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Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Thoaa too large to be entirely included in one expoaure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, aa many frames aa required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Lea cartas, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre filmAs A des taux de reduction diff Arents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul clichA, il est filmA A partir de I'angia supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite. et de haut en bas. en prenant le nombre d'imagas nAcessaira. Las diagrammes suivants illustrant la mAthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 - ■# ■■ ' # t J PI PRIN THE NATURAL HISTORY O F > BIRDS. FROM THE FRENCH OF THE COUNT DE BUFFON. ILLUSTRATED WITH ENGRAVINGS; AND A PREFACE, NOTES, and ADDITIONS, BY THE TRANSLATOR. IN NINE VOLUMES. VO L.^ V. LONDON: FKIMTED FOR A. STRAHAN, AND T. CADELL IN THE STRAND; AND J. MURRAT, NO32, FLBET-STREET. MDCCXCUI. 6^U I' /■ t Sf^J ^c^^ CONTENTS OF TRB FIFTH VOLUME. J'HESiy-Lark — -, Varieties of the Sfy-Lark — . 1. The White Sky-Lark — — 2. The Black Sky-Lark — ~ The Rufous-Backed Lark — — The mod-Lark — — The Tit-Lark — — Variety of the Tit-Lark — The White Tit-Latk — — Foreign Bird related to the Tit-Lark ^^ The Louifiana I37 140 The CONTENTS. Page 10. The Winter Fauvettc, or Traine-Buiflbn, or Mouchet — — 142 The Alpine Fauvettc — — 146 The Pitchou — — 149 Foreign Birds related to the Fauvettes 151 1. The Spotted Fauvette, from the Cape of Good Hope — — — ib. 2. The Small Spotted Fauvette, from the Cape of Good Hope — — ica 3. The Spotted Fauvette, from Louifiana io. 4. The Yellow-Breafted Fauvette, from Louifiana 1 54 5. The Rufous-Tailed Fauvette, from Cayenne 155 6. The Fauvette of Cayenne, with a Brown Throat and Yellow Belly — — ib. 7. The Blueifh Fauvette of Saint Domingo 156 rbe Tellow-Neck 1- — — 158 rhe Redftart _ — . .- 163 The Red-Tail — — — 171 The Guiana Red-Tail — -^ 176 The Epicurean WarhUr — — 177 The Fiji of Provence — — 1S4 The Ortolan Pivote — — ib. The Red-Breaji — ^ — . 185 The Blue-Throat — — — 195 Foreign Bird which is related to the Red-Breajl and Bke-Throat * — — 200 The Blue Red-Breaft of Nortli America ib. The Stone-Chat — — — 203 The Whin-Chat — — — 212 Foreign Birds which are related to the Stone- Chat and Whin-Chat -— — _ 216 X. The Senegal Stooe-Chit or Whin-Chat ib. a. The I!! il 1 , n ^•\ Kl I 1^' CONTENTS. a. The Stone-Chat from the Ifland of Lu9on 3. Stone-Chat of the Philippines -« 4. The Great Stone-Chat of the Philippinei • 5. The Fitert of Madagafcar Stone-Chat 6. The Great Stone-Chat — — . 7. The Stone-Chat of the Cape of Good Hope 8. The Speftacle Warbler — ^he Wheat Ear — — . Species of the ff^heat'Ear — 1. The Wheat-Ear — — ^ 2. The Gray Wheat-Ear — — 3. The Cinereous Wheat-Ear ^ The Rufty Wheat-Ear — The Rufous Wheat-Ear — Pajre 217 218 219 220 22a 223 225 228 234 ib. ib. 1* 235 ForvEioN Birds which are related to theWheat-Ear 238 1. The Great Wheat-Ear, or White-Tail of the Cape of Good Hope — — ib. 2. The Greenifh Brown Wheat-Ear — 239 3. The Senegal Wheat-Ear — 240 ^he IVagtails — ^he White Wagtail — J'he Bergeronettes, or Bergerettes Species of the Bergeronettes I. The Gray Bergcronette 1. The Spring Bergcronette 3. The Yellow Bergcronette 241 242 252 ib. ib. 256 2S9 Foreign Birds which are related to the Berge- ronettes — — 264 1. The Bergcronette from the Cape of Good Hope ib. 2. The Little Bergcronette from the Cape of Good Hope • — — 265 3. The Bergcronette of the Ifland of Timor 266 4. The Bergcronette from Madras — 267 CONTENTS. The Ftg-Eaters — — S?iciiES of the Fig-Eaters — — 1. Green and Yellow Fig-Eater — 2. The Cheric — —• 3. The Little Simon — — 4. The Blue Fig-Eater — 5. The Senegal Fig-Eater — Species ef the American Fig-Eater t. The Spotted Fig-Eater — a. The Red-Headed Fig-Eater — 3. The White-Throated Fig-Eater 4. The Yellow-Throated Fig-Eater 5. The Green and White Fig-Eater 6. The Orange-Throated Fig-Eater 7. The Cinereous-Headed Fig-Eater 8. The Brown Fig-Eater — 9. The Black-Cheeked Fig-Eater - 10. The Yellow Spotted Fig-Eater 11. The Brown and Yellow Fig-Eater 12. The Pine Fig-Eater — 13. The Black-Collared Fig-Eater 14. The Yellow-Headed Fig-Eater I J. The Yellow-Throated Cinereous Fig- id. The Collared Cinereous Fig-Eater 17. The Belted Fig-Eater — 18. The Blue Fig-Eater — . 19. The Variegated Fig-Eater - 20. The Rufous-Headed Fig-Eater 21. The Red-Breafted Fig-Eater 22.. The Caerulean Fig-Eater — 23. The Golden-Winged Fig-Eater 24. The Golden-Crowned Fig-Eater It,. The Orange Fig-Eater — 26. The Crefted Fig-Eater — 27. The Black Fig-Eater — 28. The Olive Fig-Eater — Eater Page 269 270 ib. 271 273 »75 27^ 279 ib. 280 281 282 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 292 294 29s 297 298 300 301 303 304 306 307 309 310 - 311 3^3 3M 29. The i ' CONTENTS. 29. The Prothonotary Fig-Eater — 30. The Half-Collared Fig-Eater — 31. The Yellow-Throated Fig-Eater 32. The Olive-Drown Fig-Eater — 33 The Graflct Fig-Eater — — 34. The Aflfi'Throated Cinereous Fig-Eater 35. The G rtat Fij;-Eater of Jamaica — The Mtddk-Bins — — The I'Form- Eater — — The Black and Blue Middle-Bill — The Black and Ruf$us Mtddle-Bill — The Bimbele^ or Bafi^ird Linnet — The Banana IVarbler — — - The Middle-Billy with White Creji and Throat The Simple Warhler — — The Pitpits — • — Species of the Pitpits — 1 . The Green Pitpit — a. The Blue Pitpit — — ' Varieties of the Blue Pitpit — 1. The Blue Manakin — — 2. The Blue Pitpit of Cayenne — 3. The Variegated Pitpit — — 4. The Blue-Capped Pitpit — 5. The Guira-Beraba — — The Tellow JVrcn — ' — The Great Tellow Wren — — The Common Wren — — The Gold-Creficd Wren — — V AR.I E T I E 3 of the Gold- Crejlcd Wren — I. The Ruby-Crowned Wren — » Page 3»5 316 31S V9 320 321 32* 327 329 331 336 S39 341 342 343 ib. 344 ib. ib. 345 34<5 - 347 • 348 350 356 357 366 374 ib. 2. TI\e ! ! CONTENTS. a. The Red-Headed Wren — 3. The Scarlet- Crowned Blue Titmoufc ^he Titmoufe-JVren — — 'The Titmice — -—• The Great Titmufe, or Ox-Eye — Tl>e Colemoufe — — Varieties of the Colemoufe — I. The Murfh Titmoufe, or Blackcap — 3. The Canada-Titmoufc — — 3. The White-Throat — — . 4. The Creeper — . — . — The Blue Titmoufe — — The Bearded Titmoufe — — The Penduline Titmoufe — The Languedoc Titmoufe — — The Long-Tailed Titmoufe — The Cape Titmoufe — — The Siberian Titmoufe — — The Crefied Titmoufe — — Foreign Birds which are related to the Titmice 1 . The Crefted Titmoufe of Carolina — 2. The Collared Titmoufe — 3. The Yellow-Rump Titmoufe — 4. The Yellow-Throated Gray Titmoufc 5. The Great Blue Titmoufe — 6. The Amorous Titmoufe •— The Black Titmoufe — — Pag* 375 37<5 zn. 394 401 404 ib. 407 408 410 412 416 420 429 439 441 443 ib. 449 450 451 452 454 456 The Nuthatch — — Varieties of the Nuthatch 1. The Little Nuthatch 2. The Canada Nuthatch 3. T\ift Black-Crefted Nuthatch Vol. V. a 458 465 466 ib. 467 4. Th« if CONTENTS. 4. The Little Black-Crefted Nuthatch 5. The Black-Headed Nuthatch 6. The Little Brown-Headed Nuthatch Foreign BiRD^relateJ to the Nuthatch 1. The Great Hook-Billed Nuthatch 2. The Spotted Nuthatch — The Creepers — — The Common Creeper — Variety of the Creeper — The Great Creeper — Page 468 ib. 469 47 » ib. 472 473 476 480 ib. The Wall Creeper — — 481 Foreign Birds of the ancient Continent^ which are related to the Creepers • — 485 1. The Soui-Manga — — 487 Variety of the Soui-Manga — 488 2. The Red-BreaftedPurple-Chefnut Soui-Manga 489 Varieties of the preceding — 490 J. The Little Creeper, or Soui-Manga ib. 2. The Creeper, or Soui-Manga 49 1 3. The Rcd-Breafted Violet Soui-Manga 4. The Purple Soui-Manga — 5. The Collared Soui-Manga — 6. The Purplc-Breafted Olive Soui-Manga 7. The Angala Dian — — 8. The Iris Soui-Manga — 9. The Red-Breafted Green Soui-Manga 10. The Black, White, and Red Indian Creeper, or Soui-Manga — 11. The Bourbon Soui-Manga — 492 493 494 498 502 S04 505 506 507 The ^' CONTENTS. Page fbe Long-Tailed Soui-Mangas — 508 I. The Long-Tailed Violet-Hooded Soui-Manga 509 The Long-Tailed Soui-Manga of a Glofly 2. 3- 4- 5- Gold Green — — 511 The Great Green Long-Tailed Soui-Manga 5 1 2 The Creeper -Billed Red Bird — 514 The Creeper-Billed Brown Bird — 516 <5. The Creeper-Billed Purple Bird — 518 The American Guit-Guits — 519 J. The Black and Blue Guit-Guit — 520 Variety of the Black and Blue Guit-Guit 522 2. The Black-Headed Green and Blue Guit-Guit 524 Varieties of the Black-Headed Green and Blue Guit-Guit — — 1. The Black-Headed Green Guit-Guit 2. The White-Throated Green and Blue Guit-Guit — — 3. The All-Green Guit-Guit 3 The Spotted Green Guit-Guit — 4. The Variegated Guit-Guit — 5. The Black and Violet Guit-Guit ~ 525 ib. 6. The Sugar-Bird — 526 527 ib. 529 53- 5" ^':J25 ; i^' '.j 'Ah. Hi; h 'r , ;i TIIK SKSr- XAUlt. i •1 ■ fc 1:1 •rtaMM^MM T H £ S K Y . L A R K, trje*.' L'Alouette, Buff. . Alauda Arvenfis, Lvm. Scop. Srutt. Mull, Kram. $2*r. Alauda Vuljratis, Ray. Will. isT Brifs. . Alauda Caelipeta, Klein. The Sky-lark or Field-lark, Lath. Penn. Alb. WilL* THIS bird, which is now widely difFufed, feems to have been a more ancient in- habitant of Gaul than of Italy ; for its Latin * The ancient Greek name> KopSbj, or Ko/iu5<*xoy, h derived from Kopvif a helmet, on account of its creft : it had the epithets, X'''/*<*'^*)'^''J> «3>xof, ayXaioj, and iVTrltpo;] i. e. attached io the groutidi excelling in fori g^ dijlinguijhed in plumage^ and of vigorous wing. The Latin name, Alauda, is, according to Pliny, Suetonius and Varro, of Gaulifli extradlion. Hence the prefent French, term Alouette. In Italian, it is called Lodola, Pclronella, AHodola, Alodetia. In Spanifli, Eugniada. In old Saxon, Leefnvcrc or Leeurich. In modern German, Heid-lenhe, Sang-lerche, Himme.'- hrchcy Korn-lerchey Groffe-lerche, Field-lerchey &c. i. e. Heath-lark, Song-lark^ Sky-lark, Corn-lark, Great-^ari, and Field-larh, tsfc. ^ In Dutch, Leeurich : — in Sweden, Laerka. In old and provincial Englifli, Wild-lark, Heath-larkf and Laverock. Vol. V. B name. THE SKY-LARK. I name, Alauda^ is, according to the beft informed Roman authors, of Gaulifh origin*. The Greeks were acquainted with two fpe- cies of larks : the one wore a tuft on its head, and for that reafon termed KooucTbsor Ko^u/aAo?, which the Latins render Galeriia or Cqffita ; th.e other, which wanted the tuft, is the fubjcft of this article f. Willughby is the only author that I know, who mentions that the latter fome- times briftles the feathers on its head fo as to form an occafional creft, and I have myfelf afcertained this fa<5l: in regard tc the male ; and thus it is alfo entitled to the epithet Gakrita, The Germans call it Lerche, which in many provinces is pronounced leriche, and is obvi- oufly intended to imitate its notes J. The Ho- nourable Daines Barrington reckrns it among * The Celtic name Is Aland; whence Aloue, and afterwards Alouetie^ the prefent French name. Probably the foldiers of the legion flyled Alaucht, wore on their helmet a tuft: fomethlng like that of the flty-lark. Schwentkfeld and Klein, who feem to have never read Pliny, derive Alnuda from lausy a laucif, becaufe, according to th.e former, this bird rifes feven times a-day to fing praifes to God. It is Jidmittcd that all creatures attcft the exillence .ind glory of their INIaker : but to fuppofe the fmall birds have ftated hours of devotion, and to ground this inference on the ac- cidental refcmbhmce of words iu two different languages, is a very puerile idea. -|- Ariilotle, ////7. Aiiim. lib. ix. 25. i "It prolongs its iirikf tiriUf its tlriU" Linnxus, Sv/^ema. the THE S K Y - L A R K. I informed h two fpe- 1 its head, 3r Cqffifa ; the fubjcft nly author atter fome- id (o as to ive myfelf male ; and =t Galerita, \ in many id is obvi- The Ho- 5 it amon^ nd afterwards the ioldiers elmet a tuft: nckfeld and erive Alnuda former, this God. It is and glory of have dated e on the ac- it languages. Linnxus, the the heft of the finging * larks ; and as it copies the warble of every other bird f, he terms it a mocking bird : but if it lays no claim to ori- ginality of muiic, the delicacy and flexibility of its organs of voice fmooth and embcllifh whatever it imitates. In the ftate of freedom, it commences its fong early in the fpring. which is its feafon of love, and continues to warble during the whole of the fummer. It is heard moft in the morn- ing and evening, and leaft in the middle of the day :j:. It is one of thofe few birds which chant on wing: the higher it mounts, the more it ftralns its voice; and when it foars beyond the range of our fight, its mufic ftill diftindlly ftrikes our ear. Muil we impute this fwell to the joyous elevation of its fpirits, or the throb- bing emotions of love j or mull we regard it as a fort of call, the fignal of common danger ? The rapacious tribes, trufting to their ftrength, and meditating deeds of carnage, proceed with * " Its fong is delightful for its variety ; is full of fwelis nnd falls." Olimt. f Frifch.— Schwenckfeld pretends that it fings better than the creftcd lark : othero prefer the warble of the latter ; Kocmpfer that o( the Japanefe lark, which is perhaps not of the fame fpecies. See particularly Barrington's paper in the Philofophical Tranfa£lions for 1773, vol. Ixiii. part 2. X Aldrovandus. This may be the cafe in the hot cli- mates of Italy and Greece; but in our temperate climates, llic iky-lark is not obferved to paufc at noon. B 2 cautious THE SKT-LARK. i i'^^ cautious and dark filence ; the little harmlcfs birds have nothing to depend on but their numbers ; and their clamorous notes may fum- mon the ftragglers together, and at lead infpirc a pleafing, though often a vain confidence.— The flcy-Iark feldom fings on the ground; where however it conftantly remains, except when it flies, for it never perches on trees. It may be reckoned among the pulverent birds *; and if it be kept in the cage, we muft be care- ful to lay a bed of fand in a corner, that it may welter at its eafe, and procure feme relief of the vermin whi^h torment it. It has been fabled, that thefe birds have an antipathy to certain conftellations ; to Ar^urus, for inftance ; and that they were filent when that ftar rifes heliaealyf . This feems to mark the time of moulting. 1 need not ftop to defcribe a bird fo well known : I fhall only obferve, that the principal charadlers are thefe : the middle toe is clofely conneded, by the firft phalanx, to the outermoft on each foot ; the nail of the hind toe is very long and almoft ftraight, the anterior nails very fhort and flightly curved ; the bill not weak, though awl-fhaped ; the tongue broad, hard and forked ; the noftrils round, and half bare ; the ftomach fleftiy, and large in propor- tion to the fize of the bird; the liver di- * Ariftotle, Hi/i. Anim. lib. ix. 49. \ Anton. Miraldus a^ud Aldrovandum. I vided THE SKY-LARK. $ vidcd into two very unequal lobes, the left one apparently checked in its growth by the pref- Ture of the ftomach ; the inteftinal tube is nine inches long, and two very fmallco'c^ communicate with it ; there is a gall-bladder. The plumage is of a dingy caft ; the tail contains twelve quills, and the wings eighteen, of which the middle-fized ones are cut almoft fquare and notched, a character common to all the larks*. I Ihall add, that the males are rather browner than the females!; that they have a black col- lar, and that they have more white on the tail Xi that they have a bolder afped, and are rather larger, though they never weigh more than two ounces ; and lartly, that, as in almoft all other fpecies, they exclulivelypoffefs the talent of fong. Olina feems to fuppofe that their hind-nail is longer § ; but I fufpe«5l, with Klein, that this depends as much ufon the age as upon the fex. In the opening of the vernal feafon, the male feels the ardour of love ; he mounts into the * Biiflbn and Willughby. f Frifch and Aldrovandus. I believe that the larks of Boauce, which are fold at Paris, are browner than thofe of liurguiidy. Some individuals are more or lefs of a Yuil colour, and have more or lefs of the wing-quills edged with that colour. t Albin. § Gefner affirms, that he faw one of thefe nails about two inches long ; but he does not tell us whcdicr die bird Wis a cock or a hen. B 3 air. w IM 6 THE S K Y - L A R K. air, warbling his impafTioncd drains; and ranges over an extent proportioned to the number of females, till he delcries hisfavouritc, and inftantly he darts to the ground, and confummatcs the union. The impregnated female foon proceeds to form her neft ; Ihe places it between two clods of earth, and lines it with herbs and dry roots *, and is equally careful in concealing as in building it : accordingly few nefts of fky- larks arefound, in comparifon with the number of thefe birdsf. Each female lays four or five eggs, which are greyifh, with brown fpots j fhe fits only fifteen days at moft, and employs ftill lefs time in training and educating her young. This expedition has often deceived perfons who in- tended to rob the neftlings, and Aldrovandus among the reft J. The fame circumftance ren- ders probable what Aldrovandus and Olina af- fert, that fhe has three hatches in the year ; the firft, in the beginning of May i the fecond, in the month of July ; and the laft, in the month of Auguft : but if this take place, it muft be in the warm countries, where incubation is more forward, v.-here the young are fooner eman- cipated, and where the mother is foon in a con- dition to renew her loves. In fact, Aldrovan- * Fowlers fay, that the lurk's ncfl; is better confl.rus, and of the merous ; merous ; w^ich proves their great fecundity, and aids to the probability of the alfertion, that they have three hatches annually. For fo fmall an animal, the Iky-lark is long-lived ; the term being ten years, according to Olina; twelve, according to others ; twenty-two, ac- cording to the account of a perfon of veracity; and even twenty-four, if we believe Rzacynlki. The ancients pretended that the flefh of the lark, boiled, roafted, or even burnt and reduced to afhes, was a fort of fpecific in the colic. On the contrary, fome modern obfervations fhcW that it often occafions that diforder, and Lin- nscus judges it improper food for perfons af- flided with gravelly complaints. The mofl probable account is, that this meat is very wholefome and pleafant when fat; and that the pains in rhe ftomach, or gripes in the bowels, which are fometimcs felt after eating, are owing to fome portions of their fmall bones that have been inadvertently fwallowed, and which are vc y minute and very fharp. The weight of the bird varies, according to the quantity of the fat, from feven or eight gros to ten or twelve. Total length, about feven inches ; the bill, fix or kvQii lines ; the hind nail ftraight, and mea- fures ten lines ; the alar extent, twelve or thir- teen inches ; the rail, two inches and three quar- ters, a little forked, confifting of twelve quills, and excecdincr the wings by twelve lines. Vot. V. (A) Spe- ■Hi! ''^ W Ml IS r : .:? ■1 'it f i ■■■••! 'I J' ■■ !■ !■ .ill ■.:]:■ t8 THE SKY-LARK. (A) Specific charader of the Field or Sky Lark, Alauda Arvenfis : " The two outermoft quills of its tail are white lengthwife externally, the intermediate ones are ferruginous on the infide." Mr. Pennant tells us, that in the neigh- bourhood of Dunftable four thoufand dozens of larks are ufually caught for the London market, between the fourteenth of September and the twenty-fifth of February. . In fine wea- ther, the larkers ufe clap-nets with bits of mirror and a decoy : at other times, they employ a trammel net and a pointer dog. Varieties of the SKY-LARK. L The White Sky-lark. Briflbn and Frifch properly confider this as a variety of the foregoing fpecics. In fadi, it is a true Iky-lork, which according to Frifch comes from the north, like the white fparrow and ftare, the white fwallow and petty-chaps, &c. in all which the plumage retains the impreflion of their natal climate. Klein rejeds this opinion, becaufe at Dantzic, which is fituated farther north than the countries where white larks fome- times appear, not one has been found in the courfe of half a century. If I were to decide this point, I ihould fay that the a^ertion of Frifch, J' i^-). 1 THE SKY-LARK. «9 In fine wea- Dits of mirror ly employ a LARK. Briffon and ariety of the rue Iky-lrrk, im the north, the white ,11 which the their natal on, becaufe rther north larks fome- found in the re to decide affertion of Frifch, '^ "# Frifch, that all the white larks arrive from the boreal tradls, is too general, and that the ob- jedlion which Klein makes is by no means conclufive. In facSt, obfervations evince that white larks are found in other countries befides thofe of the north j but it is obvious that from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, they could more eafily enter the weftern part of Germany, which is feparated from thefe countries by only a narrow fea, than crofs the Baltic, and reach the mouth of the Viftula and the coafts of Pruffia, — At any rate, befides the white larkp fometimes found near Berlin according to Frifch, they are often feen in the vicinity of Hildeflieim in Lower Saxony. They are feldom of a fnowy white; the fubjedt examined by Briflbn was tinged with yellow ; but the bill, the feet, and the nails were entirely white. — At the very time when I was writing this article, a white lark was brought to me, which was fhot under the walls of the little town where I live : the crown of the head and fome parts of the body were of the ordinary colour ; the reft of the upper furface, including the tail and the wings, was variegated with brown and white ; moft of the plumage and even the quills were edged with white j the under part of the body was white, fpeckled with brown, efpecially the fore part, and the right fide; the lower mandible whiter than the upper, and the feet of a dirty white, variegated with brown. This fubjedt C 2 feemed to THE S K Y . L A R K. r. i 8 !• 'I I feemed to form the intermediate fhade between the common lark and that which is of a pure white. I have fmce fcen another lark whofe plumage was perfedlly white, except on the head, where there were fome traces of a grey but half effaced. It was found in the neighbourhood of Mont- bard. It is not likely that either this or the other lark came from the northern fliores of the Baltic. II. The Black Sky-lark. I join Briffon in coniidering this as a vari'ity of the common fky-lark ; whether we are to impute it to the bird's feeding on hemp-feed, or to any other caufe. The fubje£t which I have direded to be engraved was of a rufous brown at the rife of the back, and its feet of a light brown. Albin, who faw and defcribed this bird from nature, reprefents it entirely of a dull brown and reddifh, verging to black ; except however the back of the head, which is of a dun yellow, and below the belly, where there are fome fea- thers edged with white j the feet, the toes, and the nails were of a dirty yellow. The fubjedt from which Albin formed his defcription was caught with a net in a meadow near Highgate ; and it appears tiiat there fuch birds are feldoni met with. Mauduit affures me that he faw a lark which was perfedlly black, and had been caught in the plain of Mont-rouge near Paris. [ 21 ] THE ife plumage ead, where lalf effaced. I of Mont- his or the 1 fliores of oin Briffon le common te it to the ) any other reded to be the rife of n. s bird from dull brown •)t however un yellow, I fome fea- le toes, and he fubje£t iption was Highgate ; are feldom ark which ight in the RUFOUS-BACKED LARK. Alauda Rufa,. Giiw/. L'Aloucttc Noire a Dos Fauve, Bi/f. HAD not ihis bird been brought by Com- merfon from Buenos-Ayres ; were it not much fmaller than our common fl^y-lark, and a native of a very different climare, liie refem- I blance of its plumage is fo ftrikii^g that we •i could not help confuiering it as only a variety f ot the preceding fpecics. The houd, the bill, the feet, tlie throat, the fore pait of the neck, and all the under furface of the body, are of a i blackifli brown ; the quills of the wingc and of the tail are of a fomewhat lighter fliade ; the outermoft of thefe laft are edged with rufous ; the hind part of the tail, the back, and the flioulders, are of an orange fulvous ; the fmall and middle coverts of the wings blackilh, edged alfo with fulvous. Total length, rather lefs than five inches; the bill, fix or feven lines, the edges of the lower man- dible being a little fcalloped near the tip; the tar^ /usy nine lines ; the hind toe, two lines and a half, and its nail four lines, flightly bent back ; the tail, eighteen lines, fomewhat forked, confifting C3 of % ai THE RUFOUS-BACKED LARK. of iwelvc quills, and exceeding the wings by fevcn or eight lines. Upon a clofc view, ^ye perceive that its dimenfions do not differ more than thofe of the preceding variety. (A) Specific character of the j^lauda Rufa : ** Its tail quills are brown; the eight middle ones tawny at the edges, the outermoft white at the edge." i tHE LARK. the wings by ofe view, ^ye )t differ more ^lauda Rufa ; : middle ones ; white at the tHE y'jj6 ■ 1 ! i'il n t : THE wx) oi> - J. akk: . '->M C n ] THE WOOD- LARK. "♦!.# * Le Cujelier, Buff. Alaucla Arborea, Lhin. Gmel. Scop. Brun. Kram. Br'iff. Will, tsf Klein.* I CONCEIVE this bird to differ fo much from the common lark as to conftitute a diftind fpecies. It is diftinguifhed by its fize and its general form, being fhorter, rounder, and much fmaller, not weighing more than an ounce : by its plumage, whofe colours are more dilute, lefs mixed with white, and its whitilh crown is more confpicuous than in the ordinary fpecies : by the dimenfions too of its wing quills, the firft and outermoft being half an inch fhorter than the reft. It is difcriminated from the Iky-lark alfo by its habits : it perches on trees, though only indeed on the thick branches, beeaufe the length of its hind toe, or rather the projeftion and flight curvature of the nail, will not permit it to cling to the twigs : it haunts * In Italian, Tottovilla : in Danifh, Skonv-lerle : in Nor- wegian, Heedc-let-kCf Lyng-lerke : in German, Lud'lerche^ Wald'lerche, C 4 the 24 THE WOOD-LARK. ■ " -.'Hi lilV! 1 i : i .1 : .it:; the un'-.uUivated trads near copfcs, or even the verge of young copfes ; and hence the name of ivood-larky though it never penetrates into the woods. Its foDg too r^fembles more the war- ble of the nightingale than that of the fky- lark*; and is heard not only in the day, but, like the former, in the night ; both when it flutters on the wing and wiun it fits on a bough. Hebert obferves, that the ilfers of the Swifs guards imitate well its notes ; hence I conclude, that this bird is common among the moun- tains of Switzerland f , as in thofe of Bugey. Its fecundity is inferior to that of the fky-lark ; for, though it alfo lays four or five eggs, and is not fo much deftroyed, becaufe fmaller and lefs valued, yet its numbers are not fo great J. It breeds earlier, fince its young are fometimes flown in the middle of March §, whereas jhe common lark does not hatch before the month, of iVIay, It is befides more delicate ; for, ac- cording to Albin, it is impolfible to rear the young taken out of the neft. But this holds only in regard to England, and other fimilar or colder climates ; and Olina pofitively aflferts, that in Italy the young £^re removed from the ,), * Olina and Albin. f I am informed that it a^ufiHy frequents the highcft meadows in Switzerland. I Britifh Zoology. § Albin. neft ru-^ri THE WOOD-LARK. 25 3r even the lie name of es into the e the war- f the Iky- : day, but, h when it n a bough. the Swifs [ conclude, the moun- of Bugey. ; fky-lark ; eggs, and "mailer and (o great J. fometimes hereas the the month for, ac- D rear the this holds er fimilar ely aflerts, from the s the higheil neft and raifed at firft like the nightingale *, and afterwards fed upon panic and millet. In every other property the wood-lark bears a clofe analogy to the fky-lark. It mounts high, wai blinc; its notes, and hovers in the air ; it flies in flocks during the winter colds : it builds its neft on the ground, and conceals it under a turf: it lives ten or twelve years: it feeds on beetles, caterpillars, and feeds : its tongue is forked ; its ftomach mufcular and flefhy : and it has no craw, but a moderate di- latation of the lower part of the oijhphcigus : its caca are very fmall f. Olina remarks that, in the male, the crown of the head is darker than in the female, and its hind nail longer. He might have alfo added, that its breaft is more fpotted, and its great wing quills edged with olive, while, in the female, they are bordered with gray. He fubjoins, that the wood-lark is caught in the fame manner as the fky-lark, which is true ; but he pretends that this fpecies is hardly known out of the Pope's territories, which is juftly controverted by the beft informed modern naturalifts. In fadt, it would fcem that the wood- lark is not confined to any one country : * Willughby remarks, that the fong of the wood-lark re- Jfcmbles that of the blackbird, t Willughby, It 26 THE W O O D - L A R IC. :'t .1 W t '■ it is found in Sweden* and Italy +, and is probably I'pread through the intervening coun- tries, and confequently fcattered over the greateft part of Europe |. — The wood-lark is pretty fat in autumn, and is then excellent meat. Albin fays, that there are three feafons for catching the wood-larks. The lirft is in the fum- mer, when the fmall branchers begin to chirp, before they undergo th^ moulting. — The fe- Gond is in the month of September, when they fly in flocks, and roam from one country to another, roving over the pafture grounds, and perching on trees near lime-kilns §. At this time the young birds change their plumage, and are no longer to be difliinguifhed from the old ones. — The third feafon, and the moft: fa- vourable for catching the wood-larks, begins with the month of January ||, and lafts till the end of February, when they fcparate to pair. The young birds which are then caught, make * Linnaeus. f Olina. % Linnaeus. § Kramer. II M. Hcbert killed thcfe birds during winter in Brie, in Picardy, and in Burgundy : he remarked that, during this feafon, they are found on the ground in the plains, that they are pretty common in Bugey, and (lill more foin Burgundy. On the other hand, M. Lottinger aflerts that they arrive about the end of February, and retire in the beginning of Oftober. But thefe oppofite accounts might be reconciled, if of thcfe larks, as of the common fort, fomc «ire migratory and others ftationary. generally y+, and is cning coun- the greateft is pretty fat eat. feafons for in the fum- jin to chirp, J. — The fe- , when they country to ounds, and §. At this ir plumage, ed from the the mod fa- rks, begins lafts till the ite to pair, mght, make § Kramer, anter in Brie, i that, d'uring in the plains, ilill more foin )ttingeF aflerts id retire in the iccounts might mon fort, fome generally THEWOOD-LARK. 2^ generally the beft fingers : they chirp a few days after, and with a clearer tone than thofe caught at any other feafon. Total length, fix inches ; the bill, feven lines ; the alar extent, nine inches (ten, according to Lottinger) ; the tail, two inches and a quarter, rather forked, confifting of twelve quills, and exceeding the wing by thirteen lines. (A) Specific character of the Wood-lark, Alauda Arhorea : " Its head is encircled by a white annular belt." Its egg is light gray, with numerous dark and purplifti dots. THB II i!! [ 28 1 J THE T I T - L A R K. La Farloufe, ou I'Alouette de Pres, BuJ". Alauda Pratenfis, Linn. Gmel. Brtin. Mull. Frif. Will. Briff. Alauda Pratorum, Klein *. BE L O N and Olina mention this as the fmalleft of all the larks j but they were unacquainted with the grafhopper-lark, of which we fhall afterwards fpeak. The tit-lark weighs fix or feven gros, and its alar extent i& only nine inches. The prevaii'r.^ colour of its upper furface is olive, variegated with black on the fore part, and pure olive behind. Its under furface is yellowiih white, with black longitudinal fpots on the breaft and the fides, and the ground colour of the plumage is black. The quills of the wings are almoll black, edged with olive ; and thofe of the tail are fiinilar, ex- cept the outermofl one, which is edged with white, and the one next it, which is tipt with the fame colour. This bird has a fort of white eyelids, which * In Italian, Lodola di Pi-atOy Mattoliita, Petragnoluj Corriera : in German, Bnin-vogely Schmel-vo^eL Linnxus . I 'f.l .1 JVjj? K. lull. Frif. Will. this as the It they were per-Iark, of The tit-lark liar extent is g colour of d with black behind. Its with black id the fides, age is black, black, edged fmiilar, ex- edged with is tipt with ilids, which TWE Tia'-XARK. Linnaeus '0\ ym, u l^ *.!■; K' 'i! THE TIT-LARK. 59 innseus adopts as its fpecific charafler.— The ale has in general more yellow than the female, n the throat, on the breaft, on the legs, and ven on the feet, according to Albin. The tit-lark is fluflied at the lead noife, and oots with a rapid flight ; it perches, though ith difficulty, on trees ; it conftruds its neft early as the wood-lark, and lays the fame umber of eggs, &c .* But, what diftinguifhes t, the firft quill in its wing is equal to the reft, nd its fong, though very pleafant, is lefs varied, r. Pennant compares this to a jeering laugh, d Albin, 10 the warble of the canary finch ; ut both complain that it is too fhort and broken. However, Belon and Olina agree that ^his Imall bird is efteemed for the fweetnefs of ^ts fong } and I muft own, that having occa- ion to hear it I found it really agreeable, though ather plaintive, and fimilar to the nightingale's rain, yet not fo full and connecCted. It de- erves to be noticed that this one was a female, ince, in diflTeding it, I difcovered an ovarium : t contained three eggs that were larger than the eft, which feemed to promife a fccond hatch. Una tells us that the tit-lark is raifed in the me way as the nightingale, but its delicacy enders the fuccefs extremely precarious ; and, s it lives only three or four years, we readily * Britifti Zoology. perceive 30 THE T I T - L A R K. ;i i 1 . perceive the reafon why the fpecies is unfre- quent, and why the male, when he mounts into the air to defcry his mate, is obliged to fweep a much wider circuit than the common lark, or even the wcod-lark. Albin indeed pretends that it is long-lived, little fubjed to difeafes, and lays five or fix eggs : but if this were true, the number would be much greater. According to M. Guys, the tit-lark feeds chiefly upon the worms and infeds for which it fearches in new-ploughed lands. Willughby adually found beetles and fmall worms in its ftomach ; and I have myfelf feen in it portions of infeds and of fmall worms, and alfo feeds and pebbles. If we believe A.lbin, it wags its tail from ilde to fide while it eats. The tit- larks breed generally in the mea- dows, and even in low and marfhy grounds *. They make their neft on the furface f , and conceal it artfully. While the female hatches, the male fits on a neighbouring tree, and rifes at times, finging and clapping his wings. Willughby, who feems to have obferved this bird with great accuracy, fays properly that its iris is hazel, the tip of its tongue divided into feveral filaments, its ftomach moderately flefliy, its caca rather longer than in the iky-lark, ■! \ * Britifli Zoology. f Belon. — ^Britilh Zoology. and K. THE T I T - L A R K. :ies is unfre- : mounts into ed to fweep a mon lark, or Iced pretends 3: to difeafes, his were true, sr. tit-lark feeds ;s for which it . Willughby worms in its I in it portions and allb feeds in, it wags its in the mea- [hy grounds *. urface "f , and male hatches, tree, and rifes wings. obferved this operly that its e divided into erately flelliy, the (ky-lark, and and that it has a gall-bladder. All this I havo verified ; and I fhall add that there is no craw, and that even the cefophagus has fcarce any in- Hation at its jundion with the ftomach, and that this ftomach or gizzard is i:M-ge in propor- • I tion to the body.— I kept one of thefe birds a whole year, and gave it no other food than fmall feeds. The lit-lark inhabits Italy, France, Germany, England, and Sweden. Albin tells us that it ap- pears (in that part of England, no doubt, where he lived) about the beginning of April with ithe nightingale, and that it departs about the jraonth of September. It foraetimes K ^^ins its fflight before the clofe of Auguft, according to jLottinger *, and feems to perform a long jour- , J ney. If this be admitted, and if we fuppofe that it makes occaHonal halts in the temperate countries which it traverfes, it may be among the number of thof'^ larks which are feen to pafs the ifland of Malta in November, In au- tumn, that is, in the time of vintage, it haunts the vicinity of the high-roads. M. Guys re- marks that it is exceedingly fond of the com- pany of its fellows ; and if it cannot obtain the * M. Lottinger only once faw a tit-lark in Lorraine, in the month of February 1774. But, that fame winter, he faw other birds which do not ufually remain in that pro- vince, fuch as green-finches, wagtails, &c. whiclj M. Lot- tinger afcribes properly to the mildnefs of that year. foclety •,\- l» ■■'"{ ii .^ 3* THE T I T - L A R K. fociety of thcfe, it will intermingle with tlie flocks of finches and linnets which it meets in its paflage. Comparing what authors have faid of the tit. lark, I perct've differences which difpofe one to think that thefpecies is much lubjed to viiry^ or that it has been fomctimes confounded with its kindivd fpecies, fnch as thofe of the wood- laik and the gralhopper-lurk *. ^t •I Varieties of the TIT-LARK. •; m The White Tit-lark fcarcely differs from the preceding, except in the plumage, which is * Thedlfpofition of the fpotson the phimage is nearly the fame in the three fpccics, though the c( Br'-'lbti cliaradlorllos th'- fpecies are not the fame with thofe defcrlbed by AKlrcvandus i who takes no notice of the loiiij hind foe, b-a fpcaks of a certain motion of the tail, whi -h tiic others, except Aibln, omit. The latter pretends that ihe tit-lark is long-lived, and little fiibje£t to difeafes. Olin., nnd B,.:lon, on the contrary, aflert that it is difficult to be raii, a ; Oiina pofitively aflerts that it is fliort- lived. We need i.ot meutiou their various opinions refped- ing its foiig. altnoA ^ r' .jii/ K. gle with tlie h it meets in lid of the tit, I (hfpofe one bjedt to vary^ founded with of the wood- T II E T I T - L A R K 33 LARK. \f differs from igc, whicli is ige is nearly the IS of thcfe fpots ■c different ; but lors concerning only compare , &c. The co- cies are not the who takes no certain motion mit. The latter ittle fubjeft to ailert that it is that it is fliort- >inions refped- almoil ^Imofl unlvcrfally ycllowiih white, luit yellower )n the wings : its bill and feet arc bruwn. Such was the one which Aklrovandus f iw in Italy ; md though tiie jefuit Rzacynfki ranges it imong the birds of Poland, I doubt whether It belong', to that eountry, or at leaft whether le ever faw it, fmce he ufes the words of the Italian naturalift without any addition. Total length, five inehes and a half; its bill, px lines, the edges of the upper mandible a little Icalloped near the point ; its alar extent, about nine inches; its tail, two inches, fomewhat forked, iompofcd of twelve quills, exceeding the wings light lines; the hind nail, fhorter and more hook- Id than in the preceding fpeeies. f (A) Specific chara£l:er of the Tit-lark, Alauda jpratenfis ; " Above it is greenifli browm, its Iwo outermoft tail quills white externally, a irhite line on its eye-brows." Its egg is roundifli j liiflvy red, with numerous fmall fpots. 'OL. V. Foreign C 34 ] Foreign 'Qivld related to the Tit-lark. *• THE I. .. LOUISIANA LARK. La Farlouzzanne, Buff. Alauda Ludoviciana, Gmel. w Is AW this bird at M. Mauduit's, and it feems to refemble much the tit-lark. Its throat is of a yellowifh grey ; the neck and bread ftreaked with brown on the fame ground : the reft of the under furface of its body is fulvous : the upper furface of its head and of its body is mixed with greenifh brown, and with blackifh ; but as thefe colours are dingy, they contraft little with each other, and by their mixture theyforman almoft uniform dull brown : the fuperior coverts are greenifh brown with no addition : the quills of the tail arc brown ; the outermoft one con- fifts of blackifli brown and white, the white being turned outwards, and the next quill tipt with white : the quills and the fuptrior coverts of the wings are of a blackifli brown, edged with lighter brown. Total length, near feven inches; the bill, feven i -|.« t THE LOUISIANA LARK. 3^- i fcven lines; the tarftis^ nine lines ;"the hind toe with its nail, rather lefs than eight lines, and this nail rather more than four lines, flightly curved j the tail, two inches and a half, and exceeds the wings by fixteen lines. (A) Specific character of the AJauda hiido- vlciana: *' The laft quills but one of the tail are tipt with white ; the outermoft are partly brown, partly white." D 2 THE [ 3j W: :i m THE GRASHOPPER-LARK. 37 )f the fky-lark), it fits on the fmall twigs, clafp- ing with its fore claws. It alfo reds on the jround, and runs very nimbly. In the fpring, when the cock bird fings on a )ranch, he performs it with much adlion: he jlooks big, difplays his wings, and gives every Imark of ardent emotion. At intervals he rifes [to a confiderable height, hovers fome feconds* [and drops almoft in the fame place, continuing [all the time to fing; and his tones are foft, har- [monious, and clear. — This little bird builds its Ineft in folitary fpots, and conceals it beneath a [turf; and its young often become the prey of [the adders. It generally lays five eggs, marked [with brown near the large end. Its head is p-ather long than round; its bill delicate and ■blackifli; the edges of its upper mandible fcalloped near the tip; its noftrils half covered }y a convex membrane of the fame colour with ^lie bill, and partly concealed under the fmall feathers which cover it before: there are fixteen juills in each wing ; the upper furface of its )ody is of a greenifh variegated brown ; the un- Icr furface, of a yellowifh white, fpeckled ir- regularly on the bread and neck : the ground :olour of its plumage is deep cinereous : laftly, Ihcre are t\vo whitifli ftripes on the wings, which iinnseus has made one of the characters of the secies. r)3 The '■■■W'' 1 Mi iifc.. [■aril.: I "^ . ■ ■ ■ • J ' J! ' 38 THE GRASHOPPER-LARK. The grafhopper-larks appear in England about the middle of September, and great num- bers of them are then caught in the environs of London*. They frequent the heaths and plains, and flutter at a moderate height. Some generally remain during the winter in the fens near Sar- bourg. We may infer from the flender form of its bill, that the grafliopper-lark feeds chiefly oa infcds and fmall feeds ; and from its diminutive fize, that it is not long-lived. It is found in Germany, in England, and in Swedgn, ac- cording to the Syjiema Naiiircc of Linnaeus, Mi though he takes no notice of it in his Fauna Suec'ica^ at leait in the fu.'i. edition. It is moderately tall. Total length, about ^ five inches and a half; its bill, fix or feven | lines; ils hind toe, four lines, and its nail five; its alar extent, eight inches and one-third ; its tail tvs'o inches, and exceeding the wings an incht; its intcilinal tube, fix inches and a half; the oefophagus, two inches and a half, dilated S before its inlertion in tlie gizzard, whicii is mufcular; there are two Anall cceca\ I could find no gall-bladder: the gizz.'.rd occupies the left fide of the lower belly, an 1 is covered by the liver, and not by the intellines. * Albin. \ Compofed of ten quills, according to a good obfervcrj but I fufpcdl that two had been plucked. (A) Specific ARK. ""J THE GRASHOPPER-LARK. 39 in England d great num- e environs of IS and plains, )me generally ens near Sar- r form of its ds chiefly on its diminutive t is found in Swedgn, ac- of Linnaeus, in his Fauna length, about fix or feven its nail five; one-third ; its he wings an 28 and a half j L half, dilated rd, which is I could find ipics the left Dvered by the (A) Specific charadier of the Gralhopper- 'lark, Alauda Trhiai/s: "Its tail quills are brown; the outermoft, half white ; the fecond, white at its wedge-like tip, with a double whitifh line on the wings." Its egg is light grafs green, thinly fprinkled with deeper-coloured fpecks. a good obfervcr } (A) Specific D THE ■rh. ,■» :,:[;■',! •!■:.! gelher arc feeds and jccellent. — : the body eye-brows, )f the body ilong fpots i coverts of er brown; the two in- gray, the e next one IS blackifli, ; the bill, ove eleven alf, fomc- quills i it JLulow-lark, brown ; i.itc quills, Its egg |k, only it tints arc I m C 45 3 V H E ITALIAN LARK. 1 I/.1 Girole, Jiuf. Alauda Italica, Gmfl. i^ ^*''Jf- Ciaiola, Ray^ Will, b* Aldrov^ BRIS^ 3N fufpeds, with much probability, that the fubje^l: obfervcd by Aldrovandus was a young bird, whofe tail, being extremely lliort and confiiling of very narrow feather?, was not entirely formed, and in which the jundion of the mandibles was edged w^ith yel- low. But I fliould imagine he ought to have drawn another inference befides, that it was only a variety of the common fpecies derived from age, fince Aldrovandus, the only author who mentions it, faw no more than one fneci- men. Its fize was the fame with that of the iky-lark, and it had the chief charadler, which is the long nail projeding from each foot. The plumage of the head and of the upper fide of the body was variegated with chefnut, with lighter brown, with whitlfli, and with bright rufous. Aldrovandus compares it to that of the quail, cr of the woodcock. The under furface V: 1 ';« til i > 45 THE ITALIAN LARK. an ■ n '4 furface of the body was white; the back of the head encircled with a fort of whitilh crown ; the quills of the wings brown chefnut, edged with a lighter colour ; thofe of the tail, at lead the four middle ones, of the fame colour ; the pair following, divided by chefnut and white; and the laft pair entirely white ; the tail fome- what forked, and an inch long ; the ground colour of the plumage cinereous; the bill red, with a large opening ; the corners of the mouth yellow ; ihe feet flefli-coloured ; the nails whitilh; the hind nail fix lines in length, al- moft ftraight, and only a little curved at the tip. This bird was killed near Bologna, about the end of May. I wilh thofe naturalifts who have an opportunity of obferving it, would refer it to its true fpecies ; for I much doubt whether it forms a feparate fpecies. Ray fuppofed that it belonged to that of the wood-lark, and differ- ing only in the colours of its tail quills ; but it is equal to the Iky-lark, and confequently much larger than the wood-lark ; and if with BriiTon we reckon it a young bird, this diftinM: ,:':" ChaLutdrla : iu GcrniaU, KaL/uL-roT Caliinrler, &:c. t Belou. Ik a 01 ■]'' i'.'M compliment ill* ' '•I*- Vii-- •I.I ;«v. t •fl.:|'.ii» ' c '■'is|i.