-
nate and rounded, the middle and lateral feathers being about equal,
and eight-twelfths of an inch shorter than the second feather from the
side. ;
Bill black ; the cere and soft basal margins yellow. Iris bright
red. Tarsi and toes yellow, of a darker tint than the cere; claws
black. All the lower parts are pure white, with the exception of a
patch on five or six of the larger wing-coverts; the forehead is also
white, as are the cheeks ; the superciliary bristles black, the white of
VOL. Iv. Aa
370 BLACK-SHOULDERED HAWK.
the head gradually blends into the general colour of the upper parts,
which is ash-grey ; the smaller wing-coverts bluish-black ; the shafts
of the quills brownish-black ; all the feathers of the tail, excepting
the two middle, white ; the shafts of the two middle feathers blackish-
brown, of the rest white towards the end, the whole of that of the
outer pure white.
Length to end of tail 16 inches, to end of claws 12}, to end of
wings 144; extent of wings 40 ; wing from flexure 13; tail 773; bill along
the ridge 14, along the edge of lower mandible 1;%; tarsus 1y’z5 first
toe 74, its claw 2; second toe 3%, its claw +$; third toe 4, its claw 7;
fourth toe 1%, its claw 7%. Weight 14 oz.
Adult Female. Plate CCCLII. Fig. 2.
The female is rather larger than the male, but in other respects
similar.
Length to end of tail 163 inches, to end of wings 153, to end of claws
123 ; extent of wings 413 ; tail 8 ; wing from flexure 133 ; bill along the
ridge 13, along the edge of lower mandible 13; tarsus 1; hind toe
2, its claw $; outer toe 4, its claw 4; middle toe 1, its claw 3; imner
toe 4, its claw 3. Weight 17} oz.
The young when fledged have the bill and claws black, the cere and
feet dull yellow ; the upper parts brownish-grey, the scapulars and
quills tipped with white, the former also margined with yellowish-
brown ; the primary and secondary coverts are also tipped with white ;
the smaller wing-coverts are brownish-black ; the outer webs of all
the tail-feathers are more or less brownish-grey toward the end. The
lower parts are white, the feathers on the breast tinged with brownish-
yellow at the end, and with the shaft yellowish-brown. The lower
wing-coverts are all white.
(WS ghey)
CHESTNUT-BACKED TITMOUSE.
PARUS RUFESCENS, TOWNSEND.
PLATE CCCLIII. Mate ann Femate.
You have before you on the same plate three species of Parus, two
of which are new to science. Of specimens of these I obtained pos-
session in consequence of the purchase which I made of part of Dr
Townsenv’s hard-earned collection, made during his laborious expedi-
tion over the Rocky Mountains, and the valley of the Columbia River.
For an account of the habits of those which are not found to the east
of the Rocky Mountains, I am indebted to my friends Tuomas Nut-
TALL, Esqg., and J. K. Townsenp, M.D. Mr Nurratu’s notice re-
specting the present species is as follows :—
‘“‘ The Chestnut-backed Titmouse is seen throughout the year in
the forests of the Columbia, and as far south as Upper California, in
all which tract it breeds, forming, as I have some reason to believe,
a pendulous, or at least an exposed nest, like some of the European
species. It is made of large quantities of hypna and lichens, and co-
piously and coarsely lined with deer’s hair and large feathers, such as
those of the Grouse and the Jay. They are commonly seen in small
flocks of all ages in the autumn and winter, when they move about
briskly, and emit a number of feeble querulous notes, after the manner
of the Chickadee, or common species, Parus atricapillus, but seldom
utter any thing like a song, though now and then, as they glean about,
they utter a @she, de, de, or tdee, tdee, dee, their more common queru-
lous call, however, being like fshe, dé, de, vait, Pshe, de, de, vait, some-
times also a confused warbling chatter. The busy troop, accompanied
often by the common species, the Regulus tricolor, and the small yel-
low-bellied Parus, are seen flitting through bushes and thickets. care-
fully gleaning insects and larve for an instant, and are then off to some
other place around, proceeding with restless activity to gratify the
calls of hunger and the stimulus of caprice. Thus they are seen to
rove along for miles together, until satisfied or fatigued, when they re-
tire to rest in the recesses of the darkest forests, situations which they
eventually choose for their temporary domicile, where in solitude and
372 CHESTNUT-BACKED TITMOUSE.
retirement they rear their young, and for the whole of the succeeding
autumn and winter remain probably together in families. When the
gun thins their ranks, it is surprising to see the courage, anxiety, and
solicitude of these little creatures: they follow you with their wailing
scold, and entreat for their companions in a manner that impresses
you with a favourable idea of their social feelings and sympathy.”
Dr TownsENp says, that “ the Chinook Indians call this species a
kul. It inhabits the forests of the Columbia River, where it breeds and
goes in flocks in the autumn, more or less gregarious through the season.
The legs and feet are light blue.”
PaRuUS RUFESCENS, CHESTNUT-BACKED T1TMoUusE, Townsend, Journ. Acad. of Na-
tural Sciences of Philadelphia, vol. vii. p. 190.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLIII. Fig. 1.
Bill very short, straight, strong, compressed, rather acute ; both
mandibles with the dorsal line slightly convex, the sides sloping and
convex, the edges sharp, the tip of the upper scarcely longer. Nostrils
basal, roundish, concealed by the recumbent feathers. Head large,
ovate ; neck short; body rather robust. Feet of ordinary length, ro-
bust ; tarsus compressed, with seven anterior scutella, and two lateral
plates meeting behind so as to form a thin edge ; toes large, the three
anterior united as far as the second joint, the hind one much stronger,
and with its claw as long as the third. Claws large, arched, much com-
pressed, acute.
Plumage blended, tufty, unglossed. Wings of moderate length,
the fourth and fifth quills equal and longest, the sixth scarcely shorter,
the third and seventh equal, the second and eighth equal, the first very
short, bemg only half the length of the second. Tail long, slender,
arched, very slightly emarginate, or with its tip divaricate, of twelve
ather narrow feathers.
Bill brownish-black, with the edges and tip paler. Feet greyish-
blue ; claws paler. Head and neck, and fore part of the sides, dark-
brown, with a broad longitudinal band of white on each side, from the
bill under the eye, curving up on the shoulder, and almost meeting on
the back ; which, including the rump, is bright chestnut, as are the
sides under the wings ; the middle of the breast and abdomen greyish-
CHESTNUT-BACKED TITMOUSE. 373
white, the lower tail-coverts tinged with chestnut. Wings and tail
brownish-grey, the smaller coverts tinged with chestnut, the secondary
coverts margined and tipped with greyish-white, of which colour also
are the outer edges of the quills, except the first ; tail feathers faintly
margined with bluish-grey.
Length to end of tail 43 inches ; wing from flexure 28; tail 113;
bill along the ridge #5; tarsus #4; hind toe #4, its claw 7; middle
4 | 23
toe #4, its claw 2%.
Adult Female. Plate CCCLIII. Fig. 2.
The Female is similar to the male.
( 374 )
BLACK-CAP TITMOUSE.
PARUS ATRICAPILLUS, LINN.
PLATE CCCLIII. Mace ann Femate.
‘HE opinion generally entertained respecting the extensive dis-
persion of the Black-cap Titmouse, has in all probability originated
from the great resemblance which it bears to the Carolina Titmouse,
Parus Carolinensis, described at p. 341 of the second volume of this
work ; that species being now known to extend its spring and summer
migrations as far eastward as the State of New Jersey, where it has
been found breeding by my friend Epwarp Harnis, Esq. of Moores-
town. The Black-cap, on the other hand, is rarely observed farther
south, and then only in winter, when it proceeds as far as beyond the
middle portions of Maryland. from whence I have at that season re-
ceived specimens in spirits, collected by my friend Colonel THEopoRE
AnveErson of Baltimore. Westward of the Alleghanies it extends as
far as Kentucky in winter, but at the approach of spring returns north-
ward. In Pennsylvania and New Jersey some are known to breed ;
but as the Carolina Titmouse breeds there also, it is difficult to say
which of them is the most numerous, they being so like each other
that one is apt to confound them. In the State of New York it is
abundant, and often rears two broods in the season; as you proceed
eastward you may observe it in all places favourable to its habits ; and,
according to Dr RicHarpson, it is found as far north as Lat. 65°, it
being in the Fur Countries the most common bird, “ a small family in-
habiting almost every thicket.” None were seen by Dr TownsEnp
either on the Rocky Mountains or about the Columbia River, where,
on the contrary, Parus Carolinensis is abundant, as it is also in the Texas,
where I found it breeding in the spring of 1837. Although bearing a
considerable resemblance to the Marsh Titmouse of Europe, P. palus-
tris, it differs from that species not only in colour, but more especially
in its habits and notes.
Hardy, smart, restless, industrious, and frugal, the Black-cap Tit-
mouse ranges through the forest during the summer, and retiring to its
more secluded parts, as if to ensure a greater degree of quiet, it usu-
BLACK-CAP TITMOUSE. 375
ally breeds there. Numerous eggs produce a numerous progeny, and
as soon as the first brood has been reared, the young range hither and
thither in a body, searching for food, while their parents, intent on form-
ing another family, remain concealed and almost silent, laying their
eggs in the hole deserted by some small Woodpecker, or forming one
for themselves. As it has been my fortune to witness a pair at this
work, [ will here state what occurred, notwithstanding the opinion of
those who inform us that the bill of a Titmouse is “ not shaped for
digging.” While seated one morning under a crab-apple tree (very
hard wood, Reader), I saw two Black-cap Titmice fluttering about in
great concern, as if anxious to see me depart. Ly their manners in-
deed I was induced to believe that their nest was near, and, anxious to
observe their proceedings, I removed to the distance of about twenty
paces. ‘The birds now became silent, alighted on the apple-tree, gra-
dually moved towards the base of one of its large branches, and one ‘of
them disappeared in what I then supposed to be the hole of some small
Woodpecker; but I saw it presently on the edge, with a small chip in
its bill, and again cautiously approached the tree. When three or four
yards off I distinctly heard the peckings or taps of the industrious
worker within, and saw it come to the mouth of the hole and return
many times in succession in the course of half an hour, after which I
got up and examined the mansion. ‘The hole was about three inches
deep, and dug obliquely downward from the aperture, which was just
large enough to admit the bird. I had observed both sexes at this
labour, and left the spot perfectly satisfied as to their power of boring
a nest for themselves.
The Black-cap Titmouse, or Chickadee, as it is generally named in
our Kastern States, though exceedingly shy in summer or during the
breeding season, becomes quite familiar in winter, although it never
ventures to enter the habitations of man; but in the most boisterous
weather, requiring neither food nor shelter there, it may be seen amidst
the snow in the rugged paths of the cheerless woods, where it wel-
comes the traveller or the woodcutter with a confidence and cheer-
fulness far surpassing the well-known familiarity of the Robin Red-
breast of Europe. Often, on such occasions, should you offer it, no
matter how small a portion of your fare, it alights without hesitation,
and devours it without manifesting any apprehension. The sound
of an axe in the woods is sufficient to bring forth several of these busy
376 BLACK-CAP TITMOUSE.
creatures, and having discovered the woodman, they seem to find
pleasure in his company. If, as is usually the case, he is provided
with a dinner, the Chickadee at once evinces its anxiety to partake
of it, and loses no opportunity of accomplishing its object, although
it sets about it with much circumspection, as if it were afraid of being
detected, and brought to punishment. A woodcutter in Maine assured
me, that one day he happened to be at work, and had scarcely hung
up his basket of provisions, when it was observed by a flock of these
birds, which, having gathered into it at once, attacked a piece of cold
beef; but after each peck, he saw their heads raised above the edge,
as if to guard against the least appearance of danger. After picking
until they were tired or satisfied, they left the basket and perched di-
rectly over his fire, but out of the direction of the smoke. There they
sat enjoying themselves and ruffling their feathers to allow the warmth
more easy access to their skin, until he began his dinner, when they
immediately alighted near him, and in the most plaintive tones seemed
to solicit a portion.
Witson and others have spoken of this species as being addicted to
moving in the company of our smaller Woodpeckers and Brown Creepers,
and this in such a way as to induce most readers to believe the act to
be customary ; but I have often found groups of them, at times com-
posed of more than a dozen, without any such companions, and I should
be more inclined to think that the Downy Woodpecker, and the Brown
Creeper, seek the company of the Titmice, rather than that the lat-
ter associate with them. Often indeed have I watched the busy Chic-
kadees, as they proceeded from tree to tree, and from branch to branch,
whether by the road-side or in the interior of the forest, when no other
birds were with them. ‘The light rustling sound of their concave wings
would intimate their approach as well as their retreat, as gaily one af-
ter another they passed onwards from one spot to another, chattering,
peeping everywhere, and determined as it were, not to suffer a chink
to pass without inspection. Now hanging, back downward, at the ex-
tremity of a twig, its feet almost up to its bill, it would peck at a ber-
ry or a seed until it had devoured it, or it had fallen to the ground :
should the latter be the case, the busy bird would at once fly down, and
hammer at the fruit. To the Black-cap Titmouse the breaking of a hazel
nut is quite a pleasure, and I have repeated: seen the feat accomplished
not only by a bird in its natural state, but y one kept in confinement.
BLACK-CAP TITMOUSE. 377
Courageous and at times exceedingly tyrannical, it will attack young
birds, break their skulls, and feed upon their flesh, as I have more than
once witnessed. In this habit they resemble the Jays, but in every
other they differ entirely from those birds, although the Prince of Mv-
siGNAno has thought fit to assimilate the two groups. The Chickadee
feeds on insects, their larve, and eggs, as well as on every sort of small
fruit, or berries, including grapes, acorns, and the seeds of various
pines. I have seen them eat the seeds of the sun-flower, the poke-
berry, and pears, as well as flesh of all kinds. Indeed it may be truly
called omnivorous. Often, like Jays, you may see them perched as it
were upon their food, and holding it beneath their feet while pecking at
it; but no Jays are seen to hang head downwards‘at the end of a branch.
My friend Tuomas M‘Cottocu, Esq. of Pictou, in Nova Scotia, has
favoured me with the following interesting remarks having reference to
this species. ‘“‘ Sometimes I have been inclined to think, that the sight
of this bird is comparatively imperfect, and that it is chiefly indebted
to some of the other senses for its success in obtaining subsistence.
This idea may not be correct, but it seems to derive some support from
the little incident which I am about to mention. While standing at
the edge of a patch of newly-felled wood, over which the fire had re-
cently passed, and left every thing black in its course, I observed a
small flock of these birds coming from the opposite side of the clearing.
Being dressed in black and aware of their familiarity, I stood perfectly
motionless, for the purpose of ascertaining how near they would ap-
proach. Stealing from branch to branch, and peering for food among
the crevices of the prostrate trunks, as they passed along, onward they
came until the foremost settled upon a small twig a few feet from the
spot upon which I stood. After looking about for a short time it flew
and alighted just below the lock of a double-barrelled gun which I held
in a slanting direction below my arm. Being unable however to ob-
tain a hold, it slided down to the middle of the piece, and then flew
away, jerking its tail, and apparently quite unconscious of having been
so near the deadly weapon. In this country these birds seem to be in-
fluenced by a modification of that feeling by which so many others are
induced to congregate at the close of autumn and seek a more conge-
nial clime. At that period they collect in large flocks and exhibit all
the hurry and bustle of travellers, who are bent upon a distant journey.
378 BLACK-CAP TITMOUSE.
If these fHocks do not migrate, their union is soon destroyed, for when
the Black-cap Titmice again appear, itis in small flocks; their former
restlessness is gone, and they now exhibit their wonted care and de-
liberation in searching for food.”
The nest of this species, whether it be placed in the hole of a Wood-
pecker or Squirrel, or ina place dug by itself, is seldom found at a height
exceeding ten feet. Most of those which I have seen were in low
broken or hollowed stumps only a few feet high. The materials of
which it is composed vary in different districts, but are generally the
hair of quadrupeds, in a considerable quantity, and disposed in the
shape of a loose bag or purse, as in most other species which do
not hang their nest§ outside. Some persons have said that they lay
their eggs on the bare wood, or on the chips left by Woodpeckers ; but
this is not the case, in so far as I have examined them ; and in this my
observations are confirmed by those of Dr Brewer of Boston and Mr
M‘Cutxocu of Pictou, who also have inspected nests of this species.
The eggs rarely exceed eight in number; they measure five-eighths of
an inch in length, by three-eighths and three-quarters, are rather point-
ed at the smaller end, white, slightly sprinkled with minute dots and
markings of light reddish. Those of the first brood are deposited from
the middle of April to that of May; for the second about two months
later. The parents I have thought generally move along with the young
of the second brood.
Dr Brewer says, ‘on the 20th of June, I found in a single Tit-
mouse’s hole a mass of the hair of the Common Skunk and moss large
enough to weigh two or more ounces, and sufficient to construct a nest ©
for some of our larger birds, such for instance as Wilson’s Thrush.”
Mr M‘Cuttoca found a nest of this bird placed about two feet
from the ground in a small stump, which seemed to have been exca-
vated by the birds themselves. It contained six young, and was lined
entirely with the hair which cattle, in rubbing themselves, had left
upon the stump.
The flight of this species, like that of all our American Titmice, is
short, fluttering, generally only from tree to tree, and is accompanied
with a murmuring sound produced by the concavity of the wings. It
is seldom seen on the ground, unless when it has followed a fruit that
has fallen, or when searching for materials for its nest. It usually
BLACK-CAP TITMOUSE. 379
roosts in its nest during winter, and in summer amid the close foliage
of firs or evergreens. In winter, indeed, as well as often in autumn,
it is seen near the farm-houses, and even in villages and towns, busily
seeking for food among the trees.
“* On seeing a cat, or other object of natural antipathy,” says Mr
Nurratt, “ the Chickadee, like the peevish Jay, scolds in a loud, angry,
and hoarse note, “tshe, daigh daigh daigh. Among the other notes of
this species, I have heard a call like tshe-de-jay, tshe-de-jay. the two first
syllables being a slender chirp, with the jay strongly pronounced.
The only note of this bird which may be called a song, is one which is
frequently heard at intervals in the depths of the forest, at times of
day usually when all other birds are silent. We then may sometimes
hear in the midst of this solitude two feeble, drawling, clearly whist-
led, and rather melancholy notes like te-dérry, and sometimes ye-pérrit,
and occasionally, but more rarely in the same wiry, whistling, solemn
tone, "phébé. The young in winter also sometimes drawl out these
contemplative strains. In all cases the first syllable is very high and
clear, the second word drops low, and ends like a feeble plaint. This
is nearly all the quaint song ever attempted by the Chickadee. On fine
days, about the commencement of October, I have heard the Chicka.
dee sometimes, for half an hour at a time, attempt a lively, petulant
warble, very different from his ordinary notes. On these occasions he
appears to flirt about, still hunting for his prey, in an ecstacy of delight
and vigour. But after a while the usual drawling note again occurs.
These birds, like many others, are very subject to the attacks of ver-
min, and they accumulate in great numbers around that part of the
head and front which is least accessible to their foot.”
Parus arricaPitius, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 341.
Parus arricaPitivs, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 566.
Buacx-cart T1rmousE, Parus arricaPitius, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. i. p. 134,
pl. 8, fig. 4.
Parvs aTRICAPILLUS, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 100.
Buacx-cart Trrmovse, Nuitall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 241.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLITI. Fig. 3.
Bill short, straight, strong, compressed, rather obtuse ; both man-
380 BLACK-CAP TITMOUSE.
dibles with the dorsal line slightly convex, the sides sloping and con-
vex, the edges sharp, that of the upper mandible slightly sinuate.
Nostrils basal, roundish, concealed by the recumbent feathers. Head
large, neck short, body rubust. Feet of ordinary length, rather robust ;
tarsus compressed, with seven anterior scutella; toes large, the three
anterior united as far as the second joint ; the hind one much stronger,
and with its claw nearly as long as the middle toe. Claws large,
arched, much compressed, acute.
Plumage blended. tufty ; feathers of the head glossy. Wings of
moderate length, the first quill scarcely half the length of the second,
which is equal to the first secondary, the third and seventh about
equal, the fourth arid fifth equal and longest. Tail long, a little
arched, emarginate and rounded, of twelve slender rounded feathers.
Bill brownish-black. Iris dark brown. Feet greyish-blue, as are
the claws. The whole upper part of the head and the hind neck pure
black, as is a large patch on the throat and fore-neck. Between these
patches of black is a band of white, from the base of the bill down the
sides of the neck, becoming broader behind, and encroaching on the
back, which, with the wing-coverts, is ash-grey tinged with brown.
Quills dark greyish-brown, margined with bluish-white, the secondary
quills so broadly margined as to leave a conspicuous white dash on
the wing ; tail of the same colour, the feathers similarly edged. L.ower
parts brownish-white, the sides pale yellowish-brown.
Length to end of tail 54 inches, to end of wings 33, to end of claws
44; extent of wings 81: wing from flexure 21%; tail 27%; these mea-
surements taken from three males. In another, the bill along the ridge
44, along the edge of lower mandible 74; tarsus 7%; hind toe 7, its
claw 73; middle toe 75, its claw 75.
Adult Female. Plate CCCLIII. Fig. 4.
The Female is similar to the male.
Male examined. ‘The tongue is 43 twelfths long, emarginate and
papillate at the base, flat above, depressed, tapering, the point horny,
slit, with four bristly points. £sophagus, b, c, d, 13 inch long, taper-
ing at the commencement to the diameter of 2 twelfths, and then
continuing nearly uniform, without dilatation ; the proventriculus, ¢, d,
BLACK-CAP TITMOUSE.
is not much enlarged. ‘The stomach, d, ¢, is a strong
gizzard, of an oblong form or ovate, 4 twelfths long,
3 twelfths broad, with strong lateral muscles ; its
epithelium longitudinally rugous, and of a dark red-
dish-brown colour. Intestine 71 inches long, the
diameter of its duodenal portion, f, 9, 4, 24 twelfths.
The rectum, g, &, is 73 twelfths long ; the cceca, jot
twelfth long, and 4 twelfth in diameter.
The trachea is 1,4 inch long, its diameter uni-
form, ? twelfths, its rings 42. It is furnished with
lateral or contractor muscles, sterno-tracheal, and
four pairs of inferior laryngeal. Bronchi short, of
about 10 rings.
381
( 382 )
CHESTNUT-CROWNED TITMOUSE.
PARUS MINIMUS, TOWNSEND.
PLATE CCCLIII. Mate anp Femate.
My friend Nutratt’s account of this Titmouse is as follows. ‘“ We
first observed the arrival of this plain and diminutive species on the
banks of the Wahlamet, near to its confluence with the Columbia, about
the middle of May. Hopping about in the hazel thickets which border
the alluvial meadows of the river, they appeared very intent and in-
dustriously engaged in quest of small insects, chirping now and then a
slender call of recognition. They generally flew off in pairs, but were
by no means shy, and kept always in the low bushes or the skirt of the
woods. The following day I heard the males utter a sort of weak
monotonous short and quaint song, and about a week afterwards I had
the good fortune to find the nest, about which the male was so parti-
cularly solicitous as almost unerringly to draw me to the spot, where
hung from a low bush, about 4 feet from the ground, his little curious
mansion, formed like a long purse, with a round hole for entrance near
the summit. It was made chiefly of moss, down, lint of plants, and
lined with some feathers. The eggs. six in number, were pure white,
and already far gone towards being hatched. I saw but few other
pairs in this vicinity, but on the 21st of June, in the dark woods near
Fort Vancouver, I again saw a flock of about twelve, which, on making
a chirp something like their own call, came around me very familiarly,
and kept up a most incessant and querulous chirping. The following
season (April 1836) I saw numbers of these birds in the mountain
thickets around Santa Barbara, in Upper California, where they again
seemed untiringly employed in gleaning food in the low bushes, pick-
ing up or catching their prey in all postures, sometimes like the com-
mon Chickadee, head downwards, and letting no cranny or corner escape
their unwearied search. As we did not see them in the winter, they
migrate in all probability throughout Mexico and the Californian pe-
ninsula at this season.”
According to Dr Townsenp, “ the Chinooks name it a-ha-ke-lok.
CHESTNUT CROWNED TITMOUSE. 383
It is a constant resident about the Columbia River ; hops about in the
bushes, and frequently hangs from the twigs in the manner of other
Titmice, twittering all the while with a rapid enunciation resembling
the words thshish, tshist, tsee, twee. The irides are bright yellow.”
Parus minimus, Townsend, Journal of Acad. Nat. Sciences of Philadelphia, vol. vii.
p- 190.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLIII. Fig. 5.
Bill short, strong, compressed; upper mandible with its outline
arched, the sides sloping and convex. The edges sharp, the tip de-
scending, acute, and considerably exceeding that of the lower ; which
has the angle short, the dorsal line ascending and very slightly convex,
the edges sharp, the tip acute. Nostrils round, basal. Head rather
large, broadly ovate, convex in front; neck short ; body slender. Feet
of moderate length, tarsus proportionally longer than in any other
American species, stout, compressed, with seven anterior scutella, and
two lateral plates, forming a very sharp edge behind. Toes mode-
rately stout, the first with its claw equal to the third, the anterior uni-
ted as far as the first web. Claws rather large, arched, compressed,
acute.
Plumage soft and blended. Wings, short, very broad, concave,
rounded ; first quill half the length of the second, which is a quarter
of an inch shorter than the outer secondaries. Tail very long, being
half the entire length of the bird, slightly arched, much rounded, and
a little emarginate.
Bill black ; feet and claws dusky or blackish brown. Upper part
of the head, and hind neck dull greyish brown; upper parts brownish-
grey; wings and tail dusky brown, tinged with grey, the margins of
the quills and tail-feathers greyish-white. Cheeks of a paler tint than
the head ; all the lower parts brownish-white, the sides tinged with
reddish.
Length to end of tail 44 inches; wing from flexure 1%; tail 2,4 :
bill along the ridge #, ; tarsus 7%; hind toe %, its claw 4, ; middle
toe 7‘, its claw 3.
Adult Female. Plate CCCLIII.
The Female is rather smaller, and its colours are somewhat paler.
384 CHESTNUT-CROWNED TITM®©USE.
A nest presented to me by Mr Nurratz is of a cylindrical form
nine inches long, three and a half in diameter. It is suspended from
the fork of a small twig, and is composed externally of hypna, lichens,
and fibrous roots, interwoven so as to present a smoothish surface,
and with a few stems of grasses, and some feathers of Garrulus Stelleri
intermixed. ‘The aperture, which is at the top, does not exceed seven-
eighths of an inch in diameter; but for two-thirds of the length of the
nest, the internal diameter is two inches. ‘This part is lined with the
cottony down of willows, carefully thrust into the interstices, and con-
tains a vast quantity of soft feathers chiefly of Steller’s Jay, with some
others, among which can be distinguished those of Tetrao urophasianus,
Columba fasciata, and Tanagra ludoviciana. The eggs, nine in number,
are pure white, # of an inch in length, by # broad, and are rather pointed
at the small end.
( 385
LOUISIANA TANAGER.
Tan4aGra Lupoviciana, Wiis.
PLATE CCCLIV. Mate.
Witson was the first ornithologist who figured this handsome bird.
From his time until the return of Dr TownsEenp from the Columbia
River no specimen seems to have been procured. That gentleman for-
warded several males in much finer condition than those brought by
Lewis and Ciarke. Some of these I purchased, and, on his return
to Philadelphia, I was presented with a female by my young friend
Dr Trupeav, of Louisiana, a representation of which you will find
in Plate CCCC. fig. 4. The only account of this species is by Tuomas
Nottatt, who, however, was unacquainted with the female.
“ We first observed this fine bird in a thick belt of wood near Lori-
mier’s Fork of the Platte, on the 4th of June, at a considerable dis-
tance to the east of the first chain of the Rocky Mountains (or Black
Hills), so that the species in all probability continues some distance
down the Platte. We have also seen them very abundant in the spring,
in the forests of the Columbia, below Fort Vancouver. On the Platte
they appeared shy and almost silent, not having there apparently com-
menced breeding. About the middle of May we observed the males
in small numbers scattered through the dark pine forests of the Colum-
bia, restless, shy, and flitting when approached, but at length more
| sedentary when mated. We frequently traced them out by their song,
which is a loud, short, slow, but pleasing warble, not much unlike the .
sohg of the Common Hobin, delivered from the tops of the lofty fir-
trees. This music continues at short intervals throughout the whole
forenoon, during which time our songster is busily engaged in quest of
_ such coleopterous insects and larve as are to be found on the young
branches of the trees he frequents, and which require an assiduous and
long-continued search to gratify his wants. Of the female and nest
we are still ignorant, though they are in all probability very similar to
those of our other known species. We have not seen this bird as far
south as Upper California, though it may exist in the thicker forests re-
mote from the coast, which we had no opportunity of visiting.”
VOL. IV. Bb
386 LOUISIANA TANAGER.
Lourstana Tanacer, Tanacra Lupovicrana, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. iii. p. 27,
pl. 20, fig. 1.
Tanacra Lupovicrana, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 105.
Lovistana TanaGEr, WVuttall, Manual, vol. i. p. 471.
Adult Male, in Spring. Fig. 1, 2.
Bill rather short, robust, tapering, compressed toward the end, acute.
Upper mandible with its dorsal outline declinate and slightly convex,
the ridge rather narrow, the sides convex, the edges sharp, overlapping,
with two slightly prominent small festoons about the middle, and a dis-
tinct notch close to the tip, which is a little declinate. Lower man-
dible strong, with the angle short and wide, the dorsal line straight,
the back broadly convex, the sides convex, the edges sharp, the tip
acute. Nostrils round, basal.
Head rather large, ovate, flattish above; neck very short; body
ovate, compact. Legs shortish; tarsus short, compressed, rather stout,
with seven anterior scutella, and two lateral plates forming an acute
edge behind; toes of moderate length; middle toe longer than tarsus,
lateral toes much shorter and equal, hind toe stout. Claws rather large,
arched, much compressed, acute.
Plumage soft, blended ; feathers of the head stiffish with silky lustre,
bristles at the base of the upper mandible small. Wings of ordinary
length, the second quill longest, the first four having the outer web at-
tenuated towards the end; secondaries slightly emarginate. ‘l'ail rather
long, straight, emarginate, of twelve feathers.
Bill dull greenish-yellow, brown along the ridge. Feet greyish-
blue. The head all round is of a beautiful rich carmine, fading gra-
dually on the nape, paler on the ‘throat and fading on the fore neck ;
the rest of the neck, all the lower parts, two bands on the wing, formed
by the middle coverts, and the extremities of the secondary coverts,
togther with the rump and upper tail-coverts pure bright yellow. ‘The
anterior half of the back, the scapulars, two bands on the wings, and
the inner secondaries black, the latter broadly margined at the end and
tipped with yellowish-white ; alula, primary coverts, and primary quills
chocolate-brown, margined with yellowish-white; tail black, the fea-
thers narrowly tipped with greyish-white, and slightly margined toward
the end with yellowish-white.
Length to end of tail 74 inches ; wing from flexure 374; tail 3; bill
LOUISIANA TANAGER. 387
along the ridge yy, along the edge of lower mandible 74 ; tarsus 74 ;
hind toe ;y, its claw ;z ; middle toe 3, its claw {%.
The female which has not been described or figured before, will be
seen on Plate CCCC, Fig. 4. The bill is dusky brown above, light
greyish-yellow beneath. The head, ear-coverts, and hind neck, dull
green, as is the rump; the middle of the back and the scapulars grey-
ish-brown tinged with green. Anterior wing-coverts greyish-brown ;
middle coverts black with the extremities dull -yellow, secondary co-
verts and inner secondaries blackish-brown, tipped with greyish-white ;
alula, primary coverts, and primary quills chocolate-brown, slightly
edged with brownish-white ; tail-feathers similar, but margined with
yellowish-green. The lower parts are light dull greenish-yellow, the
sides tinged with grey.
Length to end of tail 6 inches; wing from flexure 37%; tail 24;
bill along the ridge 7% ; tarsus 7; middle toe and claw 7%.
{ 388 )
SCARLET TANAGER.
TANAGRA RUBRA, LINN.
PLATE CCCLIV., Mate anp FEMALE.
You have now before you representations of one of the most richly
coloured of our birds, and one whose history is in some degree pecu-
liar. The Scarlet Tanager enters the United States from Mexico,
through the ‘Texas, in the beginning of April. On several of the
islands in the Bay of Mexico, I found it exceedingly abundant, and re-
strained in a great measure from proceeding eastward by the weather,
which was unseasonably cold. Many were procured in their full dress,
and afew in the garb of the females. These plain-coloured indivi-
duals turned all out to be males, which in so far confirmed my former ob-
servations respecting this and several other species, in which the males
precede the females by about a fortnight in their spring migrations. It
was at the same period that I observed the wonderful rapidity in the
change of the plumage from its winter aspect to its summer colouring,
in the Red-breasted Snipe, Scolopaa Noveboracensis ; and | became con-
vinced that nearly the same phenomenon took place in the Tanagers.
In them, in fact, the older individuals, being stronger, had attained
their full colouring, while the younger were later in changing. As
we advanced, | procured many specimens partially coloured, and when
the males had mostly passed, the females made their appearance; mani-
festing similar gradations in the changes of their colours. I knew that
many of the males of this species reach our Middle Districts in a spotted
dress, and soon after acquire their full colours ; and I am disposed to
think that in the autumnal months, the young males of the year be-
come of a much purer tint than that of the young or old females. The
latter themselves improve materially in this respect as they advance
in age, and I have some nearly twice as richly coloured as birds only a
year old. The same gbservations apply to our Summer Red Bird,
Tanagra cestiva, of which I have females, procured by my valued
friend Epwarp Harris, Esq., exhibiting tints nearly as bright as
those of their mates obtained at the same time, when they had nests.
In the Scariet Tanager it is remarkabie, moreover, that some males
SCARLET TANAGER. 389
acquire a beautiful transverse band of glowing red on the smaller
wing-coverts ; and I have several specimens in this state, presented to
me by Mr Harris and Dr Trupeav.
The Scarlet Tanager proceeds as far northward as Lake Huron,
where it was observed by Dr Ricuarpson ; but this must happen rarely,
as it is very sensible to cold, so much so indeed, that in the State of Mas-
sachusetts, should a sudden change take place in the weather, during the
time of their spring migrations, hundreds die in the course of a night, not
only in the woods and orchards, but even in the towns and villages. I
witnessed a like occurrence at Eastport in Maine late inMay, when I was
on my way to Labrador; and as I was proceeding to the Texas, I ob-
served that they sought the shelter of the low bushes, when the weather
was damp or chill.. None were seen after we left the former place,
though they are at times found breeding in the British provinces of New
Brunswick and Nova Scotia. In the United States they seem ex-
tremely partial to certain districts, generally preferring sandy soils and
undulating grounds. Thus, I found them breeding abundantly in Loui-
siana, but rarely there in the lower parts. My friend Dr Bacuman
informs me that they are seldom met with in the maritime districts of
South Carolina; and that there they follow the mountain range as it
were for a guide. Yet they are plentiful in the Jerseys, where they
usually arrive about the middle of May, in Kentucky, and along the
Missouri; and, in short, are generally dispersed over the Union.
The migrations of this species are performed by night. Its flight
on ordinary occasions is even and swift, and it passes through the woods
in a gliding manner, when the glowing colours of the males render them
as conspicuous as pleasing to the sight. On the branches their move-
ments are rather sedate, and it is but seldom that they emit their
usual notes when in motion. These are by no means musical, although
oft repeated. They have been well imitated by Witson, who repre-
sents them by the syllables “ chip, churr.” J have not, however, thought
them pensive in any degree, but rather lively: and when emitting
them, the bird often inflates his throat, stands erect, and vibrates his
body, as if in perfect ecstacy.
It is by no means true, as authors allege, that the Scarlet Tanager
retires from the sight of man, and prefers the deepest recesses of the
forest to the neighbourhood of the husbandman’s cottage; at least,
_ this is not the case in those parts of our country where the population
jS not very dense ; for I have observed it to take up its abode for a
390 SCARLET TANAGER.
season in the very vicinity of the squatter’s cabin, to the patch of open
ground near which it constantly resorted to search for coleoptera and
other insects, forming its slightly-built nest on the lower branch of a
spreading oak, or on a tree close to the road-side. It is composed ex-
ternally of a few dry weeds and small twigs, and scantily lined with
fibrous roots or slender grasses. In Louisiana the eggs are deposited
by the first of May, about a month later in our central districts, but
in the State of Maine frequently not until the middle of June. It never
raises more than one brood in the season; and I have observed that,
notwithstanding the difference in the temperature of our Southern and
Northern States, the young are no sooner able to travel than they are at
once led off, so that families may be seen travelling southward for
many weeks in succession, and by the end of September all have left
the United States. The eggs are from three to five, smooth, of a
dull greenish-blue colour, speckled with reddish-brown and light purple,
and measure a little more than 7 eighths of an inch in length, by 5
eighths in breadth. The young are fed with insects and fruits of many
sorts. At this period the old birds feed also on insects and larve, but
toward the latter period of their stay they all subsist rae on the
smaller berries and grapes.
The parental affection of this bird has been so beautifully and truly
described by Witson, that, in presenting the following statement re-
garding it, I must contribute to the gratification of your kindly feel-
ings as much as of my own. ‘* Passing through an orchard one morn-
ing, I caught one of the young birds that had but lately left the nest.
I carried it with me about half a mile, to shew it to my friend, Mr
Witiiam Bartram ; and, having procured a cage, hung it upon one of
the large pine trees in the Botanic Garden, within a few feet of the
nest of an Orchard Oriole, which also contained young; hopeful that
the charity or tenderness of the Orioles would induce them to supply
the cravings of the stranger. But charity with them, as with too
many of the human race, began and ended at home. ‘The poor orphan
was altogether neglected, notwithstanding its plaintive cries ; and, as
it refused to be fed by me, I was about to return it back to the place
where I found it, when, towards the afternoon, a Scarlet Tanager, no
doubt its own parent, was seen fluttering round the cage, endeavour-
ing to get in. Finding this impracticable, he flew off, and soon return-
ed with food in his bill; and continued to feed it till after sunset, tak-
ing up his lodgings on the higher branches of the same tree. In the
SCARLET TANAGER. 391
morning, almost as soon as day broke, he was again seen most active ®
ly engaged in the same affectionate manner ; and, notwithstanding the
insolence of the Orioles, continued his benevolent offices the whole day,
roosting at night as before. On the third or fourth day, he appeared
extremely solicitous for the liberation of his charge, using every ex-
pression of distressful anxiety, and every call and invitation that na-
ture had put in his power, for him to come out. This was too much
for the feelmgs of my venerable friend; he procured a ladder, and,
mounting to the spot where the bird was suspended, opened the cage,
took out the prisoner, and restored him to liberty and to his parent,
who, with notes of great exultation, accompanied his flight to the
woods. ‘The happiness of my good friend was scarcely less complete,
and shewed itself in his benevolent countenance; and I could not re-
frain saying to myself,—If such sweet sensations can be derived from
a single circumstance of this kind, how exquisite—now unspeakably
rapturous—must the delight of those individuals have been, who have
rescued their fellow beings from death, chains, and imprisonment, and
restored them to the arms of their friends and relations! Surely in such
godlike actions, virtue is its own most abundant reward.”
Tanacra RuUBRA, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 314.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. i. p. 420.
ScarLtet Tanacer, Tanacra ruBrRa, Wilson, Amer. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 42, pl. 11,
fig. 3. Male ; fig. 4. Female.
Tanacra RUBRA, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 105.
ScarLer TanacER, or BLack-wiNcGED SumMER RED-BIRD.
PyranGa RuBRA, ScaRLET Biack-wincED TanacER, Richards. and Swains. Fauna
Bor.-Americana, vol. ii. p. 273.
Adult Male in Spring. Plate CCCLIV. | Fig. 3.
Bill rather short, robust, compressed toward the end, acute. Up-
per mandible with its dorsal outline declinate and slightly convex, the
ridge rather narrow, the sides convex, the edges sharp, overlapping,
with two slightly prominent small festoons about the middle, and a
faint notch close to the tip, which is a little declinate. Lower mandi-
ble strong, with the angle short and wide, the dorsal line straight, the
back broadly convex, the sides convex, the edges sharp, the tip acute.
Nostrils round, basal.
Head rather large, ovate, flattish above ; neck very short; body
ovate, compact. Legs shortish ; tarsus short, compressed, rather stout,
392 SCARLET TANAGER.
with seven anterior scutella, and two lateral plates forming an acute
edge behind ; toes of moderate length ; middie toe longer than the tar-
sus, lateral toes much shorter and equal, hind toe stout. Claws rather
large, arched, much compressed, acute.
Piumage soft and blended; very small bristles at the base of che
upper mandible. Wings of ordinary length, the second quili longest,
the first four having the outer web attenuated toward the end; se-
condaries slightly emarginate. ‘Tail rather long, straight, emarginate,
of twelve feathers.
Bill dull greenish-yellow, brown above. Iris hazel. Feet greyish-
blue, claws greyish-yellow. The general colour of the plumage is pure
scarlet; the wings and tail black; the axillar feathers, inner lower
wing-coverts, and more or less of the inner webs of nearly all the
quills, white.
Length to end of tail 7 inches, to end of wings 53, to end of claws
63 ; extent of wings 113; wing from fiexure 477; tail 2}9; bill along
the ridge 74, along the edge of lower mandibie {$; tarsus 7%; hind toe
4t, its claw #4; middle toe #4, its claw #.
Adult Female. Plate CCCLIV. Fig. 4.
Bill and feet as in the male. The general colour of the upper
parts is yellowish-green, tinged with grey, of the lower parts greenish-
yellow; the feathers of the wings and tail greyish-brown, margined
with yellowish-green, the secondaries and tail-feathers narrowly tipped
with greyish-white, the lower wing-coverts and the edges of all the
quills white.
Length to end of tail 64 inches, to end of wings 53, to end of claws
61; extent of wings 103.
The young when fledged resemble the female; the males being,
however, distinguishable from the females by their brighter tints.
The young male in autumn, after the first moult, has the lower
parts of a much brighter yellow, the upper of a lighter green, but with
all the feathers having a central black mark, those on the head oblong,
on the middle of the back broad, on the rump linear. The wing-co-
verts are black ; the quills and tail-feathers brownish-black, margined
_ with yellowish-green.
Two males in my possession, shot by Dr Truprav, are remarkable
SCARLET TANAGER. 393
for“having the first row of small coverts scarlet, forming a conspicu-
ous band amidst the black of the wing, and the lower wing-coverts
tipped and margined with the same. In all other respects, however,
these ‘individuals“agree with the others.
7
An adult male examined. The roof of the mouth is concave, with
a median prominent ridge and two more prominent lateral ridges, be-
tween which and the edges is a broad groove for
the reception of the lower mandible. The tongue
is 6 twelfths long, deeply emarginate and papillate
at the base, flat above, with a median groove, the
tip horny and pointed, but terminated by several
flattened bristles or shreds. Esophagus, a 6 c, 24
inches long, its diameter 44 twelfths, until its en-
trance into the thorax, when it contracts a little.
Proventriculus, 6c, } inch long, and 34 twelfths in
diameter. The stomach, cde, is a strong gizzard,
8 twelfths long, 7 twelfths in breadth, its iateral
muscles moderately thick ; the epithelium rugous
and dark reddish-brown. Intestine, fg h, 74 inches
long, its average diameter 24 twelfths, its narrowest
part 2 twelfths. The rectum <j, 10 twelfths long;
the coeca, 7, ? of a twelfth long, and 3 twelfth in
diameter.
The trachea is 2 inches long, its diameter 12
twelfths, and nearly uniform ; the rings about 60.
The contractor and sterno-tracheal muscles are
slender ; and there are four pairs of inferior laryn-
geal.
In a female the intestine is 71 inches long.
The contents of the stomach in both were re-
mains of insects and seeds.
The digestive organs of this bird, and probably of all the 'Tanagers
of the same group, are thus not essentially different from those of the
Passerine tribe, including Finches, Buntings, &c. The cesophagus has
a more elongated dilatation than in most of the species of that tribe,
of which, however, the Corn Bunting of Europe is very similar in this
respect.
( 394 )
MACGILLIVRAY’S FINCH.
FRINGILLA MacGILLIVRAII.,
PLATE CCCLV. Mate anp FEMALE.
Wuitst Bacuman’s Finch resides in the pine forests of the Caro-
linas and other Southern States, preferring dry and sandy lands covered
with grasses; and whilst Henstow’s Bunting or Finch, and the Yel-
low-winged Bunting, are fond of open prairies and ploughed fields, in
which they nestle ; the species, on which I have bestowed the name of
my friend MaceciLLivray, chooses for its residence the salt marshes of
our Southern Atlantic shores, in which also are found the Sharp-tailed
and Seaside Finches of Witson and other authors. The three former
spend the greater part of the winter in the forests, perch occasion-
ally on trees, and feed principally on seeds; whereas the latter three
are never found elsewhere than in the salt marshes, and feed chiefly on
minute shells and aquatic insects. Were I therefore to adopt the mi-
nimum generic groups which have become prevalent, I would place the
three birds of the interior in a genus apart. from that containing the
three marsh-birds.
Macei.uivray’s Finch is as yet very rare within the United States,
and has not been observed farther eastward than Sullivan Island, about
six miles from Charleston in South Carolina; but it is very abundant
in the Texas, occurring on all the low islands that are much intersected
by salt-water bayous, and interspersed with ponds of brackish water,
seldom leaving these localities unless whilst travelling, or passing from
one island to another, which they do by flying at the height of only a
few feet above the surface. They run among the rankest weeds with
uncommon celerity, and do not seem to mind being followed by a dog,
which they very easily elude amongst the thick grass. Whilst breed-
ing they often start from a little distance, and pursue ‘a singularly ir-
regular or zigzag flight, much resembling that of the Jack Snipe of
Europe, and yet performed with apparently slow beats of the wings.
They fall as it were among the grass as suddenly as they rise from it,
and by these manceuvres save their nests from the searching eye of
the keenest student of nature. They very seldom alight on the stems
Se NS OE OARS se -
MACGILLIVRAY’S FINCH. 395
of grasses, although when they do they climb with facility, occasion-
ally using their tail as a support, in the same manner as the Rice-bird.
Their strong tarsi and toes enable them to walk on the ground with
great vigour. When they take wing deliberately, their flight resembles
that of a young partridge, and, if over the land, is seldom extended
between forty or fifty yards at a time. The males appear very jealous
of each other, and frequently one pursues another on wing, but usually
abandons the chase before the conquered bird has alighted, leaving it
to pursue its course as it pleases after it has been driven beyond the
assailant’s jurisdiction. The notes of this species are few and un-
musical, consisting of a sort of roll of five or six syllables, which it
seems to me impossible to imitate. They are usually heard early in
the morning. My friend Dr Bacuman informs me that none of these
Finches remain in South Carolina during winter, and that they gene-
rally disappear early in November, when the weather is still very plea-_
sant in the maritime portions of that state. Many, however, spend
the winter in the salt marshes about the mouths of the Mississippi,
and I have no doubt that they are constant residents there, as they
are in the Texas.
This species has already been described at p. 285 of the second
volume of the present work.
( 896 )
MARSH HAWK.
FALCO cYANEUS, Linn.
PLATE CCCLVI.
Wiru ease and elegance of flight, guided by an uncommon acute~
ness of what I would call short-sightedness, the Marsh Hawk, like an
experienced gleaner, ranges over the wide extent of the prairie. The
pure white of the hind part of the female’s back, and the pale blue of
the male, attract your eye so long as the pair remain within sight. The
diligence and industry which they exhibit remind you of the search of
a well-trained pointer.
This species visits the greater part of the United States. Dr Ricu-
ARDSON procured some specimens in latitude 65° north, and Dr Towns-
END found it on the plains of the Columbia River, as well as on the
extensive prairies bordering on the Missouri. I have met with it in
Newfoundland and Labrador on the one hand, in Texas on the other,
and in every intermediate portion of the country.
In the Fauna Boreali-Americana, Mr Swarnson has published an ex-
cellent paper relating to such birds as have and have not been consi-
dered as identical with this bird and the European one bearing the same
name, I perfectly agree with that gentleman when he says that * the
typical structure of the wing in the present group must unquestionably
be that most prevalent among the species. It must, however, be re-
membered, that even this character is subject to variation, according to
the age and perhaps the locality of the bird, and that it must not be in-
sisted upon with too much rigour.” I regret that this learned ornitho-
logist did not introduce the word sex into the above well-founded re-
mark, as in the sexes of birds, as well as in individuals of different
ages, remarkable differences are often observed.
It is to Montacu that we are indebted for our first knowledge of
the differences that exist between the male and the female of the Euro-
pean Hen Harrier, with which Witson believed the Marsh Hawk of
America to be identical. ‘The Prince of Mustcnano, in his continuation
of Wilson’s American Ornithology, also considered these birds as the
same ; although he has since altered his opinion. For my part, having
ee
MARSH HAWK. 397
earefully observed the habits, and compared specimens of both, I have
come to the conclusion of their being the same species.
The flight of the Marsh Hawk, although light and elegant, cannot
be said to be either swift or strong ; but it is well sustained, and this
may be accounted for on comparing the small size and weight of its
body with the great extent of its wings and tail, which are proportion-
ally larger than those of any other American Hawk. While searching
for prey, it performs most of its rambles by rather irregular sailings ;
by which I mean that it frequently deviates from a straight course
peeping hither and thither among the tall grasses of the marshes, prairies,
or meadows, or along the briary edges of our fields. It is seldom in-
deed seen to chase birds on wing, although I have met with a few in_
stances; nor is it much in the habit of carrying its quarry to any dis-
tance ; for generally as it observes an object suited to its appetite, it
suddenly checks its speed, and almost poising itself by a few flaps of
its wings, drops with astonishing quickness on its unfortunate victim,
which it usually tears to pieces and devours on the spot. If disappoint-
ed, however, it rises as quickly as it dropped, and proceeds as before.
Whilst engaged in feeding, it may very easily be approached, sur-
prised, and shot, by an experienced sportsman, for it rises in a flurried
manner, and generally cuts a few curious zigzags at the outset. To
obtain it, one has only to mark the spot with accuracy, keep his eye
upon it, and advance with his gun in readiness, for he will probably
get within a few yards before the bird rises. I have frequently seen
it shot in this manner. At other times, by watching its beats over a
field or meadow, one may obtain a good opportunity by concealing him-
self near a spot where he has seen it miss its object, as it 1s sure to re-
pass there in a short time. at all events before it removes to another field.
When wounded and brought to the ground, it makes off on the ap-
proach of its enemy by great leaps, and at times so swiftly that great
exertion is requisite to overtake it; and when this is accomplished,
it throws itself on its back, strikes furiously, and can inflict pretty
severe wounds with its very sharp claws.
This species flies very high at times, and in a direct course, as if
intent on proceeding to some great distance; but as I observed that
this frequently occurred when the bird was satiated with food, I have
thought that it preferred this method of favouring digestion, to its more
usual mode of sitting on the top of a fence rail, and there remaining
398 MARSH HAWK.
quiet until again roused by the feeling of hunger. I have often seen
it, after sailing about in circles for a long while, half-close its wings,
and come towards the ground, cutting curious zigzags, until within a
few feet of it, when it would resume its usual elegant and graceful
mode of proceeding.
I have observed it in our western prairies in autumn moving in
flocks of twenty, thirty, or even so many as forty individuals, and ap-
pearing to be migrating, as they passed along at a height of fifty or
sixty yards, without paying any attention to the objects below; but
on all these occasions I could never find that they were bent on any
general course more than another ; as some days a flock would be pro-
ceeding southward, on the next to the northward or eastward. Many
times I have seen them follow the grassy margins of our great streams,
such as the Ohio and Mississippi, at the approach of winter, as if bent
on going southward, but have become assured that they were merely
attracted by the vast multitudes of Finches or Sparrows of various sorts
which are then advancing in that direction.
In winter, the notes which the Marsh Hawk emits while on wing,
are sharp, and sound like the syllables pee, pee, pee, the first slightly
pronounced, the last louder, much prolonged, and ending plaintively.
During the love-season, its cry more resembles that of our Pigeon
Hawk, especially when the males meet, they being apparently tenacious
of their assumed right to a certain locality, as well as to the female of
their choice.
The Marsh Hawk breeds in many parts of the United States, as
well as beyond our limits to the north and south in which it finds a place
suited to its habits; as is the case with the Blue-winged Teal, and seve-
ral other species, which have until now been supposed to retreat to high
latitudes for the purpose. That many make choice of the more north-
ern regions, and return southward in autumn, is quite certain ; but in
all probability an equal number remain within the confines of the United
States to breed.
It is by no means restricted to the low lands of the sea-shores
during the breeding season, for I have found its nest in the Barrens
of Kentucky, and even on the cleared table-lands of the Alleghany
Mountains and their spurs. In one instance, I found it in the high-
covered pine-barrens of the Floridas, although I have never seen one on
a tree ; and the few cases of its nest having been placed on low trees
MARSH HAWK. 399
or bushes, may have been caused by the presence of dangerous qua-
drupeds, or their having been more than once disturbed or robbed of
their eggs or young, when their former nests had been placed on the
ground.
Many birds of this species breed before they have obtained their
full plumage. I have several times found a male bird in brown plu-
mage paired with a female which had eggs; but such a circumstance is
not singular, for the like occurs in many species of different families.
I have never met with a nest in situations like those described by some
European writers as those in which the Hen-harrier breeds; but usu-
ally on level parts of the country, or flat pieces of land that are some-
times met with in hilly districts. As I am well aware, however, that
birds adapt the place and even the form and materials of their nests to
cireumstances, I cannot admit that such a difference is by any means
sufficient to prove that birds similar in all other respects, are really diffe-
rent from each other. If it be correct, as has been stated, that the male of
the European bird deserts the female, as soon as incubation commences,
this mdeed would form a decided difference’; but as such a habit has
not been observed in any other Hawk, it requires to be confirmed.
Our Marsh Hawks, after being paired, invariably keep together, and
labour conjointly for the support of their family, until the young are
left to shift for themselves. This is equally the case with every Hawk
with which I am acquainted.
Having considerable doubts as to whether any American writer who
has spoken of the Marsh Hawk ever saw one of its nests, I will here
describe one found on Galveston Island by my son Joun Woopnouse,
and carefully examined by him as well as by my friend Epwarp Harris
and myself. As is usually the case when in a low and flat district, this
was placed about a hundred yards from a pond, on the ground, upon a
broom-sedge ridge, about two feet above the level of the surrounding
salt marsh. It was made of dry grass, and measured between seven
and eight inches in its internal diameter, with a depth of two inches
and a half, while its external diameter was twelve inches. The grass
was pretty regularly and compactly disposed, especially in the interior,
on which much care seemed to have been bestowed. No feathers or
other materials had been used in its construction, not even a twig.
The eggs were four, smooth, considerably rounded, or broadly ellipti-
cal, bluish-white, an inch and three-quarters in length, an inch and a
400 MARSH HAWK.
quarter in breadth. The two birds were procured, and their measure-
ments carefully entered in my journal, as well as those of others ob-
tained in various parts of the United States and of the British Pro-
vinces. A nest found on the Alleghanies was placed under a low bush,
in an open spot of scarcely half an acre. It was constructed in the
same manner, as the one described above, but was more bulky, the bed
being about four inches from the earth. The eggs, although of the
same form and colour, were slightly sprinkled with small marks of pale
reddish-brown. In general, the Marsh Hawks scoop the ground, for
the purpose of fixing their nest to the spot. On returning to London,
in the summer of 1837, I shewed several of the eggs of the American
bird to Wiiitam YarRELL, Esq., who at once pronounced them to be-
long to the Hen Harrier ; and on comparing their measurements with
those of the eggs described by my friend Wittram Macertuivray, I
find that they agree perfectly.
The young are at first covered with soft yellowish-white down, but
in a few weeks shew the brownish and ferruginous tints of their female
parent, the young males being distinguishable from the females by
their smaller size.
I have found a greater number of barren females in this species
than in any other; and to this I in part attribute their predominance
over the males. The food of the Marsh Hawk consists of insects of
various kinds, especially crickets, of small lizards, frogs, snakes, birds,
principally the smaller sorts, although it will attack Partridges, Plo-
vers, and even Green-winged Teals, when urged by excessive hunger.
The only instance in which I have seen this bird carry any prey in its
talons on wing, happened on the 2d of April 1837, at the south-west
Pass of the Mississippi, when I was in company with Eowarp Harris,
Esq. and my son Jonn Woopuousr. A Marsh Hawk was seen to seize
a bird on its nest, perhaps a Marsh Wren, Tvroglodytes palustris, and
carry it off in its talons with the nest! <A pair were hovering over the
marsh during the whole of our stay, and probably had a nest there-
about. It is rather a cowardly bird, however, for on several oceasions,
when I was in the Floridas, where it is abundant, I saw it chase a
Salt-water Marsh Hen, Kallus crepitans, which courageously sprung up,
and striking at its enemy, forced it off. My friend Joun Bacuman has
frequently observed similar occurrences in the neighbourhood of Chariles-
ton. Whenever it seizes a bird on wing, it almost at once drops to
MARSH HAWK. 401
the ground with it, and if in an exposed place, hops off with its prey
to the nearest concealment.
In autumn, after the young have left their parents, they hunt in
packs. This I observed on several occasions when on my way back from
Labrador. In Nova Scotia, on the 27th of August, we procured nearly
a whole pack, by concealing ourselves, but did not see an adult male.
These birds are fond of searching for prey over the same fields, remov-
ing from one plantation to another, and returning with a remarkable
degree of regularity, and this apparently for a whole season, if not a
longer period. My friend Jonn Bacumawn observed a beautiful old
male which had one of its primaries cut short by a shot, regularly re-
turn to the same rice-field during the whole of the autumn and winter,
and believes that the same individual revisits the same spot annually.
When satiated with food, the Marsh Hawk may be seen perched ona
fence-stake for more than an hour, standing motionless. On horseback
I have approached them on such occasions near enough to see the co-
lour of their eyes, before they would reluctantly open their wings, and
remove to another stake not far distant, where they would probably re-
main until digestion was accomplished.
I have never seen this species searching for food in the dusk. [n-
deed, in our latitudes, when the orb of day has withdrawn from our
sight, the twilight is so short, and the necessity of providing a place of
safety for the night so imperious in birds that are not altogether noctur-
nal, that I doubt whether the Marsh Hawk, which has perhaps been on
wing the greater part of the day, and has had many opportunities of pro-
euring food, would continue its flight for the sake of the scanty fare
which it might perchance procure at a time when few birds are abroad,
and when quadrupeds only are awakening from their daily slumber.