■ 48 THE CALANDRE, or LARGE LARK. compliment to fay one fings like a calandre *. Like the common lark, alfo, it can imitate ex- adly the notes of feveral birds, fuch as the goldfinch, the linnet, the canary, &c. and even the chirping of young chickens, and the love- fquall of the flie^cati; in fliort, every found adapted to its organs, and imprefled in its tender age. To have good fingers, we muft, according to Olina, take the young calandres from the neft, at leaft before the firft moult, and preferring thofe efpecially which are hatched in Auguft. We begin with a parte mixed partly with fheep's heart, and afterwards add feeds and crumbs of bread, taking care always to ky rubbifti in the cage for whetting their bill, and alfo fand for them to welter in when teafed with vermin. But, in fpite of all our attention, we fhall derive little pleafure the firft year ; for the calandre is flowly faihioned into habits of flavery. In the beginning, we fhould even pinion their wings, and inftead of the top of the cage we Ihould fubftitute a fpread canvafs J. But after they are reconciled to their fituation, and have acquired the proper bias, they will fing in- ceflantly, grow fo fond of repeating their own warble, or that of other birds, as foon to neglcd their food §. * AlJrovandus. f Olina. % Idem. J Gefner. . The THE CALANDUE, or LARGE LARK. 49 The male is larger, and blacker round the Ineck; the female has only a very narrow collar *. Some inllead of a collar have a large ! black fpace, and fuch was the one that we have figured. — The calandre neftles on the ground like the common lark, under a grafly tuft, and lays four or five eggs. Olina adds, that it lives only four or five years, and confequently is far from gaining the age of the fky-lark. Belon conjedures that it forms flocks like the laft, and fubjoins that it is never feen in France, unlefs it be brought hither : but this aflertion relates only to Mans and the contiguous provinces; for the fpecies is frequent in Provence, where it is called coulajfade on account of its black collar, and where it is ufually bred for the fake of its fong. With regard to Germany, Poland, Swe- den, and the other northern countries, it feems not to vifit them. It is found in Italy, in the Pyrenees, and in Sardinia ; and laftly. Dr. Ruf- fel informed Edwards, that it was common near Aleppo ; and Edwards gives a coloured figure * Edwards. — ^The perfon who communicated this ob- fcrvation to Mr. Edwards, had a method of dillinguiniing the male from the female, in fmall birds. It was to lay* them on their back, and blow up their breaft : when the bird was a female, the feathers parted on each fide, leaving the breaft bare. But this method is not ceitain except in the feafon of hatching. Gtftm: Vol. V. E of I K ' n^ \m so THE CALANDRE, or LARGE LARK. of a true calandre, which came, it is faid, from Carolina. Itfelf or its progenitors might have been driven acrofs the Atlantic by the fury of the winds, and in that w^arm climate it would thrive and become naturalized. Adanfon regards the calandre as intermediate between the fky-lark and the thrufh : but this analogy muft be reftrided to the plumage and the external form ; for the habits of the calandre and of the thruQi arc very different, efpecially in the mode of conftruding their nefts. Total length, feven inches and a quarter ; the bill, nine lines ; the tail, two inches and one- third, confifting of twelve quills, of which the two outer pairs are edged with white, the third pair tipt with the fame colour, the intermediate pair brownifh gray, and all the reft black; I thefe quills projed a few lines beyond the wings : the hind toe meafures ten lines. [A] [A] Specific chara£ler of the Alauda-Calandra : " lit outcrmoft tail quill is externally entirely white, the fecond and third are tipt with white ; there is a brown ftripe on the breaft." FOREIGN faid, from night have he fury of te it would ntermediatc [h: but this lumage and the calandre t, efpecially quarter ; the es and one- Df which the ite, the third intermediate : reft black; beyond the ines. [A] ]alandra: " It« ite, the fecond rown ftripe on FOREIGN FOREIGN BIRDS ^ ANALOGOUS TO THE CALANDRE-LARK. L THE CAPE-LARK. I La Cravate Jaune, ou Calandre du Cap de Bonne Elpc- rance. Alauda Capenfis, Linn, b* Bnff. I DID not fee the individual from which the figure in the Planches EnluminL's was drawn, but I have examined feveral others of [the fame fpecies. In general, the upper fide of [the head is brown in the males, variegated with jray; the throat and the top of the neck, beau- tiful orange ; and the collar is edged with black through the whole verge of its circumference: the fame orange forms alfo a fort of eyebrows, md is fcattered in finall fpots on the little coverts dF the wing, and on its anterior border, whofe largin it defines : the breaft is variegated with )rown, gray, and blackifh ; the belly and loins, /ith orange rufous ; the under fiirface of the 111, grayilh ; the quills of the tail of a brown baft, but the four outer pairs are edged and ter- minated with white ; the quills of the wings kown, and alfo edged, the large ones with yel- E 2 low, :i' i ^■' 'm'I 'P' s* FOREIGN BIRDS 'J } 'iVl Mr' 3>i!i rft*' if ■■:i 1 1; ,ri<. \'>'^. low, and the middle ones with gray : laftly, tlic bill and feet are of a brown gray, varioufly in- tenfe. In two females which I obferved, the collar was not orange, but light rufous ; the breaft fpeckled wiih brown on the fame ground, which became more intenfe as it retired from the fore part ; laftly, the upper fur face of the body was more variegated, becaufe the feathers were edged with a lighter gray. Total length, feven inches and a half; the bill, ten lines ; the alar extent, eleven inches and a half; the hind toe, including the nail, longer than the middle toe ; the tail, two inchei| and a half, fomewhat forked, confifting oiM twelve quills, and exceeding the wings by lif|| teen lines. — I faw and meafured a fpecimetil which was an inch longer than the above, and! all its other dimenfions were proportionally^ large. [A] [A] Specific charafter of the AlauJa Capevfis : " Iti three lateral tail quills are tipt with white ; its throi; is yellow margined with black j its eyebrows are yel- low." ^;r >i ai. THE ANALOGOUS to the CAL ANDRE-LARK. 53 II. THE SHORE-LARK. Le HaufTc-Col Noir, ou I'Alouette de Virginie, Buff. Alauda Alpcllris, Linn. IS Gmel. Alaudii Virginiana, Briff. Alauda Gutture Flavo, Cate/by. I RANGE this American lark befide the preceding, to which it is much akin : it differs however by its climate, by its magnitude, and by fome accidents of its plumage. It fome- times enters Germany in the time of fnow ; for which reafoii, Frifch terms it the winter lark. But we muft not confound it with the lulu, which, according to Gel'ner, might bear the fame appellation, fince it appears when the ground is bur'ed with fnow. Frifch fays that it is little known in Germany, and that the place of its retreat is not afcertained. Thefe fhore-larks are alfo caught fometimcs in the neighbourhood of Dantzic, with other birds, in the months of April and December, and one of them lived feveral months in a cage. Klein prefumes that they had been driven by a guft of wind from North America into Nor- way, or the countries ftill nearer the pole, whence they would eafily pafs into milder climates. It appears too that they are birds of paflage : E 3 for 54 FOREIGN BIRDS ^1 for we learn from Catelby, that they are feen in Virginia and Carolina only in winter, ad- vancing from the north in great flocks ; and that in the fpring they return by the fame route. Daring their flay they frequent the downs, and feed upon the oat which grows among the fand *. This lark is of the bulk of the ordinary fort, and its fong is nearly the fame. The upper fide of its body is brown ; its bill black ; its eyes placed on a yellow bar that rifes from the bafe of its bill J its throat and the reft of its neck of the fame colour ; and this yellow is partly ter- minated on each fide by a black bar, which, rifing from the corners of the mouth, palTes under the eyes, and reaches the middle of the neck; it is terminated below the neck by a fort of collar or black gorget : the breaft and all the under fide of the body are of a deep ftraw colour. Total length, fix inches and a half; the bill, feven lines ; the hind toe and nail ftill longer than in our lark ; the tail, two inches and a half, a little forked, compofed of twelve quills, and exceeding the wings ten or twelve lines. [A] [A] Specific chara£ler of the Jlauda Alpeflrls : " Its tail quills are white the half of their infide ; its throat yel- ^ low i the ftripe under its eyes, and on its breaft, black." * Uniola Panicub, Linn. * »» III. THE ANALOGOUS to the CAL ANDRE-LARK, jj in. THE BROWN-CHEEKED PENN- SYLVANIAN LARK. Alauda Rubra, Gme!. Alauda Pennfylvanica, BriJJ'. The Red Lark, Pmn. Ss* Lath. THIS is a migratory lark common to [both continents: for Bartram, who fent the fpecimen to Edwards, wrote, that it appears in Pennfylvania in the month of March, and is lot feen after the end of May, but advances lorthward ; and, on the other hand, Edwards Found it in the vicinity of London. This bird is of the fize of the meadow-lark : its )ill is thin, pointed, and of a deep brown colour ; fts eyes brown, edged with a lighter tint, and Turrounded by an oval brown fpot, which de- jfcends on the cheeks, and bounded by a zone, ?hich is partly white and partly bright fulvous, dl the upper fide of its body is dull brown, ex- cept the two outer quills of its tail, which are ^hite; its neck, its breaft, and all the under [ide of its body, of a reddifh fulvous fpeckled ath brown : its feet and nails are deep brown, pke its bill : its hind nail is very long, but not iuite fo long as in the fky-lark, A peculiarity E^ of -1 IT 1 1 ,1. ' .' ! _^ r ' ■¥' 56 FOREIGN BIRDS, &c. of this fpecies is, that wh^n the wing is clofed, the third quill reckoning from the body reaches the end of the longed quills; which, according to Edwarde, is an invariable character of the wagtails. But this is not the only point of analogy between the larks and the wagtails; for we have before feen that the meadow and tit-larks have a fimilar fhake in their tails. [A] [A] Specific chara£ler of the Alauda Rubra: "It is brown, the fpace about its eyes black, its two outermoft tail ijuills white." i I \:'. TH! C S7 1 THE MARSH-LARK. La Rouffeline, ou I'Alouette de Marais, Buff. Alauda Mofellana, Gmgl* Rubra: "It is s two outermoft THIS lark, which is found in Alface, is of a middle fize between the fky-lark and the tit-lark. The upper part of its head and body is varied with rufous and brown ; the fides of the head, rufty, marked with three brown ftripes that are almoft parallel, and of "which the higheft pafles below the eye: ihe throat is of a very light rufous ; the bread of a deeper rufous, and fprinkled with little brown fpots ; the belly, and the lower coverts of the tail, light rufous; the quills of the tail and wings blackifli, and edged with the fame ru- fous J the bill and feet yellowifli. Like many other fpecies of this kind, the marlh-lark begins its fong at dawn, which, ac- cording to Rzacynlki, is exceedingly pleafant. Its name fhews that it haunts wet fituations : it often frequents the fandy margin of the Mofelle, and fometimes breeds on its banks, * Rzacynfki terms it the Pine-lark ; in Polifli, Skow- nnek Bormoy, near it THE M A R S fl - L A R K. 1 ■ ' ,; L 1' ■■•1 '' 1 1 ■ if J' i..'l; si H! ■ 1 near Metz, where it appears annually ia Odober ; at which time a few are caught. Mauduit told me of a rufous lark, in which the feathers on the upper part of the body were tipt with white, and alfo the lateral quills of the tail : this is probably a variety of the marfli-lark. Total length, fix inches and a quarter ; the bill, eight lines ; the iarfus, an inch ; the hind toe, three lines and a half, fomewhat curved ; the tail, two inches and a quarter, and exceeds the wings by eighteen lines. [A] [A] Specific clm-.ader of the M;irfii-lark, Jlau'la MofA. Ittna : " It is rufous, below rufous while ; its cheeks and bread marked with bi-own lines j its tail black, with a rufous margin." 1 '»!!■ IT'. &;, THE t< i I K. C 59 3 innually in :aught. i, in which L' body were al quills of iety of the uarter ; the 1 ; the hind \p.i curved; md exceeds J!a.tJa Mofel- ts cheeks and , with a rufouj THE SIBERIAN LARK. La Ccinture dc Pretre, ou I'Alouette dc Siberie, Bujf. Alauda Flava, Gmel. OF all the birds denominated larks, this is the moft confpicuous for beauty of plu- mage. Its throat, its face, and the fides of its head, are of a pleafant yellow, which is fet off by a black fpot between the eye and the bill, that joins to another larger one immediately below the eye : its breaft is ornamented with a broad black girdle : the reft of the under furface of its body is whitifli; the fides a little yellowilh, variegated with deeper fpots ; the upper part of its head and body variegated with rufty and dun gray ; the fuperior coverts of its tail yellowifh, and its quills blackifh, edged with gray, except the outermoft, which are white ; the wing quills gray, finely edged with a blacker colour : the fuperior coverts are of the fame gray, bordered/ with rufty ; the bill and feet leaden gray. This bird was fent from Siberia, where it is ftill not common. — The navigator John Wood fpeaks of fmall birds like larks feen at Nova Zembla : THE do THE SIBERIAN LARK. I I ^ Zembla*: thele are probably of the fame fpecies, fince both prefer an ardtic climate. — ■ Laftly, in the Fauna Rujjica I find the Alauda Tungujiica aurita^ or the crefted lark of Tun- gufe, a nation which borders on Siberia. But we ftill want obfervations to aflign ihefe birds their true place. Total length, five Inches and three quarters j the bill, iix or feven lines ; the nail, five lines and a half; the tail two inches, compofed of twelve quills, and exceeding the wings an inch. m 1^. 1 'I .-r sm.h '•;m. * Hill. Gen. des Voyages, t. xv. p. 167. FOREIGN C 6i 3 FOREIGN BIRDS WHICH ARE RELATED TO THE LARK. I. THE RUFOUS LARK, La Varlole, Btif. Alauda Rufa, Gme/. COMMERSON brought this beautiful little bird from the country watered by the c/ela Plata, The upper furface of its head and body is blackiih, prettily variegated with different rufous tints : the fore part of its neck is mailed with the fame; its throat, and all the under fur- face of its body, whitifh ; the quills of its tail brown, the eight middle ones edged with light rufous, and the two outer pairs edged with white; the great quills of the wings gray, and the mludle ones brown, all edged with rufty colour ; the bill brown, grooved near the point; the feet yellowifh. Total length, five inches and a quarter ; the bill, eight lines ; the tarfus, feven or eight lines ; the hind toe, three lines, and its nail four lines ; the tail, twenty lines, fomewhat forked, con- 3 fifting r M> . 1 .,| ■^■,.1, if. "l; ; ■ . 1 ■,'l f.l' J. 62 FOREIGN BIRDS fifling of twelve quills, exceeding the wingS by an inch. [A] [A] Specific charafter of the J/auda Rufa : " Its tail quills are brown ; the eight mid ones rufty at the edge, die outermoft white at the edge." II. THE CINEREOUS LARK. La Cendrille, Buff. Alauda Cinerea, Gmel. I HAVE feen the figure of a lark from the Cape of Good Hope, in which the throat and all the under part of the body were white, the upper part of the head rufous, and a fort of cap with a border of white ftretching from the bafe of the bill beyond the eyes : on each fide of the neck was a rufous fpot edged with black above j the upper furface of the neck and body, cinereous; the fuperior coverts of the wings, and their middle quills, gray ; the large quills black, and fo were thofe of the tail. Total length, five inches; the bill, eight lines; the nail of the hind toe ftraight and pointed, and equal to the toe ; the tail, eighteen or m ■3 RELATED TO THE LARK. 62 the wings ufa : « Its tall f at the edge, ARK. rk from the iroat and all white, the a fort of cap :om the bafe ach fide of with black :k and body, I wings, and quills black, bill, eight ftraight and :ail, eighteen or )r twenty lines, and projecting nine lines be- [yond the wings. Is there any analogy between this bird and !the cinereous lark which Dr. Shaw faw in [plenty near Biferta, which is the ancient Utica? ?Both thefe birds are natives of Africa; but the diftance is prodigious from the ccafts of the Mediterranean to the Cape of Good Hope ; .and the cinereous lark of Biferta is not fuffi- [ciently known to permit us to decide its fpecies. 'May it not be related to the Senegal lark ? [A] [A] Specific chara£ler of the Alanda Chicrca: ** It is cinereous ; its belly and vent white j the quills of its wings , and tail brown, the outennoll externally white near the [tip." III. THE AFRICAN LARK. Le Sirli du Cap do Bonne ECpcrance, BtiJ'. Alauda Africana, Gmcl, IF this bird feem to dlfFer from the larks by • /the curvature of its bill, it approaches them ' ' |lill more by the length of its hind nail. ^ All the upper furflice is variegated with hades of brown, rufous, and white j tlie coverts )f the wings, their quills, and thofe of the tail, 3 brown ■ '•■si' Ill 'if-: ill 'I'. 'I' ;:"•■'! \'^- m 64 FOREIGN BIRDS, &c. brown edged with whitifli, fome having a double border, the one whitifh and the other rufty ; all the inferior part of the body whitifli, fprinkled with blackifti fpots ; the bill black, and the feet brown. Total length, eight inches ; the bill, one inch 5 the tarjm, thirteen lines; the hind toe, four lines, and its nail feven lines, ftraight and pointed ; the tail, about two lines and a half, confiding of twelve quills, and projeding eighteen lines be- yond the wings. .<■? *'!i- ^;f . TH£ Sec. ne having a ind the other body whitifli, )ill black, and )ill, one inch; oe, four lines, and pointed; ", confifting of teen lines be- S' ■■i Till m > ii iL, ' '1 r MM, . I :ii! r 4 Ii-;'' * ,vi :.i-|: J{V/^ « ' f: THE rKEST'RJ> XAKK. C 6$ 3 THE CRESTED LARK. Le Cochevis, ou la Grofle Alouette Huppee, Buff. Alauda Criftata, Linn. Gniel. Brtm. Kram. Wilt, Klein* Brijf. i*f Brown. Lodola Capelluta, Olin. ts' Zinn.* HE creft is, according to Belon, com- pofed of four large feathers ; but Olina ^ fays there are four or fix, and others increafa the number even to twelve i. Naturalifts agree too better with regard to its pofition and ftrue- |ure: fome affertthat it is always eredt J; others ^llege that the bird raifes or deprefles it, con- Ariftotle calls it Ko^i/3«X«j Xo^ov £X«<''<«> *• e. the Helmet^ rk having a crejl. Pliny terms it Galerita, and Varro Ga- itus; both derived from Ga/erus, a furred cap, whofe irimitive is Galea, a helmet. in Italian, it has the names Lodola Capelluta^ Capelina, varellay and Ciperina. In German, it is called Heide-lerche, Baum-Jerche, Holtz- •che, or the Heath-larky the Tree-lark, the Wood^arky the 'ay-lark. ~n Danifli, it is termed Top-laerka and Vei-laerke. he French appellation Cochevis is a contraftlon for Coq' ^age^ or Cock's-face ; becaufe the tuft refcmbles fomewhat a cock's comb. fWillughby. ^: Turner. i Vol. V. F trads IM^l ■ t. • \\ m €6 THE CRESTED LARK. trafts or expands it, at pleafure * : nor can wo decide whether this difference ought to be ini- puted to the climate, as Turner hints, or to tlie age, the fex, or other modifying caules. The crcfted lark is a bird of little timidity, fays Belon, which feems pleafed at the fight of man, and begins to fing when he comes near it. It lives in the meadows and fields, on the fides of ditches and the backs of furrows : it is often feen at the margin of water, and on thi: high-roads, where it picks its fubfiftence from the korfe-dung, efpecially in winter. Frifch tells us, that it is found alfo in the Ikirts of the woods, perched on a tree ; but this feldom occurs, and ftili more rarely is it difcovercd in the heart of forefls. If fometimes refts on houfe-iops, the walls of abbeys, &c. This lark, though not fo common as the Iky- lark, is however fpread through the moft of Europe, if not in the northern parts. It ii found in Italy, according to Olina j in France, accord'ng to Belon ; in Germany, according to Willughby ; in Poland, according to Rzacyn&i; and in Scotland, according to Sibbald : but I doubt whether it inhabit Sweden, fince Lin* nxus does not mention it in his Fauna Succica, The creftcd lark changes not its abode in winter j but Belon was hafty in fufpeding the Willughhy and Biinbn. tex: . R K. THE CRESTED LARK. 6j nor can wo ;ht to be ini- hints, or to ng caul'es. ttle timidity, t the fight of ; comes near fields, on the furrows : it is r, and on the tcnce from the Frifch tells us, :)f the woods, n occurs, and n the heart of oufe-tops, the on as the fky- the moft of parts. It ii ; in France, , according to toRzacynflii; ibbald ; but I n, fmce Lin* Fauna Succia : its abode in fufpeding the text of Ariftotle, fincc it is only faid that bird iconceals itfelf in that feafon, and furely it ialefs een in winter than in fummer *. The fong of the males is loud, yet fo mellow and pleafant, that a fick perfon can bear it in his chamber f . — In order to make them fing at all times indifcriminately, they are fhut up in cages : their warble is ordinarily accompanied by a quivering of the wings. They are the firfl to hail I'ae return of fpring, and to chant the appearance of the morning, particularly when the air is calm and clear ; and fometimes I they warble during ^he night J : for fine weather exhilarates and infpires congenial notes; but clouds and rain opprefs their fpirits, and occa- , fion languor and gloomy filence. They gene* |ral!y fing till the end of September.— As thefe |birds are with difficulty habituated to confine- ,nient, and as they live only a ihort time in the age, it is proper to fet them at liberty each ,^ear in tlie end of June, which is the time when hey ceafe to fing ; and to truft to the catching -^ others the following fpring. And though ui bird be dilmifled, its mufic may be pre- rved ; for, if it be put befide a young fky-lark : a young canary, they will foon learn to mitate it §. * W7,f . . , . ^xogvhi. Hifi.Anim, lib. vui. i6. t Iraite du Serin, p. 43. X FriCh. ^ Idem. F» But 68 THE C R r S T E D LARK. m i: ■i^ ! .i IKl .- But befides the excellence of his warble, the male is diftinguiflied by the ftrength of his bill, the bignefs of his head, and by a larger (hare of black on his breafl: *. He conduds his amours in the fame way as the (ky-lark ; only, by reafon of the fmalier numbers, he is obliged to defcribe a more fpacious circle in ihe air. The fcmak conftruds her neft like the com- mon lark, bur ofteneft near the highways : ihe lays four or Mve eggs, and takes little concern in hatching them. It is even faid that a very moderate warmth, aided by the fun's rays, h fufFu^ient for the purpofe 1; but after the young are excluded, they awaken her tendernefs by their repeated cries, and fl^e then provides for them with a maternal attir^lion till they are flown. Frifch fays, that they breed twice a year, and prefer to neflle in junipers : but this re- mark is chiefly adapted to the climate of Ger- 'any. The early education of the young fueceeds eafily, but they are always more difficult to be ftipported afterwards ; and it is uncf mmon, as I * Ollii.i. f As tlicfe nells nro niatle on tlie ground, fome ignorant iMcdulous poilon m;iy liavc fccn a toad befide them, or even on the eggs ; and hence rhe fable, that the crcfted and fomo other fpecics of laiks entruftcd the toads with the bufmefs •M' incubation. have K. arble, the ,f his bill, :r (hare of is amours by reafou [o defcribe ; the corn- ways : (he le concern ;hat a very 's rays, u the young idernefs by rovides for I they are :e a year, It this re- te of Ger- ig fueceeds icult to be Immon, as I Ifome ignorant Ithem, or even ted and fomc the bufmefs THECRESTED LARK. 69 have afTerted on the authority of Frifch, to prc- ferve them aUve in the cage for a whole year. And even when we give them the food that agrees beft with them, which is ants* eggs, ox and (beep's hearts minced down, bruifed hemp- feed and millet, we muft be careful, in intro- ducing the little balls into the throat, not to derange the tongue, which might prove fatal. Autumn is the proper feafon to lay fnares for thefe birds ; and then great numbers in plump condition are caught on the verge of the forefts. I Frifch obferves, that they may be decoyed by the call, which the fky-larks are proof againll. The other differences are thefe : The crefted lark never conforts in flocks ; its plumage is lefs varied and more white; its bill is longer, and its tail and wings Ihorter ; it does not mount fo high in the air, is lefs able to ftruggle with the winds, and returns fooner to the ground. In other properties, the two fpecies are alike, and ven with regard to the period of their lives, hen not abridged by the conftraints of flavery. Upon the whole, it appears that, of all the arks, the crefted, notwithftanding the attach- ent it is faid to (hew to man, has the moft ndependent difpofition, and recoils from the omeftic ftate. It lives folitary, to efcape per- aps the reftraints of the focial condition.— F 3 - How- have IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) A^ 1.0 1.1 i^y^ |2.5 |5o '■^" HMl u Hi ^ l^fi 12.0 im 1-25 U III 1.6 ^ 6" ► Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WBT MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. I4SI0 (7l6)t72-4S03 \ k*^' %^ <^ m , "»:h fo THE CRESTED LARK. However, it can forget its native warble*, and is foon taught other airs, which it repeats without blending or confufion +. In the fubjed obferved by Wiliughby, the tongue was broad and rather forked, the caca extremely fhort, and the gall-bladder of a dull blueifh green, which that naturalift attributes to fome accidental caufe. Aldrovandus gives the figure of an aged crefted lark. Its bill was white round the bafe ; the back cinereous ; the under fide of the body whitifti, and alfo the breaft whitifh, though dotted with brown ; the wings almoft entirely white, and the tail black. The crefted lark has other enemies befides man : the fmalleft of the rapacious birds at- tack it, and Albertus faw one devoured by a raven. It dreads its ravenous foes fo much as to throw itfelf at the mercy of the fowler, or remain motionlefs in a furrow till it be caught by the hand. • The crefted lark is the only one perhaps that may be inftrudted in the fpace of a month. It repeats an air whiftled to it, even when fleeping with its head under its wing ', but its voice is very feeble. f «* The crefted lark can learn many airs perfe£Hy, which the canary cannot. . . . Befides, it retains nothing of its na- tive warble. . . . And this tlie canary can never lay afide." TfaJte du Strin de Candrle, p. 43, edit. 1707. Total •f. \ I 1 :% ■ '%. THE CRESTED LARK. 71 Total length, fix inches and three quarters ; the bill, eight or nine lines ; the hind toe with the nail the longed of all, and meafuring nine or ten lines; the alar extent, ten or eleven inches; the tail two inches and a quarter, compofed of twelve quills, and exceeding the wings by thirteen lines. [A] [A] Specific charafter of the Crefted Lark, Alauda Crif- tata : " Its tail quills Mack, the two outermoft white at their exterior edge } its bead crefted ; its feet black.'* Iti egg is aih'Coloured, with numerous dingy brown fpoti. F4 THE C 71 3 iii^"^ THE LESSER CRESTED LARK. liC Lulu, ou la Petite Alouette Huppcc. Alauda Nemorofa, Gmel. Alauda Criftata Minor, Kny. Will. 55* Brif. Alauda CriftatcUa, Latk. Ltd.* \lf\ THE chief difference between this and the preceding confifts in its inferior fize : its plumage is alfo lighter j its feet reddilh ; and its cry, which is difagreeable, is never uttered except when it flies f . It is likewife diftinguifli- ed by its mimicking oddly the fongs of other birds X : they are not folitary, but rove through the fields in bodies § : the tuft confifts of fea- ther: proportionally longer than in the crefted lark II . This bird is found in Italy, in Auftria, in Poland, in Silefia, and in the northern counties of England, as in Yorkfhire, &c. but its name appears not i '\e catalogue of birds that inha- bit Sweden. • Gefner fays that its name Lulu is formed in imitation of its cry, /w, / • C 78 3 '■ , r Ui THE NIGHTINGALE, liC Rodlgnol, if«^. Motai illa-liufciniii, Llfi/i. t*f Gntel. Lufciiiia, 1-rUl. Ray. Sil'b. Briff &c. Sylvia-Lufcinia, Lath, bid.'* ''I^O every perfon whofe ear is not totally -L infcnlible to melody, the name of night- ingale muil recall the charms of thofe loft evenings in fpring, when the air is ftill and fe- rene, and all nature fcems to liften to the fong- fter of the grove. Other birds, the larks, the canaries, the chaffinches, the petty-chaps, the linnets, the goldfmches, the blackbirds, the Ame- rican mocking-birds, excel in the feveral parts v.hich they perform i : but the nightingale com- bines i%.f'. • In CJrcfk, tlic nightingale has been ftyled by pre-emi- nence A))Jwv, from «ti3w, to ling : in Hebrew, its name is fuppofeil to be Trachmas : in Arabic, Enondony Audotiy Odor- briji. Its Latin appellation Ltifcinia is of uncertain derive tioii ; that of Philomela is rather poetic, and fignifies a low rffong : in Italian, Roffignuoloy U/cig/iiiilo : in Spanifli, Ru- iljhiol : in Gtrman, Nachitgaly Docrllngy Tagfchla'eger : \& Dutcli, Nachfcgacl : in Danifli, Nntlergal. The Englift name is formed from the Saxon word galariy to (ing. f '♦ I have happened,'* fays Mr. Bariington, "toheartlie 5 America:. I S M'l20 TIG.l.THK NIGHTIHrfiALE . MO.a . THE «EDSTAKT. ,1 ■'■I "^■y, 'Jf} ^Q ' THE NIGHTINGALE. 79 h'uip.s tlic whole, and joins fwectnefs of tone v.Uli variety and extent of execution, liis notes alfumc each diverfity of charader, and receive every change of inoduhilion ; not a part is repeated without variation ; and the attention is kept perpetually awake, and charmed by the endlefs flexibility of drains. The leader of the vernal chorus begins the prelude with a low and timid voice, and he prepares for the hymn to nature by cH'aying his powers and attuning his organs f: by degrees the found opens and fvvclls ; it burfts with loud and vivid flaflies ; I. American mockin it flows with fmooth volubility ; it faints and murmurs ; it (hakes with rapid and violent ar- ticulations : the foft breathings of love and joy- are poured from his inmoft foul, and every heart beats unifon, and melts with delicious languor. But this continual richnefs might fa- tiate the- ear. The firains are at times relieved by paufes *, which beftow dignity and eleva- tion. The mild filence of evening heightens the general effed, and not a rival interrupts the folemn fcene. The nightingale excels all birds in the foft- nafs and mellovvnefs, and alfo in the duration of its warble, which fomelimes lafts without interruption twenty minutes. Barrington reckons fixteen diftinft notes between the higheft and lowefl keys, and finds that its fong fills a circle of a mile in diameter, which is equal to the power of the human voice. Mr. J. Hunter difcovered that the mufcles of the larynx are fironger in this fpecies than in any other, and even that they were ftrongeft in the male, which alone fings. Ariftotle, and after him Pliny, affirms that • The Engllfli bird-catchers, ve are told by Mr. Bar- rington, give thefe names to fomc ot" the nightingale's notes : Sivet't, Siveet jugy 'Ju^ fivcet^ Water bubble^ Pipe rattle y Bell pipe, Scroty, Sifgy Skeg, /^^p-, Snvat fwat ftvatyy Whitlow, tuhitloivj 'whitlowy from fomt dillant affinity to the words. the i 'r.-t; •r HE NIGHTINGALE. Ill m affirms that i die fong of the nightingale hifls in its full vigour for fifteen days and nights, without intermiflion, at the time when the trees expand their foliage. But this muft be reftrided to the wild nightin- gales, and even thefs are not always filent before and afier the period afiigned ; indeed, they fing then with mod animation and con- ftancy. They generally begin in the month of April, and ceafe not until June, about the time of the folftice. Their filence is greateft when the young are excluded from the eggs, and abforb their attention in providing food. The tame nightingales fmg during fix months, and their warble has not only more extent, but is more perfectly formed : whence Barrington infers, that in this fpecies, as well as in many others, tlie mile does not chant with the view of amuilng the female, or of relieving the tedium of incubation ; a conclufion which is entirely juft and w^ell founded. The female hatches from inftindt ; fhe is prompted by a palTion flronger than love itfelf \ and, in that occupation, (lie muft feel a pleafure, which, though we cannot conceive it, muft be exquifite, and needs no folace. The male is the moft: powerfully ftimulated to court the joys of love, and warble his amorous tales ; and the opening flufti of fpring inflames his ardent defires. When the nightingale is confined, his wants are fup- plied and anticipated, and he enjoys the vernal Vol. V. G mild- m li m ' ("'■ ;: ■" i 82 THE NIGHTINGALE, mildncfs through the greater part of the year ; every thnig concurs to fofter his paflion, and the melody of his fong ceafes only for a fhort interval. Sucli Is aifo the cafe with thofe which are caught after tliey are grown up; within a few hours they often refume their warble, in all its richnefs of cxprefTion ; no longer is it limited bv the tranl'ient feafons. But the love of liberty is not extinguifhed in their bo- fom : for the fiift week, they can hardly fupport their foilorn condition ; they mu(l be pinioned and fed. However, their pafiion for warbling in the end furmounts every defponding recol- lection. The fong of other birds, the mufic of inftruments, the accents of a fweet and fonorous voice, powerfully awaken their languid powers. They are eagerly attracted by fweet founds, and feem particularly fond of duos; which fliews that they are not inienfible to the effedls of har- mony. But they are not filent auditors ; they ftrike the unifon, and ftiive to eclipfe their rivals. It is faid that a nightingale dropped dead at the feet of a perfon who fung; another fretted, fwcll- cd its throat, and murmured difcontent when- ever a canary, which w^as befide it, began to chant, till at laft, by its menaces, it filenced its competitor*. — Real fuperiority is not always exempt * NoteofM.de Fancourtf Advocate. M. le Moinc, trca- furcr of France, :U Dijon, who takes plcafurc in raifing nightin* '■'■Wmi'- U) \v'! I iind irrci.-\dar as 10 frar bcy(^nd evc! y oonliraliir ff mcth.od : Ivjt flill tr.ore dif- ficui' i'. vvould !;'.', to iiidtate v.itli a dead iiiflrii- nu-nnh. cNprelhcn oft'^.e nightingale, his tender fij;!is, and ids nulting accents. Tiic animated t!rp;a:i of v.iije can alone afpire to the mnfic of n^iture ; aj.d the rare accomplifliment of a foft, dear, flexi!)le, fonorous tone, of a delicate and difcerniri'r ear, and of an exquKlte fenfdjility, will foinetimes fuccecd. I knew two perfons, wh ), thongh they had not noted a fmgle bar, imitated t!ie whole extent of the nightingale's warble, and foacciiratel v as to deceive the hearer: they were two men, who rather whirled than iung : tiie one whillkd fo foftly, that it was im- pollible to perceive the motion of his lips ; the other blew with more force, and his attitnde was fomewhat conrtrained, though his imitation was flill perfecf. A few years ago, there was a man at London who attradlcd the nightingales with his fongj infomuch that they alighted on ^ 3 him, m ■ill M 8(5 THE NIGHTINGALE. •■K ,„..i; I * '>. ;i- ':!■'' ■ 4* him, and allowed themfelves to be caught by the hand*. But though few can imitate the nightingale, .every perfoii is eager to enjoy its long. It is a domeftic of a capricious humour, which neither cheerfulnefs nor aficd.it. n can dircd. It muft be treated with tendernefs, and fupplicd abun- dantly with the food it likes : the v.alls Ihould be painted with verdure, and (haded and enrich- ed with foliage ; niofs fhould be Ibewed beneath its feet ; it mud be guarded againfl: cold, and from troubkfome vihts t ; and every illufion muft be employed to dilpel the gloom of captivity. Such prccaut'ons will fucceed. If an old one is caught in the beginning of fpring, it will fmg in feven or eight days, or even fooner ijl, and will renew Its warble every year, in the month of May and the end of December. If young ones of tie firll: hatch are educated, they will begin to c'lant as loon as they can eat by themlelves ; their voice will rife and form by degrees, and attain its full perfection about the * Aimtial Rcgr/ier, for 1764. AldrcvaiiduSy p. 783. " There are peiions, -wlio, putting water into tranfverfe reeds, and blowing intu an apertmc, imitate the found per- fedily." /V-v.j', lib. x. 29. f It is even recommended to clean it fcldom when it fings. X Thofc which are taken after the 15th of May fing feldom the re!l of the feafuti. Thuft- which fing not in a fortnig!;t will never fing, and arc often females. end :i''l' E. aught by l^ht'ingale, V. It is a :h neither It muft lied iibun- aUs Ihould nd enrich- ed beneatli cold, and ry illuiion gloom of ucceed. If r of fpring, '8, or even every year, njcember. It .icated, they r can eat by nd form by jn about the induSj p. 783. into tvanfverfe ; the louncl per- 'eklom when it THE NIGHTINGALE. 87 end of December. Their warble is much fupe- rior to that of the wild nightingales, and will flow each day of the year, except in the feafon of moulting. They will appropriate the notes of other birds, through imitation or rivallhip*, and they willeven chant the ftiffairs of a niglitingale- plp'e. They may be inftrucled even to ling by turns with a cliorus, and repeat their couplet at the proper time. They may be alfo taught to fpeak any language. Tlie fons of the empe- ror Claudius had fome nightin52;alcs that fpokc Greek and Latin + . But what Pliny fubjoins is more marvellous; that thefe birds prepared tvery day new expreflions, and even of conli- ilerable length, with which they entertained ^ their mailers 1[.. The arts of flattery might t work upon the undcrftandings of young princes ; but a philofopher like Pliny ought not to have credited fuch a ftory, nor have publifhed it under the fandlion of his name. Several authors accordingly, refting on the authority of the Roman naturaUft, have amplified the marvellous tale. Gefner, among others, quotes a letter ffrom a perfon of credit (as we Ihall find), who mentions two nightingales belonging to an inn- I keeper at Ratifbon which palFed the night dif- * Pliny, lib. iv. 9. & lib. x. 29. f Pliny, lib. x. 42. I Thefe young princes were Drufus and Britannicus, G 4 courfiog 'It f;.' ii - ^ m .•I'!' Vi '■( .■ii 88 THE NIGHTINGALE. courfing in Gcnnnii on tlie pcJitical interefls of Eurc)i)e; on the events already happened, and on ihnle vvhic h niiglit he cxpeded, aiul which adually look place. It is true that the autlior of tlie letter endeavours to render tlic flory more probable, by telling us tliat the birds only repealed what they heard of fome oflicciG, or deputies from the Diet, who frequented the tavern; but (lill the vvliole is fo abfurd as to merit no ferious nluiation. 1 have faid that the old jirifoncrs had two feafons for fmging ; tlie months of May and December. But licre art interferes, and agai:i diverts tlie courie of nature. The chan.ber is darkened, and the birds are fijent. If the lij.^lit be reftored by dcg-rces, it will produce the effccl: of fpring, and the niglitingalf s will rcfume their warble. If v.e have a fiiliicicnt number of old fingers, we may, by iucccilive maiucuvres, and by haftening or retarding the time of moulting, be entertained v/ith continual melody. SonVv of the young birds which are railed, fing dur- ing the night ; but moil of them begin to chant at eight or nine of the morning, in the winter folftice, and gradually earlier as tiie days lengthen. One would hardly believe that a fonj^ i'o ^ varied as that of the nightingale is confined within the narrow limits of a fingle odavc; yet this is afctrtained by an obferver of inter- inatior. '4 m -!!■?• THE NIGHTINGALE. 89 »me ofriCLTG, ibiurd as to lorninij, in the mation and tafte*. He remarks indeed, that iome tones fhoot like a gleam to the lecond odave; but thefe are accidental, and occafioned by violent efforts of voice, as when a perfon happens to blow into a flute with excefllve fcrce, lie jiroduces Ibunds uncommonly flirill. Though flow in acciuiring it, the nightingale is iiillcptible of an unfliaken attachment. It difliuguilhcs the fl;ep of its mailer, and wel- comes his approach with the mufic of joy ; and even in the moulting feafon, it idly itrains its enfeebled organs to exprefs the warmth of its heart. Sometimes it dies of melancholy at the lofsof its beuefLidor; and, if itfurvivesthe Ihock, it is tardy in forming new attachments f . — Sucli is even the cafe with Ihy and timid cha- raders ; their intimacies are flow and difficult, but, once eflabliflied, they arc ardent and dur- able. 1 he nightingales are alfo very folitary ; they migrate alone, appearing in April and May, and retiring in September If.. The union be- tween the fexes in the Ipring feems to increafe their averfion to fociety : they feled certain * Dr. Remoiitl, who has tranflated feveral pieces of the ( 'ollecl'wii Acackinique. t M. Ic Moiiie. X 111 Italy, tisey arrive in March and April, and retire nbout the beginning of November. In England, they ar- rive in April and May, and retire iu the month of Ai i'lt. tradSf 90 THE NM C II T I N G A L E. .V >>'f m 1 1 trads, and oppofe the encroachments of others on their territories. But tliis condudt is not occafioned by rivahhip, as feme have liippofed ; it is luggeftcd by the Iblicitude for the main- tenance of their young, and regulated by the extent of ground neceflliry to afford fufficient food. The dillanccs between their nclls are much fmallor in the rich counties, than in others which reluctantly yield a penurious fupply. They begin to build their nefl about the end of April, or the opening of May. The mate- rials arc leaves, ruflies, flalks of coarfe grafs, and the infide is lined with fmall fibres and roots, horfe-hair, and a fort of bur. They are placed in a favourable afped, turned fomewhat to the eafl, near water, and commonly on the lowed branches of flirubs, as goofeberries, white thorns, floes, elm-hedges, ike. or in a tuft of grafs, and even on the ground under bufhes. And hence their eggs and their young, and fometimes the mother, are often devoured by dogs, foxes, pole-cats, weafels, adders, &c. In our climate, the female ufually lays five eggs*, of an uniform greenifh brown, except that the brown predominates at the obtufe end, and the green at ihe acute. She hatches alone, and never leaves her ftation but for food, and • Ariftotlc fays five or fix ; which may be true in the warm climate of Greece. then ..*iP' .. Afk i , E. , of others id is not iuppoled ; the main- :ed by the I fufficient ncfts are n in others fupply. lUt the end The mate- larfe grafs, fibres and They are [ fomcwhat nly on the ^ofeberries, ;c. or in a und under leir young, n devoured dders, &c. y lays five A-n, except obtufe end, tches alone, • food, and c true in the then THE NIGHTINGALE. il]\ m 9« then only in the cveninp;, and when hard prelTcd with hunger : diirhig her ablence, the male fcems to caft an eye on the neft. In eighteen or twenty days the young begin to hurit their ihclls, and the piiml)er of the cock birds is generally double that of the hens. And hence, when in April a cock is caught, the hen foon finds another mate, the lofs of which is fupplied by a third, and fo on; infomuch that the fucceihve feizure of three or four males has little cffedt on the multiplication of the brood. The hen difgorges the food for the young, as in the canaries; and the cock aflTifts. He now ccal'cs to warble, and is totally abforbcd in the concerns of his family : and even during incu- bation, it is faid, he feldoni lings near the neft, lell he difcover it ; but if a perfon approach ir, his paternal folicitude drowi.s tlie lu_L':geriions I of ^,rudcnce, and his flirieks only increaiL> the danger. — ^^In lefs than a fortnight the young are fledged, and at this time we ought to remove thole intended to be trained. Afrer they are flown, the parents make a feco:ul hatch, and then a third ; but the hi!t fails, if the cold fets in early. In hot coun;ries, they breed even four times annually ; but the lace hatches are always more fcanty. Man, who is never fatisfied till he ran ufe and abufe what he pofTefles, has contrived to make the nightingales breed in their priibn. The I-'I > !>a 1 II i: K I G II r 1 N ci A L i:. "!■ 1 ,»;"! ■/''■■ ' I l^ V<", tM 'I'hc great (il>(lat!i: to liis platis w:\s llicir ar- ilcnt love ot liberty; but he h;'S diverted this ori^'^inal beiit l)y i"c luring nu)re violent pal'ions, the inipidfe for proj^aj^atioii, aiul the attaeii- ment to oP'tpriiip;. A pair nf iiightlngaUs are let Kiofe into a large v clary, or ra'htr in u corner of a garden planted with ivy, horn- beams, and other ihruhs, and inelolcd with net?. I'his is the ealKll and riircll method ; hut there is another which alio may he ein- l)loyed. The coek and hen are put into Sepa- rate cages in a darkllh elollt, and arc fed every day at the lame hours ; the cages are Ibmc- times Icii open, that they may become ac- quainted with lluir apartment, and in April they are enth'tly opened, and not IhiUt again; at which time the birds are fupplicd with the inaferials ulual for conRrucf^ii'.g their nelb:, fiich as oak-leavcp, mofs, plucked dog-grals, deer's wool, liorfe-hair:., earth and water ; but the water muil l)e removed when the female hatches *. A contrivance has alio been ufed to Jettle nightingales in jnaces which they never viTittd ; the brood are caught with the parent birds, and conveyed to a fpot whicii refemblts moft their former haunt : the cock and hen are placed in two ca^es near the neft of young, and Traitc du RuITignol, p. 96. the J. ,(■!!■ Ml T H V. K I c; II T I :j c a l v.. 93 tl'C cn;;c8 i'..c artful IV r'^encil while the pcrfon rcinulns concealod ; tlic j)a«*ont8 run to the cries cf their rj' llliiii's, ami toiler and continue to cchuate them : and it is faid they will return to the la:nc part the ('.iccccdhi}; VJar '^ ; but It tuull aiinrd them conveniences and proper food f. If a perfon would laife youn}^ nightingales, he Ihoukl prefer thcfe of tlic firll hateli, and f!;ivc them what inllrudors he thinks proper; Init the heft, in my opinion, are oihcr night- ingales, cfpecijlly the bell, lingers. In the month of Augull, both the old and [yoving nirht'iP:_cdcs en-icrgc frcm the woods, ind haunt the hidhv =5, tlic c|ulck-fet hcdp;c8, and ^hencw ploughed f;elds, where they fnid greater plenty rf worms and infeds : perhaps this gc- Incral movement is only preparatory to their ap- jproaching flight. They winrer not in France, mor in Fnglai d, Germany, Italy, Greece, Sec. 4; [and afi we are i.iuired t!ta': no nlglitingales occr.r in Africa §, they would fccm to retire into * Tr:iitc du Roffi^^nol, p. (;5. f " \Vlicii a pincc alTords ;ibiimlance of food and con- [veiilence for ncftling, one had better catcli or deftroy tlie ' niglitiiigales, fince others will always return." Frifch. X The nightingale dirappenvs In aiitiunn, and appears not agaui till fpring, fays Ariftotle. Hijl. A/iitn. lib. v. 9. § Traite du Rcjigu:/, p. 2 1. Indeed the voyager Le Marie fpcaks of a ni^htuigale at Senegal, but which fings nor [ fo well as ours. Afia. '■■J" :.i •- i 94 THE NIGHTINGALE. Afia*. And this opinion is the more probable, as they inhal)it Perlia, China, and even Japan, where tliey are highly efleemed, lince the line warblers are iold, it is laid, for twenty cobangs t. They are fpread getierally through Europe, even to Sweeten and Siberia :jl, where they chant deliahtfullv ; but there arc countries in Europe, as well as in Alia, v/hich are not fuited to them, and wiiere they never fix their abode : for inftance, in Bngey as far as the heights of Nantua ; a part of ilolland, Scotland, Ireland §, the northern part of Wales, and even of all England except Yorkdiire j| ; the territory of the Daulians ■ m I '■:!,,, !' r i i\\ ;V; * Ollna. They are found among tlic willows and olives of Judca. HaJJllcjul/}. f Kx-mpfcr. The cobang is equal to forty taels, and the tael worth about li;'.lf a crown ; lo that the twenty cobai)gs amount to an hundred pounds ilerUng. Nightingales were much dearer in Rome, as we Hiall fee in the article of the white nightingale. \ Gmelin fpeaks witli raptures of the charming banks of a rivulet in Siberia, called Bcriffbuka^ and of the warble of the birds heard there, among which the nightingale holds the firfl: rank. § Aldrovandus. I know that the fail has been doubted with regard to Ireland, Scotland, and Holland ; but thcfe aflertions nuiil not be ftricbly interpreted. No more is meant tlian that the nightingales are extremely rare in thofo countries ; and the cafe muft be fo where there are few woods or bullies, little heat, few infefts, few fine nights, &c. II Mr. Pciuiant's words are thefe '. " It is not found in North Wales ; or in any of the Engliflx counties north of it, except THE NIGHTINGALE. probable, :n Japan, : the line cobangst. Europe, lere they Lintries in not luited cir abode : heights of Ireland §, ven of all ;tory of the Daulians ,vs and olives taels, and the lenty cobangs tin'^ales were article of the mlng banks of ■ the warble of htingale holds been doubted nd •, but thcfe No more h ly rare in thofo ; there are few fine nights, &c. not found \n ties north of it, except Daulians near Delphi ; the kingdom of Siam, i I &c. * They are univerfally known to be birds of paflage, and thofe which are confined ap- pear impatient and refllefs in the fpring and autumn, efpecially during the night, their ufual periods of migration : a proof that their pere- grinations are occafioned by incitements A^ery different from the want of food, or the defire of warmth. This bird is peculiar to the old continent ; and though the miffionaries and voyagers fpeak of the nightingales of Canada, that of Louifiana, that of the Antilles, &c. the latter is only a kind of mocking-bird; and that of Louifiana is t!;e fiime, fmcc, according to Dupralz, it is found in Martinico and Guadaloupe ; and it is ma- nifefl, from Father Charlevoix's account, that the one of Canada Is either not a nightingale at all, or is of a very desjencrate fort f. It is indeed poffible that the nightingale, which except Yorkfliire, wliere they are met with in great plenty [about Doncaller. It is alfo remarkable, Mr. Pennant adds, Ithat this bird does not migrate fo far weft as Cornwall ; a Icounty where the feaforis are fo mild, that myrtles flourifh lin open air during the whole year." T. * Voyages de Struys, t. i. p. 53. t " The Canada nightingale," fays this miflionary, " is Inearly the fame with refpe£l: to figure, but has not half the Ifong." Niuvelle France y t. iii. p. 157^ 3 viflts ■yi '^ 9(J THE NIGHTINGALE. .. li- i h>, ■k U i.:\i;"'. vifits the nortliern parts of Europe and Aiia, may have traverfed the narrow fcas, which, at thofe high latitudes, divide the two continents; or it might have heen iwept acrofs by a violent wind, or carried by Ibme fliip : and as the cold, raw, unfertile Rate* of the country has been foundtobcunfavourableto the fongof birds, it would lofe the fweetnefs of its melody, as the nightingale's warble in Scotland | is inferior to what is heard in the groves of Italy. This feems to have been really the cafe ; and our nightingale has heen tranfplantcd into Canada; for the irnperfccl account of Charlevoix has fince been conHnTicd by a phyfician :{: reliding at Quebec, and by fome travellers. As thcfe birds, at leaft the males, pafs the nights of fpring in finging, the ancients be- lieved that during that feafon they nev r flcpt§; * I know that there arc many infcfts in America ; b'jt moflof thfim are fo large and fo well armed, that the nigh- ingalc, far from preying upoii thcni, would fcarcely he ablo to defend himfolfagainil their attacks. f Aldrovandus, 'who cites Petriis Apponenfis. This bird muft fometimes, therefore, appear in Scotland. I This phyfician wrote to r>I. .Salerne, that our nightin- gale is found in Canada, as well as here, in the feafon. It occurs alfo in Gafpefia, according to Father Le Clerc, but does not fing fo well. j Hefiod and iElian. and r^i I , E. and Afia, which, at continents ; ,v a violent and as the country l^^^s DHg of birds, melody, as ]■ is interior Italy. I^l^is ' fe; and oiu- into Canada; Larlevoix has an X rc^^^^n lies, pafs the ancients be- ^■nev'T ilcptV' in America •, but ;c\, that the ulgbt- Id fcavcely be Mi T^HE NIGHT liN GALE. P7 iponenfis. '1^'"* .Scotland. ;, that our nigliti> in the fcafon. It ither Le Clerc, but and hence they inferred that the fiefh had a foporific quality, and imagined that its heart and eyes laid under a perfon*^ head would keep him awake. This notion fpread ; and being transferred into the arts, the nightingale be- came the emblem of vigilance. But the moderns, who have obferved with greater accuracy, find that in the feafon of love the nightingales fleep during the day, and that in winter their diurnal flumbers precede the refuming of their warble. They even dream, and their vifions have the complexion of their character *; for they hum their airs with a low voice. — Many fables have been propagated with regard to the nightingale, HiS ufual with whatever is celebrated. In the ^midft of its warble, it is attraded by the fixed looks of a viper, or, according to others, of a toad, and is gradually deprived of its voice; and at laft, yielding to the fafcination, it finks into the open mouth of the reptile. It has been faid that the parents feledt from their young thofe i which difcover talents, and either deftroy the [reft, or allow them to periQi of want. (We mull [fuppofe that they fave the females.) It has been [alleged that they chant better when perfons fliften to them than when alone. All thefe [errors originate from our pronenefs to afcribe [to animals our own weaknefles, paflions, and vices. * Tralte du Roffignol. Vol. V. H ' Night- ^J V!f ■•^ '^t.A 4 'B nil ''\« 'Y ■ .: >0'l' 98 THE NIGHTINGALE, Nightingales that are kept in the cage com- monly bathe after Tinging. Hebert remarks, that this is the firft thing they do in the even- ing, when the candles are lighted. He alfo tells a circumftance which it may be proper to guard againft, that they are apt to dart towards the flame; and that an excellent cock bird, happen- ing to efcape from the cage, flew into the fire, and was burnt to death. Thefe birds have a fort of vibrating motion, and by turns raife and deprefs their body. All the males which I have feen had this Angular property; but I could not perceive it in a fe- n>ale which I kept two years. In all of them, the tail ofcillates diftindtly upwards and down- wards ; which has manifefl:ly induced Linnaeus to range them with the motaci/Io', or wagtails. Nightingales hide themfelves in the thlck- efl; bufhes : they live upon aquatic and other infedls, fmall worms, the eggs, or rather nymphs, of ants; they alfo eat figs, ber- ries, &c. But as it would be difficult always to provide fuch food, feveral kinds of pafte have been contrived, which agree very well with them. I fliall, in the notes, give the receipt of a bird-fancier of my acquaintance *, becaufe it * M. Lc Moine, whom I have already quoted on feveral occafions, gives difttrent paites, accoiding to the age of tht hid . i i IJ> ;age corn- remarks, the even- :e alfo tells er to guard )wards the d, happen- o the fire, n^ motion, body. All [lis fingular ; it in a fe- \\ of them, . and down- ed Linnaeus Dr wagtails, the thick- ic and other or rather figs, ber- uk always to )f pafte have ry well with the receipt of ,ce*, becaufe it quoted on fcveral to the age of the titd. THE NIGHTINGALE. 99 '^1 m •i it has been found to anfwer, and I have feen a nightingale which with this fubfiftence reached the age of feventeen years. It began to turn gray the feventh year ; at fifteen, its wing and tail quills were entirely white ; its legs, or rather: tar/us^ had much fwellcd, by the exceflive growth of the fcales which cover thefe parts ; and it had a fort of knots at the toes, like perfons who are gouty; and it was necefiary, from time to time, to whet the point of its upper man- dible *. But ftill it had none of the ills of old age ; it was ever joyous, and warbled as in Its earlier years, and carefled the hand that fed , bird. The firft is compofed of flieep's heart, crumbs of bread, hemp-feed, and parfley well pounded, and mixed : it mull be new-made every day. The fccond confifts of equal parts haflied omelet and bread-crumbs, with a little chopped parfley. The third is more compound, and requires more care. Take twopounds of lean beef, half a pound of chicken-pcafe, as much of yellow or peeled millet, of the feed of white poppy, and of fweet almonds, a pound of white noney, two ounces of flour, twelve yolks of frefli eggs, two or three ounces of frefh butter, and a gros and a half of faflron in ; powder; dry the whole well; heat it a long time, ftirring it conftantly, and reduce it to a very fine duft, and pafs it tlirough a fdk fieve. This powder keeps very well, and .. ferves about a year. * The nails alfo of niglitingales that are kept In the cage grow mur'. at firft, fo as to become troublefonie from their cxcefllve length. I have feen fome which formed a circle of five lines diameter. But in extreme age they difappear 'dmoft cntirelv. : ' H2 i^ !4| ■■M MS ri m: I 100 THE NIGHTINGALE. W\ n t fi .1 1 1 r •! 'Ml- h i ^^■ 4\ it* We may remark, tfiat this nightingale had never paired. Love ieems to abridge the period of life ; but it fills up the void of time, and accomplifhes the intention of nature. Without it the delightful emotions of the parent would never be known : it prolongs the exiftence into liiturity, and confers immortality on the fpecies. So rich the compenfation it makes for the lofs of a few days of injoyous and decrepit old age ! It has been found, that heating medicines and perfumes incited the nightingales to warble; that flour mites and dung maggots were the mort proper to give when they were too fat, and figs when too lean ; and that fpiders ferved them as a purge. It has been recommended to make them take this purge once a year ; a dozen fpiders is the proper dofe. They fhould alfo have nothing that is fait. When they fwallow any indigeftible fub- ftance, they regorge it m little pellets like the birds of prey ; and indeed, though they are fmall, they merit that appellation, Belon admires iheir forefght in not /wallowing a fmall worn before they have killed it ; but it is probable that they only want to avoid the painful feeling which living creatures might occafion in their ftomach. All forts of fnares fuccced with the nightin- gale ; they are net fliy, though rather timorou'. If & -% E. THE NIGHTINGALE. 101 >ts iingale had the period time, and "Without rent would iftence into the fpecies. for the lofs kcrepit old edicines and to warble; were the irere too fat, piders ferved Dmmended to ^ear ; a dozen y ftiould alfo igeftible fub- ellets like the ugh they are Belon admires a fmall ivonn s probable that gainful feeling cafion in their th the nightin- •ather timorou?. If is "IS If they be let loofe in a place where there are other birds in cages, they fly diredly towards thefe ; and this is one method among many others of catching them. The fong of their companion"?, the found of mufical inftruments, or of a fme voice, as we have already fecn, and even cries that are difagreeable, as the mewing of a cat faftened to the root of a tree aid teafed on purpofe, fucceed equally well. Tliey have a ftupid daring curioiity, and are the dupes of every thing •••. They are caught by the call, by lime-twigs in tit mice traps, and noofes fet where the ground is newly plo'^gh- ed t, where are previoufly fcattered the nymplis of ants, mites, or wliatever relemblcvS thefc, as fmall bits of the whites of hard eggs, &c. The gins ought to be made ot iilk firings, and not of packthread, which would entan^^Ie their fea- thers, and occafion a lofs of fome, tliat would retard their fong. On the contiary, to hafloa their moulting, a few feathtrs {hould be plucked /rom the t^il, that the ne ' ones may fprout ]$. * Avis miratrixy fays Linnaeus. I t Sometimes they are very numerous in a fingk diariCl. ;| fielon witneflcd that, in a village of tlic foreft cf Ardenne, > the fliepherd boys caught every day eoch a Icore, with many other fmall birds. It was a year of drought, and all the '« pools," fays Belon, " were elfewhere ilried up . . . * for they live then in the forefts, where there is fome m nioifture." I ■f j H3 the 'i : < :%< :|*M^ tj i. rH]t mt iiiff' •III. ♦ '♦('•. M I'S i 102 THE NM G H T I N G A L E. the fooncr; for while nature is employed in the reprodudion of the plumage, (he fufpends the fong. Tliefc hirds are delicious food when fat, and in this refpex 1 % m :N •HJ- Tl: J; . I:- loB 1' O R E I G N B I R D FOREIGN BIRD RELATED TO THE NIGHTINGALE. THE FOUDI-JALA. Motacilla Madagafcaricnfis, Gt7ieL Sylvia Madagafcaricnfis, Lath. Ltd. Lufcinia Madagafcaricnfis, Brijl Tlie Madagafcar Wnrbler, Lat/}. Syn, THIS nightingale, which is found inMada* gafcar, is of the fame fizc with ours, and refembles it in many refpedts; only its legs and wings are fhorter, and the colours of its plumapje different. Its head is rufous, with a brown ipof on each fide ; its throat white ; its breafl light rufous ; its belly brown, tinged with rufous and olive ; all the upper part of its body, including what appears of the wing and tail quills, of an olive brown ; its bill, and feet, deep brown. Briffon, who firft defcribed this fpecies, mentions not whether it fmgs ; unlefs we fup- pofe that the name of nightingale is alone fuf- ficient to mark that faculty. Total length, fix inches five lines ; the bill, nine lines j the tarfus^ nine lines and a half; the fr-: RELATED TO THE NIGHTINGALE. IC9 ►!.«:■. the alar extent, eight inches and a half; the tail, two inches and a half, ccrnpofed of twelve quills, fomewhat tapering, and exceeding the wings by twenty lines. [A] [A] Specific character of the Motadlla Madagafcarlenfts : " It is greenifli, below whitifh j its throat and anus yellow ; its eye-lids white." i i ■V'it,i i 'Vfl THE C "o 3 :(!■ I .3*' 'A'\. ■JfJjit f i •if- ii is; •*N'H;t ' ■;,,■ *t If )' fi ,.4 .«' ii'j'f I-'"!' "tl- •r!i fi.i ;ni||.['|" ■I 1, 'I THE F A U V E T T E. F I R S T SPECIE S. Motaciila-Hippolais, Lin/i. Cuvruca, Bi'!//". The Pcttychapp, Lath. IN the dreary feafon of winter, nature finks into inadivity and torpor. The infects no more appear ; tlie reptiles ceafe to crawl ; the vegetables are ftrlpped of their verdure, and arrefted in their growth ; the inhabitants of the air have perifhed, or retired to happier climes; thole of the waters arc confined to their icy prifons, and moft of the land animals have repaired to their caves and fubterraneous man- fions ; the whole is a boiindlefs pi1 ^ r t'B iri'i m iii^^ r } fM ill M ev THE FAUVETTE. Ill warbles on every fpray, and a genial flufli heightens the whole. Of the joyous guefts of the woods, the fau- vettcs are the moll numerous and the mofl: charming : lively and volatile, each motion is expreflivc, each accent is cheerful, and each gelHire difplays the tcndernefs of love. Thefe pretty warblers arrive when the trees put forth their leaves, and begin to expand their bloflbms ; they difperfe through the whole extent of our plains : fome inhabit our gardens, others pre- fer the clumps and avenues; fome conceal them- felves among the reeds, and many retire to the heart of large woods. Thus the fauvettes are dilperfed through every fpot, and their fprightly movements, and their cheerful airs, enchant each fcene *. PofTefled of every grace and elegance, beauty alone was wanted to perfedtlon. But nature has here checked her profufion, and withheld decoration. Their plumage is dull and obfcure, except in two or three fpecies, which are flightly fpotted : all the reft are ftained with dark Ihades of whitifh, gray, and rufty. The firft fpecies, which is the pettychaps, * " In fummcr, a perfoii cannot walk into any Ihady Ipot befide brooks, but he will hear the fauvettes VMuling even at the dillancc of a quarter of a league ; tluj bird is known therefore in all countries." Beloti. 'i ■ .'I 41 •firJ" IS ,. : 112 THE FAUVETT''. U^l i'i.ii :l--|;") :m- T !*j '% il' .1 «*;; is of the fize of the nightingale. The robe of the nightingale is brown rufous, that of the pettychaps is brown-gray : it is alfo lightly tinged with rufty gray, on the fringe of the coverts of the wings, and along the webs of the fmall quills : the large quills are of a blackiih cinereous ; and fo are alfo the quills of the tail, of which the two outermoft are white on their exterior fide^ and at the tips on both fides : over the eye there extends, from the bill, a white line like an eyebrow; and under the eye, and a little behind, there is a blackifh fpot ; and this fpot borders with the white on the throat, which has a rufty caft on the fides, of a deeper colour tinder the belly. This is the largeft; of all the fauvettes, except the Alpine warbler, of which we fhall treat in the fequel. Its total length is fix inches ; its alar extent, eight inches ten lines ; its bill, from the tip to the angles, eight lines and a half; its tail, two inches fix lines ; its foot, ten lines. It lives with other fmaller fpecies in gar- dens, in thickets, and in fields of peafe and beans : they all fit on the ftakes which prop thefe ; and there they frolic, build their neft, and continually go out and in, till harveft, which precedes their departure, forces them from this afylum, or rather this abode of love. It is amufing to fee them play together, grow angry, and chafe each other ; their attacks arc gentle, 4 i b 01 THE F A U V E T T E. 1^3 ebs of the 1 blackilh if the tail, 2 on their oth fides: ill, a white e eye, and t ; and this roat, which eper colour ttes, except tiall treat in inches; its ts bill, from and a half; t, ten lines. :cies in gar- if peafe and which prop d their neft, arveft, which :m from this e. Dgether, grow ir attacks arc gentle, gentle, and their quarrels commonly end in fongs. The pettychaps was regarded as the emblem of volatile amours, as the turtle was the image of ardent and fteady love ; yet the petty- chaps, though lively and joyous, maintains a faithful and ftrong attachment, while the turtle, all fad and plaintive, infringes fliamefully on the connubial rights. The male of the petty- chaps laviflies a thoufand little oflices on his mate during incubation ; he fhares with her the folicitude for their tender young, and does not abandon her after the education of their family : his attachment outlives the appetite of fruition. The neft is compofed of dry herbs and fcalks of hemp, and lined with, a little hair. It con- tains commonly five eggs, which the mother deferts if they are touched : this approach of atx enemy flie regards as a bad omen for the ex- peded family. Nor is it pofTible to deceive her with the eggs of other birds. " 1 have ofteii fet ftrange eggs under feveral fmall birds/' fays Vifcount Querhoent ; " thofe of the titmice un- der wrens, thofe of the linnet under the red- breaft : but I could never make the fauvettes hatch them ; they always broke them ; and, when I fubftituted other young ones, they foon killed them." From what wonderful inftin°"^^'^ \*/fLn inches, from the iS^""^ »o *e an - Je«_^ ^^ ^^_^ ^t ''""heTzz^rt S£,\nd prccccled ^to7«*-- thegixzaro no gall bladder L /dilatation of the ^Jophasus .no g ^^^^ eluld be fotmd, "- /-"^".-^.'.^Tn Uie ova- a female : the rudiments ot the egg pum were of unequal l.zes. [AJ land. -y Hi '"S s alar tir the goofe- ,lf-cup, Oiitlitle, it con- tl, with •cr nc;\r ul there u of the rongcft: inaV tube n inches, rd to the preceded dl bladder ibjed was [1 the ova- 1 i '<% t er'itm : " It iu Is whltifli, the nown in Eng- m THS I I j:^^;? iiJir i!: '■ ) ■%^'i > ill;;! 1^,1 I ' riGl.THi. BLA-CK CAV,T1&,Z:CHE, SJflCVREjiXT TVAR-BliEB. ■ C 119 3 THE HLACK-HEADED FAUVETTE, Buff. .''1' "■■'•; THIRD SPECI ES. IMotncil!a Atrlcapilla, Linn. Gmel. Scop. Briin. Kram. ^c. •Sylvia Atricapilla, Lath. Ind. Curruca Atricapilla, Brijf. CiU* Klein. Atrlcapilla, feu Ficedula, Gcfn. £2* Aldr. The Black-cap *, Ptnn. V/ill. ^ Lath. Syncp. ARISTOTLE, enumerating the various changes which the revolution of the fea- fons produces on the feathered tribes, fays that the beccahco or epicurean warbler is metamor- phofcd in autumn into the black-cap f. Na- turalifls have been much puzzled with this aflertion ; fome regard it as marvellous, others rejed it as incredible J: but it is really neither the * In Greek, MiXtcvno^u^og, M£havmt.oi : in Italian, Ca~ fum-a, Capinegro: in German, Grafz-muM, Grafz Spatz : in Saxon, Monchy Monchlein .- in Swifs, Schwartz-Kopff : in B(^hcmian, Plnjk : in Pollfh, Figoiadka, f ////?. A?!im. lib. ix. 49. X Niphm; in Aldrovandiis, ftrains at a folution of the problem, by diftinguiOunj. a great and little black-head; die iauer not being tranfnuucd into a beccafico, but the other lacing never fcen at the lame time, and actually undergoing 1 4 the v-t; n m \ W ;! Itil ■f yi mi' m\ !'l? S. tf|>* Ji:i' i:!L 'U, ' ■>'., . ■:■ ■(■ .■ (11. !.*,'' r"i"ki<;i< f|.^i. 120 THE BLACK-HEADED FAUVETTE. the one nor the other; and the explication is very eafy. In fad, the young black-caps have, through the whole iummcr, the plumage of tlie epicurean warblers, and only afluine their pro- per garb after the firft moulting : and this is the interpretation which Pliny gives*. Aldrovandus, Johnfton, and Frifch, after de- fcribing the black-cap^ introduce a fecond fpe- cies, which has a brown headt: but this is only the female of the former, and the folc dif- ference of appearance between the two fexes confifts in the colour of the head. In the male, a black cap covers the back of the head and the crown, as far as the eyes ; below and round the neck the plumage is of a flute gray, lighter on the throat, attenuated into white on the bread, and fliaded with blackifh on the fides : the back is of a brown gray, lighter on the ex- terior furface of the quills, deeper on the lower ones, and ftained with an olive tint. Tlic bird is five inches five lines in length j the alar extent eight inches and a half. the metamorphofis. " The Bolognefe bird-catchers," fays Aldrovandus, "thusdiftinguifli them ;" ycthe wilinotadmir that opinion, and the moment after he confounds the black- cap with the buHinch. * Hl'i. Nnf, lib. X. 44. I Atricapilla altera, Jchiijl. Atricapiila alia calhmeo vertice, Ahlrov^ Curruca vertice fubrubro, Frijch, The THE BLACK-HEADED FAUVETTE. lai The black-cap has the moft pleafant and the fulled warble of all the fauvettes. It is fome- what like the nightingale's fong, and we enjoy it much longer ; for feveral months after the groves no more echo Philomel's notes, the mufic of the black-cap is heard. Its airs are eafy and light, and confift of a fucceflion of modu- lations of fmall compafs, but fweet, flexible, and blended : they exprefs the happinefs and tran- quillity that dwell in their haunts. The fenfible heart warms with delicious emotions at accents infpired by nature, and flowing from that feli- cl V which fhe has beftowed. !i2 male fhews a tender concern for his fe- not only does he carry flies, worms, and 1/.., ants to her j but he relieves the languor of in- cubation, and fits by turns. The neft is placed near the ground, and carefully concealed in a coppice ; it contains four or five eggs, of a green- ifli hue, with fpots of light brown. The young ones grow in a few days; and though but flightly fledged, they will leap out of the neft when a perfon comes near it, and never will return. The black- cap has generally only one annual hatch in France. Olina fays that it makes two in Italy ; and Rich mud be the cafe with many other kinds of birds which inhabit a warmer climate, where the feafoa of love is pro- X^ 1 .,.■ ■Wi'L •M\ longed. At ..Iilf,.ll, wm Kii'l Ft ■ ' • : m0i ii •>: II ' ; -(■• i i- l^f ill I ■! t «(« ■■■^ '*(.; ',^^ V- "'".li, ' ■ t" ' w-^ t ■ i; 122 THE BLACIMIEADED FAUVETTE. At its arrival in the fpring, if the infeds arc deftroyed by the relapfe of ccld, the black-cap has recoiirfe for fubfiftcnce to the berries of feme Ihrubs, as thofe of the fpurge-laurel and ivy ; in autiimnthey alfo eat thefmall feeds of the berry- bearing alder, and of the hunters fervice- tree *. During that fcafon they often go to drink, and about the end of Auguft they are caught near the fprings : they are then exceeding iat, and of a delicate tarte. Tlie black-cap may be alfo raifed in the cage ; and of all tlie birds of the volary it is, ra)s Olina, the mod lovely f. The attachment which it fliews to its inafter is charming ; it vvclcomrs him with a peculiar accent, and a more tender air. On his approach it darts towards hiiu againft the v/ircs of the cage, and ftruggles to burll its prifon to meet him; and by the continual flapping of its wings, with its feeble crie.s, it feems to exprefs its tranfports of joy \. The young ones bred in a cagc^ if they be "witliin hearing of the nightingale, will improve * Schwenckfelcl. f •* Beyond the other birds of the cage, it is of ;i chcei- ful difpofition, with a fwect and delightful fong, with a lovely and pieafing afpccT-." C'/.'..a', t/.vr/Ar/Vr, p. 9. X Olina, p. 9. Of lliis bird M;uler.ioifelIe Dtfcartcj fyid, "No ollcnce to my uncle, it has fcntimcnt," theit THE BLACK-HEADED FAUVETTE. 123 their fong, and rival their mafter* . In the fea- fon of their departure, which is the end of September, all thefe prifoners are reftlefs and iineafy in their confinement, particularly during the night and while the moon fhines. They feem confcious of the migration which they fhould now perform ; and fo ardent is their de- fire of changing their climate, that at this tiine many die from vexation and difappointment. This bird is common in Italy, France, Ger- many, and even in Sweden ; yet it is faid to be unfrequent in England f . Aldrovandus fpeaks of a variety of thisfpecies which he calls the variegated beccafico^ or fig- pecker (ficedula) ; but he does not inform us whether it is only an individual or a permanent difference. BrifTon, who mentions it under the appellation of black and white fauvetie, gives no further notice ; and it would feem that the black-backed fauvctte of Frifch is only the fame variety. * "The black-cap which I raifed has formed its fong after the nightingale, and has extended its voice to fuch degree, as to filencc its mafters, my nightingales." Note ccmtnunicatcd by M. le Trefor'nr le Mo'tne. " The young ones caught with the net will perfect their fylvan fong, and adopt other fovts of airs from tame linnets or other birds, and will teach their neftlings all that they have acquired." Olina, f Wilhighby. % The &: 1 \H J 24 THE BLACK-HEADED -FAUVETTE. ii € ii'-'ii f'fM lb- '3' r' 4£ Ji I . if ! .!-t: VitV i.l» THE BABBLER FAUVETTE. and the reptiles which it feeds on are the cater- pillars it finds on the flirubs and bidhes. Belon at firft calls it the broii'nfcmvcttc, and afterwards he beftovvs the epithet of Icadefi^ AVhich marks nuich better the real tint of its plumage. The crown of its head is cinereous ; all its robe afli brown; the fore part of its body \viii«:c Ibiined with nifty; the wing quills brown, tiieir inner edge whitilh: the outer edge of the great quills is cinercou;, and that of the middle ones rully gray: the twelve quills of the tail arc brown edged with gray, except he two outer- moft, which are white on the outfide, as in the common fauvette or pettychaps : the bill and feet are leaden gray : it is live inches long, and its alar extent fix inches : it is of the fame fize with the grifctte or paifcrine warbler, and on the whole refembles it much. To this fpecies we muft refer not only the hemp-bcccafico of Olina, which he fiiys is fre- quent among the hemp-iields of Lombardy, but alfo the canevarola of Aldrovandus, and the titling of Turner. — This bird is eafily tamed; as it lives in our meadows, our thickets, and our gardens, it is already half domefticated. If it is to be bred for the cage, which is fometimes done for the fake of its cheerful fong, we muft, fays Olina, v/ait till it be fledged, and then takj it from the i\Qi\y and put a bathing-cup in the cage ; THE R IT S S E T, &c. 131 ^cttCy and int of its inereous ; if its body Us brown, (Ige of the :he middle ;he tail arc two outer- e, as in the le bill and s long, and le fame frze , and on the lOt only the {\\ys is fre- mbardy, but us, and the lafily tamed ; thickets, and lefticated. If is fometimea mg, we muft, and then take g-cup in the cage •, caj^e; for, without this precaution, It would die. And with proper care its life may be pro- longed to eighteen years in conlinement. [A] [A] Specific tliara£lcr of the MotacilLi-Ctirnica: " Above itis brown, below whitifli; its tail quilh; brown; thcouter- moft with a narrow wliitc edging." It inhabits from Italy to Siberia. Its egg is cinereous, with rufty fpots. % THE RUSSET, OR FAUVETTE OF THE WOODS, Buff, SIXTH SPECIES. Motacllla-Schcenobjcnus, Linn, b* Gmel. •Sylvia Sehocnobaenus, Lath. Lid. Curruca Sylveftris, feu Lufciniola, Brljf. Ray, (5* Wi/L The Bog-ruOi Warbler, Penn. The Reed Warbler, LatL Syn. TF Belon had not exprefsly diftin^ ifhed the .1. rujet or fauvette of the woods from his mouchct, which we fhall find to be the winter \fairoctte or hedge fparrow, \vc fhould have confidered thefe as conftituting the famefpecies- Nor are we convinced that they are different K 3 birds, ■M '■;■/ m ll J3i THE R U S S E T, OR mi, . p i.'! ■^1 birds, fince their refemblance is fo great, and tlicir dlfcrimlnation i'o little : we only yield to the authority of Belon, who has" perhaps ob- fcrved ihcm better than we have done. Like the reft of the fauvettes, this bird Is perpetually joyous, lively, and adive, and often utters a feeble cry : it has alfo a fong, which though monotonous is not dilagrecable j and It improves the notes when it has opportunities of hearing more varied and more brilliant modu- lations "••'■. Its migrations feem not to extend beyond our fouthern provinees ; there it appears in winter f, and fmgs in that feafon: in fp ring, it returns to our woods, preferring the copies, and builds it" neft with green mofs and wool : it lays four or live eggs, which are a fky blue. ' The young ones are eafily raifed and bred, and they amply repay the trouble of edu- cation by their familiarity, their pretty warble, ana their cheerfulnefs. Nor are they deftltute of courage. " Thofe which I trained," fays De Querhoent, " were the terror of many birds as large as themftlves. In the month of * " Thofe which I raifed feemed to have a more melo- dious fong thiiii the wild ones, bccaufe they pretty often hcnrd a fiddle. They fang frequently." Noie ik M.k Vicomte de ^tcrho'ent. f " It docs not leave the country, and fings in winter -^ like i.\ ; gold-crclted wren." Id. \ April \ •eat, and yield to haps ob- s bird Is and often g, wblch le ; and it tunltles of ant modu- to extend ; it appears : infpring, the copfes, and wool: fky blue, and bred, \\q of edu- elr pretty or are they I trained," f •or of many lie month of ■ M FAUVETTE OF THE WOODS. 133 April I fet all my little prifoners at liberty ; but the ruflets were the laft to profit by it. As they often made fliort excurfions, the wild birds of the fame fpecies purfued them: but they fliel- tered themfelves on the fole of my window, where they ftoutly defended their poft : they briftled their feathers ; each party trilled a fee- ble ftrain, and pecked the board like cocks, and fo entered into a keen combat." This is the only fauvette which we have not been able to delineate from nature. — The de- fcription which is given of its plumage con- firms us in the opinion, that this fpecies is at lead much related to the hedge fparrow, if not ex- actly the fame. Its head, the upper furface of its neck, the breafl, the back, and the rump, are variegated with brown and rufous, each feather being brown in the middle, and edged with rufous; the fcapular feathers, the coverts of the uppar part of the wings and of the tail, va- riegated with the fame colours, and in the fame i| manner ; the throat, the lower part of the neck, the belly, and the fides, rufty ; the cpiill feathers |e a more niclo- ley pretty often Note lie M-'' fings in winter April of the wings b thofe of the tai rown, and ed<]:ed vv-ith rufous entir rely b rown. It IS or tlie fize of the pettychaps. The plumage of the fauvettes is in general dull and oblcure ; t!iat of the ruflet is one of the moil variegated, and K Bel ou 134 THE REED FAUVETTE. Belon defcrlbes with warmth the beauty of its colours *. He remarks, at the fame time, that this bird is fcarcely known except to the fowl- ers and the peafants who live near the woods -j-j and that it is caught in the heats of the fum- mer, when it drinks at the pools. [A] [A] Specific cliarader of the Moidcilla-Schoemhanus .- " It is brown brick-coloured, below pale brick j its head Ipottcd." THE REED FAUVETTE. SEVENTH SPECIES. ^lotacilla Salicaria, Lifin. ^ Gniel. Sylvia Salicaria, Lath. Ind. Curruca Arundinacea, J^rijl Lufcinia Salicaria, Gif/icr, Ray, Will. ^ Klein. Avis Stoparolx fimilis, Sibbald. The Willow Lark, Pctm. The Sedge Warbler, White, Albin, b* Lath. Syn.X '^r^HE reed fauvette chants in the warm . JL nights of fpring like the nightingale, which has occafioned fome to call it the willow or * Nat. des OifeatiXy p. 338. f ■^^'^'"• X In German, Wcidcrichy Wydenguckcrliii : in SwilS) iCeidfrUf ^^ilzeji/Je : inFoliHu £owtiio/ia. ofier 1 »??. It THE REED FAUVETTE. 135 ofier nightingale. It makes its neft among reeds and bufhes, amidft marfhes, and in copfes befide the margin of pools. We faw one in the low branches of a hornbeam, near the ground ; it confifted of ftraw and ftalks of dry herbs, with a little hair within. It is conftruded with more art than that of the other fauvettes, and ufiially contains five eggs of a dirty white, mottled with brown, which is deeper and more fpread about the thick end. The young ones, though tender and not fledged, defert the neft if it be touched, or even if a perfon go too near it : this feature, which is common to all the fauvettes, and even to this fpecies which breeds amidft water, feems to cha- raderize the inftindive difpofition of thefe birds. During the whole of the fummer we fte it darting from among the reeds, to catch the dragon-flies, and other infeds which buz on the furface of the water. It continually war- bles*; and it drives awr.ythe other birds t, that it may remain fole proprietor of its fpot, v^'hich it does not quit till September, the feafon when it departs with its family. It is of the fize of the black-cap ; being five Jjiches and four lines in length, and its alar ex- ■'I . m if 'v!" ^ Ilebert. f Gcfner, K4 tent mif^ im ':".;, ,„„„ i ■'t'li I . ' i»:-'' id If: 1l:4 sj;: ;|,|c IS I, M P ., tlH'ti ■■■,■■ ■ . '. !'i'% - rfJi'. I ••.Jr.! 136 THE REED FAUVETTE, tent eight inches eight lines: its bill is feven inches and a half long ; its feet, nine lines ; its tail, two inches: the wings, when clofed, reach beyond the middle of the tail : all the upper part of its body is of a light rufly gray, and in- clining fomevvhat to olive near the rump : the feathers of the wings are browner than thole of the tail : the inferior coverts of the wings are of a light yellow ; the throat and all the fore part of the body yellowifh on a whitifh ground, and ftained on the fides and near the tail with brown fliades. It is not in the leaft degree probable that the fetronella of Schwenckfeld, " a bird which neftles under rocks and on the bare ground, which Is feen only in the craggy parts of the mountains, and which continually jerks its tail like the wag- tail," is the fame with our reed fauvette. Wc cannot conceive why BrifTon ranged them to- gether ; for even the plumage which Schwenck- feld defcribes, would ihew it to be rather a kind of red dart. If x\\zfcdge bird of Albin is alfo the fame, his figure muft be a very bad one, and all its colours falfe : it is not painting but malking nature. The figure given by Aldrovandus, and borrowed from Gcfiier, under the name of y^- licarid, has a much thicker bill than belongs to the genus of fauvcttes ; and if the bird f^i/j' '• ■ • con> m THE LITTLE RUFOUS FAUVETTE. 137 conjiinilis Jioparola & mngnanima;) is the reed warbler, as Briflbn fays, and which fcems pro- bable, it will be difficult to fiippofe that the fal'icaria is the fame. Such is the confufion of Aldrovandus's account of this genus, which he feems not to have known from his own obfer- vations ; and the example of this reipedlablc naturalift fhews how dangerous it is to trull to defedive or inaccurate relations. [A] [A] Specific charader of the Sedge Warbler, Motadlla Sallcaria : " It is cinereous, below white; its cyc-brows white." It is not uncommon in England ; fings night and day in the breeding fcafon, imitating the notes of a fparrow, of a fwallow, and of a flcy-lark. 'j;'-'m' THE LITTLE RUFOUS FAUVETTE. EIGHTH SPECIES. Motacilla Rufa, CmcL Sylvia Rufa, Lath. Ltd. Curruca Rufa, lirif. Mufclpeta Minima, Frif. The Rufous "Warbler, Lat/j. Syti. E L O N tells us, that he was at grea^ pains to difcover the ancient name of the little rufous fuuvette, and yet in fettling this point '■01 i '■*'.' m'm. "^ « fc''i '(•(i'!;l -ill mil -'i 'f*Hi<« r 138 THE LITTLE RUFOUS FAUVETfE. he fcills into a miHake, conceiving it to be the troglodyte. He feems even fenfible, in fomo mealure, of his error ; for he obfcrves that the text of JEtius and Pnul JRgincius^ which de- fcribcs the /'Ao^/:'^/t', agrees better with the brown wren than with tlie rufous fauvette. And we fliall afterwards lind that tliis remark is well founded. Indeed the appellation of troglodyte can refer only to a bird which frequents caverns, and the holes of rocks or of walls, a charader which belongs to none of the fauvettes ; though Belon, erroneoufly imagining the word fauvette derived from the Latin fovea, a pit or burrow, admits it to have this inftind *. The rufous warbler has commonly five young; but they often become the prey of the rapacious birds, particularly the flirikes. The eggs are greenifli white, and marked with two kinds of fpots J fome obfcure and hardly vifible, fcattcr- ed equally over the furface ; others deeper and well defined, moft frequent near the thick end, *' It conftantly makes its neil,'' fays Belon, " in feme garden herb or bufli, fuch as hemlock and the like, or behind a garden wall in the towns or villages.'* The infide is lined with horfe-hair ; but the neft obferved by Belon had * Fauvette is really deiived from fauve^ fox-colour, Menage. a hole rE. to be the in fomo IS that the vhich de- the brow a And we rk is well troglodyte xs caverns, , character ;sj though rd fativettc ■iX burrow, five young; le rapacious eggs are ivo kinds of ble, fcattcr- deeper and e thick end, Belon, *' in .emlock and ,vall in the lined with y Belon had vfy fox-colour* a hole THE LITTLE RUFOUS FAUVETTE. 139 a hole In the bottom, which he afcribcs to dc- fign, though it was probably accidental*^ fortliis is contrary to the general conflrudio", which is calculated to colled, and concentrate the heat. The frime naturalift hits better when he lays that the plumage of this little warbler is uni- form, and the fame with that of the nightin- gale's tail. The comparifon is harpy ; and will fave us a minute defcription. We Ihall only obferve, that there is a little rufous fliading the great coverts of the wings, and more faintly fpread through the wc!)s of their quills, with a very dilute and light tinge of rufty on the gray ofthebacka: head, and on the whltilh co- lour of the fic' >. This bird is therefore impro- perly ftyled ih. rufous, fmce only a fcv*" parts of its plumage are dallied fllghtly with it. Irs total length Is only four Inches eight lines; its alarextent fix inches ten lines : it is one of the fmalieft of the genus, being inferior even to the paflerlne warbler. But Belon feems to exaggerate when he fays, *' that it is hardly lb big as the qxkS. of the finger." [A] [A] Specific charaftcr of the Alotac'tUti Rufa : *< It is gr;iy rufous, below tawny j a lon;.ntU(liii;il itreak on its temples j tlie quills of its wings and tail i.a\vn/." * It is lined on the infide with horfe-hair, and fo nicely that it is perforated like a noofe j fo that the excrements of the young efcape, and they are always prefcrvcd clean.'* Nat. ties Oif. p. 341, THE '-a vn '. ^h .ilM.: ■< !*"..; li il 'i |M 'M ■;!■■', '^Vi''"!i*H ; I'll [■;'^i|^ n fl >f,' ;'i(V "•'■f.i; ^11 C Uo 3 THE SPOTTED FAUVETTE, BuJ. NINTH SPECIES. Motacilla Nccvia, C'mel. Curruca Nsevia, Brijf. Sylvia Naevia, Lath. hid. Boarina, Aldrov. Tlie Fig-cater, Alb. $5* Lath. TH E plumage of the fauvettes is common- ly uniform and unvaried. The prefent is diftinguifhed by fome black fpots on the breaft ; but the reft of its plumage is fimilar to that of the reft of the genus. It is of the fize of thefecondfpecies, or thepaflerine warbler ; its length five inches four lines, and its wings when clofed cover half the tail : aii its mantle from the crown of the head to the origin of the tail is variegated with rufty brown, yellowifli and cinereous : the quills of the wings are blackifh, edged exteriorly with white : thofe of the tail are the fame : the breaft is yellowifti, marked with black fpots : the throat, the fore part of the neck, the belly, and the fides are vvrhite. This I '(■■J, THE SPOTTED FAUVETTE. 141 This warbler is more common in Italy, and probably in the fouthern provinces of France, than in the northern countries, where it is little known. According to Aldrovandus, it is fre- quent near Bologna ; and the name which he gives toit, ihevvs that it ufually follows the herds of cattle in the fields *. It builds in llie meadows, and places its neft within a foot of the ground in fome large plant, as fennel, chervil, &c. It never fprings when one approacb.es the fpot, and it fuffers itfelf to be caught rather than abandon its young, pre- ferring the life of its progeny to its own : fo powerful that inftind: v>rhich infpires the feeble, fugacious animals with courage and intrepi- dity ! In all creatures that obey the wife laws of nature, the parental affedion is the fource of whatever may be deemed virtuous. * JBoaro, in Italian, fignifies a co'.v-herd. i.if m m '•"J •I'll] 1 ^•^^ :•'<> ■•■ ■. i'l .■'vtii THE ; . ;u I , '1,3' iff m I .i' I ii| if ■#'•■■■': i'^ ■■•.■iili:t( ilk'. ■■■ :.;ii;f4-' ;i. '.*»:■» .. I- •I r M2 3 THE W I N T E R F A U V £ T T E, Or TraiiNE-Buisson, or Mouciiet, Bf/ff TENTH SPECIES. !MotaciH:i Mcnluhiris, ///'//;/. Li.ucl. Altill. Frif. Sylvia I\I(ulularis, Lull:. Lid. Cunuc:i Sc'pinvia, Brljf. ' Sylvia Gula Plumbca, Kldii. Ciirnicn Kliotrc, Ray. ^ Will. 'The Hcilgo-Sparrow, Pain. All. Will. '^ Lnlh. Lid.''- ALL the other fauvettcs depart in autumn • _; this, on the co. *'"ary, arrives in that fea- fon. It rciides among us ujnnrr the v;holc of the winter months ; and hence it has been flylcd the winter fiiiivefte, and in fome provinces the win- icy nightlngak. The Englifh and ItaHan ap- pcHations of hedge f parr o%v, and ivood-fparrow fpqljara fahatica), allude to the refemblance which its plumage, variegated with black and ruibus brown, bears to that ofthetree-fparrowj a refemblance which Belon found to be com- plete f. — In fad, the colours of the winter fau- * In ItaHan, PaJJara Salvatlca : in German, Prunell: in Swcdijli, Jaern-Spart. t NiU. dis Oi/eauXf p. 375. i vettc - "i TE, ET, Bfif ril^ Lnlh. Ind. *• in autumn ; i in that lea- wliolcofthc :en ftylcd the nces the 'w'm- i Italian ap- wood-fparrcw refemblmce ith black and tree-fparrow ; d to be com- he winter fau- man, Prufidh in vettc THB IfKDGE "W^HBX^ER. \hi. m ■jm ■..jf •I W :C ' ■». ''14 *t I ► "j 1s.,. H i$^ HH t ^ THE WINTER FAtJVETTE. 143 vette are much deeper than thofe of the others : its general complexion is hlackllh, and all its quills and feathers arc hordcrcd with rufous brown: its checks, its throat, the fore jiart of its neck and brcall arc of a blueiih cinereous: there is a rudy fpot on the temple : the belly is white. Its fizc is that of the rcd-breaft; its alar extent eight inches. The cock differs from the hen, in having more of the rufous caft oa the head and neck, and the latter being more ftained with cinereous. Thefe birds perform their migrations in bo- dies : they arrive in the end of October, and the beginning of November : they alight on the hedges, and go from bufh to bufli, always near the ground, and hence their name oi trail' huJJj (trame-buijfcn). It is not timoro!is, and is eafily enfnared *. It has neither the fliynefs nor the vivacity of the other fauvettes, and its difpofition feems to participate of the cold and torpor of the feafon. Its ufual ftrain is quivering ; it is a fort of foft fhake //////- //V///V, which it often repeats. It has alio a flender warble, which, though mournful and little varied, is pleafant to hear in a feafon when all the other fongfters are filent: this is the moft frequent and lengthened towards evening. In thedeplh of winter, the hedge-iparrow haunts Willui^hby. K'. '.'1 I I 1 ,■■' IB i the m 144 THE WINTER FAUVETTE. B 1^ 'H' ; i ';!i', •'il 1.' "1 • ,. '41 ■ill 'ris! the barns and threflilng-floors, to pick up the fine meal from among the chaiF. Hence pro- bably the name chjff-fcrciper (gratte-paille)^ which is given to it in Brie. Hebert fays, that he found whole grains of wheat in its craw ; but its llendcr bill is not calculated for fuch food, and neceflity alone can compel it to that refource. As foon as the cold abates, it again retires to the hedges, fearching on the branches for the chryfalids, and dead vine- fret ters. It difappears in the fpring ; whether that it penetrates into the forefls and returns to the mountains, as in Lorraine, where I am inform- ed that it breeds; or whether it migrates into other climates, particularly towards the north, from whence it feems to come in the autumn, and where it is very frequent in fum- iTier. In England, according to Albin, it is found during the warm weather in every bufli. It inhabits Sweden ; and the epithet which Lin- nccus applies, feems to fhew that it continues during the winter, and afTames the while plumage common in the northern climates in that feafon *, It alio breeds in Germany j but its neft is very rarely found in France : it is placed near the ground, or even on the furface, and it confifls of mofs, lined with wool and * Tajfer Cafius. Syft. Nat. edit. vi. hair : THE WINTER FAUVETTE. 145 Iiglr: It ufually contains four or five eggs of a ple.ifant uniform light blue, without any fpors. When a cat, or' any milchicvous animal, hap- pens to come near the nell, the mother will divert it from the fpot by an inflinft fimilar to th;it by which the partridge mifleads the dog; llic fpriiigs up, flutters from fpot to fpot, till her enemy is removed to a fafe diftance. Albin fays, that in -England the young are hatched againfl: the month of May, that they are eafily raifed, tliat they are not timorous, and even be- come very familiar; andlaftly,that their warble is efteemcd, though not fo cheerful as that of the other fauvettes *. Their leaving France in the fpring, and their plenty in the northern regions during that fea- lon, are fmgular fads in the hiftory of the mi- gration of birds. After the gralhopper warbler, this is the fecond fpecies with a flender bill, * A winter fauvctte kept during that fcnlbn at the houfe of M. DiUibenton the younger, and caught in a fnarc in autumn, was not wilder than if it had bet-n taken from the licit. It was put into a yolcry filled with canaries, llanots, and goldfinches. A canary took fucji a likinjr to this fauvftte that he would never leave it ; and M. Daubcnton was induced to remove them from tiie general volery, and put tlieni by tliemfelves in a breeding-ca^;e. liuc this attachment feemed to be fiiendlhip only, and not love ; they did not copulate, nor is it lilveiy thut their union would have been productive. Vol. V. L which ■*i.' -.1 Mil \ 'i?i 4 * .^."'t-'i If:. ■i' :■«.■' (■ >'+• 146 THE ALPINE FAUVETTE. which retires from the heats of our fiimmers, and yet fupportsthe ligoursof our winters, which all the rcll of the genus fliun : and this inftindt alone is fuiTicienl to dilVmguifli it, or at leafl to fet it at a fmall diflance irom the others. T n E ALPINE FAUVETTE. THIS bird is found on the x-^Ips and the high mountains of Dauphine and Au- vcrene : it is at lead as lai'ire as the common bunting, and therefore in point of fize it far exceeds the fauvettes ; but dill it ig con- nc(fled to fluMii by many marked charaders. Its throat is white, I'potted with two different tints of brown : its i)reafl is afli gray: all the reft of its body is variegated with gray, more or leia inclined to whitilh, and with rufous: the in- ferior covert? of its tail are marked with blickilh and white: th.' upjXT part of its head and neck is afh grav : iis bark is of tlie fame colour, but variegi/.vd v»ita brown : iht i'upcrior coverts oi its J^J24 . '"^ 'ii '4 TKil ALITNT- -VViVRWIiEIt. Hi* .. (.(('Uf IM ■ W'i^ m^ .::r. ■it '.< ■ i-^4l. :.,.• pr. •lft:J!L i'iiir^ h] lol \\ m Jrft THE ALPINE J'AtJVETtlil. 147 Its wings are blackifli, fpotted with white to the point : the quills of its wings are brown, edged exteriorly, the large ones with whitifh, the mid- dle ones with rufty colour: the fuperior coverts of its tail are brown edged with greenifh gray, and rufty near the point : all the quills of its tail are terminated above by a rufty fpot on the in- ner fide : its bill is eight lines in length, black- ifti above, yellow below at the bafe, and not fcalloped : its feet are yello^vifli : the tarfus is an inch long : the hind nail is much thicker than the reft : the tail is two inches and a half long, fomewhat forked, and exceeds the wings near an inch. The whole length of the bird is feven inches : the tongue is forked ; the ccjbp/jagus is rather more than three inches, and it dilates into a fort of glandulous flic before its infertion into the gizzard, which is very thick, and an inch long, and eight lines broad : it is mufcular, and lined loofely by a membrane: it generally contains fragments of infeds, dif- ferent finall feeds, and minute gravel. The left lobe of the liver, which covers the gizzard, is fmaller than ufual in birds : there is no gall- bladder, but two ca:ca of a line and an half each : the inteftinal tube is ten or twelve inches long. Though thefe birds inhabit the Alpine trada which lie between l^ance and Italy, and even X4 2 thofff ■■!, - -y,n. 1. •ia lii m 'i! '. ■; isr!i' f j;h., 143 THE ALPINE FAUVETTE. tliofe in Auvergne and Dauphine, no au- thor has mentioned them. The Marquis de Piolenc fent fcveral to M. Gueneau de Mont- bellhrdjwliichwereldllcd at his baiciiy of Mout- bel, i8ch Janu:^ry 1778. They never remove far from the lofty mountains, unlcfs they be compelled to retreat by the abundance of fnow : accordingly, they are hardly feen in the low country. They are generally on the ground, and run fwifily, fcudding along like the quail and the partridge, and not hopping as the other fauvettes do. They alfo fit upon ftones, but feldom perch on treco : they wander in fmall bodies, and recall each other by a feeble cry like that of the wagtail. When the cold is moderate, they live in the fields; but when it becomes more fevere, they refort to the moid meadows where there is mofs, and are then feen running on the ice. Their lall: refource ia the tepid fprinqs and brooks: they are oftenfound in fuch fituations when the perfon is hunting for fnipcs. They are not fhy ; yet are they difficult to kill, elpecially on the wing. TIIKI i ^ fr -^ 1 '^ CO in t ; 'E. C M9 1 no au- ^arquis de Je Mont- - of Mout- her remove "s they be e of fuow -. in the low he ground, ic the quail as the other ilones, hut ,er in ^'"^^^^ a feeble cry the cold is but when it to the moill tnd are then ft refource is re oftenfound on is hunting yet are they wing. THE P I T C li O U. Motacilla Provincialis, Cute!, The Dartford Warbler, Lath. THIS name is, in Provence, applied to a very fmall bird, which appears to us more related to the fauvettes than to any other genus. Its totallength is live inches, of which the tail takes up near thf one half. It probably received this appellation becaufc it conceals it- felf among cabbage (choit): it fearches for the young butterflies that are bred on the leaves, and in the evening it fquats and hides itfclf from its enemy, the b^tt, which rov.es above its cold lodging. But ieveral perfons Iiave aiTured me, that fiichcAi has no relation to dy.it^ and fi|.^niriesonly I'lUU or Jl:nder ; vv'hich agrees wiui Italian etymology *, and fuits well this bird, which is pJmofi: as fmall as a wren. The bill of the pitchou is long in comparl- ifnn to its body, being feven lines : it is blackiih [at the tip, whiiKii at the bafe : the upper m.an- Idible is fcallopcd near the end : the wing is very \m\ v. 4 .■ii •-I •■.HI 4 *i ] if I Til J I Piccii.'Of PuLinino. (liort, i^^i^ 1 ii'' ^m M\ II iM ' ■ 1 Pl:}.-;: ^M m,: (I'l '■ ^^H 'M' f , f 1 » 1 i 'i I ^^^B ^n^ ■ 1 i! H ■ IM I it '; 'I!, •■ 1 R hi' 1- .1- Iff' ■ ,l.i- li''il ' ' ■ t ■, '*■ If' \ ■l 1, ^.ii . ' 1 , M If 1: H r ■ Is *'' '■ 'is ' ■l:;i:| Inl f^ K '1-1 •■•' ' .r ' ! , ; • 1; ',' '• ' 3 '■ ■ml' ^ ifij .' , ■' ^i ■'■'-'; /■,'^' :;i,|. 3.. : ;■■« . r'r'f ii'i '■ ■ ' 'I. *l 1?.; ' r ■' ■■'•'■' ;i/ ■ '■■'■'! ';. ""' 'l.,1. ■' ,"*■ ''■:ff:4 ., ' .V>; , ' ■ ,i 1 ■ ift.j';; ■"m|' r ■ 1 "1« ' ■-' 1. •■.,".-S,- ' •■ ;i'il|:"'-i:' ^«i ; L '■1 " 'k!;';. ■hi iiMii«>v»*!'i'i? ISO THE PITCHOU. fhort, and cove 's only the origin of the tail : the tiitjus is eight lines : the nails are very thin, and the hind one is the largeft : all the upper part of the body, from the forehead to the end of the tail, is deep cinereous : the quills of the tail, and the great quills of the wings, are edged with light cinereous on the outfide, and blackifh within. — We are indebted to M. Guys of Mar- feilles for our knowledge of this bird. FOREIGN C M« 3 rO REIGN BIRDS REXATED TO THE EAUVETTES. I. THE SPOTTED FAUVETTE, FROM THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. Motacilla Afrlcana, Ginel. The African Warbler, Lath. '^r^HIS bird, defcribed by BriiTon, is one of X the largeft, fince he makes it equal to the brambling, and feven inches three lines long. The crown of the head is rufous, variegated with blackifh fpots in the middle of the feathers: the top of the neck, the back and the ihoulders are clouded, except that their edge is dirty- gray : near the rump, on the coverts of the wings, and the upper furface of the tail, they are edged with rufous : all the under and fore part of the body is rufty white, variegated with fome blackilli fpots on the flanks : on each fide of the throat there is a fmall black ftripe : the quills of the wings are brown, with ilic outer border rufous : the four quills in the middle of the tail are fimilar, the reil are rufous, but ail L4 of •.'IV, t'.J '. HI \ ,1 i' ■.I'.-i 152 FOREIGN BIRDS of them are lliarpand pointed ; the bill is horn- colour, and eight lines long : the feet are ten lines, and of a dun gray. ir. THE SMALL SPOTTED FAUVETTE, TROM THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. THIS is a new fpccics, and introduced by Sonnerat : it Isfmaller than the babbler fauvetre, .ind its tail is longer than its body : the whole of its robe is brown, and the bread is fpottcd v;ith blackifli on a yellowilli white ground. in. THE SPOTTED FAUVETTE, FROM LOUISIANA. Motacilla NoveboracenCs, Gmel. The New York Warbler, Pern, l^ Lath, IT is of the fize of the tit-lark, and refeq bics it in the manner in wluch all the undc pai y. '-km ; tlvebiUisUorn- : the leet are ten D FAUVETTE, GOOD HOPE. and introtluced by the babbkr faiivette, :s body : the whole the bi-eua is fpottcd b white ground. FAUVETTE, ISIANA. r.s, GmL er, Paw. ^ Lath '}. he tit-lark, and refenv 1 vvliich all the under par RELATED TO THE FAUVETTES. 153 part of tlie body is fpottcd with blackifh on a ycllovvllh wliitc ground ; thefe fpots reacli liom near the eyes to the fides of the tail : a llrcak of white riles at the angle of the bill, and ter- minates in the eye : all the upper furfacc, from the crowii of the head to the end f the tail, is mixed with cinereous and deep i) own. We Ihould not have helitatcu i refer to this fpecics, as a variety procecdiu;^ urn age or fex, another fauvette vvhieh \. as alfo fcnt from Louiliana, of which the plumage is a lighter gray, and has only a few traces of the fpots which are diftindily painted on the former : the upper pan of the body is whitlfli ; a veflige of a yellowilh tinge appears on the fides, and the rump : hefides, thefe two birds are of the fame fize ; the quills and the great coverts of the wings in the iaft are fringed with whithh ; but ail eilential dirference takes place in tliclr hills : in the (irU, it is as large as the reed fauvette, and in the fccontl, it is hardly equal to that of the Imall fauvette. This diverfity in the prin- cipal part appears to be Ipecific, and we fliall therefore co!illitute this another i'pecies, under the name of Shaded Fauvette from Lou- isiana*. * MotacllhiUmbrla, Cutcl. The UnibroiL Wavblcr, Pi'/m, The Duiky Warbler, laiL IV. THE .V •'ij ^.k iaS» '^'v> .v».«r. ^>, IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) ^ 1.0 !|i^ «£ II f^ H^ 1.25 1 1.4 ,,.6 ^ 6" ^ ► V] '^ ^> ^'^ ■> Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WeST MAIN STRHT WIUTIR.N.Y. M5S0 (716)«72-4S03 ^\ \ \\ ^^V o^ ,«- 3? i ii'af »54 FOREIGN BIRDS i I ■ :» 1^1 Hit i :r '■ill*? I, (,' 1^. IV. THE YELLOW-BREASTED FAUVETTE, FROM LOUISIANA. THIS is one of the handfomeft and moft bril- liant of the whole genus : a half-malk of black covers the face and temples even beyond the eyes, and fupports a white border ; all the upper fur- face is olive, all the under part yellow, with an orange tint on the fides. It is of the fize of the paflerine warbler. It was brought from Louifiana by Lebeau. A fourth fpecies is the Greeni/Ij Fauvetie from the fame country. It is of the fize of the fpot- ted fauvette, which we have juft defcribed : its bill is as long, and is ftronger : its throat is white ; the under part of the body white gray; a white ftreak paifes below the eye, and beyond it : the crown of the head is blackifh; the upper fide of the neck is deep afli colour ; the flanks and the back are greenifh, on a light brown ground ; a purer greeniih borders the quills of the tail, and the outfide of thofe of the wings, whofe ground is blackifh. It feems, by reafon of its blackifh hood, to form the correlative to our black- capj which it equals in fiz^. V. THE RELATED TO THE FAUVETTES. «?5 V. THE RUFOUS-TAILED FAUVETTE, FROM CAYENNE. Motacilla Ruficauda, Gmel. The Rufous-tailed Warbler, Latk, ITS total length is five inches one fourth: Jt has a white throat, enciitled with rufty dotted with brown ; the breaft is light brown : the reft of the under part of the body is white, with a rufty tinge on the inferior coverts of the tail ; all the upper fide, from the crown of the head to the origin of the tail, is brown, with a rufous tinge on the back ; the coverts of the wings are rufous, their quills edged exteriorly with rufous ; and all the tail is of that colour. VI. THE FAUVETTE OF CAYENNE, WITH A BROWN THROAT AND YELLOW BELLY. Motacilla Fufcicollis, Grne/. The Yellow-bellied Warbler, LatL THE throat, the upper fide of the head, and of the body, are of agreenilh brown : the quills and !l: ■ til ■ "'ii I M tf-M I !'■ li I*-!, '*: 156 FOREIGN BIRDS and coverts of the wings have the fame ground colour, but are edged with rufty ; thofe of the tail with greenifli : the bread and belly are yel- low, Ihaded with fulvous. It is one of the fmallefl: of the genus, and fcarcely exceeds the willow-wren ; its bill is broad, and flat at its bafe, and in that rerpe(3: it appears to refemble the fly-catchers, which are in fadt nearly related to the fauvcttes, being dillinguilhed only by flight differences of conformation, while they are con- nected by one leading charader, viz. that their modes of living are the fame. 'm^ '■ hi lit.. i F I ''111 ■' Hk VII. THE BLUEISH FAUVETTE OF SAINT DOMINGO. Motacilla Caerulefcens, Gme/. The Blue-grey Warbler, Lai/j. THIS pretty little fauvette is only : inches and a half long ; and all the upper fide of the head, and of the whole of the body, is blue cinereous:, the quills of the tail are edged v/hh the fame colour, on a brown ground : there is a white fpot on the wing, of which the quills 6 are RELATED TO THE FAUVETTES. 