Witson must have been misinformed by some one unacquainted
with the arrival and departure of this species, as well as of the Rice
Bird, in South Carolina, when he was induced to say that the Marsh
Hawk “ is particularly serviceable to the rice-fields of the Southern
States, by the havoc it makes among the clouds of Rice Buntings that
spread such devastation among the grain, in its early stages. As it
sails low, and swiftly, over the surface of the field, it keeps the flocks
in perpetual fluctuation, and greatly interrupts their depredations. The
planters consider one Marsh Hawk to be equal to several Negroes for
VOL. IV. C.€
402 MARSH4HAWK.
alarming the Rice Birds.” Now, good Reader, my friend Joun Bacu-
mMaN, who has resided more than twenty years in South Carolina, and
who is a constant student of nature, and perhaps more especially atten-
tive to the habits of birds, informs me that the Marsh Hawk is propor-
tionally rare in that State, and that it only makes its appearance there
after the Rice Birds have left the country for the south, and retires at
the approach of spring, before they have arrived.
European writers have generally considered our Marsh Hawk as
larger than their Circus cyaneus ; but this opinion must have originated
from a want of specimens for comparison, and perhaps also a want of
books on which one might depend. Were all ornithological works
characterized by the accuracy and detail to be found in those of my
friend Wriit1am Macciuiivray, the case might be different. The
measurements which he has taken from recent specimens correspond
with those which I also have taken from individuals newly killed, as
nearly as is usual in birds of other species. Indeed, should you mea-
sure as accurately as possible a hundred specimens of any bird as large
as our Marsh Hawk, I am persuaded you would not find many of them
to agree in all their proportions. Instead of the American exceeding
the European )ird in size, I think it will generally be found to be
as nearly equal as possible.
Fatco cyaneus and F, pyearcus, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 126.
Fatco cyaneus, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. i. p. 39.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds
of United States, p. 33.
Marsu Hawk, Fatco uxternosus, Wils, Amer. Ornith. vol. vi. p. 67, pl. 1, fig. 1.,
young female.
Fatco cyaneus, Ch. Bonaparte, Amer. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 30, pl. xi. fig. 1., male.
Buteo (Circus) cyangus? var? Americanus, American Hen-Harrier,
Richards. and Swains. Fauna Bor.-Amer. vol. ii. p. 55.
Hen-Harrier, or Marsu Hawr, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 109.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLVI. Fig. 1.
Bill short, compressed. Upper mandible with its dorsal line a little -
tumid at the base, sloping to beyond the cere, then decurved in the
fourth of a circle, the sides sloping, towards the end a little convex,
she edge with a festoon a little anterior to the nostril, the tip acute,
concave beneath. Lower mandible with the angle broad, the dorsal
MARSH HAWK. 405
line ascending and convex, the edges a little inflected, the tip rounded,
with the edges decurved. Nostrils large, ovato-oblong, in the middle
and fore part of the cere, and having an oblique ridge from the upper
edge.
Head of moderate size, oblong ; neck short ; body slender, much
compressed behind. Legs long and slender ; tibia long but muscular ;
tarsi long, compressed, with seventeen or eighteen large oblique scu-
tella on the fore and outer side, oval or subhexagonal scales on the
sides, and scutella behind, excepting at the upper and lower parts ;
toes small, slender, the outer with a short web at the base, connecting
it with the third ; first considerably shorter than second, fourth a little
longer than the latter, third much longer ; all covered above with scu-
tella, unless at the base, where there are small scales, beneath tuber-
culate and papillate, there being a long fleshy tubercle on the last joint
of each toe, and one on the next joint of the two outer. Claws long,
compressed, rounded above, flat beneath, curved into the fourth of a
circle, those of the first and second toes largest, that of the third with
a slight internal edge, of the fourth much smaller and less curved.
Plumage very soft, generally blended. Cere covered on the sides
with rather long bristle-tipped feathers, which curve upwards and par-
tially conceal the nostrils; space between the bill and eye with radi-
ating feathers of the same nature. A distinct ruff of narrow feathers,
which are decurved, but with the tips recurved, extends from behind
the eye on each side to the chin. Wings long, much rounded; the
fourth quill longest, the third two-twelfths of an inch shorter, the se-
cond a quarter of an inch shorter than the fifth, the first and seventh
about equal. ‘The outer webs of the first five are attenuated towards
the end; and the outer four have their inner webs sinuate; the se-
condaries are broad and rounded. ‘Tail straight, long, of moderate
breadth, and slightly rounded, the middle feathers longest (in perfect
specimens, but often worn). The quills and tail-feathers are extremely
soft, being covered with a velvety down.
Bill bluish-black, cere yellow; inside of mouth dark bluish-grey.
Iris yellow. ‘Tarsi and toes yellow, tinged with orange ; claws black.
The general colour of the plumage above is liglit greyish-blue, the
head and scapulars of a deeper tint, the hind part of the back paler ;
the bases of the occipital and ruff feathers white; the bristles of the
cere and lores black, their downy bases white. ‘The fore neck and
404 MARSH HAWK.
anterior part of the breast are also greyish-blue ; the middle of the
breast and the sides white, tinged with blue, the feathers having their
shafts dusky, and some very faint indications of bars; those of the
legs, the lower wing-coverts, and lower and upper tail-coverts, pure
white. The seven outer primaries are black, tipped with pale brown,
at the base white, and on the outer edge tinged with grey; the rest
and the secondaries of the general colour, but with more or less brown
towards the end, their inner webs white, and obscurely barred with
dark grey. The two middle tail-feathers are of a lighter tint than
the back, and the colour on the outer webs of the rest gradually fades
into white; the inner webs of all but the two middle more or less
white, with eight irregular narrow bars of darkish grey.
Length to end of tail 192 inches, to end of wings 164, to end of
claws 163; extent of wings 44; wing from flexure 14,4; tail 8;% ; bill
along the ridge 1;%, along the edge of lower mandible 1,% ; tarsus 2% ;
hind toe 7%, its claw +$; middle toe 124, its claw *. Weight 16 oz.
Adult Female. Plate CCCLVI. Fig. 2.
The female is larger than the male, and differs extremely in the
colours of the plumage, although those of the bare parts are the same.
The general colour of the upper parts is umber-brown, of the lower
light yellowish-red. The upper part of the head is deep brown, the
feathers edged with light yellowish-red ; the anterior part of the fore-
head, a band over the eye, and the loral space, pale greyish-yellow,
the bristle-tips of the latter black. The cheek feathers are dull
brown, slightly edged with yellowish-red ; the ruff feathers light yel-
lowish-red, with a narrow brown central band. ‘The upper hind part,
sides, and fore part of the neck, the breast and sides, are light reddish-
yellow, each feather with an oblong-lanceolate umber-brown mark.
Some of the hypochondrial feathers have four light spots ; the central
part of the outer tibial feathers is light brownish-red ; the feathers of
the middle of the breast, the abdomen, and the lower tail-coverts, are
of a uniform light yellowish-red. On some of the scapulars, as well as
many of the wing-coverts, are one or two round light red or whitish
spots ; and the bases of the occipital feathers are white. The primary
and secondary quills are of the same colour as the back, slightly edged
‘with paler, the greater part of the inner webs whitish, the primaries
with broad bands of deeper brown. Upper tail-coverts white. Tail
PN ce etree sches 2
MARSH HAWK. 405
light greyish-brown, white at the base, with six broad bands of deep
brown on the middle feathers, four on the lateral, the last band much
larger, the tips brownish or reddish white, the inner webs, excepting
the two middle feathers, reddish-grey or whitish, the shafts light
brown. Lower wing-coverts reddish-white, with central lanceolate
brown markings ; lower surface of primary quills greyish-white, with
very conspicuous broad blackish-brown bands; tail reddish-grey be-
neath, with the dark bands more distinct.
Length to end of tail 204 inches, to end of wings 182, to end of
claws 152 ; extent of wings 463 ; wing from flexure 151; tail 949; bill
along the ridge 1,%,, along the edge of lower mandible 15% ; tarsus 33% :
hind toe +$, its claw 13%; middle toe 14, its claw }$.
Young fully fledged. Plate CCCLVI. Fig. 3.
The young of both sexes when fully fledged, resemble the adult
female, but have the colours of a richer or deeper tint ; all the lower
parts with an elongated brown streak on each feather ; the upper tail-
coverts white, with a lanceolate reddish-brown spot.
After the first moult, the male still resembles the adult female.
At least, such is the case with a specimen presented to me by Dr
Ricwarpson, and marked “ Buteo (Circus) cyaneus. Spec. N. 6.
Male. May 31. 1826. Fort Franklin,” being the one elaborately de-
scribed at p. 63 of the second volume of the Fauna Boreali-Americana.
In this specimen the colours are much faded, and the feathers worn, the
upper tail-coverts in particular being reduced almost to the shafts. It is
valuable as indicating by two feathers on the leg, which are new, the
next state of plumage of the male, which is as follows :—
The upper part of the head and the hind neck are light brownish-
red, with dusky streaks, the white of the nuchal feathers conspicuous.
The upper parts are brown, with a tinge of grey, more apparent on
the wings, the scapulars and some of the smaller wing-coverts still
marked as in the young and females; the upper tail-coverts pure
white ; the tail-feathers grey, with a tinge of brown, the lateral red-
dish-grey ; the dark bars much diminished in breadth, and the inner
webs still tinged with yellowish-red. The ruff is brownish-grey, mar-
gined with reddish-white ; the fore part of the neck and breast pale
brownish-red, tinged with grey, each feather marginally spotted or
406 MARSH HAWK.
edged with dull white. he rest of the lower parts are white, the
feathers generally with several spots of light red along the centre;
these spots assuming the appearance of transverse bars on the sides
and legs; the smaller wing coverts are similarly spotted, but those
near the edge have only a dusky streak, and the secondary coverts are
barred with dusky. The inner webs of the quills toward the base are
white, with narrow bars of brownish-black, and the extremities of the
primaries are as in the adult.
After a very careful comparison of seven skins of American birds
with an equal number of European, no essential differences can be ob-
served. Iam therefore compelled to conclude, that the Marsh Hawk
of America is the Hen-Harrier of Europe. The following measure-
ments are obtained from a comparison of eight individuals.
Amer. Europ. Amer. Europ.
Ar ee a eS
M. M. M. M. F. F. F. F.
Length to end of tail, 192 16 18 181 20% 203 21 21
tS RAR See ae wings, 162 144 153 — 182 183 183 19
Extent of wings, . 44 403 40 393 463 453 46 46
Wing from flexure, . 144,13 1383 18 15; 14% 14; 151
Tail, Ja ea eg, 96. 8b Sig” SA agama
Bill along the ridge, . 1,4 1/5 1% tz 18% 1% be
Tarsus, i , i 2% 2% 23 2% 3% 3% 2% 2%
‘Hind toe, Fes 2d) 6 Gi og OS By BO ae
Its claw, 130 a ae Se ae ag ie
Middie toe, 14-15 YY 16 Bon We is
Its claw, eee fo te ote te a ah ee
Anterior tarsal sentella, “17 "18 ; 18 15 19 17.) 189922
Scutella on first toe, if 6 6 6 i 5 6 —
SUI ahi dt ohh second, 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 —
AN, SAY ERT third, TG Es OTS 18 16 eG
net. Pha RD: fourth, a 8 7 7 nh 8s —
If measurements of this kind are calculated to throw light on the
subject, the collectors of skins are welcome to the above, which have
been made with as much accuracy as possible.
An adult male examined. On the roof of the mouth are two lateral
and a median prominent ridge, the intervening space covered with
MARSH HAWK. 407
small papillz. The posterior aperture of the nares is oblong, 4 tweltths
of an inch in length, but with an anterior slit 74 twelfths long. The
tongue, a, is 84 twelfths long, fleshy, emarginate and papillateat the base,
concave above, rounded and slightly emarginate at the tip. ‘The mouth
islinchin breadth. Thecesophagus, abcde, which is 6 inches long, is very
wide, with very thin parietes, and on the lower part of the neck is di-
lated into a sac or crop, )c, which on being distended has a diameter of
2 inches at the widest part. It then contracts to 10 twelfths as it en-
ters the thorax ; its proventricular portion, de, has a diameter of 1 inch.
Thestomach, ¢ fg, is roundish, 1 inch in diameter, somewhat compressed;
its muscular coat extremely thin, being reduced to small parallel fas-
cicult converging toward two tendinous
spaces of an elliptical form, and about
half an inch long. The intestine, g/, is 3
feet 2 inches long; its diameter at the
upper part 3 twelfths, towards the coeca 2
twelfths. The rectum, ¢ 7, is 2 inches long,
not including the cloaca, j, which is glo-
bular and 1 inch in diameter. The coeca
are extremely small, being 2; twelfths
Tn
»))
M/A
long, and 1 twelfth in diameter. The
pylorus has no valve properly so called,
DSN}
[phe
but two ridges run from it into the in-
testine to the length of about 3 twelfths
of an inch. The gall-bladder is7 twelfths
long and 4 twelfths in breadth.
In a very small male, the cesophagus is
Za iiinss
Wg
4? inches long ; the intestine 3 feet 4 in-
ches. In a female, the intestine is 3 feet
9 inches long.
The trachea is 4;°5 inches Jong, flattened,
4} twelfths broad at the upper part, gra-
dually contracting to 2? twelfths; its rings
95, extremely thin and unossified. ‘The
bronchi are of moderate length, with about
20 half-rings. The lateral muscles are
thin, the sterno-tracheal slender.
( 408 )
THE COMMON MAGPIE.
Corvus Pica, Linn.
PLATE CCCLVII. Mate anp FEMALE.
A.rnoucn Magpies are abundant in the north-western portions of
the United States, and are met with as far north as the Saskatchewan
River, where, according to Dr Ricuarpson, some of them spend the
winter, none have yet been seen nearer the shores of the Atlantic than
the head waters of the Red River in Louisiana, where they were seen
in abundance by the lamented Colonel Pixx, then a lieutenant in the
United States’ army. His notice, although already published by W1t-
son, so well describes the habits of this species, that I repeat it here
with pleasure. ‘ Our horses,” he says, “ were obliged to scrape the
snow away to obtain their miserable pittance ; and, to increase their
misfortune, the poor animals were attacked by the Magpies, who, at-
tracted by the scent of their sore backs, alighted on them, and, in de-
fiance of their wincing and kicking, picked many places quite raw ; the
difficulty of procuring food rendering those birds so bold as to alight
on our men’s arms, and eat meat out of their hands.” To Ciarke and
Lewis, however, is due the first introduction of this bird into the
Fauna of the United States. These intrepid travellers first observed
the Magpie near the great bend of the Missouri, although it was known
to have been obtained at the fur-trading factories of the Hudson’s Bay
Company.
There is a difference of opinion as to the identity of the Magpie of
America and that of Europe. Tuomas Nurra.t, who has seen those
of both countries, as well as their nests, and observed their habits, as-
sures me, that he looks upon them as clearly of the same species. Cap-
tain Sasine thought differently, and Cuartes Bonaparte, after re-
marking in his “* Observations on the Nomenclature of Wutson,” that
“it is not a little singular that this species, which is so common in
every part of Europe, should be confined in its range on this continent
to the western and northern regions,” thus plainly indicating his belief
of their identity, names it, in a list of European and North American
ting gs
a:
¥
ty
COMMON MAGPIE. 409
Birds, published in London in April 1838, ‘* Pica Hudsonica. Nob.”
the European bird being at the same time ticketed ‘‘ Pica melanoleuca.”
Mr Swainson, in the Fauna Boreali-Americana, remarks on comparing
them :—‘“‘ We cannot perceive the slightest difference whereon to
build even the character of a variety, much less a species ;” and this
truly is my own opinion.
The following notice regarding our bird was given me by my friend
Tuomas Nurtaty :—‘‘ On the 15th of July, arriving at the borders of
the Shoshonee, or Snake River, we first met with the Common Magpie on
our route, mostly accompanied by the Raven, but there were no Crows.
The young birds were so familiar and greedy, approaching the encamp-
ment in quest of food, as to be easily taken by the Indian boys, when
they soon become reconciled to savage domesticity. The old birds
were sufficiently shy, but the young were observed hopping and croak-
ing around us, and tugging at any offal of flesh meat thrown out, like
so many vultures. Differing so far from the proscribed and persecuted
Magpies of Europe, these, at least the young, seemed evidently to
court the advantages of society in supplying them with food, and be-
trayed scarcely any alarm on our approach. If chased off for an in-
stant, they returned the next, and their monotonousand gluttonous croak
was heard around us at all hours of the day. The dryness of the sea-
son, and the scarcity of insects and small birds, urged them no doubt
to this unusual familiarity with their doubtful friend and frequent
enemy, man. By the borders of streams in the central table-land of
the Rocky Mountains, in several places we saw the old nests of the
Magpie, made usually in low but thick bushes in the usual manner,
barricaded over and floored with interlaced twigs. We scarcely ever
saw them at all in the heavy forests of the Lower Columbia, any more
than the Platte and Missouri, in all which places they are merely ac-
cidental visitors. ‘They are not uncommon, however, in the vicinity
of Monterey in Upper California. Their common call is pay pay, and
the usual low social chatter when approaching their companions. I
one day observed a small flock, and among the fraternity heard one
chattering familiarly in the varied tune of the Cat-bird, as he sat on
a bough by the water, where birds might become his prey. At ano-
ther time I observed a flock of young Magpies boldly persecuting other
birds, and chasing even Pigeon Hawks.”
The following characteristic account of the habits of the Magpie as
observed in Scotland, I have extracted from my friend MaceiLirvray’s
410 COMMON MAGPIE.
‘ History of British Birds.” ‘ It is generally distributed in Britain,
being more or less common in all the cultivated and wooded districts
of England and Scotland, both in the interior and along the coast, al-
though nowhere numerous, on account of the hostility of gamekeepers,
gardeners, and sportsmen of all degrees. ‘here, on the old ash that
overshadows the farm-yard, you may see a pair, one perched on the
topmost twig, the other hopping among the branches, uttering an in-
cessant clatter of short hard notes, scarcely resembling any thing else
in nature, but witha! not unpleasant, at least to the lover of birds.
How gracefully she of the top twig swings in the breeze! Off she starts,
and directing her flight towards the fir wood opposite, proceeds with a
steady, moderately rapid, but rather heavy flight, performed by quick
beats of her apparently short wings, intermitted for a moment at in-
tervals. Chattering by the way, she seems to call her mate after her ;
but he, intent on something which he has spied, hops downwards from
twig to branch, and descends to the ground. Raising his body as high
as possible, and carrying his tail inclined upwards, to avoid contact
with the moist grass, he walks a few paces, and spying an earthworm
half protruded from its hole, drags it out by a sudden jerk, breaks it
in pieces, and swallows it. Now, under the hedge he has found a
snail, which he will presently detach from its shell. But something
among the bushes has startled him, and lightly he springs upwards,
chattering the while, to regain his favourite tree. It is a eat, which,
not less frightened than himself, runs off toward the house. The Mag-
pie again descends, steps slowly over the green, looking from side to
side, stops and listens, advances rapidly by a succession of leaps, and
encounters a whole brood of chickens, with their mother at their heels.
Were they unprotected, how deliciously would the Magpie feast, but alas,
it is vain to think of it, for with fury in her eye, bristled plumage, and
loud clamour, headlong rushes the hen, overturning two of her young-
lings, when the enemy suddenly wheels round, avoiding the encounter,
and flies off after his mate.
There again, you perceive them in the meadow, as they walk about,
with elevated tails, looking for something eatable, although apparently
with little success. By the hedge afar off are two boys with a gun,
endeavouring to creep up to a flock of plovers on the other side. But
the Magpies have observed them, and presently rising fly directly over
the field, chattering vehemently, on which the whole flock takes to
wing, and the disappointed sportsmen sheer off in another direction.
COMMON MAGPIE. 41]
The food of the Magpie consists of testaceous mollusca, slugs, lar-
ve, worms, young birds, eggs, small quadrupeds, carrion, sometimes
grain and fruits of different kinds, in search of which it frequents the
fields, hedges, thickets, and orchards, occasionally visits the farm-yard,
prowls among the stacks, perches on the house-top, whence it sallies at
times, and examines the dunghill and places around. Although it
searches for larvee and worms in the ploughed fields, it never ventures,
like the Rook, and several species of Gull, to follow the plough as it
turns over each successive furrow. It has been accused of picking the
eyes of lambs and sickly sheep, I think with injustice ; but it sometimes
carries off a chicken or duckling, and sucks an egg that may have been
dropt abroad.
It is extremely shy and vigilant in the vicinity of towns, where it is
much molested, but less so in country places, although even there it is
readily alarmed. When one pursues it openly, it flits along the walls
and hedges, shifts from tree to tree, and at length flies off to a dis-
tance. Yet it requires all its vigilance to preserve its life; for, as it
destroys the eggs and young of game birds, it is keenly pursued by
keepers and sportsmen, so that one might marvel to find it maintaining
its ground as a species, and yet it isnot apparently diminishing in most
parts of the country.
On the ground it generally walks in the same manner as the Crows,
but occasionally leaps in a sidelong direction. The sounds which it
emits are a sort of chuckling cry or chatter, which it utters when
alarmed, as wellas when it wishes to apprize other birds of danger. On
the appearance of a fox, a cat, or other unfriendly animal, it never
ceases hovering about it, and alarming the neighbourhood by its cries,
until the enemy has slunk away out of sight.
It generally keeps in pairs all the year round, accompanies its young
for some weeks after they first come abroad, and after the breeding
season retires at night to the copses or woods, where sometimes a con-
siderable number meet together. It begins to construct its nest early
in March, ‘selecting as its site the top of some tall tree, a poplar, an
ash, an elm, sometimes a willow, or a beech; or, in defect of such in a
favourite locality, placing it in a thick bush of hawthorn, holly, or
other low tree, or even inahedge. It isa large, and therefore generally
very conspicuous fabric, oi a spheroidal or elliptical form, composed first
of a layer of twigs, on which is laid a quantity of mud; then a dome
of twigs, frequently hawthorn or sloe, but as often of any other kind,
4i2 COMMON MAGPIE.
loosely but securely interlaced ; while the bottom of the interior is
lined with fibrous roots; and there is left in the side an aperture not
much larger than is barely sufficient to admit the bird. The eggs are
from three to six, and differ considerably in form and colouring, In ge-
neral, they are regularly ovate, or a little pointed, about an inch and
five-twelfths long, eleven and a half twelfths or an inch across; but
sometimes more elongated by one-twelfth of an inch, or abbreviated by
nearly the same quantity. Frequently they are pale green freckled all
over with umber-brown and light purple, and sometimes pale blue or
bluish-white, or greenish-white, with smaller spots and dots of the
same dark colours, so as very nearly to resemble the eggs of the Jay,
which however are smaller.”
Corvus pica, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 157.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. i. p. 162.—
Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 57.— Richards. and Swains.
Fauna Bor.-Amer. vol. ii. p. 292.
Corvus Hupsontvs, Sabine, Frankl. Journ. p. 671.
MaepiE, Nuttall, Manual, vol. i. p. 219.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLVII. Fig. 1.
Bill rather shorter than the head, straight, robust, compressed ;
upper mandible with the dorsal line convex and declinate, the sides
convex, the edges sharp, with a slight notch close to the tip, which is
rather sharp ; lower mandible straight, the angle rather long and wide,
the dorsal outline very slightly convex and ascending, the sides con-
vex, the edges sharp and inclinate. Nostrils basal, lateral, roundish,
covered by bristly feathers, which are directed forwards.
Head large, ovate ; eyes of moderate size ; neck rather short ; body
compact. Legs of moderate length, strong; tarsus with seven large
anterior scutella, and two long plates behind, meeting so as to form a
sharp edge. ‘oes stout, with large scutella, separated almost to the
base; first very strong; lateral toes nearly equal, third considerably
longer. Claws strong, arched, compressed, sharp, the third with the
inner edge somewhat dilated.
Plumage full, soft, blended; stiff bristly feathers with disunited barbs
over the nostrils, some of them extending nearly half the length of the
bill; feathers on the throat with the shaft downy, and prolonged.
Wings of moderate length, much rounded ; the first quill very short,
extremely narrow, and falciform, the second two inches and four-twelfths
Ce ee ee ee ae
COMMON MAGPIE. 413
longer, and about the same length as the ninth; the third an inch and
a quarter longer than the second, and four-twelfths shorter than the
fourth, which is the longest by half a twelfth or so. The tail is very
long, much graduated, the lateral feather being four inches and nine-
twelfths shorter than the middle.
Bill and feet black. Iris dark brown. The plumage of the head,
neck, fore part of the breast and back, black, the feathers on the latter
part being very long, and although rising between the shoulders ex-
tending nearly to the rump ; the top of the head, and the back, glossed
with green, the neck tinged with blue, the shafts of the throat-feathers
grey. ‘The feathers on the middle of the back are greyish-white, those
behind tipped with black; rum and tail-coverts bluish-black. The
scapulars are white; the smaller wing-coverts black, the secondary
coverts, allula, and primary coverts splendent with bronzed green ;
primaries black, glossed with green, their inner webs white excepting
at the end, and for some way along the margin ; secondaries bright blue
changing to green, their inner webs greenish-black. ‘ail splendent
with bright green, changing to greenish-yellow, purplish-red, bluish-
purple and dark green at the end; the inner webs chiefly greenish-
black, but with various tints. The breast and sides are pure white ;
legs, abdominal region, lower tail-coverts, and lower wing-coverts black.
Length to end of tail 183 inches, to end of wings 112; extent of
wings 223; wing from flexure 8; tail 10}; bill along the ridge 144 ;
TZ >
tarsus 1} 9); first toe 7), its claw 39; middle toe 1;%, its claw 4%.
Adult Female. Plate CCCLVII.
The Female is similar to the male, and little inferior in size.
Five American specimens compared with several European, present
no appearances indicative of a specific difference. Some individuals of
both countries are larger than others, and the tail differs much in length,
according to age, or the growth of the feathers. The largest specimen
in my possession, presented to me by Dr Ricuarpson, and marked as
shot by Mr Drummonp, measures as follows :—Length to end of tail
204 inches ; bill along the ridge 1,4; tail 112; wing from flexure 8,3 ;
tarsus 2; middle toe 17%, its claw 74. In this individual the feathers
on the fore neck are white for more than half their length from the
base. In the other specimens this white part is fainter or light grey,
and of less extent.
( 414 )
PINE GROSBEAK.
PYRRHULA ENUCLEATOR. TEMM.
PLATE CCCLVIII. Mate anp FemMate.
In Wi tson’s time, this beautiful bird was rare in Pennsylvania ;
but since ther it has occasionally been seen in considerable numbers,
and in the winter of 1836 my young friend J. TrupEeav, M.D. pro-
eured several in the vicinity of Philadelphia. That season also they
were abundant in the States of New York and Massachusetts. Some
have been procured near the mouth of the Big Guyandotte on the Ohio ;
and Mr Nurratu has observed it on the lower parts of the Missouri.
I have ascertained it to be a constant resident in the State of Maine,
and have met with it on several islands in the Bay of Fundy, as well
as in Newfoundland and Labrador. Dr RicHarpson mentions it as
having been observed by the Expedition in the 50th parallel, and as a
constant resident at Hudson’s Bay. It is indeed the hardiest bird of
its tribe yet discovered in North America, where even the Rose-breasted
Grosbeak, though found during summer in Newfoundland and Labra-
dor, removes in autumn to countries farther south than the Texas,
where as late as the middle of May I saw many in their richest plu-
mage.
The Pine Grosbeak is a charming songster. Well do I remember
how delighted I felt, while lying on the moss-clad rocks of Newfound-
land, near St George’s Bay, I listened to its continuous lay, so late as
the middle of Aucust, particularly about sunset. I was reminded of
the pleasure I had formerly enjoyed on the banks of the clear Mohawk,
under nearly similar circumstances, when lending an attentive ear to
the mellow notes of another Grosbeak. But, Reader. at Newfound-
. land I was still farther removed from my beloved family; the scenery
around was thrice wilder and more magnificent. The stupendous dark
granite rocks, fronting the north, as if bidding defiance to the wintry _
tempests, brought a chillness to my heart, as I thought of the hardships ~
endured by those intrepid travellers who, for the advancement of
science, had braved the horrors of the polar winter. The glowing tints
of the western sky, and the brightening stars twinkling over the waters
PINE GROSBEAK. 415
of the great Gulf, rivetted me to the spot, and the longer I gazed, the
more I wished to remain; but darkness was suddenly produced by the
advance of a mass of damp fog, the bird ceased its song, and all around
seemed transformed into chaos. Silently I groped my way to the beach,
and soon reached the Ripley.
The young gentlemen of my party, accompanied by my son Jonn
Woopnowsr, and a Newfoundland Indian, had gone into the interior in
search of Rein Deer, but returned the following afternoon, having found
the flies and musquitoes intolerable. Myson brought a number of Pine
Grosbeaks, of different sexes, young and adult, but all the latter in
moult, and patched with dark red, ash, black and white. It was curious
to see how covered with sores the legs of the old birds of both sexes
were. ‘These sores or excrescences are, I believe, produced by the
resinous matter of the fir-trees on which they obtain their food. Some
specimens had the hinder part of the tarsi more than double the usual
size, the excrescences could not be removed by the hand, and I was
surprised that the birds had not found means of ridding themselves of
such an.inconvenience. One of the figures in my plate represents the
form of these sores.
I was assured that during mild winters, the Pine Grosbeak is found
in the forests of Newfoundland in considerable numbers, and that some
remain during the most severe cold. A lady who had resided there many
years, and who was fond of birds, assured me that she had kept several
males in cages; that they soon became familiar, wovld sing during the
night, and fed on ail sorts of fruits and berries during the summer,
and on seeds of various kinds in winter; that they were fond of bath-
ing, but liable to cramps ; and that they died of sores produced around
their eyes and the base of the upper mandible. 1 have observed the
same to happen to the Cardinal and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks.
The flight of this bird is undulating and smooth, performed in a di-
rect line when it is migrating, at a considerable height above the forests,
. and in groups of from five to ten individuals. “Chey alight frequently
during the day, on such trees as are opening their buds or blossoms.
At such times they are extremely gentle, and easily approached. are
_ extremely fond of bathing, and whether on the ground or on branches,
move by short leaps. I have been much surprised to see, on my having
fired, those that were untouched, fiy directly towards me, until within
a few feet, and then slide off and alight on the lower branches of
416 PINE GROSBEAK.
the nearest tree, where, standing as erect as little Hawks, they
gazed upon me as if I were an object quite new, and of whose nature
they were ignorant. They are easily caught under snow-shoes put up
with a figure of four, around the wood-cutters camps, in the State of
Maine, and are said to afford good eating. Their food consists of the
buds and seeds of almost all sorts of trees. Occasionally also they
seize a passing insect. I once knew one of these sweet songsters,
which, in the evening, as soon as the lamp was lighted in the room
where its cage was hung, would instantly tune its voice anew.
My kind friend Tuomas M‘Cuttocu of Pictou in Nova Scotia, has
sent me the following notice, which.I trust will prove as interesting to
you as it has been to me. ‘ Last winter the snow was exceedingly
deep, and the storms so frequent and violent that many birds must
have perished in consequence of the scarcity of food. ‘The Pine Gros-
beaks being driven from the woods, collected about the barns in great
numbers, and even in the streets of Pictou they frequently alighted in
search of food. A pair of these birds which had been recently taken
were brought me by a friend, but they were in such a poor emaciated
condition, that I almost despaired of being able to preserve them alive.
Being anxious, however, to note for you the changes of their plumage,
I determined to make the attempt; but notwithstanding all my care,
they died a few days after they came into my possession. Shortly af- ‘
ter, I received a male in splendid plumage, but so emaciated that he
seemed little else than a mass of feathers. By more cautious feeding,
however, he soon regained his flesh, and became so tame as to eat from
my hand without the least appearance of fear. To reconcile him gra-
dually to confinement, he was permitted to fly about my bedroom, and
upon rising in the morning, the first thing I did was to give him a small
quantity of seed. But three mornings in succession I happened to lie
rather later than usual, and each morning I was aroused by the bird
fluttering upon my shoulder, and calling for his usual allowance. The
third morning, | allowed him to flutter about me some time before
shewing any symptom of being awake, but he no sooner observed that
his object was effected than he retired to the window and waited pa-
tiently until I arose. As the spring approached, he used to whistle
occasionally in the morning, and his notes, like those of his relative the —
Rose-breasted Grosbeak, were exceedingly rich and full. About the
time, however, when the species began to remove to the north, his for- —
PINE GROSBEAK. 417
mer familiarity entirely disappeared. During the day he never rested
a moment, but continued to run from one side of the window to the
other, seeking a way of escape, and frequently during the night, when
the moonlight would fall upon the window, I was awakened by him
dashing against the glass. The desire of liberty seemed at last to ab-
sorb every other feeling, and during four days I could not detect the
least diminution in the quantity of his food, while at the same time he
filled the house with a piteous wailing cry, which no person could hear
without feeling for the poor captive. Unable to resist his appeals, I
gave him his release ; but when this was attained he seemed very care-
less of availing himself of it. Having perched upon the top of a tree
in front of the house, he arranged his feathers, and looked about him
for a short time. He then alighted by the door, and I was at last ob-
liged to drive him away, lest some accident should befall him.
“ These birds are subject to a curious disease, which I have never
seen in any other. Irregularly shaped whitish masses are formed upon
the legs and feet. To the eye these lumps appear not unlike pieces of
lime ; but when broken, the interior presents a congeries of minute
cells, as regularly and beautifully formed as those of a honey-comb.
Sometimes, though rarely, I have seen the whole of the legs and feet
covered with this substance, and when the crust was broken, the bone
was bare, and the sinews seemed almost altogether to have lost the
power of moving the feet. An acquaintance of mine kept one of these
birds during the summer months. It became quite tame, but at last
it lost the power of its legs and died. By this person I was informed
that his Grosbeak usually sang during a thunder-storm, or when rain
was falling on the house.”
While in the State of Maine, I observed that these birds, when tra-
velling, fly in silence, and at a considerable height above the trees.
They alight on the topmost branches, so that it is difficult to obtain
them, unless one has a remarkably good gun. But, on waiting a few
minutes, you see the flock, usually composed of seven or eight indivi-
duals, descend from branch to branch, and betake themselves to the
ground, where they pick up gravel, hop towards the nearest pool or
streamlet, and bathe by dipping their heads and scattering the water
over them, until they are quite wet ; after which they fly to the branches
of low bushes, shake themselves with so much vigour as to produce a
smart rustling sound, and arrange their plumage. They then search
for food among the boughs of the taller trees.
VOL. IV. pd
418 PINE GROSBEAK.
Loxra Enucrearor, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 299.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. i.
p- 372.
Pine Grospeak, Loxia Enucreator, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. i. p. 80, pl. 5, fig. 2.
Pyrraura Envuciearor, Oh. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 119.
Pyrravta (Corytuus) Envcteator, Richards. and Swains. Fauna Bor.-Amer.
vol. il. p. 262.
Pine Grosseak or Butirincn, Nuttall, Manual, vol. i. p. 535.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLVIII. Fig. 1.
Bill short, robust, bulging at the base, conical, acute ; upper man-
dible with its dorsal outline convex, the sides convex, the edges sharp
and overlapping ; lower mandible with the angle short and very broad,
the dorsal line ascending and slightly convex, the sides rounded, the
edges inflected ; the acute decurved tip of the upper mandible extend-
ing considerably beyond that of the lower; the gape-line deflected at
the base.
Head rather large, ovate, flattened above ; neck short ; body full.
Legs short, of moderate strength; tarsus short, compressed, with six
anterior scutella, and two plates behind, forming a thin edge; toes
short, the first proportionally stout, the third much longer than the
two lateral, which are about equal; their scutella large, their lower
surface with large pads covered with prominent papille. Claws rather
long, arched, much compressed, laterally grooved, and acute.
Plumage soft, full, rather blended, the feathers oblong. At the
base of the upper mandible are strong bristly feathers directed for-
wards. The wings of moderate length; the primaries rounded, the
second and third longest, and with the fourth and fifth having their
outer webs slightly cut out. Tail rather long, emarginate, of twelve
strong, broad, obliquely rounded feathers.
Bill reddish-brown. Iris hazel. Feet blackish-brown, claws black.
_ The general colour of the plumage is bright carmine tinged with ver-
milion; the feathers of the fore part of the back and the scapulars Ps
greyish-brown in the centre; the bristly feathers at the base of the —
bill blackish-brown; the middle of the breast, abdomen, and lower ¥
tail-coverts, light grey, the latter with a central dusky streak. Wings Z
blackish-brown ; the primaries and their coverts narrowly edged with
reddish-white, the secondaries more broadly with white ; the secondary
coverts and first row of small coverts tipped with reddish-white, the —
smaller coverts edged with red.
PINE GROSBEAK. 419
Length to end of tail 84 inches, to end of wings 64, to end of claws
675; extent of wings 14; wing from flexure 48; tail 4; bill along the
ridge 74, along the edge of lower mandible 7%; tarsus 9 ; first toe 4,
its claw ,; middle toe £5, its claw 7.
Female. Plate CCCLVITII. Fig. 2.
The female is scarcely inferior to the male in size. The bill is
dusky, the feet as in the male. The upper part of the head and hind
neck are yellowish-brown, each feather with a central dusky streak :
the rump brownish-yellow ; the rest of the upper parts light brownish-
grey. Wings and tail as in the male, the white edgings and the tips
tinged with grey; the cheeks and throat greyish-white or yellowish ;
the fore part and sides of the neck, the breast, sides, and abdomen ash-
grey, as are the lower tail-coverts.
Length to end of tail 8} inches, to end of wings 6}, to end of claws
62; extent of wings 133; wing from flexure 44; tail 343; tarsus #4 ;
middle toe and claw 1,4.
Young fully fledged. Plate CCCLVIII. Fig. 3.
The young, when in full plumage, resemble the female, but are
more tinged with brown.
An adult male from Boston examined. The roof of the mouth is
moderately concave, its anterior horny part with five prominent ridges ;
the lower mandible deeply concave. Tongue 43 twelfths long, firm,
deflected at the middle, deeper than broad, papillate at the base, with
amedian groove; for the distal half of its length, it is cased with a
firm horny substance, and is then of an oblong shape, when viewed
from above, deeply concave, with two flattened prominences at the
base, the point rounded and thin, the back or lower surface convex.
This remarkable structure of the tongue appears to be intended for the
purpose of enabling the bird, when it has insinuated its bill between
the scales of a strobilus, to lay hold of the seed by pressing it against
the roof of the mandible. In the Crossbills, the tongue is nearly of the
same form, but more slender, and these birds feed in the same manner,
in so far as regards the prehension of the food. In the present species,
the tongue is much strengthened by the peculiar form of the basi-hyoid
bone, to which there is appended as it were above a thin longitudinal
420 PINE GROSBEAK.
crest, giving it great firmness in the perpendicular movements of the
organ. The cesophagus a bc d, Fig. 1. is two inches 11 twelfths long,
dilated on the middle of the neck so as to form a kind of elongated
dimidiate crop, 4 twelfths of an inch in diameter, projecting to the
right side, and with the trachea passing along that side of the verte-
bre. The proventriculus c, is 8 twelfths long, somewhat bulbiform,
with numerous oblong glandules, its greatest diameter 43 twelfths. A
very curious peculiarity of the stomach ¢, is, that in place of having its
axis continuous with that of the cesophagus or proventriculus, it bends
to the right nearly at a right angle. It is a very powerful gizzard, 84
twelfths long, 8 twelfths broad, with its lateral muscles | inch thick,
the lower very distinct, the epithelium longitudinally rugous, of a light
Fig. 1. Fig. 2.
reddish colour, The duodenum, /, g, first curves backward to the =
length of 14 inch, then folds in the usual manner, passing behind the
right lobe of the liver ; the intestine then passes upwards and to the —
left, curves along the left side, crosses to the right, forms about ten
$$
PINE GROSBEAK. 42]
cireumvolutions, and above the stomach terminates in the rectum,
which is 11 twelfths long. The cceca are 14 twelfth in length and
1 twelfth in diameter. The entire length of the intestine from the
pylorus to the anus is 314 inches (in another male 31); its greatest
breadth in the duodenum 23 twelfths, gradually contracting to 1;
twelfth. Fig. 2. represents the convoluted appearance of the intes-
tine. ‘The esophagus ac; the gizzard d, turned forwards; the duo-
denum, ¢ /; the rest of the intestine, g 4; the ceca, i; the rectum, 7 7,
which is much dilated at the end.
Vhe trachea is 2 inches 2 twelfths long, of uniform diameter, 14
twelfth broad, with about 60 rings; its muscles like those of all the
other species of the Passerine or Fringillide.
In a female, the cesophagus is 2 inches 10 twelfths long; the in-
testine 31 inches long.
In all these individuals and several others, the stomach contained
a great quantity of particles of white quartz, with remains of seeds ;
and in the cesophagus of one was an oat seed entire.
Although this bird is in its habits very similar to the Crossbills,
and feeds on the same sort of food, it differs from them in the form
and extent of its crop, in having the gizzard much larger, and the in-
testines more than double the length, in proportion to the size of the
bird.
( 422 )
ARKANSAW FLYCATCHER.
MuUuscIcAPA VERTICALIS, Bonap.
PLATE CCCLIX. Mate anp FEMALE.
Tuis species extends its range from the mouth of the Columbia
River, across our continent, to the shores of the Gulf of Mexico; but
how far north it may proceed is as yet unknown. On the 10th of
April 1837, whilst on Cayo Island, in the Bay of Mexico, I found a
specimen of this bird dead at the door of a deserted house, which had
recently been occupied by some salt-makers. From its freshness I sup-
posed that it had sought refuge in the house on the preceding evening,
which had been very cold for the season. Birds of several other spe-
cies we also found dead on the beaches. The individual thus met with
was emaciated, probably in consequence of a long journey and scanty
fare; but I was not the less pleased with it, as it afforded me the means
of taking measurements of a species not previously described in full.
In my possession are some remarkably fine skins, from Dr TownsEenn’s
collection, which differ considerably from the figure given by Bona-
rakTE, who first described the species. So nearly allied is it to the
Green-crested Flycatcher, MW. crinita, that after finding the dead bird,
my son and I, seeing many individuals of that species on the trees
about the house mentioned, shot several of them, supposing them, to be
the same. We are indebted to the lamented Tuomas Say for the in-
troduction of the Arkansaw Flycatcher into our Fauna. Mr Nurtatu
has supplied me with an account of its manners.
‘We first met with this bold and querulous species, early in July,
in the scanty woods which border the north-west branch of the Platte,
within the range of the Rocky Mountains ; and from thence we saw
them to the forests of the Columbia and the Wahlamet, as well as in
all parts of Upper California, to latitude 32°. They are remarkably
noisy and quarrelsome with each other, and in the time of incubation,
like the King Bird, suffer nothing of the bird kind to approach them
without exhibiting their predilection for battle and dispute. About
the middle of June, in the dark swamped forests of the Wahlamet, we
every day heard the discordant clicking warble of this bird, somewhat —
ARKANSAW FLYCATCHER. 423
like tsh’k, tsk, tshivait, sounding almost like the creaking of a rusty
door-hinge, somewhat in the manner of the King Bird, with a blending
of the notes of the Blackbird:or Common Grakle. Although I saw
these birds residing in the woods of the Columbia, and near the St
Diego in Upper California, I have not been able to find the nest, which
is probably made in low thickets, where it would be consequently easily
overlooked. In the Rocky Mountains they do not probably breed be-
fore midsummer, as they are still together in noisy quarrelsome bands
until the middle of June.”
Dr Townsenv’s notice respecting it is as follows: ‘* This is the
Chlow-ash-pil of the Chinooks. It is numerous along the banks of the
Platte, particularly in the vicinity of trees and bushes. It is found
also, though not so abundantly, across the whole range of the Rocky
Mountains ; and along the banks of the Columbia to the ocean, it is a
very common species. Its voice is much more musical than is usual
with birds of its genus, and its motions are remarkably quick and
graceful. Its flight is often long sustained, and like the Common
King Bird, with which it associates, it is frequently seen to rest in the
air, maintaining its position for a considerable time. ‘The males are
wonderfully belligerent, fighting almost constantly, and with great
fury, and their loud notes of anger and defiance remind one strongly of
the discordant grating and creaking of a rusty door hinge. The
Indians of the Columbia accuse him of a propensity to destroy the
young, and eat the eggs of other birds.”
Tyrannus vERTICcALIS, Say, Long’s Exped. vol. ii. p. 60.
Muscicapa vVERTICALIs, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 67.
Arxansaw FrycarcHEer, Muscicapa vERTICALIsS, Ch. Bonaparte, Amer. Ornith.
vol. i. p. 18, pl. 2, fig. 2.
Arxkansaw FrycatcHer, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 273.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLIX. Fig. 1.
Bill rather long, stout, tapering, broader than high, unless toward
the end. Upper mandible with its dorsal outline straight. and decli-
nate, until at the tip, where it is deflected, the ridge narrow, the sides
convex, the edges sharp, with a slight notch close to the very narrow
tip. Lower mandible with the angle short and broad, the dorsal line
ascending and very slightly convex, the ridge broad and flat at the base,
the sides convex, the edges sharp, the tip acute. The gape-line al-
424 ARKANSAW FLYCATCHER.
most straight. Nostrils basal, elliptical, partly covered by the bristly
feathers.
Head rather large; neck short; body slender. Feet very short;
tarsus slender, compressed, with six anterior scutella, which are so
large below as almost to meet behind ; toes free, slender, of moderate
length. Claws moderately arched, much compressed, acute.
Plumage soft and blended. Strong bristles along the basal margin
of the upper mandible, and over the nostrils. Wings rather long,
broad ; the first five primaries much attenuated toward the end, the
first more so, the fifth least; this attenuation being chiefly produced
by an incision on the first web; the first four are nearly equal, the third
longest, the fourth half a twelfth shorter, the third one-twelfth shorter
than the hind, and exceeding the first by nearly two-twelfths; the
other primaries gradually broader and more rounded ; outer seconda-
ries abrupt and slightly emarginate. Tail rather long, almost even, of
twelve broad, abruptly rounded and acuminate feathers.
Bill black. Iris brown. Feet and claws black. The general co-
lour of the upper parts is ash-grey, the back tinged with yellow; the
wing-coverts and quills chocolate-brown, with brownish-white edges,
those of the inner secondaries broader. Upper tail-coverts and tail
black, excepting the outer web of the lateral feather on each side,
and the basal margin of the next. There is a patch of bright vermi-
lion on the top of the head, tinged with orange-yellow behind. ‘Throat
greyish-white, the sides and fore part of the neck pale ash-grey, shaded
on the fore part of the breast into pure yellow, which is the prevalent
colour of the lower parts ; lower wing-coverts yellow, the middle ones
tinged with grey.
Length to end of tail 9 inches, to end of wings 7, to end of claws
7, extent of wings 151; tail 34 ; wing from flexure 53 ; bill along the
ridge ;%, along the edge of lower mandible 1, ; tarsus #3 ; first toe 74,
its claw 44 ; third toe 74, its claw 74.
Adult Female. Plate CCCLIX. Fig. 2.
The Female is rather smaller, but is similar to the male in colour-
ing.
The young also is similar to the adult, but wants the red patch on
the head.
4
ARKANSAW FLYCATCHER.
425
In the female mentioned above as having been found in Texas, the
mouth is half an inch wide, its roof anteriorly
slightly concave, with three median prominent lines,
the palate flat, with its membrane or skin diapha-
nous, as in Goatsuckers. The tongue is 7 twelfths
long, deeply emarginate and papillate at the base ;
triangular, extremely depressed, tapering to a thin
slit and bristly point. The posterior aperture of
the nares is 4 twelfths long, linear, papillate on the
edges, ending abruptly at its fore part, without a
prolonged fissure. QEsophagus, a, a, b, 2 inches 9
twelfths long, funnel-shaped for half an inch, then
cylindrical and nearly 4 twelfths in diameter, until
it enters the thorax. Proventriculus, c, 34 twelfths
in diameter, and with a belt of oblong glandules.
Stomach ¢, d, elliptical, 74 twelfths long, 6 twelfths
broad, its lateral muscles of moderate strength, the
lower not distinct ; the epithelium with broad lon-
gitudinal rugze, and of a dark reddish-brown colour.
Intestine, ¢, 7,9, 7 inches long, its diameter at the
anterior part 34 twelfths, gradually diminishing to
14 twelfth. Cceca extremely small, 1 twelfth long,
4 twelfth broad, and 14 inch distant from the anus;
cloaca ¢, globular.
Trachea 1 inch 10 twelfths long, tapering from
}
sa Be
>») ANY AH
Ly I}
a diameter of 2 twelfths to 1 twelfth ; the rings ossified and firm, about
70 in number ; the lateral and sterno-tracheal muscles slender ; the in-
ferior laryngeal muscles are strong but very short, forming a prominent
knob, and attached to the first bronchial ring. Bronchi wide, of about
20 half-rings.
The digestive organs of this bird, and of the Flycatchers in general,
do not differ materially from those of the Thrushes and Warblers. The
pharynx and cesophagus, however, are much wider.
{ 426 )
SWALLOW-TAILED FLYCATCHER.
MuscicaPéA FORFICATA, GMEL.
PLATE CCCLIX. Mate.
Nor having seen this handsome bird alive, I am unable to give you
any account of its habits from my own observation; but I have plea-
sure in supplying the deficiency by extracting the following notice from
the “« Manual of the Ornithology of the United States and of Canada,”
by my excellent friend Tuomas Nutra tt.
«« This very beautiful and singular species of Flycatcher is confined
wholly to the open plains and scanty forests of the remote south-western
regions beyond the Mississippi, where they, in all probability, extend
their residence to the high plains of Mexico. I found these birds ra-
ther common near the banks of Red River, about the confluence of the
Kiamesha. I again saw them more abundant, near the Great Salt
River of the Arkansa in the month of August, when the young and old
appeared, like our King Birds, assembling together previously to their
departure for the south. They alighted repeatedly on the tall plants
of the prairie, and were probably preying upon the grasshoppers, which
were now abundant. At this time also, they were wholly silent, and
flitted before our path with suspicion and timidity. A week or two
after, we saw them no more, having retired probably to tropical winter-
quarters. ,
In the month of May, a pair, which I daily saw for three or four
weeks, had made a nest on the horizontal branch of an elm, probably -
twelve or more feet from the ground. I did not examine it very near,
but it appeared externally composed of coarse dry grass. The female,
when first seen, was engaged in sitting, and her mate wildly attacked
every bird which approached their residence. The harsh chirping
note of the male, kept up at intervals, as remarked by Mr Say, almost
resembled the barking of the Prairie Marmot, “tsh, "tsh, ’tsh. His flow-
ing kite-like tail, spread or contracted at will while flying, is a singu-
lar trait in his plumage, and rendered him conspicuously beautiful to
the most careless observer.”
=
os
ae
ised posing ra ee isa
fares
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a ae
a Aer
Fe ta
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eT
ah
SWALLOW-TAILED FLYCATCHER. 427
Muscicapa ForrFicara, (mel. Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 931.—Lath. Ind. Ornith.
vol. ii. p. 485.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 275.
SwaLtow-TaILeD Frycatcner, Muscicara ForFricata, Bonap. Amer. Ornith.
vol. i. p. 15, pl. 2, fig. 1.
SwaLLow-TaILED FrycarcHer, Vutiall, Manual, vol. i. p. 275.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLIX. Fig. 3.
Bill of moderate length, rather stout, subtrigonal, depressed at the
base, straight ; upper mandible with its dorsal outline nearly straight,
and declinate, to near the tip, which is deflected, slender, compressed,
and acute, the edges sharp and overlapping, with a slight notch close
to the tip; lower mandible with the angle rather long and wide, the
back broad at the base, the dorsal line ascending and very slightly con-
vex, the edges sharp, the tip acute. Nostrils basal, roundish, partly
covered by the bristly feathers.
Head rather large; neck short; body ovate. Feet short; tarsus
with six anterior very broad scutella. Toes free, slender; the first
stout, the lateral equal; claws rather long, arched, slender, much com-
pressed, very acute.
Plumage soft and blended. Bristles at the base of the upper man-
dible strong. Wings rather long, the first four quills longest, with
their inner webs emarginate and attenuate atthe end. Tail very long,
deeply forked, of twelve broad, rounded feathers.
Bill and feet black. Iris hazel. Upper part of the head, the cheeks,
and the hind part and sides of the neck, ash-grey ; scapulars and back
darker and tinged with reddish-brown; the rump darker, the upper
tail-coverts black. Wings brownish-black, all the feathers margined
with greyish-white, the anterior wing-coverts scarlet ; tail feathers
deep black, with their terminal margins white, the three outer on
each side pale rose-coloured to near the end. The throat, fore part of
neck and breast, pure white; the sides, abdomen, and lower tail-co-
verts, and lower wing-coverts, pale rose-colour ; the axillary feathers
bright scarlet.
Length to end of tail 113 inches, to end of wings 7}; tail to the
fork 25%, to the end 51; wing from flexure 5}; bill along the ridge 3,
along the edge of lower mandible 4; tarsus 3; hind toe g, its claw iy ;
middle toe 74, its claw ?%.
( 428 )
SAY’S FLYCATCHER.
Muscicapa Sayaé, Bonap.
PLATE CCCLIX. Mate anp FEMALE.
THis species was first discovered*by Trr1an Pause, Esq. of Phila-
delphia, and named after Mr Tuomas Say by Bonaparte, who de-
scribed and figured it in his continuation of Witson’s American Orni-
thology. It appears to range over a very extensive portion of country,
lying between Mexico and the settlements of the British Fur Compa-
nies, a pair having been procured at Carlton House, as mentioned by
Dr Ricnarpsox. Little is yet known of the habits of this species, but
it would seem, from Mr Notrauw’s remarks, to be a rupestrine Fly-
catcher, and not strictly arboreal, as supposed by Mr Swanson.
“We first observed this bird,” says Mr Nutra, “in our route
westward, about the 14th of June, within the first range of the Rocky
Mountains called the Black Hills, and in the vicinity of that northern
branch of the Platte known by the name of Larimie’s Fork. At the
time, we saw a pair perched as usual on masses of rocks, from which,
like the Pewee, though occasionally alighted, they flew after passing
insects, without uttering any note that we heard ; and from their pre-
dilection, it is probable they ihhabit among broken hills and barren
rocks, where we have scarcely a doubt, from their behaviour, they
had at this time a brood in a nest among these granite cliffs. They
appeared very timorous on our approach, and seemed very limited in
their range. Except among the Blue Mountains of the Columbia,
we scarcely ever saw them again. Their manners appear to be very
much like those of the Common Pewee ; but they are much more silent
and shy.”
Muscicapa Saya, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 67.—Amer.
Ornith. vol. i. p. 20, pl. 2, fig. 3.
Tyrannuta Saya, Richards. and Swains. Fauna Bor.-Amer. vol. ti. p. 142.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLIX. Fig. 4.
Bill of moderate length, rather slender, broader than high at the
SAY’S FLYCATCHER. 429
base, straight ; upper mandible with its dorsal outline nearly straight
and declinate, to near the tip, which is deflected, slender, compressed,
and acute, the edges sharp and overlapping, with a slight notch close to
the tip; lower mandible with the angle short and rounded, the back
broad, the dorsal line ascending and almost straight, the edges sharp,
the tip acute. Nostrils basal, elliptical, partly covered by the bristly
feathers.
Head of moderate size, ovate; neck of moderate length; body
slender. Feet short; tarsus with six very broad anterior scutella ; toes
free, slender; the first stout, the lateral equal; claws long, arched,
slender, much compressed, very acute.
Plumage soft and blended. Bristles at the base of the upper man-
dible slender. Wings rather long, rounded ; primaries tapering, round-
ed, the outer not sinuated on the inner web, the first half an inch shorter
than the second, which is half a twelfth shorter than the third, the
fourth about the same length as the second, the rest moderately gra-
duated ; secondaries long, broad, rounded. Tail rather long, very
slightly divaricate and emarginate, of twelve rounded feathers.
Bill and feet black, basal margin of lower mandible yellow. Iris
hazel. Upper parts brownish-grey, the head more tinged with brown ;
upper tail-coverts and tail brownish-black ; wings of a darker tint than
the back, the feathers margined with greyish-white ; a dusky spot be-
fore the eye; fore part and sides of neck light brownish-grey, shaded
into pale brownish-red on the breast and abdomen; lower wing-coverts
reddish-white.
Length to end of tail 7 inches, to end of wings 5; ; wing from
flexure 4,% ; tail 31; bill along the ridge 74, along the edge of lower
mandible +94; tarsus $$; hind toe 3%, its claw 7%; middle toe 74, its
3
claw 34.
( 430
WINTER WREN.
TROGLODYTES HYEMALIS, VIE\LL.
PLATE CCCLX. Mates, Femate, anp Youne.
Tue extent of the migratory movements of this diminutive bird, is
certainly the most remarkable fact connected with its history. At the
approach of winter it leaves its northern retreats, perhaps in Labrador
or Newfoundland, crosses the inlets of the Gulf of St Lawrence on
tiny concave wings, and betakes itself to warmer regions, where it re-
mains until the beginning of spring. Playfully and with alacrity it
performs the task, hopping from one stump or fallen log to another,
flitting from twig to twig, from bush to bush, here and there flying a
few yards; feeding, singing, and bustling on, as if quite careless as to
time or distance. It has reached the shore of some broad stream, and
here a person ignorant of its habits might suppose it would be stopped ;
but no, it spreads its wings, and glides over like a meteor.
I have found the Winter Wren in the lower parts of Louisiana,
and in the Floridas, in December and January, but never saw one
there after the end of the latter month. Their stay in those parts
rarely exceeds three months; two more are employed in forming a
nest and rearing their broods; and as they leave Labrador by the mid-
dle of August at the latest, they probably spend more than half of the
year in travelling. It would be interesting to know whether those
which breed along the Columbia River, near the Pacific Ocean, visit
the shores of our Atlantic States. My friend THomas Nutrau in-
forms me that he occasionally saw the Winter Wren feeding its young
in the woods, along the north-west coast.
At Eastport, in Maine, when on my way to Labrador, I found
this species in full song, and extremely abundant, although the air
was chill, and icicles hung from every rock, it being then the 9th of
May. On the 11th of June, I found it equally plentiful in the Magda-
lene Islands, and wondered how it could have made its way there, but
was assured by the inhabitants that none were ever seen in winter.
On the 20th of July, I met with it at Labrador, and again asked my-
self, how it could possibly have reached those remote and rugged
WINTER WREN. 431
shores? Was it by following the course of the St Lawrence, or by
flying from one island to another across the Gulf? I have seen it in
almost every State of the Union, but only twice found it breeding
there, once near the Mohawk River in New York, and again in the
Great Pine Swamp in Pennsylvania. It breeds abundantly in Maine,
and probably in Massachusetts, but few spend the winter even in the
latter State.
The song of the Winter Wren excells that of any other bird of its
size with which I am acquainted. It is truly musical, full of cadence,
energetic, and melodious ; its very continuance is surprising, and dull
indeed must be the ear that thrills not on hearing it. When emitted,
as it often is, from the dark depths of the unwholesome swamp, it
operates so powerfully on the mind, that it by contrast inspires a feel-
ing of wonder and delight, and on such occasions has usually impressed
me with a sense of the goodness of the Almighty Creator, who has
rendered every spot of earth in some way subservient to the welfare
of his creatures.
Once when travelling through a portion of the most gloomy part
of a thick and tangled wood, in the Great Pine Forest, not far from
Maunchunk in Pennsylvania, at a time when I was intent on guarding
myself against the venomous reptiles which I expected to encounter,
the sweet song of this Wren came suddenly on my ear, and with so
cheering an effect, that I instantly lost all apprehension of danger,
and pressed forward through the rank briars and stiff laurels, in pursuit
of the bird, which I hoped was not far from its nest. But he, as if
bent on puzzling me, rambled here and there among the thickest
bushes with uncommon cunning, now singing in one spot not far dis-
tant, and presently in another in a different direction. After much
exertion and considerable fatigue, I at last saw it alight on the side of
a large tree, close to the roots, and heard it warble a few notes, which
I thought exceeded any it had previously uttered. Suddenly another
Wren appeared by its side, but darted off in a moment, and the bird
itself which I had followed disappeared. I soon reached the spot,
without having for an instant removed my eyes from it, and observed
a protuberance covered with moss and lichens, resembling those excres-
eences which are often seen on our forest trees, with this difference,
that the aperture was perfectly rounded, clean, and quite smooth. I
put a finger into it, and felt the pecking of a bird’s bill, while a queru-
432 WINTER WREN.
lous cry was emitted. In a word, I had, the first time in my life,
found the nest of our Winter Wren. Having gently forced the tenant
from his premises, I drew out the eggs with a sort of scoop which I
formed. I expected to find them numerous, but there were not more
than six, and the same number I afterwards found in the only other
nest of this species ever discovered by me. The little bird called upon
its mate, and their united clamour induced me to determine upon
leaving their treasures with them; but just as I was about going off,
it struck me that I ought to take a description of the nest, as I might
not again have such an opportunity. I hope, Reader, you will believe,
that when I resolved to sacrifice this nest, it was quite as much on
your account as my own. Externally it measured seven inches in
length, four and a half in breadth ; the thickness of its walls, composed
of moss and lichen, was nearly two inches; and thus it presented in-
ternally the appearance of a narrow bag, the wall, however, being re-
duced to a few lines where it was in contact with the bark of the tree.
The lower half of the cavity was compactly lined with the fur of the
American Hare, and in the bottom or bed of the nest there lay over
this about half a dozen of the large downy abdominal feathers of our
Common Grous, Tetrao Umbellus. The eggs were of a delicate blush-
colour, somewhat resembling the paler leaves of a partially decayed
rose, and marked with dots of reddish-brown, more numerous towards
the larger end.
The nest which I found near the Mohawk was discovered by mere
accident. One day in the beginning of June, and about noon, feeling
fatigued, I sat down on a rock overhanging the water, where, while
resting, 1 might have the pleasure of watching the motions of some
fishes in sight. The damp of the place produced a sudden chillness,
and caused me to sneeze aloud, when from beneath my feet there flew
off a Winter Wren. The nest, which I soon found, was attached to
the lower parts of the rock, and presented the same form and structure
as that already described ; but it was smaller, the eggs, six in number,
contained young far advanced.
The motions of this interesting bird are performed with great ra-
pidity and decision. While searching for food it hops, creeps, and
leaps about from one spot to another, as if it derived pleasure from
exercise. At each movement it bends its breast downward, so as al-
most to touch the object on which it stands, and by a sudden exten-
WINTER WREN. 433
sion of its strong feet, aided by the action of its half drooping concave
wings, jerks itself forward, keeping its tail elevated all the while.
Now through a hollow log it passes like a mouse, now it clings to the
surface in various attitudes, suddenly disappears, but presently shews
itself by your side ; at times it chirrups in a querulous rolling tone, then
emits single clear sharp chirps resembling the syllables ¢shich, tshick,
and again remains silent for a time. It will now and then reach the
upper branches of a small tree or a bush, by hopping and leaping
from twig to twig ; in the course of this transit it will present its op-
posite sides to you a score of times; and when at length it has gained
the summit, it will salute you with its delicate melody, and then dash
headlong and be out of sight ina moment. This is almost constantly
observed during the spring season, when more than ever its alertness
is displayed. On all such occasions however, whilst in the act of sing-
ing, its tail is seen to be depressed. In winter, when it takes posses-
sion of the wood-pile, close to the husbandman’s dwelling, it will chal-
lenge the cat in querulous tones, and peeping out here and there, as
it frisks in security, wear out Grimalkin’s patience.
The food of the Winter Wren consists chiefly of spiders, caterpil-
lars, and small moths, as well as larve. Towards autumn it eats small
juicy berries.
Having lately spent a winter, at Charleston in South Carolina,
with my worthy friend Jonn Bacuman, I observed that this little
Wren made its appearance in that city and its suburbs in December.
On the 1st January I heard it in full song in the garden of my friend,
who informed me that in that State it does not appear regularly every
winter, but is sure to be found during very cold weather.
With the view of enabling you to compare the habits of our Winter
Wren and the Common Wren of Europe, the manners of birds being a
subject on which, as you are well aware, I have always bestowed par-
ticular attention, I here present you with those of the latter bird, as
observed in Britain, by my learned friend, Witttam Macci.uivray :
—“ With us the Wren is not migratory, but is found during winter
in the most northern parts of the island, as well as in the Hebrides.
Its flight is effected by a rapid and continuous motion of the wings, and
therefore is not undulated, but direct ; nor is it usually sustained, for
the bird merely flits from one bush to another, or from stone to stone.
It is most frequently met with along stone-walls, among fragments of
VOL. Iv. Ee
434 WINTER WREN.
rocks, in thickets of gorse, and by hedges, where it attracts notice by
the liveliness of its motions, and frequently by its loud chirring noise.
When standing, it keeps its tail nearly erect, and jerks its whole body ;
then hops about with alacrity, using its wings at the same time, and
continually enunciating its rapid chit. In spring and summer, the
male has a very pleasing, full, rich, and mellow song, which it repeats
at intervals ; and even in autumn and on fine days in winter, it may
often be heard hurrying over its ditty, the loudness and clearness of
which, as proceeding from so diminutive a creature, is apt to excite
surprise, even after it has been long familiar.
“ During the breeding season, Wrens keep in pairs, often in unfre-
quented parts, such as bushy dells, mossy woods, the banks of streams,
and stony places overgrown with brambles, sloes, and other shrubs ; but
they are also to be found in shrubberies, gardens, and hedges in the
immediate vicinity of human habitations, to which the wilder indivi-
duals also approach in winter. ‘They are not properly speaking shy,
as they conceive themselves to be secure at the distance of twenty or
thirty yards ; but on the approach of a person, they conceal themselves
in holes among stones, or the roots of bushes. :
“I know not a more pleasant object to look at than the Wren: it
is always so smart and cheerful. In gloomy weather, other birds often
seem melancholy, and in rain the Sparrows and Finches stand silent on
the twigs, with drooping wings and ruffled plumage. But to the Wren
all weathers are alike. The big drops of the thunder-shower no more
wet it than the drizzle of an easterly haar; and as it peeps from be-
neath the bramble, or glances from a hole in the wall, it seems as snug”
as a kitten frisking on the parlour rug.
“Tt is amusing to watch the motions of a young family of Wrens
just come abroad. Walking among furze, or broom, or juniper, you
are attracted to some bush by hearing issue from it a lively and fre-
quent repetition of a sound which resembles the syllable chit. On
going up you perceive an old Wren flitting about the twigs, and pre-
sently a young one flies off, uttering a stifled chirr, to conceal itself
6 a - . Pa
that an old one may soon be tired out in time of snow, when it cannot |
iy
WINTER WREN. 435
easily conceal itself. And yet, even in such a case, it is by no means
easy to keep it in sight, for on the side of a bank, or by a wall, or ina
thicket, it will find a hole where one least expected it, and creeping in
some crevice beneath the snow, reappear at a considerable distance.
* The food of birds can be determined only by opening their crops
or stomachs, or by observation directed to living individuals, the for-
mer, however, being the only sure method. The Wrens which I have
opened generally contained remains of insects of various kinds, with
larvee, and sometimes pupe ; but I have also found in them seeds, and
Mr Nevitte Woop states that they sometimes eat red currants. In
the stomach of.an individual examined in December 1830, I found many
small hard seeds, an entire pupz, and numerous fragments of the shells
of pupz, and elytra of coleopterous insects. So small a bird having so
slender a bill, might doubtless be taken for a typical entomophagist ;
but it is probable that no species of this order confines itself exclu-
sively to insects.
“The Wren pairs about the middle of spring, and begins early in
April to construct its nest, which varies much in form and composi-
tion, according to the locality. One brought me by my son is of asto-
nishing size compared with that of its architect, its greatest diameter
being seven inches, and its height five. Having been placed on a flat
surface under a bank, its base is of a corresponding form, and is com-
posed of layers of decayed ferns and other plants, mixed with twigs of
herbaceous and woody vegetables. Similar materials have been em-
ployed in raising the outer wall of the nest itself, of which the inte-
rior is spherical, and three inches in diameter. ‘The wall is composed
of mosses of several species, quite fresh and green, and it is arched
over with fern leaves and straws. The mosses are curiously interwoven
with fibrous roots and hair of various animals, and the inner surface is
even and compact, like coarse felt. To the height of two inches there
is a copious lining of large soft feathers, chiefly of the Wood Pigeon,
but also of the Pheasant and Domestic Duck, with a few of the Black-
bird. The aperture, which is in front, and in the form of a low arch,
two inches in breadth at the base, and an inch and a half in height,
has its lower edge formed of slender twigs, strong herbaceous stalks,
and stems of grasses, the rest being felted in the usual manner. It
contained five eggs of an elongated oval form, averaging eight lines
in length, and six lines in breadth, pure white, with some scat-
436 WINTER WREN.
tered dots of light red at the larger end, one of them with scarcely
any, and another with a great number. Of three nests presented
to me by my friend THomas DurHam Werr, Esq. one is extremely
beautiful, being composed entirely of fresh green hypna, without any
internal layer, although, no eggs having been found in it, it pos-
sibly had not been completed. It is of an oblong form, seven inches
in length, and four in its transverse diameter. The mouth mea-
sures an inch and eight-twelfths across, an inch and a twelfth in
height. Its lower part is formed of small twigs of larch laid across and
interwoven, so as to present a firm pediment. The longitudinal dia-
meter of the interior is three inches and a half. Another, formed on
a decayed tuft of Aira caspitosa, is globular, six inches in diameter, and
composed of moss, with a lining of hair and feathers, chiefly of the do-
mestic fowl. The third is globular, and externally formed almost en-
tirely of ferns, like that described above. In all the nests of this spe-
cies which I have seen, the lower part of the mouth was composed of
twigs of trees, or stems of herbaceous plants laid across, and kept to-
gether with moss and hair.
“‘ The nests are found in a great variety of situations : very often in
a recess overhung by a bank, sometimes in a crevice among stones, in
the hole of a wall, or of a tree, among the thatch of a cottage or out-
house, on the top of a shed or barn, the branch of a tree, whether grow-
ing along a wall, or standing free, among ivy, honeysuckle, clematis,
or other climbing plants. When the nest is on the ground, its base
is generally formed of leaves, twigs, and straws, and its exterior is
often similar ; but when otherwise, the outer surface is generally smooth
and chiefly composed of moss.
“The number of eggs which it lays has been variously stated by au-
thors. Mr Wer says that, although it is commonly seven or eight,
so many as sixteen or seventeen have been found in its nest. “ Ro-
BERT SMITH, weaver in Bathgate, told me, that a few years ago, he saw
in a nest, which was built on the bank of a rivulet about two miles from
Linlithgow, seventeen eggs; and James D. Baittre, Esq. informed
me, that in June last, he took out of one which he discovered in a spruce
tree, near Polkemmet House, sixteen eggs.”
My friend Tuomas M‘Cuntocn of Pictou has presented me with
the following curious account of a European individual of this species.
‘“ During my residence at Spring Vale in the vicinity of Hammer-
722A
ag et
WINTER WREN. 437
smith, I was amusing myself one afternoon with the movements of a
pair of Water-hens, which were flirting about the edge of the tall reeds
so abundant in that neighbourhood, when my attention was arrested
by a Wren, carrying a straw, darting into a small hedge directly be-
neath the window at which I stood. In a few minutes the bird reap-
peared, and flew to a piece of old thatch which was lying near, and
having disengaged another straw he immediately returned with it to
the place in which the first had been deposited. For about two hours
this operation was continued by the bird with the greatest diligence.
He then abandoned his task, and ascending the highest twig of the
hedge, he poured forth his sweet and merry notes, until driven away
by some person passing near. For the remainder of the evening I saw
no more of the little architect, but on the following morning, being
drawn to the window by his song, I observed him leave his favourite
perch and resume with ardour the employment of the previous day.
During the forenoon I was not able to pay much attention to the move-
ments of the Wren, but from an occasional glance | observed that his
task, with the exception of a few intervals of relaxation, when his
merry warble fell upon the ear, was plied with a degree of bustling ac-
tivity which was worthy of the important undertaking. On examining
his labours at the close of the second day, I observed that the exterior
of a large spherical nest was nearly finished, and that from the old
thatch, though exceedingly moist and black from decay, all the mate-
rials had been obtained. By the afternoon of the ensuing day his visits
to the thatch were discontinued, and he kept bustling and flirting about
the spot. He seemed from his lengthened intervals of song rather to
be exulting in the progress, than to be making any addition to the
work. In the evening I inspected the nest, and found the exterior
complete, and by carefully inserting my finger, I ascertained that no
lining had yet been applied, in consequence most probably of the mois-
ture which still remained in the straw. Returning to the spot in about
half an hour afterwards, with one of my cousins, to look at the nest, I
observed with no small surprise that the little bird had not only re-
sented the intrusion by closing up the aperture, but also had opened
another passage from the opposite side of the hedge. The aperture was
closed with pieces of the old thatch, and the work was so neatly exe-
cuted that no traces of the former entrance were perceptible. ‘The
nest was altogether the work of one bird, and during the time he spent
438 WINTER WREN.
in building we never observed another Wren in his company. In the
choice of the materials, as well as in the situation of the nest, there
was something exceedingly curious. Though the bottom and sides of
the garden were enclosed by a thick hedge, in which he could have
built in perfect security, and where; from the vicinity of the stables,
abundance of fresh materials could have been easily obtained, yet the
old thatch and the hedge at the head of the garden were preferred.
This part of the hedge was young and thin, and separated from the
buildings by a narrow path, which was constantly frequented by the
servants of the establishment. Interruptions from this source, how-
ever, he did not seem to mind, for though often driven from his task
he returned the next moment with as much confidence as if he had
never been disturbed. Even when his nest was destroyed by the
wantonness of a stranger, he did not abandon the place, but continued
to carry straws from the old thatch with as much diligence as before.
From the extreme caution, however, which he subsequently displayed,
and the circuitous routes which he took, I never could discover the
spot which he selected for his second nest.”
The Winter Wren so closely resembles the European Wren, that
I was long persuaded of their identity; but a careful comparison of a
great number of specimens, has convinced me that permanent differen-
:
ces in colouring may be pointed out, although still, I am not by any a
means persuaded that they are specifically different. j
TroctopytEs Hyermatis, Viceill. Encycl. Meth., ii. p. 470.
TRroGLopyTEs EUROP£US, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 93.
WINTER WREN, Sytvia TroctoprTeEs, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. i. p, 139, pl. 8,
fig. 6. ;
TroetopytTEs Hyemaris, WINTER WREN, Richards. and Swains. Fauna Bor.-
Amer. vol. ii. p. 318.
Winter Wren, Wutiall, Manual, vol. i. p. 427.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLX: Fig 1. j
Bill rather long, slender, tapering, acute, nearly straight, subtrigo-
nal at the base, compressed towards the end. Upper mandible with
the dorsal outline slightly arched, the ridge narrow, the sides sloping
at the base, towards the end slightly convex and erect, the edges sharp,
direct, without note; lower mandible with the angle narrow and ra-
WINTER WREN. 439
ther acute, the dorsal outline straight, the back narrow, the edges sharp,
and inflected, the tip very narrow ; the gape-line very slightly arched.
Nostrils linear-oblong, basal.
Head ovate, of moderate size, neck short; body ovate. Feet of
ordinary length ; tarsus compressed, with seven anterior scutella, of
which the upper are indistinct; toes rather large compressed ; first
large, and much longer than the two lateral which are equal, the third
much longer; the third and fourth coherent as far as the second joint
of the latter. Claws long, arched, extremely compressed, lateraily
grooved, acute.
Plumage soft and blended; no bristle-feathers at the base of the
bill. Wing shortish, broad, much rounded ; first quill very small, be-
ing little more than half the length of the second, which is 2} twelfths
shorter than the third; the fourth longest, and exceeding the third by
half a twelfth, and the fourth by somewhat less; secondaries long,
rounded. Tail short, much rounded, of twelve slightly arched, weak
rounded feathers. .
Bill dusky brown, with the basal edges of the upper and two-thirds
of the lower mandible paler. Iris brown. ‘Tarsi and toes pale green-
ish-brown, as are the claws. The general colour of the upper parts is
reddish-brown, darker on the head, brighter on the tail-coverts, quills,
and tail. There is a white spot near the tips of the posterior dorsal
feathers. The secondary coverts, and the first small coverts, have each
a white spot at the'tip. The wing-coverts and quills banded with black-
ish-brown and brownish-red, the bands of the latter colour becoming
reddish-white on the outer five quills. Tail with twelve dusky-bands.
The dorsal feathers and scapulars are more faintly barred in the same
manner. A brownish-white band from the upper mandible over the
eye; the cheeks brown, spotted with brownish-white, the margins of
the feathers being of the former colour; the lower parts pale reddish-
brown, the sides and abdomen barred with brownish-black and grey-
ish-white; the fore neck and breast more faintly barred; the lower
wing-coverts and axillars greyish-white, barred with dusky; the lower
tail-coverts brownish-red, barred with dusky and having the tip white.
Length to end of tail 32 inches, to end of wings 31, to end of claws
42; extent of wings 6; wing from flexure 14 ; taik1,° ; bill along the
ridge 35; tarsus 3% ; hind toe 35, its claw 74; middle toe ;%, its claw
#4. Weight 6 dr.
440 WINTER WREN.
Female. Plate CCCLX. Fig. 2.
The Female is somewhat smaller than the male.
Length to end of tail 33 inches, to end of wings 3, to end of claws
42; extent of wings 53; wing from flexure 14; tail 144. Weight 4dr.
Young in Autumn. Plate CCCLX. Fig. 3.
The upper parts are much darker than in the adult; the lower
parts of a deeper tint.
Length to end of tail 33 inches, to end of wings 34, to end of claws
42; extent of wings 53; wing from flexure 13}.
The young bird just ready to fly, has the bill bright yellow, except-
ing the ridge of the upper mandible, which is brown ; the feet yellow-
ish-brown. The upper parts are reddish-brown, faintly barred with
dusky ; the wings as in the adult, but the secondary coverts with only
a very small dull white spot at the tip, and the first row of coverts with
a line of the same colour along the ‘shaft. The lower parts are dull
greyish-brown, with the terminal margin of each feather darker, and
the sides and hind parts barred with dusky.
On comparing numerous specimens of American and European
birds, it is found that the proportions of the parts are nearly the same,
and the colours generally similar. But the American birds generally
have the lower parts more tinged with red, their general colour being
pale reddish-brown, whereas those of the European birds are pale
greyish-brown ; in the former the bars on the sides and hind parts are
much darker, advance farther on the breast, and in some specimens are
seen even on the neck ; in-the latter the bars are dusky, and never ap-
pear on the middle of the breast, much less on the neck. In old Euro-
pean birds, the axillars and lower wing-coverts are greyish-white, with-
out spots ; in old American birds, even those of which the neck is un-
barred, the axillars and lower wing-coverts are always barred with
ausky. As to the two rows of white spots on the wings, they seem to
be quite similar in the birds of both continents, and in those of each
exhibit variations in form, sometimes being short and somewhat tri-
angular, sometimes also extending along the shaft. The tarsi, toes,
and claws are precisely similar, as are the wings, and it does not ap-
pear that in the American bird the claws are larger, or the wings
WINTER WREN. 44]
longer, as might be supposed by a person desirous of proving the one
to be more scansorial and migratory than the other. Perhaps the Eu-
ropean bird is somewhat larger, and it certainly differs a little in colour.
After one has studied the differences, he can easily select from a pro-
miscuous assemblage of skins the European or the American specimens.
But, after all, the differences are very slight, and certainly not such as
to form good essential characters. Were the two species to be com-
paratively characterized, they might be described as follows.
T. europea. In the male the upper parts reddish-brown, faintly
barred with dusky, the lower parts pale greyish-brown, the sides and
abdomen barred with dusky and greyish-white, the fore neck and breast
without bars, the lower wing-coverts and axillars greyish-white.
T. lyemalis. In the male the upper parts reddish-brown, faintly
barred with dusky, the lower parts pale reddish-brown, the sides and
abdomen barred with brownish-black and greyish-white, the fore neck
and breast more faintly barred, the lower wing-coverts and axillars
greyish-white, barred with dusky.
The following is a comparative view of the measurements of several
American and European birds.
American. Kuropean.
—— ; po
Length to end of tail, 34 31h 33 4 44 3g
NS assis cae. oo wings, 34 — 3¢ 33 — 33
_ ee claws, 43 _ 43 44 — 41
Extent of wings, 62 _ 53 5E 62 52
Wing from flexure, i 1i3 17 i i Ie Ss
Tail, : hela 7 135 1% 13 (14 liz
Bill, : : : . vs 12 Let ie lis os
Tarsus, . ‘ ; 3 {2 Te 17 7 12
Hind toe, : : : ia a is eee ae
Its claw, : : iz = 5 t Sree &
Middle toe, . : fa 6 & uaa &
Its claw, ; : : a a + bay. § 2
442 WINTER WREN.
In a male shot at Charleston in January, the upper mandible has a
prominent median line beneath, the palate is flat, the mouth 23 twelfths
in breadth. ‘The tongue is 5 twelfths long, emarginate and papillate
at the base, slender, flattened, very narrow, tapering to a lacerated
point. The cesophagus, a,,c, is 14 inch long, of uniform diameter,
being 14 twelfths in breadth. The stomach, d, ¢, is oblong, 5 twelfths
in length, 34 twelfths in breadth, its muscles of
moderate strength, the lower not distinct from the is rg
right; the cuticular lining longitudinally rugous, 2
and of a dark brown colour. The intestine, f, g, h, 5
is 8 inches long, ‘the duodenum 2 twelfths in dia- E
meter ; the cceca 1 twelfth long, 14 twelfth broad . EY
the neck 9 twelfths long ; the cloaca large, globular,
ny
3 twelfths in diameter.
The trachea is 1 inch 3 twelfths long, of nearly
uniform diameter, 14 twelfths broad; the lateral f
muscles strong, sterno-tracheal, and four pairs of
inferior laryngeal muscles ; the rings ossified.
{ 443 )
ROCK WREN.
TROGLODYTES OBSOLETUS, Savy.
PLATE CCCLX. Anputt Femate.
THis species was discovered by some of Major Lone’s exploring
party, and first described by Mr Tuomas Say. My friend Tuomas
Nutratt, who had opportunities of studying its habits, during his
recent journey in company with Dr Townsenp, has assured me that
they are very similar to those of the other Wrens. ‘The figure in
the plate was taken from an adult female, given to me by Mr Nurratt ;
and I have since then obtained two males. In my drawing the bird
was represented on a stone, but for the reasons mentioned in my In-
troduction, my son Vicror Girrorp attached it to the drawing of the
Winter Wren, so that it now appears perched on a twig, which, how-
ever, is not a common practice with this species.
“On the 21st of June,” says Mr Nurtatt, “ on the ledges of the ©
bluffs which border the bottom of Hare’s Fork of the Siskadee (or Co-
lorado of the West), I heard, and at length saw this curious Mountain
Wren. Its actions are those of the Carolina species, T'roglodytes ludovici-
anus. The old female (as I supposed) sat upon a ledge of rock at the head
of a high ravine in the bluff, cocking her tail, and balancing herself, at the
same time uttering a tshurr, tshurr, and téaigh, with astrong guttural ac-
cent, and now and then, when approached, like the common Short-billed
Marsh Wren, T7roglodytes brevirostris, a quick guttural tshe de de. It has
also a shrill call at times, as it perches on a stone on the summit of some
hill, again similar to the note of the Carolina Wren, occasionally inter-
rupted by a¢shurr. Among these arid and bare hills of the central table-
land they were quite common. The old ones were feeding and watching
a brood of four or five young, which, though fully grown, were protected
and cherished with the querulous assiduity so characteristic of the other
Wrens. They breed under the rocky ledges where we so constantly
observed them, under which they skulk at once when surprised, and
pertinaciously hide in security, like so many rats. Indeed so sudden-
ly do they disappear among the rocks, and remain so silent in their re-
treat, that it is scarcely possible to believe them beneath your feet till
444 ROCK WREN.
after a lapse of a few minutes you begin to hear a low cautious chirp,
and the next moment, at the head of the ravine, the old female pro-
bably again appears, scolding and jerking in the most angry attitudes
she is capable of assuming. In the same rocky retreats they are com-
monly accompanied by a kind of small striped Ground Squirrel, like
that of the eastern coast in many respects, but much smaller. These
little animals, which are numerous, the ‘\Vhite-chinned Buzzard, Buteo
eulgaris of RicHaRrpson and Swatnson, and the Raven frequently hover
over and pounce upon. We met with this species as far west as the
lowest falls of the Columbia, or within a few miles of Fort Van Couver,
but among rocks and cliffs as usual.”
TROGLODYTES OBSOLETA, Say-
MyorHera oBsoLeta, Ch. Bonap. Amer. Ornith. vol. i. p. 6, pl. 1, fig. 2.
Rocxy Mountarn Wren, Nuttall, Manual, vol. i. p. 435.
Adult Female. Plate CCCLX. Fig. 4.
Bill nearly as long as the head, slender, slightly arched, compressed
toward the end; upper mandible with the sides convex towards the end,
flat and declinate at the base, the edges sharp and overlapping, with a
very slight notch close to the declinate tip; lower mandible with the
angle long and narrow, the dorsal line very slightly concave, the sides
sloping outwards and concave, the tip narrow. Nostrils oblong, basal,
with a cartilaginous operculum, open and bare.
Head oblong ; neck short; body slender. Legs of ordinary length;
tarsus longer than the middle toe, compressed, with eight anterior dis-
tinct scutella, and two lateral plates forming a sharp edge behind.
Toes of moderate size, the third and fourth united at the base, the first
large, the outer considerably longer than the inner. Claws rather
long, moderately arched, much compressed, with an abruptly tapering,
very acute tip.
Plumage soft and loose. Wings of moderate length, convex, broad
and rounded ; the first quill very short, the second a quarter of an inch
shorter than the third; the fourth longest, but scarcely exceeding the
third and fifth. Tail rather long, much rounded, of twelve broad,
rounded feathers.
Bill dusky, with the edges pale yellow. Iris hazel. Feet dusky.
Upper parts light dull yellowish-brown, and, excepting the r ump,
Se ee nt ee Se EE eee eee ee
ROCK WREN. 445
transversely barred with greyish-brown ; the wings barred in the same
manner, excepting the primaries, which are plain ; the secondary co-
verts with a small white spot near the tip. ‘Tail-coverts barred like
the back, as are the two middle tail-feathers ; the others broadly tipped
with pale yellowish-red, undulated with dusky; behind which is a
broad band of brownish-black ; the remaining or basal part banded like
the central feathers, the outer feather with four reddish-white spots or
bars on the outer web, the intervals being brownish-black, and a spot
of white on the inner web. ‘The lower parts are greyish-white, tinged
with sienna, the sides inclining to yellowish-red. The lower tail-co-
verts are barred with brownish-black.
Length to end of tail 6 inches, wing from flexure 2}3; tail 24; bill
along the ridge 73; tarsus #, ; hind toe 74, its claw 35 ; middle toe +4,
its claw 74.
{ 446
DUSKY GROUS.
TETRAO OBSCURUS, Say.
PLATE CCCLXI. Mate anp FEMALE.
As I have never seen this species in its native haunts, I am obliged
_ to have recourse to the observations of those who have had opportunities
of studying its habits. ‘The only accounts that can be depended upon
are those of Dr Ricuarpson, Dr Townsrenpb, and Mr Nutratt, which
I here give in order, beginning with what is stated respecting it in
the Fauna Boreali-Americana by the first of these naturalists.
* This large Grous inhabits the Rocky Mountains from latitude
40° to 60°, and perhaps to a greater extent, for the limits of its range
either northward or southward have not been ascertained. It has been
known to the fur-traders for nearly thirty years ; but it was first intro-
duced to the scientific world by Mr Say, who, in 1820, accompanied
Major Lone to the source of the Missouri; and a female specimen, de-
posited by him in the Philadelphia Museum, has lately been figured by
the Prince of MusicNnano in his continuation of Wilson’s Ornithology.
I had no opportunity of observing the habits of this bird myself, but
|
:
¥
was informed by Mr Drummonp that, in the mornings during pairing 3
a
time, “ the usual station of the male is on some rocky eminence or large
stone, where he sits swelling out the sides of his neck, spreading his
tail, and repeating the ery of “* Coombe, Coombe,” in a soft hollow
tone. Its food consists of various berries, and its flesh is very pala-
table. Mr ALExanpDER Stewart, a chief-factor of the Hudson’s Bay
Company, who has often crossed the mountains, informs me that the
males of this species fight each other with such animosity, that a man
may take one of them up in his hand before it will quit its antagonist.”
Dr Ricuarpson adds in a note, that “ the description and figure
of Mr Say’s specimen agree so completely with our younger female
specimens, that there can be no doubt of their specific identity ; but it
is proper to observe that there is some discrepancy in the dimensions.
The Prince of Musienano states the total length of the bird to be
-eighteen inches, that of the wing nine inches and a half. The wing
DUSKY GROUS. 447
of the largest of our males is scarcely so long; while the biggest of
our females, measuring twenty-one inches in total length, has a wing
barely eight inches long. This, perhaps, merely indicates the uncer-
tainty of measurements taken from prepared specimens. Mr Douc-
Las’s specimens in the Edinburgh Museum are of younger birds than
ours, but evidently the same species.” These remarks correspond
with what I have so often repeated, that age, sex, and different states
of moult, produce disparities in individuals of the same species.
Dr Townsenp, in the notes with which he has favoured me, has the
following observations :—‘“‘ Dusky Grous, Tetrao obscurus. Qul-al-lalleun
of the Chinooks. First found in the Blue Mountains, near Wallah
Wallah, in large flocks, in September. Keep in pine woods altogether,
never found on the plains; they perch on the trees. Afterwards found
on the Columbia River in pairs in May. The eggs are numerous, of a
cinereous brown colour, blunt at both ends, and small for the size of
the bird. The actions of the female, when the young are following her,
are precisely the same as the Ruffed Grous, using all the arts of that
bird in counterfeiting lameness, &c. Female smaller than the male,
- lighter coloured, and wants the yellow warty skin upon the sides of the
neck.”
Mr Norratt’s notice is as follows :—“ ‘The Dusky Grous breeds
in the shady forests of the Columbia, where we heard and saw them
throughout the summer. The male at various times of the day makes
a curious uncouth tooting, almost like the sound made by blowing into
the bung-hole of a barrell, b00 wh’h, wh'h, wh'h, wih, the last note de-
scending into a kind of echo.’ We frequently tried to steal on the per-
former, but without success, as, in fact, the sound is so strangely mana-
ged that you may imagine it to come from the left or right indifferently.
They breed on the ground, as usual, and the brood keep together nearly
all winter. The Ruffed Grous also breeds here commonly, and I one
day found the nest concealed near a fallen log, but it was at once for-
saken after this intrusion, though I did not touch the eggs.”
From the examination of specimens in my possession, I am _per-
suaded that this species, like Tetrao Cupido, has the means of inflating
the sacs of bare skin on the sides of the neck, by means of which, in
the breeding season, are produced the curious sounds above described.
448 DUSKY GROUS.
TETRAO oBscuRUs, Dusky Grovus, Ch. Bonaparte, Amer. Ornith. vol. iii pl. 18.—/d.
Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 127.—Richards. and Swains. Fauna Bor.-
Amer. vol. ii. p. 344.
Dusxy Grovs, Nuttall, Manual, vol. i. p. 666.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLXI. Fig. 1.
Bill short, robust, slightly arched, rather obtuse, the base covered
by feathers. Upper mandible with the dorsal line convex and declinate,
the ridge convex, the sides convex, the edges sharp and overlapping, the
tip thin-edged and rounded; lower mandible with the angle long and
wide, the dorsal line ascending and convex, the ridge broad, the sides
convex, the edges inflected, the tip rounded. Nostrils in the fore part
of the large and feathered nasal depression, roundish.
Head small, ovate ; neck of ordinary length; body large and full-
Feet stout, of moderate length; tarsus short, feathered ; toes stout ;
the first very small, the lateral about equal, and much shorter than the
third ; the anterior toes connected by basal scaly membranes, partially
covered with feathers ; all with broad and short scutella, margined, but
searcely pectinate, the lateral scales not being prominent. Claws rather
large, arched, compressed, rather obtuse.
Plumage full, soft, rather blended, the feathers broad and rounded.
A bare papillate space around the eye. Feathers on the upper part of
the head narrow and elongated. Wings rather short, convex, much
rounded ; the quills very strong ; the third longest, the fourth next, the
third and sixth about equal, as are the first and seventh. Tail large.
of ordinary length, rounded, of twenty feathers, which are broader to-
ward the end, and abruptly rounded.
Bill brownish-black, lighter at the base. Iris dark hazel. Toes
bluish-grey, claws wood-brown. Papillar space around the eye vermi-
lion. Upper parts blackish-brown, the wings lighter. The elongated
feathers on the head greyish-brown ; the hind neck minutely undulated
with bluish-grey ; the scapulars, inner secondaries, and smaller wing-
coverts also minutely undulated with grey and brownish-red, and most
of the latter with a small greyish tip ; the rump and upper tail-coverts
obscurely undulated with grey. Alula, primary coverts and quills,
clove-brown, the secondaries bordered and tipped with yellowish-grey ;
the primaries mottled with grey on their outer webs. The tail is
black. The sides of the head, fore part and sides of the neck, and fore
part of the breast greyish-black ; the lore and throat are barred with
ots
3
yy
DUSKY GROUS. 449
white ; the greyish-black of the breast passes into blackish-grey, and
finally into dull bluish-grey ; the feathers of the abdomen tipped with
greyish-white, as are the lower rump and tail-coverts, which have more-
over one or two narrow bars of the same; the flanks undulated with
black and marked with an elongated white spot along the central
part and on the tip ; axillary feathers white, as are the inner wing-co-
verts ; the tarsal feathers brownish-grey. The concealed part of the
plumage is light grey, unless on the feathers around the bare space on
each side of the neck, which is of an orange colour, and which the bird
inflates.
Length to end of tail 22 inches, to end of wings 151, to end of claws
183; extent of wings 30 ; wing from flexure 92; tail 74; bill along the
ridge 1, along the edge of lower mandible 124 ; tarsus 1,;% ; hind toe;;,
- its claw 7%; second toe 14% its claw 74; third toe 149, its claw 2% ;
fourth toe 17, its claw £4.
Female. Plate CCCLXI. Fig. 2.
The female is considerably smaller than the male. The bare papil-
lar space over the eye is of much less extent, but, as well as the bill and
feet, is coloured asin the male. The upper parts are dark greyish-brown,
barred on the neck with orey, on the other parts barred and minutely
undulated with yellowish-brown ; the wings as in the male, but lighter
_ and more mottled; the tail greyish-brown, becoming black toward the
end, the middle feathers undulated like the back, and having four grey
bands with a terminal white one. The sides of the head and the
throat are greyish-white, undulatingly barred with brown ; the gene-
ral colour of the fore neck is greyish-brown, with pale sienna bands;
on the breast the colour is brownish-grey, and the colours and mark-
ings of the rest of the under parts are as in the male, but paler.
Length to end of tail 194 inches; wing from flexure 9; tail 6};
bill along the ridge }$.
In a specimen in my possession, killed by Dr TownsEnp on the
“Columbia River, Sept. 26. 1834,” the tail is considerably rounded,
the lateral feathers being 7 twelfths shorter than the longest remain-
ing, the middle feathers being lost. The tail is deep black, with a
terminal band of ash-grey, half an inch in breadth. It is therefore
probable, that when the tail is unworn, it is distinctly rounded, and
tipped with grey.
VOL. IV. Ff
( 450 )
YELLOW-BILLED MAGPIE.
Corvus NUTTALLI.
PLATE CCCLXII. Anuvutr.
I wave conferred on this beautiful bird the name of a most zea-
lous, learned, and enterprising naturalist, my friend THomas NutTtal.,
Esq., to whom the scientific world is deeply indebted for the many
additions to our zoological and botanical knowledge which have re-
sulted from his labours. It is to him alone that we owe all that is
known respecting the present species, which has not hitherto been .
portrayed. In a note inserted by him in my journal, he says :
“As we proceed to the south in Upper California, around the
village of Sta. Barbara, we find the Common Magpie substituted by
this remarkable species, which is much more shy and cautious, as
well as more strictly insectivorous. It utters, however, nearly if not
quite the same chatter. In the month of April they were everywhere
mated, and had nearly completed their nests in the evergreen oaks of
the vicinity (Quercus agrifolia). The only one I saw was situated on
a rather high tree, towards the summit, and much concealed among
the thick and dark branches. Their call was pait, pat; and on ap-
proaching each other, a low congratulatory chatter was heard. After
being fired at once, it seemed nearly impossible again to approach them
within gun-shot. When alighted in the thick oaks, they remained for
a considerable time silent, and occasionally even wholly hid themselves ;,
but after a while the call of recognition was again renewed, and if the
pair then met, they would often fly off a mile or more, without stop-
ping, in quest of insects. We often saw them on the ground, but
never near the offal of the oxen, so attractive to the Crows and Ravens a
around.” is
Corvus Nurratti.
Adult. Plate CCCLXII. Fig. 1.
Bill almost as long as the head, straight, robust, compressed ; upper
YELLOW-BILLED MAGPIE. 451
mandible with the dorsal line convex and declinate, the sides sloping
and slightly convex, the edges sharp, with a slight notch close to the
tip, which is rather sharp; lower mandible straight, the angle rather
long and wide; the dorsal outline very slightly convex and ascending,
the sides sloping outwards and slightly convex, the edges sharp and
inclinate, the tip narrow. Nostrils basal, lateral, roundish, covered by
bristly feathers, which are directed forwards.
Head large, ovate ; eyes of moderate size ; neck rather short; body
compact. Legs of moderate length. strong; tarsus with seven large
seutella in front, and two long plates behind, meeting so as to form a
sharp edge. Toes stout, with large scutella, and separated almost to the
base; first very strong; lateral toes nearly equal, third considerably
longer. Claws strong, arched, compressed, sharp, the third with the
inner edge somewhat dilated.
Plumage full, soft, blended; stiff bristly feathers, with disunited
filaments over the nostrils, some of them extending nearly half the
length of the bill ; feathers on the throat with the shaft downy and
prolonged. Wings of moderate length, much rounded ; the first quill
. very short, extremely narrow, and falciform ; the second two inches
and four and a half twelfths longer, and a little longer than the ninth ;
the third an inch and one twelfth longer than the second, and three
twelfths shorter than the fourth, which is the longest. The tail is
very long, much graduated, the lateral feathers being four inches and
seven twelfths shorter than the middle.
Bill pure yellow, as is a bare space under and behind the eye.
Iris hazel. Feet black. The plumage of the head, neck, fore part of
the breast and back, brownish-black, the feathers on the latter part
being very long, those on the upper part of the head strongly glossed
with green; the shafts of the throat-feathers greyish, and those of the
feathers on the middle of the neck white. The feathers on the middle
of the back are light grey, some of them whitish, and those behind
tipped with black ; rump and tail-coverts brownish-black. The sca-
pulars are white; the smaller wing-coverts splendent with bronzed
green; primaries black, glossed with shining green, their inner webs
white, excepting at the end, and for some way along the margin ; se-
condaries bright blue, changing to green, their inner webs greenish-
black. Tail splendent with bright green, changing to greenish-yellow,
purplish-red, bluish-purple, and dark green at the end; the inner webs
452 YELLOW-BILLED MAGPIE.
chiefly greenish-black, but with various tints. The breast and sides
are pure white ; the legs, abdominal region, lower tail coverts, and lower
wing-coverts, black.
Length to end of tail 18 inches, to end of wings 114; wing from
flexure 72; tail 9419; bill along the ridge 1;4; tarsus 143; first toe,%,
its claw 74; middle toe 17%, its claw 7%.
In form, proportion, and size, this Magpie is precisely similar to
the common species. Its bill has the sides less convex; the bare
space under the eye is of much greater extent, and the feathers of the
tail are much narrower. The colours are similar, and distributed in
the same manner; but the bill of the present species is yellow, instead
of black, and the black of the back and fore neck is tinged with brown.
The two species are wonderfully closely allied; but on comparing my
specimen with several others in the Museum of the Zoological Society
of London, I found that they all precisely agreed with it.
I have represented in the plate a twig of a species of Platanus dis-
covered by the excellent naturalist after whom I have named the bird
perched upon it.
{ 453 )
STELLER’S JAY.
CORVUS STELLERI, MEL.
PLATE CCCLXII. Anutr.
Or this Jay, discovered by StELLER, whose name it bears, Dr
Ricuarpson states that it “is not uncommon in the summer time on
the Pacific coast of America, from the mouth of the Columbia to the
56th parallel. It also frequents the Rocky Mountains, where Mr
Droumwonp procured a specimen. In its manner it greatly resembles
the Garrulus cristatus.” Mr Nutracuy’s account of it is as follows :—
* We first observed this bird in our Western route in the Blue
Mountains of the Columbia, east of Wallah Wallah. Here they were
scarce and shy, but we met them in sufficient abundance in the
majestic pine forests of the Columbia, where, in autumn, their loud
and trumpeting clangour was heard at all hours of the day, calling out
djay, djay, and sometimes chattering and uttering a variety of other
notes scarcely recognisable as. distinct from the calls of our common
Blue Jay. They are, however, far more bold, irritable, and familiar.
Watchful as dogs, a stranger no sooner shews himself in their vicinity
then they neglect all other employment to come round, follow, peep at
and scold him, sometimes with such pertinacity and irritability as to
provoke the sportsman intent on other game to level his gun against
them in mere retaliation. At other times, stimulated by mere curio-
sity, they will be observed to follow you in perfect silence, until
something arouses their ready ire, when the djay, djay, pay, pay, is
poured upon you without intermission, till you are beyond their view.
So intent are they on vociferating, that it is not uncommon to hear
them busily scolding even while engaged with a large acorn in the
mouth. Of their geographical limits we are as yet uncertain. They
were first found by STELLER at Nootka; but they do not extend into
upper California, and scarcely to the west as far as the most western
of the true Rocky Mountain Chains. They feed on insects, acorns,
and the seeds of the gigantic pines which form a belt along the Pacific
and the rivers of the Oregon Territory. In the month of May, I
found a nest of this species in a small sapling of Douglas’s Fir, on the
454 STELLER’S JAY.
borders of a dark and dense forest, and again some time after a second
nest with young, in an elevated branch of the same pine, on the border
of a rocky cliff. On approaching the nest, which contained four eggs,
of a pale green colour, with small olive-brown specks, varied with
others of rather a violet hue, both the male and female flew at me with
the utmost anger and agitation, deafening me almost with their cries
and entreaties. But though I took only two of their eggs, I found
next day that they had forsaken the nest, being too fearful and jea-
lous of the intrusion to remain any longer in the same place. The
nest as usual was bulky, made of interlaced twigs, and roots, with a
stout layer of mud, and lied with black root-fibres. I saw the nest
about ten days previous to the time of taking two of the four eggs.
On that occasion the female (probably) only followed me in silence.”
Corvus STEexLxeRI, Gmel. Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 370.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. i.
p- 158.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 438,
SreLuER’s Jay, Garrutus STeELLeERI, Ch. Bonaparte Amer. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 44.
GarruLus STELLERI, STELLER’s Jay, Fauna Bor.-Amer. vol. ii. p: 294.
STELLER’s Jay, Nuttall, Manual, vol. 11. p. 229.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLXII. Fig. 2.
Bill shorter than the head, strong, straight, a little compressed ;
upper mandible with the dorsal line declinate and convex toward the
end, the sides sloping and becoming more convex toward the tip, which
is declinate, thin edged and obtuse, the edges sharp and overlapping,
with a slight notch; lower mandible straight, the angle short and
broad, the dorsal outline ascending and slightly convex, the sides con-
vex, the edges sharp and directed outwards, the tip narrow. Nostrils
basal, roundish, covered by reversed bristly feathers.
Head large, ovate, eyes of moderate size; neck rather short ; body
compact. Legs of moderate length, strong; tarsus much compressed,
with seven large anterior scutella, and two long plates behind, meet-
ing so as to form a sharp edge. ‘Toes stout, with large scutella, the
outer adherent as far as its second joint to the middle toe; first very
strong; lateral toes nearly equal, third much longer. Claws strong,
arched, compressed, sharp.
Plumage full, soft, blended ; stiff bristly feathers with disunited
barbs over the nostrils, some of them extending a third of the length
of the bill; at the base of the upper mandible several longish slender
STELLERS JAY. 455
bristles. ‘The feathers on the top of the head and occiput linear-ob-
long, slightly recurved, and forming an erectile crest an inch and a
half in length. Wings of moderate length, convex, and much rounded ;
the first quill very short, the second an inch and a quarter longer, the
third nine-twelfths longer than the second, and three-twelfths shorter
than the fourth, which is one-twelfth shorter than the fifth, the latter
being the longest, although scarcely exceeding the sixth. Tail long,
rounded, of twelve rather broad, rounded, and acuminate feathers, of
which the shafts are undulated.
Bill and feet black. Iris hazel Head and neck, with the fore
part and middle of the back brownish-black, of a lighter tint on the
back, and on the throat streaked with dull grey ; the feathers on the
forehead tipped with bright blue; the hind part of the back, the rump,
and the upper tail-coverts, light biue ; as are the lower tail-coverts, the
sides and lower parts of the rump, the sides of the body, and the whole
of the breast; the middle of the abdomen paler, the tibial feathers, and
the lower wing-coverts dusky, tinged with blue. Wings blue, the se-
condary coverts and quills rich indigo and ultra-marine, narrowly barred
with black, the outer coverts of the primaries pale; the inner webs of
the primaries and outer secondaries dusky; tail blue with numerous
narrow, inconspicuous dusky bars; the lower surface of the wings
and tail dusky.
Length to end of tail 13 inches ; bill along the ridge 1,14, along the
edge of lower mandible 144 ; wing from flexure 51! ; tail 6; tarsus 1,%, ;
hind toe 7, its claw 7% ; middle toe}}, its claw 7%.
The Female is similar to the male, and scarcely inferior in colour-
ing, but somewhat smaller. '
Length to end of tail 12 inches; bill along the ridge 14; wing
from flexure 54; tail 53; tarsus 174; middle toe 14, its claw +5.
Dr Townsenp informs me that it is called Ass-ass by the Chinooks,
who regard it with a superstitious feeling, believing that should a per-
son hear it enunciating certain notes, which resemble the syllables jaa-
jaa, he will shortly die, whereas its other notes, huc, kuc, kuc, kuc,
rapidly repeated, portend good. He further states that it is gregarious,
like the Blue Jay, and corroborates some of the particulars above given.
Two eggs presented to me by Mr Nurratt measure an inch and an
eighth in length, and seven-eighths in breadth.
( 456 ©)
ULTRAMA|RINE JAY.
CoRVUS ULTRAMARINUS.
PLATE CCCLXII. Apoutrt.
A.tuoucH the Ultramarine Jay has been described by. Mr Swatn-
son, in his Synopsis of the Birds of Mexico, under the name of Gar-
rulus sordidus, I retain the specific name “ ultramarinus,” previously
given by the Prince of Musienano. The only observations respecting
its habits that I am. aware of having been made, are the following,
for which I am indebted to my friend Tuomas Nurratt.
* Jwarly in October, on arriving in the forests of the Columbia,.
near Fort Vancouver, an establishment of the Hudson’s Bay Company,
we saw in the same situations with the Steller’s Jay, the. present spe-:
cies. Its habits are much like those of the Common Jay. It usually.
flies out to the tops of the lofty pines, jerks its tail, and perches play-.
fully on some extreme branch, where it utters at times, as if excited
by petulent anger, a strong whoit, wott, woit, woit, after which expres-
sion it emits a sort of recognition-call at short intervals, twee, and
sometimes a shorter "twee twee. When much pursued, it sits still in
the concealing shade of the lofty branches on which it seeks refuge.
It feeds on insects, acorns broken up, and probably pine seeds. They
appear to associate in roving families throughout the fall and winter,
like the other species, seldom if ever associating with the more Com-
mon Steller’s Jay, though now and then perhaps in the same tree.’ It
is a graceful, active, and rather shy species, flying out straight from
tree to tree, remarkable by its long tail and rather short wings; and
its note is much less harsh and loud than that of Steller’s Jay. They
breed in the dark pine woods probably where we so frequently saw
them alight, and on the 15th of June they were feeding their fully
fledged young, two of which I pursued for some time, but they skulked
so effectually as to escape me after a long and doubtful chase. The
young had a great predominance of grey on the back. The same spe-
cies also extends into Upper California.”
Adult Male. Plate CCCLXII. Fig. 3.
ULTRAMARINE JAY. 457
Bill shorter than the head, strong, straight, compressed toward the
end ; upper mandible with the dorsal line decimate and convex toward
the end, the sides sioping and becoming convex toward the tip, which
is declinate, thin-edged and obtuse, the edges sharp and overlapping,
with a slight notch; lower mandible straight, the angle rather short
and broad, the dorsal outline ascending and slightly convex, the sides
convex, the edges sharp and directed outwards, the tip narrow. Nos-
trils basal, roundish, covered by the reversed bristly feathers.
Head large, ovate ; eyes of moderate size ; neck rather short ; body
compact. Legs of moderate length, strong; tarsus much compressed,
with seven large anterior scutella, and two long plates behind, meet-
ing so as to form a sharp edge. Toes stout, with large scutella, the
outer adherent as far as its second joint to the middle toe ;. first very
strong ; inner toe shorter than outer, third much longer. Claws strong,
arched, compressed, acute.
Plumage full, soft, blended. Stiff feathers with disunited barbs
over the nostrils, the longest scarcely extending to a third of the length
of the bill ; at the base of the upper mandible several longish slender
bristles. Wings of moderate length, convex, and much rounded; the
first quill very short, an inch and two-twelfths shorter than the second,
which is eight-twelfths shorter than the third, the fourth three-twelfths
longer than the third, and a twelfth and a half shorter than the fifth,
which is the longest, but scarcely exceeds the sixth. Tail long, much
rounded, of twelve rather narrow, rounded and acuminate feathers, of
which the lateral is an inch and a quarter shorter than the longest.
Bill and feet brownish-black. Iris hazel. Upper part of the head,
sides and hind part of the neck, wings, upper tail-coverts, and tail, light
blue ; back light greyish-brown, the feathers of the rump whitish and
tinged with blue at the end; the inner webs of the quills dusky ; the
tail transversely undulated, and having the appearance of being faintly
barred with a darker tint. A white band over the eye formed by the
tips of the feathers there; the cheeks dusky; the fore neck greyish-
white faintly streaked with dusky; and bounded below by a narrow
semilunar band of light blue continuous with that of the neck, The
lower parts are pale purplish-grey, passing into white on the abdomen ;
lower tail-coverts tinged with blue.
Length to end of tail 12 inches ; bill along the ridge 1/4, along the
458 ULTRAMARINE JAY.
edge of lower mandible 1,’g ; wing from flexure 5; tail 654; tarsus
1,8,; hind toe 34, its claw 74; middle toe 174, its claw fs.
The Female is considerably smaller, but resembles the male in co-
lour.
Length to end of tail 114 inches; wing from flexure 57% ; tail 67% ;
tarsus 1,4; middle toe 1, its claw $.
The resemblance which this species bears to the Florida Jay is so
close that one might readily confound the two. That species, however,
is distinguishable by its smaller size and its more rounded tail; by its
having a band of whitish across the forehead and extended over the
eye, where it is not in dots as in the Ultramarine Jay.
cal
CLARKE’S NUTCRACKER.
NUCIFRAGA COLUMBIANA.
PLATE CCCLXII. Avvutr.
No sooner had I examined perfect specimens of this somewhat sin-
gularly coloured bird, than I felt assured, more especially from the
form of its bill, that it is with us a representative of the Nutcracker of
Europe ; and I was much surprised, on comparing it with the figure
given of it by AtExanpEer Whxtsov, to find the latter very defective,
the bill being nearly half an inch shorter than in four specimens which
I have inspected. All that is known of its habits-is contained in the
following notes from Mr Nurtatr and Dr TownseEnp.
“ We first observed this species in a smail pine grove, on the bor-
ders of Bear River, in the table-land of the Rocky Mountains, where
they were probably breeding, in the month of July. We again saw a
considerable flock of the young birds early in August, in a lofty ravine
near the summit of one of the three belts or isolated mountains, about
thirty or forty miles west of the Shoshonee River. They appeared
somewhat shy, and scattered through a grove of aspens, flying with a
slight chatter, scarcely a caw, from the tops of the bushes or trees, on
to the ground, probably in” quest of insect food. We never saw this
species either on the lower plains or forests of the Columbia, or in any
part of Upper California. It appears never to descend below the moun-
tain plains.” T.N.
“ CiarKe’s Crow, Corvus columbianus. First found on Bear River,
and afterwards on the Blue Mountains, plentiful. Its flight is very
unlike that of the Common Crow, being performed by jerks, like that
of the Woodpecker. When sitting, it is almost constantly screaming ;
its voice is very harsh and grating, and consists of one rather prolonged
note. It breeds here in very high pine trees. The White Pelican
also seen here in July, no doubt breeds ; also the Canvass-backed Duck,
the Shoveller, and Dusky Duck; found young of all of them. The
Corvus columbianus is never seen within five hundred miles of the mouth
of the Columbia. It appears generally to prefer a mountainous country
and pine trees; and feeds chiefly on insects and their larve.” J. K. T.
460 CLARKH’S NUTCRACKER.
CrarKe’s Crow, CoRVUS COLUMBIANUS, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. iii, p. 29, pl. 20,
fig. 2.
Corvus cotumsBianus, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 57.
ContumsBran Crow, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 218.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLXII. Fig. 4.
Bill as long as the head, stout, somewhat conical, compressed, at
the tip rather depressed. Upper mandible with its dorsal line slightly
arcuato-declinate, the ridge convex, the sides rounded, the edges sharp
and overlapping, without note, the tip flattened and obtuse ; lower
mandible with the angle short and rounded, the dorsal line straight,
the sides convex, the edges sharp and a little inflexed, the tip flattened,
and rather obtuse. Nostrils basal, lateral, roundish, covered by bristly
feathers, which are directed forwards.
Head large, broadly ovate; eyes of moderate size; neck rather
short; body compact. Legs of moderate length, stout; tarsus com-
pressed, with seven large anterior scutella and two plates behind, meet-
ing so as to form a sharp edge. ‘Toes, stout, with large scutella; the
first toe very large, the inner a little shorter than the outer, the hind
much longer ; the third and fourth united as far as the second joint of
the latter. Claws large, arched, much compressed, acute.
Plumage full, very soft and blended; the stiff bristly feathers over
the nostrils extend about one-fifth of the length of the bill; and there
are no distinct bristles at the base of the upper mandible ; the feathers
on the head are very short. The wings are long, and much rounded ; the
first quill two inches shorter than the second, which is ten-twelfths
shorter than the third, the latter exceeded two-twelfths by the fourth,
which is the longest ; the outer primaries being narrow, give the wing,
when closed, the appearance of being pointed. Tail of moderate length,
rounded, of twelve rather broad feathers, of which the lateral is half
an inch shorter than the middle. :
Bill and feet brownish-black. Ivis hazel. The general colour above
and below is light brownish-grey, the forehead, throat, fore part of
cheeks, and a space around the eye white, tinged with yellow. Wings
black, glossed with blue ; seven of the secondaries largely tipped with
white, upper tail-coverts greyish-black; tail pure white, excepting the
two middle feathers and the greater part of the inner webs of the next
ee ee
Taf ARE Ss a aes SG SS
SSIS
CLARKE’S NUTCRACKER. 461
pair, which are black glossed with blue ; lower wing-coverts dusky, some
tipped with white ; lower tail-coverts pure white.
Length to end of tail 12 inches; bill along the ridge 1,%,, along the
edge of lower mandible 112; wing from flexure 71}; tail 51; tarsus
1yz; hind toe #5; its claw 74; middle toe 34, its claw a:
Adult Female. Plate CCCLXII. Fig. 5.
The Female is similar to the male.
( 462 }
BOHEMIAN CHATTERER.
BoMBYCILLA GARRULA, VIEILL.
PLATE CCCLXIII. Mate anp FEMALE.
TuE first intimations of the occurrence of this beautiful bird in North
America, were made by Mr Drommonp and Dr Ricuarpson, by the
former of whom it was found in 1826, near the sources of the Atha-
basca, or Elk River, in the spring, and by the latter, in the same sea-
son, at Great Bear Lake, in latitude 50°. Dr Ricuarpson states, in
the Fauna Boreali- Americana, that ‘“‘ specimens procured at the former
place, and transmitted to England, by the servants of the Hudson's
Bay Company, were communicated, by Mr LeapseaTer.to the Prince
of Mustenano, who had introduced the species into his great work on
the Birds of the United States.” ‘In its autumn migration southwards,”
he continues, “ this bird must cross the territory of the United States,
if it does not actually winter within it; but I have not heard of its
having been hitherto seen in America to the southward of the fifty-fifth
parallel of latitude. The mountainous nature of the country skirting
the Northern Pacific Ocean being congenial to the habits of this spe-
cies, it is probably more generally diffused in New Caledonia and the
Russian American Territories, than to the eastward of the Rocky
Mountain chain. It appears in flocks at Great Bear Lake about the
24th of May, when the spring thaw has exposed the berries of the al-
pine arbutus, marsh vaccinium, &c., that have been frozen and covered
during winter. It stays only for a few days, and none of the Indians of
that quarter with whom I conversed had seen its nests; but I have
reason to believe, that it retires in the breeding season to the rugged
and secluded mountain-limestone districts, in the sixty-seventh and
sixty-eighth parallels, where it feeds on the fruit of the common juni-
per, which abounds in those places.” In a note, he further states :—
« T observed a large flock, consisting of at least three or four hundred
individuals, on the banks of the Saskatchewan at Carlton House, early
in May 1827. They alighted in a grove of poplars, settling all on one
or two trees, and making a loud twittering noise. They stayed only
BOHEMIAN CHATTERER. 463
about one hour in the morning, and were too shy to allow me to ap-
proach within gunshot.”