157 are brown : the tail is black : the reft of the under fide of the body is white. We are forry that we know nothing of the habits of thefe different birds. Nature ftamps every animated being with inttindts and powers fuired to their climates, and as various as thofe : fuch fubjedts are always worthy of being ob- ferved, but almoft always want proper obferv- ers. Few are fo intelligent or fo laborious as the perfon * to whom we owe the interefting account of another little fauvette in St. Do- mingo, called xh^ yellow-neck in that ifland, ♦ M. le Chevalier Lefevre Dcftiayes. I n ' 'I itii :h ♦*■:, THE ■:•■■ ;: '*' If!. ■uif ':i ti':i -fc PI i • : THE YELLOW-NECK, Motacilla PenfiHs, GmeL Sylvia PenfiHs, Lath. Ind. The Penfile Warbler, Lath. Syrt. SUCH is the name (cou-jaune) which the fettlefs in St. Domingo have beftowed on a fmall bird*, which to beauty of phimage joins an eafy fhape and a pleafant warble : it fits upon the trees which are in bloflbm, and ftrains its little throat : its voice is flender and weak, but varied and delicate ; each paflage of its mufic is compofed of rich and full cadences f. The bird is the more charming, as its fong lafts not only fpring, the feafon of love, but is prolonged through almoftall the months of the year. \Vc Ihould almoft fuppofe that its paffion fuffers no * They alfo call it the goldfinch : yet the yellow-neck has the flender bill of the pcttychaps, or red-breaft, and the port, the temper, and habits of the latter ; nor has it any thing analogous to the goldfinch but the warble, which is alfo very ditFercnt. f " The fong of the cor>i or cnne bird refembles in the thinncfs of its tones, and the quality of its modulation, the warble of the yellow-neck." Nott; of M. Lej'cvre DeJI-iaycs, aningenious and feufible obfcrver, to whom we owe the details in this article, and many other intcrciling fafts in the natural hiftory of the birds of St. Domingo. ^ . inter- THE YELLOW-NECK. 159 C K- I which the ftowed on a iumage joins : it fits upon nd drains its nd ^veak, but of its mufic is jt. The bird lafts not only is prolonged the year. Wc Hon fuflfers no le yellow-neck has :d-bTeaft, and the :er-, nor has it any e warble, which is cl refembles in the its modulation, the f. Lefevre Defiaycs, whom we owe the intcrclVmg fafts ^ Jomingo. ■^ intcr- IntermifTion ; and, in that cafe, it might be in- ceflantly fired to warble its amorous tale. As foon as the weather grows fine, efpecially after thofe fudden and exceffive torrents of rain which are fo frequent in the Weft Indies, the male tunes his voice, and chants whole hours together: the female alfofings; but her notes are neither fo well fupported, nor fo finely blended. Nature, who paints moft of the birds in the New World with the richeft colours, denies therai the charms of fong, and, in the defert trails, fhe bellows only fome favage cries. The yellow- neck is one of the fmall number whofe warble is lively and cheerful, and whofe plumage is at the fame time diftinguiflied for beauty: the tints are well blended, and are heightened by the fine yellow which fpreads over the throat, the neck, and the breaft : black gray predominates on the head, and, growing more dilute as it defcends to the neck, it changes into a deep gray on the back : there is a white line which crowns the eye, and joins to a fmall yellow ftreak lying between the eye and the bill : the belly is white, and the fides are fpeckled with white and black gray : the coverts of the wings are fpotted with black and white, difpofed in hori- zontal ftripes ; there are alfo large white fpots on the quills, of which there are fixteen in each wing, and with a fmall white gray border at the it ':'!! iM iil ■' >.l, , i i6o THE Y E L L O W - N E C K. ■ ; 1. SI ;> i'r 'V ;.;'t • ■11 : ■ . I'l J i •■ a f?. '"• '1 : M ■ . r 1' •H;; S; V 1 il L K' ' ri t- '^v'. U>1 ih ' ^ HI ■f 'ftil:-'^. v'*. '"■■ I'f-"' ■'■■■„. ■' I.I . '1 k i:-i:: ' 1. ■ -1 it -i t ■ T > ■f,'i' ,: '.•■•. ■<' n r- Si: ■' •.'"■'• . : *■ '/. 1 '"■1 . ' • 1 ■; tj *"' u ■ .1 i I' 'Jt h' ■ I'l V!'' .-'If- f. i-;-'. ■'. 1 -•■' j-i" fMf" =4:: :':.i!*„,. ; ^ ^' 'i^.^.^: L 4'!'ih. ^kji^, A^'U the end of the great webs : the tail confifts of twelve quills, of which the four outer ones are marked with large white fpots : a fcaly fine fkin, of a greenilh gray, covers the legs : the bird is four inches and nine lines in length ; its alar extent eight inches, and it weighs one gros and a half. Under this rich clothing, the penfile warbler has the figure and proportions of the fauvettes ; and its habits are alio the fame. It prefers for its haunts the fides of rivulets, and the cool refrefliing fpots near fprings, and wet gullies ; ■whether becaufe a mild temperature is moil congenial to its nature?, or that it feeks retire- ment where nothing may diilurb its mufic. It flutters from tree to tree, and from branch to branch, and warbles in its paflage through the air. It preys on flies, caterpillars, and butter- flies ; and yet, in the feafon, it cracks the feeds of the guava and water melon. Sec. probably to find the maggots which are bred in thefe at a certain flate of maturity. It appears n«.'i!ior to arrive in St. Domingo nor depart : its flight, though rapid, is hot fo lofty, nor fo continued, as to waft it over the ocean *, and it may be re- garded as a native of that ifland. But • M. Dofliayes compares the flight of the yellow-neck to that of the bird called at St. Domiiijjo de la 'i'ouJTchi (All- K. onfifts of ones are fine Tki'-i, he bird is ; its alar I gros and Ic warWcr fauvettes ; prefers for I the cool ret gullies ; re is nioft jeks relire- mufic. It 1 branch to hrough the and butter- ks the feeds probably ill thefe -t )ears neither t : its tVight, :ontinued, as may be re- But the ycUow-neck o de la ioti/l^''-' (All- THE Y E L L 0 W - N E C IC. \6t Bat the beauty and renri:)iHty of this bird are no lefs remarkable than the fagacity it difplays in building and placing its neft. It does not fix it at the forking of the braiu hcs, as ufual with moft other birds ; it fufpends it to binders hanging from the netting, which they form from tree to tree, efpecially thofc which fliU from branches leaning over the rivers and deep ra- vines : the neft confifts of dry blades of grafs, the ribs of leaves, and exceedingly fmall roots, in- terwoven with the greatcft art ; it Is faftened, or rather it is v^^orked into the pendent (brings ; it is really a fmall bed rolled into a ball, fo thick and compacted as to exclude the rain, and which rocks in the wind without receiving any harm. But the elements are not the only enemies againft which this bird has to ftruggle: with won- derful fagacity it provides for its protedlion from other foes: the opening is not made on the top or fide of the neft, but at the bottom ; nor is the entrance dired : after tlie bird has made its way into the veftibule, it muft pafs another aperture before it defcends into the abode of its family : this lodgment is round and foft, and lined with a fort of lichen which grows on the trees, or (Jll'Saints)f feemingly becaufe it arrives about that time. " It is nearly of the fize," fays he, " of the yellow-neck ; but this is very delicate in comparifon, and the mufcles of its wings are much Icf* vigorous than in the bird de la Touf" faintr Vol. V. M with n ■ 'Tim 'Hi: m t ' ■! '*■ :, i62 THE Y E L L O W - N E C K. '%' ..I ;> ;"■ ', * r , > ■:%H ■k: .J»i; •* Hli^ ''C"\ if' \:ik ItiJtaUi.'* ;Mi "' with the nik of a plant called by the Spaniards ftiori a cab aye *. By this laborious conftrudioii, the young brood are prottded againfl: the attacks of the rapacious birds, and of the rats and fnakcs. Yet dangers ftill awaft them : when they are about to fly, many are devoured by the owls and rats, and the fpecics ever remains limited. Such is the fate of the weak and gentle creatures in thofe regions, where the noxious kinds fpread and prevail by their numbers. The female lays only three or four eggs ; fhc hatches more than once in the year, but how often is not known : the young ones are feen in the month of June, and fome are faid to appear as early as March, and others are found in the end of Auguft, or in September j they foon leave their mother, but never rove fiir from the place of their nativity, [^A] [A ] Specific cluiraclcr of the MoiaaUa Penftlis : *' It is gray, below yellow, its belly and eyebrows white, its ftraps Ipotted with yellow, the coverts of its wings marked with alternate llripcs of black and white." * " It is a plant which grows in the favannas of St. Do- piingo, and delights in humid fituations : its milk is a ftroug poifon, which is no doubt the reafon of its name, niort h i-ulxiyi." N.^/i dc J\f. le Chev. DcpMys. THE K. Spaniards le young :k8 of the akcs. Yet are about ,8 and rats, . Such is reatures in inds fpread reggs; fl^c tr, but how nes are feen are faid to •8 are found mber; they er rove fa^ A] Fe,iflis : " It Is Kite, itsftrivr* rs marked with mnas of St. Do- j; its milk is a fon of its ivanic, t i<53 3 T H 1 n! REDSTART. Le Rofllgnol de Muraille, Buf.* Motiitilla-Phanicuru8, Litin. ^' Gmet. Phocnicurus, Brljf. Frlfchy l2fi\ Ruticilla, Ray. Will. Br'ijfi KUhi, Glbb ^fc. Tyrrhulas, Johnjl. THE fong of this bird has neither the ex- tent nor the variety of the nightingale's warble ; but it partakes of the fame modula- tions, and wears an air of tendernefs and me- lancholy. Such at leaft are the emotions which this awakens in us; for, with regard to the bird itfelf, it mufl: be the cxpreffion of joy and pleafure, as it is the cxpreffion of love, which is equally delicious to every animated being. This is the only analogy that fubfifts between the two * In Greek, ^omKH^o;, Arift. Hljl. Anim. lib. ix. 49 : in Latin, PhoeniatruSy Plin. lib. x. 29 : in Italian, Codinjfo^ CoroffblOf Revezol : In German likowife its names denote the reddifli colour of its tail } Rot-J}ertZy Rot-fchivetitztly Weiu'vognly Rot-fchnvantZy Schivautz-kihlciny and the female Roth-fchiventzleiu. It is alfo called Haufs-roetcley Sum- tner-roetele (houfe or fummer red bird):i in Silefian, Wujllhig i in Pruflian, Satilocher : in Polifli, Czerivony Ogo- tu'k. The Englifh name Redftart is evidently borrowed from the German Rot-Jiartzy which figuifics red'tail. M 2, birds; m '■1 'A 1^4 THE REDSTART. Uh .,V •%^.: ^! \m i .f»t; birds; their habits, their fize, their plumage* are difFcrent, thougli in French the fame generic name of n/'g/j/irgok has been ufually applied to both. This bird appears with the reft in the fpring, and fits on towers and the ruins of dcfertcd buildings, and there it pours forth its notes. It even procures folitude in the midll of cities, where it Itttles on the top of a high wall, in a belfry, on a chimney, 6cc. always feeking the moft lofty and moll inacccfTible fpots : it is alfo found in the heart of the thickeft foreils. It flies nimbly ; and when it perches it vents a feeble cry +, and quivers its tail inceiTanily, not upwards and downwards, but horizontally, from right to left. It prefers the mountainous tratis, and feldom vifits the plains if. It is much fmaller than the nightingale, and even fome- thing fmaller than the redbreaft ; its form is more flender, and longer ; a black horfe-lhoc covers its throat, tlie fore part and fides of its neck ; the fame black encircles its eyes, and reaches under its bill ; a white bar malks its face : the cown and back of its head, the upper part of its neck and back, are of a glofly, but deep gray : in fome fubjedts, probably old ones, this gray is almoft black: the wing quills are blackiih cinereous ; their outer webs are of * Belon. t W- t Olina. a lighter ^ '0^1 ! THE REDSTART. 165 'H ilumagc * nc generic \ppl\ccl to the fpving, f ild'ertecl i nolcs. It of cities, wail, in a ecking tlie s : it is alio foreils. It J it vents a eiTantly, not intaliy, from vinous tratls, It is mvicU even fome- its form is :k horfe-iTloe fides of its ts eyes, and ,ar maiks its -ad, the upper a glofly, but ably old ones, wing quills ;r webs are of Una. a lighter cad, and fiinwl with whliilh gray: bciow tlic black horle-lKvJe, a fine viifnus fn-o colour decorates a great p irt of the brcall j and, fading fomewhat on the fides, it again rcfames its lultre on all the pl\imae;c of the tail, except the two middle feathers, which arc brown ; the belly is white, and the feet black ; the tongue is forked at the end, as in the nightingale •''. The female differs fo much from the male, that fome authors have reckoned it a fccond I'pccies f : it has neither the wiiite face nor the black throat of the latter; both thefe parts are gray mixed with rufty, and the reft of the plu- mage is of a lighter tinge. Thefe birds breed both in towns and in the country, in hollow trees or in the crags of rocks : they lay five or fix blue eggs : the young are hatched in May J. During the whole time of incubation, the male chants from fome neighbouring eminence, or from the top of a detached building § ; and his mufic is foftell at day- break ||. It is faid that thefe birds are timorous and CaC' picious, and that they will abandon their neft, if they be feen employed in conftrudling it, and that they will defert the eggs if they be touched. All this is probable j but what AlbLii adds is * Belon. f Linnieus and Klein. % Schwenckfeld. ^ Ohna, Uca/L p. 47. || Aldrovaudus, t. ii. p. 75a. JVlj abfurd} iJ »('f!fj ' It I m m i66 THE REDSTART. if ! '■ i'L ™l' •'!*«' r ft fj H ■ i■^ alifurd ; that if the young be handled, the pa- rents will leave them to their fate, or throw them out of their neft *. The reclftart, though it lives amidft our dwellings, continues ftill favage. It has neither the familiarity of the redbreaft, the fprightlinefs of the fauvette, nor the animation of the night- ingale ; its habits are folitary, its charader is ful- len and fad-j-. If it be caught in the adult ftate, it will refufe all fuftenance, and pine to death J ; or if it furvive the lol's of its liberty, an obfti- nate filence will mark its difconfolate condition. However, if it be taken from the neft and raifed in the cage, it will fing ; and inftrudions, or the imitation of other birds, will improve its warble §, which is heard indifcriminately at every hour, and even during the night ||. It is fed with crumbs of bread, and with the fame pafte as the nightingale ; it is even more clelicate II. When at libtrty, it lives on flies, * Albin, vol. i. p. 44. f " Their young much refemble thofe of the redbreafts ; they cannot be foeafilyraifed. I have keptoiie awholewinter; it feemed of a timid difpofition, yet was it continually hop- ping, and had a very keen eye j it could diltiaguifli at one end of the room the fmallefl infeft at the other, and darted to it in an inftant, emitting a cry in feizing it." No-e iWi- muti'icated by the Vijcoimt lie ^terhotat. 4: Aibln, \ol. I. p. 44. § Idem, ibidem. Il Oliii.i, {jcceiiaria, p. 47. % Belon. fplderp, ^ THE REDSTART. 167 lidft our as neither rightUnels the night- £ler is ful- adult ftate, o death J ; , an obfti- condition. t and raifed udlions, or mprove its minately at nd with the even more ves on flies, the tedbreafts ; :a'wholewinteri ;ontinually bop- \iiiguifli at one ther, and darted g it." No'y M' Hebcrt, M 4 BriflTon ♦•■; ». .11 III ■1*1 Ml ,) l68 THE REDSTART, II "'l: H - '■''■■■ '"1 ii-S .;'.. ti'i m I it Bilflbn calls the cinereous recJJiart^ and which Willughby and Ray defcribe from AldrovHn- dus. Frifcli mentions another variety of the hen redflart, in which the breaft is marked with rufous fpots ; and this variety conftitiites Klein's fecond Ipecics. 'I he gray rcdftart of Kdwards *, ftnt from Gibraltar to Catciljv, and which Brif- {on makes his fecond fpecics, is probably only a variety of climate. It is of the fame fizc with the common redftart ; the grcateR difference is, tliat there are no rufous tints on its breaft, and that the outer edges of the middle quills of its wing are white. Another variety nearly the fame, is tlie bird fent to us by M. D'Orcy, in which the black co- iour of the throat fpreads over the brtall and iides; whereas in the common redilart thcfc parts are rufous. We do not know whence AI. D'Orcy received it^ it had a white fpot on the wing, of wdiich the quills are blacklih ; all the cinereous call of the upper part of the body is deeper than in the redllart, and the white of the forehead is much lels apparent. There is befides in America a fpecies of red- flart defcribed by Cat', fby, which we Ihall leave undecided, and not ranged exprefsly with that of Europe; not fo much becaufe of the difrer- ence of characters, as of the wide feparation be- MotaeiiU GibraltarienfiSj duel. tween THE REDSTART. 169 1 1 nd which 1^ AUlrovan- eiy of the arked with ites Klein's td wards *, A'hich Brii- .bal)ly only lie lizc with liffcrence is, breaft, and quills of its is the bird the buick co- le brtall and :edi\art thcfc V whence M. e Ipot on the :kiih -, all tb.e )f the body is the white ot ■pecies of rcd- we ihall leave ;isly with that ; of the dilrcr- feparution be- jiuel. tween tween the continents. In fad, Catefby afcribes to the Virginian redftart the fame habits which we furvey in our own. It lives in the clofelt woods ; it is feen only in fumraer : its head, neck, back and wings are black, except a fmall fpot of vivid rufous on its wing ; the rufous colour of the breaft is divided into two by the continuation of the gray of the ftomach ; the point of its tail is black. Are thefe differences ipecific, and more marked than what might be expe£ted from the influence of another hemi- fphcre ? ,The Bugey-coUler (cbarbonnier du Bugey)^ according to Hebert's account, is alfo the red- ftart *. We fliall make the fame aflertion in regard to the ru[fet-tail'\ of Provence, of which * " I tliiiik that the name of redftart (queue-rouge J may alfo be given to a. bird of the bulk of a pettychaps, which is very common in liugcy, and there called the ccUier ( ibarbotiricr ) : it appears both in the towns and among the rocks ; it nelUes in the holes. Every year it has a neifc on tiie ridge of the houfe v/hich I occupy, in a hole at a great height : while the hen covered, the cock perched very near her on fome point of the ridge, or on fonie very lofty tree, and repeated inceflantly a doleful warble, wliich had only tv,u variations, fucceeding conilantly in the fame order at equal intervals. Thcfe birds have a fort of convuifive trembling of the tail. 1 h.ave feen tliem fometimes at Paris in the Tuillerles, never in Urie, nor have I heard their war- ble in Bugcy." Nofc counnumcutcd by M. Ileberly I'anmr Gdtieral at Dijon, f Ciil-7V!iJetf ou Cul-ronJlfetfariiQU. we •"Hi % 'm ' f.k;i !r »?• THE REDSTART. I: ■ 'I 1 ^. .',H ■ !. . ;o J .If -I. ■:( ■ I- "miI s ill • ■: m we have been informed by M. Guys. We like- wife fuppofe that the * chimney-bird of the fame province is the redftart ; at leaft, the analogy of habits and alfo refemblance of charadlers feem to evince the identity. [A] [A] Specific charafter of the Redftart, Motacilla-Phvtii^ etirus : " Its throat is black, its belly and tail rufous, its head and back hoary." The redftart is frequent in Eng, land : its fong is fomewhat like that of the white-throat, though fuperior. Its egg is blue. * FoiomeiroUf ou/ourtieirou de chemhtee^ THE C i7« 3 THE R E D - T A I L. lR.ouge-Queue, Buff. Motacilla-Eritbacus *, Linn. 53* Gmel. Sylvia-ErithacuSi Lath. Iiid Phoenicurus Torquatus, Brijf. Phcciricurus Alter, jildrov. The Gray Redllart, Penn, ARISTOTLE mentions three fmall birds, and marks by the compolition of the names which he applies that the principal feature of their plumage is a flame tint. Thefe are the 4»3.*r. '.■■i l':'li ti-ill ■.'if- r'i 1 ''I' ■:;|. (■.? ■>sii',i;»''if 1 the colours over the whole of their plumage more lively and varied. Briffon has formed thefe into a fecond fpecies * ; but we conceive that they arc only the males, and fome very ex- perienced bird-fanciers have confirmed our opinion. BrifTon fays, that the collared red- tail h found in Gernuuiy, as if it were peculiar to that country : but wherever the gray red-tails occur, the collared red-tails are equally frequent. Befides, he is miftaken in his reference ; for the figure in Frifch, which he fuppofes to be the red-tdil, is only the female of the blue-throated warbler. We regard the collared red-tail, therefore, as the male, and the gray red-tail as the female : in both, the tail is equally red; but, befides the collar, the male has a deeper plumage, being a brown gray on the back, and gray fpotted with brown on the breaft and fides. Thefe birds prefer the hilly countries, and fcarcely appear in the low grounds, except ill their autumnal pafl!age -f. They arrive in the month of May in Burgundy and Lorraine, * Phoenicufus Torquatus. f *• I have feeu in Brie, in autumn, a bird which like- wile had a very rufous tail, but different from the red- ftart : I thought it was the fame with the collltr of Nantua in its firft year. Almoft all thefe birds change their colour the firft moulting, and all the birds which feed on infects are fubje£l to migrations in autumn." Note communicated hi M. Hiha-t. and rl: *,;.■' fri THE RED-TAlti «:; and Toon bury themfelves in the woods, where they remain all the fummer. They breed in the frnall bulhes near the ground ; their neft confifts of mofs, and lined with wool and fea- thers ; it is of a fpherical Ihape, with its opening facing the eaft, and the moft (heltered from the ftormy winds ; it contains five or fix eggs, va. riegated with gray. The red-tails leave the woods in the morning, and return to avoid the heat of the day ; they emerge in the evening, and appear in the neigh- bouring fields, but again return to their abodes to pafs the night. Thefe habits, and many other features of refemblance, feem to imply that they belong to the genus of the redftart. The red-tails, however, have neither its fong nor its warble ; they utter only a feeble mellow note j«//, and it dwells on the firft fyllable, and fpins it out with great foftnefs. They are in general filent, and exceedingly compofed * : if a fmall detached branch projeds from a bufli or ftretches acrofs a path, they will alight on it, * A red-tail taken in autumn andletloofe in an apartment, made not the fmallell cry, whether flying,walking,or refting. Shut in the fame cage with a pcttychaps, the hitter darted every minute agalnfl the bars, while the former remained ftill whole hours in tlie f.imc place, where the pettychaps dropped upon it at each fpring ; and it fuiTered itfclf to be thus trod upon all the time the pettychaps lived, that is, about thirty-fix hours. 2 making 1 *1: iK't ■ ''^^ "'■>f 175 THE RED -TAIL. ...■( i'l;^*' making a flight vibration with their tail like the red dart. It anfwers the decoy, but docs not rufh on with tlie vivacity and eagcrncfs of other birds ; it feems only to follow the crowd. It is alfo caught near fprings about the end of autumn ; and it is then very fat, and has a delicate flavour. Its flight is fliort, and reaches only from bufli to bufli. — Thcfe birds depart in the month of October ; they may for fcveral days be I'een following each other along the hedges ; but after that time none of them remain in France. [A] •s: W ■■"iiii '■■■! ' » •'III" ,» •If, I 'I'Wif ■ .11-, I ' Ml!.: •■» ■ '"I'"!' ,,i I m ■ jji'# ■'■•:'" "i i fAJ SpecIHc chamber of the Red-tail, MotaiUla-Iintha. cus : ** Its back and its wing quills are cinereous, its belly and tail quills rufous, the two outcrmoft cinereous.'' It is unknown in Britain. THE GUIANA RED-TAIL. Motacilla Guiancnfis, Gmcl. THE quills of the wings are of the fame rufous colour as thofe of the tail ; the back is gray, and the belly is white. We are unac- quainted with its habits and economy ; but it is probably related to the European kind, and its inftinds nearly the fame. — We received it from Cayenne. ^ THi ■'f*ii . L »77 3 ot ruib on thev birds ; It is alfo f autumn ; ;ate flavour, rom burt\ to month of ays be leen letiges; but remain in Motac'dla-Vyithi' e cinereous, its moft cinereous.' TAIL. •e of the fame ^ ,U ; tlie back is .1 We are un.u- ;onomy ; but it pean kind, and J We received it ^ Is THI T H I EPICUREAN WARBLER, Le Bec-Figue, Buff. Motiicilla-Ficcdula, Linn, llf Gmel, Sylvia-Ficedula, Lath. InJ. Ficedula, u^hlrov. Gefner^ Johtif}. t^c. Beccafico, Oliuay ^5* RuJfeL Aleppo *. THIS bird, which, like the ortolan, is ef- teemed by the luxurious as the higheft delicacy, is not remarkable for its beauty. All its plumage is of a dull colour ; the only fhades are gray, brown, and whitifh, to which the blackilh caft of the wing quills is added, with- out heightening the complexion : a white fpot, which tranfverfely interfcds the wing, is the moft confpicuous touch of its colours, and that which many naturalifts have aflumed for the character f : the back is brown gray, which begins on the crown of the head, and fpreads to the rump J the throat is whitifh; the breaft lightly tinged with brown : the belly is white, and fo are the outer webs of the * In Greek Sy*aXij, from cuhoi a fig : the Latin name, Fkeduloy is formed from Jicus a fig, and edo to eat : in German, Grafz-mach or WuJlUng. t Frifch — Briflbn.— Aldrovandus. Vol. V. N two '% ■'A v'l 1,< "^W f78 THE EPICUREAN WARBLER. ir--'"'^' )U ; ♦. • ■ I. '1 «« P ■• i m'> B * ii ■ «',iS two firft quills of the tail ; the bill is fix lines la length, and Hendcr. The alar extent is fcvcn inches, and the total length of the bird is five : in tlie female, the colonrs are all duller and paler than in the male *. Thcfc birds are natives of the foiith, and feeni to vifit our climate only to wait the maturity of the figs; they arrive late in the fpring, and difappear before the earlieft frofts of autumn. However, they fpread in the fum- mer over a !};reat extent in the northern coun- tries ; for they are found in England f , in Ger- many :(:, in Poland §, and even in Sweden ||. They return in autumn to Italy and Greece, and probably advance to winter in ftill warmer regions. They feem to change their habits with their climate ; for, in the countries of the foutli, they appear in flocks; while, in the tempcr.'.te climates, they remain always dif- perlld ; they inhabit the woods, feed on in- fers, and live in folitude, or rather in the en- dearing focicty of their female. Their nefts are fo artfully concealed, that it is very difficult to difcover them ^ : during that feafon, the male * Aldrovaiuhis. f Willugliby. | Klein. § Rzaczynlki. || Linnaus. f " 7'he beccafigo neftlcs In our forefts, and, to ]nA^i '. from niialogy, in the holes of trees at a great height above tl.e ground, like the collared fly-catchers : for this reafon, 4 tliey I THE EPICUREAN "WARBI.ER. i7'> male fits on the fummit of fomc tall tree, and makes a feeble chirping, which is unpleafant, and much like that of the wheat-ear. The epi- curean warblers arrive in Lorraine in April, and difappear in Auguft, and fometimcs later*. In that province, they are called mulberry-birds y or little wood-fnches f , which has tended to miflead ; for, at the fame time, the name of fig-pecker X has been- beftowed on the tit-lark, vvliich is of a very different fpccies. Nor are thel'e the only miftakes that have been made in regard to the name. Belon prefumes, becaufe the buUinch in Italy feems fond of figs, that it is the fame bird with wliat is called in that country beccqfico^ and he infers that it is the rtzS. fceduhi^ to which Martial alludes. But the bulfinch is as different from the epicurean v/arbler in the tafte of its flefh, which is bitter, as in the (hape of its bill, in its colours, and in the reft of its figure. In our fouthern provinces, and in Italy, all the different fpecies of fau- are very difiicult to be found. In 1767 or I7■ mh' ''"'N'' "'fit-^ t ■ heap, and even fluitsthe mouth of it witli a leaf when iliegoes abroad. The neft generally con- tains between five and feven eggs, of a brown co- lour. During the whole time of incubation, the cock makes the woods refound with his light, ten- der fong: it is a fweet, delicate warble, enlivened with fome brilliant modulations, and broken by graceful melting accents, which feem to be the cxpreflions of amorous defire. The foft fo- ciety of ike female fills up his wifhes, and makes him uneafy at the intrufion of other company. He keenly chafes all the birds of his own fpccics, and drives them from his little fettlement ; and never did the lame bulh lodge two pahs of rcd- breafts, as faithful as tiiey are amorous *. The red-breaft prefers thick Ihade and water- ed fpots ; it fee's in the fpring on worms and infeds, which it hunts fkilfully and nimbly. It flutters like a butterfly about a leaf where it fees a fly ; and on the ground it advances hy fmall fprings, and darts on its prey, clapping ib wings. In autumn, it alfo eats brambic- berries ; and, on its departure, it feeds on t!:c grapes of the vineyards, and on the forbs in the woods ; which is the reafon that it is apt to be caught in the gins fet for the thruflies, an^ ■which are baited with thefe fmall wild fruit-:. It reforts often to the fprings, to bathe or drink, . * Unum arhujium non atit duos erithacos. ,1 I i ..'I',. THE RED-BREAST. 187 but moft frequently in the autumn ; for It is fat- ter at that fcafon than at any other, and needs more to be cooled. No bird is earlier awake than the rcd-brcaft ; it begins the mufic of the woods, welcomes the dawn of day. It alfo protra£ls its warble to the lateft hour, and is feen fluttering about ia the evening. It is often caught in gins after there is fcarce light fuflicient for taking it up. It has little fhynefs ; and its volatility, its reft- leiTnefs, or its curiofity, hurry it into every fort offnare*. It is always the firfl bird that is caught by the decoy ; even the voice of the fowlers, and the noife made m cutting the branches, attrad: it; and it alights behind them, and is entangled by tlie fpringe or limed twig, the inftant they are fct. It anfvvers equally the fcream of the brown owl, or the found of the flit leaf of ivy t. Their feeble cry 7i!p, uip, whiftled on the finger, or the cliirping of fome other bird, is fuflicient to put all tiie red-breafts round in motion. They fly to the fpot, found- * Of all birds tl)at live iti the (late of liberty, the roil- brea{l is perhaps tlic leail lliy : they oi'tcn approach 10 near, that a pevfon might think thnthc could catch them ■vvith the hand ; but the bird keeps conftaiuly retiring as he advances. It feems fond too of accompanying travellers through the forefts, and it is often obferved to precede or follow them a pretty long time. Njh- c:mimnu\ihd iy the Sieur Tri'cptrrt. I The French bird-catchers call this froui;\ ing ^ ,rl 'i 188 THE RED-BREAST. B'ii ml t '^ H 'I' .:^J •■en h::v.. ■ ii^i .:!'..,f'' J * ing from a diftance /////, ///v///, //>/>///>, with a fonorous ringing which is not their modulated air, but what they chirp in the morning and evening, and whenever they are excited by a new objed. They brufli eagerly through the whole of the call-ground, tilitheyarcftoppedby fome of the limed twigs, which are placed in the avenues, or faftened to poles that are made low on purpofe to intercept their flight, which is feldom more than four or five feet from the furface : if one difentangles itfelf, it makes a third fmall cry /i-i, //-/, which alarms the reft, and Hops their further approach. They may jilfo be caught in the open parts of the woods by means of poles, to which are fattened noofes and limed twigs ; but the fpringes are the moft fare and fuccefsful ; nor is it requifite that thefe be baited j we need only fet them in the edge of glades, or in the middle of paths, and the un- fortunate little bird, puflied on by curiofity, will throw itfelf into the fnare. Wherever large forefts fpread, the red-breafts are found in abundance. In Burgundy and Lorraine particularly thefe birds, which are excellent food, are obtained in the greateft numbers : many are alfo caught in the neigh- bourhood of the fmall towns of Bourmont, Mirecourt, and Neufchateau ; and they are fent from Nancy to Paris. That province which is w<;ll wooded and watered^ maintains ■^1 ^i THE RED-BREAST. It9 /, with a modulated ling and ited by a rougU the \opped by ced in the made low , which is i from the t makes a IS the reft, They may the woods ened noofes re the moft te that thefe in the edge and the un- iriofity, will red-breafts rgundy and which are the greateft the neigh- Bourmont, nd they are lat province d, maintains ^val\ I a vaft variety of birds ; its fituation too, bounded by the Ardenne on the one fide, and fkirted by the forefts of Suntgau, which join the Jura, on the other, is exadlly in the diredion of the mi- grations ; and for this reafon, the birds are moft frequent in the time of their paflage *. The red-brcafts in particular are brought in immenfe quantities from the Ardennes, where Belon faw numbers caught in the feafon. — This fpecies is d'ifufeJ through the whole extent of Europe, from Spain and Italy to Poland and Sweden ; and in every country, thefe little birds prefer the mountains and the woods, to breed and fpend the fummer. The young ones, previous to the firft moult, are not painted vvhh that fine rufous orange on the throat and breaft, from which by a little ftraining the red-breafts derive their name. It tinges a few of the feathers by the end of Au- guftj and before the end of September the birds have all the fame plumage, and can no longer be diftinguifhed t. About this time they prepare for their departure j but they never * Bclon, Nat. des Olfeatix, p. 348. f " It is improperly called red-breaft {fot/^e-gsrge) j for what wc think to be red on the brenlt is orange, which rifes from both fides below the bill, wliich is llender, taper, and black, and from below the two fpaces of the eyes, and extends from the under part of the throat to the ftomach." Id. ibid. 2 gather I* i lyo THE RED-BREAST. !.'K .■.r •II h'PJ ■ ',■!'>■.• gather in flocks : they journey fingly, one after anotlicr ; and, wlien all other birds airociate tof'jother, the red-brealls ftill retain tficir iblitary lu^bits. 'Ihcy lly durinj; the day from bulh to buili ; but probably they rife higher in the night, Mul make more pvogref« ; at leaft it has hap- pened to fowlers in a forefl: which was full of thefc birds in the evening, and promifed ex- cellent fport next morning, that they were all gono before the dawn *. 1'hc departure not being marked, or, to ufc the cxprefilon, not being proclaimed among the red- brealls, as among the other birds at that fcafon colledled in flocks, many flay behind ; and thefe are ei»"her the young and inexperienced, or fome which can derive fupport from the flender re- fources of the winter, la that feafon they vilit our habitations, and feek the warmefl; and moft flickered fituations fj and if any one ftill con- tinues * " I remember one year to have fpread my nets foi the rcd-brfa.'li in /^pril ; and as they were very plenty, I con- tinutd the Iport three days with equal I'ucccfs : on tiie fourth the fun rof*. brighter than ever, and the day was very mild; I exposed n I;nge captur'', hut they had beat their march during my tibrence j all were gone, and I did not take a Tingle hivd." + " Ti'is bird being very delicate, and averfc to cxccfsoi every kind, whether of heat or of cold, it retires in fummer J to the denfc forefts or the uplands, where it enjoys cool- nefs and verdure ; in winter it approaches dwellings, and 1 THE RED -BR EAST. 191 tinues in the wood, it becomes ih< companion of the faggot-maker, chcrifhes itlclf at his lire, pecks at his bread, and flutters the %vho]e day round him, chirping its flender pip. But when the cold grows more fevcrc, and thick fnow covers the ground, it approaches our houfes, and taps on the window with its bill, as if to entreat an afylum, which is cheerfully granted*; and it repays the favour by the moft amiable familiarity, gathering the crumbs from the ta- ble+, diftinguifliing aftedtionatcly the people of the houfe, and aflumlng a warble, not fo rich, indeed, as that of the fpring, but more delicate, and retained through all the rigours of the feafon, to hail each day the kindnefs of its M ■ft is fccn among the buflies and in the gardens, efpcciallv where the full (Irikes, which afpeds it carefully feeks." Olina, Uciff/rriti, p. 16. * Willughby, Ornlthol. p. i5o. t " In a Carthufian monaftery at Buger, I faw red-bTorif}*; in the monks' cells, which they hnd been conflrained to enter, after wandering fome days in the cloifters. In three or four days, they were naturaliicd to fuch d'-gree that they would come to eat on the table. Tliey were well reconciled to the fare of tlie monaftery •, and patTcd tlms the whole winter, proteaed from cold and hungrcr,. without ihcwing the lead defire to efcape. But on the approach of fprinjr rhey felt new defires •, they tapped on the wimlow with llieir bill -, and after iliey recovered their liberty, they re- turned not till next winter." N^u- if M. HArrt. landlord, m r ^3: K Mmi ■ k 'J ' .3 [■: 'i^M^^I'i^^i'V "If ■Ff |i t r*: ... ii 4 't.::r . "■J ■!(• ■■ill b' ■.:■■• .r'!:j't !•;. 1^4 THE RED-BREAST. landlord, and the fweetnefs of its retreat*. There it remains tranquil, till the returning fpring awakens new defires, and invites to other pleafures : it now becoTies uneafy, and impa- tient to recover its liberty. During this tranfient rtate of domeftication, the red-breaft eats almofl; every fort of food ; it colleds indifferently crumbs of bread, bits of flefh, or millet feeds. Olina aflerts too gene- rally, that, when taken from the neft, or cauglit in the woods, it fhould be fed with the fame pafte as the nightingale t : its appetite, we fee, is not fo delicate. Thofe which are allowed to fly freely about rooms, occafion but flight in- convenience ; for their excrements are fmall and dry. The author of the j3idonology J pre- tends, that the red-breafts may be taught to fpeak ; and this prejudice muft be of an ancient date, fince the fame thing occurs in Porphyry §: but the fadt is quite improbable, for the tongue of the bird is forked. Belon, who never heard it except in autumn, at whit:h time it has only the little chirp, and not its full, impaffioned * I (iiw, at the houfe of one of my frrends, a red-breaft that had been afforded an afylum in the depth of whiter, come to alight on his defk while he was writing. It fung •whole hours vith a feeble warble, fwect and melodious. •(• P. 16. X V. 93. § Lib. iii. De Abjl'm. Animal. fong; THE RED-BREAST. retreat*, returning es to othef md impa- leftication, t of food ; >ad, bits of i too gene- :, or caiiglit h the fame ite, we fee, e allowed to Lit flight in- ts are fmall ology t P^e- I e taught to )f an ancient Porphyry §•. ,r the tongue , never heard \Q it has only , impaffioned ids, a rea-breaft deptli of winter, mting. It fung tnd melodious. fong I I 193 fong of love, yet boafts of the charms of its voice, and compares it to that of the nightin- gale. From his own account, he appears to have taken the red-breaft and the red-ftart for the fame bird ; but afterwards he diftinguiflied them, both by their habits and by their colours** Thofe of the: red-bread arc very fimple : a coat of the fame brown as the back of the throftle covers all the upper fide of its body and its head; its ftomach and belly are white ; the orange rufous of the breaft is lefs vivid in the female than in the male ; their eyes are black, large, and evert expreflivei and their afpc£t mild ; the bill is flender and delicate, as in all birds that live chiefly on infe£ls ; the iarfus, which is very fmali, is of a light brown, and fo is the upper fide of the toes, though they are of a pale yellow below. When full grown, the bird is five inches nine lines in length, and its alar extent eight inches ; the inteftinal tube is about nine inches long ; the gizzard, which is mufcular, is preceded by a dilatation of the afophagus ; the cd'cum is very fmall, and fometimes entirely wanting. In autumn, the red-breafts are very fat i and their flefh is more delicate than that * " The red-ftart appears in the fpring in towns and villages, and neftles in holes, when the red-breaft has re- tired into the woods." Bclon, Nut, d«s Oifeauxj p. 348. ^■■i Vol. V, O of m ^f. 194 THE RED-BREAST. of the throftle, but has fomething of its flavour, both feeding on the fame fruits, particularly thofe of the fer vice-tree. [A] I >. [A] Specific chara£lcr of the Red-breaft, Motadlla-Ru- hecula : " It is gray ; its throat and breaft ferruginous,." Its egg is whitifh, with reddifli fpots. The robins feem to continue in England the whole year. ■•■« V rf'l "' !|j|: 0 ■ 'fi'.&y ,!! 4 THE • its flavour, particularly , Motac'tlla-Rtt' \ ferruginous.." ; robins feem to THE K-r i 1 < i;«y ITO;.-;! i i« f!:iJ..i; 'i »!• -n • rwfn I'U 'II iVfj^^" THK BliVE -THKOATBD-WA^Uil'KH. C I9S 1 BLUE-THROAT. ¥f^ Motacilla Sueclca, Lin/i. Gwel. ^ Frif. Sylvia Sueclca, Lath. Ifid. Cyanecula, BriJ'. Ruliciila Wegflccklin, Ray $5' JFUL Tbe Blue-throated Rcd-ftart, luhu. The Blue-throated Warbler, Pemi. b* LatL* .«;■ UiX-TiK. IN its fliape, its fize, and its general appear- ance^ this bird is an exad: copy of the red- breaft : the only difference is, that its throat is of a brilliant azure blue, while that of the other is orange recb Even in marking the difcrimi- nation between thefe birds, nature feems to point at their analogy ; for beneath this blue fpace, we may perceive a black fafh and an orange red zone which bounds the top of the bread : this orange tint again appears on the firft half of the lateral quills of the tail j from the corner of the bill, a ftreak of rufty white pafies over the eye ; and in general the colours, though darker, are the fame with thofe of the red-breaft. They fhare alfo the fame habits,, only their haunts are different : the red-breafl * In German, Wegflecklln, or Blau-Kehltiti : inSwedilh, Carls-Vogel, O a lives s ..k r .• MTr i(>5 THE BLUE-THROAT. ,?■ I rt N '5:! ? ! I; k\ "f ' -, . .:. I! lives in tlie heart of tlic woods ; but the hliie- tliroat fre(}iients their ikirts, and feeks marfhes^ wet ineadows, and places that abound with willows and reeds : and with the fame rolkarv inftind as the red-hreaft, it fcems alike difpofcd to be familiar with man ; for, after the fum- mer months are fpent in its fequeftered retreats, it vifits the gardens, avenues, and hedges, be- fore its departure, and ventures fo near that it may be fliot with the trunk. Like the red-breafts, they never keep in flocks, and feldom more than tvvo are fcen together. In the end of fummer, fays Lnttinger, the blue- throats alight in the fields that are fown with large forts of grain. Frifch mention^ fields of peafe as their favourite haunt, and even pre- tends that they breed among thefe ; but their nefl; h more commonly found in the w^illows, the ofiers, and other bullies which grow in wet fituations : it is formed of herbs interwoven at the origin of the branches or boughs. In the love feafon, the male mounts perpen- dicular to a little height in the air, chant- ing as he rifes ; he whirls round, and drops back on his bough as cheerfully as the petty- chaps, of which the blue-throat feems to have feme habits. He alfo fmgs in the night ; and, according to Frifch, his warble is very fweet. Hermann, on the contrary, informs us, that it is iii ^* THE BLUE -THRO AT. »97 t the blue- ound with Li-ne Iblkary ,kc difpofcd :r the fum- :rcd retreats, hedges, be- near that it eep in flocks, een together, rer, the bhie- e fown with \om fields of ^d even pre- i*e ; but their the willows, lich grow ill bs interwoven oughs. ounts perpen- ; air, chant- ed, and drops as the pettv- feems to have le night ; and, is very fvveet. :)rm8 us, that it is all pleafant *. Thl m contradiclion is owing, perhaps, to the diikrent times at whicli thefe obfcrvcrs heard the bird ; for as gre.it dUl'erencc would have been fv)und between the ordhiary chirp of our red-breall, and its mel- hnv, tender fong in the fpring, or its pretLy warble which cheers the bright days of au- tumn. * The blue- throat is as fond of bathing as tlie red breaft, and oftener haunts the margins of water. It lives on worms and other infcds ; and in the feafon of its pafiage it eats elder- berries. It may be (t^en among the fens, feek- ing its food on the ground, and running brifkly, and cocking its tail, efpecially the male, when lie hears the real or imitated voice of the fe- male. The youncj ones are of a bkickifli brown, and have not aiTumed the blue tint of the throat ; the males have only fomc brown feathers amidll the white of the throat and bread. The female never has the whole of tlie blue fpace on the throat ; flie is only marked with a crefcent cr a bar below the neck : and on this difference, and on the figure of Edwards, who has given * Doctor and Profeflbr of Phyfic and of Natural Hlftcrr at .Stniilnirg, who has been fo obliging as to communicate Xonie fads relating to the natural hiilory of thefe birds. O3 the H" % -'11 '€ '^ 1 •■-■'it- 1 1 ' " ■■'.'1':'' !;,.(,'. I -.j! ■ . *t %' ii till THE BLUE-THROAT. ' r , 1 rtrlffon makes a fccond fpecles the female only, t?""™ "^^ j^j j^ ,^,^ of his GikalU,r blue-throaU if'"" ^" ' the female feems to have come ^^^ ^^^,^ Amongtheadatmalcslo ^^^ ^^^^^ TNS^a'streratfthec'oloursIndthered • J 1 Thp others, v/hicli are mui^ '' Le a fpot like a half collar, of a fine :Se"-4 f U.h comp.e- ^^^^^^^^^ SlSrat'BldXs ^-applied .o Thefe na. col- urmm^^^ ^^^^ fineroent, ana ev.i ^^^^f^^ The blue-throats are ^-"S^^J' f^^^ bait. ^"''J^f'rir --e all the fmall birds much f°"S^',7"' fl,(h. but they are rare, .vhich have dehcate fl.m, o„/provinces. and even "nknov.n m moll ^^^.^ ^ TUey are ^- ^^^'^^^.^j „ear Saneburg, accord- '"^ P", Itr But another oblerver affures i„g to Lotuyj- ^^^^^ .„,„ ,1,, heart of us, that th'.y nevei p T|,ey are more ,hofe mounts on. fo^^^^y^^^,^,,, frequent in Anaix , dim o • probably miftaken when he ckfcnbcstHs * Linn^KUS is probably m ^^^^^^.^^^ colour as a dull, ycllowlih^^lute. r tbrougii THE BLUE-THROAT. 199 ;ond fpecles which place ve the whole [y old ones, and the ted n thcle indi- more numc- ,ar, of a fine the luftre of charader, the .ve applied to •-bird. fade in con- ■ft moulting, ith the noofc, the fame bait, re fat, they are the fmall birds they are rare, our provinces, their paflage in ncburg, accord- • obferver affures into the heart of They are more X they are fpread hen he defcribcs tlus nina Sm'cica. ir ir through Germany, and even as far as Pruftia, they are not very common in any part, and the fpecies ieems to be much lefs numerous than that of the red-breafts. Yet it inhabits a wide extent : from the epithet which Barrere applies to it *, we may infer that it is well known among the Pyrenees. Wc fee, from the denomination of Briffon's pretended fecond fpecies, that this bird is found even at Gibraltar. It is alfo feen in Provence, where the people call it blue rujfet-bottoin. And from the name which Linn.'Eus beftows, we might fuppofe that it is a native of Sweden \ ; but this proves only that the blue-throat vifits the northern reerions. It leaves them in autumn, and travels into milder climates in queft of food; and this habit, or rather this necefTity, is common to the blue- throat, and all the birds which feed on infedls, or on foft fruits. [A] [A] Specific charafter of the T31ue- throat, Alotacilla Stiecica : " Its breaft is ferruginous, with a blue ftripe ; its tail quills duflcy, and ferruginous near the bafe." It is found in the northern parts of Ruflia and Siberia, but un- known in England. • Motacilla Pyrenaiia. f Motacilla Suectca» i 04 FOREIGN , .f I J I I (^ 20v1> ] FOREIGN BIRD, ^UIICU IS RFLATKl) VO riir, RKD-URKAS'l* AND BLUk-'i'llKOAK. THE BLUE RED- BREAST OF NORTH AMERICA, Motacilla-S'ulis, I.hin. ^3' Ciiuf. Sylvia-Hiiilis, Liit/.\ hul. Rubccul.i CaTolincnlis C.vrulcn, Bnjf. £2' KUin, The JMiic Roil-brcift, lulw. ^ (umf. 'Wc Blue Warbler, Pcitii. b" Lath. Syi. OUR rcd-breaft is too weak, and its flight too Ihort, for our i'lippofing it to have croilcd the Atlantic Ocean ; and, as it cannot lupport extreme cold, it could not penetrate into America bv the northern ft raits. But na- ture has produced its reprelcntative in thofe vaft regions, which is found from Virginia and Carolina as far as Louifiana and the Ber- muda iflands. Catefby has given the firft de- fcription of it, and Edwards has liniHied it ; and both agree that it is clofely related to the red- THE niAIF. RF.D-BRKAST. 101 rc(l-hrc:ifl of Furopc*. It Is rather larger tlian tlic - rc(l-brcal\, l)ciiig lix inclics three lines in lenp,th, aiul its alar extent ten incites eight lines. Cati-lby remarks, that it '.lies Aviftly, and that its wings are long ; the head, the upper fule ot the body, of the tail, and of ,^he wings, is of an exceeding iinc blue, except th'j tij) of th.c wing, which is brown ; the throat and brcall are of a bris^ht yellow rull colour ; the belly is white. In foinc fubjeds, as in the one delineated by Catelby, the blue tint of the head covers the throat alio; in others, as in that of Edwards, the whole fore part of the body, as i'ar as the bill, is co- vered with rufous. In the female, the colours iire duller ; the blue is mixed with blackifli ; l!ie fmall quills of the vving, blackifli, and fringed with wliitc. The bird is of . mild dif- politiou, and feeds only ou infedls : it nellies in the holes of trees — a diflcrence in the mode of life fuggeiled perhaps by the climate, where the numerous reptiles compel the birds to place the nells beyond their reach. Catefby tells us, that the blue warbler is very common through the whole of North America. That naturalilt I, M ''lit' .K, * " Mr. Catclhy has called this blitl Rnbeaik Americana t which is A proper name enough, fince both his bird ai.d mine arc certainly of that genus, of which the robin-red- brcalt is a fpecies." Edivards. and \l i^. mm 2oa THE BLUE RED-BREAST. and Edwards are the only ones who have no- ticed this bird ; and Klein merely copies thcip dcfcriptions. [A] [A] Specific chara£lcr of the Motacilh-Sialis : " Above, it is blue : below, entirely red ; its belly while." It brccdi }n hoUow trccS) and is very harmlcfs and familiar. THE AST. 1 who h avc no- y copies their -Sill/is : " Above, ^hiie." It brccdi familiar. ' .'.;i. r-'M 1 THE ■tty Jf;n7 •;(!! f! ■k 11, J-Ifr.lTHE STOlCK CHAT. Jii&A. TKE VVHEAT-EAR 203 3 THE STONE -CHAT, ^i ill ,a>- THE "WHEAT-BAR JLe Traquet, Buf. Motacilla-Rubicola, Linn. Gmel. Kram. Sylvia-Rubicola, Lath. hid. • Rubetra, Aldrov. Johnjl. ^ Brijl Sylvia Lutea, capite nigro, Kle'iti. (Enanthe tenia, Ray^ IVilU ^ Sibb. The Stone-fmich, S one-chaiter, or Moor-titling, Will. Pmn. Alb.'' ■ ^HIS fprightly, active bird is never at reft. Fluttering from bufli to bufli, it alights Dnly for a few feconds ; and its wings are ftill rpread, and ready to waft it to fome other fpot, Itrifes in the air by fmall fprings, and faliy back, whirling round. This continual motion has [)eeii compared to that of a mill-cIack [traquet fun mculin) ; and hence, according to Belon t, [he origin of its name. * In Greelc, Ba7{j : in Italian, BiU-euh^ Occhio di Bue lox-eye) : in German, Stein-fchnifizcr. [Linnveus very ab- lurdly gives the llone-cliat the name Rubicola ; which, luting a flight variation in the orthography, is abiblutely yt lame with Ruheculay which was appropriated to the pbin. T.] t iVifl/, des Oifeaux, p. 360. Though 'far i m i 1 ■m \ ;y the Sieur Trecourt. X Neft; found at Montbard, the 30th March. continual!/ THE STONE-CHAT. 207 continually carry to them : and their anxiety feems redoubled when thefe begin to fiy ; they invite them back, rally them, and fcrcam in- cefTantly wijlraira ; and for fcveral days they ftill bring them food. The ftone-chat is very folitary, and is always feen alone, except when the feafon of love gives it a companion *. Its dirpcfition is \vild, and its inftindt dull and intradable : if it be fprightly in the ftate of freedom, it is as heavy f and inadlive when reduced to domeftication : it caa be taught nothing, and it is even difficult to be raifed %, In the fields it fuffers one to come very near it, and flies to a ihort diftance, with- out feeming to notice the fowler : it appears, therefore, to have neither fenfe enough to love us, nor fhun^us. * Belon antl Aldrovandus. f " The ftone-chat i* pen five : having opened the cage to one of thcfe birds, in a garden, amidft buflies, and in a hot fun, it quickly flew to the open door, where it looked round it more than a minute before it took flight : its dilfi- dcnce was fo great as to fufpend its love of liberty." Note communicated by M. Helert. X " The ftone-chats are wild, and difficult to raife. Thofe which I had, had a heavy look : fometimes they took fudden ftarts ; but thefe were momentary, and they foon relapfcd into their habitual lethargy. They hopped, from time to time, upon fomething cievatect, ftiaklng their wings and tail, and venting at intervals their cry tracy trac" Note communicated hy M. de ^lerho'ent. The 8o3 THE STONE-CHAT. Ml The ftone-diats are very fat in the propei? feafon ; and, for the delicacy of their fleih, thoy may be compared to the epkurean warblers. However, tliey live only on infects, and their bill fccms fit for nothing but grain. Belon and Aldrovandns afTert, that they are not birds of paflage: this may be true with refpe-_ . 1?HE STONE-CHAT. 209 induce us to range it rather with the red-ftart than with the ftone-chat, which conftantly (huns towns and dwellings*. In England, and particularly among the mountains of Derbyfliire, there is a bir' -hich Briflbn terms the TLngliJh ftom-chat. 'Ilay. 7ho calls it the coldfinck f, fays, that it is peculiar to that ifland : Edwards gives accurate figures of the male and female ; and Klein mentions it by the name variegated winged nightingale. Iq fadt, the white which marks not only the great coverts, but alfo the half of the fm all quills neareft the body, makes on the wing of this bird * It Is fecn commonly in all places, but it never comes to the hedges of villages or towns. Belong 3^)0. f Mufcicapa Atricapilla, Linn. Gmel. ^ Kranu Rubetra Anglicana, Brljf. Curruca tergo nigro, Frifch^ The Pied Fly-catcher, Penn. b* Lath. Specific character : " It is black ; the under fide, tlfe fpot on its front, and the fpangle on its wings, white ; its lateral tail quills, white exteriorly." ^Thus defcribed by Briflbn : " Above, black \ below, white ; its rump varie- gated with black and white \ a bright white fpot on ks forehead, and a white one on the wings ; the lefler wing quills, white without, black within •, the outermoft, white exteriorly {in the male) ; above, dirty greenilh brown ; be- low, white } a yellowifli white fpot on the wings ; the ex- terior wing quills, yellowilh white •, the inner, blackifh j Vol. V. p the ^<, w m ■'■ ., ■ m hllifcff, 'v •I I iiiii m !:;; ll m il III ill; ll m m •in* ! I- 5 >l 210 THE STONE-CHAT, bird a fpot much broader than in the common ftone-chat. Befides, the white colour cover? all the fore and under pr.rt of the body, and makes a fpot on the face ; and the black fprcads over the upper fide of the body to the rump, which is barred with black and white : the quills of the tail are black ; the outermoft, white exteriorly ; and the great quills of the wing, brown. All that is black in the male, is, in the female, of a dirty greenifli brown ; the reft is alfo white : in both, the bill and legs are black. — This bird is of the fize of the ordinary flone-chat ; and though it feems peculiar to England, and even to the hills of Derbylhire*» it muil migrate, for fometimes it is feen in Brie. The fpecies of the ftone-chat is fpread from England f and Scotland X , as far as Italy and Greece. It is very common in many parts of France. Nature feems to have exhibited it in the South, under various forms. We Ihall treat of thefe foreign ftone-chats, after deferibing j^ the tall quills, blackidi j the outermo{l> frmged exteriorly with white." ♦ It is found fometimes alfo in Shroplhire and Flint- (liire. T. t Willughby. t Sibbald. 7 * fpecies 'i 4 f-. •: '— . THE STONE-CHAT. 211 fpecies which much refembles it» and inhabits the fame climates. [A] [A] Specific chara£lef of the Stone-chat, Afotacilh'Ru-^ bicola : " It is gray ; below, tawny } a white ftripe on its throat ; its ftraps black." Its egg is blueilh green, with dull rufous fpots. Whether this fpecies entirely leaves England in winteti is unceitain^ P2 THE vJV v/J m u I 212 J THE •r^ WHIN -C H A T. Lc Taricr. Motacillci-Rubetrn, Linn. Gmd. Kram. Frif. M'Mi'. Is Bnin. Syivia-Rubetra, Lath. Lid. llubetra Major, feu Rubicola, BriJ". GUnanthe fecunda, J^ay is' IVilh Sylvia Petraruni, KJein *» ''I^HE fpecies of the whin-chat, though clofcly X related to that of the ftone-chat, ought yet to be feparated from it, fince both inhabit the fame places without intermixing ; as in Lorraine f, where they are very common, but live J«'!^'! * In German, 2'/i,-geft-S/ahr!e, F/i/gen-StakerIi»f TodieU' Vcgel : in Silelian, Ncejfel-Fitiche. f " There is another little bird, of the bulk of the ftone- chat, difl'erent from all other birds, in its habits, its flight, and in its mode of living and of building its neft •, which the inhabitants of Lorraine call tar'ier. It lives in buflies, like the ftone-chat ; and has a flender bill, calculatid for flies and worms : its nails, its legs, and its feet, are black; but the reft of its body refemblcs tiuit of the mountain- finch, for it has a whitifti fpot acrofi the wing, like the finch and the ftone-chat : however, its bill and its mcde cf life will not permit it to be ranged with the mountain- finches.— The male has fpots on his back, and round his neck i if I • 1: THE WHIN-CMAT. 213 - -. !• \ T. am. J'rif' M:M: ,though clofdy »ne-chat, ought ce both inhabit nixing ; as in y common, but live n-Stakerliit, Tcdlen- ^e bulk of the ftone- ts habits, its flight. ing its neft •, which It lives in buflies> bill, calculated for -1 . its feet, are black; J t of the mountain- u the wing, lil^c the if bill and its mode of wiih the mount.iin- )ack, and round hie. neck i Vive cHftincT:. Their habits are diftcrent, as well as their plumage. The whin-chat leldom perches ; it is generally on the furface, among mole-hills, iu fallow grounds, and in the high pafture lands bcfide the woods : the ftone-chat, on the con- trary, fits always in the bulhes, or on vine-props* The whin-chat is alio larger than the ftone-chat, its length being five inches and three lines : the cclours are nearly the iiime, only differently dif- tributed ; in the former, the upper fide of the body is marked with brighter tints, each wing has a double fpot, and a white line extends from the corner of the bill to the back of the head * ; a black fpace lies under the eye, and covers the cheeks, but does not fpread, as ia the ftone-chat, under the throat, which is of a light bay ; this bay gradually foftens, but may be diftinguilhed on the white ground on all the fore part of the body ; the rump is of the fame white colour, though more intenfe, and fpeckled with black ; all the upper fide of the body, as far as the crown of tlie h«id, is of a black, grounded and fpotted with brown ; the fmall quills and the great coverts are black. Willughby neck -, his head refembles that of tlie mountain-finch j the extremities of the wings and of the tail are fomewhat purple, as ill that finch ; but the bird is lefs fpotted : fome pretend that it is a fpecies of llone-chat." B?lon, Hyi. des OifeauXf p. 361. * Willughby. P 3 fays. m ii •■^*; .-■^ it! «1: II , III . r:> ^^^E^^KU' liii' "r (■' ^^^■^^Iww' ' ■ r P I1 ^^B^HiKt^ L ji I. \'}. ^^M^B^nmM 1 *]• r. ■HHrll ^^■^^^BChIi 1 ! n H 1 > \h. K &'>»''/.»"' • ■ t Eir^'^^vi . ': ■ \ IMwi.-M"i .'t KiMiM^ ' 'I mmm'' ■ n mBk ' n^ Ki^l ' '' :;:»• ^S'iBuIVli^ '; -. \if; li^'i 1 ' t. ■ *■ ' ■ iU HviBf!}? ' iiil'^ li' i ill * !)!! fMi'.lWtiW'lf ■ ' Pilfl ■ 1i • ifimi "''s^i lif'iiyT^ 'ill mm 1-4 .ill l# If '•*■' i'^ l# S '''* ^J^. i'^ril . ;i;»^ 1; ?{. ilHiW ^' ^ii Eliilili n ■ 1 »■ 914 THE WHIN. CHAT. fays, that the end of the tail is White : we have obferved, on the contrary, that the quills are white in their firft half from the root. But that naturalift himfelf found varieties in that part of the plumage of the whin-chat ; and mentions his having fometimes feen the two middle quills of the tail black, with a rufous border ; and, at other times, with the fame edging on a white ground. The female differs from the male, in its colours being paler, and the fpots on the wings being not fo apparent : it lays four or five eggs, of a dirty white, dotted with black *.— The whin-chat builds its neft like the ftone-chat; It arrives and departs with it, participates of its folitary inftind, and feems even more fhy and wild ; it prefers the mountainous trads, and in fome places it derives its name from that circumftance : thus the Bolognefe fowlers call it montanello ; and the appellations which Klein f and Gefner J give to it, mark its fondnefs for folitude in bleak and rugged fpots. The fpecies is not fo numerous as that of the ftone-chat § : it feeds alfo on worms, flies, and infeds : * Mr. Latham fays, that the egg of the whin-chat is uniform Iky blue. T. f Sylvia Petrarum. X Paflerculi genus folitariun^ I Belon. laftly, the whin-chat is THE WHIN-CHAT. ai5 laftly, it is very fat about the end of fummer, and it is then fcai ely inferior in delicacy to the ortolan. [A] [A] Specific charafter of the "W hin-chat, Motacilla Rub*-^ tra : " It ie blackiOi, its eyebrows white, a wliite fpot on its wings, and its throat and brealt yellowifh." It is a bir^l of paflagc in Great Britain. m ti P4 FOREIGN !i;; I: H w ftffijrl r1' 11 t ::',• i i;': ■wll 2i6 FOREIGN BIRDS RELATED TO THE FOREIGN BIRDS, I WHICH ARE RELATED TO THE STONE-CHAT AND WHIN-CHAT. L THE SENEGAL STONE-CHAT OR WHIN-CHAT, Motacilla Fervida, GiueL Sylvia Fervida, Lath. Lid. The Sultry Warbler, Lath. Syn, THIS bird is of the fize of the whin-chat, and feems clofer allied to 5r than to the ftone-chat. Like the former, it has the double white ipnt on each wing, and no black on the throat ; but it has not the black fpace under the eye ; nor are its great wing coverts black, being only fpotted black on a brown ground : In other rcfpcds, the colours are nearly the fame as in the ftone-chat or whin-chat, only they are more vivid over all the upper fide of the body ; the brown of the back is of a lighter rufous, and the black duilies are there better defined. This pleafing variety prevails from th§ TO THE STONE-CHAT AND WHIN- CHAT. 217 RDS, STONE-CHAT -CHAT OH the crown of the head to the coverts of the tail j the middle quills of the wings are edged with rufous, the great ones with white, but more lip;htly; they are all blackifh. But if the colours be more diftindt on the upper fide of this bird than in the common ftone-chat, they are, on the contrary, duller below, only the breaft is (lightly tinged with a fulvous red between the white of the throat and that of the belly. — This bird was brought from Senegal byAdanfon. [A] [A] Specific chara£tcr of the Motadlla Ferv'tda : " It is brown i the margin of its quills rufous; below, ochry-^ >yhite ; twp white fpots on the wings ; the tail black." the whin-chat, it than to the t has the double 10 black on the fpace under the ;rts black, being vn ground : in nearly the fame chat, only they 3per fide of the is of a lighter are there better y prevails from thQ II. THE STONE-CHAT FROM THE ISLAND OF LUCON. . ^lotacilla-Caprata, Linn. $3* Gmel, Sylvia-Caprata, Lath. Ind. Rubetra Lucionenfis, Briff. The Luzouian Warbler, Lath. Syn. THIS ftone-chat is not quite fo large as that of Europe, but it is rounder and ftronger r its bill is thicker, and its legs not fo flender. It is entirely of a dark brown, except a broad whitq bar mm IS, ■:& m :w' «i« FOREIGN BIRDS RELATED TO THE bar on the coverts of the wing, and a little of a dull white under the belly. The female might, from its colours, be taken for a bird of quite a different fpecies ; a dun rufous covers all the under fide of her body and the rump ; the fame colour Ihews itfelf on the head through the waves of a browner caft, which grow deeper on the wings and tail, and become of a very dull rufty brown. — The cock and hen were fent from the ifland of Lu9on, where, Briffon fays, they are called maria-capra, [AJ [A] Specific charafter of the Motacilla-Caprata : ** It 1$ black; its rump, its vent, the fpot on its >ying coverts, white." III. STONE-CHAT OF THE PHILIPPINES, Motacilla Fulicata, Linn, tsf Gmtl. Sylvia Fulicata, Lath. Ind. Rubetra Philippcnfis, Brtff. The Sooty Warbler, Lath. 8jrr, IT is of a ftill deeper black than the male of the preceding. It is largef, being near fix inches j and its tail longer than in any of the ftone- chats; its bill and legs ate alfo Wronger: ths only STONE-CHAT AND WHIN-CHAT. ai, only interruption of its plumage, which is black with violet reflexions, is the white fpot on the wing. [A] [A] Specific charafter: ** It is dark violet, its vent chefnut, the fpot on its coverts white." Mi IV. THE GREAT STONE-CHAT OF THE PHILIPPINES. Motacilla Philippenfis, Gmel. Sylvia Philippenfis, Laih. Ind. Rubetra Philippenfis major, Brijf. The Philippine Warbler, Lath. Syn, THIS ftone-chat is larger than the preceding, being fomewhat more than fix inches in length; its head and throat are white, dafhed with fome fpots of reddifh and yellowifti : a broad brick- coloured collar decorates the neck ; and, below it, a fcarf of a blueifh black covers the breaft, and exiends to the back, forming a fliort cope, with two large white f][)Ots thrown on the flioulders; the reft of the upper fide of the body- is black, with violet reflexions to the end of the tail J this black is intercepted oft the tving by two W ^■l. R fc m Ml At In Mi' aao FOREIGN BIRDS RELATED TO THE two fmall white bars, the one on the outer edge near the fhoulder, the ether at the extremity of the great coverts ; the belly and (lomach arc of the fame rcddifh white with the head and throat; the bill, which is feven lines long, and the legs, ■wliich are thick and (lout, are of a ruft colour. Brifibn fays that the legs are black, and perhaps their colour varies : the wings reach to the end of the tail, which is different from what obtains in all other ftone-chats, where the wings fcarcely extend to the middle of the tail. V. THE FITERT OF MADAGASCAR STONE-CHAT. Motacllla-Sybilla, Linfi. i^ Ginel. Sylvia-Sybilla, Lnth. Ind. Rubetra Madagafcareniis, Br'ijf, 'Ihe Sybil Warbler, Lath. Sfk. BRISSON has given a defcription of thisbird, which we find to be very exatft, on comparing it with a fpecimen fent to the King's cabinet. He tells us, that it is called fieri at Madagafcar, and that its fong is pleafant ; this feems to ihew, that it is different from our ftone-chats, 3 which STONE-CTIAT AND WHIN-CHAT. 2%i )AGASCAR which have only a dlfagreeable chirp ; they agree, however, in fevcral prominent charaders. It is rather larger than the European ftonc-chat, being five inches four lines in length; the throat, the head, and all the upper fide of the body to the tail, are black, only the back and flioulders have fome rufty "waves ; the fore part of the rec'v, the ftcm:ii h, and the belly, are white ; the breaft is riiious ; the white colour of the neck is fet off by tlie black of the throat and the rufous of the breaft, and forms a fort of collar ; the great coverts of each wing which are next the body are white, which makes a white fpot on the wing j a little white alfo ter- minates the quills of tht wing on their infide, and augments in proportion as they are nearer the body. [A] [A] Specific chara %3 2i2 FOREIGN BIRD3 RELATED TO THEJ III-: VI. THE GREAT STONE-CHAT* i h 1 ■ « if! w i'i :'■;'« Motacilla Magna, Gmel. Sylvia Magna, La//:. Ind. The Dark Warbler, Lath, Syn. THIS ftone-chat well deferves the epithet cjf great. It is feven inches and a quarter from the point of the bill to the extremity of the tail ; and fix inches and an half from the point of the bill to the end of the nails; the bill is an inch long, and not fcalloped ; the tail is about two inches, and is a little forked ; the wings, when clofed, cover the half of it } the tarfus is eleven lines ; the mid toe feven^ the hind one feven, and its nail the ftrongeft of them all. Commerfon has left an account of this bird, but makes no mention of the coun- try where he faw it ; however, the defcription we give of it is fufficient to enable travellers to recognife it. The chief colour of its plum- age is brown ; the head is variegated with two brown tints j a light brown covers the upper fide of the neck and body ; the throat is mixed with brown and whitifh : the bread is brown ; and this is alfo the colour of the coverts of the wings, and of the outer edge of the quills, their STONH-CHAt AND WHll^-CHAT. j?^ their infide being divided by rufous and brown; and this brown appears again at the extremity of the quills of the tail, and covers the half of the middle ones, the reft being rufous ; and the outfide of the two outer feathers is white j the under fide of the body is rufty. mm ^mm ^ ' VIL THE STONE-CHAT OF T IE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. Sylvia Sperata, JLatL Jn^' M. PE RosENEUVETZ faw» at the Cape of Good Hope, a ftone-chat which has never been defcribed by naturalifts. It is fix inches long ; the bill black, and feven lines in length, fcal- loped near the tip ; the legs black i the tarfiis an inch long: all the upper fide of the body, in- cluding the neck and head, of a very brown green; all the under fide of the body, gray, with feme tints of rufous ; the rump is rufous ; the quills and the coverts of the wings are brown, with a lighter border of the fame colour; the tail is twenty-two lines in length, and the wings reach io its middle ; it is fomewhat forked : the twQ middle :Ji^^r ^^m m. tr im m- m li <;? i'J % \n I '•I im m m 'ill ' '■'• I .l;M m ■mi 1^ Ihrn IP' IIj ■♦iilf ! if! i »•'. r :i' ■ . " -ii I B is* •ill' lit: is ,1m" i 4i4 FOREIGN BIRDS RELATED TO TtlE middle quills are of a blackifti brown ; the two fide ones are marked obliquely with brown on a fulvous ground, and this is the more remark- able in proportion as they are exterior. Ano- ther fpecimen, of the fame fize, brought alfo from the Cape of Good Hope by M. de Rofc- neuvetz, and depofited in the Royal Cabinet, is perhaps only the female. The whole upper fide of the body is merely of a blackifli brown, the throat whitifh, and the breaft rufous. We are unacquainted with the habits of thefe birds ; yet thefe are what alone form the interefting part of the hiftory of animated beings. But how often have we been forced to regret, that we could only defcribe the appearance, and not delineate the charader ! All ihefe incomplete fa£ts ought however to be colleded, and placed beflde the immenfe range of obfervations ; as the navigators infert in their charts the lands ieen at diftanee. VIII. THE STONE-CIIAT AND WHIN-CHAT. 22^ VIII. >ji» THE SPECTACLE WARBLER. Le Clignot, ou Traquet a Lunette, Buff. Motacilla Petfpicilla, Gmel. A CIRCLE of yellowifli Ikin folded quite round the eyes, and refembling fpedtacles, is a fingular charader which diftinguilhes this bird. Commerfon found it on the river de la Plata^ near Montevideo, and the appella- tions* which he gives to it, allude to this uncom- imon conformation of the exterior of the eyes, lit is of the fize of a goldfinch, but thicker in the [body : its head is round, and the crown raifed : [its plumage is of a fine black, except the white fpot on the wing, which makes it refemble the lone-chats ; this fpot fpreads broad over the liddle of the five firft quills, and terminates ii> point about the end of the fixth, feventh, and fighth. In fome fubjeds, there is alfo white )n the lower coverts of the tail j in others, they ire black as the reft of the plumage : the wing teaches only to the middle of the tail, which * PerfpicillariuSf NiBitariuSi LtchempSy CHgnot. VoL.V. Q^ a let IS ■WW "4 726 FOREIGN BIRDS RELATED TO TIlE M if;. )ll$, li.V'M' I: Pi is two inches long, fquare when it is clofed, and forming alraoftan equilateral triangle when it is fpread ; it confifts of eight equal quills : the bill is ftraight, (lender, yellowifh at the up- per part, and (lightly bent or hooked at the end : the tongue is membranous, like a dou- ble-pointed arrow : the eyes are round ; the iris yellow, and the pupil blueifli. Th^: fm- gular membrane which encircles the eyes, k probably nothing but the (kin of the eye-lid naked and more expanded than ordinary, and confequently broad enough to make feveral folds. Such at leaft is the idea which Com- merfon fuggefts by comparing it to the wrin- kled lichen, and telling us that the two por- tions of this membrane, which is fringed at the edges, meet when the bird fhuts its eyes. We may alfo obferve the membrana ni^iians^ whiclj rifes from the inner cantbus. The legs and toes are (lender and black ; the hind toe is the thickefl:, and is as long as thofe before, though it has only one joint, and its nail is the ftrongeft. Could this bird be bred feparatei from the reft of its kind, and exiled in the mid- dle of the new continent? It is at leaft the only I one in America that is known to be related to the chats ; but the analogies which it bears to them are not fo ftriking as the charafter which! diftingui{hes it, and which nature has im 3 preffdl StO^lE-CHAt AN0 WHIN-CHAT. 027 preffed as the (lamp of thofe foreign lands which it inhabits. [A] [A] Specific chara£ter of the Motacitla Perfpicillaia t *■' It is black, the coverts of the wings marked with a white fpot ; the tail equal ; Uie orbits naked^ yeUowifli, and Wrinkled." 0^2 THB mm [ 228 3 THE W H E A T - E A R. J.C Mottcux, Bujf. * Motacilla-CEnanthe, Lirin. ts* Gmel. Sylvia-QSnanthe, Lath. Itid. (Enaiithe, Gcfnet; Johtiji. life. ' Vitiflora, Brijf. £5* Kiein. Culo Biancoj Zinn. The Wheat-ear, Fallow Smich, or Wliite-tail, Penii. Alb. Ediv. £5* Laib.\ m m^i i If 1; M '^x^ li ''rHIS bird is common in the country, and -*■ is continually among the clods in new- tilled fields, and hence its name in French \. It follows the furrow traced by the plough, and fearches for worms on which it feeds. When it is feared away, It never mounts high, but • The old name in French was Vitrec j the vulgar one at prefent Cul Blanc. \ In Greek, Ojvavfln, according to Belon, from oivn a vine» and av6ot a flower : the Latin Vitiflora is a tranflation of the Greek : in Italian, Culo Bianco^ Fornarola^ Petragtiola : in German, Steirt-Schwakery Stein-Schnapperl : in Swedifti, S/^f^"- ^tietta : in Norwegian, Steen-Dolp^ Steen-Gylpe. I MotteuXf from mette a clod. {kirns r •I-';; ]■ I'. tlt-V i THE W II E A T-n A R. 22ff .te-tail, Penn. Alt. | re i the vulgar one n, from om a vine* a tranflation of the /fl, Petragtwla: in • inSwedilhjS/^-w/- , .Gylpe. fkims along the furface with a Ihort rapid flight, and in its retreat it fhews the white of the hind part of its body, by which it is ealily diltinguiihed in the air from all other birds, and hence its vulgar appellation among fowlers, cul-bhinc*. It is alfo pretty frequent in fallow grounds, where it flics from flone to ilone, :in:] ilems to ihun the hedges and bufhes, on which it does not perch near fo often as on clods. It is larger than the wliin-chat, and taller, on legs which are black and flendcr ; the belly is white, and fo are the apper and under coverts of the tail, and nearly the half of its quills, of which the tips are black ; they fpread when it flies, and expofe the white for which it is re- markable : the wing in the male is black, with fome fringes of rally white : the back is a fine afh gray or blueifh gray, which extends to the white ground ; a white fpot rifes at the comer of the bill, bends under the eye, and flretches beyond the ear ; a white flripe bounds the face, and pafTes over the eyes. The female has neither this fpot nor this flripe ; its plumage is marked with a rufly gray wherever that of the male is afli gray j its wing is more brown than black, and broad fringed as far as below the * White Arfe. Q.3 belly 5 ?ii .4a ago THE W H E AT-E A R. \"i' r V J .'-} ll I belly ; and on the whole it refetnbles as much, or more, tie hen whin -chat than its proper male. The young refemble the parent birds exadly at the age of three weeks, the time at which they fly. The bill of the wheat-ear is flender at the tip and broad at the bafe, which enables it to feize and fwallow the infeds, on which it runs, or rather darts, rapidly by a fucceflion of fhort hops ^. It is always on the ground ; and if it be put up, it only removes from one clod to another, flies always exceedingly low, and never enters the woods, nor perches higher than the hedges or fmall bulhes. When feated it wags its tail, and chirps with a dull found i/'inUf tJtreu'f; am^, as often as it flies, it feems to pronounce difti.ndtly, with a ftronger voice, the words far-far^ f^^fa^ • it repeats thefe two cries with a degree of precipitancy. It breeds under the tufts and clods in newly ploughed field; j, and under fliorles in fallow grounds, near quarries, in old rabbit burrows J, or in the naked ftone walls which are ufed for fences in 'hilly countries. Its neft is conftruded with c are : it is compofed of mofs or tender grafs, and lined with feathers M • Belon, Nat. des Oifeau fc, p. 352. t Hence perhaps its old f rench name vHreCj or titn t Willughby. or z»t '•nr THE WHEAT-EAR. 23X or wool ; it is diftinguifhed by a fort of covert placed above it, and ftuck to the ftone or clod under which the whole is formed. It lays ge- nerally live or fix eggs, of a light blueifh white, with a circle at the large end of a duller blue. A female, which was caught on the eggs, had loll all the feathers from the middle of the ftomach, as ufual in the cafe of vigilant fitters^ The male is attentive to his mate, and during the time of incubation he brings ants and flies : he watches near the neft; and when he obferves one paffing, he runs or flies before, and endeavours to draw notice till the perfon has got to a fuiHcient diftance, and then he returns by a circuit to the neft. The young ones are feen as early as the mid- dle of May ; for thefe birds have returned to our provinces as early as the lirft fine days in March *. But frofts often furprife them after their arrival, and numbers perifli ; as happen- ed in Lorraine in 1767!. There are many of them in that province^ efpecially in the mountainous part: they are equally common in Burgundy and Bugey; but they are hardly feen in Brie, except towards the end of the fummer;J;. In general they prefer high coun- tjlcs, upland plains* and arid trads. Great J. •:i.i'M vitrecy or tUrci, * Lottinger. t Id. Q.4 X Hebert. numbers iil# 232 THE WHEAT-EAR. numbers are caught by the Englifh fhepherds in the downs of SufTex about the beginning of autumn, at which time they are pUimp and of uehcate flavour. Wilkighby defcribes the method of catching them : they cut up a long ftrip of turf, and i avert it on the furrow, fo as to leave only a narrow track, in which they place fnares made of horfe hair. The birds are incited by a double motive ; to procure food in the new-turned earth, and to conceal themfelves under the fod. The appearance of a hawk, or even the fhadow of a cloud, will drive them for fhclter into thofe traps *. They all return in Auguft and September, and no more are feen after that month. They journey in fmall bands; and in general they are of a folitary difpofition, and no fociety exifts among them but that of the male and female. Their wings are large f , and though * Mr. Pennant tells us, that in the dtftri£l of Eajlboum in Suflcx, one thoufund eight hundred and forty dozens of wheat-ears are at an average caught annually, which are fold commonly for fixpence a dozen. The reafon why thefe birtls are fo numerous in that neighbourlu^od, is faiil to be the abundance of a ccrtahi fpecies of iiy, on which tjiey f(ied. T. f Briflbn fays, that the firft of the wing quills is ex- tremely fliort : but the feather which he takes to be the firft of the great quills is only the firft of the great coverts, in^ ferted under the firft quill, and not at the fide of it. 8 ampng THE WHEAT-EAR. 833 among us they make little ufe of their power of flying, they probably exert it in their mi- grations. They mu ft have once done fo: for they are among the few birds which are com- mon to Europe and the fouth of Afia ; fmce they are found in Bengal, and inhabit the ex- tent of Europe, from Italy to Sweden. The appellations * which the wheat-ear re- ceives in different parts of France, allude to its habits of livhig on the ground and in the holes J of fitting on the clods, and appearing to ftrikc them with its tail. Its Englifh names refer to its frequenting both fallow and tilled grounds, and to the whitenefs of its rump. But the Greek term tenanthe, which naturalifts have, from a conjecture of Belon, agreed to apply to it, feems not io charadteriftic or fo proper as the preceding. The mere analogy of the word csn^nthe to vitiflora, and the refem- blance of this to the old French name vitreCy \i<\ Belon to form this opinion ; for he does not explain why it was called vine-fiower (ojvaiBM). It alfo arrives before the blowing of the vine,' and coathiues long after the bloifom is dropped; and it Ims therefore no connexion with the flower of the vine. Ariftotle dcfcribes it only * Motteiiy:, Tourne-mottc, Brife-mottCy t^ TerniJJofi ,• /. tff dodder, turn-clcd, break-clod, and eardi-thrower. as '( ' i-'.'< 234 THE WHEAT- EAR. "i i : »i. r, 1 as appearing and difappcaring at the fame time with the cuckoo *, Briflbn reckons five fpecies of wheat-ears ; I. The Wheat-Ear. II. The Gray Wheat-Ear, which he difcriminates from the firft only by that epi- thet, though that is equally gray. Its difference, according to Linnaeus, who makes it a variety, is, that the plumage, which is of a pale colour in both, is marked with fmall whitifh waves. BrifTon adds another flight diftindion in the bread feathers, which are, he fays, fprinkled with littk gray fpots ; and in thofe of the tail, of which the two middle ones have no white, though the reft are white three fourths of their length. But the minute details of the varioui tints of the plumage would eafily transform the fame individual into feveral fpecies ; \vc have only to defcribe it nearer or farther from the feafon of moulting f. To examine the produdlions * Hijf. Anim, lib. ix. 49. Pliny fays tTie fame of the «difappearance of the eenanthe, lib. x. 29. Fr^m this paf- fage, Father Hardouin infers that the wnanthe is not xlvi wheat-ear, but a nofturnal bird. f Young wheat-ears, taken the 7»th of May, had the upper part of their body mottled with xufty and brown : the feather. ■•if wheat-ears : (xuanthe is not t!ie THE W H E AT.E A R. ajs produdions of nature in this way is to lofe fight of her defign ; it is to miftake the fport- ive fuperficial touches of her pencil, for the deep permanent ilrokes with which ihe has engraved the characters of animals. Ill, The third fpecies of BrifTon is The Cinereous Wheat-Ear*; but the differences which he marks are too flight to difcriminate them, efpecially fmce the epithet r/«^r^o«j agrees as well with the cgmmon wheat-ear, of which this is only a variety. Thus the three pre- tended fpecies are reduced to one. But the fourth and fifth fpecies of BrifTon are more de- cidedly diftinguiihed, viz. "The Rujiy JVhite" Tail, and The Rufous White-Tail The Rusty Wheat-Ear f, which isBrif- feathers of the rump are whitiihi ftriped lightly with blaclc ; the throat and the under fide of the body rufous, dotted with black : all this livery is caft the firft year. * " Above cinereous white, mixed with gray brown ; be- low white i the rump gray brown \ the lower part of the neck light tawny j the forcliead bright white ; a black fpot below the eyes : of the two middle quills of the tail their fnft half is white, and the other black ifh ; the lateral one« white, terminated with blackifh ; the three outermoft oa both fides fringed with whitifh at the tips." Brijfon. f " White J the top, the upper part of the back, and the breaft, dilute tawny } a black bar on the eyes ; the tw» middle tail quills bl^ck, fringed with black on both fides pear the tip," fon*« '.H, f|i"W ^$6 THE WHEAT-EAR. m'> Wl'h ii |i:H -f i fon's fourth Ipecies, is rather 'el's than the com- mon wheat-ear, beinjij only lix inches and three lines in length : the head, the fore part of the body, and the breaft are whitifh, mixed with a little rufous ; the belly and the rump are of a lighter white } the upper fide of the neck and back is light rufty. It might be rciulily taken for the female of the common wheat-ear, if fome individuals had not the charader ot the tnale, the black flripe on the check between the bill and the ear ; fo that this would feem to he a permanent variety. It is found in Lor- raine near the mountains ; but it is not fo fre- quent as the ordinary fpecies. It aho inhabits the vicinity of Bologna in Italy ; and Aldro- vandus calls it Jirapazz'ino. Briflbn tells us that it occurs in Languedoc, and that at Nimes it is termed reynauby, Tlie fifth fpecies of Briffon * is The Rufous Wheat-Ear. Both male and female have * Motacilla Stapazlna, Gmel. Sylvia Stapazina, Lath. Ind. Specific charafter : ** It is ferruginous ; its wings brown ; the fpace about its e) ana its tail black; its outermoft tail quill white at the t'dge." Thus dprr ibed by Briflbn: ** Yellowidi rufous ; ;; -i rump and lower belly white (the cheeks and throat black in the mate; a black bar on tiic eyes in the female) \ the two middle tail quills black i the lateral ones white, fringed with black." been iVL. hanthe com- bes and three e part of the mixed with a Limp are of a the neck and readily taken vvheat'C>ir, if laraaer ot the heck between would feem to found in Lor- t is not fo fre- It aUo inhabits y; and Aldro- Briffon tells us I that at Nimcs sThe Rufous id female have its wings brown i THE W H E AT-E A R. n? ack i its outcrmoa fr.-vbed by Briffon ; rer belly white (the a black bar on the til quiUs black i the been been defcribed by Edwards, who received them from Gibraltar. One of them had not only the black ftripe between the bill and the ear, but it? throat was entirely of the fame co- lour: a charader that was wanting in the other, whofe throat was white, and the tints paler ; the back, the neck, and the crown of the head were of a yellow rufous ; the breaft, the top of the belly, and the fides, were of a diluter yellow ; the lower belly and the rump, white ; the tail white, fringed with black, except the two middle quills, which are entirely black ; thofe of the wing are blackifh, and their great coverts edged with light brown. This bird is nearly the fize of the common wheat-ear. Aldrovandus, Willugiiby, and Ray fpeak of it under the name of cenanthe altera. We may regard it as a fpecies clofely related to the common wheat-ear, but much lefs fre- quent in the temperate countries. [A] [A] Specific charader of the Wheat-ear, Motacilla-Oe- narithi' : " Its back is hoary ; its front white; a black ilripc on the eyes." In England the wheat-ears arrive between March andl May, and retixe in September. FOREIGN .?!> '"■r K ^ ■! I.' - .1" i>r- .'..i-'iiM.'ii ■^liet li »•■ .J? m J-»v*ff "t • las tfOREIGN BIRD* FOREIGN BIRDS WHICH ARE RELATED TO THE WHEAT-EAR. • i*- I ;l|j''rfi UtSit;,' :l;ar;t'-.tK Ml wm m^'i''"^ *»; ^'i'^^ 'I '■■0 m i THE GREAT WHEAT-EAR, oR WHITE TAIL OF THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. Motacilla Hottentotta, GmeL Sylvia Hottentotta, Lat/\ Ind. The Cape Wheat-ear, Lath. Syn. MDe Rofeneuvetz fent us this bird, • which has not been defcribed by any naturalift. It is eight inches long ; its l^ill ten lines, its tail thirteen, and the tarfus fourteen. It is much larger than the European kind : the upper fide of the head is (lightly variegated with two browns, whofe tints melt into each other ; the reft of the upper fide of Ac body is fulvous brown as far as the rump, where there is a tranfverfe bar of light fulvous j the breafl is variegated, like the head, with two Ihades of brown, which are confufed and indiftind ; the throat is dirty white, tinged with brown ; the higher p ?!•''' ', 1',* -. IDS i;VHEAT.EAR^ OR WHITE OD HOPE. Syn. US this bird, cribed by any y ; its hiW ten irfus fourteen, ean kind : the tly variegated lelt into each of ^e body is >, where there us i the breaft two ftiades of indiftina; the ,h brown ; the higher RELATED TO THE WHEAT-EAR. 23^ higher part of the belly and the flanks are ful- vous ; the lower belly is dirty white, and the inferior coverts of the tail light fulvous ; but the fuperior ones are white, and fo are the quills as far as their middle : the reft is black, termi- nated with dirty white, except the two middle ones, which are entirely black, and tipped with fulvous ; the wings are of a brown caft, edged flightly with light fulvc us on the great quills, and more flightly on the middle quills and on the coverts. IL The greenish BROWN WHEAT-EAR. Motacilla Aiivantia, Gmel. Sylvia Aurantia, Lath. hid. The Orange-breafted Wheat-ear, Latfj. Syn. THIS fpecies was alio brought from the Cape of Good Hope by M. de Rofeneuvetz. It is fmaller than the preceding, being only fix inches long ; the upper fide of its head and body is variegated with black, brown, and greenifh brown: thefe colours alfo mark dif- tindly the coverts of the wings ; but the great coverts .-■■H, ;?<;■; ■'S m i;i I' '^ n: t t m 340 FOREIGN BIRDS, &c. coverts of the wings, and thofc of the tail, are white : the throat is dirty white ; there is alfo a mixture of that colour and of black on the fore part of the neck : the breaft is tinged with orang , which grows dilute below the belly ; the inferior coverts of the tail are en- tirely white ; the quills are blackifli brown, and the lateral ones are tipped with white. This bird has, ftill more than the preceding, all the characters of the common wheat-ear, and we can fcarcely doubt that their habits are nearly the fame. III. THE SENEGAL WHEAT-EAR. Motacilla Leucorhoa, Gtr.el. Sylvia Leucorhoa, Lath. hid. The Rufous Wheat-ear, Lath. Syn. IT is rather larger than the European fpe- cies, and refembles the female exadlly ; only the back has a little more of ihe reddifh call. [A] f A] Specific charafler : ** Dufky rufous ; below oclry white i the rump, the coverts, and the bafe of the tail, white." THE '■> ,',Ti*.3 i>^!;-^ Sec. ' the tail, are e ; there is I of black ow laft is tinged :e below the ; tail are en- h brown, and white. This :edJng, all the >ear, and we bits are nearly AT-EAR. Uh. Syn. European fpe- exaaiy; only iddilh caft. [A] fous •, below oclry L bafe of the tail, THE i 241 ] THE WAGTAILS. THE White Wagtail (Lavandiere) has of- ten been confounded with the other kinds (Bergeronettes): but the former com- monly haunts the fides of pools, and the others frequent the meadows, and follow the flocks. All of them flutter often in the fields round the hufbandman, and attend the plough to pick up the worms that crawl in the frefli- turned foil. At other feafons, the flies which moleft the cattle, and all the infers which fwarm on the margin of ftagnant water, are their food. The wagtails are real fy-catchers^ if we regard only their manner of life: but they differ from thefe birds, becaufe they do not watch their prey from trees, and hunt it : they only fearch on the ground. They form a fmall family of birds with a delicate bill, tall and flender legs, and a long tail, which I they vibrate inceffantly : and, from this habit, Ithey have been termed Motacilla by the Ro- mans, and received their various names in the provinces of France, Vol. V. R m ' , ^ ''%!-il f 1 V*'iU '■j'-\-t\'m i, i w m THE ri IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) ■*' '.V 4'. 1.0 I.I 11.25 UilM 12.: |5o "^" H^H I IS IS i -^ llllli 1.4 v] (?> yl 7 Photograjdiic Sciences Corporation 23 WIST MAIN STRHT WiBSTIR.N.Y. 14SM (716) t73-4S03 \ N> ^ ^'''^j:% ^.V^ '^ !■ ': '. C 24» J THE 11 J r 'I ;,^^ •'i '■ ij ^H 1 1 1 1 ,, , ris ti .» •f ■ *! S- WHITE WAGTAIL. Gmel. Kram. Frtf. Mull. Wilt. La Lavatidiere) Buff. Motacilla Alba, Linn Motacilla, Briff. Sylvia Peftofe Nigro, Klein» Coda Tremula, !';««. Ballarina, 0///M. ;■;'(• Bachftelzen, Gunih. b* ^F/V/:* BELON, and, before him^ Turner, ap- plied to this bird the Greek name jcvjtc- V^oyoiy rendered into Latin by cuHcilega ov gnat- gatherer ; and that appellation would fuit the -t- ^ • : .. • . wagtail, .J I * In Latin, Motacilla : in Italian, Ballarinot Coda-tremO' lay Codin-zinzolay Cutretolay Bovarina : in Catalonian, 0<- gumelay Marlleuga : in Portuguefe, Aveloa : in German, ITjilfe Wajer Steltze (white water-ftilts). Bach Steltze (brook-flilts), WeiJJe und Schwartze Bach Steltze (white and black brook-ftilts), Wege-Stertze (weigh-tail), Klojler-Stertze (cloifter-tail) : in Flemiih, ^tick-Stertz : in Swedifh, jierla, Saedes-Aerla : in the diale£t of Oftrobothnia, Waejlraeciia : in Norwegian, £r/p, Lin-Erie: inDanifli, Vip-Stiettf Havre Soeer : in Polilh, PUJkoy Trze/iogetick Bialy. Near Montpelier it is called Enguane-Pajlre : in Cay- enne, Peringleo : in Saintonge, Batajoffe : in Qafcony, Bat- tiqiuiie : in Ficardy, Semeur : at Nante«, and in Orleanois, Bergeromttty X'J28 , Fr'tf, Mull. Will. arinOf Coda-tremo- Catalonian, Cti- loa : in German, s). Bach Sh'ltze Steltze (white and 1), Klojler-Stertze 1 Swedifh, Aerla, lia, Waejlraecltta '. Vip-Stiettf Havre m WQj..amWHITE'*«ArEKV\Qifi.TAlL.lI62.THB 3HEFHEIU>KSS . £erg Bui- t ^mi *rHE WHITE WAGTAIL. ^43 *«ragtail, though I am confident the wnro^oyos was quite a different bird. . > Ariftotle (lib. viii, c. 3.) fpeaks of two Vood-peckers {S'puo xaAaAs)** of the golden oriole (xoAi3<;, or gnlgufus);, as lodging in trees, which they ftrike with their bill. To thefe mull be joincdj he fays, the little gnat-ga- therer {x,vi^oAoyos) f , which is fpotted with gray, and hardly fo large as the goldfinch, and with a feeble voice. Scaliger properly obferves that a llgnipeta (^vKoKowm) J, or pecker of trees, cannot be a wagtail. A gray fpeckled plumage is different from that of the wagtail, which is interfedted with great bars, and mot- tled with white and bUck fpots. Nor are the charadlers of fize and of feeble voice applicable to the wagtail, of which we cannot difcover ei- ther th6 name Or the defcription in the Greek authors ; though all thcife properties belong to the common ereeper§* Bergerohetitt or Vachette : in t-orraine, tioche-^ieue : irt Bufgundy, Croje-^iettey Br-anle-^teue : in Bugcy, Da" mette : and ih the other provinces of France, Lavatidiire* * From 3f j»f an oak, and w\»9rt« to beat. f Perhaps from kuvui^ a gnat, and xcyM to gather. X From iuXov wood, and xowlu to cut. § Turner himfelf was in the end convinced, that th6 . nymxoyo( was a kind of wood-pecker ■, and Aldrovandus I tliinks that AriRotle meant by that name a creeper. ' R2 • - ■ The 144 THE WHITE WAGTAIL. r. ; The white wagtail is fcarcely larger than the ordinary titmoufe, though its long tail feems to add to its fize, fo that its whole length is feven inches : the tail itfelf is three inches and an half, which the bird e:';pands and difplays while it flics. With this large oar it directs and balances its motions : it whirls, it darts, and fports in the air ; and when it alights, it brifkiy wags it upwards and downwards, at intervals of five or fix fliakes. ■' ' Thefe birds run nimbly with little hafty fteps on the fandy brinks ; they even venture with their long legs to the depth of a few lines in the thin fheet of water that fpreads over the fhelving margin: but they oftener flutter about mill- dams, and fit on ftones. They vifit the wa(her- women, and hover about them the whole day, approaching familiarly, and picking up the crumbs that are thrown to them ; and, by the jerking of their tail, feem to imitate the adtion of cleanfing linen j from which habit they have been called in French lavandlere (wajherj *. The plumage of the white wagtail confifts of j mottles and large fpots of black and white: the belly is white : the tail confifts of twelve quills, of which the ten middle ones are blacky * Belon.— In England they arc fikcwife cdlcd fometimts | dt/h-ivajbers. T. andl THE WHITE WAGTAIL. 245 and the two fide ones white to near their ori- gin : the wing reaches only the third of theiR, length ; the quills of the wings are blackifh and white gray. Belon obferves that, with re- gard to its wings, the wagtail has fome relation to the aquatic birds*. The upper fide of the head is covered with a black cap, which de- fcends to the nape of the neck ; a white half- mafk conceals the face, furrounds the eye, and, falling on the fides of the neck, bounds the black of the throat, which is marked with a broad horfe-fhoe rounded on the bread. Many fubjeds have only a zone or femi-circle at the top of the bread, and their throat is white ; and the back, which is of a flate gray in others, is of a brown gray in thefe, which fcem to form a variety +, though they are mixed and con- - i:::^ ■; rv\ .. .... c. , founded * "It has a particular mark by which it rcfembles the (hore birds : this is, that the laft feathers of the wings, joining the body, are as long as the firft of the anterior ones ; which obtains lilcewife in all other birds that live on flies and Cfirth j worms, the plovers and the lapwings." Belon, Nat. des Oi/eaux, p. 349. t " The lead colour varies in this kind of birds, fome be» ling more cinereous, others blacker.' Willughby. Albin fays the fame, vol. i. p. 43. Some obfervers fecm to attri- bute this difference to that of 3ge, and aflert that moil of I the wagtails are white on their return in fpring, and aflume Iblack in the courfe of the feafon. Belon feems to be of this jopinion : « The young wagtails in their fixdi month," f^ys R 3 he, • I^-i n I' it i 1 ,■-[: . ^ " li ■■',ll< '■ 246 THE WHITE WAGTAIL, r. founded with the fpecies ; for the difference be^ twfcen the male and female is, that in the latter the crown of the head is brown ; but in the former it h black *. The white wagtail returns into our provinces about the end of March. It breeds on the ground under fome roots, or below a grafs tuft in lands not in tillage : but ofteneft by the edge of waters, beneath a hollow bank, or under the ftakes of wood that are driven along the fides of rivers. Their neft confifts of dry herbs and fmall roots, fometimes intermixed "with mofs ; the whole loofely compofed, and lined with feathers or hair. They commonly have four or five white eggs, fprinkled with bro\yn fpots; and only make a fingle hatch, un- lefs the firft fails. The parents defend their young courageoufly : they flatter and dive be- fore their enemy to draw him afidej and if he carries off the neft, they follo^y hiffl> flying above his head, and conftantly whirling round, calling on their young with doleful cries. They are alfo attentive to the cleanlinefs of their fa- mily, j^nd throw out the g^fcri^fls^nts, or even he, " are of another colour than thofe an year old, and which have cad their iirit plumage." * *f In this fpecies the female differs from the male in having the fpot on its head, not black, but gray." Olina. f* The female has an alh-coloured top." Schwenckfeld. ^'■, . ■' ^ ■" ' remove I i " ! '-it''';!' THE WHITE WAGTAIL. 247 remove them to a certain diftance. They alfo difperfe the bits of paper and ftraws which have been laid to mark their neft *. After the young are able to fly, the parents continue to feed and train them for three weeks or a month: they gorge greedily the infedts and ants* eggs that are brought to them f. Thefe birds are always remarked to eat uncommonly quickly, without feeming to allow time for fwallowing. They colledl the worms on the ground ; they purfue and catch the flies in the air, and thefe are often the objects of their whirling. Their flight is waving, and confifts of jerks and fprings. They aflift theit; motion by vibrating :<'.,-»;> • ■** I oibferved wagtails that built in a hole of a wall v^afhed by the river : they were at pains to clean their neft, and carry the excrements more than thirty paces off. A piece of white paper happened to reft on the ftake that propped the wall by the water edge : this feemed offenfive to the wagtails ; and I faw them, one after another, malce fruitlefs efforts to removt it. It was too heavy, and I there- fore took It away 4 but left in its place little ftrips of paper equally white. They would not fuffer thefe to remain ; but carried them' to the fame diftance as the dung of their young, being deceived by the limilarity of colour. I re* peated this experiment feveral timts."-r—Note communuated hy M. Hebert. t " I put eggs of large ants in a place where the wagtail* reforted : they took fifteen or lixteen each time, till their throat was filled, and then carried them to their young."— Note of the fame obfervtr, R A ' their ■,,?.- ;.., , Autumn is the time when they arc moft nu- merous in the country %, That feafoi^ which : ;■•:■!. '','!. ♦ Olina. f This fport lafts from four in the afternoon till the dulk of the evening : the perfons place' themfelves by the mar* gin of water, and attract the wagtails with a decoy bird of the fame fpecies; or, if that cannot be had, with fome other Onall bird. X " In Brie, in Burgundy, in Bugey, and in moft of our provinces, prodigious numbers are feen at certain times near inhalnted places \ in the fields, following the flocks : whence it appears that they arc birda of paflage."— JVe//c/ M, Hebert. 8 . « . ' collects i ' THE WHITE WAGTAIL. 249 colIc£ls them together, feems to infpire them with cheerfulncfs : they multiply their fports ; they hover in the air, fall in the fields, pur- fue and call upon each other. They come for- ward in numbers on the roofs of mills, and in hamlets near water, and appear to hold dif- courfe together by their little broken and re- peated cries ; we might fancy that they interro- gate each other, and, for a certain time, reply in their turns, till the general acclamation of the affembly marks their refolution or confent to remove to fome other fpot. Now it is that they have the little foft warble with a low voice, which fcarcely exceeds a murmur* ; and from this circumilance, probably, Belon has applied to them the Italian name fufurada (from fu-^ furrus, a whifper). This gentle breathing is prompted by autumn, and by the pleafures of fociety, to which thefe birds feem much at« tached. About the end of autumn, the wagtails form into larger bodies. In the evening they defcend among the willows and ofiers, by fides of ftreamsand rivers, where they call thofe which pafs, and together make a noify wrangling till dulk. In the clear mornings of Odober they fly fometimes very high, and vociferate incef- H \ mBi 'i't &'x':. ''i m ■ ' :-w:'. .'• • Belon. fantly ■m itr. I ■ ,' 350 THE WHITE WAGTAIL. " :: : ^ '^ * - . ■ i, i •■ ' [A] Specific charaftcr of the White Wagtail, MotacUU Alba : " Its bread is black } its two lateral tail quills divided lobliquely with white." ♦ JJccellmOf p, 51. . .'ii'i'U •t ,^-l )• ■",!;• r".; -n A-'- 'v" • .' ,,:•■> c!-;^ / ,: U'i;; '', ' , -A .MM ; ;h"-;-, ■V ^.■ K '" ■; : ..-■-' '■"■;• i- ■ 3 "I ■r."^.'* ■-'' '■ .*'."'- ...., ,.« ^>n.^. ' r':*,M-; >•-*■ r t,(^ f.) v^ri;!; THB ! ".I '■ '' ' 4 ' ^',.1 ! ■ 1 ■'• !■ ' • .^^ ii 1 1'M| 1 I s .iAI ^ .• 2^ lit ' :.V^ tmK^^M i> ■■;■• 1 1" 'fB^^^B It-.. K . ■(■■ i 252 3 THE BERGERONETTES, OR BERGERETTES. THE GRAY BERGERONETTE. FIRST SPECIES. Motacilla CInerea, Gtnel. 5s* BriJ". The Cinereous Wagtail, Lath, WE have feen that the /avandiere, or white wagtail, confifts of a lingle fpecies, that admits only of a flight variety ; but the family of the bergeronettes includes three very diftin<5t fpecies, and all of them live in our fields with- out aflbciating or breeding together. Not to interfere with the received names, we fhall de- nominate them the gray bergeronetie^ the fpr'tng hergeronette^ and the yellow bergeronette ; and we (hall, in a feparate article, notice the foreign birds related to thefe. The fort of attachment which thefe birds fhew to flocks; their habits of following them ia THE GRAY BEftGERONETTB. 25^ in the meadows, and of fluttering amidft cattle, while thefe are feeding*, and fometimes even alighting on the backs of cows and (heep ; their familiarity with the herdfman, whom they attend with confidence and fecurity, and give notice of the approach of the wolf, or of the bird of rapine: all thefe circumftances have procured them an appellation fuited to this paf- toral lifef. The companion of innocent and peaceful men, the bergeronette difplays that at- tachment to our fpecies, which would unite to us moft animals, were they not repulfed by our barbarity, and the apprehenfion of becoming our vidlims. In the little Jliepherdefs love pre- dominates above fear ; no bird at liberty in the fields appears fo tame %'. it allows one to gain nearer and nearer it, andfeems not to avoid the fowler §. ' ' ■ T It feeds on flies during the fummer months; but after the frofls have deflroyed the winged infers, and confined the cattle to their flails, they retire to the brodcs, and there pafs almofl * " When thefe birds follow tlie herds, they are the fpies, or rather the fentinels, of the keeper j for they give notice when they defcry a wdf, or a ravenous bitd." — A/e* communicated by M. Guys. t Hie word bergeronette, or bergerette, fignifies a little Ihephcrdefs, . ' ' % BeloD. 