I am informed by Dr Townsenp, who has spent about four years
in the Columbia River district and on the Rocky Mountains, that he
did not observe there a single bird of this species. In the autumn of
1832, whilst rambling near Boston, my sons saw a pair, which they pur-
sued more than an hour, but without success. The most southern lo-
eality in which I have known it to be procured, is the neighbourhood
of Philadelphia, where, as well as on Long Island, several were shot
in 1830 and 1832. The specimens from which I made the figures of
the male and female represented in the plate, were given to me by my
friend THomas M‘Cuutocu of Pictou, in Nova Scotia, who procured
several others in the winter of 1834. The following account of the af-
fection displayed by one towards its companion, with which he has also
favoured me, will be found highly interesting.
** During the winter of 1834, many species of the northern birds
were more than usually abundant in the province of Nova Scotia, being
driven, no doubt, from their customary places of resort by the cold
which was very intense at the commencement of the season. Large
flocks of the Loava Hnuocleator appeared in every part of the country,
while the Fringilla Linaria, of which we had not seen a single spéci-
men for upwards of two years, could be shot at almost any hour of the
day, in the streets of Pictou; and we were often told of birds being
seen, which from the description we could not recognise as belonging
to any species with which we were already acquainted. The first day
of the year having proved uncommonly mild, I went out, accompanied
by my father, with the expectation of obtaining something new for our
collection of birds. We had scarcely left our own door when we ob-
served a small flock alight in a thicket of evergreens a short distance
from where we stood. Thinking they were Pine Grosbeaks, we directed
the man who was with us to push on and obtain a shot. He did so,
and we just arrived in time to pick up a pair of birds which he had
killed. One glance was sufficient to shew us that they were not what
we had supposed, but a species we had never previously seen or heard
of as visiting that portion of the Continent. You, my dear Sir, have
often enjoyed such moments, and therefore can easily conceive the in-
tense delight with which we surveyed our prize, and how anxiously we
watched the progress of the remainder, as they flew to an adjoining
464 BOHEMIAN CHATTERER.
thicket, where one immediately disappeared, while the other took its
station on the top of a spruce, from which its sumple tze tze tze was ut-~
tered with the greatest vehemence, as if calling on its companions to
hasten from the danger which it had recently escaped. Seeing the bird
so very watchful, we made a small circuit with the view of diverting
its attention, and at the same time of looking for the one by which
it was accompanied, as I conceived it to be severely wounded, from
the apparent difficulty of its flight. After a careful examination of
the bush we at length observed it upon a Jow twig, and from its in-
attention to the calls of its mate, and the cowering position in which it
sat, I concluded that it was unable to make another’ attempt to escape.
Giving it an occasional glance, we turned towards the other, which
still retained its former station on the top of the spruce, though its un-
easiness seemed to increase at every step. While the man was cau-
tiously working his way through the thick alder, in order to get within
shot, I carefully examined the bird, which certainly presented a very in-
teresting object. It stood almost as upright as the top on which it was
perched, its height being much increased by its long and graceful crest
being quite erect, while at the same time its wings were kept in a constant
jerking motion, as if in readiness to remove at a moment’s notice. In-
dependent of the mere beauty of the bird, there was something deeply in-
teresting in the anxiety for the safety of its mate, so touchingly displayed
by the force and rapidity of its simple but affectionate warning. The mo-
tion of the alders frightened the bird, and I had the mortification of see-
ing it rise in the air, as if about to commence a lofty and long-continued
flight. Unwilling to give it up, I watched its progress with longing eyes,
but at last, when about turning away in despair, it suddenly wheeled
about, dashed by with great velocity, gently brushed its companion,
and thus by dispelling its stupor induced it to make another effort to
escape the danger which threatened its destruction. Though surprised
and delighted with this singular display of fidelity and affection, I felt
not a little disappointed to see them both about to elude our grasp.
The weakness of the wounded bird, however, soon induced it to seek
concealment in another thicket, while the other, still faithful to a
friend in distress, alighted as formerly on a spruce top, whence it could
both see and warn it of approaching danger. As we again drew near,
its anxiety seemed to be redoubled, while its notes were uttered with
corresponding quickness and energy ; but before we could get within
BOHEMIAN CHATTERER. 465
reach, it again launched into the air, and made off, calling on the other
to follow with all possible speed. After flying for some time, and
finding itself unattended, it again returned and alighted on a top near
the one it had just left. The opportunity was too good to be lost, and
notwithstanding our admiration of this additional instance of its fidelity,
we shot it down, affection for its species being the occasion of its ruin.
These, my dear Sir, are all the observations I was enabled to make
upon these interesting birds, during the short and only time they ever
came under my notice. From the man I learned that before the first
shot they were quite mute, and unsuspicious of danger. Some days
after these were obtained, a single one was observed by my father re-
peatedly to come and sit for a considerable time on some willows at
the bottom of our garden, but not being accustomed to the use of a gun,
he did not procure it. Whether this was the wounded one or not, we
could not tell, but from the affection of the bird for its kind, we thought
that possibly it might be that one in search of its lost companions.”
AMPELIS GaRRULUS, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol.i. p. 297.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. i. p. 363.
BomsByciiia Garrua, Ch. Bonap. Amer. Ornith. vol. iii. pl. 16, fig. 2.—Synopsis of
Birds of United States, p. 438.
BomByciiia GarRvuLa, Richards. and Swains. Fauna Bor.-Americana, vol. ii. p. 237.
Hurorean WaxeEn-cHaTTERER, Wutiall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 579.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLXIII. Fig. 1.
Bill short, rather stout, straightish, broader than high at the base,
compressed towards the end; upper mandible with its dorsal line con-
vex and declinate towards the tip, which is deflected, narrow, and
rather acute, its sides convex, its edges sharp and overlapping, with a
distinct notch ; lower mandible with the angle short and wide, the dor-
sal line convex and ascending, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip
very small, acute, ascending, with a small sinus behind. Gape-line
nearly straight, the upper mandible having a wide festoon near the
base. Nasal membrane large, feathered ; nostrils oval, partially con-
cealed. :
Head ovate, of ordinary size; neck short ; body full. Feet rather
short ; tarsus short, rather stout, compressed, with six anterior scu-
tella, and two plates behind, meeting so as to form an edge, except at
the lower part; toes of moderate size, first stout, third and fourth
VOL. IV. Gg
466 BOHEMIAN CHATTERER.
slightly connected at the base; inner toe a little shorter than outer ;
third much longer. Claws rather long, arched, much compressed,
acute. |
Plumage blended, very soft, silky, but with little gloss. A tuft of
linear, oblong, erectile, decurved feathers on the head ; no bristles at
the base of the bill. Wings rather long, broad, and pointed ; first
quill longest, the second slightly shorter, the other primaries pretty
equally graduated ; secondaries, excepting the inner two, broad and
abruptly rounded, with the shaft projecting and enlarged into a flat,
oblong, horny appendage, of the colour of red sealing-wax. Tail of
moderate length, even, or very slightly emarginate, the middle feathers
being shorter, by a twelfth of an inch, than the one next the lateral.
Bill black, the base of the lower mandible whitish. Ivis hazel.
Feet and claws black. The general colour of both surfaces is ash-grey,
becoming more tinged anteriorly with brownish-orange, of which co-
lour are the forehead, a patch on each side of the throat near the base
of the bill, and the feathers under the tail. A band of deep black
from the nasal membrane, along the lore, and over the eye, to the top
of the head, where it is concealed by the crest; feathers at the base of
the lower mandible, and a narrow streak below the eye white ; the up-
per part of the throat deep black. Alula, primary coverts, and quills
greyish-black, the secondaries more grey ; the primary coverts largely
tipped with white, the primary quills with a bright yellow, the secon-
dary with a white elongated spot at the end of the outer web. Tail
light grey at the base, gradually shaded into deep black, with a broad
terminal band of bright yellow.
Length to end of tail 93 inches; extent of wings 161; wing from
flexure 4;8,; tail 3; bill along the ridge 35, along the edge of lower
mandible 7; tarsus 24; hind toe 7%, its claw 7; middle toe #4, its
claw 34.
Female. Plate CCCLXIII. Fig. 2.
The Female is similar to the male, but somewhat smaller.
The wax-like appendages vary from seven, which is the greatest
number, to four or three, and are sometimes wanting, especially in young
birds, of which, however, some possess them. In some specimens the
yellow tips of the tail-feathers and primary quills are very pale yellow
or whitish.
( 467
WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL.
Lox1é LEUCOPTERA, GMEL.
PLATE CCCLXIV. Mates, Femate, anp Youne.
I Founp this species quite common on the islands near the entrance
of the Bay of Fundy, which I visited early in May 1833. They were
then journeying northwards, although many pass the whole year in the
northern parts of the State of Maine, and the British provinces of New
Brunswick and Nova Scotia, where, however, they seem to have been
overlooked, or confounded with our Common American Crossbill. ‘Those
which I met with on the islands mentioned above were observed on
their margins, some having alighted on the bare rocks, and all those
which were alarmed immediately took to wing, rose to a moderate
height, and flew directly eastward. On my passage across the Gulf of
St Laurence to Labrador, in the same month, about a dozen White-
winged Crossbills, and as many Mealy Redpolls, one day alighted
on the top-yards of the Ripley; but before we could bring our guns
from below, they all left us, and flew ahead of the vessel, as if intent
on pointing out to us the place to which we were bound. On the
30th of June, a beautiful male was shot, on a bunch of grass growing
out of the fissure of a rock, on a small island a few miles from the coast
of Labrador ; and on the 23d of July, my young friend Dr Grorer
Suatrruck, procured a fine adult female on the Murre Islands, whilst
she was feeding among the scanty herbage.
Within the limits of the United States, I have obtained some du-
ring winter along the hilly shores of the Schuylkill River in Pennsyl-
vania; also in New Jersey, and in one instance in Maryland, a few
miles from Baltimore, beyond which southward I have never met with
this species, nor have I heard of any having been seen there. Accord-
ing to Dr Townsrnp, who resided about four years on the Columbia
River, none are met with in that region. As it appears that indivi-
duals accidentally visit Europe, I am led to think that the true summer
haunts of this species are as yet not better known than those of the Bo-
hemian Chatterer and Common Crossbill. The latter has been shot in
468 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL.
winter by my son Jonn Woopuouss, within a few miles of Charleston
in South Carolina, where several were seen, and the specimen he pro-
cured there is now in the collection of my friend the Reverend Joun
BacHMAN.
The southward migration of this Crossbill, as well as of the other,
is extremely irregular. Being evidently hardy birds, they appear to pre-
fer northern to temperate climates, and to shift their station only during
the most severe cold. The comparatively small number that spend the
year in Maine and the British Provinces adjoining, may be forced to do
so by wounds or other accidents, as in general I have found them
moving toward the north as soon as the chill blasts of winter were
tempered by the warmer rays of the vernal sun.
The habits of the White-winged Crossbill are in general similar to
those of our common species. Its flight is well sustained and undu-
lated ; it is easily approached, is fond of saline substances, uses its bill
and feet in the manner of Parrots, and procures its food from the cones
of pines. Its song is at times mellow and agreeable, and in captivity
it becomes gentle and familiar.
Mr Hurcuins says that this species reaches Hudson’s Bay in the
month of March, and breeds in May, forming a nest of grass, mud, and
feathers, about midway up pine trees, and laying five white eggs, mark-
ed with yellowish spots. The young are abroad in the end of June,
and the species remains in that country until the latter part of Novem-
ber. Dr Ricuarpson states that it ‘“ inhabits the dense white spruce
forests of the Fur Countries, feeding principally on the seeds of cones.
It ranges through the whole breadth of the continent, and probably up
to the sixty-eighth parallel, where the woods terminate, though it was
not observed by us higher than the sixty-second. It is mostly seen on
the upper branches of the trees, and, when wounded, clings so fast,
that it will remain suspended after death. In September it collects in
small flocks, which fly from tree to tree, making a chattering noise ;
and in the depth of winter it retires from the coast to the thick woods
of the interior.”
‘
Bi}
*
ter
a
>
WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL 469
Loxia LEWvorreRra, Gel. Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 844.
Loxra Fatcirosrra, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. i. p. 371.
WHITE-wiINGED OCrosssrux, Loxia tEucopTERA, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. iv.
p. 48, pl. 41, fig. 4. Male.
WHITE-WINGED CrossBiLL, Ch. Bonaparte, Amer. Ornith. vol. ii. pl. 14, fig. 3.
Female.
Loxia Leucoprera, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 117.
Loxia LEUCOPTERA, WHITE-WINGED CrossBiLL, Richards. and Swains. Fauna
Bor.-Amer. vol. ii. p. 263.
WuitE-winGEeD Crosssit, Nuttall, Manual, vol. i. p- 540.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLXIV. Figs. 1, 2.
Bill rather long, stout at the base, where it is higher than broad,
extremely compressed toward the end, the mandibles towards their
extremity deflected to opposite sides, so as to cross each other. Upper
mandible with the dorsal line convex and deflected, the sides slightly
convex, the edges sharp, and towards the end united, as in Rhyn-
chops nigra, the tip excessively compressed, decuryed, and extending
far beyond that of the other. Lower mandible with its angle very
short and broad, the dorsal outline ascending and convex, the edges
sharp, inflected, and approximated at the tip, which is extremely acute.
Nostrils small, basal, round, covered by the short, bristly feathers.
Head large, broadly ovate ; eyes small ; neck short ; body compact.
Feet rather short, strong; tarsus short, compressed, with seven ante-
rior scutella, and two posterior plates meeting so as to form a thin
edge; toes of moderate size, the outer united at the base, the first
strong, the lateral toes nearly equal, the third much longer; the pads
and papilla of the soles very large. Claws long, arched, very slender,
much compressed, tapering to a fine point.
Plumage blended. Wings of ordinary length, pointed, the outer
three primaries longest (in one specimen the first longest, in three the
second) ; secondaries slightly emarginate. Tail of moderate length,
deeply emarginate, the feathers curved outwards at the point.
Bill dusky, tinged with greyish-blue, especially on the edges. Iris
hazel. Feet dark reddish-brown. The general colour of the plumage
is rich carmine, inclining to crimson; the feathers on the fore part
and middle of the back dusky, excepting the tips; the scapulars, wings,
upper tail-coverts, and tail black; two broad bands of white on the
470 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL.
wing, the anterior formed by the first row of small coverts and several
of those adjoining, the other by the secondary coverts, of which the
basal half only is black; the inner secondaries are tipped with white,
as are the tail-coverts, and the quills and tail-feathers are very slightly
margined with whitish. Bristly feathers at the base of the bill yellow-
ish-white ; sides brownish, and streaked with dusky, axillar feathers
whitish ; lower tail-coverts brownish-black, broadly margined with
reddish-white.
Length to end of tail 63 inches, to end of wings 53, to end of claws
5; extent of wings 103; bill along the ridge #§, along the edge of
lower mandible 74; wing from flexure 374; tail 27; tarsus #4; hind
toe 34, its claw 7%; middle toe 7, its claw 72.
Female. Plate CCCLXIV. Fig. 3.
The female has the upper parts dusky, the feathers margined with
greyish-yellow, the rump wax-yellow; the lower parts are yellowish-
erey, streaked with dusky, the fore part of the breast wax-yellow ; the
wings and tail are as in the male, but paler, and with the white bands
on the former of less breadth. Bill and feet darker than those of the
male.
Length to end of tail 6} inches, to end of wings 5, to end of claws
51; extent of wings 10.
Young. Plate CCCLXIV. Fig. 4.
The young resemble the female, but the lower parts are dull yel-
lowish-grey, spotted and streaked with dark brown.
After the first moult the male still resembles the female, but is
more yellow. At the next moult it acquires the red colour, which be-
comes richer and purer the older the bird.
In this species there are three longitudinal ridges on the roof of the
mouth, and the palate is bent in the same manner as in Buntings.
The tongue is of the same general form as that of the Pine Grosbeak,
34 twelfths long, compressed and slender at the base, with the basi-
hyoid bone of a similar form, concave above, dilated and rounded at
the end, so as to resemble a scoop or spoon. The cesophagus, bc de, is
WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL
471
2 inches and 8 twelfths long, when dilated forms a crop of vast size, ¢ d,
which lies chiefly on the right side of the neck,
but also passes behind so as to appear on the left
side. This form occurs equally in the Common
Crossbill, and seems to be peculiar to this genus.
The greatest breadth of the crop is 10 twelfths.
On entering the thorax, the cesophagus contracts
to 2 twelfths. The proventriculus, ¢, is bulbiform,
with a diameter of 3 twelfths. The stomach, /, is
a strong gizzard of rather small size, somewhat
bent in the same manner as that of the Pine
Grosbeak, 42 twelfths long, 6 twelfths broad ; its
muscles distinct; the cuticular lining very firm ¢
but thin, longitudinally rugous, and of a light red
colour. The intestine, g 4 ij k, is 103 inches long,
its greatest diameter 2 twelfths, its least 14 twelfth.
The rectum, j /, is 1 inch 2 twelfths long, in-
cluding the cloaca. The ceca, j, are 14 twelfth
long, and 4 twelfth broad.
The trachea is 1 inch 9 twelfths long, 14 twelfth :
broad at the upper part, gradually diminishing to
1 twelfth; its rings firm, and about 75 in num- \N
ber. The inferior laryngeal muscles are large.
The bronchi are formed of about 15 half-rings.
The twigs represented in the plate are those of
a species of Alder common in Newfoundland.
\ZZ=S
BES
( 472)
LAPLAND LONGSPUR.
EMBERIZA LAPPONICA, NILssoNn.
PLATE CCCLXV. Mate anp Femate.
My first acquaintance with this species took place on the 15th of
February 1819. Walking with my wife, on the afternoon of that day,
in the neighbourhood of Henderson, in Kentucky, I saw immense flocks
scattered over the open grounds on the elevated grassy banks of the
Ohio. Having my gun with me, as usual, I procured more than
sixty in a few minutes. All the youths of the village turned out on
this occasion, and a relative of mine, in the course of the next day
killed about six hundred. Although in rather poor condition, we found
them excellent eating. Three days after they disappeared as sudden-
ly as they had arrived, for although on the previous evening they
seemed as numerous as ever, none but wounded birds were to be seen
in the morning. Whilst at Shippingport, near Louisville, in the same
State, I found a good number of these birds on the commons, feeding
in company with Shore Larks and Snow Buntings, and obtained some
dozens. Among all the specimens which I procured in that part of
the country, none were in perfect or summer plumage, most of them
being in the garb of the male, as represented by the second figure of
my plate.
In their movements they resemble the Snow Bunting. They run
and hop on the ground with ease and celerity, many making towards a
tuft of withered grass at the same time, to search for the few seeds
that may yet be procured around or beneath it, and all the while ut-
tering a repetition of chips, ina rather low and plaintive accent. When
on wing, to which they resorted after each discharge of the gun, or
when nearly approached, they formed into compact bodies, wheeled
and cut to and fro through the air, now high, now low, in the manner
of Larks, alighting suddenly, and perhaps immediately flying off again
to renew their curious evolutions. At times flocks composed of hun-
dreds would settle on the top-rails of fences, or on the lower large
branches of the trees in the fields; but on such occasions they appeared
as much discontented as the Snow Buntings are, when they also alight
on trees, fences, or houses.
LAPLAND LONGSPUR. 473
The Lapland Longspur visits the neighbourhood of Louisville in
Kentucky almost every year, but seldom appears when the weather is
not intensely cold. I found it also in the vicinity of St Genevieve in
Missouri; and it seems surprising that none were observed near the
Columbia River by Dr TownsEnp.
The best account of this species, as observed in the northern lati-
tudes of America where it breeds, is that given by Dr Ricuarpson, in
the Fauna Boreali-Americana. After stating that it is common in the
northern regions of both continents, he says :—‘* I never met with this
species in the interior of the Fur Countries during winter, and I suspect
that its principal retreats in that season are on the borders of Lakes
Huron and Superior, and in the country extending to the westward on
the same parallel. In the year 1827, it appeared on the plains at Carl-
ton House, about the middle of May, in very large flocks, among which
were many Shore Larks (A/auda alpestris) and a few individuals of
Emberiza picta. During their stay of ten or twelve days, they fre-
quented open spots, where recent fires had destroyed the grass. They
came to Cumberland House a few days later in the same season, and
there kept constantly in the furrows of a newly ploughed field. In the
preceding year they were seen, though in smaller flocks, in the vicinity
of Fort Franklin (lat. 654°) in the beginning of May ; and the crops of
those that were then killed were filled with the seeds of the Arbutus
alpina. ‘They breed in the moist meadows on the shores of the Arctic
Sea. The nest, placed on a small hillock, among moss and stones, is
composed externally of the dry stems of grass, interwoven to a consi-
derable thickness, and lined very neatly and compactly with Deer’s
hair. The eggs, usually seven, are pale ochre-yellow, spotted with
brown.
The figure of the male in summer plumage represented in my plate,
was drawn from a beautiful specimen in the collection of my esteemed
friend, Captain James Ross of the British Navy.
Frineritia tapponica, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 317.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. i.
p. 440.
LapLanp Lonespur, EMBERIZA LaPponica, Ch. Bonaparte. Amer. Ornith. vol. i.
p. 53, pl. 13, fig. 2, Male, fig. 3, Female.
EmsBeriza Lapponica, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis, p. 440.
Emperriza (PLECTROPHANES) LAPPoNIcA, LapLanpD Buntwiine, Richards. and
Swains. Fauna Bor.-Amer. vol. ii, p. 248.
LarLanp Lonespur, Nuttall, Manual, vol. i. p. 463.
474 LAPLAND LONGSPUR.
Adult Male in Summer. Plate CCCILXV. Fig 1.
Bill short, robust, tapering, somewhat compressed ; the upper man-
dible nearly as large as the lowe . its dorsal outline very slightly con-
vex, the sides rounded, the sharp edges inflected, the marginal outline
slightly angulate ; lower mandible broader, with involute sharp edges.
The palate with a prominent knob. Nostrils basal, round, partly con-
cealed by the feathers.
Head of moderate size, ovate ; eyes rather small ; neck short, body
compact. Feet of ordinary length; tarsus compressed, anteriorly co-
vered with seven large scutella, sharp behind ; toes of moderate size ;
the lateral toes equal, the hind toe stuut. Claws long, slightly arched,
laterally grooved, compressed toward the end, very acute, that of the
hind toe much elongated.
Plumage soft and blended, the feathers somewhat distinct on the
back and wings. Wing long, pointed ; first quill longest, second scarcely
shorter ; secondaries emarginate. Tail rather long, deeply emarginate.
Bill yellow tipped with dusky; iris hazel ; feet and claws black.
The head and fore part of the neck are black; a band of white passes
from the base of the upper mandible over the eye, becomes broader,
and, descending on the neck, margins the black of that part. The
lower parts are white, the sides streaked with black. A brownish-red cre-
scent on the hind neck ; the feathers of the upper parts black, broadly
margined with yellowish-red; the first row of smaller wing-coverts
margined with white, the secondary coverts tipped with the same ; the
primary quills narrowly edged with reddish-white, the secondary with
yellowish-red; as are the tail-feathers, of which the two outer have a
wedge-shaped white spot at the end.
Length to end of tail 6,5 inches ; wing from flexure 3}2 ; tail 272 ;
bill along the ridge ;%, along the edge of lower mandible ; ; tarsus 7%;
hind toe 7g, its claw 74; middle toe 7, its claw 7%.
Male in winter. Plate CCCLXV. Fig. 2.
Bill dull yellow, tipped with dusky ; feet and claws black. Upper
part of the head black, the feathers edged with brownish-red ; the cheeks
greyish-brown ; the throat, and fore part of the neck, greyish-white, a
reddish-white band from the bill, over the eye, and down the side of the
neck ; the upper parts light brownish-red with black spots. The tips
of the first row of small coverts, and of the secondary coverts, white ;
LAPLAND LONGSPUR. 475
the quills and coverts blackish-brown, edged with light red; the tail
brownish-black, the feathers edged with reddish-grey.
Female in summer. Plate CCCLXV._ Fig. 3.
The female has the bill yellowish-brown, tipped with dusky, the
feet and claws brownish-black, the upper part of the head, the hind
neck, and the back, are reddish-grey, spotted with black ; the wings
and tail as in the male. A reddish-white band over the eye, and down
the neck ; the lore dusky ; a black band from behind the eye ; the cheeks
light yellowish-brown ; a black band from the lower mandible margining
the throat, which is white ; as are the lower parts generally; but the
lower part of the neck is spotted with black, and the sides streaked
with dusky.
Length to end of tail 5,9, inches ; wing from flexure 3; ; tail 2.
(1 4976" *)
ICELAND OR JER FALCON.
FALCO ISLANDICUs, Latu.
PLATE CCCLXVI. Apnuttr Femate.
Tue figures of the adult female of this superb Falcon now before
you were taken from the bird described by Mr Jonn Herrenstatt, at
page 554 of the second volume of this work. It was kept by him
upwards of six years; and it was his intention to have sent it to me
alive from Sheffield ; but it died of an affection of the cesophagus,
which had for some days rendered it unable to swallow its food. My
kind and most worthy friend, however, sent it to me immediately, so
that after having received it in good condition, I was enabled not only
to make it the subject of the present plate, and to take accurate mea-
surements of all its parts, but also to institute a comparison between it
and one of the specimens obtained in Labrador, which, with its con-
sort, is represented in Plate CXCVI.
In all essential respects it agrees with the Labrador bird. The
festoon on the edge of the lower mandible is however more prominent,
and on the other hand, the tooth which is prominent in the young
bird from Labrador, is in the old Iceland bird broken off and worn
on both sides. In like manner, several of the claws, which are larger
and stronger in this individual, are worn and blunted. These are the
accidents of domestication or long use, and shew that no dependence can
be placed on the prominence of either the festoon or the tooth of the bill
as indicating a difference of species. The tarsi, toes, their scales and
scutella, are the same as in the Labrador specimen. The wing, how-
ever, is more pointed, although the feathers are of the same form ; but
this arises from the first quill of the Labrador bird not having com-
pleted its growth, as both it and some of the other quills are still
sheathed at the base. In Mr Herrenstatt’s bird the second quill is
longest, the third very little shorter, and the first nearly as long, and
three quarters of an inch longer than the fourth. The tail is slightly
rounded, as in the Labrador bird, the lateral feathers being three quar-
ters of an inch shorter than the longest, and the feathers are similarly
though less distinctly pointed, they having been considerably worn.
i‘
od
ue”
Ps.
1
_
ICELAND OR JER FALCON. 477
The plumage is compact, and the feathers are of the same form in both
birds, but those of the head are a little broader in the Iceland bird.
On the whole, however, no differences are observable beyond what
might be expected between a young and an old individual of the same
species. The colouring of the Iceland bird, however, is very different.
The bill is very pale blue, the extremity of the upper mandible black,
that of the lower yellowish; the eyes greyish-black ; the cere, superci-
liary ridge, edges of eyelids, tarsi and toes, pale yellow ; the eyelids pale
blue ; the claws black. The plumage is pure white, but all the feathers
of the back and rump, the scapulars, the wing-coverts, and the se-
condary quills, have near their extremity a brownish-black spot, ge-
nerally arrow-shaped. ‘The anterior feathers of the back have, more-
over, a black streak on the shaft, which on those farther back be-
comes larger and lanceolate, and on the rump is accompanied by a third
spot ; the larger coverts and secondary quills have also three or more
spots, and the primary quills have seven spots or partial bars toward
their extremity, besides a large subterminal black space, their tips
however being white. On the inner margin of the two middle tail-
feathers are eight, and on the outer four dusky spots, and their shafts
are also dusky, as are those of all the quills on their upper surface.
There are also a few slight lanceolate dark spots on the sides of the
body, and on the tibial feathers.
Length to end of tail 233 inches, to end of wings 214, to end of
claws 183, to carpal joint 53; extent of wings 514; breadth of gape
11; wing from flexure 17; tail 92; bill along the ridge 1,5; tarsus
274; hind toe 1,1,, its claw 1,°,; middle toe 27, its claw (worn) 43.
Weight 2 lb., it being much emaciated.
The tongue, a. is 103 twelfths long, fleshy, deeply emarginate at the
base, having on its upper surface numerous orifices of mucous crypts,
towards the end narrowed, deeply concave, horny, with the extremity
rounded and very slightly emarginate. The cesophagus, bede, is 74 inches
long, wide, dilated into a large crop, cd, lying on the right side ; the pro-
_ ventriculus, / is $ inch in diameter, with a belt of oblong glandules, ar-
ranged into four very prominent longitudinal ridges, with deep grooves be-
tweenthem. The stomach, fg 4, is round, compressed, 13 inch in length,
1 inch 5 twelfths in breadth ; its muscular coat thin, composed of large
fasciculi, not arranged into distinct muscles ; its inner coat soft, with-
478 ICELAND OR JER FALCON.
out horny epithelium, but irregularly rugous, especially towards the pylo-
rus, which has three knobs or valves. The intestine, 427%, is 863 inches
long, 5 twelfths in diameter at its anterior
part, gradually contracting to 4 twelfths
The rectum is 33 inches long, 3 inch in
diameter at the commencement; the
coeca 2 twelfths long, 13 twelfth in dia-
meter; the cloaca, /m, globular. The right
lobe of the liver is 2 inches 4 twelfths
long, the left 2 inches 1 twelfth; the
gall-bladder large.
The crop or dilatation of the cesopha-
gus was nearly filled by two excrescences
from its inner surface, of a soft spongy
texture, but not ulcerated, or in any part
scirrhous. The inner surface of the sto-
mach was similarly affected, but in a
much less degree, and the pyloric region
was indurated. The intestines quite
sound.
The trachea, mn 0, is 6 inches long, con-
siderably flattened, 54 twelfths in breadth
at the upper part, gradually diminishing
to 4 twelfths. Its rings, about 78 in
number, are ossified, the last large, di-
vided, arched, and with a broad mem-
brane, 0, intervening between them and
the first bronchial ring. 'The lateral or
contractor muscles, p, are very strong, as
are the sterno-tracheal, g7, and there is a
single pair of inferior laryngeal mus-
wm
cles, s, inserted into the membrane between the last ring of the trachea
and the first of the bronchi. The bronchial half rings 15, slender and
cartilaginous.
( 479.)
BAND-TAILED PIGEON.
COLUMBA FASCIATA, Say.
PLATE CCCLXVII. Mate anp Femate.
In the course of Colonel Say’s expedition to the Rocky Mountains,
a single specimen of this large and handsome Pigeon was procured.
This individual was afterwards figured in the continuation of Wixson’s
American Ornithology. Many specimens however have more recently
been obtained by Dr TownsEnp, from whom I have procured three
pairs of adult and some young birds. Comparing them with the fi-
gure above alluded to, I should consider it as having been taken from
a young male. In my plate are represented two adult birds, placed on
the branch of a superb species of Dogwood, discovered by my learned
friend, Tuomas Nurraut, Esq., when on his march toward the shores
of the Pacific Ocean, and which I have graced with his name! The
beautiful drawing of this branch was executed by Miss Martin,
the amiable and accomplished sister of my friend Dr Bacuman. Seeds
of this new species of Cornus were sent by me to Lord Ravensworty,
and have germinated, so that this beautiful production of the rich val-
ley of the Columbia River may now be seen in the vicinity of London,
and in the grounds of the nobleman just mentioned, near Newcastle-
upon-Tyne. Dr Townsrnp’s notice respecting the bird here spoken of
is as follows :—
“« The Band-tailed Pigeon is called by the Chinook Indians ‘ akoigh
homin. It ranges from the eastern spurs of the Rocky Mountains
across to the Columbia River, where itis abundant. It arrived in 1836
in very great numbers, on the 17th of April, and continued in large
flocks while breeding. Their breeding places are on the banks of the
river. ‘he eggs are placed on the ground, under small bushes, with-
out a nest, where numbers congregate together. The eggs are two,
_ of a yellowish-white colour, inclining to bluish-white, with minute
spots at the great end. These Pigeons feed upon the berries of the
black elder and the buds of the balsam poplar. When sitting in the
trees, they huddle very close together in the manner of the Carolina
480 BAND-TAILED PIGEON.
Parrot, and many may be killed at a single discharge of the fowling-
piece. The flesh is tender and juicy, and therefore fine eating.”
Mr Norraut has favoured me with an equally interesting no-
tice “This large and fine Pigeon, always moving about in flocks,
keeps in Oregon only in the thick forests of the Columbia and the
Wahlamet, and during the summer is more particularly abundant in
the alluvial groves of the latter river, where throughout that season
we constantly heard their cooing. or witnessed the swarming flocks
feeding on the berries of the elder tree, those of the Great Cornel
(Cornus Nuttalli), or, before the ripening of berries, on the seed-germs
or the young pods of the Balsam poplar. The call of this species is
somewhat similar to that of the Carolina Dove, but is readily distin-
guishable, sounding like a double suppressed syllable, as *koo, h *koo,
h *koo, h*koo, uttered at the usual intervals, and repeated an hour or
two at a time, chiefly in the morning and evening. They are said to
breed on the ground, or in the low bushes, but I did not find the nest,
although I saw the birds feeding around every day near Watpatoo
Island. During the whole of this time they keep in flocks, either in
the poplars or elder bushes, and on being started, sweep about like
flocks of domestic pigeons, soon returning to their fare, when they
feed in silence, keeping a strict watch for intruders. They remain
on the lower part of the Columbia nearly the whole year, late in the
season (October and November) feeding mostly on the berries of the
Tre. Cornel, but still they seem to migrate some distance to the south,
as the severity of the winter approaches.”
Cotumpsa Fasc1aTa, Say, in Long’s Exped. to Rocky Mountains, vol. ii. p. 10.
Banp-TAILED Preron, Cotumsa Fascrata, Ch. Bonaparte, Amer. Ornith. pl. viii,
fig. 3, vol. i. p. 77.
Cotumepa FascraTa, Bonap. Synops. p. 119.
Banp-tatLep Piceon, Nuttall, Manual, vol. i. p. 64.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLXVII. Fig. 1.
Bill straight, rather short, slender, compressed ; upper mandible
with a tumid fleshy covering at the base, where it is straight in its
dorsal outline, convex towards the end, with a sharp-edged, declinate,
rather obtuse tip; lower mandible with the angle long and pointed,
o>
BAND-TAILED PIGEON. 481
the sides erect at the base, sloping outwards toward the end, the edges
sharp, the tip narrow but blunt. Nostrils medial, oblique, linear.
Head small, oblong, compressed ; neck of moderate length; body
full. Feet short, strong ; tarsus very short, rounded, with two ante-
rior rows of large hexagonal scales; the hind part fleshy with very
small scales ; toes broad and flat beneath, marginate, with large scu-
tella above ; the hind toe smallest, the lateral nearly equal, the middle
toe much longer. Claws of moderate size, arched, compressed, grooved
beneath, rather acute.
Plumage rather compact above, blended beneath, on the hind neck
strong, with metallic gloss. Wings long, the second quill longest, the
third only a twelfth of an inch shorter, the first six-twelfths shorter,
and a little longer than the fourth, the rest rather quickly graduated ;
secondaries of moderate breadth and rounded. First quill with the
outer web narrower at the base than toward the end, the second and
third quills with their outer webs having a slight sinus and attenuated
toward the end. Tail of moderate length, rounded, of twelve broad
abruptly rounded feathers, of which the lateral is half an inch shorter
than the longest.
Bill yellow, with the tips black. Feet yellow, claws greyish-black.
Bare space around the eyes carmine. The head, fore neck, and breast
are of a light reddish-purple or wine-colour, which on the abdomen
and lower tail-coverts fades into whitish ; a narrow half-ring of white
on the hind neck, the lower part of which is of a metallic brownish-
green tint. The upper parts are greyish-blue, darker, and tinged
with brown on the fore part of the back and scapulars; sides of the
body and rump greyish-blue. Alula, primary coverts, primary quills,
and outer secondaries brownish-black, very narrowly margined with
brownish-white, Tail greyish-blue at the base, much paler and tinged
with yellow toward the end, these colours being separated at the dis-
tance of two inches from the tip by a band of black.
Length to end of tail 16 inches, to end of wings 133; wing from
flexure 9; tail 62; bill along the ridge 18, along the edge of lower
mandible 175; tarsus 17,; hind toe 3, its claw 74; middle toe 144,
its claw 7%.
Adult Female. Plate CCCLXVII. Fig. 2.
The female differs from the male only in having the tints a little
VOL. IV. Hh
482 BAND-TAILED PIGEON.
duller, and on the upper parts somewhat darker, with the black band
on the tail less decided, the middle feathers being but faintly marked
with it.
Length to end of tail 154 inches.
It was omitted to mention that the minute spots on the eggs are
white.
Nutratu’s Doe-woon.
Cornus Nutratut, Audubon.
This very beautiful tree, which was discovered by Mr Nutra tt, on
the Columbia River, attains a height of fifty feet or more, and is cha-
racterized by its smooth reddish-brown bark ; large, ovate, acuminate
leaves, and conspicuous flowers, with six obovate, acute, involucral
bracteas, which are rose-coloured at the base, white towards the end,
veined and reticulated with light purple. The berries are oblong, and
of a bright carmine.
( 483 )
ROCK GROUS.
TETRAO RUPESTRIS, GMEL.
PLATE CCCLXVIII. Mate anp Frmate.
Wuitst at Labrador, I was informed by Mr Jones, of whom I have
made mention on several occasions, that a smaller species of Ptarmigan
than that called the Willow Grous, Tetrao Saliceti, was abundant on all
the hills around Bras d’Or, during the winter, when he and his son usually
killed a great number, which they salted and otherwise preserved ; and
that in the beginning of summer they removed from the coast into the
interior of the country, where they bred in open grounds, never, like
the Willow Grous, retreating to the wooded parts. They seldom ap-
pear at Bras d’Or until the last of the Wild Geese have passed over, or
before the cold has become intense, and the plains deeply covered with
snow. While about his house, they repair to the most elevated hill-
tops, from which the violence of the winds has removed the snow.
There they feed on the mosses and lichens attached to the rocks, as well
as on the twigs and grasses scantily found in such places at that season.
They keep in great packs, and when disturbed are apt to fly to a con-
siderable distance, shifting from one hill to another often half a mile
off.
Not having seen this species alive, and my drawing having been
taken from specimens kindly presented to me by my friend Captain
James Ross, R. N., I cannot do better than present you here with the
observations of Dr Ricnarvson, as recorded in the Fauna Boreali-
Americana. ‘“ Hutcnins reports that the Rock Grous is numerous at
the two extremities of Hudson’s Bay, but does not appear at the middle
settlements (York and Severn Factories), except in very severe seasons,
when the Willow Grous are searee, and Captain Sabine informs us
that they abound on Melville Peninsula, Lat. 74° to 75°, in the sum-
mer. It arrived there in its snow-white dress, on the 12th of May
1820; at the end of that month the females began to assume their colour-
ed plumage, which was complete by the first week in June, the change
at the latter period being only in its commencement with the males.
Some of the males were killed as late as the middle of June in their
484 ROCK GROUS.
unaltered winter plumage. In this respect the species differs from the
Willow Grous, whose males first assume the summer colour. The
Rock Grous is found also on Melville Peninsula and the Barren
Grounds, seldom going farther south in winter than latitude 63° in the
interior, but descending along the coast of Hudson’s Bay to latitude
58°, and in severe seasons still farther to the southward. It also oc-
curs on the Rocky Mountains as far south as latitude 55°. It exists in
Greenland, is common in Norway, is known in Sweden by the name of
Sno Rissa, and is the species most frequent in the Museums of France
and Italy under the name of TZetrao Lagopus. It is not a native of
Scotland. The Rock Grous in its manners and mode of living resem-
bles the Willow Grous, except that it does not retire so far into the
woody country in winter. Contrary, however, to what HeaRNE says,
it is frequent in open woods on the borders of lakes in that season,
particularly in the 65th parallel of latitude, though perhaps the bulk
of the species remains on the skirts of the Barren Grounds. It hatches
in June. The ground colour of the egg is, according to Captain
SaBINE, a pale reddish-brown, and is irregularly spotted and blotched
with darker brown.” Specimens in my possession, coloured as here
described, average one inch and five-eighths in length, by an inch and
an eighth in breadth.
TETRAO RUPESTRIS, Gel. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 731.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii.
p. 640.
Terrao (Lacorus) rupesrris, Richards. and Swains. Fauna Bor.-Amer. vol. ii.
p. 354.
Rock Grovs, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 610.
Adult Male in Winter. Plate CCCLXVIII. Fig. 1.
Bill short, robust ; upper mandible with the dorsal outline curved,
the ridge and sides convex, the edges overlapping, the tip declinate,
thin edged, but rounded; lower mandible with the angle short and
wide, the dorsal line convex, the back broadly convex, the sides round-
ed, the edges inflected, the tip blunt. Nostrils basal, roundish, con-
cealed by feathers.
Head small, ovate ; neck of moderate length ; body bulky. Feet of
_ ordinary length, robust ; tarsus feathered, as are the toes, the first toe
very small, the middle toe much longer than the lateral, which are
ROCK GROUS. 485
nearly equal, the inner being a little longer. Claws slightly arched,
depressed, broad, with thin edges and rounded at the tip.
Plumage compact, the feathers generally ovate and rounded ; those
on the tarsi, toes, and soles oblong, with loose stiffish barbs. Wings
rather short, concave; the primaries strong, narrow, tapering, pointed ;
the first an inch and seven-twelfths shorter than the second, which is
four-twelfths shorter than the third, this being the longest, but only
exceeding the fourth by a twelfth anda half. Tail rather short, nearly
even, of sixteen broad feathers, of which two are incumbent, less strong,
and longer than the rest by two-twelfths of an inch.
Bili black ; superciliary membrane scarlet ; claws dusky, towards
the end yellowish. The plumage is pure white, with the exception of
a broad band of black from the upper mandible to the eye, and for a
short space behind it; the shafts of the six outer quills, which are
brownish-black, and all the tail-feathers, the two middle excepted, they
being of a deep greyish-black colour, with a terminal narrow band of
white.
Length to end of tail 133 inches, to end of wings 12; wing from
flexure 8; tail 43; tarsus 1,% ; hind toe 4, its claw ;% ; middle toe 43,
its claw 75.
Male in Summer. Plate CCCLXVIII. Fig. 2.
In summer, the plumage differs little in texture, with the exception
of that on the feet, which is short and thin on the tarsi, worn on the
base of the toes, of which the soles and half of the upper surface are
denuded. The bill and claws are of the same colour as in winter ; but
the plumage is variegated with black, reddish-yellow, and white. The
upper parts may be described as black, transversely and irregularly
banded and spotted with yellowish-red, the feather terminally mar-
gined with white, there being on each feather several bars of yellowish-
red running from the margin inwards, but leaving a black space in the
centre. ‘The lower parts are lighter, more broadly and regularly barred
with brownish-black and light reddish-yellow. The feathers along the
edge of the wing, the alula, primary coverts, nearly all the secondary
coverts, primaries and outer secondaries, white ; as are the lower sur-
face of the wing, the axillar feathers, and some of the feathers on the
abdomen, as well’as those on the feet, the latter being soiled or tinged
with yellowish or grey. ‘The shafts of the primaries are brownish-
486 ROCK GROUS.
black, and the tail is black as in winter, tipped with white, and with
the lateral feathers having part of their outer web white ; the two mid-
dle feathers barred like the back. ‘The dimensions of an individual are
as follows :
Length to end of tail 134 inches, to end of wings 114; wing from
flexure 74; tail 43; bill along the ridge 7% ; tarsus 154; middle toe 34,
its claw ;5.
Female in Summer. Plate CCCLXVIII. Fig. 3.
The female does not differ materially from the male, the yellow
bands being only broader and lighter.
Very great differences are observed in the length and form of the
claws, they being in some individuals very long, thin-edged, and ta-
pering, to a rounded point ; in others very short, being worn down to
the stump. ‘This species is considerably smaller than the Ptarmigan
of Scotland, which it precisely resembles in its winter plumage. In its
summer plumage, however, it differs in having the markings larger ;
and as yet no specimens have been obtained marked. with undulated
slender, ash-grey, and dusky lines, in any degree approaching those
characteristic of the British bird in its autumnal plumage. The bill
of the Rock Grous is shorter and thicker than that of the Ptarmigan,
although the reverse has been alleged.
( 487 )
MOUNTAIN MOCKING BIRD.
TURDUS MONTANUS.
PLATE CCCLXIX. Mate.
Tuis interesting and hitherto unfigured species was procured on
the Rocky Mountains by Dr Townsrnp, who forwarded a single spe-
cimen to Philadelphia, where I made a drawing of it. The following
notice by Mr Nurratt shews that it is nearly allied in its habits to
the Mocking Bird :—
“ On the arid plains of the central table-land, betwixt the northern
sources of the Platte and the Colorado of the West, in the month of
June, we frequently heard the cheering song of this delightful species,
whose notes considerably resemble those of the Brown Thrush, with
some of the imitative powers of the Mocking Bird. For a great part
of the day, and especially early and late, its song resounds through the
desert plains, as it warbles to its mate from some tall weed or bush of
wormwood, and continues with little interruption nearly for an hour at
a time. We met with it in the plains exclusively, till our arrival at
Wallah Wallah, but we are not certain of having seen it in any part
of California, it being apparently entirely confined to the cooler and
open regions of the Rocky Mountains. Just before arriving at Sandy
Creek of the Colorado, while resting for refreshment at noon, I had
the good fortune to find the nest in a wormwood bush, on the margin
of a ravine, from whence the male was singing with its usual energy.
it contained four almost emerald green eggs, spotted with dark olive
of two shades, more numerous towards the greater end, the spots large
and roundish. The nest itself was made of small twigs and rough
stalks, lined with stripes of bark and bison wool. ‘The female flew off
to a little distance, and looked on her unwelcome and unexpected visi-
tor, without uttering either call or complaint.”
OrPHEUS MonTANUS, Mountain Mockine Birp, Townsend, Journal of Acad. of
Nat. Sciences of Philadelphia, vol. vil. p. 192.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLXIX. Fig. 1.
488 MOUNTAIN MOCKING BIRD.
Bill of moderate length, rather slender, compressed, straightish,
pointed ; upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly declinato-ar-
cuate, the sides convex toward the end, the edges sharp, with a slight
sinus close to the narrow declinate tip; lower mandible with the angle
short and narrow, the dorsal line straight, the edges sharp and a little
declinate at the end, the tip narrow; the gape-line very slightly
arched.
Head oblong, of ordinary size ; neck rather short, but somewhat
slender. Feet longish, rather strong ; tarsus compressed, anteriorly
covered with seven large scutella, sharp-edged behind ; toes of mode-
rate length, slender, the hind toe stout, the lateral nearly equal, the
anterior united for a short space at the base. Claws slender, arched,
compressed, acute.
Plumage soft and blended. Wings of moderate length, rounded,
the first quill short, the third and fourth longest, the second and fifth
equal, and about a quarter of an inch shorter than the fourth. Tail
long, rounded, of twelve rather narrow rounded feathers.
Bill dark-brown, the base of the lower mandible paler. Feet yel-
lowish-brown, claws dusky. ‘The general colour of the upper parts is
greyish-brown, the tips of the secondary coverts, the edges of the pri-
mary quills, and a large spot at the end of the three lateral tail-fea-
thers, white; the lower parts whitish, marked with triangular dusky
spots, of which there is a distinct line from the base of the bill; the
throat, the middle of the breast, the abdomen, and lower tail-coverts
unspotted.
Length to end of tail 8 inches, to end of wings 52; wing from
flexure 3;% ; tail 3}; bill along the ridge 74; tarsus 1;% ; hind toe 7,
its claw 34; middle toe 3%, its claw #4.
a i ate
( 489 )
VARIED THRUSH.
TurRDUS NZ&VIUS, GMEL.
PLATE CCCLXIX. Aputr Mate.
Or this beautiful Thrush, of which a figure not having the black
band running quite across the breast, as is the case in the adult male,
is given by Mr Swainson, in the Fauna Boreali-Americana, Dr
Ricuarpson speaks as follows :—‘‘ This species was discovered at
Nootka Sound, in Captain Coox’s third voyage, and male and female
specimens, in the possession of Sir JosEpH Banks, were described by
LatHam : Pennant has also described and figured the same male.
The specimen represented in this work was procured at Fort Franklin,
lat. 653°, in the spring of 1826. We did not hear its song, nor ac-
quire any information respecting its habits, except that it built its
nest in a bush, similar to that of the Merula migratoria. It was not
seen by us on the banks of the Saskatchewan ; and, as it has not ap-
peared in the list of the Birds of the United States, it most probably
does not go far to the eastward of the Rocky Mountains in its migra-
tiens north and south. It may perhaps be more common to the west-
ward of that ridge.”
Dr Ricuarpson’s conjecture as to the line of march followed by
it has proved to be correct, Dr Townsenn and Mr Nurratu having
found it abundant on the western sides of the Rocky Mountains. The
former of these zealous naturalists informs me that he “ first found this
Thrush on the Columbia River in the month of October, and that it
becomes more numerous in winter, which it spends in that region,
though some remove farther south. It there associates with the Com-
mon Robin, Twurdus migratorius, but possesses a very different note, it be-
ing louder, sharper, and quicker than those of the latter, and in the
spring, before it sets out for its yet unascertained breeding-place, it
warbles very sweetly. It is called Ammeskuk by the Chinooks.”
Mr Norvra.t’s notice respecting it is as follows :—“ Of this bird,
whose manners so entirely resemble those of the Common Robin, we
know almost nothing. They probably breed as far north as Nootka,
where they were first seen by the naturalists of Coox’s expedition. On the
490 VARIED THRUSH.
Columbia they are only winter birds of passage, arriving about October,
and continuing more or less frequently throughout the winter. At this
time they flit through the forest in small flocks, frequenting usually
low trees, on which they perch in perfect silence, and are at times very
timorous and difficult of approach, having all the shy sagacity of the
Robin, and appearing at all times in a very desultory manner.”
The numerous specimensof this Thrush in my possession have enabled
me to compare it with Turdus migratorius, and another new Thrush
from Chili. On examining the tail, from the shape of which Mr
Swainson considers this species allied to our Mocking Bird, I found
its form, length, and extent beyond the wings, to correspond almost
exactly with those of the tail of our Robin ; and, if it proves true that
the Varied Thrush forms a nest bedded with mud, it will strengthen
my opinion that both these and the Chilian species are as nearly allied
as possible, and therefore ought to be considered as true Thrushes, of
which, to assume the language of systematic writers, Turdus migrato-
rius is the type in America, whilst Turdus Merula is that of Europe:
The two figures' in my plate were taken from adult males shot in
spring. You will find a figure of the female in Plate CCCCX XXIII.
Turpus navius, Gel. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 817.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. i. p. 331.
ORPHEUS MERULOIDES, THRUSH-LIKE Mock-sirp, Richards. and Swains. Fauna
Bor.-Amer. vol. ii. p. 187.
Adult Male: Plate CCCLXIX. Figs. 2, 3.
Billof moderate length, rather strong, compressed, acute; upper mandi-
ble with its dorsal outline slightly arched, the ridge narrow, the sides
convex toward the end, the edges sharp, overlapping, destitute of notch,
there being in its place an extremely slight sinus, the tip a little decli-
nate ; lower mandible with the angle rather long and narrow, the dor-
sal line very slightly convex, the ridge narrow, the sides erect and con-
vex, the edges sharp and slightly decurved towards the narrow, rather
obtuse, tip. Nostrils basal, oblong, half closed by a horny operculum.
Head of moderate size, ovate, convex anteriorly ; neck rather short,
body moderately full. Feet of ordinary length, rather stout; tarsus
compressed, anteriorly covered with a long plate and four inferior
seutella, posteriorly with two long plates meeting at a very acute angle.
Toes rather large, the first strongest, the lateral nearly equal, the
ae ee ne ee
VARIED THRUSH. 49}
third and fourth united as far as the second joint of the latter. Claws
rather large, moderately arched, much compressed, acute.
Plumage soft and rather blended. Wings of moderate length,
broad, rounded ; the first primary extremely short, being about a fifth
of the length of the third, which is longest, but scarcely exceeds the
fourth ; the second four-twelfths shorter than the third. Tail large, ra-
ther long, nearly even, of twelve broad rounded feathers.
Bill black, with the basal half of the lower mandible yellow ; iris
hazel ; feet and claws flesh-coloured. The general colour of the upper
parts is a deep leaden-grey, darker on the head, the feathers very
narrowly margined with brown ; the quills and tail-feathers dusky, the
outer webs of the latter tinged with grey, and their tips white; the
lore dusky ; a band of reddish-orange passes from over the fore part of
the eye down the side of the neck, and almost meets its fellow on the
hind part ; two conspicuous bands of the same cross, the wing obliquely
being formed of the tips of the first row of small coverts, and those of
the secondary coverts; the outer webs of the primary coverts about
the middle, a band on the primaries near the base, part of the outer
webs towards the end, and the tips of the secondaries, also pale reddish-
orange. The lower parts in general are reddish-orange, paler behind ;
a band of greyish-black passes down the side, and crosses the lower
part of the neck, where it is almost pure black ; the feathers of the sides
are tipped with light grey; those of the middle of the abdomen are
white; and the lower tail-coverts are tipped with the latter colour.
The axillary feathers are white, tipped with grey ; the smaller coverts
grey, tipped with reddish-white, the primary coverts grey, the secon-
dary nearly white, of which also there is a bar formed by part of the
inner webs of the quills.
Length to end of tail 101 inches; wing from flexure 5}; tail 312;
bill along the ridge }$, along the edge of lower mandible 144; tarsus
123
14; hind toe #4, its claw 24; middle toe +9, its claw 74.
AduJt Female. Plate CCCCXXXIII. Fig. 6.
The female, which is scarcely smaller than the male, is coloured
in the same manner; but the upper parts are strongly tinged with
olive-brown ; the reddish-orange bands are much paler, the tail-feathers
are margined with dull reddish-brown ; the band on the lore, down the
sides of the neck, and across it, is light greyish-brown ; the orange tint
492 VARIED THRUSH.
of the lower parts is much paler ; the lower wing-coverts have no tinge
of red, and part of the breast and abdomen is nearly pure white.
Length to end of tail 10 inches ; wing from flexure 53%; tail 3x4 ;
bill along the ridge +3; tarsus 1} ; middle toe and claw 1,3.
The plant represented on the plate is the American Mistletoe, Vis-
cum verticillatum, on the berries of which several of our Thrushes oc-
easionally feed, as the Mistle thrush, Turdus viscivorus, is said to do on
those of Viscum album. It is found in almost every part of the United
States, growing chiefly on oaks and apple-trees.
( 493 )
AMERICAN DIPPER.
CINCLUS AMERICANUS, SWAINSON.
PLATE CCCLXX. Mate anp FEMALE.
The specimens from which the figures here given have been taken,
were procured on the Rocky Mountains, on the 15th of June, when
they were supposed to be breeding, so that they were probably adults
in full plumage. Having little taste for critical discussions, I shall
refrain from inflicting on the reader a long and elaborate review of all
that has been said on the subject of this interesting but little-known
bird, which was figured by the Prince of Musicnano from a specimen
obtained near the sources of the Athabasca River, under the name of
Cinclus Pallasii ; and has been described by Mr Swarnsony, first as
C. Meaxicanus, and again, in the Fauna Boreali-Americana, as C. Ame-
ricanus. The latter name I prefer to that of C. unicolor, which is in fact
incorrect, the bird not being of one single colour. Unfortunately very
little is known respecting the habits of the American Dipper, which
however, being in form and size so very similar to that of Europe, pro-
bably resembles it in its mode of life. I therefore cannot do better
than endeavour to supply the deficiency by presenting you with the
history of the latter species, as given in detail by my friend Wittiam
Maceitiivray, who, among the wild hills of his native country, has
studied its habits with a zeal and acuteness certainly not exceeded by
those of any ornithologist. His account, which first appeared in a pe-
riodical named “ The Naturalist,” and which he has revised and
amended for insertion here, is in truth a model of histories of this kind.
** The Dipper is in many respects one of the most interesting of
our native birds. Residing chiefly in the wild glens of the mountain-
ous districts, it now and then presents itself to the wandering natu-
ralist as it flits along the streams, or is seen perched on a stone in the
midst of the water, the white patch on its breast rendering it conspi-
cuous at a great distance. Even the mere collector of plants, who, of
all men, seems to be the least capable of comprehending the harmo-
nies of nature, pauses to gaze upon it, as it shoots past him in its ra-
pid and even flight; the solitary shepherd, wending his way to the
494 AMERICAN DIPPER.
mountain corry, meets it with delight ; and the patient and contempla-
tive angler, as he guides his tackle over the deep pool, smiles upon the
tiny fisher, whose frequent becks have attracted his notice. The sin-
gular circumstance of its obtaining its food under the surface of the
water, although in form and structure it is allied to the Thrushes,
Wrens, and other land birds, has especially drawn the attention of or-
nithologists to it; and the explanation of its mode of progression in
that element has exercised their ingenuity, although very few have
based their conjectures on actual observation. Lastly, the land-pro-
prietor, or his factor, too much occupied with other pursuits to inquire
for themselves, and trusting to the reports of prejudiced persons, di-
rect their gamekeepers and shepherds to destroy the lively and harm-
less creature, whenever an opportunity occurs, because it has been sup-
posed to destroy the eggs and fry of the salmon.
“This bird having in a particular manner engaged my attention in
the course of my many rambles, I have been enabled to trace its his-
tory in a satisfactory degree, so that the account here presented of it
I consider as among the most accurate of those which I have written.
“ It frequents the sides of rivers and streams of inferior magnitude,
especially such as are clear and rapid, with pebbly or rocky margins.
I have met with it in every part of Scotland, as well as in the hilly
parts of Cumberland and Westmoreland, and it is said by Monracu
to oceur in Wales and Devonshire. In Scotland it is not peculiar to
the mountainous regions, being found in the lowest parts of the Lo-
thians, as well as on the alpine rills of the Grampians, and other ele-
vated tracts, but it is generally more abundant in hilly ground, and,
although never common in any district, is nowhere more plentiful than
on the Tweed and its tributaries, in the pastoral counties of Peebles
and Selkirk. It is also a well-known inhabitant of all the larger Heb-
rides. It is not only a permanent resident, but seldom shifts its sta-
tion to any great extent, excepting during continued frosts, when it
descends along the streams, and is seen flitting about by the rapids and
falls. _Mill-dams are also favourite resorts, especially in winter and
spring. On lakes having a muddy or peaty bottom I have never ob-
served it; but it may sometimes be seen on those which are shallow
and pebbly at the margins, as on St Mary’s Loch in Yarrow, where I
have shot it.