5 Stlerne. " • -- ' the jl> 24%' i;i,: It,"*;"' n I'm^ I ■ .■I,. I >. >■■'■, ^54 THE GRAY BERGERONETTE. the whole of the fevere feafon. At leaft, tlid moft of them continue with us during the win-* ter: the yellow bergeromtte is more uniformly fta- tionary : the gray is lefs common in that feafon. All the bergerotiettes are fmaller than the white wagtail, and their tail is proportionally longer^ Belon was well acquainted only with the yellow one, and appears to indicate the gray bergero-^ nette by the appellation of another kind of h" vandiere. The upper fide of the gray bergeromtte h gray, or cinereous ; the under fide of its body white, with a brown bar, or half collar, on the neck : the tail is blackiih, with white on the outer quills : the great quills of the wings are brown ; the others blackifh, and fringed with Dvhite, like the coverts. They build about the end of April, com* monly on a willow near the ground, and £hel- tered from rains. They breed twice a year. The fecond hatch is late ; for their nefts are found even in September ; which could never happen to a family of birds that migrate, and are ' obliged to educate their young before the win- ter. However, thofe of the firft hatch, and the pairs which have more diligently difcharged their office, fpread through the fields in the months of July and Auguft ; whereas the white wagtail* THE GRAY BERGERONETTE. 255 wagtails feldom flock, except when they migrate about the end of September and in Oaober*. The bergerotiette^ which is conftitutionally the friend of man, will not become his flave, and it dies in the cage. It loves fociety, and cannot bear clofe confinement; but, if left loofe in a room during winter, it will furvive, and will catch flies, and pick up the crumbs of bread f. Sometimes it alights on board (hips, becomes fa- miliar with the failors, continues with them in the voyage, and never leaves them till their ar- rival at the port %, But fuch fads may perhapa be afcribed to the white wagtail, which roam^s more than the bergeronette, and which, in paflt ing the feas, is apt to lofe its way. [A] [A] Specific character of the Gray Bergeronette, Meta-^ tilla Cinerea : " It is cinereous gray, below white j atav. ny ftripe on the breaft fin the male )\ the tail black : the greateft part of the two outermoft tail quills is white." It is unknown in Britain. * Belon. ' •' - ~ . , • i'' t Gefner and SchwcnckfcW. t " On the 8th of June we were off the coafta of Sicily, twelve or fifteen leagues from land. We caught on the vefTel a bergeronette: we fet it at liberty, but it ftill continued with ut. Food and drink were fet for it on one of the windows, to which it regularly came for its meal. It faiths fully accompanied us till we were clofe on the ifle of Can- dia: it quitted us when we had entered the port gf Sonda."— ^5/f communicated by M. de Mamnctur. ' ' ' THE mfm Pf^P^^ ':;• ;i^ ■' ; ■ ' ill'.' .1 ■' [ 256 3 I- THE SPRING BERGERONETTE. SECOND SPECIPS. Motacilla Flava, Li/tn, Gmel. Mull. Kram. Fr'tf. Ray* Sylvia Flavia, Klein. Motacilla Verna, BriJ/l • The Yellow Wagtail, Penu. mil. Edw. iff Lath. * THIS bergeronette is the lirft that is feen in the meadows and fields, where it neftles among the green corn. Scarcely indeed does it difappear in the winter, unlefs during the moft fevere colds : it commonly haunts, like the yel- low kind, the fides of brooks, and fprings which never freeze. The epithets beftowed on thefe birds feem improper ; for the following fpecies has lefs yellow than the prefent. That colour is diflin^i: only on the rump and belly ; but, in the fpring bergeronette^ all the up- per and fore parts of the body are of a fine yel- low ; and there is a ftreak of the fame on the * In German, Bach^Steltze (brook-ftilts), Gelhrujlige (yd- -low-brcaft), Irlitit Gelber Sticherling^ Gelhe-Weyer-Boih 5/*//zr (yellow-weighing-brook-ftilts). , _ wing, 1 ! THE SPRING BERGERONETTE. 257 wing, at the fringe of the middle coverts. All the mantle is of a dull olive, which alfo borders the eight quills of the tail, whofe ground co- lour is blackifh : the two outer ones are more than half white : thofe of the wings are brown, with their outer edge whitifli ; and the third of thofe neareft the body reaches, when the wing is clofed, as far as the longed of the great quills; a charadter which we have already noticed in the white wagtail. The head is cinereous; the crown tinged with- olive : above the eye there is a line, which is white in the female, and yellow in the male ; which is diftinguifhed alfo by blackifh ftreaks, more or lefs frequent, form- ing a crefcent under the throat, and alfo fprin- kled above the knees. When the male is in feafon, he runs and turns round his female, brillling up the feathers on his back in an odd fort of way, but which undoubtedly exprefles the fire of his paflion. Their hatch is fome- times late, but commonly produdive. They breed often under the banks of rivulets, and fometimes in the midft of corn before harveft*. They frequent, in autumn, the herds of cattle, like the other bergeronettes. The fpecies is common in England, in France f, andfeemsto .:;!* * Willughby. Edwards, f Edwards. Vol. V. S be ,-.: •I- ■y •J 4,. ' I 1 1 ; ■ ' .'>r- knil:^ ' ♦ -M. , < • ! m ' , , 1 iirtl* ■ ' J ■ '1 t . 1 •* : .,'*^ ; -y 1 i ', '' ■1 ^1 ipl %S% THE SPRING BERGERONETTE. be fpread through the whole of Europe, as far as Sweden *. We have found, in feveral fub- jedts, the hind nail to be longer than the great fore toe ; an obfervation which Edwards and Willughby had made before, and which contra- dicts the axiom of the nomenclatofs, who af- fume it as a generic characJter of thefe birds, that this nail and this toe are equal f. [A] [A3 Specific chara£ler of the Motactlla Flava : " Its breait and belly are yellow *, its two lateral tail quills parted obliquely by \vhite. Its egg is lead coloured, variegated with yellowifh fpots." * Linnseus. ft < i:^;':v t BriiTon, )• ).: .'I f' ,.■■-.■ w TUB ^ C 259 3 THE YELLOW BERGERONETTE. THIRD SPECIES. m Motacilla Boarula, GmeL Motacilla Flava, Brijl "■_ The Yellow Wagtail, Jll>. The Gray Wagtail, £dw. Penn. Will. Isf Lath* WHEN the white wagtails depart in au- tumn, the bergeronettes come near our dwellings, fays Gefner, and appear even in the mldft of the villages. This habit belongs efpe- cially to the yellow kind + : it then procures its fubfiftence befide the margins of perennial fprings, and ftielters itfelf beneath the (helving banks of rivulets. It finds its fituation fo com- fortable, that it even warbles in that torpid feafon, unlefs the cold be exceffive. This is a foft whifpered fong, like the autumnal notes of the white wagtail, and very different from the fhrill cry which it utters in rifing into the air. * In Italian, Coda-tremola Gialla ; in German, Kle'me Bach Stehze (little brook-ftilts) : in Poliftj, Pli/ka-Zolta. f Gefner, Aldrovandus, Olina. S2 In i 'i' U'J'fv II- . ■ ; ^1 iMi^ «f*.l.,.t.' li f t-:^ i ] ':'i> f'-i '.I-' I'I -it" !•■ ■ ''m •/> 2m I^^^^^^Bul , "M H^^H^^H 1 ^B ^^^^^^Hb ^ 1 i^:L.,H. ^H ^^^^^^^B I '■■■»(«• ,■-',; ^H''^^^^^^^B »'[ 1 ^B ^^^^^^^H " i. ^■^^^^■^^^H '■ I ' ,!:.■. "*t:! i^H ■ j 1 I, ■!■ ■• M ^^V' k^^^^^^^^^^bK M K^^^^H 'f' ■ H r S^MHR . ' t lif r\HK^^^Bl ■'t ! U '-^^hMC^ ■ i hhi p ^' ^^H^^^HIi f ' * ' 1 ^' ^^BBrslHUBiB h ' .U f- SKKSma^mo ! white : a fmall black bar pafTes over the eye, and flretches beyond it : all the mantle is of a yellowifh brown : the bill is broad at its bafe, and grows thinner at the middle, and more in- flated at the tip : it is black, as are allb the wings and the legs: the toes are very long ; and Son- nerat, who brought it, obferves that the hind nail is larger than the icft : he obferves too, that this fpecies refembles much the following, which he has alfo communicated, and which is per- haps the fame, varied only by the difference of climate between the Cape and the Moluccas. III. THE BERGERONETTE OF THE ISLAND OF TIMOR. Motacilla Flava, Far. Lath. Ittd. The Timor "Wagtail, LatJi. Syn. A S in the preceding, its body is yellow : there is a ftreak of the fame colour on the eye : the upper fide of its head and body is cinereous gray : the great coverts are tipped with white, and form a bai of the fame colour on the wing, RELATED TO THE BERGERONETTES. 267 Vring, which is black, as well as the tail and the bill : the legs are pale red : the hind nail is twice as long as the reft : the bill, as in the pre«« Ceding, is at firft broad, then thin, and after- wards fwelled : the tail is twenty- feven lines, and exceeds the wings eighteen lines ; and the bird (hakes it continually, like the European wagtails. IV. The BERGERONETTE FROM MADRAS. Motacilla Maderafpatenfis, Gtnel. Motacilla Maderafpatana, Bvijf. The Pied Wagtail, Lath. RAY firft noticed this fpecies, and from him Briiron has drawn his defcription * ; but nei- ther of them mentions the fize. Its colours con- fift of black and white : the head, the throat, the neck, and all the back, including the wings, are black : all the quills of the tail are white, except the two middle ones j thefe are black, * " Black ^wflA'^, cinereous (female )\ belly white; a bright white longitudinal bar on the wings ; the two mid- dle tail quills black \ the lateral ones black." Brljfon. V and 268 FOREIGN BIRDS, &c. and rather fhorter than the reft, which makes the tail forked ; the belly is white : the bill, the legs, and nails are black. Every part that is black in the male, is gray in the female. ■hri"' *- .v^- '- ^' •""■**'*"'" ^*^ •*"•' ,. ' 'v- » 'M * "'* i f - , v., . f. .- < , 1 , "■ ■ '''. ■■' ■ ^ Lu'].. '1 *»■'•,. k ■ % ' '•'4 i' ■ i 1 '- ■ 'i 4 LM i.:: St: ^:>.t"'- • rW' THE :h makes le bill, the rt that is le. m ^■^ THE "■» i Ji^'j29 \ \ .'" „ ; jiu ■fl* ,': ^1 -' '" f ■ H. .'I ' d ' L H'll i.,}' TIOlTHE TI6-BATCR FIG;2 . THE PTTrAT . [ 2^9 D THE ; ; F I G - E A T E R S. ''■ Les Figuiers, Buffi ''I^HESE birds are of a genus approaching to X that of the fig-peckers, and refemble thcfc in their principal charadlers. Their bill is ftraight, flender, and very acute, with two fmall fcallops near the extremity of the upper man- dible ; a property which they have in common with the tanagres, in which however the bill is much thicker and fhorter. The noftrils of the lig-eaters are uncovered, which diftinguifhes them from the titmice : the angle of their hind nail is arched, which feparates them from the larks ; and therefore they muft be ranged by themfelves. We are acquainted with five fpecies of fig- eaters in the hot countries of the old continent, and twenty-nine in thofe of America: thefe differ from the former in the fhape of the tail, which is regularly tapered in the fpecies that inhabit the old continent, but notched at the end in the natives of America, and almoft fork- ed, the two middle quills being fliorter than the others ; '""i'lti mi U xr'. • ^1 ayo THE GREEN AND YELLOW FIG-EATER. others ; and that charadler is fufficient to de- cide to what continent they belong. We fhall begin with thofe of the old. THE n,jv« %■' ,: M ] ■M I; GREEN AND YELLOW FIG-EATER. Le Figuier Vert & Jaune, Bufl FIRST SPECIES. Motacilla Tiphia, Linn. $5* Gmel. SyWia Tiphirt, Lath. Ind. Ficedula Bengalenfis, -Brijf. - The Green Indian Fly-catcher, Edw, The (xreen .Indian Warbler, Laih. Syn^ THIS bird is four inches and eight lines in length ; its bill feven lines, its tail twenty lines, and its legs feven lines and an half : the head and all the upper fide of the body are of an olive green } the under fide of the body yellowilh : the fiiperior coverts of the wings are of a deep brown, with two tranfverfe white bars i the quills of the wings and thofe of the tail are of the fame green with the bac'- : the bill, the legs, and the nails are blackifli, 6 Edwards Ili;r THE CHERIC. t7« Edwards defcribes this bird as brought from Bengal, and terms it a Jiy-catcher^ though its bill indicates a quite different genus. Linnseus is alfo miftakcn in reckoning it a wagtail ^wo- tacilla) ; for the tails of the fig-eaters are much ihorter, [A] [A] Specific chara£ter of the Motactlla Tipiia : " It is green j below yellowifh j the wings black j two white bars » THE il.i 1 1 * > J CHERIC. \ SECOND SPECIES. Motacilla Madagafcarienfis, Gmel. Sylvia Madagafcarienfis, Lath. Ind. Ficedula Madagafcarienfis Minor, Brtjf. The White-eyed Warbler, Lath. Syn. IN the ifland of Madagafcar this bird is known by the name tcheric : it was tranfported into the ifle of France, where it is called white- eye, on account of a fmall white membrane en- j circling its eyes. It is fmaller than the preced- [ing, being only three inches and eight' lines ia length, fl 1l T' , ''I ' * ■ ;- :i 'wi ' ' • t , '•'«■ ■; ■' !' * ■^ > ■ '' 1 . 1- ; \ ■ , :■ iu»'f ■■ }' - "X\ ,; f I 1- . "' ' ' ■'* ! . ■ ■■ri rr ■> . il' 171 THE C H E R I C. length, and its other dimenfions proportional : its head, the upper fide of its neck,' its back, and the fuperior coverts of its wings, are of an olive green : its throat and the inferior coverts of its tail are yellow : the tJpper fide of its body is whitifli : the quills of the wings are of a light brown, and bordered with olive green on their outer margin ; the two quills in the micidle of the tail are of the fame olive green with the upper fide of the body : the other quills of the tail are brown, and edged with olive green : the bill is dun gray : the legs and nails are cinereous. The Vifcount Querhcent, "who obferved this bird in the ifle of France, fays that it is not timid, yet feldom vifits the fettlements ; that it flies in flocks, and feeds on inf^ds. [A] ;.'•• [A] Specific cliara6lcr of the Motacllla ALulagafcar'i'h, '* It is olive brov/n : its head rufous ; its throat \v hilc j its breafl; ta\ynjr j its belly rufous brown." H '' It «... ji fe^ii i T ns t i73 3 THE LITTLE SIMON. THIRD SPECIES* Ilia Madagafcari'-'iji! ■ its throat wluiej Sylvia Borbonica, Lath. Ittd. ■ Ficedula Borbonica, Brjf. The Bourbon Warbler, Lath. Syn. THIS bird is called the Litt/e Simon in the ifland of Bourbon, though it is not . a na- tive of that place, and mufl have been tranf- ported thither j for we are informed by people of veracity, and particularly by Commcrfon, that there exifted no kind of quadrupeds or birds in the iflands of Bourbon and France, when the Portuguefe firft difcovered them. Thefe iflands appear to be the points of a continent v/hich has been fwallowed up, and almoft their whole furface is covered with volcanic pro- dudions ; fo that at prefent they are flocked only with animals that have been carried to them. This bird is exadly of the fame fize with the preceding ; the upper fide of its body is of a light flate colour ; the under fide white gray ; the throat white ; the great quills of the tail Vol. V. T deep I ■. 'I ' U4 ,,.;..^., «74 THE LITTLE SIMON. deep brown; edged on one fide with a flate co- lour: the bill is brown, acute, and flender; the legs gray, and the eyes black : the females, and even the young ones, have nearly the fame plumage as the males. They are very nume- rous in every part of the ifland of Bourbon, where the Vifcount Qiierhoent obferved them. They ufually breed in September, and lay three or four eggs, probably feveral times in the courfe of the year. They build on fingle treeSj, and even in orchards : the neft is formed of dry herbs, and lined with hair : the eggs are blue. Thefe birds will allow a perfon to get very near them ; they fly always in flocks, and feed on infe£ts ant* fmall foft fruits. When they fee a partridge running alonj^ the ground, a hare, or a cat, &c. they flutter round it, making a peculiar cry ; and hence they dired the fowler to his prey. [A] [A] Specific chara£ler of the Syhia Borbonictty Latk. : ** It is brown gray ; below yellowifti gray \ the quills of the wings and of the tail edged with gray." THE [ 275 3 THE BLUE F I G-E AT E R. Le FiGUifiR Bleu, Buff, FOURTH SPECIES. Motacilla Mauritiana, Gmel. Sylvia Mauritiaiia, Lath. Itid. The Maurice Warbler, Lath. Syn. TtllS fpecies has not been noticed by any naturalift, and is probably a native dT Madagafcar. The male feems to differ in no- thing from the female, except that its tail is a flight degree longer, and the upper fide of its I body has a tinge of blue mixed with the whitilh. The head and all the upper fide of the body are of a blueiOi cinereous : the quills of the wings land of the tail are blackifh, edged with white : |the bill and legs are blueifli. [A^ [A] Specific chara£lcr of the Motacilla Mauritiana ; f* It is blue gray •, below white } the quills of the wings »Dd tail black, edged with white." tC, 'to r T2 THE If ^^p: i 276 ] THE lil/-. • ' SENEGAL FIG-EATER. 4 '■'., / FIFTH SPECIES. WE conceive that the three birds deline- ated No. 582. PI, EnL arc the f«me ipecies ; of which the fpotted iig-eater is the male, and the two others only varieties arifing from age or fex. They are all very fmall, but figure 1. is the leaft*. The fpotted fig-eater +, No. 2, is fcarcely four inches long, of which the tail occupies two: it is tapered, and the two middle quills are the longeft : all thefe tail quills are brown, fringed with nifty white ; fo are alfo the great quills of the Vvings. The plumage of the wings, and of the back and head, is black, edged j with light rufous : the rump is deeper rufo'j: and the fore part of the body is white. The two others differ from this, but refeni-| * Sylvia Rufigaflra, LniL •j- Motacilh Undata, Gmc/. Sylvia Ui;data, Lut/j. hid. The Undated Warbler, Lath. Sp. I J THE SENEGAL FIG-EATER. 277 ble each other. The fig-eater (figure 3) * has not its tail tapered : It is light brown, and pro-i portionally (horter than the body : the upper lide of the hend and body is brown : the wing is hlackilh brown, fringed on the quills, and undated on the coverts with a rufly brown : the fore part of the body is of a light yellow, and there is a little white under the eyes. The fig-eater (figure i) is fin.iller than the other two : all its plumage is nearly the fume as that of figure 3, except the fore part of the body, which is not light yellow, but aurora red. We have already feen that, in fome fpccies of the genus of fig-eaters, there are fome indi- viduals whofe colours vary confiderably. We prefume likewife, that the three other birds of No. 584. PI. Enl. are of the fame iden- tical fpecies ; of which the firft appears to be the male f, and the two others varieties of age or fex j ; t^^e third, particularly, feems to be a • Motacilla Flavcfcens, Giml. Sylvia Flavefcens, Lath. Iiuf. The Citron-bellied Warhlcv, Lath. Syn. I Motacilla Fufcata, Gniel. Sylvia Fufcata, Lm'h. hid. The Duiky Warblor, Lath. Syti, I Motacilla Subfiava, G/iiei. Sylvia Subflava, Lath. Lid. The Flaxen Warbler, Lath. Syn. T 3 female. ■M i *•!'; '■K\ j ( „;■ ■,* '■■'■(I-,; ;, . ; 'f: ':.r' 1 : .'"• \- ■■■■; i'm ! ' I i ; I I ' '-.' ! ' F r ■ "^ ■ ' 1 ; I .„,: ■ ■ 278 THE SENEGAL FIG-EATER. female. In all the three, the head and upper fide of the body are brown ; the under fide gray, with a flaxen tint of various extent and intenfity : the bill is brown, and the legs yeU low. WE fhall now proceed to enumerate the fpe» cies of fig -eaters that are found in America, They are in general larger than thofe of the ancient continent. We have already noticed their diftinguifliing character, and we can only fubjoin fome details with regard to their habits. They are of a wandering difpofition ; they pafs thefummerin Carolina, or even fo far north as Canada, and return to the warmer regions to breed and raife their young. They inhabit the cleared grounds and the cultivated fpots : they perch on fmall fhrubs, and feed on infeds and ripe tender fruits, fuch as thofe of the bananas, of the mangroves, and of the fig-trees, which are not natives of that climate, but were tranf- ported thither ; they enter the gardens to peck them, and hence their name : however, they on the whole eat more infefts than fruits ; for, if thefe are hard, they cannot break them, THE :, ■S 'i t 279 3 THE SPOTTED FIG-EATER. Le FiGuiER Tachete, Buffi FIRST SPECIES. Ficeduh Canadenfis, Brtjf. THIS bird is feen in Canada during fum- mer, but makes only a ihort ftay, and does not breed there : its ordinary refidence is in Guiana, and other parts of South America. Its warble is pleafant, and much like that of the linnet. . The head and all the upper fide of its body are of a fine yellow, with reddifh fpots on the lower part of the neck, and on the bread and fides : the upper furface of its body, and the fu- perior coverts of its wings, are of an olive green : the quills of its wings are brown, and edged exteriorly with the fame greeq : the quills of the tail are brown, and bordered with yellow : the bill, the legs, and the nails arc blacklfh. A variety of this fpecies, or perhaps the fe- male, is reprefented in the fame plate ; for it differs from the other only becaufe the upper T 4 fide L it m m ^''Wl «» '■H r^hm ;f,4 rit •■ .1' . < '" » I' ■ *■■■ »• -[^ ,r., 280 THE RED-HEADED FIG-EATER. fide of the head is, like the body, of an olive green : but thefe differences are infuflicient to form a feparate fpccies. THE RED-HEADED FIG-EATER. Le Figujer a Tete Rouge, Buf, SECOND SPECIES. Motacilla Petechia, Linn, t^ GnieK Sylvia Petechia, Loth. hid. Ficcdula Erythiocephalus, Hrijf. The Yellow Red-poll, Kdw. The Red-headed Warbler, Penn. W Lath. THE crown of the head is of a beautiful red : all the upper fide of the body is olive green ; the under fide of a fine yellow, with red fpots on the breaft and belly : the wings and tail are brown : the bill is black, and the legs are reddifh. The female has no dif- ference from the male, except that its colours are not fo bright. It is a folitary, tranfient bird : it arrives in Pennfylvania in the month of M^rch, but does not breed there : it frequents the THE WHITE.THROATED FIG-EATER. 281 the brakes, feldom perches on large trees, and it feeds on the infe^^ '^^m ''M^El 'i §i ^p^ ': 1 ■ ' .- 1- ■■ i . ;. If /V if ••' 'V *■..*■ 'i , '*•* "Ik K-' 1 ."■'.» i ' ^ , i' ■ •*.* j .,' 1 V "^U'^ ' '. '■■■'.< :;-: ! ' 'J;:: If;::!^:-'?: ' ji '■ j' ■■■■■' . ' ■„ ,1 ■'' 'I !. M- '■■■ 282 THE YELLOW-THROATED HG-EATER. wings, and thofe of the tail, are brown, and tdged with olive yellow : the bill, the legs, and nails are brown gray. The female differs not from the male, except that the green on the upper part of the neck is mixed with cinereous. THE YELLOW-THROATED FIG-EATER. , Le Figuier a Gorge Jaune, Bujl FOURTH SPECIES. Hotacilla Ludovlciana, Gtnel. Sylvia Ludoviciana, Lath, bid, Ficedula Ludoviciana, Brijf. The Louifiane WarbLr, Lath, Syn, THIS bird is a native of Louifiana and of Saint Domingo. In the male, the head and all the upper fide of the body are of a fine olive green, which is (lightly tinged with yel- lowifh on the back : the fides of the head are trf a dilute cinereous : the throat, the lower part of the neck, and the breaft, are of a fine yellow, THE YELLOW-THROATED FIG-EATER. 283 yellow, with fmall reddifli fpots on the bread ; the reft of the under fide of the body is of a yellov/i(h white : the fuperior coverts of the wings are blueifli, and terminated with white, which forms two crofs white bars on each: the quills of the wings are of a blackiih brown, and edged exteriorly with blueifh cinereous, and white within ; the three firft quills on each fide have alfo a white fpot on the extremity of their infide : the upper mandible is brown j the lower gray j the legs and nails alh-coloured. The plumage of the feniale is the fame with that of the naaje, only there are no red fpots on the breaft. We cannot help obferving that Briflbn has confounded this bird with the pine-creeper of Edwards, which is indeed a fig- eater, but dif- ferent from the prefent. We fhall notice it af- terwards. THB '■■4'i ■; • t ■ I; >'i ■■ . C 284 3 THE GREEN AND WHITE FIG-EATER. Le Figuier Vert & Blanc, Buff, FIFTH SPECIES. Motacilla Cliloroleuca, Gmel. Sylvia Cliloroleuca, Lath. Lid. Ficedula Dominicenfis Minor, Brilf. The Green and White "Warbler, Lath. Syii. ''f^HIS is alfo a native of Saint Domingo. JL The head and the under fide of the neck are of a yellowilh afh colour in the male; the fmall fuperior coverts of the wings, and all the upper fide of the body, olive green ; the throat and all the under fide of the body yellowilh "white ; the great fuperior coverts of the wings and the quills brown, and edged with yellowilh green ; the quills of the tail of an exceeding deep olive green : the lateral ones have, on their infide, a yellow fpot, that is broader the more they are exterior ; the bill, the legs, and nails are brown gray. In the female the colours are fainter, which is the only difference. ";.>*.«| I. THE C 28s 3 THE ORANGE-THROATED FIG-EATER. Le Figuier a Goege Orangee, Buff, SIXTH SPECIES. Motacilla Aurlcollis, Ginel. Sylvia Auricollis, Lath. Iml. Ficedula Canadenfis Major, Brlf. The Orange-throated Warbler, Lat/j. $yn, BRISSON terms this the Canac^a Fig-* eater ; but, probably, like the reft of the genus, it is only a bird of paflage in that cli- mate. The head, the upper fide of the neck, the back, and the fmall fuperior coverts of the wings, are of an olive green ; the rump, and the great fuperior coverts of the wings, cinere- ous ; the throat, the lower part of the neck, and the breaft, orange ; the belly, pale yellow ; the lower belly, and the legs, whitifh ; the quills of the wings brown, and edged exteriorly with cinereous : the two middle quills of the tail arc cinereous: all the reft are white within, and blackifti on the outfide, and at the tip. There is no difference in the plumage be- tween the male and the female, except that the colours in the latter are lefs vivid. THE 'i'?;i C 186 1 THE CINEREOUS-HEADED FIG-EATEll* Le Figuier a Tete Cendree, Buf* SEVENTH SPECIES. ■ti I •■• Motacilla Maculofa, GmeL Sylvia Maculofa, Lath. Ind. Ficedula Pennfylvanica Naevia, Brijf. The Yellow-rumped Warbler, Lath. Syn* THIS bird was fent from Pennfylvanla to England, and Edwards calls it the Tel* low-ramped Flycatcher : he has very improperly given the appellation of Flycatcher to all the fig-eaters that he has defcribed and delineated. In the prefent, the crown and fides of the head are cinereous : the upper furface of the neck and the back are of an olive green, fpotted"with black : the throat, the breaft, and the rump, arc of a fine yellow, with black fpots on the breaft : the fuperior coverts of the wings are of a deep afh colour, and terminated with white, which forms two tranfverfe white bars on each wing : the quills of the wing are deep cinere- ous, edged with white : the two middle quills of the tail are black ; the others are blackifh, with ">h ►Ml- :;iv ifylvania to it the Tel- I improperly to all the delineated, of the head of the neck fpotteJwith I the rump, pots on the wings are of with white, jars on each deep cinere- [niddle quilU are blackifh, with THE BROWN FIG-EATER. 287 with a great white fpot on the infiue ; the bill, the legs, and the nails are brown. THE BROWN F I G-E AT E R. LeFiguier Brun, J?At^ EIGHTH SPECIES. Motacilla Fufcenfis, GmeL Sylvia Fufcenfis, Lath. Lid. Ficedula Jamaicends, Brijl Mufcicapa Pallide-Fufca, Ray. ' ' Lufcinia Mufcicapa Pallicle-Fufca, KU'tn* SIR Hans SI cane is the fir ft who mentions this bird, which he found in the cultivated I parts of Jam.aica, and which he calls Worm- \taur. The head, the throat, all the upper fide |of the body, the wings and the tail, are light [brown : the under fide of the body is variegated [with the fame colours as the plumage of the larks. This is all that author fays on the fub- |ea.[A] .: :: ,;;;. ■ :,;,;, [A] Specific charafter of the Motacilla Fufcenfis t " It i duikiih ; below variegated with blackifli and rufous gray ( ^e bill, t;he throat, and a bar at the eyes, brown." 3 THE »!R 'ft'' 'iff I C 28U ] THE BLACK-CHEEKED FIG-EATER. Le Fiouier aux Joues Noires, Buff, KiNTH SPECIE 2. P' )\. li .: '^r ■1 ! ■i;^ , Turdus-Trichas, JL/««. £5' G;« f/« Sylvia-Trichas, /./i/A. bid. Ficedula Maify'an.lica, i?r^ The Maryland Yellow-throat, Edw. The Yellow-breafted Warbler, Penn. Isf Lath, WE are indebted to Edwards for the ac. count of this bird. It inhabits Penn- fylvania, and frequents the fmall woods that are watered by rills, at the fides of which it is com- monly found. It only fpends the fummer in that climate, and dilappeais before the winter; whicli fhews that this fig-eater, like the others, is only a bird of paflage in thofe parts of North America. The fides of its head are of a fine black, and the crown is reddifh brown : the upper fide of the neck, the back, the rump, and the wings arc of a deep olive green ; the throat and breaft of a fine yellow ; the reft of the under fide of the body pale yellow : the bill and legs are brown. THE C 289 1 THE YELLOW SPOTTED FIG-EATER. Le Fiouier Taciiete de Jaune, Buff, TENTH SPECIES. Motacilla Tigrina, Gmel. Sylvia Tigrina, Lath. hid. - . Ficedula Canadenfis Fufca, Brijf. The Spotted Yellow Flycatcher, Edw. Pemi. tsf Lath. WE borrow the dcfcription of this bird alfo from Edwardi. Both the male and fe- male were caught at fea eight or ten leagues oft Saint Domingo, in the month of Novemberj jnd brought to England by the i'ame Ihip. The author obferves properly that thefe are migra- tory birds, and were then on their paffage from North America to the ifland of Saint Do- The head and all the xlppef fide of the body are olive : above the eyes there is a yellow bar ; the throat, the lower part of the neck, the breaft^ and the inferior coverts of the wings, of a fine yellow, with little black fpots : the belly and the legs are of a pale yellow, without fpots j the wings and tail of a dull oUve green : there is a Iprg Vol. V. U white '• ■ I f) ' 1i *»' I '} ll,!'!! 290 THE BROWN AND YELLOW nC-EAltR. white fpot on the fuperior coverts of the wings; and the lateral quills of the tail are white one half of their length. The female has no diiference from the male, except that the breaft is whitifh, with brown fpots ; and that the olive green of the upper furface of the body is not fo glofly. BrilTon has taken the female for another fpecies, which he has termed the brown fig-eater of Saint Do- mingo. BROWK ANlD YELLOW FIG-EATER. Le Figuier Brun & Jaune, Buf, ELEVENTH 8 P E C I E Sj J, - • . .'/;. :■■■■•■ : Motacilla Trochilus.' . . . ,.. Motacilla Acredula, Linfi. Ficedula Carolinenfis, Brijl CEnanthe Fufco-lutea Minor, ^o^. The Yellow Titmoufe, Cate/by. ,, • The Yellow Wren, iEVND YELLOW nC-EATER. ipi name of Tei/ow H^ren^ which is improper. Catef- by and Klein have fallen into another miftake, reckoning it a titmoufe. It breeds in Carolina, but does not continue there during the winter : the head, all the upper furface of the body, the wings, and the tail, are of a greenifh brown : there are two fmall bars on each fide of the head : all the undei furface of the body is of a fine yellow : the fuperior coverts of the wings are terminated with green and light olive, which forms two oblique bars in each : the quilla of the wings are edged exteriorly with yellow ; the bill and legs are black ^. ♦ This bird, which feems to be only a variety of the yel- low wren, breeds in North Carolina, and retires in winter to Jamaica. It occurs alfo in moH parts of Europe, from India to Kamtfchatka< ...- p. - !■> »■ . jr.. i'.^--U' ..■•» 1 U 4 -m \i * :'3<;' THE .. 'J *■;• W^'1. t 'Ml' T;.':".i'3r- C «92 1 ' :■'"•■. v'- 5::": :;i ") f .'K.'^rvfqn , f f''-: PINE F I G-E A T E R* Le FiGuiiiR DEs Sapins, Buf. TWELFTH SPECIES. • i .• V Certhia-Pinus, Li/ift. b* GmeL Sylxh^'mvLS, Lath. Ind. . -. !.. Parus Americanus, Sn^. • ' ', The Pine Warbler, Ptm. llf Lath. ;. ', .,, , EDWARDS calls this bird the Pine-creeper "^ but it does not belong to that genus, though it creeps on the pines in Carolina and Penn- fylvania. The bill of the creepers, it is well known, is bent like a fickle ; whereas it is ftraight in this bird, which refembles the fig- caters fo much in every other refped, that it ought to be claffed with them. Catelby is alfo miftakcn in ranging it with the titmice, pro- bably becaufe, like thefe, it creeps on trees. Briflbn has committed an overfight in feparat- ing the Pine-creeper of Catefby from that of Edwards. The head, the throat, and all the under fide of the body, are of a very beautiful yellow : there is a fmall black bar on each fide of the i . - i L ■ j" head : m^ ^v\> THE PINE FIG-EATER. 293 head : the upper part of the neck, and all the upper furface of the body, are of a yellow green or Ihining olive, which is ftill more bright on the rump : the wings and tail are of a blueiih iron colour : the fuperior coverts are terminated with white, which forms on each wing two tranfverfe white bars : the bill is black, and the legs are of ayellowilh brown. ,- ;< : ■,, •• The female is entirely brown. This bird appears in Carolina in winter, where Catelby tells us that it fearches on the deciduous trees for infe(fts. It is alfo feen dur- ing fummer in the northern provinces. Bartram informed Edwards, in a letter, that it arrives in Pennfylvania in the month of April, and con- tinues all the fummer : however, he confelTcs that he never faw its neft. It lives on the in- fects that lodge on the leaves, and in the buds of trees. [A] - . ' . [A] Specific chara£ter of the " Certhla'Pinus : " It is yellow } above olive ; its wings blue, with two white bars. It is four and a half inches long j its tail forked-** ► ■ ■ ;V l> , i ,jrf -. •■«<'■ . ''1 .,;- .v-'i-by oH'I r; :- r:z i'y-^r^'l ■' [■■ ■ { -'■■•• A-'-vM fJ:-:fi' ■jiii'\/. jJZxiSl i:>..r:j ,j,as •^'^iM'i -yAy-i' •?•!! 1: !";"•- ?::• ^^ rfiA'^<..' -' ■/•. ■ -*'-■■■• .{)''■, ;.i . ■ ,<} rfi- r, ,,^* !.,, ■. 1,/ i>^ fii IS.' U3 THE l-w'll ';■ ■ rtrf 1'!':: . ■::■ .: ".: .v. ^'-'^ '■■ ". ij ?v^j/ - r ■h ri ■4 THS BLACK-COLLARED FIG-EATER. Le Figuier a Cravatte Noire, Buf, THIRTEENTH SPECIES, Motacilla Virens, GwJ. .'>:-; . ; Sylvia Virens, Laib, Ind, Ficedula Pennfylvanica Guttur . Nigro, Brtf. The Black-throated Green Flycatcher, £' i .: ii. :■(.•"• i '\ ^ « ■ » . . . * 1 . 'V'A J.. V ' 1 T HE (i!* ;„i. ' t 297 ] ■■' THE > . I ■ i Ui i', i YELLOW-THROATED CINEREOUS fIG-EATER. Le Figuier Cendre a Gorge Jaune, Buffi FIFTEENTH SPECIES. Motacilla Dominica, Li/t/j. isf Gmel. Sylvia Dominica^ Latk. Ind. The Jamaica Warbler, Lath. Syn. DR. Sloane gives the account of this bird, which is found in Jamaica and Saint Domingo. The head, the whole of the upper furface of the body, and the fmall fuperior co- verts of the wings, are of an afli-colour : on each fide of the head there is a yellow longi- tudinal bar ; below the eyes a large black fpot ; on the outer edge of each eye a white fpot : the throat, the under fide of the neck, the bread, and belly, are yellow, with fome fmalf black fpots on each fide of the breaft : the great fuperior coverts of the wings are brown, edged exteriorly with cinereous, and tipped with white, which forms two trarfwerfe white bars on each wing ; the quills of the wings and of • '^" '■ ^ the \{K\ ^'^ li. i; fi i i^?' (. : i 298 THE COLLARED CINEREOUS FIG-EATER, the tail are of an afh brown, and edged exte- riorly with gray : the two outer quills on each fide of the tail are marked with a white fpot near the end of their interior furface : the bill, the legS} and the nails are brown. [A] [A] Specific character of the Motacilla Dominica : " It is (Cinereous y below >'hite ; a yellow fpot before the pyes ; white behind, and black below." ,. ' ' » THE COLLARED CINEREOUS FIG-EATER. Le Figuier Cendre a Collier, Buff, SIXTEENTH SPECIES. Parus Americanus, Linn. £s* Gttul. Ficedula Carolinenfis Cincrea, BriJJ'. The Finch-Creeper, Catejby. The Creeping Titmoufe, Pcnn. WE are indebted to Catefby for the account of this bird, which he terms the Finch- creeper ; but it belongs to neither of thefe ge- nera, and is really a fig-eater. It is found in North America, from Carolina to Canada. ■ ,; •• ^ '•• "■ " - ;--'': - • r^ ■ The ,',r. THE COLLARED CINEREOUS FIG-EATER. 299 The head, the upper fide of the neck, the rump, and the fuperior coverts of the wings, are of an afh colour : the back is olive green ; the throat and breaft yellow, with a half collar of cinereous on the lower part of the neck : the reft of the under fide c^ \( dy is white, with feme fmall red fpots on th^ ilanks: the great fuperior coverts of the wines are tipped with white, which forms on each wing two tranfverfe white bars : the quills of the wings and of the tail are blackifli : the two exterior feathers, on each fide of the tail, have a white fpot at the termination of their inner furface : the upper mandible of the bill is brown ; the Igwer mandible and the legs, yellowifh, Thefe birds creep on the "trunks of large trees, and feed on the infeds which they pick out of the cracks in the bark : they continue during the whole winter in Carolina. [A] ■m [A] Specific character of the Pants Americanus : " It is blueifli j its temples, its bre^ifl, and its back yellowifti i it» ihinks purplifh." . f'^H ' . i> Kjv; ) I** ■* ■> THE -iV**'*V«. ;^«aaJMt:U'4'-WWJWV ,. 'h ?:t' .•■•■.:• ..)■'■> [ 300 ] •i.. . V.-. .(^' THE BELTED FIG-EATER, ' ' Le Figuier a Ceinture, Buf, kJ •■!-]■ SEVENTEENTH SPECIES. ' ' ■ . • , ♦ ... .... ' . . . -.;,.. * * Motacilla Canadenfis, Lin/i, Motacilla Cin£la, Gmel, Sylvia Cinfta, Lath. Ficedula Canadenfis Cinerea, ^f'J"' The Belted Warbler, Ptun. b* Lath. ON the crown of the head there is a yel- low fpot, and, pn each fide, a white bar : the reft of the head, the upper furface of the body, the fuperior coverts of the wings, are of a deep cinereous, almoft black. But the mod obvious character is a yellow belt between the breaft and belly, which are both white, varie- gated withfome fmall brown fpots : the great fu- perior coverts of the wings are tipped with white, which forms two white tranfverfe bars on each wing ; the fuperior coverts of the tail are yel- low ; the quills of the wings and of the tail are brown : the two exterior quills, on each fide of I the tail, have a white fpot near the termination ofl THE BLUE FIG-EATER* 30J of the inner furface : the bill is black ; the legs and nails brown. The female differs not from the male, except that the upper furface of the body is brown, and the fuperior coverts of the tail are not yellow. [A] ._ , . ,.„ . [A] Specific character of the MotacUIa Canadenfist " Above blue ; below white \ its throat, and the quilU of Its wings and tail, black." -^ . , . y j. >•.■ ,^ . i ■? ■■ ^'it'f'S •r>'..;'rr. ■ ^'i ? :';■•' - ^A\ jr. i' X m \IV •v THE BLUE F I G-E AT E R, ? • •-.i » . • //" Le Fiouier Bleu, Buff, EIGHTEENTH SPECIES. If Motacilla Canadenfis, Lhin. Isf Gtnel. Sylvia Canadenfis, Lath. Ficedula Canadenfis Cinerea Major, BriJJ'. The Black-throated Warbler, Pain, b* Latk. THIS is the blue fy-catcher of Edwards. It was caught at fea eight or ten leagues |fouth of Saint Doqiingo ; but, from his ftate- lent, he feems to have received another of the fame W1 My ' /'■'('i •4.- ■ , ,< ...» 'I";.* ill ifi'l' Pi 'If" !.-i.f f>;!.4| I 302 trtE BLUE FIG-EATER. fame birds from Pennfylvania. They arrive In that province about May, and remain through the fummer : and thus they are migratory in North America, as are almod all the other fig. caters, whofe native climate is South America. The head, all the upper part of the body, and the fupcrior coverts of the wings, are of a blue Hate colour i the throat, and the .fides of the head and neck, are of a fine black ; the reft of the under furface of the body whitiih ; tlie quills of the wings, and of the tail, blackiOi, vrith a white fpot on the great quills of the wings : the bill and legs are black : in the Planches Enluminks thefe are yellow : perhaps the fmall fcales of the dried fpecimen from which it was defigned, were wotn 6fF. • • ' ■ ■ ' " J ' ? - ; 1 • ■ . 1 r ; : r ■. , ■ • . ■ 1 THEl < 7 .:..;; i/i* C 3«3 J ' ■ T H fe VARIEGATED FIG-EATER. Le Figuier Varie. NINETEENTH SPECIES. H.l MotaclIIa Varla, Linn. ^ Gmel. Sylvia Varia, Zfl//'. ' Ficedula Dominicenfis Varia, Brijf. ' The Black atid White Creeper, Edio. .The White-poll Warbler, Peim.lff Latb. SL O A N E found this bird in Jamaica, and Edwards received a Ipecimen from Penn- fylvania, where it appears in the month of April. It feeds on infedls, and continues dur- ing the fummer ; but, on the approach of win- ter, it returns to the tropical parts of the Ame- rican continent. The crown of its head is white; the fides black, with two fmall white bars : the back and rump are white, variegated Mvith large black fpots : the throat is black ; thfc breaft and belly white, with fome black fpots on the breaft and fides : the great fuperior coverts of the wings are black, tipped with white, which forms two tranfverfe white bars on each wing : the quills of the wings are gray, and edged 'M)\ ffi 3C4 THE RUFOUS-HEADED FIG-EATER. edged with white on the infide : the quills of the tail are hlack, and edged with iron gray : the lateral ones have white fpots on their in- fide : the bill and legs are black. [A] [A] Specific charaftcr of the Motacilla Varia: "It ig fpottcd with black and white \ has two white Itripcs on the wings ; its tail forked." THE *'!(' RUFOUS-HEADED FIG-EATER. Le Figuier a Tete Rousse, Buff. TWENTIETH SPECIES^ : <' t|:i- Motacilla Ruficapilla, Gntcl. Sylvia Ruficapilla, Lath. '' '' ^ ' ' Ficediila Martinicana, iJr^ .'.t-- The Bloody-fide Warbler, Lath. . '-.-, THIS bird was fent from Martinico to M. Aubry, re£tor of Saint Louis. The head is rufous ; the upper part of the neck, and a!l the upper fide of the body, olive green ; the throat and breaft yellow, variegated with longi- tudinal rufous fpots ; the reft of the under fide , . . " 2 of , J ^M. THE RUFOUS-HEADED FIC-EATER. 305 of the body, light yellow without fpots : the I'uperior coverts and the quills of the wings and of ^he tail are brown, edged with olive green : the two exterior quills on each fide of the tail are light yellow on the infide ; the bill brown, and the legs gray. We conceive that the bird mentioned by Fa- ther Feuillee under the appellation of chlor'is enthacorideSf is the fame with this. Its bill is black, according to that author, and pointed with a minute portion of blue at the root of the lower mandible : its eye is of a fine glofly black, and the head and the nape of the neck are of a tawny colour, like dry leaves : all the fore fide of the bird is yellow, flreaked, like the iBuropean thruflies, with the colour of the head: all the back is greenifli, but the wings are black, and its mzLntle is alfo black : the feathers of the wings have a green edging : the thighs dnd the upper part of the legs are gray ; but the under part is entirely white, mixed with a little yellow ; and the toes are furnilhed with fmall black nailsj that are very fliarp *. This bird is continually on the wing, and never rells unlefs to feed : its fong is llender, but mellow. 11 j:. 4'^ J',''!' U'v' Obfervat'tons Ph)^tques du P. Feuillee , f». 113. VOL.V. X T HR ?^<" Milt -r'H r'-i--',' TWENTY-FOURTH SPECIES. The Golden-crowned Flycatcher, Edw. ^ Lath. WE adopt the ei^ithet goi Jen- crowned, given by Edwards. It is a bird of pafiage in Pennfylvania, where it appears in the fpring; and, after halting a few days, it advances far- ther north ; and, on the approach of winter, it returns to the warmer climates. ■ On the crown of the head there is a round fpot of a fine gold colour : the fides of the head, , 'MM f HE ORANGE FIG-EATER. 311 the wings, and the tall, are black : the upper part of the neck, the back, and the breaft, are of a blue Hate colour, fpotted with black, and the fides of the body are yellow, with fonie black fpots : all the under furface of the body is whitilli : the great fuperior coverts of the wings are tipped with white, which forms two tranfverfe white bars on each wing : the bill and legs are blackifti. The female differs not from the male, except that the upper furface of the body is brown, and there is no black on the fides of the head, nor on the breaft. ■^jm T HE ORANGE FIG-EAl'ER. Le Figuier Orange. twenty-fifth specie$. Motacilla Chryfoccphala, Gme/. Sjrlvia Chryfoccphala, Lnfh. Ind. The Orange-headed Warbler, Lath, Syn. '"rHIS fpecies is new: it is found in Gul- -I. ana, whence it was fent to the king's ca- |l)inet, The crown and fides of its head, the X 4 throat, 312 THE CRESTED FIG-EATER. throat, the fides, and under furface of its neck, are of a beautiful orange colour, with two fmall brown bars on each fide of the head. All the upper furface of the body, and the quills of the wings, are of a reddifh brown : the fupe- rior coverts of the wings are variegated with black and white : the bread is yellowifli as well as the belly : the quills of the tail are black, and edged with yellowifh : the bill is black, anj the feet are yellow. % ■* THE '. •' • > CRESTED FIG-EATER. Le FipuiER HupPE, BuJF, TWENTY-SIXTH SPECIES. « Motacilla Criftata, Gme/. Sylvia Criftata, Laih. Ind. ' The Crefted Warbler, Lath. Syi. THIS bird has not been noticed by any naturalift. It is found in Guiana, where it is probably ftationary, fince it is feen at all feafons : it lives in cleared parts, feeds on in* feds, and has the fame habits and geconomy with THE BLACK FIG-EATER. 3^3 with the other fig-eaters. The under fide of its body is gray, mixed with whitifh : and the iipr per is brown, (haded with green : it is diftin- guilhed from the other fig-eaters by its creft, which confiftsof finall round feathers, half eredt, fringed with white, on a blackilh brown ground, and briftled as far as the eye and the root of the bill. It is four inches long, including the tail : the bill and legs are of a yellowilh brown. [A] [A] Specific pharader of the Motaci/ta Crijfata: •' Above it is duflcy green j below greenifli gray •, the cref^ Le Figuier Grasset, Buf, THIRTY- THIRD SPECIES. Motacllla Pinguis, Gmel. Sylvia Pinguis, Lalk. The Graffet Warbler, Petw. b* Latk. THE upper fide of the head and of the body is of a deep greenifh gray, or of a coarfe olive green, with a yellow fpot on the head, and black ftreaks on the body : the rump is yellow : the throat, and the under fide of the neck, are of a rufty colour, throuj^h which the deep cinereous ground appears : the reft of the under fide of the body is whitifh t the great quills of the wings are brown, edged exteriorly with gray, and interiorly with whitifh : the middle quills are blackifh, edged exteriorly and tippeil I ASH-lHROATED QNEREOUS FIG^EATER. 321 tipped with gray : the quills of the tail are black, edged with gray : the i'uur lateral quills are each marked with a white fpot near the end of their interior furface : the bill and legs are blackk ^, THE V I ASH-tHROATED CINEREOUS FIG-EATER. Le Figuier Cindre a Gorge Cendree, Buff, thirty-fourth species. Motacilla Cana, Gmel. Sylvia Cana, Lath. Ind. The Gray-throated Warbler, Penn. 55* LatL THE head and the upper fide of the body are cinereous : the throat and all the un- der fide of the body are of a lighter cinereous: the quills of the wings are cinereous, edged with whitiih ; the quills of the tail black ; but the Hrft on each fide is almoft entirely white : the fecond quill is white on the half next the end : VoL.V. y the '?* ■US! fr '' *T 3n THE GREAT FIG-EATER OF JAMAICA. the third is only tipped with white : the bill is black above, and gray below. This and the preceding are called graJfeU in Louifiana, becaufe they are very fat (g^a^). They perch on the tulip-trees, particularly on the magnolia, which is an evergreen fpecies. {_A] . J«>"9h-'JJ. [A] Specific charader of the Motadlla Cana : " It is cinereous ; its wing quills whitifh ; its tail quills black ; the outermoft entirely white." i 4-. ' A if THE / - GREAT FIG-EATER OF JAMAICA. Le Grand Figuier de la Jamaique, Buf. THIRTY-FIFTH SPECIES. Motacilla-Calidris, Lifin. ^S* Gmel. Sylvia-Caliclris, Lath. Itid. Ficedula Jamaicenfis Major, Brijf. i^ The Hang-neft Warbler, Lath. Syn. EDWARDS was the firft who defcribed this bird. He terms it the American Nightin- gale. But it is by no means a nightingale, and it has all the charaders of the fig-eaters, with which Briffon has properly ranged it. The upper Ttit GREAT flG-EATEk Of JAMAICA. 323 Upper mandible is blackidi ; the lower flefh- coloured : the upper furface of the back, of the head, and of the wings, is brown* with an obfcure tinge of greenifh : the edges of the quills are of a lighter greenifh yellow : an orange colour predominates on the under fidd of the body, from the throat to the tail : the inferior coverts of the wings, and all thofe of the tail, and alfo the inner webs of the quills^ are of the fame colour. From the angle of the bill a black ftreak ftretches acrofs the eye ; an- other extends below it : between thefe two, and under them, the orange forms two bars i the legs and toes are blackifh. The bird is nearly as large as the red-breaft, and not quite fo thick. Edwards remarks that it bears great rcfemblance to what Sloane, in his Natural. Hiftory of Jamaicp, calls the Uterus Minor ^ «/- dum fufpendem, [A] [A] Specific charafler of the MotacUla-Catidr'ts i « Above it is greenifti brown j below fulvous j a line upon and un^ der the eyes black." It is of the fize of the red-breaft. We cannot omit noticing three birds which our nomenclators have confounded with fie- eaters, but which are undoubtedly of a different kind. ' V a Thefe L-fe«a(t»/atit*,ii.iiyiM..awaite.au»,rtato«>^^,^ ;ii U' 324 THE GREAT FIG-EATER OF JAMAICA. Thefe are, i . The Great Fig-eater ofjamaica^ mentioned by Briflbn in his Supplement : its bill is entirely different from that of the fig- eaters. 2. The Pennjylvanian Fig-eater *, which is alfo diftinguiflied from the fig-eaters by its bill, and appears to be of the fame genus with the preceding, 3. 'The Great Fig-^ater of Madagafcar., in the ornithology of the fame author, which has rather the bill of the blackbird than of the iig- eater. Mi •■»>' :> * The Motacilla Vermivora of Gmelin, or the Worm- eater, which is tha fubje<^ of die next article. ■t- ' . ■^ 1 ths m C 325 3 THE MIDDLE-BILLS. Les Demi-Fins, Bi/f. WHEN we compare the birds which inha- bit the two continents, we perceive that thofe with ftrong bills, and which feed upon grain, are the moft numerous in the old ; but, on the contrary, thofe which have (lender bills, and fubfift upon infedls, predominate in the new. This circumftance ftrikingly evinces the extenfive influence which human induftry has upon the produdions of nature : for it is ob* vioufly the cultivation of the various forts of corn, fubfervient to the fupport of man, that has multiplied the granivorous birds. In the vaft deferts of America, in her magnificent fo- refts, and her immenfe favannas, where rude unaflifted nature yields nothing fimilar to our corn, and aifords only fruits and fmall feeds, with enormous quantities of infeds, there the number of the fpecies of birds which feed on thefe, and have flender bills, is proportionally great : but an infenfible gradation connects the various produdions of the univerfe, and bids defiance to the (hackles of fyftem. Y 3 between '■lliit im -mm htt ip' ;f;;r '■•f-- Mil»:i "1! 3^6 THE M I D D L E-.B I L L S. Between the birds with ftrong bills and thofc with flender ones there is an intermediate clafs, which, though it has never been admitted by nomenclators *, has a real exiftence. It comprehends thofe birds in the New World which have ftronger bills than the pipiiSy but not fo ftrong as the tanagres j and alfo thofe birds of the old continent which have ftronger bills than xhtfauvettes, but not fo ftrong as the larks. We might refer to it not only the ca- landre and other larks, but many fpecies which have been ranged in other clafles, becaufe this was not yet formed. Laftly, the titmice will occupy the place between the middle-bills and thofe which have (lender bills ; for though they appear delicate, yet, if we compare their thicl^nefs with their ftiortnefs, and confiJer that they can break a nut, and pierce the head of much larger birds, we ftiall be convinced that they have confiderable ftrength. * When this article was fent to the prefs, I found that l Edwards, in his Catalogue of Birds, &c. at the end of his feventh volume, has reckoned, among thofe with bills j pf middle thicknefs, the following birds: 1. His Scarlet Bird. 2. \T\ J Reii Summer Bird. 3. Tlis White-faced Ivhnakin. 