“ The flight of the Dipper is steady, direct, and rapid, like that of the
AMERICAN DIPPER. 495
Kingfisher, being effected by regularly timed and quick beats of the
wings, without intermissions or sailings. It perches on stones or pro-
jecting crags by the sides of streams, or in the water, where it may be
seen frequently inclining the breast downwards, and jerking up the
tail, much in the manner of the Wheatear and Stonechat, and still
more of the Wren; its legs bent, its neck retracted, and its wings
slightly drooping. It plunges into the water, not dreading the force
of the current, dives, and makes its way beneath the surface, generally
moving against the stream, and often with surprising speed. It does
not, however, immerse itself head foremost from on high like the King-
fisher, the Tern, or the Gannet; but either walks out into the water,
or alights upon its surface, and then plunges like an Auk or a Guille-
mot, slightly opening its wings, and disappearing with an agility and
dexterity that indicate its proficiency in diving. I have seen it moving
under water in situations where I could observe it with certainty, and
I readily perceived that its actions were precisely similar to those of
the Divers, Mergansers, and Cormorants, which I have often watched
from an eminence, as they pursued the shoals of sand-eels along the
sandy shores of the Hebrides. It in fact flew, not merely using the
wing, from the carpal joint, but extending it considerably and employ-
ing its whole extent, just as if advancing in the air. The general di-
rection of the body in these circumstances is obliquely downwards ;
and great force is evidently used to counteract the effects of gravity,
the bird finding it difficult to keep itself at the bottom, and when it re-
laxes its efforts coming to the surface like a cork. Monvacu has well
described the appearance which it presents under such circumstances :—
“In one or two instances, where we have been able to perceive it
under water, it appeared to tumble about in a very extraordinary man-
ner, with its head downwards, as if picking something; and at the
same time great exertion was used, both by the wings and legs.” This
tumbling, however, is observed only when it is engaged in a strong
current, and its appearance is greatly magnified by the unequal refrac-
tion caused by the varying inequalities of the surface of the water.
When searching for food, it does not proceed to great distances under
water; but, alighting on some spot, sinks, and soon reappears in the
immediate neighbourhood, when it either dives again, or rises on wing
to drop somewhere else on the stream, or settle on a stone. Often
from a shelving crag or large stone it may be seen making short incur-
496 AMERICAN DIPPER.
sions into the water, running out with quiet activity, and presently
bobbing up to the surface, and regaining its perch by swimming or
wading. The assertion of its walking 7m the water, on the bottom,
which some persons have ventured, is not made good by observation,
nor countenanced by reason and the nature of things. 'The Dipper is
by no means a walking bird: even on land I have never seen it move
more than a few steps, which it accomplished by a kind of leaping
motion. Its short legs and curved claws are very ill adapted for run-
ning, but admirably calculated for securing a steady footing on slip-
pery stones, whether above or beneath the surface of the water. Like
the Kingfisher, it often remains a long time perched on a stone, but in
most other respects its habits are very dissimilar.
“ The first opportunity which I had of observing this bird advancing
under water occurred in Braemar, in 1819, when, from the bank of the
stream which passes by Castletown, I noticed one “ tumbling about ” in
the rapid current. In September 1832 I watched a Dipper for some
time, on a part of the Tweed, where the current was very rapid. It
flew off from the shore, and alighted in the middle of the stream, where
it immediately dived. Reappearing a little way farther up the river,
it floated for a few seconds, dived, emerged, and flew to the opposite
bank, on reaching which it again disappeared under water for a short
time, and thus continued its exertions. When perched on a stone near
the shore, especially if the water be not much agitated around, it
usually makes short incursions into it, apparently for the purpose of
procuring food, and returns to its station. On these occasions it is not
difficult to approach it, provided due precaution be used ; but in gene-
ral it is shy and easily alarmed. I have several times shot at an indivi-
dual which observed me as I was quietly walking up to it; but it is not
often that one remains until you come within shot. A method which
I have often successfully practised was to mark the position of the bird
at a distance, taking note of an object on the bank opposite to it, then
make a circuit, and suddenly come upon the spot. When one has been
pursued either up or down a stream for a quarter of a mile or so, it
usually turns, to regain its ordinary station, when it may be shot as it
dashes past.
“ In August 1834, while ascending White Coom, the highest moun-
tain in Dumfriesshire, accompanied by my son, I observed a Dipper
retreating behind a large stone, over which the water fell, in the midst
AMERICAN DIPPER. 497
of a streamlet that flowed along the bottom of a narrow scar or rut.
Imagining that its nest or young might be concealed there, we went
up to the place, and, on perceiving the bird behind the little waterfall,
endeavoured to catch it, on which it sallied forth, plunged into a pool,
and attempted to escape down the stream, but without success, for we
met it at every turn, and it was obliged to betake itself again to its re-
treat. We now turned off the water from the stone, when it again
plunged into the pool, and after some windings, at length effected its
escape. On emerging at some distance it flew off, and I considered it
strange that it had not used its wings at first, as it certainly could more
easily have escaped through the air than through the water. The
chase afforded another rare opportunity of viewing its subaqueous flight,
which in all probability was caused by excessive alarm. It flew about
in the pool, just as a bird would fly in a confined space in the air, but
of course with less velocity, and on diving at first seemed covered with
small air-bubbles which adhered to its surface.
On being wounded the Dipper commonly plunges into the water,
flies beneath its surface to the shore, and conceals itself among the
stones or under the bank. In fact, on all such oceasions, if enough of
life remains, it is sure to hide itself, so that one requires to look sharply
after it. In this respect it greatly resembles the Common Gallinule.
In the winter of 1829, I shot one on the Almond, which flew to the
other side, walked deliberately out into the water, disappeared, and
slowly emerged under a bank at some distance, where I found it after
wading through the stream, which was partially frozen. Another had
just strength sufficient to fly into a deep hole under a bridge on the
Yarrow, partially filled with water, on which it was found floating dead.
In August 1834, I shot a Dipper on Manor Water in Tweeddale, which
flew off, dived, and hid itself under a bank, on which I forded the stream
and endeavoured to secure it, but it slipped out under water, swam
down the current twenty yards or so, and got under a large stone,
where it was traced. The introduction of the gun-rod only caused the
persecuted bird to retreat as far as it could, and when I was employed
in removing some pebbles and gravel from behind the stone, it slipped
out under water, and proceeded down the stream a considerable way
before it rose to breathe. I noticed the place where it dived in under
the bank, and it being at length obliged to come up to respire, I met
the bird with my hand and so secured it.
VOL. Iv. 11
498 AMERICAN DIPPER.
When wounded and caught, it struggles hard, grasping firmly with
the feet, but does not attempt to bite. I mention this circumstance as
common to certain species of birds, such as the Fieldfare, Blackbird,
and Starling, which, without possessing the power of annoying their
enemy, yet do not tamely suffer themselves to be destroyed, but struggle
to the last, undismayed, and ready to use the slightest chance of escape.
Other species, equal in strength, such as the Snipe, the Golden Plover,
and the Lapwing, do not struggle so vigorously, but meet their fate in
a quiet and apparently stupid manner. Some birds, again, such as the
Tits and Warblers, although evidently extremely frightened on being
seized, watch every opportunity of biting. I need scarcely add that
some, as the Kestril and Sparrowhawk, grasp and bite with as much
good-will as effect.
The most melancholy ornithological exhibition that I remember to
have witnessed, was that of a wounded Dipper which was shot through
the lungs, above Cramond Bridge, near Edinburgh. It stood still, with-
out attempting to fly off, apparently insensible to all external objects,
its legs bent, its wings drooping, its head declined. The blood was
oozing from its side, and gurgling in its windpipe, which the poor bird
made ineffectual efforts to clear. At intervals, a convulsive heaving of
the chest took place, followed by an effort to vomit ; and in that state
the sufferer stood for five minutes until I got over the stream to it,
when it expired in my hand. In the agony of death, the pupil became
contracted to a mere point, and presently after dilated, when the lower
eyelid gradually rose and covered the eye. This is commonly the case
in birds, which do not expire with their eyes open, like man and most
quadrupeds.
The food of the Dipper is said by authors to consist of small fishes,
roe, and water-insects. Thus, according to Wittucusy, “ Pisces
predatur, nec insecta aversatur.” Mowracv states that he saw an ‘old
bird flying in with a fish in its bill,” and that “ these birds will some-
times pick up insects at the edge of the water.” _M. Temminck alleges
that its food consists of “ insectes d’eau, demoiselles et leurs larves;
3
souvent du frai de truite.” Mr Setsy judiciously combines these state- _
ments, informing us that “ water-insects and the fry and spawn of fish —
form its food.” Mr Jenyns, more wary, confines it to “aquatic insects.” —
It would answer no good purpose to bring forward the notions of other —
compilers. There is nothing incredible in all these statements, al-
AMERICAN DIPPER. 499
though it is to be remarked that no one states that he has actually ob-
served fishes, or their eggs, in the stomach of this bird. I have opened
a great number of individuals, at all seasons of the year, but have never
found any other substances in the stomach than Lymnew, Ancyli, Co-
leoptera, and grains of gravel. As to the ova and fry of the salmon,
there is no evidence whatever that the Dipper ever swallows them ;
and, therefore, the persecution to which this bird has been subjected
in consequence of the mere suspicion, ought to cease until the fact be
proved. That the mollusca above mentioned form a principal part of
its food was never suspected, and therefore I was much pleased with
making the discovery, which satisfactorily accounted to me for all the
subaqueous excursions of the species.
The Dipper is generally seen in pairs, sometimes singly, and, for a
short period, at the breeding season, in families, but never in flocks.
In some favourite places, such as a water-fall, or a series of rapids, one
may in winter find so many as four or five individuals, but always scat-
tered. Its song is short, but lively, and continued at intervals. It.
bears no resemblance to the full song of the Thrushes, but closely re-
sembles the subdued winter warble of the Redwing and Starling, or
the first notes of a young Song Thrush. This gentle warble is not
confined to any period of the year, but may be heard during sunny
weather at all seasons. Its common note, which it frequently utters
while perched on a stone or while flying along the stream, resembles
the syllable chit.
About the middle of spring it begins to form its nest, so that its
first brood is abroad at the same time with that of the Blackbird. The
nest, which is placed among the moss on the bank of a stream, or
among the roots of a tree in a concealed place overhanging the water,
sometimes in a crevice of a rock, or under a bridge, or even in the
space behind a waterfall, varies considerably in form and size, accord-
ing to its position ; but is always very bulky, arched over, and resem-
bles that of the Wren more than of any other bird. A perfect speci-
men found by my friend Mr Weir, in the county of Linlithgow, pre-
sents externally the appearance of a flattened elliptical mass, measur-
ing ten inches from the front to the back part, eight and a half in
breadth, and six in height. The aperture is in front, of a transversely
oblong form, three inches and a quarter wide, and one inch and a half
high. The exterior is composed of various species of mosses, chiefly
500 AMERICAN DIPPER.
hypna, firmly felted, so as to form a mass not easily torn asunder, espe-
cially in its lower part. This portion may be considered as forming a
case for the nest properly so called, and in this respect resembles the
mud case of the swallows. The nest itself is hemispherical, five anda
half inches in diameter, composed of stems and leaves of grasses, and
very copiously lined with beech-leaves. I have examined several other
nests, which were similarly constructed, and all lined with beech-
leaves, one having a few of ivy, and another one or two of the plane,
intermixed. Monrtacu describes the nest as “very large, formed of
moss and water plants externally, and lined with dry oak leaves ; and
others have stated that the lining is of leaves of various trees, which
may depend upon the locality. The eggs, five or six in number, are
of aregular oval form, rather pointed, pure white, varying from eleven-
twelfths to an inch and one-twelfth in length, and averaging nine-
twelfths in their greatest breadth. They are somewhat smaller than
those of the Song Thrush.
The genus Cinclus may be considered as placed on the limits of the
families of Turdine and Myrmotherine, being in fact more allied to
Turdus than to Pitta, although through Chamewza perhaps more obvi-
ously related to the latter. ‘fhe digestive organs of the Common Dip-
per are entirely analogous to those of the Thrushes and allied genera,
but bear no resemblance to those of the piscivorous birds, the cesopha-
gus being narrow, and the stomach a true gizzard. The bird, being
destined to feed upon aquatic insects and mollusca, which adhere to
the stones under the water, is fitted for making its way to the bottom
at small depths, and maintaining itself there for a short time, a minute
or more; in conformity with which design its plumage is rather short
and dense, its tail abbreviated, its wings short, broad, and strong, its
bill unencumbered by bristles, and of the proper form for seizing small
objects, as well as for detaching them from stones. Having its feet
constructed like those of the Thrushes, but proportionally stronger,
the Dipper thus forms a connecting link between the slender-billed
land birds and the diving palmipedes, as the Kingfisher seems to unite
them with the plunging birds of the same order.”
The only original observations respecting the habits of the Ameri-
can Dipper that I have to present here are the following, with which
I have been favoured by Dr Townsenp :—“ This bird inhabits the
clear mountain streams in the vicinity of the Columbia River. When
Pa a eo
————— ee
ee
AMERICAN DIPPER. 501
observed it was swimming among the rapids, occasionally flying for
short distances over the surface of the water, and then diving into it,
and reappearing after a long interval. Sometimes it will alight along
the margin, and jerk its tail upwards like a Wren. I did not hear it
utter any note. The stomach was found to contain fragments of fresh-
water snails. I observed that this bird did not alight on the surface
of the water, but dived immediately from the wing.”
Cinctus Patxastt, Ch. Bonaparte, Amer. Ornith. vol. iii. p. 1, pl. 16, fig. 1.
Cincius Americants, Swains. and Richards. Fauna Bor.-Amer. vol. u. p. 173.
Brack WateER-OvsEL, or Dierer, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 358.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLXX. Fig. 1.
Bill rather short, slender, slightly ascending, much compressed to-
ward the end; upper mandible with its dorsal line slightly arched, the
ridge rounded, the sides convex, the edges sharp and inflected, with
an obscure notch close to the narrow slightly deflected tip ; lower man-
dible slightly bent upwards, the angle medial and very narrow, the
dorsal line ascending and slightly convex, the tip narrow and rather
acute, the gape-line straight. Nostrils linear, direct, in the lower and
fore part of the nasal membrane which is covered with very short fea-
thers. Eyes rather small; eyelids densely feathered.
The general form is short, full, and compact ; the head oblong,
compressed, rather small; the neck rather short; the body rather
deeper than broad. Legs strong, of ordinary length; tarsus com-
pressed, covered anteriorly with a long undivided plate and four infe-
rior scutella, posteriorly with two long plates meeting at a very acute
angle. Toes rather large and strong; the first, second, and fourth,
nearly equal in length, but the first much stronger, the third much
longer; the third and fourth united as far as the second joint of the
latter. Claws rather long, arched, much compressed, that of the hind
toe considerably larger.
Plumage very soft and blended. the feathers oblong and rounded ;
those about the base of the bill very short and velvety. No bristles at
the base of the bill. Wings rather short, broad, convex, and rounded ;
the first quill very short and narrow, being about a third of the length
of the second, which is shorter than the fourth, the third longest, and
with the next three slightly cut out on the outer web towards the end ;
502 AMERICAN DIPPER.
secondary quills long, broad, and rounded. ‘ail short, even, of twelve
rather broad feathers, which are slightly decurved. Legs feathered
to the joint, but the tarsus entirely bare.
Bill brownish-black ; iris hazel ; feet flesh-coloured, toes dusky to-
wards the end ; claws yellowish-grey. The general colour of the plu-
mage is blackish-grey or deep bluish-grey ; the head and neck choco-
late-brown, that colour extending lower on the fore part of the neck
than behind; the downy feathers of both eyelids white; the quills and
tail-feathers dusky ; the secondaries terminally margined with white.
Length to end of tail 74 inches; extent of wings 103 ; wing from
flexure 33; tail 21; bill along the ridge 7%, along the edge of lower
mandible 13; tarsus 17, ; hind toe °,, its claw 74; middle toe 38, its
claw +.
Adult Female. Plate CCCLXX. Fig. 2.
The Female is in all respects similar to the male.
In form, size, and proportion, the American Dipper is almost pre-
cisely similar to the European.
( 503° )
COCK OF THE PLAINS.
TETRAO UROPHASIANUS. BoNnaAPARTE.
PLATE CCCLXXI. Mater anp Fematet.
A.ruovucs the Cock of the Plains has long been known to exist
within the limits of the United States, the rugged and desolate nature
of the regions inhabited by it has hitherto limited our knowledge of
its habits to the cursory observations made by the few intrepid travel-
lers, who, urged by their zeal in the cause of science, have ventured to
explore the great ridge of mountains, that separate our western prairies
from the rich valleys bordering on the Pacific Ocean. Two of these
travellers, my friends Dr Townsenp and Mr Norratt, have favoured
me with the following particulars respecting this very remarkable spe-
cies, the history of which, not being myself personally acquainted with
it, I shall endeavour to complete by adding some notes of Mr Dovetas.
“ Tetrao Urophasianus, Pi-imsh of the Wallah Wallah Indians, d/ak-
esh-too-yoo of the Nezpercee Indians, is first met with about fifty miles
west of the Black Hills. We lose sight of it in pursuing the route by
the Snake River until we reach Wallah Wallah, on the banks of the
Columbia, near the mouth of Lewis River. This bird is only found on
the plains which produce the worm-wood (Artemisia), on which plant
it feeds, in consequence of which the flesh is so bitter that it is reject-
ed as food. It is very unsuspicious, and easily approached, rarely flies
unless hard pressed, runs before you at the distance of a few feet,
elucking like the common Hen, often runs under the horses of travel-
lers when disturbed, rises very clumsily, but when once started flies
with rapidity to a great distance, and has the sailing motion of the
Pinnated Grous. In the autumn they frequent the branches of the
Columbia River, where they feed on a narrow-leaved plant. At this
time they are considered good food by the natives, who take great
quantities of them in nets. J. K. TownsEnp.”
“ On the north branch of the Platte (Larimie’s Fork) we begin to
meet with the Tetrao Urophasianus in considerable numbers, always on
the ground in small flocks or pairs, by no means shy, but when too
nearly approached arising with a strong whirring noise, and uttering at the
504 COCK OF THE PLAINS.
same time a rather loud but very short alarmed guttural cackle. The
notes of thefemale indeedat such timesalmost resemble those of acommon
Hen. The old male when killed by Dr TownsEnp turned out so different
from the imperfect and unadult specimens figured, that we could
scarcely recognise it for the same species. Its size seemed to promise
a fine meal, but appearances are often deceitful, and after being nicely
broiled, it truly deserved to be treated like the well-prepared plate
of cucumbers, proving so very bitter, though delicately white, that
our hungry hunters could scarcely swallow more than a morsel. In
short, it feeds by choice on the bitterest shrubs of these sterile plains,
and under-wood (several species of Artemisia) is literally its favou-
rite food. Of its nest and breeding habits we ascertained nothing,
but cannot for a moment hesitate to say that some mistake must ex-
ist in either asserting or supposing that a bird so constantly confined to
the open desert plains, could retire to the shady forests and dark al-
luvial thickets of the Columbia to rear its young apart from their usual
food and habits. We met with this very fine Grous near to the plains
around Wallah Wallah, on the south side of the Columbia, but never
saw it either in the forests of the Columbia or the Wahlamet, nor,
so far as we know, has it ever been found on the coast of California, or
in the interior of Mexico. T. NurrTatt.”
Mr Dove.as’s statement is as follows :—‘ The flight of these birds
is slow, unsteady, and affords but little amusement to the sportsman.
From the disproportionately small, convex, thin-quilled wing,—so thin
that a vacant space half as broad as a quill appears between each,—
the flight may be said to be a sort of fluttering, more than any thing
else: the bird giving two or three claps of the wings in quick succes-
sion, at the same time hurriedly rising ; then shooting or floating, swing-
ing from side to side, gradually falling, and thus producing a clapping,
whirring sound. When started, the voice is cuch, cuck, cuck, like the
Common Pheasant. They pair in March and April. Small eminences
on the banks of streams are the places usually selected for celebrating
the weddings, the time generally about sunrise. The wings of the
male are lowered, buzzing on the ground ; the tail, spread like a fan,
somewhat erect; the bare yellow cesophagus inflated to a prodigious
size,—fuily half as large as his body, and, from its soft, membranous
substance, being well contrasted with the scale-like feathers below it
on the breast, and the flexile, silky feathers on the neck, which on these
COCK OF THE PLAINS. 505
oceasions stand erect. In this grotesque form he displays, in the pre-
sence of his intended mate, a variety of attitudes. His love-song is a
confused, grating, but not offensively disagreeable tone,—something
that we can imitate, but have a difficulty in expressing—AHwrr-hurr-
hurr-r-r-r-hoo, ending in a deep, hollow tone, not unlike the sound
produced by blowing into a large reed. Nest on the ground, under
the shade of Purshia and Artemisia, or near streams, among Pha-
laris arundinacea, carefully constructed of dry grass and slender twigs.
Eggs, from thirteen to seventeen, about the size of those of a com-
mon fowl, of a wood-brown colour, with irregular chocolate blotches
on the thick end. Period of incubation twenty-one to twenty-two days.
The young leave the nest a few hours after they are hatched. In
the summer and autumn months these birds are seen in small troops,
and in winter and spring in flocks of several hundreds. Plentiful
throughout the barren, arid plains of the river Columbia; also in the
interior of North California. They do not exist on the banks of the
River Missouri; nor have they been seen in any place east of the
Rocky Mountains.”
Terrao Uroruasianus, Ch. Bonap. Amer. Ornith. vol. ili. pl. 21, fig. 1. Female.
TetTrRao (CenTRocERcus) Urnornasianus, Richards. and Swains. Fauna Bor.-Ame-
ricana, vol. ii. p. 358.
Cock of the Piatns, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 665.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLXXI. Fig. 1.
Bill shortish, strong, somewhat compressed ; upper mandible with
the dorsal line arcuato-declinate, the ridge flattened at the base and
narrowed on account of the great extent of the nasal sinus, which is
feathered, the sides convex toward the end, the edges inflected, the tip
narrow and rounded ; lower mandible with the angle of moderate length
and width, the dorsal line ascending and convex, the edges sharp and
inflected, the tip obtuse, but like the upper thin-edged. Head rather
small, oblong ; neck of moderate length ; body full. Feet rather short,
stout; tarsus roundish, feathered, bare and reticulated behind. Toes
of moderate size, covered above with numerous scutella, laterally pec-
tinated with slender projecting flattened scales ; first toe small, second
a little shorter than fourth, third much longer. Claws stout, slightly
arched, moderately compressed, obtuse.
506 COCK OF THE PLAINS.
Plumage dense, soft, rather compact, the feathers in general broadly
ovate ; those on the head very short, on the sides of the neck anteriorly
at its lower part and across the fore part of the breast, small, very short,
broad, stiff, and imbricated like scales; higher up on the sides of the
neck a tuft of feathers having their shafts elongated, bristle-like, and
terminated by a few filaments. On each side of the lower part of the
neck in front is a large bare space capable of being inflated into a
hemispherical sac. On the fore part of the breast the feathers, although
long, have the shaft thickened and elongated; the rest of the feathers
are of ordinary structure. Wings rather short, concave, much rounded,
the primaries stiff and very narrow, so as to leave a large interval when
the wing is extended ; the third, fourth, and fifth quills longest. Tail
long, graduated, of twenty stiffish feathers, each tapering to a very
elongated point.
Bill black ; iris light hazel ; superciliary membrane vermilion ; toes
brownish-grey ; claws brownish-black. The upper parts are light yel-
lowish-brown, variegated with brownish-black and yellowish-white ;
the feathers of the head and neck transversely barred, of the back
barred, undulated and dotted, with a whitish longitudinal line along
the shafts of the wing-feathers. The quills chocolate-brown, their
outer webs and part of their inner margins mottled with yellowish-
white. Tail with about ten bands of yellowish-white on the outer webs,
which are otherwise variegated like the back, the inner webs nearly
plain brown. The throat and fore part of neck whitish, longitudinally
spotted with brownish-black ; a narrow white band across the throat ;
the sides of the neck and fore part of the breast white ; the elongated
shafts of the tuft-feathers, black; the sides variegated like the back ~
with a broad line of white along the middle of each feather ; the axil-
lars and lower wing-coverts pure white; the hind part of the breast
and the abdomen, brownish-black ; the sides of the rump like the back,
the lower tail-coverts brownish-black, largely tipped with white, the
feathers of the tibie and tarsi pale brownish-grey, faintly barred with
brown.
Length to end of tail 30 inches; extent of wings 36; wing from
flexure 13; tail 12, shortest feathers 7; bill along the ridge 1;%,, along
the edge of lower mandible 1; ; tarsus 23; hind toe 3, its claw 74 ;
middle toe 24, its claw 7.
COCK OF THE PLAINS. 507
Adult Female. Plate CCCLXXI. Fig. 2.
The female is much smaller than the male, and differs in being des-
titute of the bare skin on the fore neck, in having the superciliary
membranes smaller, the plumage entirely of ordinary texture; the
tail less elongated, with the feathers less narrow and ending in a
rounded point. All the upper parts, fore neck and sides are variegated
with brownish-black, yellowish-grey and whitish disposed nearly as in
the male ; the throat whitish, the fore part of the breast white, the mid-
dle part brownish-black, the legs and tarsi as in the male, as are the
quills ; the tail-feathers mottled like the back and tipped with white.
Length to end of tail 22 inches; wing from flexure 10}; tail 73;
bill along the ridge 1,4; tarsus 11% ; middle toe 144, its claw 7%.
The size of this species has been exaggerated, it having been by
some compared to the Turkey, and by others to the Great Wood Grous
of Europe, Tetrao Urogallus, whereas, in fact, it seems not much to ex-
ceed Tetrao hybridus. In some individuals, as I am informed by Dr
TownseEnp, the hair-like shafts of the feathers on the sides of the neck,
are considerably longer than in my figure of the male.
( 508 )
COMMON BUZZARD.
Fatco BuTEO, Linn.
PLATE CCCLXXII. Fermate.
Tue specimen from which the figure before you was taken, was
shot by Dr TownsEeNnpD on a rock near the Columbia River, on which
it had its nest. Unfortunately, however, he has not supplied me with
any account of this species, and the only notice respecting its habits
that I have seen, is that in the Fauna Loreali-Americana, by Dr Ricu-
arpson :—* The Common Buzzard arriving in the Fur Countries in
the middle of April very soon afterwards begins to build its nest ; and,
having reared its young, departs about the end of September. It haunts
the low alluvial points of land which stretch out under the high banks
of a river ; and may be observed sitting for a long time motionless on
the bough of a tree, watching patiently for some small quadruped, bird,
or reptile, to pass within its reach. As soon as it espies its prey, it
glides silently into the air, and, sweeping easily and rapidly down,
seizes it in its claws. When disturbed, it makes a short circuit, and
soon settles on another perch. It builds its nest on a tree, of short
sticks, ling it sparingly with deer’s hair. The eggs, from three to
five in number, are equal in size to those of the domestic fowl, and have
a greenish-white colour, with a few large dark brown blotches at the
thick end. It was seen by the Expedition as far north as the fifty-
seventh parallel of latitude, and it most probably has a still higher
range.”
Fatco Buteo, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 127.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. i. p. 23.
Butro vuuearis, Common Buzzarp, Richards. and Swains. Fauna Bor.-Amer.
vol. ii p. 47.
Female. Plate CCCLXXII.
-Bill short, strong, as broad as deep at the base, compressed toward
the end. Upper mandible cerate, its dorsal outline declinate and a
little convex as far as the cere, then decurved, the sides rapidly sloping,
towards the end nearly perpendicular but convex, the edge with a slight
.
i,
4
au
COMMON BUZZARD. 509
festoon, the tip trigonal, acute ; lower mandible with the angle short
and rounded, the dorsal line convex and ascending, the edges sharp,
arched, at the end deflected, the tip rounded. Nostrils irregularly obo-
vate, in the fore part of the cere, nearer the ridge than the margin.
Head large, roundish, flattened above ; neck rather short ; body full.
Feet short, robust ; tarsi roundish, anteriorly feathered half-way down,
anteriorly scutellate, laterally reticulate, posteriorly also scutellate ;
the lower part all round covered with series of small scales, as are the
toes for half their length, the terminal portion being scutellate ; they
are strong, of moderate length, the hind toe stouter, with four large
scutella, the inner with four, the middle with about eight, and con-
nected at the base by a web with the outer, which has four large scu-
tella. Claws long, arched, compressed, tapering to a point, flat be-
neath.
Plumage ordinary, full, rather blended beneath. Space between
the bill and eye covered with bristly feathers ; eyelids with soft downy
feathers, and ciliate ; the superciliary ridge prominent. Feathers of
the head and neck ovato-oblong, of the back and breast ovate and
rounded, of the sides and outer part of the leg elongated, of the rest
of the leg short. Wings long, broad, the fourth quill longest, the third
next, the fifth very little shorter, the second longer than fifth, the first
and seventh about equal ; first four abruptly cut out on the inner web ;
secondaries broad and rounded. Tail rather long, broad, slightly
rounded.
Bill light blue at the base, with the margins yellowish, the tip
black ; the cere yellow. Iris hazel. Feet yellow; claws black, at the
base bluish. The general colour of the upper parts is chocolate-brown.
The quills are of the general colour externally, but the primaries are
black toward the tip, a great part of the inner web, with the shaft,
white, and barred with brownish-black, the bars more extended on the
secondaries. The tail is marked with about ten dusky bars on a red-
dish-brown ground, tinged with grey, the last dark bar broader, the tips
paler. The eyelids are whitish, as is the throat, which is longitudi-
nally streaked with dusky. ‘Che rest of the lower parts are yellowish
or brownish white, barred with brown. The lower wing-coverts are
white, barred or spotted with dusky ; the white of the inner webs of
the primaries forms a conspicuous patch, contrasted with the greyish-
black of their terminal portion.
510 COMMON BUZZARD.
Length to end of tail 23 inches ; wing from flexure 17; tail 103;
bill along the ridge 13%, along the edge of lower mandible 174; tarsus
3;°,; hind toe 1, its claw 17; ; middle toe 11, its claw 144.
Another specimen in my possession, procured by Dr TowxseNnD
on the plains of Snake River, has the upper parts brown, streaked and
spotted with reddish-white ; the upper tail-coverts white, barred with
dusky, the lower parts as above described. The colours however vary,
and in some the upper parts are deep brown, the lower reddish or
brownish white, barred with reddish-brown.
When compared with European specimens, mine have the bill
somewhat stronger; but in all other respects, including the scutella
and scales of the feet and toes, and the structure of the wings and tail,
the parts are similar.
Marsu Hare.
Lervs patustris, Bachman.
The Hare figured in the plate is thus described by my learned
friend Dr Bacumay, in his excellent observations on the different spe-
cies of the genus Lepus inhabiting the United States and Canada, in-
serted in the seventh volume of the Journal of the Academy of Natural
Sciences of Philadelphia :—
“‘ Smaller than the American Hare. Ears much shorter than the
head ; eyes rather small; tail very short ; feet small, thinly clothed
with hair. Upper surface yellowish-brown ; beneath, grey.
Incisors 4 Canines 9=® Molars &§ — 98.
2, 0—9, 5—5
«The upper incisors are longer and broader than those of the
American Hare, marked, like all the rest of the species, with a deep
longitudinal furrow. The small accessary incisors are smaller and less
flattened than those of the last mentioned species, and the molars are
narrower and a little shorter. The transverse diameter of the cranium
COMMON BUZZARD. 51]
is much smaller, the vertical diameter about equal. Orbits of the eyes
one-third smaller. This is a striking peculiarity, giving it a smaller
and less prominent eye than that of any other American species. The
pterygoid processes of the temporal bone project downwards nearly in
a vertical line, whilst those of the American Hare are almost hori-
zontal.
“‘ Head and ears shorter than those of the Lepus Americanus ; legs
short, and rather small; body short and thick ; feet small, thinly
clothed with hair beneath, so as not to cover the nails, which are larger
than those of the American Hare. Tail shorter than that of any other
species of true hare inhabiting the United States, except the Lepus
Nuttalli. Wair on the back long and somewhat rough. From the
short legs and ears of this species, and its general clumsy habit, it has
the appearance when running through the marshes, splashing through
mud and mire, and plunging into creeks and ponds of water, of some
large Norway Rat, hastening to escape from its pursuers.
“The teeth are yellowish-white ; the eyes are dark brown, appearing
in certain lights quite black. Upper parts of the head brown and
greyish-ash. Around the orbits of the eyes slightly fawn-coloured.
Whiskers black. Ears dark greyish-brown. The back and whole
upper parts yellowish-brown, intermixed with many strong black hairs.
The hairs, when examined singly, are bluish-grey at the roots, then
light brown, and are tipped with black. The fur, beneath, is light
plumbeous; under the chin grey ; throat yellowish-brown ; belly light
grey, the fur beneath bluish. Under surface of the tail ash-colour,
edged with brown. During winter the upper surface becomes consi-
derably darker than in summer.
Dimensions, taken from a specimen in the flesh :
Length, from point of nose to insertion of tail, 13 inches
Height, from the top of the fore-shoulder to the end
of the middle claw, 7
Length of the head, 3s
ears, . : 24
hind foot, . C 3
tail (vertebre), ¢
tail, including the fur, . ; 4 13
Weight 24 Ib.
512 COMMON BUZZARD.
“‘] have not heard of the existence of this small species of Hare to
the north of the State of South Carolina, nor is it found in the upper
parts of this State,—confining itself to the maritime districts, to low
marshy grounds partially inundated, to the borders of rivers subject to
the overflowing of their banks, and to the ponds, usually termed re-
serves, where the waters intended to overflow the rice-fields are pre-
served. In these situations, rendered almost inaccessible on account
of mud, entangled vines, and stagnant waters, sending up poisonous
miasmata, the fruitful source of disease, surrounded by frogs, water-
snakes, and alligators, this species resides through the whole year,
scarcely molested by man. In these forbidden retreats, frequented by
Herons (Ardea), Snake-birds ( Plotus Anhinga), and Ibises. this almost
aquatic quadruped finds a home suited to its habits; making up for its
want of speed in eluding pursuit, by its facility in winding through
miry pools and marshes overgrown with rank weeds and willows. In
such situations, I have met with it fifty miles north of Charleston ;
but, as soon as the traveller arrives at the high grounds of the middle
country, where the marshes disappear, this Hare is no longer seen. It
is common in all the lower parts of Georgia, and I have observed it
for sale in the market of Savannah. It is abundant in East Florida,
even at its farthest southern extremity. I received a living animal of
this species, taken on one of the islands near Indian Key, called Rab-
bit Key, separated from the main-land by several miles of sea ; where
it could have proceeded only by swimming, but where it is now found
in great numbers. In all the low grounds of Florida, this species takes
the place of the American Hare, which has not been observed in those
situations.
“The Marsh Hare is one of the most singular in its habits of all
the species. It runs low on the ground, and cannot be said to possess
the fine leaping gait of the American Hare. It is so slow of foot, that
nothing but the sheltered and miry situations in which it resides can
save it from being easily overtaken and captured. I have, indeed, ob-
served the domestics on a plantation, during a holiday, setting fire to
a piece of marsh ground, in a very dry season, and armed with clubs,
waiting till the flames drove these Hares from their retreats, when
they were run down and killed in considerable numbers. I noticed
that when the American Hare made its appearance it was suffered to
pass, on account of the speed they knew it to possess, but no sooner
COMMON BUZZARD. 518
did the Marsh Hare appear, than with a whoop, they gave chase, and
seldom failed to overtake it.
The feet of the Marsh Hare are admirably adapted to its aquatic
habits. A thick covering of hair on its soles, like that on the other
species, would be inconvenient; they would not only be kept wet for a
considerable length of time, but would retard them in swimming. All
quadrupeds that frequent the water, such as the Beaver, Otter, Musk-
rat, Mink, &c., and aquatic birds, have nearly naked palms; and it is
this peculiar structure, together with the facility of distending its toes,
that enables this quadruped to swim with such ease and rapidity. The
track, when observed in moist or muddy situations, differs very much
from that of the other species. Its toes are spread out, each leaving
a distinct impression, like those of the rat.
“ The Marsh Hare deposits its young in a pretty large nest, com-
posed of a large species of rush (Juncus effusus) growing in a con-
venient situation. These appeared to have been cut into pieces of
about a foot in length. I have seen these nests nearly surrounded by,
and almost floating on, the water. They were generally arched, by
carefully bending the rush-grass over them, admitting the mother by
a pretty large hole in the side. A considerable quantity of hair was
found lining the nest, but whether plucked out by the parent, or the ef-
fect of the season, (it being late in spring when these animals shed
their coat) I was unable to ascertain. The young were from five to
seven. They evidently breed several times in the season, but I have
observed that the females usually produce their young two months
later, at least, than the American Hare. Twenty-one specimens were
obtained from the 9th to the 14th day of April; none of the females
had produced young that season, although some of them would have
done so in a very few days. On one occasion only, have I seen the
young in March. These bear a strong resemblance to the adults, and
may almost at a glance be distinguished from those of the last-men-
tioned species.
“ This species possesses a strong marshy smell at all times, even
when kept in confinement, and fed on the choicest food. Its flesh,
however, although dark, is fully equal, if not superior, to that of the
American Hare. The Marsh Hare never visits gardens or cultivated
fields, confining itself throughout the year to the marshes. It is occa-
sionally found in places overflown by salt or brackish water, but seems
VOL. Iv. Kk
514 COMMON BUZZARD.
to prefer fresh-water marshes, where its food can be most conveniently
obtained. It feeds on various grasses, gnaws off the twigs of the young
sassafras, and of the pond spice (Laurus geniculata). I have seen many
places in the low grounds dug up, the foot-prints indicating that it was
the work of this species in search of roots. It frequently is found dig-
ging for the bulbs of the wild potato (Apios tuberosa), as also for those
of a small species of Amaryllis (Amaryllis Atamasco).
‘* IT possess a living animal of this species, which was sent me a
few weeks ago, having been captured when full grown. It became
so gentle in a few days that it freely took its food from the hand. It
is fed on turnip and cabbage leaves, but prefers bread to any other food
that has been offered to it. It is fond of lying for hours in a trough of
water, and seems restless and uneasy when the trough is removed,
scratching the sides of its tin cage until it has been replaced, when it
immediately plunges in, burying the greater part of its body in the
water.
* Tt has already shed a great portion of its summer, and resumed
its winter, dress. The hairs on the upper surface, instead of becom-
ing white at the point, as in the American Hare, have grown long and
black, through which the brownish parts beneath are still distinctly
visible.
‘“‘ This species, like others of the genus existing in this country, as
well as in the deer and squirrels, is infested with a troublesome larva
of an cestrus in the summer and autumn, which, penetrating into the
flesh, and continually enlarging, causes pain to the animal, and renders
it lean. One of these larvee dropped from an orifice in the throat of
the hare which I have in confinement. It was of the usual cylindrical
shape, but appears to differ in some particulars from the Wstrus cuni-
”
fe
cult
©2415 %))
EVENING GROSBEAK.
FRINGILLA VESPERTINA, CooPpER.
PLATE CCCLXXIII. Mater.
Tus fine species of Grosbeak was first introduced to the notice of
ornithologists by Mr Wit11am Cooper, who published ‘an account of it
in the Annals of the Lyceum of New York. Mr Scuootcrart observed
a few individuals, in the beginning of April 1823, near the Sault Sainte
Marie in Michigan, from which the species was traced to the Rocky
Mountains. Dr Ricnarpson mentions it as a common inhabitant of
the maple groves on the Saskatchewan plains, whence “ its native ap-
pellation of Sugar-bird.” The female remained utterly unknown until
it was obtained by Dr TownsEnp, who found this Grosbeak abundant
about the Columbia River, and procured a great number of specimens,
several of which are in my possession. The following note from him
contains all the information respecting its habits that I can lay before
you.
** Columbia River, May 27, 1836.—The Evening Grosbeak, Frin-
gilla vespertina, is very numerous in the pine-woods at this time. You
can scarcely enter a grove of pines at any hour in the day without see-
ing numbers of them. They are very unsuspicious and tame, and I
have, in consequence, been enabled to procure a fine suite of specimens.
The accounts that have been published respecting them by the only
two authors to whom I have access, Mr Nutrratt and Prince Bona-
PARTE, are, I think, in many respects incorrect. In the first place, it
is stated that they are retiring and silent during the day, and sing only
on the approach of evening. Here they are remarkably noisy during
the whole of the day, from sunrise to sunset. They then retire quietly
to their roosts in the summits of the tall pines, and are not aroused
until daylight streaks the east, when they come forth to feed as before.
Thus I have observed them here, but will not say but that at cther
seasons, and in other situations, their habits may be different. They
are now, however, very near the season of breeding, as the organs of
the specimens I have examined sufficiently indicate. They appear
fond of going in large bodies, and it is rare to see one alone in a tree.
516 EVENING GROSBEAK.
They feed upon the seeds of the pine and other trees, alighting upon
large limbs, and proceeding by a succession of hops to the very extre-
mities of the branches. They eat, as well as seeds, a considerable
quantity of the larve of the large black ant, and it is probable that it
is to procure this food that they are not uncommonly seen in the tops
of the low oaks which here skirt the forests. Their ordinary voice,
when they are engaged in procuring food, consists of a single rather
screaming note, which from its tone I at first supposed to be one of
alarm, but soon discovered my error. At other times, particularly about
mid-day, the male sometimes selects a lofty pine branch, and there at-
tempts a song; but it is a miserable failure, and he seems conscious of
it, for he frequently pauses and looks discontented, then remains si-
lent sometimes for some minutes, and tries it again, but with no bet-
ter success. The note is a single warbling call, exceedingly like the
early part of the Robin’s song, but not so sweet, and checked as though
the performer were out of breath. The song, if it may be so called,
is to me a most wearisome one: I am constantly listening to hear the
stave continued, and am as constantly disappointed. Another error of
the books is this,—they both state that the female is similar to the
male in plumage. Now, this is entirely a mistake: she is so very dif
ferent in colour and markings, that were it not for the size and colour
of the bill, and its peculiar physiognomy, one might be induced to sup-
pose it another species. The specimens in possession of Mr Lrap-
peaTER of London, and from which Prince Bonaparte drew up his
descriptions, must have been all males.”
In the present plate you will find the figure of a male only ; but in
Plate CCCCXXIV. are representations of the young male and adult
female, which are however here described.
FRINGILLA VESPERTINA, Cooper, Ann. Lyc. New York, vol. i. p. 220.—Ch. Bona-
parte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 113.
Evenine GrosBEAK, FRINGILLA VESPERTINA, Ch. Bonaparte, Amer. Orn. vol. ii.
pl. 14. fig. 1.
CoccoTHRAUSTES VESPERTINA, Evenine Grosseak, Richards. and Swains. Fauna
Bor.-Amer. vol. ii. p. 269.
Evenine Grosseak, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. Appendix, p. 594.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLXXIII.
Bill of moderate length, extremely thick, conical, pointed ; upper
EVENING GROSBEAK. 517
mandible with the dorsal line very slightly convex, the sides rounded ;
the edges sharp, overlapping, with a slight sinus close to the acute tip ;
lower mandible with the angle very short and broad, the dorsal line
straight, or very slightly concave, the back very broad, the sides rounded,
the edges inflected, the tip acute. Nasal sinus extremely short and
broad ; nostrils round, basal, concealed by short reflected bristly fea-
thers.
Head large, roundish-ovate ; neck short ; body moderately full. Feet
short, of moderate strength; tarsus short, compressed, with seven an-
terior scutella, and two plates behind forming a sharp edge ; hind toe
large, outer toe somewhat longer than inner ; claws rather large, mo-
derately arched, much compressed, acute.
Plumage full, soft, blended, the feathers oblong. Wings rather long,
broad, abruptly pointed ; the outer three primaries almost equal, the first
longest ; outer secondaries emarginate. Tail of moderate length, ra-
ther narrow, emarginate, of twelve rather narrow feathers.
Bill yellow ; iris hazel; feet flesh-colour, claws brown. The upper
part of the head and the occiput are brownish-black, bounded anteriorly
by a broadish band of bright yellow across the forehead, and laterally
by a streak of the same, passing over the eye; the stiff feathers over
the nostrils black, as is the loral space. ‘The cheeks, hind neck, and
throat are dark yellowish-olive, and that colour gradually brightens
until, on the outer edges of the scapulars, the rump, the axillars and in-
ner lower wing-coverts, the abdomen and lower tail-coverts, it becomes
pure yellow. The smaller wing-coverts, alula, primary coverts, three
outer secondaries, outer web of the next, and the bases of the inner
secondaries, black ; as is the tail; six of the inner secondaries, inner
web of the next, and inner margin of the rest, as well as their coverts
white, the basal part excepted.
Length to end of tail 8 inches ; wing from flexure 42; tail 3; bill
along the ridge 43, along the edge of lower mandible }}; tarsus ?4 ;
hind toe 7, its claw #4; middle toe 4, its claw #§.
Adult Female. Plate CCCCXXIV. Fig. 5.
The adult female, which is here figured and described for the first
time, from a specimen obtained from Dr Townsenp, and marked
* Black Hills, Female, June 3, 1834,” wants the yellow band on the
forehead, the streak of the same colour over the eye, the black line
518 EVENING GROSBEAK.
along the basal margin of the upper mandible, and the large patch of
white on the wings. The bill and feet are as in the male, but paler.
The upper part of the head is dark brownish-olive ; the cheeks lighter ;
the hind neck, back, and scapulars light brownish-grey, with a slight
olivaceous tint, shaded into brownish-yellow on the rump. The wings
are black ; a portion of the edge of the wing, the tips and part of the
margins of the secondary coverts, a concealed band on the basal part
of the primaries, the outer three excepted, and the edges of all the
quills toward the end, white, which is broader on the secondaries, and
forms a band on them. ‘Tail-coverts black, tipped with a triangular
spot of white; tail-feathers also black, with a white spot on the inner
web at the tip, eight-twelfths long on the outermost feather, gradually
diminishing towards the central feathers, which are slightly tipped.
Throat greyish-white, margined on either side by a longitudinal band
of black, from the base of the lower mandible, and ten-twelfths in
length ; the lower parts yellowish-grey ; abdomen and lower tail-coverts
white, axillars and some of the lower wing-coverts yellow.
Length to end of tail 74 inches ; wing from flexure 4}; tail 212;
bill along the ridge 2%.
Young Male. Plate CCCXXIV. Fig. 6.
The young male bears a considerable resemblance to the female,
differing chiefly in wanting the black bands on the throat, and in having
the upper parts much lighter, and the lower more yellow. Bill yellow ;
iris hazel; feet flesh-colour, claws dusky. Head and cheeks light grey-
ish-brown, the rest of the upper parts of a paler tint, slightly tinged
with yellow on the margins. The wings and tail are black, as in the
female, and similarly spotted with white, but tinged with yellow. The
lower parts are yellowish-grey, the sides of the neck and the axillars
pale yellow, the abdomen and lower tail-coverts white.
The young male has been described as the adult female by Mr
Swatrnson in the Fauna Boreali-Americana, and has been made a dis-
tinet species by M. Lesson, under the name of Coccothraustes Bona-
partit. The Prince of Musicnano, it is observed, has erred in stating
that “‘ no difference of any consequence is observable between the sexes ;
though it might be said that the female is a little less in size, and ra-
ther duller in plumage.”
BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK.
FRINGILLA MELANOCEPHALA.
PLATE CCCLXXIII. Mate anp Femate.
Tue following account of this Grosbeak affords another proof of
the ardent zeal of my excellent friend Tuomas Nurratz, who, though
more especially engaged with botany on his recent journey to the Co-
lumbia, has not neglected opportunities of noting many interesting facts
relative to birds.
“ On the central table-land of the Rocky Mountains, and on the
upper branches of the Colorado of the west, we first heard the power-
ful song of this most delightful Finch. From thence, in the thick
groves of all the streams on our western course to the borders of the
Columbia, and throughout the dense forests of that river nearly to the
sea, we were frequently cheered amidst the wildest desolation by the
inimitable voice of this melodious bird. Jealous of all intrusion on his
lonely and wild ‘haunts, it was seldom that we had the opportunity of
witnessing this almost fairy musician, which gave a charm to the sad-
dest gloom, and made the very woods as it were re-echo to his untiring
song. With the modesty of superior merit, and almost with the soli-
citude of the Nightingale, our favourite Finch seeks the darkest thicket
of the deepest forest. The moment his eye rests on the intruding ob-
server he flits off in haste, calls to his mate, and plunging into the
thicket sits in silence till he is satisfied of the restoration of solitude,
when he again cautiously mounts the twig and pours out afresh the oft-
told but never-tiring tale of his affection and devotion to the joys of
nature. His song, which greatly resembles that of the Red-breasted
Grosbeak, is heard at early dawn, and at intervals nearly to the close
of night. It is a loud, varied, high-toned and melodious fife, which
rises and falls in the sweetest cadence; but always, like the song of
the nightingale, leaves a sensation of pleasing sadness on the ear, which
fascinates more powerfully than the most cheering hilarity. In fact,
the closing note of our bird is often so querulous as to appear like the
shrill cry of appealing distress: it sinks at last so faintly, yet still so
charmingly on the sense. When seen, which is only by accident, he
520 BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK.
sits conspicuously on some lofty bough, below the summit of the tree,
and raising his head, and swelling his throat with a rising motion,
almost amounting to a flutter, he appears truly rapt in ecstacy, and seems
to enjoy his own powers of melody as much as the listener. Even the
cruel naturalist, ever eager to add another trophy to his favourite
science, feels arrested by his appeal, and connives at his escape from
the clutch of the collector.
“ About the month of July, in the Rocky Mountains, I observed the
female feeding her fledged young, and they also spent the summer in
the thickest branches, but with the nest and eggs I am unacquainted.
The song, as I have heard it, in the forests of Columbia, seems to be
like the sylables "tait, weet, teet, weowit, teet weowitt, teet weeowit, verr, and
sometimes terminating weet, weet, weet, every note a loud tender trill of
the utmost sweetness, delivered in his own ‘* wood-notes wild,” mock-
ing nothing, but still exulting in his powers, which, while exerted, seem
to silence every songster around. The Robin seems almost his pupil
in song and similarity of expression, but falls short, and after our
Orpheus, seems at best but a faultering scholar.”
GUIRACA MELANOCEPHALA, Swainson.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLXXIII. Figs. 2, 3.
Bill rather short, very robust, bulging at the base, conical, acute ;
upper mandible with its dorsal outline a little convex, the sides rounded,
the edges sharp, ascending from the base to beyond the nostrils, then de-
flected with a slight median festoon, and an obscure notch close to the
tip; lower mandible with the angle short and very broad, the dorsal
line straight, the back very broad at the base, the sides high and con-
vex, the edges inflected, the tip acute. Nostrils basal, roundish, partly
concealed by the feathers.
Head large, roundish-ovate ; neck short ; body rather full. Legs of
moderate length, rather strong ; tarsus anteriorly covered with seven
scutella, posteriorly with two plates forming a sharp edge ; toes rather
large, the first stout, the lateral nearly equal, the middle toe much
longer. Claws rather long, arched, much compressed, acute.
Plumage soft and blended. Wings of moderate length, broad.
The first quill two-twelfths shorter than the second, which is longest,
BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK. 521
but scarcely exceeds the third, the fourth longer than the first; secon-
daries slightly emarginate. ail rather long, nearly even.
Bill with the upper mandible dusky, the lower white. Iris hazel.
Feet and claws wood-brown. Head, cheeks, anda small portion of the
throat black; the upper parts brownish-black; the feathers on the
lower part of the hind neck all round, a streak over each eye, another
along the middle of the hind head, the greater part of the rump, and
the lower parts generally, yellowish-red or brownish-orange ; the edges
of some of the feathers on the back, a broad band formed by the first
row of small coverts, a narrow band formed by the tips of the secon-
dary coverts, a band on the base of the primaries, the outer web of the
first excepted, the margins of three of the primaries toward the end,
and a spot on the outer web of most of the secondaries at the end; a
large patch on the inner web of all the tail-feathers, excepting the two
‘middle, and largest on the outer, pure white ; the middle of the breast
and abdomen, with the axillaries and lower wing-coverts, yellow.
Length to end of tail 8} inches; wing from flexure 4}; tail 3,8, ;
bill along the ridge 7%, along the edge of lower mandible 12; tarsus
+23 hind toe #,, its claw 7, ; middle toe ;%, its claw 34.
Adult Female. Plate CCCLXXIII. Fig. 4.
The female is much less beautiful. The bill is of a lighter brown
above, brownish-white beneath, with the edges and tip of the lower
mandible light brown; the feet and claws wood-brown. The upper
parts are wood-brown, the head darker, with three longitudinal bands
of brownish-white ; a band of reddish-white across the hind neck,
the feathers of the back margined with whitish ; the wings marked as in
the male, but with brownish-white ; the tail without white spots. The
lower parts are of a much paler tint than those of the male ; the axil-
lars and lower wing-coverts yellow.
Length to end of tail 8} inches; bill along the ridge 74; tarsus {3 ;
middle toe and claw 175.
(i522) a)
SHARP-SHINNED OR SLATE-COLOURED HAWK.
FALCcCO Fuscus, GMEL.
PLATE CCCLXXIV. Mare anp FeMA.e.
THERE is a pleasure which that ornithologist only can feel who
spends his days in searching for the materials best adapted for his
purpose, and which arises from the contemplation of the objects he is
anxious to portray and describe, as they roam in freedom over Nature’s
wild domains. Another pleasure is derived from finding in different
countries birds so much alike in form, colour, and habits, that they
seem as if formed for the purpose of exercising our faculties of obser-
vation and comparison. But this pleasure passes into pain, or at least
perplexity, when, as in the present instance, two species differ so
slightly that you cannot clearly define their characters, although they
yet seem to be distinct. In fact, I long felt uncertain whether the
American bird described by Wixson under the names of Sharp-shinned
Hawk, and Slate-coloured Hawk, was distinct from the Sparrow Hawk,
F, Nisus, of Europe.
It is mentioned in the Fauna Boreali-Americana, that a specimen
of this bird was killed in the vicinity of Moose Factory, and that it has
been deposited by the Hudson’s Bay Company in the Zoological Mu-
seum of London. This specimen I have not seen, but confiding en-
tirely in the accuracy of every fact mentioned by the authors of that
work, I here adduce it as a proof of the extraordinary range of this
species in America, which from the extreme north extends to our
most southern limits, perhaps far beyond them, during its autumnal
and winter migrations. I have met with it in every State or Territory of
the Union that I have visited. In the spring of 1837, it was abundant
in Texas, where it appeared to be travelling eastward. I have a spe-
cimen procured by Dr TownseEnp in the neighbourhood of the Columbia
River ; and, when on my way towards Labrador, I met with it plenti-
fully as far as the southern shores of the Gulf of St Lawrence, beyond
which, however, none were observed by me or any of my party.
I never saw this daring little marauder on wing without saying or
thinking “ There goes the miniature of the Goshawk!” Indeed,
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK. 523
reader, the shortness of the wings of the Sharp-shinned Hawk, its long
tail, though almost perfectly even, instead of being rounded as in the
Goshawk, added to its irregular, swift, vigorous, varied, and yet often
undecided manner of flight, greatly protracted however on occasion,
have generally impressed upon me the idea alluded to. While in
search of prey, the Sharp-shinned Hawk passes over the country, now
at a moderate height, now close over the land, in so swift a manner
that, although your eye has marked it, you feel surprised that the very
next moment it has dashed off and is far away. In fact it is usually
seen when least expected, and almost always but for a few moments,
unless when it has procured some prey, and is engaged in feeding upon
it. The kind of vacillation or wavering with which it moves through
the air appears perfectly adapted to its wants, for it undoubtedly
enables this little warrior to watch and to see at a single quick glance
of its keen eyes every object, whether to the right or to the left, as it
pursues its course. It advances by sudden dashes, as if impetuosity of
movement was essential to its nature, and-pounces upon or strikes such
objects as best suit its appetite ; but so very suddenly that it appears
quite hopeless for any of them to try to escape. Many have been the
times, reader, when watching this vigilant, active, and industrious
bird, I have seen it plunge headlong among the briary patches of one
of our old fields, in defiance of all thorny obstacles, and, passing
through, emerge on the other side, bearing off with exultation in its
sharp claws a Sparrow or Finch, which it had surprised when at rest.
At other times I have seen two or three of these Hawks, acting in
concert, fly at a Golden-winged Woodpecker while alighted against
the bark of a tree, where it thought itself secure, but was suddenly
clutched by one of the Hawks throwing as it were its long legs for-
ward with the quickness of thought, protruding its sharp talons, and
thrusting them into the back of the devoted bird, while it was endea-
vouring to elude the harassing attacks of another, by hopping and
twisting round the tree. Then down to the ground assailants and
assailed would fall, the Woodpecker still offering great resistance, until
a second Hawk would also seize upon it, and with claws deeply thrust
into its vitals, put an end to its life; when both the marauders would
at once commence their repast.
On several such occasions, I have felt much pleasure in rescuing
different species of birds from the grasp of the little tyrant, as when-
524 SHARP-SHINNED HAWK.
ever it seizes one too heavy to be carried off, it drops to the ground
with it, and, being close by, I have forced it to desist from commit-
ting further mischief, as it fears man quite as much as its poor quarry
dreads itself. One of these occurrences, which happened in the neigh-
bourhood of Charleston, in South Carolina, is thus related in my jour-
nal. .
Whilst walking one delightful evening in autumn, along a fine
hedge-row formed by the luxuriant Rocky Mountain rose-bushes, I ob-
served a male of this species alighted in an upright position on the top-
bar of a fence opposite to me. I marked it with particular attention,
to see what might follow. The Hawk saw meas plainly as I did him,
and kept peeping now at me, and now at some part of the hedge op-
posite, when suddenly, and with the swiftness of an arrow, it shot past
me, entered the briars, and the next instant was moving off with a
Brown Thrush, Turdus rufus, in itstalons. The Thrush, though seized
by the sharp claws of the marauder, seemed too heavy for him to carry
far, and I saw both falling to the ground. On running up, I observed
the anxiety of the Hawk as I approached, and twice saw it attempt to
rise on wing to earry off its prize; but it was unable to do so, and be-
fore it could disengage itself I was able to secure both. The Thrush
must have been killed almost instantaneously, for, on examining it, I
found it quite dead.
My friend Tuomas Nurratt, Ksq., tells us that in the “ thinly
settled parts of the States of Georgia and Alabama, this Hawk seems
to abound, and proves extremely destructive to young chickens, a single
one having been known regularly to come every day until he had
carried away between twenty and thirty. At noon-day, while I was
conversing with a planter, one of these Hawks came down, and with-
out ceremony, or heeding the loud cries of the housewife, who most re-
luctantly witnessed the robbery, snatched away a chicken before us.”
Again, while speaking of the wild and violent manner of this bird, he
adds “ descending furiously and blindly upon its quarry, a young
Hawk of this species broke through the glass of the green-house, at
the Cambridge Botanic Garden ; and fearlessly passing through a se-
cond glass partition, he was only brought up by the third, and caught,
though little stunned by the effort. His wing-feathers were much
torn by the glass, and his flight in this way so impeded as to allow of
his being approached.”
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK. 525
Whilst travelling to some distance, the Sharp-shinned Hawk flies
high, though in a desultory manner, with irregular quick flappings of
the wings, and at times, as if to pause for a while and examine the ob-
jects below, moves in short and unequal circles, after which it is seen
to descend rapidly, and then follow its course at the height of only a
few feet from the ground, visiting as it were every clump of low bushes
or briar patches likely to be supplied with the smaller birds, on which
it principally feeds. Again, after having satisfied its hunger, this
little warrior, at times rises to a great height, and indeed now and then
is searcely discernible from the ground.
I found a nest of this Hawk in a hole of the well-known “ Rock-
in-cave” on the Ohio River, in the early part of the spring of 1819. It
was simply constructed, having been formed of a few sticks and some
grasses carelessly interwoven, and placed about two feet from the en-
trance of the hole. I had the good fortune to secure the female bird,
while she was sitting on her eggs, which were nearly hatched, and it
was from that individual that I made the figure in the plate. The
eggs, four in number, were almost equally rounded at both ends,
though somewhat elongated, and their ground colour was white, with
a livid tinge, scarcely discernible however amid the numerous markings
and blotches of reddish-chocolate with which they were irregularly
covered. The second opportunity which I had of seeing a nest of this
species occurred not far from Louisville in Kentucky, when I acciden-
tally observed one of these hawks dive into the hollow prong of a bro-
ken branch of a sycamore overhanging the waters of the Ohio. Here
the eggs were five in number, and deposited on the mouldering frag-
ments of the decayed wood. ‘The third and last opportunity happened
when I was on my way from Henderson to St Genevieve, on horse-
back. I saw a pair of these birds forming a nest in the forks of a low
oak, in a grove in the centre of the prairie which I was then crossing.
The young in the nest I have never seen.
This interesting species usually resorts to the fissures of rocks for
the purpose of there passing the hours of repose, and generally in places
by no means easy of access, such as precipitous declivities overhanging
some turbulent stream, It is often not until the darkness has so much
gained on the daylight as to render objects difficult to be distinguish-
ed, that it betakes itself to its place of rest, and then I have only
526 SHARP-SHINNED HAWK.
been assured of its arrival by the few cries which it utters on such oc-
easions. The earliness of its departure has often much puzzled me,
for with all my anxiety to witness it, I have never succeeded in doing
so, although on two or three occasions I have watched the spot more
than half an hour before dawn, and remained patiently waiting until
long after the sun had risen, when I clambered to the hole, and always
found it empty.
The food of this Hawk consists chiefly of birds of various sizes,
from the smallest of our warblers to the Passenger Pigeon or young
chickens, the latter appearing to afford a special temptation to it, as
has been above related. I am also aware that it feeds occasionally on
small reptiles and insects, and I shot the male represented in the plate,
on wing, whilst it held in its claws the small Shrew also represented.
It is extremely expert at seizing some of our smaller snakes and lizards,
and not unfrequently snatches up a frog while basking in the sun.
The difference of size observed between the males and females, as
well as between individuals of the same sex, is very remarkable ; and
no doubt it was on account of this very great disparity that WiLson
described specimens of both sexes as two distinct species. Its notes
are short, shrill, and repeated in a hurried manner, when the bird is
wounded and brought to the ground. It often emits cries of this kind
while falling, but suddenly becomes silent when it comes to the earth,
and then makes off swiftly, with long and light leaps, keeping silent
until approached. Although a small bird, it possesses considerable
muscular power, and its extremely sharp claws are apt to inflict severe
pain, should a person lay hold of it incautiously.
Fatco Fuscus, and pusBius, Gmel. and Lath.
SLaTE-coLouRED Hawk, Fatco Prennsytvanicus, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vi.
p- 13, pl. 46, fig. 1. Adult Male.
SHARP-SHINNED Hawk, Fatco vetox, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vi. p. 116, pl. 45,
fig. 1. Young Female.
Fatco vELox, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 29.
Fatco Fuscus, Ch. Bonaparte, Ibid. Append. p. 433.
AccIPITER PENNSYLVANICUS, SLATE-COLOURED Hawk, Richards. and Swains. Fauna
Bor.-Amer. vol. ii. p. 44.
American Brown or StatEe-cotoureD Hawk, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 87:
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK. 527
Adult Male. Plate CCCLXXIV. Fig. 1.
Bill short, with the dorsal line of the upper mandible curved from
the base, so as to form nearly the fourth of a circle, the sides sloping
rapidly and convex toward the end, the edges sharp anteriorly, with a
broad tooth-like process or prominent festoon about the middle, the tip
very acute and decurvate ; the cere rather short, its margin forming a
convex curve before the nostrils, which are oblique, oblongo-ovate,
broader behind ; the lower mandible with the angle broad and short,
the dorsal line convex, the back broad at the base, the sides convex,
the edges inflected, the tip obliquely truncate, rounded, with a very
faint sinus behind:
Head of moderate size, broad, rather flattened above ; neck very
short ; body very slender, remarkably attenuated behind. Legs long
and very slender; tarsus rather long, extremely slender, compress-
ed, anteriorly covered with fifteen scutella disposed in a longitudinal
plate, of which the inner sharp edge projects considerably, whence the
name of ‘¢ Sharp-shinned” given to this species, the sides with hexago-
nal scales, the hind part with numerous scutella. Toes slender, the
third and fourth connected at the base by a web, extending beyond the
second joint of the latter, and curving forward as far as that of the for-
mer ; first and second toes strongest and about equal ; third extremely
elongated, fourth very slender ; tuberculate and papillate beneath, there
being a long fleshy tubercle on the last joint of each toe, and one on
the next joint of the two outer. Claws very long, arched, gradually
attenuated to a fine point.
Plumage full, soft, blended, somewhat distinct on the upper parts.
Wings of moderate length, reaching beyond the middle of the tail ; the
fourth quill longest, the fifth scarcely shorter, the third intermediate
between the fifth and seventh, the second a little longer than the se-
venth, the first generally shorter than the outer secondary ; the first five
quills cut out on the outer, the first four more deeply on the inner edge.
The tail is long, even, of twelve rather broad, rounded feathers.
The bill is light blue at the base, bluish-black at the end; the cere
and eyelids yellowish-green ; the iris bright reddish-orange ; the tarsi
and toes yellow ; the claws black, pale bluish at the base. The general
colour of the plumage on the upper parts is deep greyish-blue, or dark
slate-blue, the shafts darker ; the feathers on the occiput are white at
the base, that colour appearing more or less as they are raised ; and on.
528 SHARP-SHINNED HAWK.
each of the scapulars are two large white patches, which, however, are
not seen until the feathers are raised. The outer primaries are tinged
with brown; all the quills are marked on the inner web with dusky
bands, between which the inner margins are white toward the base.
The tail has four broad bands of blackish-brown, and is tipped with
greyish-white. The cheeks are yellowish-red, and the forehead is
tinged with the same colour. The throat is reddish-white ; the lower
parts are transversely and rather broadly barred with light red and
white, there being from three to five bars or double spots of the latter
colour on each feather, those on the sides with the inner web entirely
red; part of abdomen and lower tail-coverts white ; feathers of the
legs barred like the breast; lower wing-coverts yellowish-white, barred
and spotted with dusky.
Length to end of tail 11} inches; to end of wings 83: to end of
claws 11}; extent of wings 203; wing from flexure 643; tail 5}$; bill
along the ridge 7, along the edge of lower mandible 7; tarsus 143 ;
hind toe #8, its claw .*,; middle toe 1%, its claw #4. Weight 33 oz.
Adult Female. Plate CCCLXXIV. Fig. 2.
The female, which greatly exceeds the male in size is generally grey-
ish-brown tinged with blue on the upper parts, in very old individuals
bluish-grey or dark bluish-grey, more or less tinged with brown. The
bill, cere, iris, feet, and claws are as in the male, and the markings on
the plumage are similar on the upper parts; the lower are generally
-of a lighter tint, but otherwise nearly the same.
Length to end of tail 14 inches; extent of wings 26; wing from
flexure 83%; tail 63%; bill along the ridge 12; tarsus 272; hind toe 74,
its claw 74; middle toe 143, its claw 3%. Weight of an individual 74
oz., of another 8.
Young birds of either sex, when fully fledged, have the upper parts
generally hair-brown, on the back darker ; the feathers on the head and
hind neck margined with light red ; those of the rest of the upper parts
also terminally edged with brownish-red ; the feathers of the hind head
and neck are white at the base, but to less extent, and the scapulars
are also spotted with the same. The lower parts are white or yellow-
ish-white, the throat longitudinally streaked, the rest banded with dark
brown, the feathers of the sides spotted, those of the legs light reddish,
obscurely marked with darker along the middle ; the lower tail-coverts
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK. 529
white. The female has the markings on the lower parts much nar-
rower at this age.
A male bird preserved in spirits pre- a
sents the following characters :—The roof
of the mouth is flat, with two longitudi-
nal ridges ; the posterior aperture of the
nares oblong, with a linear anterior slit, Hi/
papillate on the edges. The tongue is 5
twelfths long, narrow, concave above,
09)
} | Py) }
YY
Wy
SN
slightly emarginate. The cesophagus,
abcde, is 3 inches 8 twelfths long; its
diameter at the upper part 5 twelfths ; it
enlarges on the neck to a capacious crop,
ed, 1 inch in diameter. ‘he proventri-
culus, ¢, has a complete belt of small ob-
long glandules. ‘The stomach, / g, is
large, roundish, membranous, without dis-
tinct muscles, 1 inch 3 twelfths long, and
1 inch broad. The intestine, g 471, is
143 inches long, its greatest diameter 2
twelfths. ‘The rectum, 7 /, is 1 inch 9
twelfths long; its diameter at the ante-
rior part 3 twelfths; the cceca, 7, are
exceedingly small, forming two scarcely
| observable sacs, about half a twelfth in
depth. The trachea is 2,5 inches long, its
rings unossified, 78 in number ; the bron-
chi long and slender, of about 18 half
rings. The contents of the crop and sto-
mach were portions of two small birds.
XS,
NN ~,
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=
roy
= =|
=
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—
—
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zk
Vy
On comparing several specimens,
male and female, of this Sharp-shinned
Hawk, with others of the European Spar-
row Hawk, the proportions are found to
\ NY
Way) ye
a
be similar, as are the colours of the upper parts; but the American
birds, especially the males, are much smaller; and the transverse bands
on the lower parts of the Sharp-shinned Hawk are redder and broader
VOL. Iv. Eyl
530 SHARP-SHINNED HAWK.
than those of the Sparrow Hawk. The number of dark bands on
the tail is the same in both, namely four on the middle feathers, and
six on the lateral. The tail is not always precisely even, being in
both European and American birds often slightly rounded, the late-
ral feather being sometimes a quarter of an inch shorter than the
longest. ©
A species most intimately allied to the Sharp-shinned Hawk pre-
sents the same form and colours, but differs somewhat in its propor-
tions, and is much larger. The bill is much higher at the base, its up-
per outline slopes from the commencement, and the festoon on its edge
is less prominent. The tarsi and toes are proportionally stronger, the
edge on the former not nearly so prominent. The first quill is a little
longer than the first secondary, the fifth quill (not the fourth) is long-
est ; and the tail is rounded, the lateral feather in a female. being eight-
twelfths of an inch shorter than the longest. The dimensions of a fe-
male of this species, shot by myself in South Carolina, are as follows :—
Length to end of tail 164 inches; wing from flexure 10; tail 713;
bill along the ridge 1 ; tarsus 2;4; hind toe }$, its claw 1; middle toe
8.) ate 74
13, its claw #5.
It is very probable that this is the Accipiter Meaicanus of Mr Swatn-
son, whose brief account of a female of that species, in the Fauna Bo-
reali-Americana, agrees sufficiently with it. There are, however, some
errors in his critical observations, at p. 44. Thus, he states that W1ison’s
figure of the Slate-coloured Hawk, Accipiter Pennsyleanicus, is per-
fectly characteristic, in having the tail quite even at the end; but that
Temmincx’s Autour a bec sinueux is doubtful, the tail being represented
as distinctly rounded. Now, in fact, the tail of our Sharp-shinned
Hawk is when perfect a little rounded, but often when worn quite
even or square. Both the figures in Plate CCCLXXIV represent it
as a little rounded, and such it is in five specimens out of eight, four
of these being females, and one a male; while the three specimens in
which the tail may be said to be quite even are males. Again, he
states that “‘ the anterior scales on the tarsus of A. Pennsylvanicus are
entire, being apparently formed externally of one entire piece ; where-
as in Mewicanus, the transverse divisions are distinctly visible.” The
~ latter part of the sentence is certainly correct, in so far as may be
i LL
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK. 531
judged from a single very fine specimen; but the scales are equally
distinct in all the younger individuals of the A. Pennsylvanicus, although
in one, an old male, the distinctions between the greater number are
obliterated, so that they resemble a single plate. There is nothing
very remarkable in this, however. for the like happens to other Hawks ;
it having been long ago remarked with regard to the Sparrow Hawk of
Europe, Accipiter Nisus, that “in some individuals, the anterior ob-
lique scutella, as well as the hexagonal scales of the sides, are so
indistinct, that all traces of them disappear when the parts become
dry.”
Accipiter Nisus, A. velox, and A. Mexicanus, which are most closely
allied, insomuch that it is extremely difficult to distinguish them from
each other, may be characterized as follows :—
A. Mexicanus is largest ; has the fifth quill longest, the first primary
much longer than the last, the tail distinctly rounded, the tarsi stouter,
and with fifteen scales; the upper parts deep slate-blue ; the lower
banded with light red and white.
A. velox is smallest, has the fourth quill longest, the first primary
much shorter than the last, the tail even, the tarsi extremely slender,
with fifteen scales ; the colours exactly as in Mexicanus.
A. Nisus is intermediate in size, never so small as velox, but some-
times as large as Mevicanus, with the fourth quill longest, the first and
last primary about equal, the tail very slightly rounded or even, the
tarsi very slender, with eighteen scales, the upper parts deep slate-blue,
the lower narrowly banded with light red in the male, and dusky in the
female.
This species was described by Witson under the name of Sharp-
shinned Hawk, Falco velox, and figured in Pl. XLV, a young female
only being represented, although a description is given of a young
male also. He afterwards feared an adult male (Pl. XLVI), and de-
scribed it under the name of Slate-coloured Hawk, Falco Pennsylva-
nicus, considering it as a distinct species. It appears, however, that it
had previously been described under several names. ‘Thus Falco fuscus
of Mritter and Gme.in, and the American Brown Hawk of Laruam,
seem to be the same bird in the young state. Falco dubius of GMELIN
and Latuam, the Dubious Falcon of the latter and of PENNANT are also
532 SHARP-SHINNED HAWK.
synonymous. The Dusky Falcon of Pennant and Latuam, Falco
obscurus of the latter and of GmELtn, may also belong to the same spe-
cies. If we consider priority of name as of paramount importance,
then, in so far as can be shewn, the species ought to be named the
>
“« American Brown Hawk, Falco fuscus ;” or, according to the newer
nomenclature, Astur or Accipiter fuscus. The names of ‘‘ Sharp-shinned;”
>
*« Slate-coloured,” and “ velox,” are not more distinctive; and Penn-
sylvanicus is out of the question, having been applied to another
species.
( 533)
LESSER REDPOLL.
FRINGILLA Li1NARIA, Linn.
PLATE CCCLXXV. Mate anv FEemate.
WueEn I was in Labrador, my young companions and my son one
day (the 27th of July 1833) procured eight individuals of this species, of
different sexes and ages. Next morning I went to the place where
they had been shot, and found a good number remaining. The first
observation I made had reference to their notes, which, instead of re-
sembling those of the Goldfinch, as alleged by an American writer, are
very similar to those of the Siskin, and are frequently uttered both
when the birds are alighted and while they are on wing. They were
in small parties of seven or eight, apparently formed by the members
of the same family, and although several of these groups were around
me, they did not intermingle until fired at, when they all simulta-
neously rose on wing, mixed together, and after performing several
short evolutions returned to the same bushes, separated into families, and
resumed their occupations. When alighted they were quite unsuspect-
ing, and so heedless as to allow a close approach, scarcely regarding
my presence, but clinging to the branches, dexterously picking out the
seeds of the alder-cones, and occasionally coming to the ground after
some which had dropped.
Few birds exhibit a more atfectionate disposition than the Little
Redpoll, and it was pleasing to see several on a twig feeding each other
by passing a seed from bill to bill, one individual sometimes receiving
food from his two neighbours at the same time. Occasionally, how-
ever, they shewed considerable pugnacity, and one would drive off its
companion, inflicting some smart blows upon it with its bill, and ut-
tering a low querulous chatter.
In other portions of the same country, I saw flocks composed of
twenty or more individuals flying loosely at a moderate height, in the
undulatory manner of the American Goldfinch and Siskin, without,
however, making the deep sweeps of the former ; suddenly alighting,
and at once beginning to search with great expertness between the
534 LESSER REDPOLL.
stems and leaves, picking at the embryo buds while perched over them,
like Jays and Titmice.
So hardy is this species, that, according to Dr RrcHarpson, it is a
‘permanent resident in the Fur Countries, where it may be seen in
the coldest weather, on the banks of lakes and rivers, hopping among
the reeds and carices, or clinging to their stalks. Although numerous
throughout the year, even in the most northern districts, a partial mi-
gration takes place, as large flocks visit Pennsylvania for a month or
two in severe winters.” The migrations alluded to are of rare oecur-
rence in that State, however, as well as in that of New York. I never
saw one of these birds to the westward of the Alleghanies, and none
were observed by Dr Townsenv or Mr Nutra. on the Columbia
River. They are abundant every cold winter in the northern, parts
of Massachusetts and Maine, as well as in all the British Provinces.
The food of this species consists of buds, seeds of various grasses,
berries, and the small leaves of bushes and trees. I have represented
a male and a female on a plant which grows abundantly in the locali-
ties in which I found it in Labrador.
The many young birds which I examined in the month of August,
had the head entirely grey. The feathers of that part, and those on the
breast and rump, were of the same colour nearly to the base, which is blu-
ish-grey ; and I suspect that they do not acquire any redness until the
approach of spring. The old birds were moulting at the period men-
tioned, and from their appearance I concluded that all their red feathers
are reassumed each spring. The eggs, from four to six in number,
measure five-eighths in length, rather more than half an inch in dia-
meter, and are pale bluish-green sparingly dotted with reddish-brown
toward the larger end.
Frineiuta winaria, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 322.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. i.
p- 458.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis, p. 112.
Lesser Repport, Frineriia tinaria, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. iv. p. 42, pl. 30,
fig. 4. Male.
Linaria anor, Lesser REDPott, Fauna Bor.-Amer. vol. ii. p. 267.
Lesser REpPou., Nuttall, Manual, vol. i. 512.
Adult Male in Summer. Plate CCCLXXV. Fig. 1.
Bill short, strong, conical, compressed toward the end, extremely
ke ee
LESSER REDPOLL. 535
acute ; upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, the ridge narrow,
the sides convex, the edges sharp and overlapping, without notch, the
tip acuminate ; lower mandible with the angle short and semicircular,
the dorsal line straight, the ridge broadish at the base, the sides con-
vex, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip acute. Nostrils basal,
roundish, covered by stiffish reversed feathers.
Head of moderate size, roundish ; neck short ; body moderate. Feet
of moderate length, slender; tarsus compressed, anteriorly covered
with a few scutella of which the upper are blended, posteriorly with
two longitudinal plates meeting at a very acute angle ; toes siender,
the first with its claw as long as the third with its claw; the lateral toes
equal. Claws large, moderately arched, much compressed, acute.
Plumage soft, rether blended, with very little gloss, unless on the
red parts. Wings of ordinary length, the first three quills almost
equal, but the second longest. ‘T'ail rather long, forked.
Bill yellowish, the upper mandible dusky on the ridge; iris brown;
feet blackish-brown. A band edging the forehead, the loral space,
and the throat, brownish-black ; the reversed feathers on the base of
the bill yellowish; the crown of the head crimson; the hind part of
the head, the neck, the fore part of the back, and the scapulars yel-
lowish-brown, longitudinally streaked with blackish-brown, the feathers
on the hind part of the back margined with whitish, and tipped with
carmine ; the wings and tail dusky, with yellowish-brown edges, and
two transverse bands of the same on the tips of the first row of small
coverts and the secondary coverts. The sides of the neck, its fore part,
the breast, and flanks, rich carmine ; the middle of the breast, the ab-
domen, and the lower tail-coverts white, tinged with rose colour; the
sides longitudinally streaked with dusky.
Length to end of tail 5; to end of wings 4; extent of wings 83 ;
wing from flexure 37%; tail 2}; bill along the ridge 4, along the
edge of lower mandible ?5; tarsus 7%; first toe ##, its claw #4; mid-
dle toe #4, its claw 7%.
Adult Female in Summer. Plate CCCLXXV. Fig. 2.
The female, which is somewhat less, has the black of the forehead
and throat more brown, with less red on the head, and little or none
on the rump, or on the lower parts, which are white, the breast and
flanks longitudinally streaked with dusky.
(586) oy
TRUMPETER SWAN.
Cyrcnus BuccINATOR, RicHARDSON.
PLATE CCCLXXVI. Youne 1n WINTER.
Tue history of the American Swans has been but veryslightly traced.
Few records of the habits of these majestic, elegant, and useful birds
exist, on which much reliance can be placed ; their geographical range
still remains an unsolved problem; one species has been mistaken for
another, and this by ornithologists who are said to be of the first order.
The Cygnus Bewickii of Great Britain has been given as a North Ame-
rican Swan in place of Cygnus Americanus (well described by Dr
Suarpuess of Philadelphia) in the Fauna Boreali-Americana; and
the latter bird has been taken for the Whistling Swan, C. musicus of
BecusTEIN, by the Prince of Musicnano, who says in his Synopsis,
p- 379, No. 321, that it is “very numerous in winter in Chesapeake
Bay.” It is possible that we may have more than two species of Swan
within the limits of North America, but I am at present acquainted
with only that which forms the subject of this article, and the Cygnus
Americanus of SHARPLESS.
In a note contained in the Journals of Lewis and Ciarx, written
in the course of the expedition of these daring travellers across the
Rocky Mountains, it is stated that “the Swans are of two kinds, the
large and small. The large Swan is the same with the one common
in the Atlantic States. The small differs from the large only in size
and note; it is about one-fourth less, and its note is entirely different.
These birds were first found below the great narrows of the Columbia,
near the Chilluckittequaw nation. They are very abundant in this
neighbourhood, and remained with the party all winter, and in number
they exceed those of the larger species in the proportion of five to
one.” These observations are partly correct and partly erroneous.
In fact, the smaller species of the two, which is the C. Americanus of
Suarp.ess, is the only one abundant in the middle districts of our
Atlantic coast, while the larger Swan, the subject of this article, is
rarely if ever seen to the eastward of the mouths of the Mississippi.
A perfect specimen of the small Swan mentioned by Lewis and Crark
ee ee a es
TRUMPETER SWAN. 537
has been transmitted to me from the Columbia River by Dr TownsEnp,
and I find it to correspond in every respect with the OC. Americanus of
Syarpiess. Dr Townsenp corroborates the observations of the two
eminent travellers by stating, that the latter species is much more nu-
merous than the large C. Buccinator.
The Trumpeter Swans make their appearance on the lower portions
of the waters of the Ohio about the end of October. They throw them-
selves at once into the larger ponds or lakes at no great distance from
the river, giving a marked preference to those which are closely sur-
rounded by dense and tall cane-brakes, and there remain until the water
is closed by ice, when they are forced to proceed southward. During
mild winters I have seen Swans of this species in the ponds about
Henderson until the beginning of March, but only a few individuals,
which may have staid there to recover from their wounds. When the
cold became intense, most of those which visited the Ohio would re-
move to the Mississippi, and proceed down that stream as the severity
of the weather increased, or return if it diminished; for it has ap-
peared to me, that neither very intense cold nor great heat suit them
so well as a medium temperature. I have traced the winter migra-
tions of this species as far southward as the Texas, where it is abun-
dant at times, and where I saw a pair of young ones in captivity, and
quite domesticated, that had been procured in the winter of 1836.
They were about two years old, and pure white, although of much
smaller size than even the younger one represented in the plate before
you, having perhaps been stinted in food, or having suffered from their
wounds, as both had been shot. The sound of their well-known notes
reminded me of the days of my youth, when I was half-yearly in the
company of birds of this species.
At New Orleans, where I made the drawing of the young bird here
given, the Trumpeters are frequently exposed for sale in the markets,
being procured on the ponds of the interior, and on the great lakes
leading to the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. This species is unknown
to my friend, the Rev. Joun Bacuman, who, during a residence of
twenty years in South Carolina, never saw or heard of one there;
whereas in hard winters the Cygnus Americanus is not uncommon, al-
though it does not often proceed farther southward than that State.
The waters of the Arkansas and its tributaries are annually supplied
with Trumpeter Swans, and the largest individual which I have exa-
538 TRUMPETER SWAN.
whined was shot on a lake near the junction of that river with the Mis-
sissippi. It measured nearly ten feet in alar extent, and weighed
above thirty-eight pounds. The quills, which I used in drawing the
feet and claws of many small birds, were so hard, and yet so elastic,
that the best steel-pen of the present day might have blushed, if it
could, to be compared with them.
Whilst encamped in the Tawapatee Bottom, when on a fur-trading
voyage, our keel-boat was hauled close under the eastern shore of the
Mississippi, and our valuables, for I then had a partner in trade, were
all disembarked. The party consisted of twelve or fourteen French
Canadians, all of whom were pretty good hunters; and as game was
in those days extremely abundant, the supply of Deer, Bear, Racoons,
and Opossums, far exceeded our demands. Wild Turkeys, Grous,
and Pigeons, might have been seen hanging all around; and the ice-
bound lakes afforded an ample supply of excellent fish, which was pro-
cured by striking a strong blow with an axe on the ice immediately
above the confined animal, and afterwards extricating it by cutting a
hole with the same instrument. The great stream was itself so firmly
frozen that we were daily in the habit of crossing it from shore to shore.
No sooner did the gloom of night become discernible through the grey
twilight, than the loud-sounding notes of hundreds of Trumpeters would
burst on the ear; and as I gazed over the ice-bound river, flocks after
flocks would be seen coming from afar and in various directions, and
alighting about the middle of the stream opposite to our encampment.
After pluming themselves awhile they would quietly drop their bodies
on the ice, and through the dim light I yet could observe the graceful
curve of their necks, as they gently turned them backwards, to allow
their heads to repose upon the softest and warmest of pillows. Just a
dot of black as it were could be observed on the snowy mass, and that
dot was about half an inch of the base of the upper mandible, thus ex-
posed, as I think, to enable the bird to breathe with ease. Not asingle
individual could I ever observe among them to act as a sentinel, and I
have since doubted whether their acute sense of hearing was not sufh-
cient to enable them to detect the approach of their enemies. The
day quite closed by darkness, no more could be seen until the next
dawn; but as often as the howlings of the numerous wolves that
prowled through the surrounding woods were heard, the clanging cries
of the Swans would fill the air. If the morning proved fair, the whole
TRUMPETER SWAN. 539
flocks would rise on their feet, trim their plumage, and as they started
with wings extended, as if, racing in rivalry, the pattering of their feet
would come on the ear like the noise of great muffled drums, accom-
panied by the loud and clear sounds of their voice. On running fifty
yards or so to windward, they would all be on wing. If the weather
was thick, drizzly, and cold, or if there were indications of a fall of
snow, they would remain on the ice, walking, standing, or lying
down, until symptoms of better weather became apparent, when they
would all start off. One morning of this latter kid, our men formed
a plot against the Swans, and having separated into two parties, one
above, the other below them on the ice, they walked slowly, on a sig-
nal being given from the camp, toward the unsuspecting birds. Until
the boatmen had arrived within a hundred and fifty yards of them, the
Swans remained as they were, having become, as it would appear, ac-
quainted with us, in consequence of our frequently crossing the ice; but
then they all rose on their feet, stretched their necks, shook their heads,
and manifested strong symptoms of apprehension. The gunners mean-
while advanced, and one of the guns going off by accident, the Swans
were thrown into confusion, and scampering off in various directions
took to wing, some flying up, some down the stream, others making
directly toward the shores. The muskets now blazed, and about a
dozen were felled, some crippled, others quite dead. That evening
they alighted about a mile above the camp, and we never went after
them again. I have been at the killing of several of these Swans, and
I can assure you that unless you have a good gun well loaded with large
buck-shot, you may shoot at them without much effect, for they are
strong and tough birds.
To form a perfect conception of the beauty and elegance of these
Swans, you must observe them when they are not aware of your proxi-
mity, and as they glide over the waters of some secluded inland pond.
On such occasions, the neck, which at other times is held stiffly upright,
moves in graceful curves, now bent forward, now inclined backwards
over the body. Now with an extended scooping movement the head
becomes immersed for a moment, and with a sudden effort a flood of
water is thrown over the back and wings, when it is seen rolling off in
sparkling globules, like so many large pearls. The bird then shakes
its wings, beats the water, and as if giddy with delight shoots away,
540 TRUMPETER SWAN.
gliding over and beneath the surface of the liquid element with sur-
prising agility and grace. Imagine, Reader, that a flock of fifty Swans
are thus sporting before you, as they have more than once been in my
sight, and you will feel, as I have felt, more happy and void of care
than I can describe.
When swimming unmolested the Swan shews the body buoyed up ;
but when apprehensive of danger, it sinks considerably lower. If rest-
ing and basking in the sunshine, it draws one foot expanded curiously
towards the back, and in that posture remains often for half an hour
at atime. When making off swiftly, the tarsal joint, or knee as it is
called, is seen about an inch above the water, which now in wavelets
passes over the lower part of the neck and along the sides of the body,
as it undulates on the planks of a vessel gliding with a gentle breeze.
Unless during the courting season, or while passing by its mate, I
never saw a swan with the wings raised and expanded, as it is alleged
they do, to profit by the breeze that may blow to assist their progress ;
and yet I have pursued some in canoes to a considerable distance, and
that without overtaking them, or even obliging them to take to wing.
You, Reader, as well as all the world, have seen Swans labouring away
on foot, and therefore I will not trouble you with a description of their
mode of walking, especially as it is not much to be admired.
The flight of the Trumpeter Swan is firm, at times greatly elevated
and sustained. It passes through the air by regular beats, in the same
manner as Geese, the neck stretched to its full length, as are the feet,
which project beyond the tail. When passing low, I have frequently
thought that I heard a rustling sound from the motion of the feathers
of their wings. If bound to a distant place, they form themselves in
angular lines, and probably the leader of the flock is one of the oldest
of the males; but of this I am not at all sure, as I have seen at the
head of a line a grey bird, which must have been a young one of that
year.
This Swan feeds principally by partially immersing the body and
extending the neck under water, in the manner of fresh-water Ducks
and some species of Geese, when the feet are often seen working in the
air, as if to aid in preserving the balance. Often however it resorts to
the land, and then picks at the herbage, not sidewise, as Geese do, but
more in the manner of Ducks and poultry. Its food consists of roots
TRUMPETER SWAN. 541
of different vegetables, leaves, seeds, various aquatic insects, land
snails, small reptiles and quadrupeds. The flesh of a cygnet is pretty
good eating, but that of an old bird is dry and tough.
I kept a male alive upwards of two years, while I was residing at
Henderson in Kentucky. It had been slightly wounded in the tip of
the wing, and was caught after a long pursuit in a pond from which it
could not escape. Its size, weight, and strength rendered the task of
carrying it nearly two miles by no means easy; but as I knew that it
would please my wife and my then very young children, I persevered.
Cutting off the tip of the wounded wing, I turned it loose in the
garden. Although at first extremely shy, it gradually became accus-
tomed to the servants, who fed it abundantly, and at length proved so
gentle as to come to my wife’s call, to receive bread from her hand.
‘¢ Trumpeter,” as we named our bird, in accordance with the gene-
ral practice of those who were in the habit of shooting this species,
now assumed a character which until then had been unexpected, and
laying aside his timidity became so bold at times as to give chase to
. my favourite Wild Turkey Cock, my dogs, children, and servants.
Whenever the gates of our yard happened to be opened, he would at
once make for the Ohio, and it was not without difficulty that he was
driven home again. On one occasion, he was absent a whole night,
and I thought he had fairly left us; but intimation came of his having
travelled to a pond not far distant. Accompanied by my miller and six
or seven of my servants, I betook myself to the pond, and there saw
our Swan swimming buoyantly about as if in defiance of us all. It was
not without a great deal of trouble that we at length succeeded in
driving it ashore. Pet birds, good Reader, no matter of what species
they are, seldom pass their lives in accordance with the wishes of their
possessors ; in the course of a dark and rainy night, one of the servants
having left the gate open, Trumpeter made his escape, and was never
again heard of.
With the manners of this species during the breeding season, its
mode of constructing its nest, the number of its eggs, and the appear-
ance of its young, I am utterly unacquainted. The young bird repre-
sented in the plate was shot near New Orleans, on the 16th of Decem-
ber 1822. A figure of the adult male you will find in Plate CCCCVI ;
and should I ever have opportunities of studying the habits of this
noble bird, believe me I shall have much pleasure in laying before you
542 TRUMPETER SWAN.
the results. Dr RicHarpson informs us that it ** is the most common
Swan in the interior of the Fur Countries. It breeds as far south as
lat. 61°, but principally within the arctic circle, and in its migrations
generally precedes the Geese a few days.”
As the adult bird will be subsequently described, I judge it unne-
cessary at present to enter into a full detail of the external form and
characters of the species, and will therefore confine myself to the co-
lours and proportions of the individual represented.
Cyenus Buccrnator, Richardson—TRUMPETER Swan, Fauna Bor.-Amer. vol. ii-
p- 464. “White; head glossed above with chestnut ; bill entirely black, with-
out a tubercle ; tail-feathers 24 ; feet black.”
Young after first moult. Plate CCCI.X XVI.
In winter the young has the bill black, with the middle portion of
the ridge, to the length of an inch and a half, light flesh-colour, and a
large elongated patch of light dull purple, on each side; the edge of
the lower mandible and the tongue dull yellowish flesh-colour. The
eye is dark brown. The feet dull yellowish-brown, tinged with olive ;
the claws brownish-black ; the webs blackish-brown. 'The upper part
of the head and the cheeks are light reddish-brown, each feather ha-
ving towards its extremity a small oblong whitish spot, narrowly mar-
gined with dusky ; the throat nearly white, as well as the edge of the
lower eyelid. The general colour of the other parts is greyish-white,
slightly tinged with yellow ; the upper part of the neck marked with
spots similar to those on the head.
Length to end of tail 523 inches; extent of wings 91, wing from
flexure 231; bill along the ridge 43, from the angle of the eye 6, along
the edge of the lower mandible 43; tarsus 43; hind toe 14, its claw ;
middle toe 64, its claw 1; inner toe 43, its claw {$5 outer toe 64, its
claw 3. Weight 19 Ib. 8 oz.; the bird very poor.
OT EC a ee es
( 543°)
SCOLOPACEOUS COURLAN.
ArAMUS SCOLOPACEUS, VIEILL.
PLATE CCCLXXVIL Mate.
Tuts very remarkable bird appears to be entirely confined to that
section of the Peninsula of Florida known by the name of “ Ever-
glades,” and the swampy borders of the many bayous and lagoons
issuing from that great morass. Few are found farther north than
“‘ Spring-garden Spring,” of which I have given you an account. I
have heard of its having been in one instance procured on one of the
Florida Keys, by Mr Titian Preae, whose specimen, which was a
young male, has been described and figured in the continuation of W11-
son’s American Ornithology. None were seen by me on any of these
islands, and our worthy Pilot told me, that in the course of the many
years which he had spent in that country he had never met with one
off the main-land. It did not occur to me on any part of the coast,
while I was proceeding to the Texas, nor is it to be found in that coun-
try, which seems very strange, when I look at this bird, and compare
it with the Rail family, which is so abundant along the whole of that
coast, and to which it is very nearly allied in some of its habits, more
_ especially to the Fresh-water Marsh Hen, Rallus elegans.
The flight of the Scolopaceous Courlan is heavy and of short dura-
tion; the concavity and shortness of its wings, together with the na-
ture of the places which it inhabits, probably rendering it slow to re-
move from one spot to another on wing, it being in a manner confined
among tall plants, the roots of which are frequently under water. When
it rises spontaneously it passes through the air at a short distance above
the weeds, with regular beats of the wings, its neck extended to its full
length, and its long legs dangling beneath, until it suddenly drops to the
ground. Few birds then excel it in speed, as it proceeds, if pursued, by
long strides, quickly repeated, first in a direct course, along paths formed
by itself when passing and repassing from one place to another, and
afterwards diverging so as to ensure its safety even when chased by
the best dogs, or other not less eager enemies inhabiting the half-sub-
mersed wilderness which it has chosen for its residence. When acci-
544 SCOLOPACEOUS COURLAN.
dentally surprised, it rises obliquely out of its recess, with the neck
greatly bent downward, and although its legs dangle for a while, they
are afterwards extended behind in the manner of those of the Heron
tribe. At such times these birds are easily shot; but if they are only
wounded, it would be vain to pursue them. Although of considerable
size and weight, they are enabled, by the great length and expansion
of their toes to walk on the broad leaves of the larger species of Nym-
pheea found in that country. They swim with the same buoyancy as
the Coots, Gallinules, and Rails.
The nest of this bird is placed among the larger tufts of the tallest
grasses that grow at short distances from the bayous, many of which
are influenced by the low tides of the Gulf. It is so well fastened to
the stems of the plants, in the same manner as that of Rallus crepitans,
as to be generally secure trom inundation; and is composed of rank
weeds matted together, and forming a large mass, with a depression in
the centre. The eggs, which rarely exceed five or six, are large for
the size of the bird. The young are hatched early in May, and follow
their parents soon after birth, being covered with coarse tufty feathers.
of a black colour.
The Ever-glades abound with a species of large greenish snail, on
which these birds principally feed; and, from the great number of
empty shells which are found at the foot of the nest and around it,
it is probable that the sitting bird is supplied with food by her mate.
Their notes, when uttered while they are on wing, are a sort of cackle,
but when on the ground, much louder, especially during the pairing
season, or when they are started by the report of a gun. The flesh
of the young is pretty good eating. Although it is alleged that this
bird occasionally alights on trees, I have never seen it in such a situa-
tion.
ARDEA SCOLOPACEA, Gmel. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p.647.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 701.
ARaMUS scoLopacets, Ch. Bonap. Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 39.
ScoLopaceous Courtan, ARAmuS scoLoPaceus, Ch. Bonap. Amer. Ornith. vol. iv.
p- 111, pl. 26, fig. 2.— Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 68.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLX XVII.
Bill long, being double the length of the head, rather slender, but
strong, much compressed, straight, its breadth less before the nostrils
I NE ae ate At eed a cae ee es oe ae
eS ee
ne
SCOLOPACEOUS COURLAN. 545
than towards the point; upper mandible with the dorsal line straight
until towards the end, then slightly arcuato-declinate, the ridge con-
vex in its whole length, the sides nearly erect, more convex towards
the extremity, the tip blunted, the edges broad and obtuse for half
their length, sharp but thick in the rest of their extent; lower man-
dible slightly ascending at the base, then direct, much compressed to-
wards the tip, which is acute, the angle long and very narrow, the
dorsal line slightly convex, the edges obtuse, becoming sharp towards
the end. Nasal groove nearly half the length of the bill; nostrils
direct, linear, long.
Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Eyes rather large. Neck
long and slender. Body ovato-oblong, much compressed. Feet very
long and slender, rather stout ; tibia bare in its lower half, which is
anteriorly covered with hexagonal scales, posteriorly with transverse
seutella; tarsus long, compressed, anteriorly with numerous broad
scutella, laterally with very small elongated scales, posteriorly with
large scutelliform scales, many of which-are divided ; toes long, ra-
ther slender; hind toe small and elevated ; fourth considerably longer
than second, middle toe nine-twelfths of an inch longer than the
outer; the anterior toes are divided to the base, compressed, scutel-
late above, scaly on the sides, papillate beneath, compressed and not
marginate. Claws of moderate length, very slightly arched, com-
pressed, tapering to a point; that of the first toe smallest, of the third
largest, without serratures on the inner edge, which is thin and a little
expanded.
Plumage of ordinary texture, rather compact and glossy on the
upper parts, blended on the lower; feathers on the head and neck
short, oblong ; on the back ovate and very broadly rounded. Wings
of moderate length, very broad, concave, rounded ; primaries broad,
secondaries very broad and rounded; first primary two-thirds of the
length of the second, which is ten-twelfths shorter than the third ; the
fourth, which is longest, exceeds the third by one-twelfth, and the
fifth by half a twelfth ; some of the secondaries reach to half an inch
of the tip of the longest primary when the wing is closed; the three
outer quills are narrower toward the base than toward the extremity,
more especially the first. The tail is short, broad, convex, rounded,
of twelve broad, rounded feathers.
Bill greenish-yellow, dusky toward the end of both mandibles, but
VOL. IV. Mm
546 SCOLOPACEOUS COURLAN.
especially of the upper ; iris hazel; feet lead-grey, claws dusky. The
general colour of the plumage is chocolate-brown, the upper parts
glossed, with purple and bronze reflections; the fore part of the head
paler, inclining to grey, each feather with a greyish-white central
line; the sides of the head and the throat are still lighter, and a small
portion of the throat is whitish, these parts being streaked with greyish-
brown and greyish-white; the lower eyelid white. The hind part
and sides of the neck are marked with elliptical spots of white in regu-
lar series, there being one on each feather, some of them extending
forwards to the posterior angle of the eye. Some of the feathers on
the middle of the breast and the lower wing-coverts are similarly
marked with lanceolate white spots; the tail is more highly glossed
and coloured than the rest of the upper parts.
Length to end of tail 25? inches, to end of wings 25, to end of claws
32, to carpal joint 132; extent of wings 41; wing from flexure 124;
tail 54; bill along the ridge 4;%, along the edge of lower mandible 43 ;
bare part of tibia 24; tarsus 4;%;; hind toe 1,45, its claw 7% ; second toe
2:45, its claw #4; third toe 33, its claw 49; fourth toe 2,8, its claw 3%.
The Female is somewhat less, but resembles the male.
Length to end of tail 25 inches, to end of claws 33}; to end of
wings 24, to carpal joint 122; extent of wings 42 ; wing from flexure 12 ;
tail 42; bill along the gape 43.
The young when fully fledged is of a much lighter tint; the head
and fore-neck brownish-grey, the lower parts greyish-brown. The bill
is yellowish-green, darker toward the end; the feet much darker than
in the adult. Excepting the quills, primary-coverts, tail-feathers, and
the rump, all the plumage is marked with spots of white, of which there
is one along the centre of each feather ; those on the neck elongated,
‘on the back, wings, and breast lanceolate. In this state it is figured
in the continuation of Wilson’s American Ornithology, by the Prince
of MustGNano. ;
Length to end of tail 23 inches.
This remarkable bird has exercised the ingenuity of the systema-—
tizing ornithologists, some of whom have considered it as a Heron,
others a Crane, while many have made it a Rail, and many more a
SCOLOPACEOUS COURLAN. RAT
genus apart, but allied to the Rails, or to the Herons or to both. It
seems in truth to be a large Rail, with the wings and feet approach-
ing in form to those of the Herons ; but while frivolous disputes might
be carried on ad libitum as to its location in the system of nature, were
we merely to consider its exterior; it is fortunate that we possess a
means of determining its character with certainty :—if we examine its
digestive organs, we shall at once see if it be a Rail, or a Heron, or
anything else. If a Heron, it will have a very wide cesophagus, a
roundish, thin-walled stomach, very slender intestines, and a single
short obtuse ccecum ; if a Rail or Gallinule, or bird of that tribe, it will
have a narrow mouth, a narrow cesophagus, a very muscular stomach,
intestines of moderate width, and two moderately long, rather wide
coeca. Here then are two specimens, shot in Florida, and preserved in
spirits.
The first, which is found to be a female, has the mouth narrow,
measuring only 7 twelfths across; the tongue very long and extremely
slender, trigonal, pointed, extending to within half an inch of the tip
of the lower mandible, being 3,% inches in length. ‘The cesophagus,
abcd, whichis 12 inches long, is narrow in its whole length, its diame-
ter at the upper part being 6 twelfths, below the middle of the neck 8
twelfths. ‘The proventriculus, bc, is nearly 1 inch long, 9 twelfths in
its greatest diameter, bulbiform; its glandules cylindrical, 13 twelfth
long. Between the termination of the proventriculus, and the com-
mencement of the stomach, the space, cd, is more elongated than usual,
an inch and 2 twelfths, and presents the appearance of a tube curved
toward the left in the form of the letter S. The circular fibres of this
part are strong, and its epithelium is very thick, soft, and raised into
twelve very prominent rounded longitudinal ruge. The stomach, pro-
perly so called, de fg, is an extremely powerful gizzard, of an orbi-
cular form, compressed, with its axis a little inclined toward the right
side, its length 1 inch and 9 twelfths, its breadth 1 inch and 8 twelfths,
its thickness 11 twelfths. The left lateral muscle, df, is much larger
than the right, occupying nearly one-half of the organ ; the muscles are
thick, but not very remarkably so, their greatest thickness being 4
twelfths ; the epithelium is very hard and rugous. The duodenum,
g 4 2, curves in the usual manner, folding back upon itself at the dis-
tance of 3inches. The intestine, g 4 ijk, is of moderate length, 31
inches, its greatest diameter 3 twelfths; the rectum, & J, 3 inches long,
548 SCOLOPACEOUS COURLAN.
including the cloaca, /m, which is globular, 12 inch in diameter ; the
coeca, n n, of moderate size, 1? inch long, for nearly half their length
2 twelfths in diameter, in the rest of their extent from 4 to 6 twelfths,
obtuse; their distance from the cloaca 10 twelfths.
The trachea, o p, is 10 inches long, narrow, of nearly uniform dia-
meter, being narrowest in the upper third of its length, unless for three-
fourths of an inch at the commencement. Its rings 186 in number, are
ossified, and a little flattened. The contractor muscles are slender,
as are the sterno-tracheal ; and there is a single pair of inferior laryn-
geal. The bronchi, pq, are wide, tapering, of about 15 narrow carti-
laginous half rings. ‘The heart is of moderate size, 17% inch long, 1
inch in breadth. The liver is small, its lobes, which are equal, being
1 inch in length.
The other individual, a male, has the cesophagus 12 inches long;
the distance from the proventriculus to the stomach 1;% inch; the
stomach 1,%; inch long, and the same in breadth; the cceca 2 inches
long, the greatest diameter 5 twelfths; the intestine 325 inches in
length, their greatest diameter 33 twelfths.
Now, in all this there is nothing indicative of any affinity to the
Herons; the structure of the intestinal canal being essentially like
that of the Coots, Gallinules, and Rails. Even the external parts suf-
ficiently indicate its station, the bill; the plumage, and the colouring
being more like thse of the Rallinz than of any other family.
The Prince of Musicnano, who first described this bird as a Rail,
Rallus giganteus, atterwards adopted for it Virtiort’s genus Aramus, and
considered it as belonging to the Ardeidw, forming a connecting link
with them and the Rallidw, and ‘“ aberrating somewhat towards the
Scolopacide, as well as tending a little towards the Psophidw, sub-fa-
mily Gruine,” and claiming “ again a well-founded resemblance to the
most typical form of the genus Fallus.” Finally, he reverts to his ori-
ginai idea, and places it at the head of the Rallidw. Mr Swainson re-
ters it to the Tantalidw, associating it with Anastomus, Tantalus, and
Ibis, to which it certainly has very little affinity in any point of view.
The efficiency of the digestive organs as a means of determining afh-
nities in cases of doubt, is happily ilustrated in this instance ; and any
person who will make himself acquainted with them will easily disco-
ver numerous false associations in all systems founded on the external
aspect alone.
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HAWK OWL.
STRIX FUNEREA, LINN.
PLATE CCCLXXVIII. Mate ann Femate.
Ir is always disagreeable to an author to come forward when he has
little of importance to communicate to the reader, and on no occasion
have I felt more keenly than on the present, when introducing to your
notice an Owl, of which the habits, although unknown to me, must be
highly interesting, as it seems to assimilate in some degree to the di-
urnal birds of prey. I have never seen it alive, and therefore can only
repeat what has been said by one who has. Dr Ricuarpson gives the
following account of it in the Fauna Boreali-Americana :—
** It is a common species throughout the Fur Countries from Hud-
son’s Bay to the Pacific, and is more frequently killed than any other
by the hunters, which may be partly attributed to its.boldness and its
habit of fiying about by day. In the summer season it feeds princi-
pally on mice and insects; but in the snow-clad regions which it fre-
quents in the winter, neither of these are to be procured, and it then
preys mostly on Ptarmigan. It is a constant attendant on the flocks
of Ptarmigan in their spring migrations to the northward. It builds
its nest on a tree, of sticks, grass, and feathers, and lays two white
eggs. When the hunters are shooting Grouse, this bird is occasionally
attracted by the report of the gun, and is often bold enough, on a bird
being killed, to pounce down upon it, though it may be unable from its
size to carry it off. It is also known to hover round the fires made by
the natives at night.”
I lately received a letter from my friend Dr THomas M. Brewer
of Boston, Massachusetts, in which he informs me that ‘‘ the Hawk
Owl is very common at Memphramagog Lake in Vermont, where as many
as a dozen may be obtained by a good gunrer in the course of a single
day. Its nests in the hollow trees are also frequently met with.” It
8 surprising that none should have been seen by Mr Norraut or Dr
TownsEnD, while crossing the Rocky Mountains, or on the Columbia
River ; especially as it has been found by my friend Epwarn Harris,
Esq. as far southward on our eastern coast as New Jersey.
HAWK OWL. 551
The specimens from which the figures in the plate were drawn,
were given to me by T'Homas Maccviocy, lsq. of Pictou, who had a
good number of them. ‘Two entire individuals preserved in spirits af-
ford materials for the following descriptions.
Srrix runEREA, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 133.—Lath. Ind. Orn. vol. i. p. 62.—Ch.
Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 39.
Hawk Owt, Srrix nupsonia, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vi. p. 64, pl. 50, fig. 6.
Strix FuUNEREA, American Hawk Ow1t, Richards. and Swains. Fauna Bor.-Amer.
vol. 11. p. 92.
Hawx Ow1, WVutiall, Manual, vol. i. p. 115.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLXXVIII. Fig. 1.
Bill short, strong, higher than broad; upper mandible with the
dorsal line declinate and decurvate, the ridge convex, the sides convex
toward the end, the edges nearly straight until toward the end, the tip
decurvate, trigonal, acute ; the cere covered with stiff bristly feathers
directed forwards ; lower mandible with the angle very wide, the dorsal
outline convex, the ridge broad and convex, the sides convex, the edges
sharp toward the end, the tip obtuse, thin-edged. Nostrils roundish,
in the fore part of the cere, concealed by the feathers.
Head very large, roundish, convex above. Eyes very large. Neck
very short ; body of moderate size. Legs very short, robust; tarsus
very short, feathered, as are the toes, of which the outer is reversible ;
claws long, stout, compressed, tapering to a very acute point, that of
third toe with the inner edge considerably dilated.
Plumage full, very soft, blended ; the cere covered with slender
stiffish reversed feathers, having their filaments disunited ; the facial
disks incomplete above. Wings rather long, rounded; the third pri-
mary longest, the fourth one-twelfth and a half shorter, the second
four and a half twelfths shorter than the third, the first intermediate be-
tween the fifth and sixth; the first four cut out on the outer web towards
thesend, the barbs on the greater part of the outer web of the first,
and the terminal portion of the second, thickened, and a little separated,
but not recurved ; the secondaries of moderate length, rounded. Tail
rather long, much rounded, of twelve rather broad rounded feathers, of
which the lateral are two inches shorter than the middle.
Bill pale yellow ; iris bright yellow; claws dusky. ‘The facial disk
552 HAWK OWL.
is greyish-white, the shafts black, at its anterior part intermixed
with black filaments. The upper part of the head brownish-black,
closely spotted with white, there being generally three roundish spots
on each feather. ‘The hind part of the neck is brownish-black, with
two broad longitudinal bands of white spots; a semicircle of brown-
ish-black feathers margins the facial disk behind. The general colour
of the upper parts is chocolate-brown, becoming lighter behind ; all
the feathers marked with white spots in pairs, larger and more con-
spicuous on the scapulars, disposed in bars on the rump and upper
tail-coverts. On both webs of the quills are several transversely ellip-
tical white spots, the outer webs of the first two and five inner pri-
maries excepted; the tips of all brownish-white. The tail is marked
with about eight transverse bars of white, formed by narrow oblong
alternating spots on both webs, the feathers also tipped with white,
the throat is greyish-dusky, that colour being succeeded by a semi-
circular band of white, beneath which is an obscure brownish-black
band; the rest of the lower parts transversely barred with dusky and
white ; the dark bars of a deeper tint anteriorly, approaching to chest-
nut on the sides and legs, fainter on the abdomen and feet, and grey-
ish-brown on the lower tail-coverts.
Length to end of tail 153 inches, to end of wings 123, to end of
claws 113, to carpal joint 33; extent of wings 314; wing from flexure
97; tail 73; bill along the ridge 1,%, along the edge of lower mandi-
ble 1; tarsus 1; hind toe 7%, its claw 1%; middle toe ¥’,, its claw +$;
iz >
inner toe 8, its claw }3; outer toe 3, its claw 19.
Adult Female. Plate CCCLXXVIII. Fig. 2.
The Female is somewhat larger, and resembles the male, but is of a
lighter tint, especially on the wings and tail, where the white mark-
ings are smaller and less decided.
Length to end of tail 174 inches.
An adult male, presented by THomas M. Brewer, Esq. of Boston,
and preserved in spirits.
The palate is concave, with two longitudinal, parallel, papillate
ridges. ‘The posterior aperture of the nares is lanceolate, with an an-
terior fissure, the space between which and the lateral ridge is papillate.
The tongue is short, fleshy, deeply emarginate and papillate at the
HAWK OWL. 553
base, rounded and notched at the end ; its length 74 twelfths, its breadth
31 twelfths. The mouth is very wide, measuring 1 inch 1 twelfth
across. The oesophagus, @ 6c, which is 4? inches in length, is of
nearly uniform diameter, its greatest breadth being 11 twelfths, and
at its entrance into the thorax 10 twelfths. Its walls are extremely
thin ; but its longitudinal and transverse muscular fibres are distinctly
seen. The proventricular glandules are very large and cylindrical,
forming a belt, bc, 1 inch 1 twelfth in breadth. The stomach, cd e,
is of moderate size, roundish, 1 inch 5 twelfths long, 1 inch 13 twelfth
broad ; its walls very thin, the muscular coat being composed of slender
fasciculi converging toward two roundish tendinous spaces; the inner
coat or epithelium very soft and rugous, but partially dissolved by the
gastric juice. The pylorus has a semilunar margin, but is otherwise
destitute of valve. The contents of the stomach are tufts of reddish
hair, resembling that of some hare. The duodenum, e/g, which is 34
twelfths in diameter, curves backwards and upwards, running across to
the left side, and returning upon itself opposite the fifth rib; it then
proceeds to the right side under the liver, receives the biliary ducts,
passes behind and above the stomach, and forms three folds, terminat-
ing in the rectum, which is laterally curved, and ends in a globular
cloaca, 7 k, 10 twelfths in diameter. The entire length of the intestine,
efghk, is 18 inches, its diameter from 4 twelfths to 14 twelfth. The
rectum is 2 inches long. The cceca, Fig. 2, a 6, a6, are 21 inches in
length, for 1 inch and 2 twelfths very narrow, their diameter varying
from 1 to 2 tweilfths, their greatest diameter 4 twelfths, their extremity
blunt.
The aperture of the ear, Fig. 3, although very large, is inferior to
that of many Owls of similar size. It is of an elliptical form, 5 twelfths
in its greatest diameter, and 4 twelfths across.
The trachea is 3 inches long, flattened, its diameter nearly uni-
form, averaging 2 twelfths; the rings moderately firm, 74 in number.
The bronchi are long, slender, of about 20 very slender cartilaginous
half rings. ‘The contractor muscles are moderate, as are the sterno-
tracheal. There is a single pair of flat inferior laryngeal muscles, going
to the first and second bronchial rings.
Mt
HAWK OWL.
an | |
in |
a
_
RUFF-NECKED HUMMING BIRD.
TROCHILUS RUFUS, GMEL.
PLATE CCCLXXIX. Mate anp Femate.
Tis charming Humming Bird was discovered by the great navi-
gator, Captain Cook, who found it abundant at Nootka Sound. It
does not appear to have been seen by Dr Ricnarpson or Mr Drom-
MOND in the northern parts of America, traversed by those most zealous
and highly talented naturalists. As no account has hitherto been,given
of its habits, the following notices from my friends Mr Nurratt and
Dr Townsenp, will, I doubt not, prove highly interesting.
“We began,” says the first of these enterprising travellers, “ to meet
with this species near the Blue Mountains of the Columbia River, in
the autumn, as we proceeded to the west. These were all young birds,
and were not very easily distinguished from those of the common spe-
cies of the same age. We now for the first time (April 16.) saw the
males in numbers, darting, burring, and squeaking in the usual manner
of their tribe ; but when engaged in collecting its accustomed sweets
in all the energy of life, it seemed like a breathing gem, or magic car-
buncle of glowing fire, stretching out its gorgeous ruff, as if to emulate
the sun itself in splendour. ‘Towards the close of May, the females
were sitting, at which time the males were uncommonly quarrelsome
and vigilant, darting out at me as I approached the tree probably near
the nest, looking like an angry coal of brilliant fire, passing within
very little of my face, returning several times to the attack, sinking and
darting with the utmost velocity, at the same time uttering a curious
reverberating sharp bleat, somewhat similar to the quivering twang of
a dead twig, yet also so much like the real bleat of some small quadru-
ped, that for some time I searched the ground instead of the air, for
the actor in the scene. At other times, the males were seen darting
up high in the air, and whirling about each other in great anger, and
with much velocity. After these manceuvres the aggressor returned to
the same dead twig, where for days he regularly took his station with
all the courage and angry vigilance of a King-bird. The angry hissing
or bleating note of this species seems something like wht’t’t’t’t sh vee,
556 RUFF-NECKED HUMMING BIRD.
tremulously uttered as it whirls and sweeps through the air, like a
musket-ball, accompanied also by something like the whirr of the Night
Hawk. On the 29th of May, I found a nest of this species in a forked
branch of the Nootka Bramble, Rubus Nutkanus. 'The female was sit-
ting on two eggs, of the same shape and colour as those of the common
species. The nest also was perfectly similar, but somewhat deeper.
As I approached, the female came hovering round the nest, and soon
after, when all was still, she resumed her place contentedly.”