4. WxA American Heage-fparrow, 5. His lu^iian Red-tail. 0. His 'Jlive Flycatcher, ^t His Worm-ea^ert THI| [ 327 3 THE WORM-EATER. Le Demi-Fin, Mangeur de Vers, Bujf. Motacilla Vermivora, Gmel. Sylvia Vermivora, Lath. Lid. Ficedula Peniifylvanica, Brijl . THIS bird is entirely different from ano- ther worm-eater mentioned by Sloane : it is difcriminated by its climate, and by its na- tural qualities. The bill is pretty fliarp, brown above, and flefli- coloured below : its head is orange, and on each fide there are two black j bars, of which the one pafles acrofs the eye, and the other below it ; and they are feparated by a yellowilh bar, beyond which they join near the back of the head : the throat and the bread are lalfo of an orange colour, but which grows |more dilute, as it diverges from the anterior parts, and is only whitilh on the inferior coverts Df the tail : the upper fide of the neck, the 3ack, the wings, and the tail, are of a deep olive green : the inferior coverts of the wings Ire of a yellowilh white ; the legs are flefh- co- loured. This b?rd is found in Pennfylvania, where it Y4 is !'i,l!4' -^^^ il 328 THE WORM-EATER, is migratory, as are all thofe with flender bills, and fome of thofe which have ftrong bills. It arrives in the montl.r of July, and advances to- wards the north ; but it is not feen, in that province, to return again in autumn ; and the fame is the cafe with all the others which pafs in the fpring. Edwards fuppofes that their route to the fouth lies beyond the Apalachian mountains ; and undoubtedly they muft be in- duced to change their track, by the greater abundance of infedts and worms vhich the back countries then afford. This worm- eater is fome what larger than the black-cap. [A] [A] Specific charafter of the Motacilla Vennivora: ** It is olive ) its head, throat, and bread fulvous ; the ftripe on its eyes, and the arch of its eyebrows, black j a y?llowiih line above the eyes •, the vent cinereous." h '^ I THE cinereous. C 329 3 T HB BLACK AND BLUE MIDDLE-BILL, Le Demi-Fin Noir & Bleu, Buff, Fringilla Cyanomelas, Gmel. The Blue-headed Finch, Lath. KOELREUTER* who firft defcribed this bird, fays that it is a very rare fpecies, and brought from India. He tells us that the bill is longer and more flender than in the finches ft and confeqiiently it ought to be referred to the clafs of the middle-bills. Except the bill, which is brown, and the legs, which are alfo brown, but more dilute, this bird has only black and blue on its plumage: the black is fpread on the throat, the bottom of the wing, and the fore part of the back, where it forms a femi-circle, whofe convexity is turned touards the tail : befides this, there is a black ftreak which joins each noftril to the eye on the fame fide : the quills of the wings are * " Blue finch ; its chin, its throat, the bafe of its wings, and the fore part of its back, black." J. T. Koelreuter. Pe- terlborg Tranfaftions for 1765, p. 434. t It is odd that, after making that aflertion, he fhould reckon it a finch. bladdfh. n Un 'i x^i) mi ill i ■i ,4' i m, 33© THE BLACK AND DLUE MIDDIJi-DILL. 4V'*' ..S^ blackifl\, edged with blue, and this edging is broader in tlie middle ones : all the reft, of the plumage is varying blue, with copper woloured reflexions. This bird is nearly as large as the grcafcr red-poll : its bill is live lines and a half long, and its tail con fids of twelve equal quills. i:^ . I ,-< THE t#i'4 3DIJi-BILL. [ 331 D THE BLACK AND RUFOUS MIDDLE-BILL. Lc Demi-Fin Noir & Roux, Buff. Motacilla Uonuricnfis, Gmtl. Sylvisi Boiurienfis, Luth. Itid. The Whitc-cluiineil Warbler, Lath. Syn. COMMERSON* faw this bird at Burno Ayres. All the upper fide of the head and body, from the bafe of the bill to the end of the tail, is of a diftind; black : the throat, the fore part of the neck, and the flanks, are of a riift colour : there is fome white between the forehead and the eyes, at the rife of the throat, on the middle of the belly, at the bottom of the wings, and at the extremity of the exterior quills of the tail : the bill is blackilh ; the nof- trils very near its bafe, and half covered with fniall feathers : the iris is chefnut : the pupil is blackifh blue ; the tongue triangular, and not divided at the tip j laftly, the hind nail is the ftrongefl of all. * " Finch ; black above from the front to the end of the tail } the throat, the lower part of the neck, and thi6 belly, ferruginous ; the middle: of the lower belly, and the begin- jng of the throat, whitilh." Commerfon. Commerfon, 'mm wM "■■'M u\ '■'<■< ,.^.. ^^^o ^-:^.#, IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) /y ^ .^^ 1.0 I.I rii 12.5 ■^ Uii 12.2 lAO 12.0 U 11.25 1.4 ||.6 ^ 6" ► Ta /a ^>i.^ f. Hiotographic Sdences CorpQration 23 WBT MAIN STMIT WltSTIR.N.Y. USM (7l«)t72-4S03 ^, 4? >^ <^ v\ '^ ^^ 332 THE BLACK AND RUFOUS MIDDLE-BILL. r.i ■; m Commerfon, Induced no doubt by the fhapc of its bill, afligns this bird a place between the finches and the birds with flender bills * : and, for this reafon, I have ranged it with the mid- dle-bill?. The name of finch, according to Com- merfon himfelf, does not correfpond with it, though he is obliged, for want of another term, to apply that. The bird is nearly as large as the linnet. Total length five inches and two thirds ; the bill five lines ; the tail twenty-fix lines, and confifts of twelve quills j and it projeds twen- ty lines beyond the wings, which contain fix- teen or feventeen quills. t-ifp;,,. >m ■•t * M. Commerfori fcems often to lean to the fyftem of Linnaeus. TH£ li-i: IIDDLE-BILL. £ 333 3 THE B I M B E L E, Or B A S T A R D J. I N N E T. . : 'i'-^ m to the fyftem of Le Blmbele, on La FaufTe I^inottc, Buff. Motacilla Palmarum, (.hnd. Sylvia Palmarum, Lath. Lid. The Palm Wurbkr, Laih. Syu I OWE the information which I have ob- tained in regard to this bird to the Cheva- lier Le Fevre Defliayes, who fent me a drawing of it. It is called bimbeU by the negroes, from its refemblance to an African bird of that name. But probably this appellation is not better ap- plied than that of baftard linnet ; for the bird refetnbles the linnet neither in its fong, in its plumage, nor the (hape of its bill. Its fong is not varied or rich : it turns on four or five notes. However, it is pleafant : for the tones are full, foft, and mellow. It lives on fruits and fmall feeds. It prefers the haunt of the palms, and builds Its nell in a fort ::j^; %^- •i'.i' 334 THE B IM B E L E. m '■' Ml. ?, fort of rooft, which the palm birds and others form on thofe trees, at the place where the foot- ftalk fupporting the clufter is infcrted. It lays only two or three eggs, and this is perhaps one of the reafons the bimbcles are fo rare. Its plumage is ftill inferior to its fong : the throat, the fore part of the neck, the breaft, and the top of the belly, are dirty white, tinged with yellow : the legs, the lower belly, and the inferior coverts of the tail, are of a faint yel- low ; the flanks deep gray : all the upper part brown, deeper on the head, and lighter on the back : the rump and the fuperior coverts of the tail are olive green : the quills, and the fupe- rior coverts of the wings, and the quills of the tailj brown, edged exteriorly with a lighter co- lour : the two outer pairs of the tail quills edged interiorly, with a broad bar of pure white near their extremity : the lower face of all I thefe quills is of a Tate gray : the iris is light brown. The bimbele weighs rather lefs than two gros and an half. Total length five inches ; the bill feven lines, very acute ; the noftrils oblof vith a protu- berance; the alar extent feven li.ches; eighteen quills in each wing; the tall about eighteen H L,i I* f i THE BIMBELE. 33J lines, compofed of twelve quills nearly equal, and prqjeas an inch beyond the wings. [A] [A] Specific charaaer of the Motacilla Palmarum : « It is brown ; below dirty ocliry white ; the belly yellowifh ; the rump olive ; the two outernioft tail quills marked with a vvliite ftripe on the infide near the tip." ittjy| 1* ■ l»'{^ am le iris is ligbt ' if^ TH B iv'ffii.r''- ' C ^^6 1 m % :!•' .'f ' T II E BANANA WARBLER. Le Bananiftc, Buff. Motacilla Bonanivora, Gmcl. Sylvia Bonanivora, Lath. "T XT E have already noticed a Jamaica bird ; ^ among the fmches, and termed it k' nana, but which muft be difcriminated from this. The prcfent is much fmaller, its plumage is different, and, though it haunts the fame tree, its habits are probably diftind:. We might de- cide this matter, if the bird mentioned by Sloane were as well known as that which we are to defcribe from a coloured drawing, and an ac- count of it fent by the Chevalier Dcfliayes. It is found in Saint Domingo, and the negroes affirm that it fufpends its nell: it is often feen on the bananas ; but other birds alfo feed on the fruit of thefe trees, and therefore the name | is not appropriated to it. The banana warbler has a bill fomewhati curved, very acute, and of a middle fize. Be* fides bananas, it feeds on oranges, citronelles, avigato pears, and papaws. We cannot decide] vrhether it alfo eats feeds or infers ; but cer- taiDlyl ■m THE BANANA WARBLER. 337 tainly there were no traces of ihefe in the fto- mach of the one dilledled. It lodges in the ba- nana plantations, in the grounds uncultivated and covered with buflies. It flies by ftarts and jerks, and us motion is rapid, and attended with a little noife. Its warble is fcarcely varied: it is a ferics of cadences that reft more or lefs on the fame tone. But though the Bonana flies fvviftly, Defliayes regards it as too weak and delicate to perform (lillant journeys, and to fupport the cold of the northern climates; he therefore concludes it to be a native of the new continent. The upper fide of the body is of a deep gray, almoft black) (h, which approaches to brown on the tail, and the coverts of the wings : the quills of the tail are not fo deep coloured as thofe of the wings, and are tipped with white : it has a fort of white eyebrows : the" eyes are placed in a black bar, which rifes from the bill, and melts into the dark colour of the back of the head : the throat is a(h gray : the breaft, the belly, and the rump, are of a delicate yellow : the flanks, the thighs, and the inferior coverts of the tail, are variegated with light yellow and gray : fome of the inferior coverts are white, and riie on the tail : the anterior part of the fhoulders is of a fine yellow : the bill is black ; the legs flate gray. VoL.V. Z Total ' mm ; If l\ If 338 THE BANANA WARBLER. Total length, three inches eight lines ; the bill four lines ; the noftrils broad, and like an inverted crefcent, with a protuberance of the fame fhape, but of an oppofite pofition : the tongue pointed; the tarfus feven lines ; the alar extent fix inches ; the wings compofed of fe- venteen quills ; the tail fourteen or fifteen lines, and exceeds the wings about fix or feven lines. THE [ 339 3 THE •'•' "l- "■♦71, :^■.■^ \ M I D D L E - B I L L, WITH WHITE CREST AND THROAT. * Le Demi-Fin u Huppe & Gorge Blanches, Buff. Pipra Albifrons, Littti. 5s* Gmel. The White-faced Manakin, Edw. 55' Lath. ALL that Edwards, who firft defciibed and figured this bird, mentions in regard to its hiftory, is, that it is a native of South Ame- rica and of the adjacent iflands, fuch as Cayenne. Its creft confifts of white feathers, which are long, narrow, and pointed : in the placid ftate they are reclined on the head, but when the bird is agitated by palfion they become ere£t : Xht throat is white, edged with a black belt, which ftretches from the one eye to the other : the back of the head, the fore part of the neck, the breaft, the belly, the rump, the quills of the tail, their coverts both fuperior and inferior, and the infe- rior coverts of the wings, are orange, which is more or lefs bright : the top of the back, the lower part of the neck joining the quills of the wings, their fuperior coverts, and the thighs, are of a deep cinereous, verging more or lefs on Z 2 blue : 1.1 » , 'i-AIMMk/* .ttk^ .^^„ 340 T H F. MIDDLE-BILL, &c. blue : the bill is black, ftraight, pretty acute, anil of a middle fize : the legs are orange yellow. Total length, live inches and a quarter; the bill eight or nine lines ; the iarjus ten lines ; the outer toe conneded almoft its whole length to the mid toe ; the tail compofed of twelve quills, and projeds eight or nine lines beyond the wings. [A] i.:-i [A] Specific charader of the Pipra Alhifrons : " It has a white crcft, its body brick coloured, its back black." J :.' 1 ( V>S'h': THll C 341 3 THE SIMPLE WARBLER, Latk L'Habit-Uui, Buff. Motaclllii Campcflris, Littfi. i^ Gmel. Sylvia Campeflris, Lath. Ltd. Curruca Sepiaria Jamaicenfis, Brijf. The American Hedge Sparrow, Ediv. EDWARDS regrets in fome meafure that the phimage of this bird is too fimple ami uniform, and that it has no peculiarity to cha- raderife it. I fliall adopt this very fimplicity as the charadter. A fort of cinereous cowl, with a flight tinge of green, covers the head and neck : all the upper fide of the body, including the wings and the tail, is of a rufty brown : the quills are afli coloured beneath ; the bill black, and the legs brown. This bird is of the fize of the hedge-fpar- row, but it is not of the fame fpecies, though Edwards has applied the fame name; he ex- prefsly fays that its bill is thicker and llronger. I It is found in Jamaica. [A] [A] Specific charaiSlcr of the Mofacilla CampeJJrls : I" It. is brown; its head grecnifh cinereous; its tail quills |»f the Tunc colour with the body ; its belly whitifli." Z 3 THE C 342 ] THE P I T P I T S. ?:. I '■a THOUGH thcfe birds bear great rcfcm- blancc to the fig-eaters, and alio inhabit the new continent, the difference is ftill fo confider- able, that they ought to be regarded as forming a diftindt and feparate genus. Mod of the lig- eaters are migratory : all the pitpits continue fettled in the hottefl parts of America. They remain in the woods, and perch on the large trees; whereas the fig-eaters haunt only the cleared grounds, and lodge among the buflics, and on the middle-fized trees. The pitpits are alfo more focial than the fig- eaters . they keep in large flocks, and mix familiarly with the fmall birds of other fpecies : they are more joy- ous and lively, and are continually hopping. But befidcs the difference of their habits, they are alfo difcriminated by their conformation: their bill is thicker, and not fo flender as that of the fig-eaters ; and for this reafon we have placed the middle- bills between them and the fig-eaters. The tail of the pitpits is alfo fquare- terminated, while, in the fig-eaters, it is fomewhat forked. Thefe two chara<5lers, drawn from :S THE GREEN P I T P I T. 343 from the bill and the tail, arc a fufTicient founda- tion for forming two genera of thcfc birds. Wc know only five fpecics of the pitpits, and they are all found in Ciuiuna and Ika/il, and are nearly of the fame fr/c. T II E GREEN PITPIT. FIRST 5 P E CI E S. Motacilla Cyanocephala, Gtiiel. Sylvia Cyanocephala, Laih. liul, Sylvia Viritlis, Brljf. The Bluc-hcadcd Warbler, Lath. Syn. THE pitpits are in general nearly as large as the fig-eaters, but rather thicker : they arc four and a half or five inches long. In the kind which we call the r^recn pitpjt the head and tlic I'inall rupcrior coverts of the wings only are of a line blue, and the throat of a blueifli gray ; Init all the roll of the body and the great fupe- rior coverts of the wings are of a brilliant green ; the quills of the v/ings are brown, edged exte- riorly with green : thofe of the tail arc of a duller green : the bill is brown, and the legs gray. It is pretty common at Cayenne. Z 4 THE Y.y ^ I,!;*']! i 344 3 T II E BLUE PITPIT. SECOND SPECIES. hi , 'i; Motacilla Cayana, Litin. 55* Gmci, Sylvia Cayana, Lat/j. Ind. Sy'via Cayanenfis Ca;rulea, BrlJJ'. The Cayenne Warbler, Lath. Syti. THIS is as frequent at Cayenne as the pie- ceding : it is nearly of the fame fize, but it forms a feparate fpecies, which even includes varieties. The face, the fides of the head, the anterior part of the back, the wings, and the tail, are of a fine black : the reft of the plu- mage is of a fine blue : the bill is blackifh, and the legs gray. Varieties of the BLUE PITPIT. I. The bird called by Edwards the l>Iue maiu> kin : for the only difTercnce it has from the bhie pitpit is, that the throat is black, and the face, as well as the fides of the head, blue, likf, the reft of the body. 2. The VARIETIES OF THE BLUE PITPIT. 34J 2. The bird figured in the Planches Enlumi" nces, No. 669, fig. i, and denominated the B!ue Pitpit of Cayenne ; the only difference be- ing, that it has no black on the face, or on the lides of the head. We muft obferve that Briflbn regards the Mexican bird given by Fernandez under the name of ehtototl, as a blue pitpit : but we can- not difcover any foundation for this opinion ; fince Fernandez is the only one who has feen that bird, and all that he fays is, " that the dototoil is hardly fo large as a goldfinch ; that it is white or blueifh, and its tail black ; that it inhabits the mountains of Tetzocano ; that its flefli is palatable ; that it has no fong j and, for that reafon, is not bred in houfes." From this account, it is impollible to conclude that this Mexican bird is a blue pitpit more than any other fpecies. JV.-nJ'O.iI THE C 34 FOURTH S PEC IE S. MotaclUa Lineata, Gme/. Sylvia Lineata, Lath. Iiid. The Blue-ftripcd Warbler, Lath. Syn. '^■^HIS Is a new fpecies, and, like the reft, it is found in Cayenne. We call it the hlue-capped pjtpjt '^ , becaufe it has a fort of cap of a deep bright blue, which rifes on thei face, pafles over the eyes, and reaches to the middle of the back ; only on the crown of the head there is a blue longitudinal fpot. It is confpi- cuous from a white ray that begins at the; mid- dle of the breaft, and extends fpreading to the under fide of the tail : the reft of the under fide of the body is blue : the bill and leg's are black. * Pltpit a Coife Bleite. THE ■■■• 'f,N f-iiS' 41 '. %^M1;' [ 348 3 THE GUIRA-BERABA. FIFTH SPECIES. p-'i,. Motacilla-Guira, Linn, h' Gntel. Sylvia Brafilienfis Viridis, Brijf. Guira-Guacu-Beraba, Marcg. Ray^ EJw. ^V. The Guira Warbler, Laih. THIS bird, which Marcgrave has defcrib- ed, appears to me to belong to the pitpits ; though his acount is not fufficiently complete to preclude its being ranged with the fig-eaters. It is as large as the goldfinch, which exceeds the ordinary fize of the fig-eaters, and even of the pitpits. The upper lide of its head, its neck, its back, its wings, and its tail, are of a light green : its throat is black : the reft of the under fide of the body and the rump is of a gold yellow : fome quills of the wings are brown at their ends : the bill is ftraight, (harp, and yellow, with a little black on the upper mandi- ble : the legs are brown. We will obferve that BriflTon has confounded tHd bird with that which Pifo has given un- der the name x>f guira-perea, though they are certainly 5 THE GUIRA-BERABA. 349 certainly different ; for the gulra-perea of Pifo has its plumage entirely gold colour, except the wings and the tail, which are light green : it is befides fpotted like the ftare on the breaft and the belly. We need only to compare the two defcriptions, to fee evidently that the guira-pe' rea of Pifo is not the fame bird with the guira- beraba of Marcgrave, and that they have only the common name of guira^ but with difierent epithets. [A] [A] Specific charafter of the Motacilla-Guira : " It ig green *, below yellow ; its cheeks and throat black, encir- cled with a yellow line." p. . ■ ' ■2''C..''.*,,'?1 ■■fir , lit; ,i,«.fcsJ» r-mm 'iif i T HE 350 THE YELLOW WREN. Pv • ; Lc Pouillot ou Le Chantre, Buff. Motacilla-Trochilus, L'lnn, ilf Gme!. Sylvia- Trochilus, Lath. Motacilla Ilifpanica, Hajfelq. Afilus, Gefna; JJHf Ray, mil. ^c. The Green Wren," ^/^.* i '' m .!*■' 11 1" If 1' ¥^ M fx. ti m - , t i VH ' .It , It flO :.;i:,^ U fif Jfc'K |H --l'^ '^r^HE three irnalleft of our European birds A are the gold-crefted wreri, tlic common wren, and the yellow wren. The latter, though not larger than the reft, is rather longer : it has | the fliape, the fize, and figure of a little fig-eater; | for the yellow wren inigiit he ranged in tliati genus, which is already fo numerous, were it not much better to give each fpecies its proper name, which is well known, than to confound it among generic appellations. It might be * The Greek name Ota-rpo;, and the Latin JJi/us, figniff I a horfe-fi'j or gad-bee ; and hence were applied to this birdij probably on account of its diminutive fize. In Cataloniar.,1 X'mxerra : in Polifli, Krolic Nieczubaty : in the Boulonoi;,! Reatln : in Provence, Fiji : in Burgundy, FenercteJ or FrdWA let : in Lorraine, Tiiit : in Solognc, Frelot, FrelottCy Fain lot, Toute-Vive : in the Orleanois, Vetti-VettOt Tolitolo • ial Normandy, Pouilloty or Poidioi. terniel THE YELLOW WREN. 351 termed the Uttk European fg-eater, and I won- der that fome nomenclator has not thought of this claflification. Its French name pouilht is evidently derived from the Latin pullus or pulii- his, fignifying fmall and feeble. The yellow wren feeds on flies and other lit- tle infe£ts : its bill is flender and tapered, the cutfide of a fhining brov/n, the inficle and the edges yellow * : the plumage confiPuS of two faint tints o^ greenifh gray and yellovvifli white : the firft fpreads on the back and the head : a yellowifli line, rifing from tlie corner of the bill, paffes near the eye, and extends to the temple : the quills of the wings arc of a dull gray, and, like thofe of the tail, have their outer edge fringed with greenilh yellow: the throat is yellowifh, and there is a fpot of the fame colour on each fide of the breall, where 'ihe wing refts : the belly and the flomach are ivhite, which is more or lefs dalhed witli a weak yellow, according to the age of the bird, or its difference of fex f : in general, the plumage of the yellow wren refembles that of the gold- ci-efted wren, which has only an additional white fpot on the wing, and a yellow crefl: %. The yellow wren refides in the woods during ♦ Belon. t Willughby. 1 Aldrovandus and Bclon. fummer i'ik^.'.. 'J.^! ■ mM n't i^'i>s^( ill #i Ir. ', )■ I.. !<• 352 THE YELLOW WREN. fummer : it builds its neft in the heart of the buflies, or in a tuft of thick herbage : the conftrudion is as artful as it is concealed : the outfide confifts of mofs, and the infide is lined with hair or wool : the whole is clofely inter- woven and covered, and is Ihaped like a ball, as that of the gold-crefted wren, the common wren, and the long-tailed titmoufe. It would feem that the voice of nature has diredted thefe four very fmall birds to the flrudture of this neft ; fince their heat, if not guarded and con» ccntrated, would be infufficient for incubation. And this is an additional proof that in all ani- mals the faculty of propagating their fpecies per- haps furpaflcs the inftind; for felf-prefervation. The female of the yellow wren lays commonly four or live eggs, and fometimes fix or feveii, of a dirty white, dotted with reddiih *, The young ones remain in the neft until they can fly with eafe. In autumn, the yellow wren leaves the woods, and fmgs in our gardens and vineyards: it feems to repeat the founds /«//, iuif, which 1$ |M ii>' * Willughby ami Ray. — " This little bird is much at- tached to its neft, which it will hardly forfake. A friend of mind told me that, one day having found a neft of this bird, he made it lay thirty eggs one after another, by remov- ing one every day : after which he took pity on the temlcr dam, and fufFered her to hatch." Salemt. ^ the THE 1? E L L Ci W WREN. 35J ihc name it receives in fome provinces*, as in Lorraine, where fubfifts no trace of the appella* l\onc/jofli-fy beftowed in the time of Belon j and which, according to him, fignified Jinger^ alluding to the variety and continuance of its warble I, which lafts during the whole fpring and fummcr. The fong has three or four vari- ations, which arc moftly modulated : it begins with a flender broken cluck, which is fucceeded by a feries of filvery detached founds, like the clinking of telling crown pieces : this is pro- bably what Willughby and Albin compare to the ftridulous voice of graflioppers. After thefe two notes, very different from each other, the bird fmgs its full fong : it is foft, pleafant, and well fupported : it lafls during all the fpring and fummer ; but in the month of Auguft it gives place to a flender whittle, /«//, /«/>, which * In Tufcany, Lm ; it pronounces this name with a plaintive voice, fays Olina. without having any other fong. This feems to Ihew that the yellow wren does not pafs the fummer in Italy ; which is the rhore probable, as Olina af- terwards mentions its being feen in winter. t It has ftill this name in the foreft of Orleans. Salerne. X This little bird varies infinitely its fong : it is one of the firft to announce the return of fpring. I have heard it fing moire than three weeks before the wild nightingale." Vol. V. Aa 18 ViV-' • »l 1 ' <■ ' > M' i< ■■••■5,'. K^ :^]p -''^ ?i ) 554 THE t E L I. O W WREN. 28 nearly the fame in the red-tail and in the nightingale *. Tiie yellow wren is extremely a: .'»*• lot * -, t it if' W % m ■.'" .. f*t • •W'^. , rwvi . ■ 1 ' H '"■ ma # 93 ^ :w Hv"' >, ;'i 'it " , ■ ' .;:„■ 'ft: IM C 356 1 THE GREAT YELLOW WREN. WE are acquainted with another yellow wren, which is not fo fmall by a fourth part as the preceding, and differs too by its co- lours : its throat is white, and there is a whitiflt ftreak acrofs the eye i a rufty tint, on a whitlfli ground, covers the breaft and belly : the Tame tint forms a broad fringe on the coverts and quills of the wings, of which the ground is blackiHi : a mixture of thefe two colours ap- pears on the back and the head : in other re- i'pedts, this bird has the fame Ihape with the common yellow wren. It is found in Lor- raine, whence it was fent to us : but as we are ignorant of its natural habits, we cannot decide with regard to the identity of thefe two fpecies. With rcfpedl to the great yellow wren, which BrifTon reckons, after Willughby, as a variety of the common kind, and which has double the fze^ it is difficult, if the matter is not exaggerated, to conceive that a bird of twice the bulk fhould be- long to the fame fpecies. Probably Willughby miftook the fedge warbler for the yellow wren, which refembles k much, and is a^ually twice as large, T H I ^* M.. /•.«•! ther yellow by Ji fourth 0 by its co- is a "whitifli •n a whitifli : the fame :overts and 1 ground is colours ap- in other re- )e with the nd in Lor- as wc are nnot decide wo fpecies, vrerit which a variety of uble the Jize, ^gerated, to (hould be- Willughby How wren, tually twice THE >. " :'>vi'. ■■|f; I u Ui^ I ici. m it '■ m n '*'\\ '■I *i" f m Vs:. !*li jTj.30 KICi.THK waiKlSr, FXCr2.THK GOLT> ruOAVKKI) "VVJUiK C 357 ] THE RuwNEi> AViu«:^" COMMON WREN. Le Troglodyte, Buff. B'lotacilla-Troglodytcs, Linn. 55* Gmel. Troglodytes, GLJuer^ Mlrov. W^ill. ^ibb. \Sfc. Regulus, Brif. '^r^HE name troglodytes'^, which the ancients A beftovved on this little bird, denoted its in* habiting caves or caverns. The moderns have erroneoufly confounded it with thegold-crelled wren : the latter reforts near our dwellings ia \yinter : it emerges from the heart of bulhes * In Greek Tfoxl^oJ, from Tfo^oj a top, which conies from Tpi'x^a to run, or whhl ; alio T^wyXoJjJ^if, from Tfayhyi a cave, ov hole, and ovixi to enter : the Romans adopted tliele names, Troch'dus and Troglodytes : in Italian, Reattinoy Redi Slope (hedge-king) : in Tufcany, StrLeioIo : in Sicily, Peichia Ckagia : in German, Schiice-Ko'enig, IVinter-Koenigy y,niiii-Koiiiig, Thurn-Ko'cnigy Meufe-Kc'euig^ Zduii Srhlopjlin (the fuow, winter, hedge, thorn,-king 5 the hedge-flipper) ; i in Swedifli, Tiiviling : in Pt'lifli, Kro/ik, Pokryiu/i'a, lYolowe Ulczho: in Tm'kifli, Bilbil : in Provence it is called Vaqtie- \Petoi/e,7[n<\ Roi-Bede/et : in Saintonge, Roi-Bciiti : m vSo- logne, Roi'Bi'i-ry : in Poitou, ^tionqulon : in Guicnne, ^r- lu'pit : in Normandy, Rehire : in Anjou, Berichoii, or Roi~ ' iB'jriauJ : in Orleanois, Rati'kn or Ratereau, Pelit-Rat : ift I'lurgunuy, Foinre-Buijfcn and Roi de Froidure. A a J and 'W^ vfi m -^■'^^^v^V^M . ,^*i:i|i^ (^:K : V *'^^^-r}'l-:,;'i,;:H ■;_>'f!^;' ^•♦;';'!^^B !»'i'? b'"^':^!^! - 'mI^^I •l;'''-''^^ '■'.^ '.■';. J| H '*'• V * T^^^l \'M:0m .- H '!'l 1 1 :-;t^'^M;r''l 1' ' " t .''*•' . ' 1 ' . ■ « .1- ■ A' ,', •■ ■.■■;;;:•.>"■: ?y '- ' H,^^?*^, ' '' . '. 'J' i.v. >: 1 f' i 7, V' ■■■■ i 'M ' ) ^■'■|!':ii^::t^'" ']•'•' •^if'Si : ■r'i%:i ;: *■■•.:••■" ■'\ :W- t ,■' ■ J T«i ■ : ; r : <^ ^. ■-. ■ ■ 1-\* '■■■"■' ■ $iM ■li*'..K ''lit U''' ifj^'l-'K 'F??^ ?^' l» • ^:^ ' t- ' ^'^i '■ : 358 THE COMMON WREN. and thick boughs, and enters into little lodges ments which it makes in the holes of walls. Ariftotle difcriminates it by this habit *, an'J feledts other features, which it is impoffible to miftake ; and becaufe of its gold creft, he terms it little king, or regulus (ro'itekt) f. But the troglodytes^ or common wren, is fo different both in its figure and in its oeconomy, that the fame name fliould never have been applied to it. Yet it is an error of ancient date, perhaps as early as the time of Ariftotle J. Gefner has pointed it out§; but, notwithftandinghis authority, fup- ported by Aldrovandus and Willughhy, who clearly diftinguifh thefe birds ||, other naturalifts flill perfift in confounding them ^. The * " Tlie trochiltis inhabits orchards and holes ; is dif- ficult to be caught, and ehifive." Arijl. lib. ix. 2. f The tyratnitis (king), which is not much larger than a locuft, has a flame-coloured creft, formed by a flight eleva- tion of the plumage : in other refpe£ls it is beautiful, and fingsfweetly." A rift. Hiji. An'nn. lib. viii. 3. X " The trochilus is called alio chief, or king ; wherefore the eagle is reported to fight with it.'' Id. lib. ix. 2. § Willughby. II Turner, under the appellation of trochilus., defcribes tlie common wren ; and -^tlus gives a very accurate account of it, diftinguiftiing it judicioufly from the gold-crcfted wreii' See Aldrovandus, vol. ii. p. 655. 11 Oiina, Belon, Albin, and Briflbn term it Regulus: Frifch and Schwenckfeld, after having named it trockdjw, &'' THE COMMON WREN. 359 The troglodytes, then, is that very fmall bird which appears in the villages and near towns on the approach of winter, and even in the coldeft weather, havingaclear fpriglitly little war- ble, particularly towards evening : it pops out on the top of piles of wood or bundles of fag- gots, and next moment glides into cover ; or if it ventures out on the eaves of a lioufe, it quickly hides itfelf under the roof, or in a hole of the wall ; when it hops among the heaped branches : its little tail is always cocked. Its flight is fhort and whirling, and its wings beat fo brifkiy, that their vibrations are not percep- tible. Hencethe Greeks called it trocblliis^ which is probably the diminutive of trochus ■•'••, a top ; 3nd this appellation not only refers to its mode of flying, but correfponds to its round compact form. The wren is only three inches nine lines long, and its alar extent five inches and an half j its bill fix lines, and its legs eight : all its plu- cnll it likewlfe Rcgiihis : but Gefner, Aklrovrtnclus, John* Hon, Willughby, and Sibbakl, rejcft the latter appellation, and adhere to th;U of troglonytei. Klein, Barrere, and Gefner liimfelf again apply to the gold-creded wren tlie name of im-hlliiSy which in Ariftotle denotes evidently the common wren. BriiTon copies their error, * " Trochilus is derived from trochtiSt becaufe of its top- »iko ihape." A7««, A a 4 pa^q '■1. ,:, I ■'■,-♦,;« „;'.v ':'.h.' (■ ■■•fif'l ■*'.'■ , :' ••■ ■; '■■■,'■■&■'''• ' ■ ■■'■ '-^i .'-I ■■•'■:::■'.'.■ :?vi,f it» . ,:.''',;i,c| • ■•'■ ;' ;. ■■ *'■'(! ■MM \ f 'i-'-^i'' ■',1 ■• ■^;n^■■■l ■■ -J' .»;,;T.'!'il 'i -M'i' 1* ':''■■. .•• ! '.,* ■■^; i"-': '.' ■i'\.r\\:iu'i 1 i ■;.-v'r;* .■■■*K'i- -»•»'■ m /. m w. Z6o THE C O I^I M O N WREN. mage is interfered tranfverfely with little wavy zones of deep brown and blackifli on the body and the wings, and even on the head and the tail : the under fide of its body is mixed with •whitifh and gray: it is the plumage of the woodcock in miniature *. It weighs fcarcely quarter of an ounce. This very fmall bird is almofl: the only one that continues in our climate till the depth of winter ; and it alone retains its checrfulnefs in that dreary feafon : it is always briik and joy- ous ; and, as Belon fays, it is conflantly gay and ftirring f. Its fong is loud and ckar, and confiftsof ihort qul-.k notes, Jidiriti^ fidiriti : it is divided by ftops of five or fix feconds. It Is the only light and plcafant voice that is heard during that feafon, when the filence of the in- habitants of the air is never interrupted but by * I have feen children who knew the woodcock cull the wren, the full: time it was fliewn them, a yAing nvoodcoch. f The cxprefTion ufcd is aWegre £5"* vioge^ which, Buffoii remarks, has lofl its energy in the French language. When it fings, it gives its tail a briflc little motion from right to left. It has twelve quills remarkably tapered ; the outermoil much fliorter than the next, and this than the third j but the two middle ones are alfo longer than tlie ddjacent one on either fide : and this property is eafily per- ceived, fince the bird not only cocks its tail, but ilics with It fpread. th? WK\ next, and this than THE COMMON WREN. 361 the difagreeable croaking of the ravens *, The wren fings moft when the fnow falls f ; or in the evening, when the cold threatens to increafe the gloom of the night. It thus lives in the out courts and in the wood yards, fearching among the faggots, on the bark, under the roofs, in the holes of walls, and even in pits, for chryfalids and dead infeds. It frequents too the margins of perennial fprings and brocks that never freeze, and flieltersitfelf in the hollow willows. In fiich lodgments the wrens fometiines gather in numbers j; : they often come out to drink, and return quickly to their common receptacle. Though familiar, and not difconcerted by near approach, they are difficult to catch : their fmallnefs, and their nimblcnefs, enable them almoft always to elude the eye and the talons of their enemies. In the fpring, the wren lives in the v/oods, where it builds its neft near the ground, among branches, or even on the turf; fometimes be-s neath the trunk of d tree, on a rock, or even under the fhelving brink of a rivulet ; fome- times in the thatched roof of fome lone cot- tage in a wild retreat, and even on the hut of * Salerne, y Id. \ A fportfman told me that lie has often found more than twenty colleacd in the fame bvie, tha f ^ .\ ' > v. •■'■-i'l 7*: . ■'« If, ..J..'!* ■1% '". ■! Ml Lt-;,.;w;^:r.ri ■ ■ 1 I i. T, , ■ >■■'■ '>!!■' '!'*«i*-,J: 'film niS lit*- . ' ,1,, s r, (*'*.;■ (■■•■ni ii i'i ^n-'lral w ^i 'W*9 K'^ mmmt m''M 36a THE COMMON WREN. the charcoal- maker and wooden- (hoe maker * who are employed in the forefts. For the con- ftruftion the bird colledls much mols, and of that material the outfide is entirely compofed; but within it is neatly lined with feathers. The neft is almoft round, and externally it is fo bulky and mifhapen as to efcape the robber's fearch ; for it feems only a heap of mofs rolled together by chance : there is only one little narrow aperture made in the fide. The bird lays nine or ten dirty white eggs t, with a zone dotted with reddifli at the obtiife end. It will forfake, if it perceives that they are difcovered. The young ones leave their lodgment before they are able to fly, and they run like little mice among the bufhes :f. Sometimes the lield-mice poflefs themfelves 01 the nell ; whether that the wren has forfaken it, or that thefe intruders drive away tire bird, by deflroying the hatch i We have not difcovered that, in our climate, it breeds a fecond time during the month of Au« * In French, Charhonniers .nnd Saboticrs. ^ Schwcnckfeld ami Aldrovandus. % Gefncr. § " I found this fpring in a thorn hedge, about five ka from the ground, a neft Ihapcd like the wren's, built of 1 mofs and wool, I was nnicb furpriicd, upon tearing it, to obferve in it five young field miee. The neil had b«:i built by the wrens, -and the mice had takgn pofleflion of ii.'j Note of the, Count de ^^wrhaent. r-,. t'l!' THE COMMON WREN. 363 guft, as Albertus fays in Aldrovandus, and as Qlina avers to be the cafe in Italy, adding that numbers are feen in Rome, and in its vicinity. The fame author gives direZ:<- -B ^■^:i^!.:: ii-:, 'y 'A].. f- mm J.y ■■V1v 564 THE COMMON WREN. f-.i it h n 4' . '■-*■ :;f/i' Europe. Belon fays that it is common every where : however, if it endures our winters, it can hardly fupport the rigours of the North. Linnaeus tells us that it is rare in Sweden. The names which it has in different countries fuffice to diflinguifli it: Frifch calls it h'ng of winder hedges : Schwenckfeld,^;/^^-/'/^^ (Schiue- loenig): in fome provinces of France it is termed chill-king (roi defroidurc) : one of the German names (Zaun-Schlupjer) alludes to its gliding into the hedges : and the old En- glifh cxprelfion, dike fmoukr^ mentioned by Gefncr, has the fame import. The Sicilian ^^•^ pellation, P^rr/6/tf-^>6^^/tf, fignifies kvjio- borer. In Orleanois it is called ratereaii^ or ratillon^ be- caufe it runs among the coverts like a young , field-moufe: laftly, infome provinces it i? called ex (bccuf)^ V V way of antiphrafis, on account of its extreme fmallnefs *. This bird feems to have two reprefentatives in the new continent : ihe Wren of Buenos- jiyres and Wren of houijiana. The firft is of the fame fize and plumage, only its colours are rather more vivid and diftindt ; and it may be regarded as a variety of the European kind. Commerfon, who faw it at Buenos Ayres, men- ^ons nothing of its habits, except that it is * Hebert, found r. :«^' 3'xi, THE COMMON WREN. 3^5 found on both banks of the river de la Plata, and that it even enters the veflels in purfiiit of flies. The fecond is One third larger than the full: its breaft and belly are of a yellowifli fulvous : there is a fmall white ray behind the eye : the reft: of the plumage on the head, the back, the wings, and the tail, is of the fame colour, and marbled, as in the common wren. Father Charlevoix commends the fong of the Canadian wren, which is probably the fame with that of Louifiana. [A] [A] Specific charafler of the Common Wren, Mota- dllr.-Troglodytes : " It is gray : its wings waved with black niul cinereous." Our author, on the authority of Aldro- vandus and Gefner, fays that it lays nine or ten eggs : but Linnxus, Pennant, and Latham agree, that it lays from ten to eighteen. The Wrens continue in Britain the whole year. They are rare in Sweden and R uflia, and never pe- netrate to Siberia. The North American Wren, mentioned by Charlevoix, appears in the ftate of New York about May, and breeds in June. It builds in holes of trees ; its materials fibres and fticks, which it lines with hairs and feathers. It lays from feven to nine white eggs, with draggling fpots of red. It retires fouthwards in Auguft. It is twice as large as the crdinary wren, and its note is different. T H £ • 7 ^■"' It ..r an 3,, . , , ,1 .* *l Hi H- 374 VARIETIES OF VARIETIES OF THE GOLD-CRESTED WREN. Motacilla-Calendula, Litw. is^ Gmel. Sylvia-Calendula, Lath. Calendula-Pennfylvanica, Brijf, I. The Ruby-crowned Wren. I can- not help confidering this Pennfylvanian bird as a variety in point of fize of our gold-crefted wren. In fad:, its creft differs little either ia fhape or colour, being rounder indeed, and of a purer and deeper red, emulating the luftre of the ruby, and not edged with a black zone. Alfo the upper fide of the body is olive, which is deeper on the fore parts, and lighter on the rump, without any mixture of yellow : there is a tint of yellow on the lower part of the body, and deeper on the bread. But the greateft difference confifts in the fize, it being larger and heavier than the common gold-crefted wren in the proportion of eleven to eight. For the reft, the only difference confifts in a few fhades of the plumage : I fpeakof the dried fpeci* mens, for the habits and oeconomy of the ruby- crowned wren are entirely unknown; and if | ever thefe be difcovered to be the fame with thofe of oiir gold-crefted wren, the identity of I the fpecies will be completely eftablifhed. ' . . In THE- GOLD-CRESTED WREN. 375 In the ruby-crowned wrens, the crown is pe- culiar to the males, and not the lead trace of it can be found on the head of the female. How- ever, the plumage is nearly. the fame in both, and their weights are exactly equal. Total length, four inches and a quarter ; the bill, five lines and a half; the alar extent, fix lines and a half ; the tar/us^ eight lines ; the middle toe fix ; the tail eighteen, and confifts of twelve quills ; it exceeds the wings about half an inch. To this variety we may refer the bird which Lebeau found in Louifiana, in which the back of the head bears a fort of crimfon crown. The meafures are indeed a little different, but infuf- ficient to conftitute a new varietyj and the more lo, as in other refpedts the birds are analogous, ;md inhabit the fame climate. Total length, four inches and a half; the bill fix lines ; the tail tvsrenty-one lines, and exceeds the wings by eight or nine lines. [A] [A] Specific chavafter of the Ruby-crowued Wren, Ala- tacUla-CiilcmJtiln : " It is cinereous-greenilh, a line on its top very yellow: its belly and the I'.nder llde of its wingj ydlowifli." It occurs as high as Hudlon's Bay. "'it f! ,•''-■• .(''■ ■' I r il I'll';'- ■• 1 ■ ■ ■»-• , • ; ' : ■."ih^i.'. I , ! ■■(■ "i , m: II. The Rfd-iteaded Wren. This bird was fccn by Kolben at the Cape of Good B b 4 Hope ; ;, ,ll- vr'J' ■ r-:Jl'V-*l ■fm m ':,-«^IT 37<5 VARIETIES, &c. Hope; and though that traveller has not de< fcribed it completely, we may gather from his account that, firft, it is a variety of clU mate, fmce it is peculiar to the fouthern ex> tremity of Africa : fecondly, it is a variety of Jize^ fmce, according to Kolben, it is larger than our blue titmoufe : thirdly, it is a variety of plumage, for its wings are black, and its legs reddifh ; in which refped it differs confiderably from our gold-crefted wren. III. This is the place which we ought to affign to the bird fent from Greenland to Muller, under the name of the fcarlet-crownti blue thnoufe*, which is all he fays of it. * Zuologia Dan. Prodrentu/, No. 284. May not this be the jiudua Tytitngr of the Icelanders ? ■v4-' ^ T HE 184. May not this be i 377 1 THE TITMOUSE-WREN, Le Roitelet-Mefiinge, JBujf. Sylvia Lata, Lat/j. Ltd. THIS fpecies, which is found in Cayenne, forms, by its fhort bill, the intermediate gradation between the gold-crefted wren and the titmice. It is flill fmaller than the gold- crefted wren : it inhabits a hot climate ; whereas that bird prefers the more temperate countries, and even appears only in winter. The tit- moufe-wren lodges in the bufhes in the dry favannas, and confequently near dwellings. It has a jonquil crown on its head, but placed far- ther back than in the European bird j the reft of the head is greenifli brown ; the upper fide of the body, and the two middle quills of its tail, greenifli; the lateral quills, the fuperior coverts of the wings, and their middle quills, brown edged with greenifli, and the great onci brown, without any border; the throat, and the fore part of the neck, light cinereous ; the breaft and the belly greenifli ; the lower belly, the •.tin-' -T/ , MM ■l;::-.:v.: ■■;'''■' .■!r-'^^ ... '■''*l V 't. ' .1 ■' i.,;.;' :?- . - i '■ '''Ha I 4 n. .!-r!f'iii?< .'!^::r 1^' lr\k. •.:,«■ : m 1^, 3/8 THE T I T M O U S E-W R E N. the inferior coverts of the tail, and the fides, dilute yellovv. Total length, three inches and a quarter; the bill four lines (it appears much (lioiter than that of the gold-crefted wren) ; the tar/us fix linefi, and black ; the hind nail the ftrongell of all; the tail fourteen lines, confiiling of twelve equal quills, and exceeds the wingi ten lines. l^K. :^l m i .%,*: « 1 ■- 0 '"'{-•■" ■d h - *t ^ T nf. [ 379 3 THE TITMICE*. Les Mefanges, Buff. THOUGH Aldrovandus has reftrided the word parra to the gold-crefted wren, I con- ceive that Pliny employed it to fignify in gene- ral the titmice, and that he regarded this genus as a branch of the family of woodpeckers, which he accounted more extenfive than is admitted by the modern naturalifts. My reafons are as follow: ;. I. Pliny fays, that the woodpeckers are the only birds which breed in hollow trees! ; and it is well known that many fpecies of titmice do the fame. . ^. . - * In Greek the Titmoufe is named AiyiSaXof, Arifl:. H'tjl. Amm. lib. viii. 3 : in Latin, Parra\ Plin. Nat. Hijl. lib. x. 33: in modern Latin, jPrtr///, Par'tx^ Mefavga. In Italy it is called Parula \ and in fome diilritls Parizofa, Patafcioy PanuzOf Zi/izin, Orbefinay Sparuoczolo .• in Savoy, Mayetiche : in Germany, Ma^s, MeyfsHn. The Englifti Tit-moiifc has the fame derivation, and probably, as Ray conjeftures, alludes to the bird's neftling in holes of walls like mice, t Pullos edticaiit in cavis avium foli. Lib. x. 18. " 2. AH ,'■•■ -'. ■'. kill :.<•!, ; ■ ■''■■ %■■ ■..,..» ■ H ..•11 •I i..^-" •?.;«': " '■" !• ..:■■„• ,,r. '. '!■(;■■' ';•'''•' ':|?r^ j8o THE TITMICE. t'*^ It if** '^^'^ ■ r : '' 'M '.t? If 2. All that he fays in regard to certain woodpeckers, that they climb the trees like cats, that they hang with their heads down- ward, that they feek their food beneath the bark, that they ftrike it with their bill, &c. agrees equally with the titmice and the wood- peckers*. 5. The account which he givea of other woodpeckers that fufpend their ncft from the end of young branches, to prevent any qua- druped from approaching it +, will only fuit fome kinds of titmice, fuch as the pendullne and the Languedoc, and not at all the wood- peckers properly fo called. 4. We fcarte can fuppofe, that Pliny never heard of the penduline and Languedoc titmlcc» fince one of them at leaft breeds in Italy ; and it is equally improbable that, being acquainted with this fad, he would omit to infert it in his Natural Hiftory. But the paflage alluded to is the only one that applies to thefe birds ; and they muft therefore have been included in the family of woodpeckers, • ScandetJtes in fubreBum feVium mndo ; ///;" vera \2f fiiplni fircujj^ corticis Jonoy pabulum fubejfe intelUgutit, Plin. lib. x. 18, f Picorum aliquh fufpend'tt in furculo (nidwn) . . . . ut nullu: accedtre pojjit. Lib. x. 33, Moreover, 't THE TITMICE. 3ti ,„odo; iin vera Iff fupm elllgtiut. riin.lib.x.iS. uk (nidwn) "' Moreover, the appellation o( parra"^ feetns to have been peculiarly bellowed on this branch of the woodpeckers; for in the genus diparrce^ fays Pliny, there are fome which form their neft of dry mofs into a bad, and fhut it fo clofely that the aperture can fcarce be found. This applies to the common wren, which has been fometimes confounded with the gold-crefted wren and the titmice. There is another fpecies which builds in the fame manner, only employing hemp and ilax for the materials ; and this is the property of the long-tailed titmoufe. Since the name prrce therefore comprehended many fpecies, and the account of thefe agrees with the quali- ties of the titmice, it will follow that the genus is really that of the titmice. This idea is the more probable, as the epithet argatilis^ which is given I by Pliri)' to one of thefe fpecies, is fo I^ke the I Greek \z.m& aigithalos^ which Ariftotle applies to the titmice, that we cannot help regarding it the fame, only fome what altered in tranfcrip* Ition. Befides, Pliny ufes the word aigithalos in |no other part, though he was well acquainted i^lth Ariftotle*s works, and had confulted them exprefsly in compofmg his tenth book, which * In genere parrarum eji^ cui n'tdttt ex mufco arldo ita ah- mita perfidtur pUof tit inveiiiri non pojftt aditiis. Plin. ' *'33' Sec Belon, p. 343. treats ■\ -'■4 ■iC'V? .;.■■ /"I ' i, I « ■ » . '.,, ' • i^i! .-. • 1 ■ li ■ i ■ i' ? I h* M ^■■ <' >. "l: •.Ji 3^2 THE TITMICE. treats of tliefe birds. I may add, that the term argatilis has never, as far as I know, been ap- plied by authors to any other bird but the one juft mentioned, and there is every reafon therefore to conclude that it is a titmoufe. The titmice have alfo been confounded with the bee-eaters, becaufe they are both apivorour. they have been confounded too with the goat- fuckers, on account of the refemblance of the Greek names ai^/BaAos* and eti^oOwAjjs, though Gefner fufpefls they are diftindl in their ety- mology : befidcs, the titmice have never been accufed of milking the goats. All the birds of this tribe appear feeble, be- caufe they are very fmall : but they are at the fame time lively, adtive, and bold : they are perpct\!ally in motion j they flutter from tree to tree ; they hop from branch to branch j they creep along the bark ; they climb the fides of walls ; they fufpend themfelves in all fituations, and often their head downwards, in order to dig in every little cranny, and pick out the worms, the infeds, or their eggs. They alfo feed on feeds ; but, inftead of breaking thefe in their bill, like the linnets and the goldfinches, • Ai-yiflfltAof is commonly reckoned a primitive word, and al7o0)1^r){ is compounded of ai|, a goat, and finx», a nip^l pic. T. almoft ^u, T II K T 1 T M I C F^ 383 d a primitive word, anJ almoft all the titmice hold them under their lit- tle cUws and peck them : they alio pierce hazel nuts and walnuts, &c. * If a nut be liifpended at the end of a thread, they will cling to it, follow the ofcillations, and without quitting their hold they will continue to peck it. It has been obfcrved that the mufcles of their neck ai*e very lUong, and thofe of the head thick f; which accounts in part for their manoeuvres: their other motions imply great force in the mufcles of the legs and toes. Mod of the European titmice occur in our climate at all leafons ; but they are never (o numerous as about the end of autumn ; when thofe which live during the fummer in the forefts or on the mountains:): are driven, by the cold and fnows, from their retreat, and defcend, in queft of food, into the cultivated plains, and near habitations II . During all the winter months, * As this excrcife is rather laborious, and, according to Frifch, brings on blindnefs, it is advii'ed to break the nuts and henipfeed, in fliort, every hard fubflance given to thcni. t See Journal lie Phyftque—Aout l'/']6t p. 123, &c. X The long-tailed titmoufc, according to Arillotlc ; the (ix-eyc, the little blue, the black, and the crefted titmice, according to the moderns, II Some pretend that they retire then into the fir-woods ; others aflert, that they only make tranficnt vifits to the faowy countries, and advance towards the fouth. The l«ter opinion fecms to be the moft probable. and t'i. 1 •"•:•; 47 ,^' X^ < vii . , I , *'l % f '.I'-if-.j,^ ;;■ m. . 4.1 ,a^ ■ I, I ~ Kif^P^'!