Dr Townsenn’s note is as follows:—“ Nootka Sound Humming
Bird, Trochilus rufus, Ah-puets-Rinne of the Chinooks. On a clear day
the male may be seen to rise to a great height in the air, and descend
instantly near the earth, then mount again to the same altitude as at
first, performing in the evolution the half of a large circle. During the
descent it emits a strange and astonishingly loud note, which can be
compared to nothing but the rubbing together of the limbs of trees
during a high wind. I heard this singular note repeatedly last spring
and summer, but did not then discover to what it belonged. I did not
suppose it to be a bird at all, and least of alla Humming Bird. The
observer thinks it almost impossible that so small a creature can be
capable of producing so much sound. I have never observed this habit
upon a dull or cloudy day.”
Mr Nourratt having presented me with the nest of this species
attached to the twig to which the bird had fastened it, my amiable
friend Miss Martin has figured it for me, as well as the plant, about
which these lovely creatures are represented. The nest, which measures
two inches and a quarter in height, and an inch and three quarters in
breadth, at the upper part, is composed externally of mosses, lichens,
and a few feathers, with slender fibrous roots interwoven, and lined
with fine cottony seed-down.
TRocHILUs RUFUS, Gmel. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 497.
TRocuixvus cotraris, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. i. p. 318.
Trocuitus (SELAsPHORUS) RUFUS, Swainson.
Cinnamon or Nootka Hummine Brrp, Richards. and Swains. Fauna Bor.-Amer.
vol. ii. p. 324.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLXXIX. Figs. 1, 2.
Bill long, straight, subulate, somewhat depressed at the base, acute ;
upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, the ridge narrow at the
re =
RUFF-NECKED HUMMING BIRD. 557
base, broad and convex toward the end, the sides convex, the edges
overlapping, the tip acuminate ; lower mandible with the angle very
long and extremely narrow, the dorsal line straight, the edges erect,
the tip acuminate. Nostrils basal, linear.
Head of ordinary size, oblong; neck short; body slender. Feet
very small; tarsus very short, feathered more than half-way down, toes
small; the lateral equal, the middle toe not much longer, the hind toe
a little shorter than the lateral, anterior toes united at the base ; claws
rather long, arched, compressed, laterally grooved, very acute.
Plumage soft and blended; feathers on the throat, fore part and
sides of the neck oblong-obovate, with the filaments towards the end
thickened and flattened, with metallic gloss, those on the sides of the
neck elongated and erectile. Wings rather short, extremely narrow,
faleate, pointed; the primaries rapidly graduated, the second being
longest, but only slightly longer than the first ; these two quills taper
to a point; the rest are broader, and gradually become less pointed ;
the secondaries are extremely short, and only five in number. ‘Tail
rather long, broad, graduated, the lateral feathers four and a half
twelfths of an inch shorter than the central; the latter are extremely
broad, measuring four and a half twelfths across, and the rest gradually
diminish to the lateral, which are very narrow ; all obtusely pointed.
Bill brownish-black ; toes brown, claws dusky. The general colour
of the upper parts is bright cinnamon or reddish-orange ; the head
bronzed green, the wings dusky, the coverts glossed with green, the
primaries with purplish ; each of the tail-feathers has a narrow longi-
tudinal lanceolate median streak toward the end. The loral space, a
narrow band over the eye, another beneath it, and the auriculars are
reddish-orange ; the scale-like feathers of the throat and sides of the
neck are splendent fire-red, purplish-red, yellowish-red, greenish-yel-
low or yellowish-green, according to the light in which they are viewed ;
behind them, on the lower part of the neck, is a broad band of reddish-
white ; the rest of the lower parts are like the upper, the abdomen in-
clining to white.
Length to end of tail 37% inches ; bill along the ridge #2, along the
edge of lower mandible # ; wing from flexure 1/74 ; tail 124 ; tarsus 74 ;
; ly 0g tee it % | 1
hind toe 74, its claw 34; middle toe 74, its claw 33.
Adult Female. Plate CCCLXXIX. Fig. 3.
558 RUFF-NECKED HUMMING BIRD.
The Female has the bill and feet coloured as in the male. The
upper parts are gold-green, the head inclining to brown; the wings as
in the male; the tail-feathers reddish-orange at the base, brownish-
black toward the end, the tip white. The lower parts are white,
tinged with rufous, of which colour, especially, are the sides; the throat
marked with roundish spots of metallic greenish-red.
Length to end of tail 374 inches; bill along the ridge #; wing
from flexure 1}2; tail 144.
The above descriptions are from two individuals shot by Dr
Townsend on the “Columbia River, 30th May 1835.” A “young
male, Columbia River, 29th May 1835,” resembles the female as above
described, differing only in having the metallic spots on the throat
larger. A “young female, Columbia River, June 10th 1835,” differs
from the adult only in wanting the metallic spots on the throat, which
is spotted with greenish-brown.
CLEOME HEPTAPHYLLA.
The beautiful plant represented in the plate belongs to Tetradyna-
mia Siliquosa of the Linnean arrangement, and to the genus Cleome,
characterized by having three nectariferous glandules at each corner
of the calyx, the lower excepted ; all the petals ascending; the ger-
men stipitate; the siliqua unilocular, two-valved. The species, C.
heptaphylla, is distinguished by its septenate leaves, of which the leaf-
lets are lanceolate, acuminate, and of a deep green colour. It grows
in South Carolina and Georgia.
ee A Se
TENGMALM’S OWL.
STRIx TENGMALMI, GMEL.
PLATE CCCLXXX. Mate anp Femate.
I procured a fine male of this species at Bancor, in Maine, on the
Penobscot River, in the beginning of September 1832; but am unac-
quainted with its habits, never having seen another individual alive.
Dr Townsenp informs me that he found it first on the Malade River
Mountains, where it was so tame and unsuspicious, that Mr Norra
was enabled to approach within a few feet of it. as it sat upon the
bushes. Dr Ricuarpson gives the following notice respecting it in
the Fauna Boreali- Americana :—‘* When it accidentally wanders abroad
in the day, it is so much dazzled by the light cf the sun as to become
stupid, and it may then be easily caught by the hand. Its ery in the
night is a single melancholy note, repeated at intervals of a minute or
two. Mr Horcnrns informs us that it builds a nest of grass half-way
up a pine tree, and lays two white eggs in the month of May. It feeds
on mice and beetles. I cannot state the extent of its range, but be-
lieve that it inhabits all the woody country from Great Slave Lake to
the United States. On the banks of the Saskatchewan it is so common
that its voice is heard almost every nizht by the traveller, wherever he
selects his bivouac.”
Srrrx Tenemarmt, Gmel. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 291.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. i. p. 65.
Strix Tenemaimi, TENGMaALm’s Ow1, Swains. and Richards. Fauna Bor.-Amer
vol. ii, p. 94.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLXXX. Fig. 1.
Bill short, very deep, strong ; upper mandible with its dorsal line
curved from the base, its ridge convex, as are the sides, the edges sharp
and incurved anteriorly, the tip very acute, and at its extremity nearly
perpendicular ; the cere short, and bare on its upper part; the lower
mandible has the angle broad and short, the dorsal line slightly convex,
560 TENGMALM’S OWL.
the edges inflected, towards the end incurved, with a notch on each
side close to the abruptly-rounded tip. Nostrils broadly elliptical,
oblique, in the fore part of the cere, which bulges considerably behind
them.
The head is extremely large, roundish, when viewed from above
somewhat triangular ; the eyes large. The conch of the ear very large,
of an elliptical form, extending from the base of the lower jaw to near
the top of the head, being an inch and a quarter in length, with an an-
terior semicircular operculum stretching along its whole length, and an
elevated margin behind. The neck is very short and thin; the body
very slender ; but both appear very full on account of the vast mass of
plumage. The feet are rather short, and strong; the tarsi and toes
covered with very soft downy feathers, the extremities of the latter with
two scutella. The claws are slender, tapering to a fine point, com-
pressed, and curved.
The facial disk is complete, as is the ruff. The plumage is full,
very soft, and blended ; the feathers broadly oblong and rounded. The
wings are rather long, very broad, much rounded; the third primary
longest, the fourth almost equal, the second four-twelfths of an inch
shorter, the first equal to the seventh; the barbs of the outer web of
the first, of half the second, and the terminal part of the third, free and
recurved. Tail of moderate length, arched, slightly rounded, of twelve
broad, rounded feathers.
Bill greyish-brown, yellowish-white at the end; claws yellowish-
brown, their tips dusky. The general colour of the upper parts is grey-
ish-brown tinged with olive. The feathers of the head have an ellip-
tical central white spot ; those of the neck are similarly marked with
larger white spots, of which some are disposed so as to form a semicir-
cular band ; the scapulars have two or four large round spots near the
end, and some of the dorsal feathers and wing-coverts have single spots
on the outer web. All the quills have marginal white spots on both
webs, arranged in transverse series, there being six on the outer web
of the third quill. On the tail are five series of transversely elongated
narrow white spots. The disk is yellowish- white, anteriorly black ; the
ruff yellowish-white, mottled with dusky. The throat is brown, the
chin white. The general colour of the lower parts is yellowish-white,
longitudinally streaked with brown, some of the feathers of the sides
TENGMALM’S OWL. 561
have two white spots near the end; the tarsal and digital feathers grey-
ish-yellow, with faint transverse bars of brown.
Length to end of tail 11 inches ; wing from flexure 6}; bill along
the ridge 1; tarsus 1}; hind toe 7, its claw 7; middle toe 7%, its
claw 35.
Adult Female. Plate CCCLXXX. Fig. 2.
The Female resembles the male, but is considerably larger.
VOL. IV. Nn
( 562)
SNOW GOOSE.
ANSER HYPERBOREUS, Bonap.
PLATE CCCLXXXI. Aputtr Mare anp Youne FEMALE.
Tue geographical range of the Snow Goose is very extensive.
It has been observed in numerous flocks, travelling northward, by the
members of the recent overland expeditions. On the other hand, I
have found it in the Texas, and it is very abundant on the Columbia
River, together with Hutchins’s Goose. In the latter part of autumn,
and during winter, I have met with it in every part of the United States
that I have visited.
While residing at Henderson on the Ohio, I never failed to watch
the arrival of this and other species in the ponds of the neighbourhood,
and generally found the young Snow Geese to make their appearance in
the beginning of October, and the adult or white birds about a fortnight
later. In like manner, when migrating northward, although the young
and the adult birds set out at the same time, they travel in separate
flocks, and, according to Captain Sir Grorcr Bacx, continue to do so
even when proceeding to the higher northern latitudes of our continent.
It is not less curious that, during the whole of the winter, these Geese
remain equally divided, even if found in the same localities ; and
although young and old are often seen to repose on the same sand-bar,
the flocks keep at as great a distance as possible.
The Snow Goose in the grey state of its plumage is very abundant
in winter, about the mouths of the Mississippi, as well as on all the
muddy and grassy shores of the bays and inlets of the Gulf of Mexico,
as far as the Texas, and probably still farther to the south-west. Du-
ring the rainy season, it betakes itself to the large prairies of Attacapas
and Oppellousas, and there young and adult procure their food together,
along with several species of Ducks, Herons, and Cranes, feeding, like
the latter, on the roots of plants, and nibbling the grasses sideways, in
the manner of the Common Tame Goose. In Louisiana I have not
unfrequently seen the adult birds feeding in wheat fields, when they
_pluck up the plants entire.
When the young Snow Geese first arrive in Kentucky, about Hen-
SNOW GOOSE. 563
derson for instance, they are unsuspicious, and therefore easily procured.
In a half-dry half-wet pond, running across a large tract of land, on the
other side of the river, in the State of Indiana, and which was once my
property, I was in the habit of shooting six or seven of a-day. This,
however, rendered the rest so wild, that the cunning of any ‘ Red Skin”
might have been exercised without success upon them ; and I was sorry
to find that they had the power of communicating their sense of danger
to the other flocks which arrived. On varying my operations however,
and persevering for some time, I found that even the wildest of them
now and then suffered ; for having taken it into my head to catch them
in large traps, I tried this method, and several were procured before
the rest had learned to seize the tempting bait in a judicious manner.
The Snow Goose affords good eating when young and fat; but the
old Ganders are tough and stringy. Those that are procured along
the sea-shores, as they feed on shell-fish, fry and marine plants, have
arank taste, which, however suited to the palate of the epicure, I never
could relish.
The flight of this species is strong and steady, and its migrations
over the United States are performed at a considerable elevation, by
regular flappings of the wings, and a disposition into lines similar to
that of other Geese. It walks well, and with rather elevated steps;
but on land its appearance is not so graceful as that of our common
Canada Goose. Whilst with us they are much more silent than any
other of our species, rarely emitting any cries unless when pursued on
being wounded. They swim buoyantly, and, when pressed, with speed.
When attacked by the White-headed Eagle, or any other rapacious
bird, they dive well for a short space. At the least appearance of
danger, when they are on land, they at once come close together, shake
their heads and necks, move off in a contrary direction, very soon take
to wing, and fly to a considerable distance, but often return after a
time.
I am unable to inform you at what age the Snow Goose attains its
pure white plumage, as I have found that a judgment formed from in-
dividuals kept in confinement is not to be depended upon. In one in-
stance at least, a friend of mine who had kept a bird of this species
four years, wrote to me that he was despairing of ever seeing it become
pure white. Two years after, he sent me much the same message :
564 SNOW GOOSE.
but, at the commencement of next spring, the Goose was a Snow
Goose, and the change had taken place in less than a month.
Dr Ricuarvson informs us that this species ‘ breeds in the bar-
ren grounds of Arctic America, in great numbers. The eggs, of a
yellowish-white colour, and regularly ovate form, are a little larger
than those of the Eider Duck, their length being three inches, and
their greatest breadth two. The young fly in August, and by the
middle of September all have departed to the southward. ‘The Snow
Goose feeds on rushes, insects, and in autumn on berries, particularly
those of the Empetrum nigrum. When well fed it is a very excellent
bird, far superior to the Canada Goose in juiciness and flavour. It is
said that the young do not attain the full plumage before their fourth
year, and until that period they appear to keep in separate flocks. They
are numerous at Albany Fort in the southern part of Hudson’s Bay,
where the old birds are rarely seen; and, on the other hand, the old
birds in their migrations visit York Factory in great abundance, but
are seldom accompanied by the young. The Snow Geese make their
appearance in spring a few days later than the Canada Geese, and pass
in large flocks both through the interior and on the coast.”
The young birds of this species begin to acquire their whiteness
about the head and neck after the first year, but the upper parts re-
main of a dark bluish colour until the bird suddenly becomes white all
over ; at least, this is the case with such as are kept in captivity. Al-
though it is allied to the White-fronted or Laughing Goose, Anser al-
bifrons, 1 was surprised to find that Wizson had confounded the two
species together, and been of opinion that the Bean Goose also was the
same bird in an imperfect state of plumage. That excellent ornitho-
logist tells us that “ this species, cailed on the sea-coast, the Red Goose,
arrives in the river Delaware, from the north, early in November,
sometimes in considerable flocks, and is extremely noisy, their notes
being shriller and more squeaking than those of the Canada, or com-
mon Wild Goose. On their first arrival, they make but a short stay,
proceeding, as the depth of winter approaches, farther south ; but from
the middle of February, until the breaking up of the ice in March,
they are frequently numerous along both shores of the Delaware, about
and below Reedy Island, particularly near Old Duck Creek, in the
State of Delaware. They feed on roots of the reeds there, which they
tear up like hogs.”
ed
=
I i a!
A | ee
SNOW GOOSE. 565
This species is rare both in Massachusetts and South Carolina, al-
though it passes over both these States in considerable numbers, and
in the latter some have been known to alight among the common do-
mestic Geese, and to have remained several days with them. My friend
Dr Bacuman, of Charleston, South Carolina, kept a male Snow Goose
several years along with his tame Geese. He had received it from a
friend while it was in its grey plumage, and the following spring it be-
came white. It had been procured in the autumn, and proved to be a
male. In afew days it became very gentle, and for several years it
mated with a common Goose; but the eggs produced by the latter
never hatched. The Snow Goose was in the habit of daily frequent-
ing a mill-pond in the vicinity, and returning regularly at night along
with the rest; but in the beginning of each spring it occasioned much
trouble. It then continually raised its head and wings, and attempted
to fly off ; but finding this impossible, it seemed anxious to perform its
long journey on foot, and it was several times overtaken and brought
back, after it had proceeded more than a mile, having crossed fences and
plantations in a direct course northward. This propensity cost it its
life: it had proceeded as far as the banks of the Cooper River, when
it was shot by a person who supposed it to be a wild bird.
In the latter part of the autumn of 1832, whilst I was walking with
my wife, in the neighbourhood of Boston in Massachusetts, I observed
on the road a young Snow Goose in a beautiful state of plumage, and
after making some inquiries, found its owner, who was a gardener. He
would not part with it for any price offered. Some weeks after, a
friend called one morning, and told me that this gardener had sent his
Snow Goose to town, and that it would be sold by auction that day.
I desired my friend to attend the sale, which he did ; and before a few
hours had elapsed, the bird was in my possession, having been obtained
for 75 cents! We kept this Goose several months in a small yard at
the house where we boarded, along with the young of the Sand-hill
Crane, Grus Americana. It was fed on leaves and thin stalks of cab-
bage, bread, and other vegetable substances. When the spring ap-
proached, it exhibited great restlessness, seeming anxious to remove
northward, as was the case with Dr Bacuman’s bird. Although the
- gardener had kept it four years, it was not white, but had the lower
part of the neck and the greater portion of the back, of a dark bluish
tint, as represented in the plate. It died before we left Boston, to the
566 SNOW GOOSE.
great regret of my family, as I had anticipated the pleasure of present-
ing it alive to my honoured and noble friend the Earr. of Derby.
There can be little doubt that this species breeds in its grey plu-
mage, when it is generally known by the name of Blue-winged Goose,
as is the case with the young of Grus Americana, formerly considered
as a distinct species, and named Grus Canadensis.
ANAS HYPERBOREA, Grmel. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 504.—Lath. Ind. Orn. vol. ii. p. 837.
Snow Goosr, Anas HyPERBOREA, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p. 76, pl. 68, fig. 3,
Male, and p. 89, pl. 69, fig. 5, Young.
ANSER HYPERBOREUS, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 376.
ANSER HYPERBOREUS, Snow Goose, Richards. and Swains. Fauna Bor.-Amer.
vol. ii. p. 467.
Snow Goose, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 344.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLXXXI. Fig. 1.
Bill about the length of the head, much higher than broad at the
base, somewhat conical, compressed, rounded at the tip. Upper man-
dible with the dorsal line sloping, the ridge broad and flattened at
the base, narrowed towards the unguis, which is roundish and very
convex, the edges beset with compressed, hard teeth-like lamellz, their
outline ascending and slightly arched ; lower mandible ascending, nearly
straight, the angle long and of moderate length, the dorsal line beyond
it convex, the sides erect, and beset with lamelle similar to those of
the upper, but more numerous, the unguis obovate and very convex.
Nasal groove oblong, parallel to the ridge, filled by the soft membrane
of the bill; nostrils medial, lateral, longitudinal, narrow-elliptical, open,
pervious.
Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Neck rather long and
slender. Body full, slightly depressed. Feet rather short, strong,
placed about the centre of the body ; legs bare a little above the joint ;
tarsus rather short, strong, a little compressed, covered all round with
hexagonal, reticulated scales, which are smaller behind ; hind toe very
small, with a narrow membrane’; third toe longest, fourth considerably
shorter, but longer than the second; all the toes reticulated above
at the base, but with narrow transverse scutella towards the end; the
three anterior connected by a reticulated membrane, the outer having
a thick margin, the inner with the margin extended into a two-lobed
web. Claws small, arched, rather compressed, obtuse, that of the
middle toe bent obliquely outwards, and depressed, with a curved edge.
SNOW GOUOSE. 567
Plumage close, full, compact above, blended beneath, as well as on
the head and neck, on the latter of which it is disposed in longitudinal
bands, separated by narrow grooves; the feathers of the lateral parts
small and narrow, of the back ovato-oblong, and abruptly rounded, of
the lower parts curved and oblong. Wings rather long, broad; primaries
strong, incurved, broad, towards the end tapering, the second longest,
but only a quarter of an inch longer than the first, which scarcely ex-
ceeds the third; the first and second sinuate on the inner web, the se-
cond and third on the outer. Secondaries long, very broad, rounded,
the inner curved outwards. ‘Tail very short, rounded, of sixteen broad
rounded feathers.
Bill carmine-red, the unguis of both mandibles white, their edges
black. Iris light brown. Feet dull lake, claws brownish-black. The
general colour of the plumage is pure white ; the fore part of the head
tinged with yellowish-red; the primaries brownish-grey, towards the end
blackish-brown, their shafts white unless toward the end.
Length to end of tail 312 inches, to-end of claws 333, to end of
wings 313, to carpus 14; extent of wings 62; wing from flexure 194;
tail 63; bill along the ridge 23, along the edge of lower mandible 3; ;
bare part of tibiag; tarsus 32; hind toe 4, its claw #4; middle toe 3,
its claw 73. Weight 63 lb.
Young Female, in first winter. Plate CCCLXXXI._ Fig. 2.
The colours of the young bird, in its first plumage, are unknown ;
but in its second plumage, in autumn and winter, it presents the ap-
pearance exhibited in the plate. The bill is pale flesh-colour, its edges
black, and the unguis bluish-white ; the feet flesh-colour, the claws
dusky. The head and upper part of the neck are white, tinged above
with grey, the lower part of the neck all round, the fore part of the
back, the scapulars, the fore part of the breast, and the sides, blackish-
grey; paler beneath. The hind part of the back and the upper tail-
coverts, are ash-grey; as are the wing-coverts; but the secondary
coverts are greyish-black in the middle; and all the quills are of that
colour, the secondaries margined with greyish-white ; the tail-feathers
dusky-grey, broadly margined with greyish-white. The dark colour
of the fore part of the breast gradually fades into greyish-white, which
is the colour of the other inferior parts, excepting the axillar feathers,
and some of the lower wing-coverts, which are white.
568 SNOW GOOSE.
Length of an individual in this plumage, kept four years, to end of
tail 26 inches, to end of claws 25; extent of wings 55; bill along the
ridge 21, from frontal angle 24; tarsus 274 ; hind toe 3%, its claw +4 ;
middle toe 21, its claw 74. Weight 2 lb. 13 0z. The bird very poor.
In an adult male preserved in spirits, the roof of the mouth is
moderately concave, with five series of strong conical papille directed
backwards. The posterior aperture of the nares is linear, margined
with two series of extremely slender papillae. The marginal lamellz
of the upper mandible are 25, of the lower about 45. The tongue is
2 inches 5 twelfths long, nearly cylindrical, with strong pointed papille
at the base, and on each side a series of flattened, sharp lamelle, di-
rected backwards, together with very numerous bristle-like filaments.
It is fleshy, has a soft prominent pad at the base above, and towards
the end has a median groove, the point rounded, thin, and horny. The
cesophagus, which is 17 inches long, has a diameter of 9 twelfths at the
upper part, and at the lower part of the neck is dilated to 1 inch. The
proventricular glands are cylindrical, simple, and arranged in a belt
nearly 1 inch in breadth. ‘The other parts were removed.
The reddish tint on the head affords no indication of the age of the
bird, some individuals of all ages having that part pure white, while
others have it rusty. The same remark applies to our two Swans.
oo a oo
eae ee
eR
.
( 569 )
SHARP-TAILED GROUS.
TETRAO PHASIANELLUS, LINN.
PLATE CCCLXXXII. Mate anp FEMALE.
Tuis is another species of our birds with the habits of which I am
entirely unacquainted. Dr Ricuarpson’s account of it is as follows :—
“« The northern limits of the range of the Sharp-tailed Grous is Great
Slave Lake, in the sixty-first parallel ; and its most southern recorded
station is in latitude 41°, on the Missouri. It abounds on the outskirts
of the Saskatchewan plains, and is found throughout the woody dis-
tricts of the Fur Countries, haunting open glades or low thickets on the
borders of lakes, particularly in the neighbourhood of the trading paths,
where the forests have been partially cleared. In winter it perches
generally on trees, in summer is much on the ground ; in both seasons
assembling in coveys of from ten to sixteen. Early in spring, a family
of these birds select a level spot, whereon they meet every morning,
and run round in a circle of fifteen or twenty feet in diameter, so that
the grass is worn quite bare. When any one approaches the circle,
the birds squat close to the ground, but in a short time stretch out their
necks to survey the intruder ; and, if they are not scared by a nearer
advance, soon resume their circular course, some running to the right,
others to the left, meeting and crossing each other. These “ Partridge
dances” last for a month or more, or until the hens begin to hatch.
When the Sharp-tailed Grous are put up, they rise with the usual whir-
ring noise, and alight again at the distance of a few hundred yards,
either on the ground, or on the upper branches of a tree. Before the
cock quits his perch, he utters repeatedly the ery of cuck, cuck, cuck.
In winter they roost in the snow like the Willow Grous, and they can
make their way through the loose wreaths with ease. They feed on
the buds and sprouts of the Betula glandulosa, of various willows, and
of the aspen and larch ; and in autumn on berries. Mr Hurcuins says
that the hen lays thirteen white eggs with coloured spots early in June ;
the nest being placed on the ground and formed of grass, lined with
feathers.”
Dr TowNsEND informs me that while crossing the north branch of
570 SHARP-TAILED GROUS.
the Platte (Lorimie’s Fork), he found this species breeding, and that
as an article of food it proved to be a very well-flavoured and plump
bird, considerably superior to any of the other larger species that oc-
cur in the United States. j
Terrao PuastanEeLins, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 273.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ti.
p. 635.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 127.
Tretrrao PHastaNELLUS, SHARP-TAILED Grous, Ch. Bonaparte, Amer. Ornith.
vol. iil. p. 37, pl. 19.
Terrao (cENTROCERCUS) PHAs1ANELLUS, Swains. Sharp-tailed Grous, Richards. and
Swains. Fauna Bor.-Amer. vol. ii. p. 361.
SHaArP-TAILED Grovus, Nuttall, Manual, vol. i. p. 669.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLXXXII. Fig. 1.
Bill short, strong, as broad as high ; upper mandible with the dor-
sal line arcuato-declinate, the ridge narrow at the base on account of
the great extent of the nasal sinus, which is feathered, the sides con-
vex toward the end, the edges overlapping and thin, the tip declinate
and blunt, but thin-edged ; lower mandible with the angle of moderate
length and width, the dorsal line ascending and convex, the edges sharp
and inclinate, the tip obtuse. .
Head rather small, oblong; neck of moderate length; body full.
Feet rather short, stout ; tarsus roundish, feathered, bare and reticu-
lated behind. Toes of moderate size, with numerous scutella above,
but covered over at the base by the hair-like feathers which grow from
the sides and the intervening basal membranes, laterally pectinate with
long slender projecting flattened scales ; first toe small, second a little
longer than fourth, third much longer. Claws slender, arched, mode-
rately compressed, rather obtuse ; that of the third toe with the inner
edge dilated.
Plumage dense, soft, rather compact, the feathers in general broadly
ovate ; those on the head and upper part of the neck short, but some on
the upper and hind part of the former elongated and forming a slight crest.
There is a papillate coloured membrane over the eye, as in the other
species ; and on each side of the neck is a large bare space, concealed
by the plumage, which I have no doubt is inflated, as in Tetrao Cupido
and 7. Urophasianus, during the love season. Wings rather short,
concave, much rounded ; the primaries stiff and very narrow, so as to
leave large intervals when the wing is extended ; the third quill longest,
;
.
‘
4
SHARP-TAILED GROUS. 571
the fourth next, the second shorter than the fifth, the sixth longer than
the first. Tail short, much graduated, of sixteen feathers, of which the
lateral are three inches shorter than the central; all the feathers are
more or less concave, excepting the two middle worn along the inner
edge, obliquely and abruptly terminated, the two middle projecting
an inch beyond the next.
Bill dusky above, brown beneath ; iris light hazel; superciliary
membrane vermilion ; toes brownish-grey, claws brownish-black. ‘The
upper parts are variegated with light red or brownish-orange, brown-
ish-black and white ; the black occupying the central part of the fea-
thers, the light red forming angular processes from the margin, gene-
rally dotted with black, and a lighter bar near the end; the white being
in terminal, triangular, or guttiform spots on the scapulars and wing-
coverts. The alula, primary coverts, secondary coverts, and quills are
greyish-brown, the coverts spotted and tipped with white ; the prima-
ries with white spots on the outer web, the inner tipped with white,
as are all the secondaries, of which the outer have two bars of white
spots, and the inner are coloured like the back. The tail is white, at
the base variegated, and the two middle feathers like the back. Loral
space, and a line behind the eye, white; a dusky streak beneath the
eye, succeeded by a light coloured one. ‘The throat is reddish-white,
with some dusky spots ; the fore part and sides of the neck barred with
dusky and reddish-white ; on the lower part of the neck and fore
part of the breast, the dusky bars become first curved, and then arrow-
shaped, and so continue narrowing on the hind part of the breast, and
part of the sides, of which the upper portion is barred ; the abdomen,
lower tail-coverts, axillar feathers, and most of the lower wing-coverts,
white. The hair-like feathers of the tarsi are light brownish-grey,
faintly barred with greyish-white.
Length to end of tail 174 inches, to end of wings 14, to end of claws
17; extent of wings 23; wing from flexure 8%, tail 43; bill along the
ridge 1%, along the edge of lower mandible 1/4; tarsus 175; hind toe
+s, its claw 3%; ; middle toe 14, its claw 75.
Adult Female. Plate CCCLX XXII. Fig. 2.
The Female is considerably smaller, but is coloured like the male,
the tints being duller.
( 572 )
LONG-EARED OWL.
STRIX OTUs, LINN.
PLATE COCLXXXiiis - Mare.
Tuis Owl is much more abundant in our Middle and Eastern At-
lantic Districts than in the Southern or Western parts. My friend Dr
Bacuman has never observed it in South Carolina; nor have I met
with it in Louisiana, or any where on the Mississippi below the junc-
tion of the Ohio. Itis not very rare in the upper parts of Indiana, Ilh-
nois, Ohio, and Kentucky, wherever the country is well wooded. In the
Barrens of Kentucky its predilection for woods is rendered apparent by
its not being found elsewhere than in the “ Groves;” and it would seem
that it very rarely extends its search for food beyond the skirts of those
delightful retreats. In Pennsylvania, and elsewhere to the eastward, I
have found it most numerous on or near the banks of our numerous
clear mountain streams, where, during the day, it is not uncommon to
see it perched on the top of a low bush or fir. At such times it stands
with the body erect, but the tarsi bent and resting on a branch, as is
the manner of almost all our Owls. The head then seems the largest
part, the body being much more slender than it is usually represented.
Now and then it raises itself and stands with its legs and neck ex-
tended, as if the better to mark the approach of an intruder. Its eyes,
which were closed when it was first observed, are opened on the least
noise, and it seems to squint at you in a most grotesque manner, al-
though it is not difficult to approach very near it. It rarely on such
occasions takes to wing, but throws itself into the thicket, and makes
off on foot by means of pretty long leaps.
I have never seen this bird moving on wing to a sufficient distance
to enable me to speak with certainty of its mode of flight, especially as
it is one of our most nocturnal species, seldom beginning to seek for
prey before it is quite dusky. In the morning I have never seen one
abroad at however early an hour I have been on the look-out.
The Long-eared Owl is careless as to the situation in which its
young are to be reared, and generally accommodates itself with an
abandoned nest of some other bird that proves of sufficient size, whe-
LONG-EARED OWL. 573
ther it be high or low, in the fissure of a rock or on the ground. Some-
times however it makes a nest itself, and this I found to be the case
in one instance near the Juniatta River in Pennsylvania, where it was
composed of green twigs with the leaflets adhering, and lined with
fresh grass and sheep wool, but without feathers. The eggs are usual-
ly four, nearly equally rounded at both ends, thin-shelled, smooth, when
newly deposited pure white, with a slight blush, which is no longer
observable when they have been for some time sitten upon, their ave-
rage length an inch and a half, their greatest breadth an inch and
three-sixteenths. I found eggs of this bird on the 15th of April, and
again on the 25th of June, which induces me to believe that it rears
two broods in the season in the State of Pennsylvania, as it probably
does also to the westward. Whitson relates the following instance of
its indifference as to the place selected for its eggs. ‘ About six or
seven miles below Philadelphia, and not far from the Delaware, is a
low swamp, thickly covered with trees, and inundated during great
part of the year. This place is the resort of great numbers of the
Qua-bird or Night Raven (Ardea Nycticorar), where they build in
large companies. On the 25th of April, while wading among the dark
recesses of this place, observing the habits of these birds, I discovered
a Long-eared Owl, which had taken possession of one of their nests,
and was sitting x on mounting to the nest, I found it contained four
eggs, and breaking one of these, the young appeared almost ready to
leave the shell. There were numbers of the Qua-birds’ nests on the
adjoining trees all around, and one of them actually on the same tree.”
When encamped in the woods, I have frequently heard the notes
of this bird at night. Its ery is prolonged and plaintive, though con-
sisting of not more than two or three notes repeated at intervals.
Dr Ricuarpson states that it has been found “ as far north as Lat.
60°, and probably exists as high as the forests extend. It is plentiful in
the woods skirting the p!ains of the Saskatchewan, frequents the coast of
“Hudson’s Bay only in the summer, and retires into the interior in the
winter. It resides all the year in the United States, and perhaps is
not a rare bird in any part of North America; but as it comes seldom
abroad in the day, fewer specimens are obtained of it than of the other
Owls. It preys chiefly on quadrupeds of the genus Arvicola, and in
summer destroys many beetles. It lays three or four roundish white
eggs, sometimes on the ground, at other times in the deserted nests of
574 LONG-EARED OWL.
other birds in low bushes. Mr Hurcnins says it lays in April, and
that the young fly in May; and Mr Drummonp found a nest on the
ground in the same neighbourhood, containing three eggs, on the 5th
of July, and killed both the birds. On comparing the above-mention-
ed eggs with those of the English Long-eared Owl, the American ones
proved to be smaller, measuring only an inch and a half in length, and
1.27 inches in breadth ; while the English ones measured 1.8 inch im
length, and 1} in breadth. ‘The form and colour were the same in
both.”
The food of this Owl consists of rats, mice, and other small qua-
drupeds, as well as birds of various species; its stomach having been
found by me crammed with feathers and other remains of the latter.
There is a marked difference between the sexes. The males are
not only smaller than the females, but darker; and this has tempted
me to consider the Strix Mexicanus of Mr Swainson and the Prinee of
Musienano as merely a large female of our Long-eared Owl.
Srrix Orus, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 132.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. i. p. 53.—Ch.
Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 37.
Lone-EARED Ow t, Strix Orus, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vi. p. 52, pl. 50, fig. 1.
Srrix Orus, Lone-EarED Owt, Richards. and Swains. Fauna Bor.-Amer. vol. ii.
p- 72.
Lone-EARED Ow 1, Nuttall, Manual, vol. i. p. 130.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLX XXIII.
Bill short, stout ; upper mandible with its dorsal line slightly eurved
from the base, towards the end decurved, the ridge broad at the base,
narrowed anteriorly, convex in its whole extent, the sides sloping at
the base, convex towards the tip, the edges soft and obtuse as far as the
nostrils, then sharp and barred to the end, below the nostrils inflected,
afterwards direct, the tip acute, and at its extremity descending ob-
liquely ; the cere of moderate length, feathered on the sides ; the lower
mandible straight, its angle elongated, wide, and rounded, the dorsal
line very short and slightly convex, the back and sides convex, the
edges toward the end sharp and inflected, their outline decurved and
with a slight sinus on each side, the tip obliquely truncate. Nostrils
medial, lateral, large, oblique, oblong, in the fore edge of the cere.
LONG-BARED OWL. 575
with a tough soft membrane above, and having internally a ridge curved
backwards from the inner edge.
Head very large, flattened anteriorly ; neck short ; body very slen-
der, but seeming large on account of the great mass of plumage. Feet
of moderate length, and stout ; tarsi feathered, short ; toes also short,
and feathered; the third and fourth connected at the base by a short
web; the first shortest, and admitting of much lateral motion, the third
longest, the second and fourth nearly equal. On all the toes are two
terminal seutella. Claws long, curved in the fourth of a circle, taper-
ing, extremely acute, rounded above, very narrow beneath, the first
and second rounded, the rest flat; that of the fourth toe smallest, of
the first slightly larger, those of the other toes much larger and nearly
equal.
Plumage extremely soft and downy. The facial disks complete, and
composed of eircular series of weak, slender, slightly recurved feathers,
having remote barbs; surrounding which is a ruff formed of several
rows of oblong incurved feathers, having-the barbs close. The feathers
of the forehead are apparent between the ruffs, although that part is
very narrow; the bill is partially concealed by the plumage; the
feathers are oblong or ovate, and rounded, extremely soft, and blended,
those on the tarsi and toes, small, and somewhat silky. Wings long
and broad ; primaries very broad, rounded, the outer a little incurved
towards the end, the first sinuate on the inner web near the end, the
second very slightly so; the second longest, the third a little shorter,
the fourth a little longer than the first ; the outer in its whole length, the
second towards the end, and the first alular feather, with the barbs dis-
united and recurved at the ends. ‘Tail rather short, slightly convex,
a little rounded, of twelve broad rounded feathers, having feeble shafts.
Bill brownish-black, cere flesh-coloured ; iris orange ; claws bluish-
grey, dusky towards the end. The colouring of the plumage is very
intricate, but may be deseribed as buff, mottled and spotted with brown
and greyish-white. The disks are whitish anteriorly, with the tips
black, posteriorly reddish-white ; the ruff mottled with red and black ;
the upper part of the head, minutely mottled with whitish, brownish-
black, and light red; the tufts light reddish toward the base, brown-
ish-black in the central part toward the end, the inner edge white, dot-
ted with dark-brown. The upper parts are buff, variegated with brown
and. whitish-grey, minutely mottled or undulatingly barred. The first
576 LONG-EARED OWL.
row of coverts tipped with white on the outer web; the edge of the
wing and the outer margin of the first alular feather also white ; the
alula and primary coverts greyish-brown barred with darker ; the quills
and scapulars pale grey, barred with dark brown, and having more or
less buff towards the base of the outer web, that colour being con-
spicuous on the six outer primaries. The tail is barred and mottled in
the same manner, the bars very narrow, ten on the middle and eight
on the outer feathers. The lower parts are in general similar to the
upper, but with more buff, and fewer spots, each feather with a long
dark brown streak and several irregular transverse bars. The legs
and toes are pure buff. The lower surface of the wing is yellowish-
white, a few of the coverts with a brown spot; the quills banded with
brown towards the end. The lower tail-coverts have a narrow central
brown line. ;
Length to end of tail 143 inches, to end of claws 143, to end of
wings 15; extent of wings 38; wing from flexure 112; tail 6; bill
along the ridge 1,5; tarsus 174 ; hind toe 44, its claw #3 second toe
1, its claw 7%; third toe 14%, its claw }$; fourth toe 7, its claw 7%.
Weight 8 oz.
The Female is considerably larger, and of a lighter colour than the
male, but otherwise similar.
A male sent in spirits from Boston by Dr Brewer :—The roof of
the mouth is flat, with two longitudinal ridges, the sides ascending ;
the posterior aperture of the nares oblong, 4 twelfths long, with an
anterior fissure. The tongue is 7} twelfths long, deeply emarginate
and papillate at the base, flattish above, with a faint median groove,
the sides parallel, the tip narrowed and emarginate. The mouth is
very wide, measuring 1 inch and 13 twelfth. ‘The cesophagus is 54
inches long, of nearly uniform diameter throughout, as in all other Owls,
its breadth being 1 inch. The proventricular glandules form a belt
9 twelfths in diameter. The stomach is large, round, 1 inch 9
twelfths long, 1 inch 7 twelfths broad, its walls thin, its muscular coat
composed of rather coarse fasciculi, but without distinction into lateral
muscles, the tendinous spaces circular, and about 8 twelfths in diame-
ter ; its epithelium soft and rugous. The duodenum is 3 twelfths in
diameter, and curves at the distance of 3 inches from the pylorus.
LONG-EARED OWL. 577
The intestine is 23 inches long, its smallest diameter only 1 twelfth.
The ceca, Fig. 2, are in this individual unequal, as they very frequently
are in Owls; the largest being 2 inches 10 twelfths in length, their
greatest diameter 54 twelfths, their distance from the anus 3 inches
and a quarter. The cloaca is of an enormous size, ovate, 2 inches
long, 1 inch 2 twelfths broad. It contains a calculous concretion 9
twelfths long, 7 twelfths broad, and 3 twelfths thick.
The trachea, which is 3 inches long, is 3} twelfths in breadth at
the upper part, 24 twelfths in the middle, and 3 twelfths at its lower
extremity ; its rings about 75 in number, cartilaginous, and consider-
ably flattened. The lateral muscles are strong, the sterno-tracheal
moderate, and there is a single pair of very slender inferior laryngeal
muscles. Five of the lower rings are elongated, arched, and slit. The
bronchi are rather long, of 12 half rings.
The conch of the ear, Fig. 1, is of enormous size, extending from the
level of the forehead over the eye to the chin, in a semilunar form, of
which the posterior curve is 3 inches, and the distance between the two
extremities in a direct line 1 inch and a half. There is an anterior se-
micircular flap in its whole length, 5 twelfths in breadth at the middle.
The aperture or meatus externus is of a rhomboidal form 44 twelfths
in length, 33 twelfths broad, bounded ‘anteriorly by the eye, posteriorly
by a ligament extended along the edge of the occipital bone, above by
a ligament stretching to the operculum, below the articulation of the
lower jaw. Above the meatus is a deep depression covered with skin,
above which another ligament stretches across to the operculum.
In another specimen, a female, the cesophagus is 54 inches long,
its average diameter 11 twelfths. The intestine is 21 inches long,
from 23 twelfths to 1 twelfth in diameter ; the cceca are 2} inches in
length ; their greatest diameter 4 twelfths; the cloaca still larger than
that of the other individuals, being 2 inches long.
VOL. LV. oo
LONG-EARED OWL.
578
Fig.1.
( 579 )
BLACK-THROATED BUNTING.
EMBERIZA AMERICANA, GMEL.
PLATE CCCLXXXIV. Mate anv FEmate.
AttHovucH this handsome Bunting may be said to be abundant
in our middle Atlantic districts, it is there much less so than in the
vast prairies of the south-west; and I consider those of the Texas to
afford the localities best adapted to its habits. There, as my compa-
nions and I were returning from the capital of the infant republic,
Houston, we were surprised to see how very numerous the Black-
throated Buntings were in every open piece of ground covered by
tufts of tall grass. They are also abundant on the open lands of
Missouri and Illinois ; but rarer in Ohio, and scarce in Kentucky.
They are rarely observed to pass over South Carolina, but in Penn-
sylvania they are plentiful, and there breed in every field covered with
grass or grain. I have also met with them in Massachusetts, but
beyond this they are not seen to the eastward.
At the approach of the period of their removal from our Middle
States southward, the Black-throated Buntings congregate in particu-
lar localities, as if to consult regarding their future proceedings. At
this season I once went from Philadelphia in search of them, accom-
panied by my friend Epwarp Harris, and my son Jonn Woopuovuse.
Having reached Salem in New Jersey, we rambled some time in the
neighbourhood, and found an elevated piece of ground, closely covered
with high rank weeds, among which a great number of these birds
had assembled. It being late in July, the males were moulting, or
had already acquired their new plumage ; the young, although full
grown, had not yet assumed their second clothing, in which the sexes
- are distinguished ; and the females were generally ragged. The birds
were at first quite gentle, but after we had fired a few times they all
flew off to a considerable distance, from which, however, they soon
returned. On our continuing to harass them, however, they rose high
in the air, and flew out of our sight in a southward direction. ‘They
had then undoubtedly begun migrating. These birds are very partial
to particular localities. Sandy soil, unmixed with clay or earth, is not
580 BLACK-THROATED BUNTING.
favourable to them ; and it is probably for this reason that none are
found in any purely sandy part of the State of New Jersey.
The Black-throated Buntings reach our Middle States about the
10th or 15th of May, and at once betake themselves to the dry meadow
lands and grain fields, where they soon after begin to breed. The
males are often observed perched on the top branches of the shade
trees found in those places, and engaged in delighting their mates with
their simple ditty, which, according to my learned friend Mr Notratt,
resembles “tic “tic-tshé tshé tshé tshe, and tship tship, tsché tsché tsché tschip.
To my ears the notes of our Black-throated Bunting so much resemble
those of the Corn Bunting of Europe, Hmberiza Milharia, that I have
often been reminded of the one by hearing the song of the other. These
unmusical notes are almost continuously uttered from sunrise to sun-
set, and all this while the female is snugly seated on her eggs, and lis-
tening to her beloved. He often visits her, alighting within a few.
yards of where she is concealed, and then cautiously proceeding toward
the spot on foot, through the grass. When the bird leaves the nest, it
creeps along to’some distance, and then flies off low over the ground.
About the first of June the nest is formed. It is constructed of
fine grass neatly woven in a circular form, and is partly imbedded
in the soil, and sheltered or concealed by a tuft of herbage. The
eggs, usually five, are six and a half eighths in length, four and three-
fourths in breadth, of a sullied white, generally sprinkled with faint
touches of different tints of umber. In Pennsylvania, it seldom rears
more than one brood in the season ; but in the Texas, I have reason to
believe that it raises two. .
The flight of this bird, when it has settled in a place, is usually of
short extent. The male, while passing to and fro from the nest, exhi-
bits a quivering motion of the wings. ‘The female seldom shews this,
unless when her property is in danger from intruders. While travel-
ling, which they always do by day, they pass high over the trees, in
flocks of thirty or forty, which suddenly alight at the approach of night,
and throw themselves into the most thickly-leaved trees, where they
repose until dawn I have surprised them in such situations both in
Kentucky and in Louisiana, and on shooting into the place to which
they had betaken themselves, although I could not see them, have pro-
cured several at one discharge ; which proved in one instance to be
males, and in the other females, thus shewing that the sexes travel se
BLACK-THROATED BUNTING. 581
parately. On such occasions, the survivors would sally forth, make a
few rapid evolutions, and alight on the same tree.
In spring, I have found them, on two or three occasions, near Nat-
chez, in the State of Mississippi, in meadows, in company with Bob-o-
links, Emberiza Oryzivora. On the ground they leap or hop, but never
walk. Their flesh is good, especially that of the young birds.
Emseriza Americana, Gnel. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 872.—LZath. Ind. Ornith. vol. 1.
p. 411.
Briacx-THROATED Buntine, Empertza Americana, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. i.
p. 54, pl. 3, fig. 2, male.
Frineitta Americana, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 107.
Brack-THRoaTED Buntine, Nuttall, Manual, vol. i. p. 461.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLXXXIV. Fig. 1.
Bill of moderate length, stout, conical, compressed toward the end ;
upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly declinate and convex, the
ridge indistinct, the sides convex, the edges a little inflected, ascend-
ing to beneath the nostrils, then descending, with a slight notch close
to the narrow tip: lower mandible with the angle short and wide, the
dorsal line ascending and very slightly convex, the ridge broad at the
base, the sides convex, the edges ascending at the base, then straight
and involute to the end, the tip narrow. Nostrils basal, roundish in
the fore part of the very short and wide nasal depression.
Head large, ovate; neck very short; body rather stout. Feet of
moderate length, rather strong ; tarsus of ordinary length, compressed,
with seven anterior scutella, thin-edged behind; toes rather large ; the
hind one strong and longer than the lateral, which are equal, the third
much longer, and united to the fourth at the base. Claws long, arched,
much compressed, acute.
Plumage soft and blended, but firm. Wings of moderate length,
acute ; the first quill longest, the second slightly shorter, the other pri-
maries graduated; secondaries slightly emarginate. ‘Tail of moderate
length, emarginate, of twelve rather narrow, obliquely pointed feathers.
Bill light‘ blue ; iris hazel; feet light brownish-red, claws of the
same colour. The upper part of the head, the cheeks and the hind
neck are ash-grey, the feathers on the head with a central blackish
streak ; loral space, a band over the eye, and a shorter one beneath it,
582 BLACK-THROATED BUNTING.
bright yellow. The fore part of the back greyish-brown, with longitu-
dinal streaks of brownish-black ; the hind parts brownish-grey. The
smaller wing-coverts are bright chestnut, the quills and large coverts
blackish-brown, the primaries narrowly, the secondaries and their co-
verts broadly edged with pale greyish-brown. The tail is dark grey-
ish-brown, the feathers faintly margined with paler. The fore neck is
light yellow, the throat at first white, then with a large patch of black ;
the breast, sides, abdomen, legs and lower tail-coverts white, the breast
tinged with yellow, the sides with grey ; the lower wing-coverts yellow.
Length to end of tail 63 inches, to end of wings 5, to end of claws
61; extent of wings 103; wing from flexure 33; tail 23 ; bill along the
ridge 7, along the edge of lower mandible 3 ; tarsus 1; hind toe 44,
its claw ?4 ; middle toe 7%, its claw #.
Adult Female. Plate CCCLXXXIV. Fig. 2.
The Female has the upper parts coloured as in the male, but paler ;
the lower parts are also similar, but in place of the black patch on the
throat, there are only two dusky lines from the base of the lower man-
dible, and some faint streaks on the lower part of the neck and the
sides.
Length to end of tail 6, to end of wings 4, to end of claws 52; ex-
tent of wings 9; wing from flexure 3 ; tail 2;% ; bill along the ridge % ;
tarsus '$ ; hind toe #4, its claw 7, ; middle toe 7%, its claw 34.
Tn an adult male, the roof of the mouth has anteriorly three longi-
tudinal ridges, and two lateral grooves ; the palate descends obliquely,
and at its anterior part has a distinct prominence of a softish texture ;
from which there passes backwards and outwards, a large soft ridge on
each side of the nasal aperture ; which is linear and papillate. The
tongue is 53 twelfths long, narrow, deep, trigonal, deeply emarginate
and papillate at the base, soft for half its length, convex and hard to-
wards the end, which terminates with bristly points. The cesophagus,
a bcd, is 23 inches long, dilated along the greater part of the neck into
a kind of crop, 0, 5 twelfths in diameter, lying on the right sidealong with
the trachea. The proventriculus, cd, is not much enlarged. The stomach,
ef, is astrong gizzard, of a broad elliptical form, 7} twelfths in length,
64 twelfths in breadth. Its contents are small hard seeds, a few remains
of insects, and some particles of sand. The epithelium is very tough,
BLACK-THROATED BUNTING. 583
longitudinally rugous, and of a dark reddish-brown colour. The intes-
tine, fg h, is 84 inches long, its greatest diameter 2
twelfths. The rectum, 7 & /, is9 twelfths long ; the
coeca, j, extremely small, being 14 twelfth long and
4 twelfth in diameter.
The trachea, which is 1 inch 10 twelfths long,
is rather wide, flattened, of uniform diameter, mea-
IMI
HK
MH
iN
suring 13 inch across, the rings about 55, and ossi-
fied. The contractor muscles are of moderate
stength ; the sterno-tracheal slender ; and there are
four pairs of inferior laryngeal. The bronchi have
about 15 half rings.
In its habits, this bird closely resembles”the
Common or Corn Bunting of Europe, its flight and
notes being almost the same. Like it, our bird
alights on walls, fences, detached rocks, or eminen-
ces of any kind, where it is often seen even in the
immediate neighbourhood of our cities. Indeed, jI
have found it in full song perched on the trees that
ornament the squares of Washington city. In‘the
form of its bill it also agrees with the Buntings, although that organ si
proportionally longer and less attenuated toward the end. If, on the
principle of minute division, it is not admitted into the genus Emberiza,
it must at least occupy a place in its immediate proximity.
The plants represented are the Phalaris arundinacea and Antirrhi-
num Linaria, both common in many parts of the United States, as well
as in Europe ; the former growing in wet meadows and by the sides of
rivers, the latter in fields and waste places, a troublesome weed, very
difficult to be extirpated.
( 584)
BANK SWALLOW OR SAND MARTIN.
HiruNDoO RIPARIA, Linn.
PLATE CCCLXXXV. Mats, Femate, anp Youne.
Imactine, Reader, how delighted I was when, in East Florida, in
the winter of 1831, I found thousands of Bank Swallows gaily skim-
ming over the waters, and along the shores of the rivers and inlets. So
numerous indeed were they that I felt inclined to think that the greater
part of those which are in summer dispersed over the United States,
and the regions still farther north, must have congregated to form those
vast swarms. The first time I saw them was before sunrise, when I
stood by the side of Lieutenant Percy of our Navy, on the deck of the
United States’ schooner the Spark, then at anchor opposite St Augus-
tine. The weather though warm, was thick and drizzly, so that we
could not see to a great distance; but as probably some hundreds of
thousands passed close to the vessel, in long and rather close flocks, I
was well enabled to assure myself that the birds were of this species.
On my expressing my surprise and delight at beholding so vast a con-
course, Lieutenant Prercy assured me, that he had seen them on all
the streams which he had visited south of where we then were. The
weather cleared up in a few hours, the sun shone brightly, and the
little creatures were seen all around, dipping into the water to wash
themselves, gambolling close over its surface, and busily engaged in
procuring insects, which in that country are always abundant. In the
course of the same season I also observed a good number of our Green-
backed and Barn Swallows, but few compared with what is seen about
New Orleans.
We can thus account for the early appearance of the Bank Swallows
in our Middle Districts. That species always arrives there sooner
than the rest, sometimes preceding them by a fortnight, and keeping
equally in advance as far northward as its range extends. The Green-
backed Swallow, Hirundo bicolor, follows closely after it; then the Pur-
ple Martin, Hirundo purpurea ; after which are seen the Barn Swallow,
Hirundo rustica, and lastly, on our eastern Atlantic coasts, the American
Swift, Cypselus Americanus. It is probable that these species extend
BANK SWALLOW. 585
their autumnal migrations southward in a degree proportionate to the
lateness of their appearance in Spring. I have likewise observed the
arrival of the Bank Swallows on the waters of the Serpentine River and
those of the Regent’s Park, in London, to be in the same proportion
earlier than that of the other species which visit England in spring,
and have thought that, as with us, the first mentioned species retires to
a less distance in winter than the rest.
The Bank Swallow has been observed on both sides of North Ame-
rica, and in all intermediate places suited to its habits. This is easily
accounted for, when we reflect how easy it is for these birds to follow
our great water-courses to their very sources. Even the ponds and
lakes of our vast-forests are at times visited by them; but no person
seems to have been aware of the existence of two species of Bank Swal-
lows in our country, which, however, I shall presently shew to be the
case. ; "
Wherever, throughout the United States, sand-banks or artificial
excavations occur, there is found the Bank Swallow during the breed-
ing season, in greater or smaller numbers, according to the advantages
presented by the different localities, not only along the shores of our
rivers and lakes, but also on the coasts of the Atlantic, and not unfre-
quently in inland situations, at some distance from any water. High
banks, composed of softish sandy earth, on the shores of rivers, lakes,
or other waters, suit them best, and in such situations their colonies
are far more numerous than elsewhere. The banks of the Ohio, and
some parts of those of the Mississippi, called “ Bluffs,” have appeared
to me to be more resorted to by this species in our western and south-
ern districts, although I have met with considerable numbers in every
State of the Union.
In Louisiana this species begins to breed early in March, and ge-
nerally rears two, sometimes three broods in a season. In our Middle
Districts it commences about a month later, or about the period at which
it lays in Kentucky, and there produces two broods. In Newfoundland
and Labrador, it rarely begins to breed before the beginning of June,
and lays only once. Dr Ricwarpson states, that he saw “ thousands
of these Swallows near the mouth of the Mackenzie, in the sixty-eighth
parallel, on the 4th of July,” and from the state of the weather at that
period supposed that they had arrived there at least a fortnight prior
to that date, but no specimens were brought to England, and the de-
586 BANK SWALLOW.
seription given in the Fauna Boreali-Americana is a mere transcript of
that which in itself is quite imperfect. Indeed, there is not in any work
with which I am acquainted an account of the Sand Swallow, suffi-
ciently minute and accurate to characterize in an adequate manner
that very common species.
The sociability and gentleness of these birds, the lightness and vi-
gour with which they perform their various evolutions, the low and un-
obtrusive twittering of their voice, in short, all their actions and eco-
nomy, are delightful to contemplate. Their flight is exceedingly grace-
ful, light, yet firm, and capable of great continuance. They seem indeed
as if created for the purpose of spending their time on wing, for they alight
less often to rest when full grown than any other of our species, when
not sitting on their eggs, and are seen abroad searching for food later
in the dusk, retiring for the night as late, I think, as our Swift, Oypse-
lus Americanus. As they procure their food more commonly than the
other species along the margins or over the surface of pools, lakes, ri-
vers, or even the sea, their flight is generally performed at a small ele-
vation, which is the case with others only when the wind blows smartly,
or the atmosphere is damp and chill. The movements of their wings
are those common to the family of Swallows, which flap these members
less frequently than perhaps any other small land birds. The wings
act on the hinge formed by the carpal joint, opening and closing like
the blades of scissors. Their sailings, though frequent, are not exten-
sive, and their tail appears to be of great service to them, as you ob-
serve that on the least deviation from a straight course, it becomes
suddenly more or less closed or inclined upward, downward, or side-
ways; and when you see some hundreds of pairs about their breeding
places, passing, repassing, and crossing each other in various ways,
you almost wonder that they never come into collision with each other.
The slightest movement in any direction seems sufficient to enable
them to overtake and secure their prey ; and they less frequently than
any other species follow an insect upward to any great distance. Like
all other Swallows, they drink and bathe on wing.
Their migrations are performed by day, although perhaps conti-
nued by night, and their movements are more desultory and rather
slower than those of other Swallows. It is rare to observe them in
great flocks at that time, their associations not being apparently formed
until they reach the countries in which they spend the winter months.
BANK SWALLOW. 587
Their flight, when they are thus travelling, is continued rather low
over the land or the water; and as in America they retire to a less
distance southward than our other Swallows, they are not unfrequently
seen to linger behind the rest. In South Carolina, indeed, I have seen
some in November.
In summer and autumn they roost in the holes excavated for their
nests; but in winter, at least in the Floridas, they always repose at
night among the tall grass of the salt marshes, making choice of situa-
tions sheltered by the winds and not liable to be overflowed. At this
time they keep together in large bodies while searching for food. I
have several times accidentally crossed their roosting places, which I
at once recognised by the quantity of their dung attached to the blades,
and lying on the ground, and from which I infer that they rest clinging
to the plants.
At the first appearance of spring they leave their winter quarters
in pairs, or singly, or in very small flocks; but they follow each other
so closely in this manner as to form an almost continued line of march.
- Thad the pleasure of observing this to be the case with the Barn Swal-
low also, whilst I was proceeding toward the Texas, when that species
was advancing in a contrary direction.
Although small, the Sand Swallow is a rather hardy bird; for I
observed that the transient cold weather that at times occurs in the
Floridas at night, seldom forces them to remove farther south. On
one occasion, however, when the ice was about the thickness of a dol-
lar, many were found dead along the shores, as well as floating on the
water, whilst the rest appeared in great perturbation, wending their
way in a hurried manner toward the warmer parts of the country, and
taking advantage of every spot that afforded them more warmth, such as
the borders of woods, and high banks of streams. I am, however, of
opinion that the inclemency of the weather at times proves to be the
greatest evil these birds have to encounter, especially when in early
spring they are moving northward, and occasionally meet with a sud-
den change from temperate to cold. Even in the places selected for
their summer residence, great numbers die in their holes, and many
have been found there in a state bordering on torpidity.
Their food, which consists of small insects, principally of the hy-
menopterous kind, even during winter in the Floridas, is procured on
wing. ‘hey very seldom approach walls or the trunks of trees to seize
588 BANK SWALLOW.
them, but frequently snatch them from the tops of grasses or other
plants on which they have alighted. They also seize small aquatic
insects ; but, although I suspect that they disgorge in pellets the
harder parts of these, I have no proof, obtained from actual observa-
tion, that they do so.
The holes perforated by this species for the purpose of breeding
require considerable exertion and labour. They are usually bored at
the distance of two or three feet from the summit of the bank or sur-
face of the ground, to the depth of about three feet, but sometimes to
that of four or even five. They are near each other or remote, accord-
ing to the number of pairs of swallows that resort to the place, and
the extent of the bank. In one situation you may find not more than
a dozen pairs at work, while in another several hundreds of holes may
be seen scattered over some hundreds of yards. On the bluffs of the
Ohio and the Mississippi there are many very extensive breeding-
places. While engaged in digging a sand-bank on the shore of the
Ohio, at Henderson, for the purpose of erecting a steam-mill, I was
both amused and vexed by the pertinacity with which the little winged
labourers continued to bore holes day after day, whilst the pickaxes
and shovels demolished them in succession. The birds seemed to have
formed a strong attachment to the place, perhaps on account of the fine
texture of the soil, as I observed many who had begun holes a few .
hundred yards off abandon them, and join those engaged in the newly
opened excavation. Whether the holes are frequently bored horizon-
tally or not I cannot say, but many which | examined differed in this
respect from those described by authors, for on introducing a gun-rod
or other straight stick, I found them to have an inclination of about
ten degrees upwards. The end of the hole is enlarged in the form of
an oven, for the reception of the nest, and the accommodation of the
parents and their brood.
_ When the birds have for a while examined the nature of the bank,
they begin their work by alighting against it, securing themselves by the
claws, and spreading their tails considerably so as, by being pressed
against the surface, to support the body. The bill is now employed in
picking the soil, until a space large enough to admit the body of the
bird is formed, when the feet and claws are also used in scratching out
the sand. I have thought that the slight ascent of the burrow contri-
buted considerably to enable the bird to perform the severe task of dis-
ee ee
u
BANK SWALLOW. 589
posing of the loose materials, which are seen dropping out at irregular
intervals. Both sexes work alternately, in the same manner as Wood-
peckers ; and few ornithological occupations have proved more pleas-
ing to me than that of watching several hundred pairs of these winged
artificers all busily and equally engaged, some in digging the burrows,
others in obtaining food, which they would now and then bring in their
bills for the use of their mates, or in procuring bits of dry grass or large
feathers of the duck or goose, for the construction of their nests.
So industrious are the little creatures that I have known a hole dug
to the depth of three feet four inches, and the nest finished in four
days, the first egg being deposited on the morning of the fifth. It
sometimes happens that soon after the excavation has been commenced,
some obstruction presents itself, defying the utmost exertions of the
birds; in which case they abandon the spot, and begin elsewhere in the
neighbourhood. If these obstructions occur and are pretty general,
the colony leaves the place; and it is very seldom that, after such an
occurrence, any swallows of this species are seen near it. I have some-
times been surprised to see them bore in extremely loose ‘sand. On
the sea-coast, where soft banks are frequent, you might suppose that,
as the burrows are only a few inches apart, the sand might fall in so as
to obstruct the holes and suffocate their inmates; but I have not met
with an instance of such a calamitous occurrence. Along the banks of
small rivulets I have found these birds having nests within a foot or
two of the water, having been bored among the roots of some large trees,
where I thought they were exposed to mice, rats, or other small pre-
daceous animals. The nest is generally formed of some short bits of
dry grass, and lined with a considerable number of large feathers.
They lay from five to seven eggs for the first brood, fewer for the next.
They are of an ovate, somewhat pointed form, pure white, eight-twelfths
of an inch long, and six-twelfths in breadth.
The young, as soon as they are able to move with ease, often crawl
to the entrance of the hole, to wait the return of their parents with
food. On such occasions they are often closely watched by the smaller
Hawks, as well as the common Crows, which seize and devour them, in
spite of the clamour of the old birds. These depredations upon the
young are in fact continued after they have left the nest, and while they
are perched on the dry twigs of the low trees in the neighbourhood,
590 BANK SWALLOW.
until they are perfectly able to maintain themselves on wing without
the assistance of their parents.
In Louisiana, or in any district where this species raises more than
one brood in the season, the males, I believe, take the principal charge
of the young that have left the nest, though both sexes alternately in-
cubate, all their moments being thus rendered full of care and anxiety
respecting both their offspring and the sitting bird. The young acquire
the full brown plumage of the adult by the first spring, when there is
no observable difference between them; but I am induced to think
that they keep apart from the old birds during the first winter, when I
have thought I could yet perceive an inferiority in their flight, as well
as in the loudness of their notes.
This species has no song, properly so called, but merely a twitter
of short lisping notes. In autumn it at times alights on trees prepara-
tory to its departure. On such occasions the individuals, often col-
lected in great numbers, take up the time chiefly in pluming themselves,
infwhich occupation they continue for hours.
I must conclude with assuring you that in my opinion, no diffe-
rence whatever exists between the Bank Swallow of America and that
of Europe. The: birds from which I made the drawing for my plate
were procured on the banks of the Schuylkil River in 1824.
Hrirvunvo riparia, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p.344.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. i. p. 575.—
Ch. Bonap. Synopsis, p- 65.
Bank Swattow or Sanp Martin, Hrrunpo riparia, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. v.
p. 46, pl. 38, fig. 4.
Hirvunpo riparia, THE Sanp Martin, Richards. and Swains. Fauna Bor.-Amer.
vol. il. p. 333.
Bank Swattow, or Sanp Martin, Nuttall, Manual, vol. i. p. 607.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLXXXV. Fig. 1. :
Bill very short, much depressed and very broad at the base, com-
pressed toward the point, of a triangular form with the lateral outlines
concave, when viewed from above or beneath; upper mandible with
the dorsal line considerably convex, the sides convex, the edges sharp
and overlapping, with a slight but distinct notch close to the deflected
tip ; lower mandible with the angle very broad, the dorsal line ascend-
ing and convex, the ridge broad and flat at the base, narrowed toward
BANK SWALLOW. 591
the tip, which is acute, the edges inflected. Nostrils basal, lateral,
oblong.
Head of ordinary size, roundish, depressed ; neck short ; body
slender. Feet very small ; tarsus very short, anteriorly scutellate, mo-
derately compressed, with a tuft of feathers behind at the lower part ;
toes free, small, the lateral equal, the first much stronger ; claws long,
slightly arched, much compressed, very acute.
Plumage soft and blended, without lustre. Wings very long, ex-
tending a little beyond the tail, very narrow, slightly falciform ; the
primaries tapering to an obtuse point, the first quill longest, the second
half a twelfth shorter, the third four and a quarter twelfths shorter than
the second, the rest rapidly graduated ; six of the secondaries distinct-
ly emarginate. Tail rather long, deeply emarginate, the feathers
tapering to an obtuse point.
Bill brownish-black. Iris hazel. Feet flesh-coloured, claws dusky.
The upper parts are greyish-brown, or mouse colour, the head and
wing-coverts darker, as are the primary coverts, primary quills, and
outer secondaries, of which the shafts are dusky above, white beneath.
The lower parts are white ; the cheeks, a broad band across the lower
part of the neck and fore part of the breast, and the sides under the
wings, greyish-brown. The tail-feathers are very narrowly edged with
a lighter tint, the outer with whitish.
Length to end of tail 5 inches, to end of wings 52, to end of claws
43; extent of wings 11; bill along the ridge 7%, along the edge of
lower mandible $4 ; wing from flexure 43% ; tail to the fork 143; to the
end 244; tarsus 72; hind toe 74; its claw 7%; middle toe ,%, its
claw 3.
Adult Female. Plate CCCLXXXV. Fig. 2.
The Female cannot be distinguished from the male by any difference
in her external appearance.
Length to end of tail’ 44 inches, to end of wings 53, to end of
claws 4.
Young. Plate CCCLXXXV. Fig. 3.
The young when fully fledged, have the bill dusky, with the edges
yellow, the feet flesh-coloured, the claws yellowish. The colour of
the upper parts is darker, but the feathers are margined with light
592 . BANK SWALLOW.
greyish-brown ; the quills brownisl-black, the outer very faintly, the
inner broadly margined ; the tail-feathers greyish-black, edged with
greyish-white. The lower parts are white, the throat faintly streaked
with dusky ; the band across the breast, and the sides, coloured as in
the adult, but darker.
On very carefully comparing skins of this Swallow, with a series of
those of the Bank Swallow of Europe, procured for me by my esteemed
friend, ‘Tuomas Duruam Weir of Boghead, Esq. an enthusiastic and
successful observer of the habits of birds, I can perceive no difference
whatever. Old birds compared with old, and young with young, prove
perfectly similar. There is, however, another species closely allied to
the present, and which might very readily be confounded with it. This
species, to which I give the name of Rough-winged Swallow, Hirundo
serripennis, | consider it expedient to describe, although it has not as
yet been figured by me. ‘
In a male of the present species, from Boston, the palate is flat, the
mouth very wide, measuring 5 twelfths across. The tongue is short,
triangular, 2} twelfths long, deeply emarginate and
SS
=
papillate at the base, two of the lateral papilla much
\
S\\
W\
WA
\
Uj
ANA
wana
Uy
larger than the rest, the tip bluntish and slightly slit.
Uy
The cesophagus, adc, is 1 inch 9 twelfths long, nar-
))
vi)
row, 2 twelfths in diameter, without crop or dilata-
tion. The proventriculus, 6, is little enlarged. The
stomach, cdef, a gizzard of moderate length, with dis-
tinct lateral muscles, and of an elliptical form, is
half an inch long, and 5 twelfths broad ; its epithe-
lium longitudinally rugous, tough, and light red. It
is filled with remains of insects. The intestine, fg h,
is 53 inches long, its greatest diameter 14 twelfth ;
the coeca very small, being 14 twelfth long, and 4
twelfth in diameter, their distance from the anus 9
twelfths. There is no essential difference between
the digestive organs of this and other swallows, and the Flycatchers,,
Warblers, and other slender-billed birds.
The trachea is 1 inch 4 twelfths long, slender, flattened, of about
55 unossified rings. The contractor and sterno-tracheal muscles are
slender ; and there are four pairs of inferior laryngeal muscles.
a te De
ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW.
HIRUNDO SERRIPENNIS.
On the afternoon of the 20th of October 1819, I was walking along
the shores of a forest-margined lake, a few miles from Bayou Sara, in pur-
suit of some Ibises, when I observed a flock of small Swallows bearing
so great a resemblance to our common Sand Martin, that I at first paid
little attention to them. The Ibises proving too wild to be approach-
ed, I relinquished the pursuit, and being fatigued by a long day’s ex-
ertion, I leaned against a tree, and gazed on the Swallows, wishing
that I could travel with as much ease and rapidity as they, and thus
return to my family as readily as they could to their winter quarters.
How it happened I cannot now recollect, but I thought of shooting
some of them, perhaps to see how expert I might prove on other occa-
sions. Off went a shot, and down came one of the birds, which my dog
brought to me between his lips. Another, a third, a fourth, and at
last a fifth were procured. The ever-continuing desire of comparing
, one bird with another led me to take them up. I thought them rather
large, and therefore placed them in my bag, and proceeded slowly to-
ward the plantation of Witt1am Perry, Esq., with whom I had for a
time taken up my residence.
The bill and feet of the Swallows were pure black, and both, I thought,
were larger than in the Sand Martin ; but differences like these I seldom
hold in much estimation, well knowing from long experience, that in-
dividuals of any species may vary in these respects. I was more
startled when I saw not a vestige of the short feathers usually found
near the junction of the hind toe with the tarsus in the common species,
and equally so when I observed that the bird in my hand had a nearly
even tail, with broad rounded feathers, the outer destitute of the nar-
- row margin of white. At this time my observations went no farther.
Doubts have been expressed by learned ornithologists respecting
the identity of the Common Sand Martin of America and that of Eu-
rope. Some of them in their treatises write Hirundo riparia? or Cotyle
riparia? which in my opinion is foolish, especially if no reason be given
VOL. Iv. Pp
594 ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW.
for appending so crooked a character. About two years ago, my friend
the Rey. Joun Bacuman, sent me four Swallow’s eggs accompanied
with a letter, in which was the following notice :—* Two pairs of Swal-
lows resembling the Sand Martin, have built their nests for two years
in succession in the walls of an unfinished brick house at Charleston, in
the holes where the scaffoldings had been placed. It is believed here
that there are two species of these birds.” The eggs which my friend
sent me differ greatly from those of our Common Sand Martin, being
so much longer, larger, and more pointed, that I might have felt in-
clined to suppose them to belong to the European Swift, Cypselus mu-
rarius. But of the birds which had laid them no particular account
was given. ‘Time has passed; and during the while IT have been an-
xious to meet again with such Swallows as I had shot near Bayou Sara,
as well as to determine whether our Common Sand Martin be the same
as that of Europe. And now, Reader, I am at iast able to say, that
the Sand Martin or Bank Swallow, Hirundo riparia, is common to Eu-
rope and America; and further, that a species, confounded with it in
the latter country, is perfectly distinct.
I perhaps should never have discovered the differences existing be-
tween these species had I not been spurred by the remarks of Vre1Ltort,
who, in expressing his doubts as to their identity, and perhaps holding
in his hand the bird here spoken of, says that the tarsus is much larger
than in the European Sand Martin. I have been surprised that these
doubts did not awaken in others a desire to inquire into the subject.
Had this been done, however, I should probably have lost an opportu-
nity of adding another new species to those to whose nomination I can
lay claim, not to speak of such as, although well known to me previous
to their having been published by others, I have lost the right of nam-
ing because I had imparted my knowledge of them to those who were
more anxious of obtaining this sort of celebrity. I have now in my pos-
session one pair of these Swallows procured by myself in South Caro-
lina during my last visit to that State. Of their peculiar habits I can
say nothing ; but, owing to their being less frequent than the Sand Mar-
tin ; I am inclined to believe that their most ‘habitual residence may
prove to be far to the westward, perhaps in the valleys of the Columbia
River.
I regret that I have not figured this species, though it would have
ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW. 595
proved exceedingly difficult to exhibit in an engraving the peculiar
character presented by the outer quill, unless it were much magnified.
The specific characters of these two Swallows, so nearly allied, are
as follows :—
Hirundo riparia. Tail, Fig. 1, slightly forked, margin of first quill
smooth, tarsus with a tuft of feathers behind ; upper parts greyish-
brown, lower whitish, with a dusky band across the fore part of the neck.
Hirundo serripennis. Tail, Fig. 2, slightly emarginate, margin of
first quill, Fig. 3, rough with the strong decurved tips of the barbs,
tarsus bare; upper parts greyish-brown, lower pale greyish-brown,
white behind.
Tig. 1. Fig.2.
\ \ f\ f )» ’ ( , I
In its general appearance, including proportions as well as colour,
the Rough-winged Swallow is extremely similar to the Bank Swallow.
It differs however in having the bill considerably longer, more attenu-
ated toward the end, with the point of the upper mandible more de-
curved. The tail, Fig. 2, is shorter and but slightly emarginate, the
- lateral exceeding the middle feathers by only two-twelfths of an inch,
whereas in the other species they exceed them by five-twelfths or even
six; feathers are also broader and more rounded at the end. The wings
are longer, and extend half an inch beyond the tail. The tarsi and
596 ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW.
toes are somewhat longer and more slender, and there are no feathers
on the hind part of the tarsus as in the common species; the claws
are much more slender.
The bill is black, the tarsi, toes, and claws dusky. The upper
parts are of the same greyish-brown, or mouse-colour, as those of the
Bank Swallow. The lower are of a very light greyish-brown, gradually
paler on the hind parts, the abdomen and lower tail-coverts being
white.
Length to end of tail 52 inches, to end of wings 6}; extent of
wings 12}; bill along the ridge #4, along the edge of lower mandible
& ; wing from flexure 4;‘,; tail to end of middle feather 1}$, to end of
longest feather 2; tarsus 7%, ; hind toe 7, its claw 7+ ; middle toe 7%,
its claw #.
In a specimen, from Charleston, South Carolina, preserved in spi-
rits, the roof of the mouth is flat, the width of the gape 53 twelfths ;
the tongue triangular, 3} twelfths long, emarginate and papillate at
the base, with two of the papilla much larger, flat above, tapering to a
slit point, more narrow and elongated than that of the Sand Swallow.
The cesophagus is 1 inch 11 twelfths long, without dilatation, its
breadth 14 twelfth. The stomach is elliptical, muscular, 5 twelfths
long, being 43 twelfths, and placed a little obliquely ; the epithelium
brownish-red, tough, longitudinally rugous, filled with remains of in-
sects. The intestine is 44 inches long; the cceca 14 twelfth in length,
and 8 twelfths distant from the anus.
The trachea is 1 inch 4 twelfths long, its diameter 1 twelfth ; its
rings about 50; the muscles as in the other species; the bronchi very
slender, of about 12 half rings.
VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW.
HIRUNDO THALASSINA, SWAINSON.
PLATE CCCLXXXV. Mate anp FEMALE.
Or this, the most beautiful Swallow hitherto discovered within the
limits of the United States, the following account has been transmitted
to me by my friend Mr Nurtaty. ‘“ We first met with this elegant
species within the table-land of the Rocky Mountains, and they were
particularly abundant around our encampment on Harris Fork, a branch
of the Colorado of the west. They are nearly always associated with
the Cliff Swallow, here likewise particularly numerous. Their flight
and habits are also similar, but their twitter is different, and not much
unlike the note of our Barn Swallow. In the Rocky Mountains, near
our camp, we observed them to go in and out of deserted nests of the
Cliff Swallow, which they appeared to occupy in place of building nests
of their own. We saw this species afterwards flying familiarly about
in the vicinity of a farm-house (M. Lz Bourr’s) on an elevated small
isolated prairie on the banks of the Wahlamet, and as there are no
cliffs in the vicinity, they probably here breed in trees, as I observed
the White-bellied Martin do. This beautiful species in ail probability
extends its limits from hence to the table-land of Mexico, where Mr
BuLLocn, it seems, found it.
Dr Townsenp, who afterwards had better opportunities of observ-
ing the habits,of this bird, thus speaks of it :—‘* Aguila chin chin ot the
Chinook Indians, inhabits the neighbourhood of the Colorado of the
west, and breeds along its margins on bluffs of clay, where it attaches
a nest formed of mud and grasses resembling in some measure that of
the Cliff Swallow, but wanting the pendulous neck in that of the latter
species. The eggs are four, of a dark clay colour, with a few spots of
reddish-brown at the larger end. This species is also found abundant
on the lower waters of the Columbia River, where 7¢ breeds in hollow
trees.”
Dr Townsenp also informs me that in the neighbourhood of the
Columbia River, the Cliff Swallow attaches its nest to the trunks of
trees, making it of the same form and materials as elsewhere. From
598 VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW.
the above facts, and many equally curious, which I have mentioned, re-
specting the variations exhibited by birds in the manner of forming their
nests, as well as in their size, materials, and situation, it will be seen
that differences of this kind are not of so much importance as has
hitherto been supposed, in establishing distinctions between species
supposed by some to be different, and by others identical. To give
you some definite idea of what I would here impress upon your mind,
I need only say that I have seen nests of the Barn or Chimney Swal-
low placed within buildings, under cattle-sheds, against the sides of
wells, and in chimneys; that while some were not more than three
inches deep, others measured nearly nine ; while in some there was
scarcely any grass, in others it formed nearly half of their bulk. I have
also observed some nests of the Cliff Swallow in which the eggs had
been deposited before the pendent neck was added, and which remain-
ed so until the birds had reared their brood, amidst other nests fur-
nished with a neck, which was much longer in some than in others.
From this I have inferred that nests are formed more or less complete-
ly, in many instances, in accordance with the necessity under which
the bird may be of depositing its eggs.
Hirunpo THaLassinus, Swains. Synopsis of Mexican Birds, Philos. Mag. for 1827,
p- 365.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLXXXV. Fig. 4.
Bill very short, much depressed and very broad at the base, com-
pressed toward the point, of a triangular form, with the lateral outlines
nearly straight ; upper mandible with the dorsal line considerably con-
vex, the sides convex toward the end, the edges sharp and overlapping,
with a slight but distinct notch close to the deflected acute tip; lower
mandible with the angle very broad, the dorsal line ascending and
slightly convex, the ridge broad and a little convex at the base, narrowed
toward the tip, which is acute. Nostrils basal, lateral oblong.
Head rather large, roundish ; neck very short; body slender. Feet
very small; tarsus very short, anteriorly scutellate, compressed ; toes
free, small, the lateral equal, the first stronger: claws rather long,
arched, much compressed, very acute.
Plumage soft and blended, on the upper parts somewhat velvety.
VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW. 599
Wings very long, extending far beyond the tail, very narrow, slightly
falciform ; the primaries tapering to an obtuse point; the first quill
longest, the second almost equal, the rest rapidly diminishing ; six of
the secondaries emarginate. ‘Tail of moderate length, emarginate, the
middle feathers four-twelfths shorter than the lateral ; all rounded.
Bill black ; iris brown ; feet dusky. The upper part of the head deep
green gradually shaded into the dark purple of the hind neck ; the back
rich grass-green, the rump and upper tail-coverts carmine purple. The
smaller wing-coverts are dusky, broadly tipped with green, glossed with
purple ; the quills and larger coverts dusky, glossed with blue ; the tail
also dusky, glossed with blue. A line over the eye, the cheeks, and all
the lower parts, are pure white excepting the lower wing-coverts, which
are light grey.
Length to end of tail 479, to end of wings 575; billalong the ridge
#1, along the edge of lower mandible 7; ; wing from flexure 4;5 ; tail
to end of middle feathers 13, to end of longest 11% ; tarsus 4% ; hind toe
#, its claw 3%, ; middle toe £4 its claw %&.
Adult Female. Plate CCCLXXXV. Fig. 5.
The Female is somewhat smaller, and differs considerably in colour.
The upper part of the head and the hind neck are light greyish-brown
glossed with bronzed green ; the back bright green as in the male, the
rump greyish-brown ; the wings and tail are as in the male, but less
glossy ; as are the lower parts, which are, however, anteriorly tinged
with grey.
Length to end of tail 4;4, to end of wings 5; wing from flexure 4},
tail 1%.
ve
( 600 )
GREAT AMERICAN EGRET.
ARDEA EGRETTA, GMEL.
PLATE CCCLXXXVI. Mate.
In the third volume of this work, I have already intimated that the
truly elegant Heron which now comes to be described, is a constant
resident in the Floridas, that it migrates eastward sometimes as far as
the State of Massachusetts, and up the Mississippi to the city of
Natchez, and, lastly, that it is never seen far inland, by which I mean
that its rambles into the interior seldom extend to more than fifty miles
from the sea-shore, unless along the course of our great rivers. I have
now to add that on my way to the Texas, in the spring of 1837, I found
these birds in several places along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico,
and on several of the islands scattered around that named Galveston,
where, as well as in the Floridas, I was told that they spend the winter.
The Great American Egret breeds along the shores of the Gulf of
Mexico, and our Atlantic States, from Galveston Island in the Texas to
the borders of the State of New York, beyond which, although stragglers
have been seen, none, in so far as I can ascertain, have been known to
breed. In all low districts that are marshy and covered with large
trees, on the margins of ponds or lakes, the sides of bayous, or
gloomy swamps covered with water, are the places to which it gene-
rally resorts during the period of reproduction ; although I have in a
few instances met with their nests on low trees, and on sandy islands
at a short distance from the mainland. As early as December I have ob-
served vast numbers congregated, as if for the purpose of making choice
of partners, when the addresses of the males were paid in a very curi-
ous and to me interesting manner. Near the plantation of Joun Butow,
Esq. in East Florida, I had the pleasure of witnessing this sort of tourna-
ment or dress-ball from a place of concealment not more than a hun-
dred yards distant. The males, in strutting round the females, swelled
their throats, as Cormorants do at times, emitted gurgling sounds,
and raising their long plumes almost erect, paced majestically before
the fair ones of their choice. Although these snowy beaux were a good
deal irritated by jealousy, and conflicts now and then took place, the
s
GREAT AMERICAN EGRET. 601
whole time I remained, much less fighting was exhibited than I had
expected from what I had already seen in the case of the Great Blue
Heron, Ardea Herodias. These meetings took place about ten o’clock
in the morning, or after they had all enjoyed a good breakfast, and
continued until nearly three in the afternoon, when, separating into
flocks of eight or ten individuals, they flew off to search for food.
These manceuvres were continued nearly a week, and I could with ease,
from a considerable distance mark the spot, which was a clear sand-
bar, by the descent of the separate small flocks previous to their alight-
ing there.
The flight of this species is in strength intermediate between
that of Ardea Herodias and A. rufescens, and is well sustained. On
foot its movements are as graceful as those of the Louisiana Heron,
its steps measured, its long neck gracefully retracted and curved, and
its silky train reminded one of the flowing robes of the noble ladies of
Europe. The train of this Egret, like that of other species, makes
its appearance afew weeks previous to the love season, continues to
grow and increase in beauty, until incubation has commenced, after
which period it deteriorates, and at length disappears about the time
when the young birds leave the nest, when, were it not for the diffe-
rence in size, it would be difficult to distinguish them from their pa-
rents. Should you however closely examine the upper plumage of an
old bird of either sex, for both possess the train, you will discover that
its feathers still exist, although shortened and deprived of most of their
filaments. Similar feathers are seen in all other Herons that have a
largely developed train in the breeding season. Even the few plumes
hanging from the hind part of the Ardea Herodias, A. Nycticorax, and
A. violacea, are subject to the same rule ; and it is curious to see these
ornaments becoming more or less apparent, according to the latitude
in which these birds breed, their growth being completed in the south-
ern part of Florida two months sooner than in our Middle Districts.
The American Egrets leave the Floridas almost simultaneously about
the 1st of March, and soon afterwards reach Georgia and South Caro-
lina, but rarely the State of New Jersey, before the middle of May.
In these parts the young are able to fly by the Ist of August. On the
Mule Keys off the coast of Florida, I have found the young well grown
by the 8th of May ; but in South Carolina they are rarely hatched un-
til toward the end of that month or the beginning of June. In these
602 GREAT AMERICAN EGRET.
more southern parts two broods are often raised in a season, but in the
Jerseys there is, I believe, never more than one. While travelling,
early in spring, between Savannah in Georgia and Charleston in South
Carolina, I saw many of these Egrets on the large rice plantations,
and felt some surprise at finding them much wilder at that period of
their migrations than after they have settled in some locality for the
purpose of breeding. I have supposed this to be caused by the change
of their ¢houghts on such occasions, and am of opinion that birds of all
kinds become more careless of themselves. As the strength of their
attachment toward their mates or progeny increases through the pro-
cess of time, as is the case with the better part of our own species,
lovers and parents performing acts of heroism, which individuals ha-
ving no such attachment to each other would never dare to contemplate.
In these birds the impulse of affection is so great, that when they
have young they allow themselves to be approached, so as often to fall
victims to the rapacity of man, who, boasting of reason and benevo-
lence, ought at such a time to respect their devotion.
The American Egrets are much attached to their roosting places, to
which they remove from their feeding grounds regularly about an hour
before the last glimpse of day ; and I cannot help expressing my dis-
belief in the vulgar notion of birds of this family usually feeding by
night, as I have never observed them so doing even in countries where
they were most abundant. Before sunset the Egrets and other Herons
(excepting perhaps the Bitterns and Night Herons) leave their feeding
grounds in small flocks, often composed of only a single family, and
proceed on wing in the most direct course, at a moderate height, to
some secure retreat more or less distant, according to the danger they
may have to guard against. Flock after flock may be seen repairing from
all quarters to these places of repose, which one may readily discover
by observing their course.
Approach and watch them. Some hundreds have reached the
well-known rendezvous. After a few gratulations you see them lower
their bodies on the stems of the trees or bushes on which they have
alighted, fold their necks, place their heads beneath the scapular feath-
ers, and adjust themselves for repose. Daylight returns, and they are
allin motion. The arrangement of their attire is not more neglected by
them than by the most fashionable fops, but they spend less time at
the toilet. Their rough notes are uttered more loudly than in the even-
x
GREAT AMERICAN EGRET. 603
ing, and after a very short lapse of time they spread their snowy pi-
nions, and move in different directions, to search for fiddlers, fish, in-
sects of all sorts, small quadrupeds or birds, snails, and reptiles, all of
which form the food of this species.
The nest of the Great White Egret, whether placed in a cypress one
hundred and thirty feet high, or on a mangrove not six feet above the
water, whether in one of those dismal swamps swarming with loath-
some reptiles, or by the margin of the clear blue waters that bathe the
Keys of Florida, is large, flat, and composed of sticks, often so loosely
put together as to make you wonder how it can hold, besides itself, the
three young ones which this species and all the larger Herons have at
a brood. In a few instances only have I found it compactly built, it
being the first nest formed by its owners. It almost always overhangs
the water, and is resorted to and repaired year after year by the same
pair. The eggs, which are never more than three, measure two inches
and a quarter in length, an inch and five-eighths in breadth, and when
newly laid are smooth, and of a pale blue colour, but afterwards be-
come roughish and faded. When the nest is placed on a tall tree, the
young remain in it, or on its borders, until they are able to fly ; but
when on a low tree or bush, they leave it much sooner, being capable
of moving along the branches without fear of being injured by falling,
and knowing that should they slip into the water they can easily extri-
cate themselves by striking with their legs until they reach either the
shore or the nearest bush, by clinging to the stem, of which they soon
ascend to the top.
This Egret is shy and vigilant at all times, seldom allowing a
person to come near unless during the breeding season. If in a rice-
field of some extent, and at some distance from its margins, where
cover can be obtained, you need not attempt to approach it; but if
you are intent on procuring it, make for some tree, and desire your
friend to start the bird. If you are well concealed, you may almost
depend on obtaining one in a few minutes, for the Egrets will perhaps
alight within twenty yards or less of you. Once, when I was very de-
sirous of making a new drawing of this bird, my friend Joun Bacu-
MAN followed this method, and between us we carried home several
superb specimens.
The long plumes of this bird being in request for ornamental pur-
poses, they are shot in great numbers while sitting on their eggs, or
604 GREAT AMERICAN EGRET.
soon after the appearance of the young. I know a person who, on of-
fering a double-barrelled gun to a gentlemen near Charleston, for one
hundred White Herons fresh killed, received that number and more
the next day.
The Great Egret breeds in company with the Anhinga, the Great
Blue Heron, and other birds of this family. The Turkey Buzzards and
the Crows commit dreadful havoc among its young, as well as those of
the other species. My friend Joun Bacuman gives me the following
account of his visit to one of its breeding places, at the ‘“* Round O,”a
plantation about forty miles from Charleston : ‘‘ Our company was com-
posed of Bensamin Locan, S. Ler, and Dr Martin. We were desir-
ous of obtaining some of the Herons as specimens for stuffing, and the
ladies were anxious to procure many of their primary feathers for the
purpose of making fans. The trees were high, from a hundred toa
hundred and thirty feet, and our shot was not of the right size ; but we
commenced firing at the birds, and soon discovered that we had a pros-
pect of success. Each man took his tree, and loaded and fired as fast
as he could. Many of the birds lodged on the highest branches of the
cypresses, others fell into the nest, and, in most cases, when shot from
a limb, where they had been sitting, they clung to it for some time
before they would let go. One thing surprised me: it was the length
of time it took for a bird to fall from the place where it was shot, and
it fell with a loud noise into the water. Many wounded birds fell some
distance off, and we could not conveniently follow them on account of the
heavy wading through the place. We brought home with us forty-six
of the large White Herons, and three of the great Blues. Many more
might have been killed, but we became tired of shooting them.”
Anpra Ecrerra, Gmel. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 629.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 694.
ARDEA ALBa, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 304.
Great WHITE Heron, Arprea Ecretrta, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol, vii. p. 106,
pl. 61, fig. 1.
ArpeEaEcretta, Wagler, Syst. Avium,—Grear WHITE Heron, Vutiall, Manual,
vol. ii. p. 47.
Arpga Levcg, Illiger, Lichtenstein.
Adult Male in Summer. Plate CCCLXXXVI.
Bill much longer than the head, straight, compressed, tapering to a
point, the mandibles nearly equal. Upper mandible with the dorsal line
GREAT AMERICAN EGRET. 605
nearly straight, the ridge broad and slightly convex at the base, nar-
rowed and becoming rather acute towards the end, a groove from the
base to two-thirds of the length, beneath which the sides are convex,
the edges thin and sharp, with a notch close to the acute tip. Nostrils
basal, linear, longitudinal, with a membrane above and behind. Lower
mandible with the angle extremely narrow and elongated, the dorsal
line beyond it ascending and almost straight, the edges sharp and di-
rect, the tip acuminate.
Head small, oblong, compressed. Neck very long and slender.
Body slender and compressed. Feet very long, tibia elongated, its
lower half bare, slender, covered anteriorly and laterally with hexago-
nal scales, posteriorly with scutella ; tarsus elongated, compressed, co-
vered anteriorly with numerous scutella, some of which are divided la-
terally and posteriorly with angular scales. Toes of moderate length,
rather slender, scutellate above, granulate beneath ; third toe consi-
derably longer than the fourth, which exceeds the second; the first
large; the claws of moderate length, rather strong, arched, compressed,
rather acute, that ot the hind toe much larger, the inner edge of that
of the third regularly pectinated. “ny
Space between the bill and eye, and around the latter, bare. Plu-
mage soft, blended ; the feathers oblong, with their filaments generally
disunited, unless on the wings and tail. There is no crest on the head,
but the feathers on its upper and hind part are slightly elongated ;
those on the lower part of the neck anteriorly are elongated ; and from
between the scapule arises a tuft of extremely long, slightly decurved
feathers, which extend about ten inches beyond the end of the tail,
and have the shaft slightly undulated, the filaments long and distant.
The wing is of moderate length ; the primaries tapering but rounded,
the second and third longest, the first slightly shorter than the fourth ;
the secondaries broad and rounded, some of the inner as long as the
longest primaries, when the wing is closed. Tail very short, small,
slightly rounded, of twelve rather weak feathers.
Bill bright yellow, as is the bare space between it and the eye; iris
pale yellow; feet and claws black. The plumage is pure white.
Length to end of tail 37 inches, to end of claws 49, to end of wings
574, to carpus 234, to end of dorsal plumes 57; bill along the ridge 44%,
along the edge of lower mandible 575; wing from flexure 164; tail 64;
extent of wings 55; bare part of tibia 34; tarsus 6,4; hind toe 12,
606 GREAT AMERICAN EGRET.
its claw 14%; second toe 23%, its claw 7%; third toe 314, its claw 34;
fourth toe 33%, its claw 7. Weight 24 lb.
The Female is similar to the male, but somewhat smaller.
The roof of the mouth is slightly concave, with a median and two
lateral longitudinal ridges, the palate convex, the posterior aperture of
the nares linear, without an anterior slit. The mouth is rather narrow,
measuring only 8 twelfths across, but is dilatable to 14 inch, the branches
of the lower mandible being very elastic. The aperture of the ear
is very small, being 2 twelfths in diameter, and roundish. The ceso-
phagus is 2 feet 2 inches long, 1 inch and 4 twelfths in diameter, ex-
tremely thin, the longitudinal fibres
within the transverse, the inner
coat raised into numerous longitu-
dinal ridges. The cesophagus con-
tinues of uniform diameter, and
passes as it were directly into the
stomach, there being no enlarge-
ment at its termination indicative
of the proventriculus, which how-
ever exists, but in a modified form,
there being at the termination of
the gullet eight longitudinal series
of large mucous crypts, about half
an inch long, and immediately af-
terwards a continuous belt, 13 inch
in breadth, of small cylindrical
mucous crypts with minute aper-
tures. Beyond this the stomach
forms a hemispherical sac 14 inch
in diameter, of amembranous struc-
ture, having externally beneath the
cellular coat a layer of slender mus-
cular fibres, convex towards two roundish tendons, and internally a
soft, thin, smooth lining, perforated by innumerable minute apertures
of glandules. ‘The intestine is very long and extremely slender, measur-
ing 6 feet 7 inches in length, its average diameter 2 twelfths. T he
GREAT AMERICAN EGRET. 607
rectum, bdf, is 3 inches long; the cloaca, def, globular, 12 inch in dia-
meter ; the ccoecum, ¢, single, as in the other Herons, 3 twelfths long,
and nearly 2 twelfths in diameter.
The trachea is 1 foot.94 inches long, of nearly uniform diameter,
flattened a little for about half its length, its greatest breadth 33
twelfths ; the rings 285, the last four rings divided and arched. The
contractor muscles are extremely thin, the sterno-tracheal moderate,
and coming off at the distance of 1 inch from the lower extremity,
from which place also there proceeds to the two last rings a pair of
slender inferior laryngeal muscles. The bronchi are very short, of
about two half rings.
TAPAYAXIN.
The animal represented on the plate is the Tapayaxin of Hernan-
dez, Phrynosoma orbicularis of WircMann, Tapaya orbicularis of Cuvier.
The specimen from which it was drawn was entrusted to my care by
my friend Ricuarp Hartay, M. D., to whom it was presented by Mr
Nutra, who found it in California. A notice respecting this spe-
cies by Dr Hartan will be found in the American Journal of Science
and Arts, vol. xxxi.
( 608 )
GLOSSY IBIS.
Ipis FALCINELLUS, VIEL.
PLATE CCCLXXXVII. Mate.
Tue first intimation of the existence of this beautiful species of
Ibis within the limits of the United States is due to Mr Grorce Orp
of Philadelphia, the friend and companion of the celebrated ALEXANDER
Witson. It was described by him in the first volume of the Journal of
the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. He states that “on
the seventh of May of the present year (1817), Mr Tuomas Say received
from Mr Oram, of Great Egg Harbour, a fine specimen of Tantalus,
which had been shot there. It is the first instance which has come to
my knowledge of this species having been found in the United States.
I was informed that a recent specimen of this bird was, likewise in the
month of May, presented to the Baltimore Museum, and that two in-
dividuals were killed in the district of Columbia.” In the sequel Mr
Orp compares it with Dr Latuawm’s account of the Tantalus Mexicanus
of that author, and conjectures that it is the same.
It is not a little curious to see the changes of opinion that have
taken place within these few years among naturalists who have thought
of comparing American and European specimens of the birds which
have been alleged to be the same in both continents. The Prince of
Musienano, for example, who has given a figure of the very individual
mentioned by Mr Orn, thought at the time when he published the
fourth volume of his continuation of Witson’s American Ornithology,
that our Glossy Ibis was the one described by the older European writers
under the name of Ibis Falcinellus. Now, however, having altered his
notions so far as to seem desirous of proving that the same species
of bird cannot exist on both the continents, he has latterly produced it
anew under the name of [bis Ordi.. This new name I cannot with any
degree of propriety adopt. I consider it no compliment to the disco-
verer of a bird to reject the name which he has given it, even for the
purpose of calling it after himself.
The Glossy Ibis is of exceedingly rare occurrence in the United
States, where it appears only at long and irregular intervals, like a
GLOSSY IBIS. 609
wanderer who has lost his way. It exists in Mexico, however, in vast
numbers. In the spring of 1837, I saw flocks of it in the Texas; but
even there it is merely a summer resident, associating with the White
Ibis, along the grassy margins of the rivers and bayous, and apparently
going to and returning from its roosting places in the interior of the
country. Its flight resembles that of its companion, the White Ibis,
and it is probable that it feeds on the same kinds of crustaceous ani-
mals, and breeds on low bushes in the same great associations as
that species, but we unfortunately had no opportunity of verifying this
conjecture. Mr Nutra tt, in his Ornithology of the United States and
Canada, says that “a specimen has occasionally been exposed for sale
in the market of Boston.”
I have given the figure of a male bird in superb plumage, procur-
ed in Florida, near a wood-cutter’s cabin, a view of which is also given.
Tanratus Fatcrnetuus, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 241.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii.
p- 707.
Isrs Faucinettus, Vieill. Nouv. Dict. d’Hist. Nat.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of
Birds of United States, p. 311.— Wagler, Syst. Avium.
Gtossy Isis, Isrs Fauctnetius, Ch. Bonap. Amer. Ornith. vol. iv. p. 23.
TAaNTALUS IGNEUS, Gmel. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 649.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 708.
Adult.
TanTazus virinis, Gmel. Syst. Nat. vol. 1. p. 648.— Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p, 707.
‘Young.
NuMENIUS CASTANEUS, Briss. vol. v. p. 329. Adult.
Numentvs viripis, Briss. vol. v. p. 326. Young.
Tanratus Mexicanvus ? Ord, Journal of Acad. of Sciences of Philadelphia, vol. i.
p- 53.
Bay or Gtossy Isis, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 88.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLXXXVII.
Bill very long, slender, higher than broad, compressed, tapering,
acute, obtuse. Upper mandible with the dorsal line arched in its
whole length, the ridge convex, broader towards the end, the sides at
the base nearly erect, towards the end very convex and narrow, the
ridge separated in its whole length from the sides by a deep narrow
groove, the edges inflected and sharp. Nostrils basal, dorsal, linear,
direct. Lower mandible more slender than the upper, its angle very
narrow, and protracted in the form of a groove to the tip, the sides
VOL, IV. aq
610 GLOSSY IBIS.
convex, the edges sharp, but strong and closely approximated, bear-
ing only a very narrow groove between them.
Head small, compressed, oblong; neck long and slender; body
slender, deeper than broad ; wings rather large. Feet very long, slen-
der ; tibia long, bare about half its length, and covered all round with
hexagonal scales; tarsi long, slender, anteriorly covered with nume-
rous broad scutella, laterally with angular scales, beneath flattened,
with thick soft margins; the anterior connected at the base by mem-
branes, of which the outer is large ; claws rather small, slightly arched,
compressed, tapering, pointed, that of the middle toe with a sharp thin
edge.
There is a bare space margining the forehead, occupying the part
before the eye, and extending a little beyond it. Feathers of the head
and neck slender lanceolate ; those of the former glossy and compact,
of the latter blended, as are those of the breast and abdomen, which
are ovate. The upper parts highly glossed, with silky lustre, the feathers
generally ovate and rounded. Wings long, ample, the first primary a
quarter of an inch shorter than the second, which is two-twelfths longer
than the third, the rest moderately graduated ; the first sinuate on the
inner web near the end, the second less deeply so; some of the inner
secondaries elongated, but rounded, and when the wing is closed an
inch and ten-twelfths shorter than the longest primary. ‘Tail short,
very slightly emarginate, of twelve rounded feathers.
Bill black; bare part of the head greyish-blue ; iris hazel; feet
greyish-black, claws brown. The upper part and sides of the head are
dark glossy, with purplish reflections. The neck, a portion of the back
anteriorly, the breast, abdomen, and legs, are of a deep rich brownish-
red or dark chestnut; part of the breast shaded with green, the sides
dusky tinged with green, as are the lower wing-coverts, and lower tail-
coverts. Excepting the anterior edge of the wing, and the anterior
scapulars, which are deep glossy brownish-red, the upper parts are
splendent dark green, glossed with purple ; the primaries black, shaded
with green ; the tail glossy with purple reflections.
Length to end of tail 25 inches; to end of claws 303; bill along
the ridge 5,4,, along the edge of lower mandible 5,4; wing from flexure
111; tail 44; bare part of tibia 2}; hind toe 175, its claw #4 ; second
toe 133, its claw $$; third toe 2;%, its claw yy; fourth toe 2,4, its
claw 32.
GLOSSY IBIS. 611
The Female is similar to the male, but somewhat less.
The young in its second plumage, has the bill dusky, tinged with
yellow, the bare part of the head dusky; the feet blackish-brown, the
head, neck and lower parts are greyish-brown, the head and greater
part of the neck marked with small longitudinal streaks of white, of
which there are two on each feather. All the upper parts are blackish-
green, glossy in a less degree than those of the adult.
On comparing adult American specimens with others obtained on
the old continent, I can perceive no difference between them. A
young Mexican bird, and one from India, are also precisely similar.
I cannot therefore entertain a doubt as to the identity of our bird with
the Tantalus Falcinellus of Latuam and other European writers, which
has been shewn by Savieny to be the Black Ibis of the ancients.
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SANE TPSCHMIG Es... 6.caeeresics 316
American Avoset, .......0...ss0e0- 168
Bitterman ce enacaseccee 296
—— —— Dipper,.............0000 493
Ring Plover,........... 256
White Pelican,......... 88
Waidseons..-<-.25..0d0s. 337
Anas aMericana,.n.......cccceeeceees 237
BFE Wer lycc tose otecssan es connate 302
ely Dedtdvanctesscavececaesacnee 241
GISCORS eecssee ete aes eee 111
ODSChIas.fusseseesseseves ss 15
URE DEE eoooanasondooogncoceac 353
PPMP A. dose" dacietsecenasioencnes ee 136
Anser hyperboreus,.............+ 562
Aramus Scolopaceus,............. 543
Ardea COCRUIEA scenes srcce duet cces 58
SUPT OCLs sscedascecaassve' sans 600
=== TMMMNOI, cqbenecooardodnoydoods 296
EVI QLACEA gece aciisistceiss < selnoee 290
EVITCSGCENS, csssccececcescccsss 274
Arkansaw Flycatcher,............. 422
Ash-coloured Sandpiper,......... 130
PAM GNEALS occ sascceucecdace secesee 316
Avoset, American, ..........sc000. 168
Band-tailed Pigeon,............... 479
Banke Swallowseevee.cecce-ss0sa'es 584
Bartramian Sandpiper,............ 24
Bittern, American,.............06+ 296
Black Skimmer, «...:..0.00.sceee0e 203
Black-bellied Plover,............. 280
Black-cap ‘Titmouse,............. 374
Black-headed Grosbeak,......... 519
Black-headed Gull,...........006+ 118
Black-necked Stilt,............... 247
Black-shouldered Hawk,......... 367
Black-throated Bunting,.......... 579
IDIviersisaecrscess + 345
ICS MCTOUN saesicecss vais sesecis'ss es 58
Blue-winged Teal, .......ssscseees 111
615
Page
Bohemian Chatterer, ............. 462
Bombycilla garrula,............... 462
Bonapartian Gull occcchc.c<deccess 212
Brewers Durckssssccusosessccccac sce 302
Buftel-headed Duck,............... 217
Bunting, Black-throated,......... 579
Buzzard, Common,..............- 508
Canvass-back Duck,............... 1
Charadrius helveticus,............ 280
— montanus, ............ 362
semipalmatus,......... 256
Chatterer, Bohemian,............ 462
Chestnut-backed Titmouse,...... 371
Chestnut-crowned Titmouse,... 382
Clarke’s Nuteracker, ............ 459
Cinclus Americanus, ............. 493
Cleome heptaphylla, .............. 558
Cock of the Plains,............... 5038
Columba fasciata,............s+000s 479
Colymbus arcticus,............200. 345
== @lacialis, tcc. rccaccesee 43
Common Buzzard, ..............6+ 508
——— Gannhet, '......0002. cece 222
———wene Magpie, o.....ceseceeeves 408
me 2 Ore See eee 74
Corvus Nuttallijscs.c sec. ceneee: - 450
Picaygi easter e sr snececenos 408
Stellerivaseks socctecswee cs 453
ultramarinus,...........0. 456
Courlan, Scolopaceous,............ 543
Crossbill, White-winged,......... 467
Cygnus Buccinator,..... ......... 536
Dipper, Americans,...........seass 493
Diver, Black-throated,............ 345
Great Northern,.......... 43
Duck, Brewer’s,.......00+ ssscssees 302
Buffel-headed, .............. 217
aS Canvass-baCks.ceteseccate ere 1
ata Duchy y ius vancessvevscace nee 15
616 INDEX.
Page
Duck Gadwall,.............-...066 353
Golden-eye, ........-.-..-++- 318
Long-tailed,.........--.---.+- 103
SEI 3, SRM eta a 271
===) eu -heageds esremeee sence 198
meee RUGAY yess pte wndse ane menos 326
— Shoveller,..............-c00--- 241
SLE A inden e Ene cee ear cme 161
Dusky Duck;............2:55--5se2. 15
Dusky Grous;.....-¢: 20-5944 aget- 446
Egret, Great American,.......... 600
Emberiza americana,.............. 579
— lapponica,.............. 472
Evening Grosbeak,......... ....-- 515
aleouPuteGsense. rates tas noes oe 508
PPAMOUS, . cinteask -6hcos ha.o 396
——— ‘GIBPAN)- <0 nse Sees te she nos ahn 367
HUSCUS; 5 )2the seensege aces ees: 522
Falcon, Iceland,...............--... 476
"5 SR Ree DE, CUE AEROS 476
Finch, Macgillivray’s.............. 394
Flycatcher, Arkansaw,........... 422
oh git ae ee ee 420
— Swallow-tailed, ...... 426
Fringilla Limaria,.................. 533
— Macgillivraii, Pe Pe cae: 394
melanocephala, ......... 519
— vespertina, ............-.. 515
Fuligula Albeola,... ............... 217
elangula,.......-.---+«.--- 318
pseeee UM BOT IN asece ese rea neces ook 198
ee SRE Geo a 103
a labrad@tasesses-eeearer <i 271
=—— perspicillata,..is...-..-2 161
PUD Gases cena unos dae ct 326
2 VALISMEMIONA, ans cincteeence 1
Gadwall Duck,.................: oS toe
Gallinula martinica,............... 37
»Gallinule, Purple; :..-.5 .2)0..2452%. 37
Gannet, Common,.............-.+6- 222
AShasey = PDS 5.0 io. fd Seah eee 608
Goadwit,’ Vell-tale,c:..2ce,-s--05 3. 68
Golden-eye Duck, .........-...-..- 318
Page
AG OOKANGED ese soe secs saeco ee eee 261
GOGSE, FSDOWs 000.50 854 5 Saeee se ebe see 562
Great American Egret,........... 600
AU Bers Seis lees eee 316
—— Cinereous Ovwl.............. 364
Northern Diver,..........-- 43
Green Heronss.cteet coos ne ee 274
Grous, Disky,. 3220.25: -goee << 20 446
woo ROCK juste: ose e sntaceee 483
Sharp-tailed,............... 569
Grosbeak, Black-headed,......... 519
Evening... ...csts 2.02 515
Pine) is. coetseeten eee 414
Guillemot, Little,.................. 304
Gull, Black-headed,............... 118
Bonapartiatijces:..-.25 cae 212
Lansing, ja. 20:5) sarees 118
Hawk, Black-shouldered,......... 367
Misr shy ooc555o aoc n cee eee 396
Pec (RRR MIC a 550
—— Sharp-shinned................ 522
Slate-coloured,.............. 522
Heron; Blueiic. 3 oses ences 58
Greene: . sb eee 274
— Yellow-crowned,......... 290
Himantopus nigricollis,............ 247
Hirando riparia,....-1 4. :..20s0 584
— serripennis,............... 593
STI SSTITES Boga. Soon: soos 597
Humming Bird, Ruff-necked,... 555
Ibis Falcinellus;..............-...0- 608
—— (Glosey,. 6. .:clonseeee de oe 608
Teeland ‘Baleon}ses.c. escapee eee 476
day, Steller’s...2.,.,:1xe-aiese: suse 453
<= MramariNe, « . >: oaaaeaeees: 456
GEE BLOOD ye a. aspen becca eee 476
Kinoty 2 eta smeear tee sete 130
Lapland Longspur,.............-.. 472
Tearus*Atricilla, ....-6-.sesencees 118
Bonapartiis: sy .-. 52 gcemen 212
Laughing Gull).........:....21-2+--- 118
INDEX.
Page
MeSCOP CIT, .... svicetoiveresssapeas 310
MEDD des cepa ee oeaees coat 175
Water Rail)... eae 359
MIEUS PALUSLTIS,cjsang-s+sceecds ears 510
Lesser Redpole;..........t.ccseeseee 533
Little Guillemot,..............0c00: 304
DANGBIDEE,, «. «ocisnaachdeaemd 180
Long-eared Owl,............see00s 572
Long-legged Sandpiper,........... 332
Longspur, Lapland,.............+6+ 472
0.3 — Long-tailed Duck,...............02+ a —-
LJ CDG app RGue coSReeetOee Serene eae 43
Louisiana Tanager,.............00. 385
Loxia leucoptera,...........csceeeee 467
Macgillivray’s Finch,.............. 394
Magpie, Common,..........++...00+ 408
Magpie, Yellow-billed, 450
MPAs hipELares cee eccseonsecclececsentes’s 510
lei Keietiiow ances saearactase 396
MMaitins Sand)... censeccseeceeotcee 584
Mergus Albellus,.........cssseceeees 350
Mergansef,...-,.0.0sceereee 261
Mocking Bird, Mountain,.......... 487
Mountain Mocking Bird,......... 487
Muscicapa forficata,........sssesee 426
==) SENE cco conddooredceobent 428
— verticalis,.............+. 422
Northern Diver,............sseceee: 43
Nucifraga columbiana,.............
MSUMITD VV LC ere sleieise snteiseciclewele'en e's 350
Nutcracker, Clarke’s, ............- 459
Owl, Great Cinereous,............. 364
MA awiky sven etesoncaewsccetncares 550
-— Long-eared,..........cvesees 572
Tengmalm’s, ........seseccee 559
Parts AttiGapmiMisye cs ieagaa\<se~ sce 374
TOWIWUSS ous cpenasincasecteess . 382
TUPESCENS yi coccisccnecececwactes 371
Pelecanus Americanus,.........+++ 88
Pelican, American, White,....... 88
Winitesicsessartecnsaedeccs 88
Seite), WCaStsscesccesscoccccesceseoss 310
VOr.. IV.
Bia Dire liereacicsicesstecwatoctsciteesan
Pigeon, Band-tailed,...............
BinetGroshealcsancestaseaccncens +
Plains; Cock of thes... ...c-sceces
Blataleat A jaja,..c<svahsass-0-panen
Plotus: Anhinga;.,..c:cejseeesst-ners
Plover, American Ring,...........
Black-bellied,..............
— Rocky mountain,.........
Purple Gallinule,..............0000.
Rail, Least Water,............0.00.
yellow-breasted).......0.0s00+
Rallus noveboracensis,............
— JAMAICENSIS,......,00:cc0s<000
Razor-billed Shearwater,.........
Recurvirostra americana,.........
Red-breasted Snipe,...............
Red-headed Duck,..............00-
Redpole, Lesser,.................0.
Rhynchops nigra,...............00.
Ring-plover, American,...........
RoeksGroust..a- eae ee eee
Rocky Mountain Plover,.........
Roseate Spoonbill,..............066.
Rough-winged Swallow,..........
Rralechys, LOMO, ees cacsaa tala cane een se
Ruff-necked Humming Bird,....
Sand) Martinseccsgseiesieessd-seeee
Sandpiper, Ash-coloured, .........
Bartramian,..........++:
Littles ccseanessseseeeces
Long-legged,..........
Spattedys esac. «a0
Say’s Flycatcher,..............-.00
Scarlets Tanaeers ss sccs ssc <ceecacce-
Scolopaceous Courlan,............
Scolopax noveboracensis,.........
Sharp-shinned Hawk,..............
Sharp-tailed Grous,................
Shear-water, Razor-billed..........
Shoveller Duck,............. 22.200
Skimmer, Black........... ......+++
Slate-coloured Hawk,..............
RY
618 INDEX.
Page
NS TLE Aber RE ie cet 350
Snakesburd eaetinc slat eneaea: 8 136
Snipe, Red-breasted............... 285
Snow Goose; aan aalstnocnes titeee: oe 562
Spoonbill, Roseate,..............+- 189
Spotted Sandpiper,................. 81
Dieher’s Jay ler eee 453
Sterna HirunGojeiices see beess se os 74
SATA TAU ba oe tells. daetbean «ac 175
Stilt, Black-neeked,...............- 247
Strepsilas Interpres,................ 3]
Shrix GiMELCayarenarvctor ete. ecerse 264
TALTOR CAs Gave He eee eMRe cease 550
Tengmaliniiya: icths.\4 4000: 4 559
Sala bassamary sistas gh ceneat seas 222
Sacft Waele). wte yy dle. ae 161
Swallow, Bank,.............000...... 584
— Rough-winged, ......... 593
Swallow-tailed Flycatcher,........ 426
Swallow, violet-green,............. 597
Swan, Trumpeter,...............-.. 936
Tanager, Louisiana,.....-.....+00 385
MUS CALLE EN nce sates gales tides 388
Tanagra ludoviciana,..............- 385
Tuulowa, .dscatemoc mee a aaaen 388
Tapaya orbicularis,...............0 606
ep AEM arde aks tells ie sves codons as 607
Teal, Blue-winged,.........0....+4 111
Tengmalm’s Owl,...............00. 959
Tell-tale Godwit,.................4. 68
Tern, Com™on,...............06.055 74
Tueastyovecus aieneiys Soar eens 175
Tetrao obscurus,..............ee80 446
“4 Phastnelitas 2: den. <3 569
es PP OS ERB sens sek le aloe ds 483
Page
Tetrao Urophasianus,............+. 503
Thalassidroma pelagica,........... 310
Thrush , Varicd,.....cececeeseees ... 489
Titmouse, Black-cap,............. 374
Chestnut-backed,...... 371
Chestnut-crowned,... 382
Totanus Bartramius,............... 24
macularissaeen: ... eee 8l
melanoleucos, ............ 68
Tringa himantopus,................ 332
islandicayaaeh ahs 130
PUA: cr iisgreedssteeree 180
Troglodytes hyemalis,.,.. ........ 480
obsoletus,............ 443,
Trochilusrufusye., 0.0 )sc Le ee 555
Trumpeter Swan,......... Ce re: 536
Turdus mountanus,................ 487
MEO CINS, Sil sal ed on 489
TUT MstOMes tessa snlovsase> cs steeeaen 31
Ultramarine Jay,...........00:..0. 456
itiacA lle 9s 2 ute coger eee ee 304
Varied: Thrush siqsaaee. ctge see eeaee 489
Violet-green Swallow,........... .» 597
White Nuoy sss ncccaseasel seee ane 350
White-winged Cfossbill,.......... 467
Widgeon, American,.............. “387 337
Winter, Wrens. 21, -c-seecbes seen 430
Witen, Rocky; -czcisiait////eu5* Aa 443
Winters) cess ern eect eee 430
Yellow-billed Magpie,............. 450
Yellow-breasted Rail,,............. 251
Yellow-crowned Heron,........... 290
PRINTED BY NEILL & CO. OLD FISHMARKET, EDINBURGH.
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