^ > r r 384 THE TITMICE. and even in the beginning of the fpring, they fublift on dry feeds and on fragments of infeds 'which they find by ferreting the trees. They alfo crop the opening buds, and eat the cater- pillar's eggs, particularly thofe which are feen round the fmall branches ranged like a feries of rings, or the wreaths of a fpiral. Laftly, they fearch in the fields for fmall dead birds, orfuch as are exhauiled by difeafe, or entangled in fnares, and, in fhort, all thofe incapable of refiftnnce, though of their own fpecies; they pierce their fcull, and feed upon the brains. Nor is this cruelty palliated by want ; for they are guilty of it even in voleries, where they are abundantly fupplied. In fummer they eat not only almonds, walnuts, infects, &c. but all forts of nuts, chefnuts, beech-maft, figs, the feeds of hemp, of panic, and other fmall feeds*. It is obferved that thofe bred in the cage are fond of blood, tainted meat, rancid fat, and tallow melted, or rather burnt, by the flame of a candle. It would feem that the ftate of| domeilication vitiates their tafle. In general, the titmice, though tainted with I ferocity, love the focicty of their equals, and | ♦ Some pretend that tlie f'tmlce cannot digeft the feeds of rape or of millet, though thefe be foftened by boihng } yet M. de Querhoent, who raifed fome of thefe birds, aflurei me that he fed them only with hempfeed and millet. unite] C E. the fpring, they rments of infeas be trees. They ad eat the cater- ; which are feen ,ged like a feries t fpiral. Laftly, :mall dead birds, :eafe, or entangled hofe incapable of wn fpecies; they upon the brains. y want -, for they es, where they are mmer they eat not feds, &c. but all Bch-maft, figs, the other fmall feeds*, red in the cage are t, rancid fat, and irnt, by the flame n that the ftate of afte. hough tainted with )f their equals, and cannot digeft the feeJi ■ foftened by boiling ;y« icof thefe birds, affuiei npfeed and miUct. tiniW THE TITMICE. 385 unite in numerous flocks : if they are parted by any accident, they mutually call on each other, and foon re-alTemble. However, they feemto Ihun an intimate connection*: judging no doubt of the difpofitions of others by their own, they feel that they cannot confide much in them : fuch is the fociety of rogues. The unions which they annually form in the fpring are of a clofer nature, and a'^e very prodiidive. No genus of birds is fo prolific as that of the titmice t, and it is the more remarkable the fmaller they are. We might fuppofe that a greater proportion of organic matter enters into their flrudure, and from this exuberance of life refults their fecundity, and alfo their activity, ftrength, and courage. No birds attack the owl with fuch intrepidity ; they are ever the firft to dart on the nodurnal foe, and they aim conftantly at the eyes : their adion is attended jwithafwell of the feathers, and with a rapid fuccefTion of violent attitudes and rapid move- ments, which powerfully mark the bitternefs jof their rage. When they are caught, they jbite keenly the finger of the bird-catcher, ftrike furioufly with their bill, and invite, by their * Journal de Ph^iquCy Aotit 177^, p. 123, &c. t So well known this fadl: is in England, that it is ufual lo call a little prolific woman a titmoufi.'. Vol. V. C e lou;! r,^»: ■■'; ■.■■ *0 . ■ ( / -I- HI .■•I'' ."',;-J;r '!i;.t-;.;iV",,«?. 1 , r I r , , ,. 386 THE TITMICE. loud fcreams, the other birds of their fpecles, •which alfo fall into the fnare, and in their turn decoy others*. Lottinger affirms that, in the mountains of Lorraine, when the weather is foggy, forty or fifty dozens may be caught in a morning t with no apparatus but a call, a fmall tent, and a cleft ftick. They may alfo be enfnared with various gins ; with th» trap if, with the noofe, with lime-twigs, or with a fmall lark-net : or they may be intoxicated, as the ancients praitifed, with meal foaked in wine §. Such are the numerous methods of deftroying thefe fmall birds, and almoft all of thefe are fuccefsfufly employed. The reafon is, * Jotiffial de Phyfiquey AoCit l'7'j6, p. 123. f According to Frifch, only an hundred are caught in 1 day by a fort of fport in the neighbourhood of Nuremberg. This is performed by means of a triangular lodge, fixed on three large firs cl.at ferve as columns; each face of this lodge has a (brt of window, i:i which is fet a trap, with its decoy- bird. The bird-catcher himfelf keeps in the centre, and founds a loud call. Frifck, 1. 1. clafs 2. This author adds, that fcarce any arc caught in tlie traps but crefted and long-tailed titmice. I There are cage-traps, and thofe made with elder and two tiles laid one agiiind another, with a head of com f between them i the hurdle, 5cc. § 'I'his palle occafions giddinefs ; they tumble, mak: efforts to fly, agr/in fall over, and amufe the fpedators bj the ftrange variety of their motions and geftures. JElmut tie Nat, AiiUn. lib. i. 58. that I C E. of their fpecies, ind in their turn arms that, in the n the weather is [laybe caught in itus but a call, Lck. They may ,s gins ; with th» ^me-twigs, or with ay be intoxicated, th meal foakedin lerous methods of ,, and almoft all of red. The reafon is, THE TITMICE. 387 hundred are caughuni ourhood of Nuremberg, '•iangular lodge, fixed o« • each face of this lodge eta trap, ^^•ith its decoy, ^eeps in the centre, an fs2 This author adds, [e traps but crefted and | ofe made with elder aril t,v, with a head of cota If,, they tumble, M Lmufc the frea^J^f „^ P .nd gcftures. iEhanu. that that people who keep bees fuSer much from the titmice, which make great havoc among thefe ufeful infeds, efpecially when they have young*. Their extreme vivacity drives them into every kind of fnare, efpecially on their ar- rival; for at that time they are very tame, they lodge in the bulhes, and flutter about the roads, allowing one to get near them ; but afterwards they gain fome experience, and become rather more fhy. They lay about eighteen or twenty eggs f : feme depolit thefe in the oies of trees, which Ithey round and fmoott .'h their bill, and fafhion them internally iuio the proper form ; [others lay them in ball-fhaped nefts, which [are of a magnitude very difproportioned to fo fmall a bird. We might almoft fuppofe pat they previoufly reckon the number of the kggs, and that they anticipate the affed:ion to [heir expeded offspring* Hence the precau- jions ufed in conftruding the neft ; the folici- • Others fay, that winter is the time when thefe ids deftroy the mod, becaufe the bees, being then lefs imated, are not fo formidable with their ftings, and arc lore eafily caught. t A female, fays Hebert, that was caught on her eggs, id the fkin of her belly fo loofe, that it would have co- ed the belly entirely, though the bird had been twice Ihrjc •»■ i *>v v • ''i.r ► - ' • ■>."-' .A,\ ,„.;,<;. H'?! tf ■,'i /. ■'• I" V-. '^■'M; . : •<.; i-' C 2. tucle ;SS THE TITMICE. i^^ m -W, ! m :i> 1. 1 m • f •i .1 tiule which fome fpecies difcover in fiifpending it from the end of a branch, and the attention in felecling the proper materials, fuch as Hen- der grafs, fmall roots, mofs, thread, hair, wool, cotton, feathers, down, &c. They are able to provide fubfillience for their numerous family, which implies not only indefatigable adivlty, but much addrefs and fkill. They are often feen returning with caterpillars in their bill. If other birds attack their progeny, they will make an intrepid defence; will dart on the enemy j and courage renders their weaknefs formidable. All the titmice have white fpots round tlie eyes: the outer toe is joined, at its origin, to, the middle toe, which is a very little longer i than the hind toe : the tongue feems truncated, and terminated by filaments: inalmoftallof theni| are thickly feathered on the rump : all, except the blue one, the head is black or marked wiihj black J in all, except the long-tailed one, m legs are lead-coloured: but what more partij cuiarly charadlerfcs the birds of this family, is that the bill is not awl-ihaped, as fome lylU matic writers alfert, but formed like a llionj cone, a little flattened on the fides : it is ftrongerl and ihorfer than that of vhe/auveiies^ and ofteiil fliaded by the feathers of the forehead, wliici THE TITMICE. 3S9 rife and bend forward : their noftrlls are co- vered with other fmallcr and fixed feathers ; and their economy and habits are alfo fimilar. It may be worth remarking, that the titmice bear feme analogy to thp ravens the magpies, and the fhrikes, in regard 10 the comparative force of their bill and their little talons, in their muftachoes round the bill, in their appetite for flefti, in their manner of tearing their food into morfels before they eat ; and even, it is faid, in their cries, and in their mode of flying: but Hill we ought not to refer them to the fame genus, as Kramer has done. We need only to compare thefe birds, to fee them creeping on the trees, to examine their external Ihapc and their proportions, and to refledl on their pro- digious fecundity, and we Ihall be convinced that the titmice are widely different from tlic ravens. Befides, though the titmice fight among themfelves, and fometimes devour each other, pardcularly certain fpecics which difcovcr a violent antipathy*; they fometimes live on good terms with one another, and even Vv'ith vrs :i'k-i-'^^*.-4; * Such arc the ox-rye and the cinereous nun. See Jotir- ml ik Phyfiqtify Joi'ti I 776. It is alio fuld, th:it if fcw/nl titmice l)c luccclhvely put in the fame c;ige, the one fad domellicatecl will attack the new comers, will dojninccr over tliem, and will endeavour to kill them and fuck their brains. C c 3 1)1 rds 39° T HE T I T M I C E. Kni . f: m;'M : .'■.; t birds of other fpeclcs j and we may aflert that they are not radically fo cruel as the flarikes, and only apt to be tranfported by momentary paf- fion, in certain circumftances which are little known. I have witnefled a cafe, where, far from taking advantage of their flrength, when no refiftance could have been made, they fhewed themfelves fufceptible of pity and affedlion. I put two young black titmice, taken from the neft, in a cage, where was a blue titmoufe : flie adopted them, and treated them with the ten- dernefs of a mother; fhared her food with them, and even was attentive to break the feeds mixed with it when too hard. I much doubt if a {hrike would have treated them fo kindly. Thefe birds are fpread through the whole of the ancient continent, from Denmark and Swe- den to the Cape of Good Hope, where Kolben faw fix fpccies, viz. the great titmoufe ; the marlh titmoufe ; the blue, the long-tailed, the black-headed titmice; and the gold-crefled wren, which he took for a titmoufe. ** All thefe kinds fing pleafantly," fays this traveller, " and like Canary finches, with which they mix to form magnificent favage concerts *." Our bird-fan- ciers * I own that I lay little ftrefs on this obfcrvation, in which Kolben, inftead of relating what he faw, fcems to copywbt he rend in naturalifts i only taking the Hbcrty to aficrt that the ■% f THE TITMICE. 39J ciers pretend that thofe of Europe alfo fing well ; but this muft be underftood of their ver- nal fong, which is the mufic of love, and not of the difagrceable harfli cry which they retain throughout the year, and which has procured them, it isfaid, the name of lockfriiith'-^ ^^ i{c connoifTeurs add, that they can be ugi^ 3 whiftle airs : that the young ones, wliich are caught after they are partly grown, fuccecd bet- ter than thofe fed artificially f : that they foon grow tame, and begin to fing in the courfe of ten or twelve days: laftly, that they arc very fubjed to the cramp, and ought to be kept warm during winter. Almoft all the titmice, whether they enjoy the ftate of liberty, or be confined in a volery, form depofits for their provifions. The Vif- count Querhoent obferved feveral, whofe wings he had clipped, take in their bill three or four the titmice fing like canaries, while thefe authors compare their fong rather to that of the challinchcs. * I do not agree with authors on this point ; for the jname of lochfuiUh (fcrruricr) has been given to the wood- j peders, not becaufe of their cry, but on account of the grating noife made by ftriking tlie trees with their bill. It feems to me more probable that, as the titmice have the fame habit, they have, for a like reafon, received the fame [name. t Traite du Serin, p. 5 1. Every body agrees that the [young titmice, taken from the ncft, arc dilFicult to raife. C c 4 feeds if V • '<•, it.r; i •'■'•■;"'"■■' Ttl iJ ■'■■"• '•"■■■I .' .If. I -■,'C' ' ■■>it;(-aai :.-»4,r ;■■■■.*,;■;: I -if Mmm' 4 ^' ;: M^ ■•.>'. :'t^ r:-*! 39* THE TITMICE. feeds of panic, and a feed of hemp *, and fcramble with remarkable agility to the top of the tapeftry, where they had placed their ma- gazine. But it is obvious, that this inftindl of ftoring proceeds from avarice, and not forefightj at leaft in the cafe of thofe which ufually fpend the fummer in the mountains, and fubfift dur- ing winter in the plains. It has alfo been cb. ferved, that they conftantly feek the darkeft fpots in which to repofe : they would even feem to drive in hollowing out receflts in the boards or the wall ; and thefe attempts are always at a certain height ; for they feldom reft on the ground, and never remain long at the bottom I of the cage. Hebert took notice of fome fpc- cics which pafl'ed the night in hollow trees : he I perceived them feveral times dart brifkly into their lodgment, after they had previoully glanced round, and, as it were, examined the! ground : he tried to drive them out by pulhingi a ftick into the fame hole by which they en- tered, but without effcd:. He fuppofcs that they return every day to the fame rooft ; whidil is the more probable, fince this alfo contairsj their little ftore of provifions. Thefe binlj ficep foundly, wiih their head concealed be- * Frifcli fays nearly the fame thing of the cuiereous nm f r mavih titmoufe. reaitl thing of the cinereous im THE TITMICE. 393 neath their wings, as others. Their flefh is in general lean, bitter, and dry, and confequently very bad food : however, there are fome ex- ceptions*'. The largeft of all the titmice are, among the European kinds, the great and bearded titmice; and among the foreign kinds, the blue titmoufe of India, and the Toupet titmoufe of Carolina : each of thefe weighs near an ounce. The imalleft of all are the black-headed titmoufe, the long-tailed titmoufe, the marfli titmoufe, thependuline titmoufe, and the crefted Caro- lina titmoufe; which exceed not two or three gros. We fhall begin the particular hiftory of the different fpecies, with thofe of Europe, attending to the chara£teriftic properties of each ; and we Ihall then treat of the foreign kinds. We (hall compare thefe with the European, and mark the analogies that occur j and we Hiall exclude inch as have been inaccurately referred to the genus. * Gefner fays, that they are eaten in Switzerland ; but he adds, that they arc by no means pleafant food.- .*jclnvenckfcld alcne aflerts, that their flefli is neither dry, i uor ill-tailed, in autumn and in winter. THE «':v^-M ■ •''11 r,l .■i •^- i -K ! 'it ■ ■ fll C 394 3 T II E •'*• « GREAT TITMOUSE, Hi ^1 Mr : I, ['■ ^ n-.-^. 11 4^ , ; t\m i'-. ■ U Wa ' 't'* ^m siyf jjB ►i'i'''. 'Pf Tiff •- , 3t n, . > ''^ •« ■ a;!' O R OX-EYE. La Charbonniere, ou Groflr Mefange, Buff". Parus Major, Jli the Natunilijls *, I KNOW not what induced Belon to aflert that " this fpecies does not hang lo much from the branches as the others ;" for I had occafion to obferve one which continually fuf- pended itfelf from the bars of the upper part of its cage ; and, happening to ficken, it ftill clung to thcfe with its head turned downwards, and continued in this pendent fituation during the whole of its illnefs, and even after its death. * In Italian, Parifola Doimjllca : in Rome, Spernuzz-Jii . m Lombard)', PanijTola: in Bologna, Poligola : in Tufcany, Ciiidnpctcla : in German, Spicgel-mdfs (mirror titmoufc), Bratidt-nieifs (fire titmoufc), Kohhneifi (coal titmoufc) : in Dutch, Ccclmaes : in Swedifh, Talg-Oxe : in Danilh, Mif fit : in Norwegian, Kiod-in/ife. In different parts of Fr;incc it is called No/i/ietif, Mdnotoiiy Molveau de Boisy Mcfmi^: Btuhe, Creve Chajfts ; which names refer to its dark co. lour, and its habit of maivin^ holes. I have ,*■ ;1 Ik" THE GREAT TITMOUSE. 39i I have alfo learned from experience, that the ox-eye kept in the cage fomctinies cleaves the Ikull of the young birds that arc prefented to it, and feeds greedily on the brain. Hebert af- certained neaily the fame facH: by an experiment which he made : he put a red-brcaft in the fame cage with eight or ten ox-eyes, about nine in the morning ; and again ft mid-day the fcull of the red-breaft was bored, and the brain entire- ly eaten. On the other hand, I have {een many ox-eyes, and other titmice, which had been caught by means of the call, that lived above a year in the fame volcry, witliout any act of ihoftility: and, at this very moment, there is an ox-eye which has lived fix months on good [terms with goldfinches and filklns; though [one of the filkins was fick during that period, land, in its feeble fiate, incapable of refillancc, offered an eafy prey to voracity. The great titmoufe inhabits the mountains [and the valleys, among the bulhcs and the [copfes, in tho vineyards and the forcfis ; but M. .ottinger afluresme that they prefer the moun-- tains. The ordinary cry of the male, which It retains through the whole year, and wliich is loft frequent in the evening preceding rain, rc- Tembles the grating of a file, or the grinding of liolt ; and hence, it is faid, the ap}:»ellation of ockfiiiitb. In fpring, however, it allumes ano- ther ■IV:. •i>- '! • „" ., 'VI ■■■/;'■' ::: ■ a* /if 39<^ THE GREAT T I T M O IT S F. )■■■ ^<■^■ ■ I 1 1. thcr modulation, and becomes fo plcafant and varied, that we could hardly fiippolb it to pro- ceed from the fame bird. Frifeh, Guys, and feveral others couiparc it with that of the finch*; and hence perliaps the rcafou of the name //w/' iitmoHj'et wliich has been given to this fpecies. Olina allows that the ox-eye excels all the other titmice in finging, and as a call bird, it is ca- fily tamed, and grov.s fo familiar as to eat out of the hand : it is dexterous at the little trick of drawing up the puii, and it even lays while in captivity. When tliefe birds enjoy their natural free- dom, they begin to pair about the firll of Fe- bruary : they make their neft in the hole of a tree, or wall '\ : but they confort a long time before they conilru6lit,and they felcdthe fofteft * This bii Alilroviuuius, for the f;ikc of tlic plearant varble which it has the whole year. On the other hand, Turner fays, th.it its vernal fong is not agreeable, ami that the rcil of the ytar it is muto. Accoriiing to fome, it feems to found tit'igUy /■ i'nni, /.7 .;;■■••/, and in t!ie fpring _/?;//, y?///, icccls all the other ill bird. It is ca- liar as to eat out t the little trick d veil lays wliilc in heir natural frcc- ut the lirll of Yd- \ in the hole of a nlbrt a long time .cyfekathefofteft ccrt;iin countnes, f.u> cihint wiitble which it ,\ml,'rurnerfays,th;it hat the veil of the year ems to found titigu, t- Jlhi, S;. !._>;■,'■'. -J. >■ '■-■* ,,.1; .^^^C?^. ■.;*•<;. -' I Hy I wm 'Hi?- '^\my'- i ■ : ■r\\ l1 !i,>. l/iiil .r'!- t i'.!*;*'. 1::;. ,*■'!/. •?.; ' l's.'»'• m ': 402 THE C 0 t E M O U S E. The colcmoufe differs from the ox-eye, not only in regard to iv/.e^ being no more than the third or fourth of the weight, but alio by the colours of its plumngc ; as will appear by comparing the defcrlptions. Frlfch fays, tliatin Cicrmany it inhabits the pine foreils ; but in Sweden it prefers the alders, according to Lin- n.TUs. It it the leafl: timorous of all the tit- mice : not only the young ones (lock to the voice of another titmoufe, and arc decoyed by means of the call; even the adults, which have been caught fevcral times and have fortunately ei'caped, are as ealily cnfiiared again in the fame gins. Plowevcr, thefo birds difcover as much or even more fagacity in many adions which concern their own prefervation, or that of their brood ; and perhaps the courage whidi they polTels extinguillics alike miftruft and fear. The colemoufe lives in the woods, efpecially thofe which contain firs and other evergreen trees, in vineyards, and gardens: it creeps and runs on the trees like the other titmice. Next to the long-tailed one, it is the fmalleft of all; it weighs only two gros : it has a fort of blaci; cowl, terminated with white on the back of the head, and marked below the eyes with the | fame colour : the upper fide of the head is ci- nereous) I USE. Till!: COLEMOUSE. 403 n the ox- eye, not ng no more than veight, but alio by as will iippcar by Frifch lays, tliat'm lie forcfts ; but ia , according to Lin- roiis of all the tit- ones flock to the and arc decoyed by adults, which have id have fortunately sd again in the lame Is dilcover as much nany anions which vation, or that of the courage which alike miftruft and he woods, efpecially ,nd other evergreen ■dens : it creeps and fther titmice. Next | the fmalleft of all; has a fort of blad lite on the back of |w the eyes with the | ;e of the head is ci- nereous) nereous, the under dirty white : there are two tranfverfe white fpots on the wings ; the quills of the tail and of the wings, brown alh colour, edged with gray: the bill black, and the legs lead-coloured. Total length, four inches and a quarter; the bill, four lines and two-thirds ; the tarfus, feven lines j the hind nail is the ftrongeft ; the lateral ones are proportionally longer than in the ox-eye : the alar extent, fix inches and three quarters J the tail, twenty lines, and rather forked, conlifting of tv>relvc quills ; it -"xceeda the wings ten lines. Moehring has obferved that, in this pecies, the end of the tongue is truncated only at the edges, from each of which a filament projects, and that the intermediate fp;:ce is entire, and tifes almoft perpendicular. [A] [A] Specific charafter of the Colemoufe, or Coalmoufe, Parus Ater : " Its head black, its back cinereous, the back of the head and the bveaft white." It inhabits as far north as Siberia, where it continues even through the H'iatcr : its egg is whitifli, with fmall reddifli fpotg, >a ■ i. ■1 1.. , !. « ^>:".%tj ■fcHi. iV-' 1 !,■•■ r)d2 Vari' mm.' >' [ 404 ] ,u! Varietii-s of TiiL COLE MOUSE. i %<'}' mm., I. THE MARSH TITMOUSE, OR BLACKCAP. La Ncnncttc Cendrcc, /'*'//• P.irus Paluftris, Lin/:. Gmel. Briff. ^c* I K N O W that many naturalifts regard tliij bird as diftinguiQied from the preceding by con- iiderable differences. Willughby fays that it is , larger, its tail longer, and that it has lefs black under its throat ; that the white of the lower fide of its body is purer, and that it has no white on the back of the head, or on the wings. But if we confider that mod of thefe diftind;ions are not permanent, particularly the fpot on the back of the head f, though it is reckoned among the fpecilic characters of the colemoufe j if we confider that the fame name (charhomikrc) collier has been applied to both, and the epithet of marjl\ v/hich is commonly * \\\ Ituliiin, ranloziiio Faluflre : in German, Garhf.- wc'ifc (garclen-titnioufc), Bun-Mcife (bee-titmoufe) : in bwcdi{li, En-Tha Toiidhige : in Polifli, Sikora Popielata. ■\ A colemoufe obierved by tlie authors of tlie BritMi Zoology wanted this fpot ; and M. Lottinger allures me, that if the marfli titmoufc had tins fpot on the back of the head it would differ not from the colemoufe. bellowed .V ■• . tl" E M O U S E. 3R BLACKCA?. Bnjf. tfr. uraVifts regard thi} preceding by con- rbby Hiys that it is It it has lefs black vhite of the lower md that it has no : head, or on the that mod of thef« nt, particularly the ;ad t, though it is : characters of the that the fame name en applied to both, hich is commonly ; ill German, Garhr^ ft- (bee-titmoufe) : i:i iifli, S'lhora Popielaia. c authors of the Britldi . Lottinger aflures me, fpot on the back of tk olemoufe. beCLoweii o '1 VARIETIES OF THE COLEMOUSE. 40J beftowed on the blackcap, would alfo fult the preceding fpecies, fince, according to Linna:us, it lodges in alders, which grow in wet fituations: laftly, if we confider the numerous points of analogy that fubfift between the two fpecies, their haunts, their fize, their breadth, the fame- nefs of their colours, and their nearly iimilar (liftribution, we fhall be convinced that it is only a variety of the coleraoufe*. The marfh titmoufe lives more in the woods than in the vineyards and gardens, feeding on fmall feeds, preying on wafps, bees and graf- hoppers, and formii;g ftores of hemp feeds, when there is occafion, carrying feveral at once ia its bill to place in the depolit, and confuming them afterwards at leifure. Its manner of eat- ling undoubtedly gives it this forefight : it re- quires time and a convenient place to pierce each feed with its bill; and if it had not collect- ed provifioas, it would often be reduced to Iwant. The marfli tittnoufe is found in Sweden, and [even in Norway, in the forefts which fkirt the )anube, in Lorraine, in Italy, &c. Salerne (ays that it is unknown in the Orleanois, in ihe neighbourhood of Paris, and in Normandy. It IS fond of lodging among the alders, the pows, and of haunting wet fpots. It is a foli- "y bird, which continues in the country D d 3 through •-** i '^■'.ii^-^f'M '• -J: -Si „ V 1 ■' .'• >■■''-(-■ t 'hi*. •,.; y • ■'.- ^ :ij- ^ ■; i'l ■ t' 1(7: r- ! I ^■i :-, 4 ;■ -ft;,: ' 'ii •" ; -- . .r ■'•■ 4o5 VARIETIES OF THE COLEMOUSE. ;? i h-J >n through the whole year ; it can hardly be bred in the cage. A neft was brought to me which was found in a hollow apple-tree in the midft of a little clump, not far from a river: it confided of a little mofs laid in the bottom of the hole. The young ones, which were al- ready able to fly, were rather browner than the parent, but their legs were of a lighter lead colour ; no fcaloping on the edges of the bill, of which the two mandibles were very equal. \Vhat was remarkable, the gizzard of the young ones was larger than that of the adults in the ratio of five to three ; the inteftinal tube was alfo proportionally longer j but neither of them had a gall bladder or the leaft veftige of a Cifciwi. I found in the gizzard of the parent fome frag- ments of infe£ts and a grain of dry earth, and | in that of the young ones feveral little pebbles. The marfh titmoufe is rather larger than the I colemoufe, for it weighs three gros. 1 need not defcribe its plumage ; it will be fufficienttoj mark the chief differences. Total length, four inches and one third;! the bill, four lines ; the iarjus, feven lines ; tliel alar extent, feven inches ; the tail two inches! confiding of twelve quills, and projeds tvvelvel lines beyond the wings. [A] [A] Specific charader of the Marfli Titmoufe, Pm palujlris : " Its head black, its back cinereous, its tenipte[ white." M. 1 m hardly be bred jght to me which ipple-tree in the far from a river : aid in the bottom es, which were al- r browner than the ; of a lighter lead : edges of the bill, 2S were very equal. izzard of the young f the adults in the inteftinal tube was but neither of them [I veftige of a dccim, ke parent fome frag- in of dry earth, and I iveral little pebbles, ather larger than the three gros. 1 n"*! will be fufficientto VARIETIES OF THE COLEMOUSE. 407 M. Le Beau brouglit from Loulliana a tit- moufe, which refembles much the prefent ; only it wants the white on the back of the head, and th<^ two ftrcaks of the fame colour on the wings ; alfo the black mark on the throat was larger, and in general the colours of the plumage rather deeper, except that in the female the head was of a rufty gray, nearly like the upper fide of the body, but ftill darker. Total length, four inches and a half; th(^ tiV'fiiSy feven or eight lircs; the hind nail the ftrongcft; the tail twenty-one lines, rather ta- pered (which is another dillindive charadler), and exceeding the wings about nine lines. II. THE CANADA-TITMOUSE, I'arus Atrlcapillus, Li/vi. isf Gniel. Parus Canadenfis AtricapUlus, BriJJ'. THE black-headed titmoufe of Canada bears a great relemblance to the colemoufe : it lias nearly the fame proportions and the fame plumage ; the head and throat black ; the un- der fide of the body white j the upper fide dark D d 4 cine*' '.''■'<« "•:::s I- .;■ ■< ■ > ' i ? ■:' i I ■ •:> ' » '' \^ '''¥'■■ ' ■i ■"•. ^^:^.'' .r.^ '1 ■•3); .'■ft W i • . 1' '♦ I- \:' ill] \t. -.: ■!! » ' - H:p'i Ij if'"' ill w ' ' Iff p; f'l p 4 11 m 408 VARIETIES OF THE COLEMOUSE. cinereous, which, towards the rump, grows more dilute, and, on the fuperior coverts of the tail, runs into a dirty white : the two inter- mediate quills of the tail are cinereous, like the back ; the lateral ones alfo cinereous, but edged with white gray ; thofe of the wings brown, edged with the fame white gray; their great fu- perior coverts brown, edged with grayj the bill black, and the legs blackilh. Total length, four inches and a half; the bill, five lines ; the iarfus, feven lines and a half; the alar extent, feven inches and a half; the tail, twenty-fix lines, confifting of twelve equal quills, and exceeds the wings an inch. Since the titmice frequent the northern conn- tries, it is not ilrange that we fliould find in America varieties of the European fpecics. [A] [A] Specific charadcr of the Pnnis Atr'tcnpillus : "Its cap and throat are black-, its body cinereous, below white." lU. IF the white-throat of Willughby be not I a fauvette (fpipolaj^ as he fuppofes, but a tit- moufe, as Brilfon reckons it*; I fhould range] * Parus Cinercus, BriJJ\ ,l^"' k-ll VARIETIES OF THE COLEMOUSE. 40f ' i Pnnis AtricaptUiis : " h body cinereous, below It with the mat(h titmoufe, and confequently with the colemoufe. Its head is deep cinere- ous J all the upper fide of the body nifty cine- reous; the under fide white, tinged with red in the male, except the origin of the neck, which in fome fubjedts is pure white, and in others has a cinereous tinge, as well as the fore fide of the neck and breaft: the firft quill of the wing is edged with white, the laft ones with rufous ; the quills of the tail black, edged with lighter colour, except the outcrmoft, which is white, though not in all fubjeifls : the bill is black, yellow internally; the lower mandible whitifli in fome fubjeii;t iEi.-'!fe. ■■■'1 410 VARIETIES OF THE COLEMOUSE. ,1 m- by its lirft phalanx, the inner by a membrane, which is Tincommon in birds of this kind ; the alar extent, eight inches ; the tail two inches and a half, confifling of twelve quills, rather tapered; it exceeds llio wings llxteen or fevcn- teea lines*. IV. I HAVE at prefent before me a bird which the Marquis de Piolenc fent from Savoy under the name of creeper, but which muft be referred to the fame fpecies. Its head is variegated with black and cinereous gray ; all the reft of the upper part, including the two middle quills of the tail, of the fame gray; the outer quill blackifli at the bafe, gray at the end, and crofled near its middle by a white fpot; the next quill mark- ed with the fame colour, but on its infide only; the third in the fame way, but nearer the end, • I have fecn in cabinets a bird, whofe plumaffr r.- fembled remarkably that of this titmoufe, but which dif- fered by its proportions. Its total length was ?ve inilies and a half; its larfus, ten lines j its tail, twenty-nine Hues, exceeding the wings only by an inch : but the mod rcm.uk' sblc circiinillancc that difcrimlnated it was its bill, fcvcii lines long, and three lines thick at the bafe. fo •LEMOUSE. VARIETIES OF THE COLEMOUSE. 411 fo that the white always contrails, and the black extends fo much farther: it gains ftill more in the fourth and fifth quill, which have no white at all, but are tipt with afli-gray, as ii:\ the preceding ; the quills of the wings are blackifh; the middle ones bordered with afli- gray; the great ones with dirty gray: each wing has a longitudinal, or rather a yellowifli white ftreak : the throat is white, and alfo the anterior margin of the wing ; the fore part of the neck and all the lower part light rufous: the inferior coverts of the wings, the neareft the body, are rufty, the fucceeding black, and the longeft white : the upper mandible is black, except the ridge, which is whitifli, and fo is the lower mandible : laftly, the legs are yellowifli brown. Total length, five inches one third ; the bill, fix lines and a half j the tar/us^ eight lines; the hind toe as long and thicker than the mid one, and its nail the flrong- eft; the alar extent, feven inches and three quarters; the tail eighteen lines, confiding of twelve quills, rather unequal, and fliorter in, the middle; it exceeds the wings ten lines. 1 KM-tir! :-, 1 ■•■'»'i T IT I! c% Jfp', ftC: ii* [ 412 3 T II E BLUE TITMOUSE. La M e s a n g e B l e u e. Parus Cxrulcrs, Li/i/u Gtitcl. ^ 1^>''S ^<-"* The Nan, Chnrh'ton*. FE W birds arc fo well known as this ; be- caufc few are i'o common, fo eafily caught, or fo diftinguiihed by the colours of their plumage. Blue predominates on the upper fide, yellow on the lower ; and a nice diilribution of black and white difcriminates and heightens the different hues, which are alfo diverlified by a variety of different fliades. The blue titmoufe is the better known on account of its pernicious vifits to our gardens, where it plucks the bloffoms from the fruit-trees : it evea dexteroully employs its little claws to detach the ripe fruit from the branch, which it after- wards carries to its depofit. But it does not fubfill wholly in this wayj it has the fame * In Italian, Paro-zollno^ Frathw : in Snanifli, Mil' fhiero: in Portuguefe, Chamaris Alionitie : in German, Bunu meifc (blue titmoufe), Mctl-wtife (meal titmoufe): in Swcdifli, Blao-tnees : in Norwegian and Daniili, BL'-i' KU'ifc- : in Poliih, Sikora Msdra. pro t i> THE BLUE TITMOUSE. 413 . ' !>■■■■■ ■,!.'•■ it'-?)'::";! .. ■ j»:. '■ ,1',;:. no: in Spanifli, Mi!- Jllonine: in German, '.mafe (meal titmoufej: lau and Daniili, Bki- propenHty to flefli with other titmice, and it picks ^o clean the bodies of the little birds which it mailers, that Klein propofes to em- ploy it for preparing their flceletons *. It alib diftinguilhes itfelf above all the reft by its ran- cour againft the owl. The Vifcount de Quer- hoent obferves, that it does not always fplit the feeds of hemp like the other titmice, bui bruifes them in its bill, like the canaries and linnets : he adds, that it fhews more forefight than the reft, lince it feledts for its winter haunt a warmer fite, and one of more difficult accefs; commoiily a hollow tree, or the crevice of a wall. The female alfo builds in holes, and is not fpar- Ing of feathers ; ihe lays in the month of April a great many fmall white eggs : I have counted from eight to feventeen in the fame neft ; others ^ have found even twenty-one. I am aftlired that ! there is only one hatch, unlefs the incubation IS difturbed : a fingle egg broken, or even handled, will occafion the whole to be forfaken, [But after the young are excluded, the mother jdifcovers a ftrong attachment, and defends them pith courage ; Ihe is inflamed, and whiftles a * He advlfes us prevloufly to remove mofl: of the flefh pnd the brain of the bird, whofc Ikcletou we want to have prepared. threat- 'i: *■,■■'«'' -^1 ii ""• ' f ' h.' ■ '¥ t . . ,1 ,..« = ''' f ^i-.-l" V.,/S.i ■ J wm It- ' ■ '^yi- '■ ' ' '■■ '"d^iiil-- .: -1 4*4 THE BLUE TITMOUSE. threatening air when difturbed in her prlfon. The cock feems to repofe more at eafc, and ofteneft clung to the top of the cage. Befides the difagreeable grinding, it has a flender but varied chirp, which has been fuppofed to bear feme refemblance to that of the chaffinch. Frifch alleges that the blue titmoufe will not live in the cage, and cannot therefore be ufcd as a call-bird. I have (qcxx fome, however, that were kept many months in confinement, and died only of exceffive fat. Schwenckfeld tells us, that in Silefia this tit- moufe is found at all feafons on the mountains. With us, it prefers the woods, efpecially in fum- mer, and next to thcfc the vineyards, the gar* dens, &c. Lottinger fays, that it travels in company with the ox-eye ; but the fociety be* •tween petulant and cruel animals muft be tur- bulent and temporary, It is faid that its young continue longer together than that of the otlier i fpecies ■''^. The blue titmoufe is very little, fince it I weighs only three gros : but Belon, Klein, and the traveller Kolben, ought not to have repre- fented it as the fmallell of the titmice. The I hen is rather fmaller than the cock, and has kfn Journal de Ph;^tquei Aoitt 1776. blue very Utile, fince it It Belon, Klein,an(l| not to have repre- the titmice. The ,ecock,anihaskfi THE BLUE TITMOUSI. 4^S blue on the head ; and this blue, as well as the yellow of the under fide of the body, is not fo bright : what is white in the parents, is only yellowilh in the new-fledged brood : what is blue in the former, is afli brown in the latter ; but their wing quills are proportionally as large as thofe of the adults. Total length, four inches and a half; the bill, four lines and a half; the two mandibles equal, and without any indenting ; the tongue trun- cated, terminated with filaments, fome of which are commonly broken ; the iarfus^ fix lines and a half; the legs are exceedingly thick, the hind rVil the llrongeft ; the alar extent, feven inches; the tail twenty-five lines, and projeiSting twelve beyond the wings ; each of its halves is tapered, and compofed of fix quills. The young ones, of which I difieded a pretty large number in May, had all of them rather a fmaller gizzard than that of their dam, but a longer intcftinal canal. There were two (light veftlges of ccica^ and no gall bladder. [A] [A] Specific charafter of the Blue Titmoufe, Parits Cerukus : " Its wing quills are blueifh ; the firfl: white at their outer margin, the front white, the top blue." f, ■Mi''\ '.•'■■ . ;.f! ■)■■ ""*'-: -J*' ■'lAf, A {■.■- THE ■ :♦', h-' •■ ■f ii' '•;"';i:^ '^r »'' f 1 V^t '■ t-,- '4}'' J., ^■^ ■ri ')■■■ i i AlO 3 t H E BEARDED TITMOUSE, La Moustache. Paru9 Blarmicus, Linn. Gmel. l2f Frif. Piirus liarbatus, Brijf. is* Khin. Laniiis Biarmicus, Bnin. Pcndulus, KraiH. The Leali: Butchcr-blrd, EJw. * I CANNOT be pofitivc whether this bini is really found in India, as Frifch feems to hint ; but it appears to be very commoti in Denmark, and is now I'preading through Eng- land. Edwards mentions feveral cocks and hetis that were killed in the neighbourhood of | London, and fo little known that they had no I name. The Gountefs of Albemarle brought.! cage full of them from Denmark f; and fome of thefe doubtlefs efcaped, and founded a colonj j in England* But whence came thofe whic!i| • In German, o' Vz4 . ;:ger (bearded fparrow). •)• Since they are io common in Dcmark, I am furprifc that the name oc* uis not in Mullci- s Froclro/nus Zock^ii\ Danica, Albial TMOUSE. A C U li- Gmel. es" Frif. * I -whether this bird ' as Frircb feems to )e very common ini adlng through ling- feveral cocks and lie neighbourhood of »wn that they had no Albemarle brought a icnmarkt; ^^'^^^A and founded a colony e came thofe whic!i| [(bearded fparrow). In Dc-mark, I am furpriM uUei- s Prodromus Zoom m jV:/32 pGI.TJIKMALEBEAHnED TrTACOtTSE TI&.^^.lTiE . FIJVIU^. 'I* * ,- ■ *.. ,; I'll ;■, •■' -J ff: I' ±A ., , ,;,^ .,).( ■-;_ I i"*'''i :"^'r- »„■'-" i'' f ■ B--i*^'-**t? m THE BEARDED TITMOUSE. 417 Albin fays were reported to inhabit the coun- ties of Eflex and Lincoln, and always among the fens ? It is to be wiflied that the habits of thefc birds were better known. Their hillory would be curious, if we may judge from what is re- lated, that when they reft the male fpreads his wings over his mate ; and this attention, were it well authenticated, muft imply many other interefting particulars with regard to incuba- tion. The moft charadleriftic feature of the male is a black mark, very nearly triangular, on each lide of the head : the hale of this inverted tri- angle rifes a little above the eyes, and its ver- tex is turned downwards, and falls on the neck nine or ten lines from the bafe : thefe two black marks, which have pretty long feathers, bear fome refemblance to whilkers, and hence tlie [names of the bird in different countries. Frifch fuppoies that it is analogous to the canary, and that the two fpecies would intermix ; but adds, that the bearded titmice are too rare for jmaking the neceflary experiments. This opi- nion of Friich is inconfiilent with that of Ed-' |\vards and Linnaeus, who fuppofe it to refemble the fhrike. But though thefe views be oppofite, jthey agree in one circuniftance, that the II of the bearded titmoufe is larger than or- VoL. V. E e . dinary ' .' i !? ••?«J '' X '*K'-4 ' '-"'T'-yi,.':ij :■ i.M^^ii ■■ •^■■1 ■:..'■ M ;Mv^" "'Jfi /.■/viF '."■'• I lit x'h' ,^:y!■:^' }■¥: m :f .: 418 THE BEARDED TITMOUSE. *•.. h. "r.i ■■'■' I'i I 1^1 "'■ ■ M ■ !«; ,.; *>:' 4 ■' ,'j'. S-f '?• r ^■■,. : m '-. I-'- ^■^ t m dinary in titmice. On the other hand, Lottln- ger affirms that it breeds in the holes of trees, and often conforts with the long-tailed titmoufe; "which, joined to the family hkenefs and other refemblances in fize, exterior figure, mien, and habits, rank it with the titmice. The Lead of the male is pearl gray ; the throat, and the fore part of the neck, of a iilvery white ; the bread of a fullied white tinged with gray in fome fabjects, and rofe-colour in others; the reft of the under fide of the body nifty; the inferior coverts of the tail black ; thofe of the wings ycllowifti white ; the upper fide of the body light rufous ; the anterior edge of the wings white ; the fmall fuperior coverts black- ifti ; the great ones edged with rufous, the middle oncb wiih the fame, edged interiorly with lighter rufous j the great quills edged v/ith white externally j thofe of the tail entirely ru- fous, except the outermoft, which is blackilh at the bai'c, and of a rufous afli colour near its extremity; the iris orange; the bill yellowidi, and the legs brown. In the female there is no red tinge under tlif body, nor black murks on ihe fides of the heacl.j which is brown, and alfo the inferior coverts otj tlie tail, of which the lateral quills are black.i tipt with white. The female is alfo rathaj fmailer than the male. ■ - 4 " h lb"!';. ■ i. ;| :. t«->;^> her band, Lottin- Ke holes of trees, iijr-tailed titmoufe; likenefs and other figure, mien, ai\d cc. is pearl gray ; the le neck, of a Wvery i whhe tinged with )fe-colour in others; the body rufty; the black ; tbofe of the : upper fide of the iterior edge of the perior coverts black- \ with rufous, the idged interiorly with quills edged with the tail entirely ru- which is blackilh at afl-v colour near its| ; the bill yellowifli, THE BEARDED TITMOUSE. 419 Total length of the laft, (ix Indies and a quar- ter; the bill, lefs than fix lines; the upper mandible a little hooked, but without aiiv in- denting, according to Edwards himfelf, which is very different from a flirike ; the LirJuSy eight lines and a half; the alar extent, fix inches and a half; the tail thirty-fix lines, confifling of twelve tapered quills, fo that the two exterior ones are only half as long as the two miiU dle ones ; it exceeds the wings twenty-feven lines. [A] [A] Specific chara£ler of the Bearded Titmoufe, Pan/t Binrmici/s : " Its head hoary, its tail longer than its body, its head bearded." P^'^iK ■IK. .•I Fc 2 THE i'ia?!; IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I |^|28 ^ a^ 12.0 mmm ■ 22 11-25 III 1.4 1.6 ^j>^ ■> Sdences Corporation ^ L1>^ \ \ V as WIST MAIN STUNT WnSTIR,N.Y. MStO (7I6)I72-4S03 ■^ ti ^0 > »vu ■■:,!! [ 4 3 THE ' * ':'■„. ;■ I'M* • ■■>" "1 , 'I i'l ,1 -f/Mv.}. •^ ■ >*tJ 422 THE PENDULINE TITMOUSE. /. 2.) was fevea Inches long, and fo'ir and an half wide : it was fufpended It the fork of a fmall branch with hemp and flax. The leaft pl. I.) was five inches and an half long, of the (dma breadth at its upper part, and terminating in an obtufe koint : this, according to Titius, is the ufual form. That If Monti was pointed above and below. Titius fufpefts pat the penduline titmice oiily make a rude ellav in con- bucling their firft neft, and that the fides are then thin, and lie texture quite loofe j but that they improve at each fub- kquent hatch ; and, as their miftruft grows upon tliem, Yy add firmer coats on the outfide, and fofter ones within : knee the differences obferved in the form and bulk of thefe kits. About the end of December 1691, near Breflaw, was and a female fifkin in one of thefe fame neftsj with a lung one, and three eggs not yet hatched. This proves at the nefts of the penduline titmice fubfifl from oile pr to another. Titius adds, that we need not wonder to : the fiikin hatching in winter, fince the crofs-bills do ^. fame. E e 4 monly ■■..■Jl %-7.TM '■■C*-iY, \ ' - '■ i. v •'■'*■- 1 ' '■'.'• '; ,\ lit,'. '**..■, ■':>f"M ■' -I-' ■-■ m.' .} ■ 1 '.'';!', .,.M ■;. „*<-.. ... ■^f i, .:'.. • \- I '., i"'; * 424 THE PENDULINE TITMOUSE. monly furrounded by a brim more or lefs pio« tuberant * ; thougli this is lometimes wanting. The female lays only four or five eggs, which falls much ihort ot the ordinary fecundity of the titmice ; but in its port, its voice, its bill, and in the principal attributes, the peii- duline refembles the others. Thefe eggs are as white as fnow, the flicll extremely thin, and they arc alnioll tranfparcnt. The bird has ge- nerally two hatches annually ; the firft in April or May, and the fecond in the month of Au- guft. There is little probability that it makes a third. Thefe nefts of the penduline titmoiife arc feen in the fens near Bologna, in thofe of Tuf- cany, on the lake Thrafymene, and are exadly * Aldrovaiulus lias j^in-n a figure of this ncft, which lit imagined to be tlie long-tailed titmoufe, thougli he veil knew that ihe bird was called pitidtilitio. Orniihol. t. ii, p. 718. Two of thefe nclls feeni glued together, and re- mind us of what R'/acynlki fays of the nelts with iloubls apertures, found in Pokutia, on the banks of the Byftrikz. An anonymous author of a Memoir in the Jourtnd ile Ph' fiqtie for Augult 1776, goes farther than Aldrovandus, ami, after having compared the penduline and long-tailed tit- moufe, obferves a great analogy between the two birds. Yet had he followed the method of comparifon exactly, lie would have perceived that the penduline titmoufe has iu bill and legs proportionally longer, its tail fiiorter, its alar •Kient alfo, and ira plumage different. the ITMOUSE. 1 more or lefs piO« bmetlmes wanting. n- five eggs, which linary fecundity of ort, its voice, its attributes, the pen- Thefe eggs are as extremely thin, and . The bird has ge- y ; the fu-ft in April I the month of Au- bility that it makes a iduline titmoufe arc ;na, in thofe of Tuf- lene, and are exadly are of this nea, which lit [itmoufe, though he vcU Hiidiiiim. Onulhoi t. ii. glued together, and re- jf the iiclls with doubl: lie banks of the Byilrikz. jir hi the Jourmil ile Ph [r than Aldrovandus, ami, luUneand long-tailed tit- between the two bir^s. if comparifon exaclly) lie :nduUne titmoufe hasiw •, its tail ftiorter, its aUr ;nt. THE PENDULINE TITMOUSE. 42J the fame with what occur in Lithuania, Volhi- nia, Poland, and Germany. The peafants re- gard them with fuperftitious veneration : one of thcfe nefts is fufpended near the door of each cottage, and the pofleflbrs hold it as a protedor from thunder, and its little architcdl as a facred bird. We might almoft regret that nature is not more fparing of her wonders : for every extra- ordinary appearance is a fource of new errors. Thefe titmice inhabit likewifc Bohemia, Si- lefia, the Ukraine, Ruflia, Siberia, and where- ever, in fliort, thofe plants grow that furnifh the cotton for conftruding their nefls *. But they are rare in Siberia, according to Gmelint : nor can they be very common near Bologna ; fince, as we have already obferved, Aldrovan- dus vi'as unacquainted with them. Daniel Ti- tius regards Italy ij: as the original country of the penduline titmice, whence they paflcd into the ftate of Venice, into Carinthia, Auftria, the kingdom of Bohemia, Hungary, Poland, * Daniel Titlus remarks tliat Voihliiia, Polofia, Lithun- nia, and other cantons of Poland, aboinul with marll;cs, and aquatic plants or traes, luch as willows, alders, pop- liirs, knapweeds, ftarworts, hawlcwccds, juncagos, Sec. t Foyage en SO/erie, t. ii. p. 203. The Counfellor J. Ph. of Strahlenberg had obferved thcfe birds in Siberia be- fore Gmelin, according to Daniel Titiui. $ Hence the name Romifh. and 1 "^f 'A '■A \ii p*- ■■V--'*l ,:■ *;. 4»« THE PENDULINE TITMOUSE. Wu mm :-::^ 'r^ ■ " i », and the more northern countries. They almoll always haunt the marfhes, and hide themfelves among the bulruflies, and the foliage of the trees which grow in fuch fituations. It is af- ferted that they never migrate on the approach of winter *. Such may be the cafe in tem- perate countries, where infeds are found through the whole year : but, in the northern climates, I fhould fuppofe that the penduline tit- mice at leaft change their haunts during the in* tenfecoldsj nnd, like the other titmice, refort to the inhabited fpots. Accordingly, Kramer informs us that, in the vicinity of the city of Pruck, they are much more numerous in win- ter than in any other feafon ; and that they al- ways lodge, from preference, in the bulrufhes and reeds. It is faid that they have a warble, though not well known. Yet the young ones taken from the ncft have been kept feveral years, and fed folcly on ants* eggs t : therefore they fing not in the cage. The plumage of this bird is very ordinary; the crown of the head is whitiflij the back of * Cajetan Monti and Daniel Titius. f Titius, p. 43, 44. In another place he fays, tli:.( they fing better than the long-tailed titmoufe, which, ac* cording to Bclon, has a pleafant fong. tll« THE PENDULINE TITMOUSE. 427 Itius. Iher place he fays, tl"{ led titmoufe, which, ac- the head, and the upper fide of the neck, cine- reous * J all the upper fide of the body gray, but tinged with rufty in the fore part ; the throat, all the under fide of the body, white, tinged with cinereous gray before, and rufty behind : there is a black bar on the face, that extends on both fides to the eyes, and much be- yond them ; the fuperior coverts of the wings brown, edged with rufous, which becomes gra- dually more dilute near the extremity; the quills of the tail and of the wings brown alfo, but edged with whitifh ; the bill cinereous j the legs reddifli cinereous. It appears, from the defcription of Cajetan Monti, that in Italy the pendulinc titmice have more rufous in their plumage, and a flight tinge of green on the fuperior coverts of their wings, &c. and, from that of Gmelin, that thofe in Siberia have th- back brown, the head white, and the breaft tit ged with rufous. But thefe are only variations occafioned by the climate, or perhaps owing to the difference of defcription ; for a confiderable diverfity of ap- pearance will arife from the diftance they are held from the eye, and the light with which they are viewed. * Daniel Titius faw a blacklfh fpot near the firft vertebra «f the ne«k, and another near the alus. The ^'■W JU ■I r ■■■% I. ; ■ ■.-■(■•■■ ^"li'i:.' '.I,! ■1, ^■■■» h. !.-•;•!-■■ f ■ ■^mK^'■ r-!'"*;:^ ■< ;■-' ; wP 4t« THE PENDULINE TITMOUSE. The female, according to Kramer, is without the black bar as in the male : but, according to Gmelin, it has that bar. In both, the iris is yellow, and the pupil black : and they are fcarcely larger than the common wren ; that is, they are nearly the fame fize with the blue tit- moufe. Total length, four inches and a half; the £ve lines ; the upper mandible a little incurvated; the lower longeft in the young ones ^ ; the iar/us, fix lines and anhalf ; the nails very fharp, the hind One longeft; the alar extent, i'evcn inches and one third ; the tail two inches, conr fifting of twelve quills, a little tapered, and ex- ceeding the wings thirteen lines. [A] ^.>f-.0. :i :s"i [A] Specific charafter of the Remlz, Poms Pniiu' lintis : " Its head is fotncwhat ferruginous, with a bhuH; ftripe on the eyes } the quills of the wings and of the tail brown, either margin ferruginous." • Titius, p. 1 9 and 23. TH£ i.'ii- i-;' C 429 3 THE LANGUEDOC TITMOUSE. '.' 1 •• ' ^ Remlz, Partis Pcnk- jrrugtnous, with a blirk he wings and of the tail La Pcmluliac, Buff. * Parus Narbotienfii, Gine/, MONTI fuppofed that the Remlz, or pen- duliiie titmoufe, was the only Europeaa bird th.it fiifpended its ncft from branches + : but, not to mention the golden oriole, which faftens its neft fometimes to (lender boughs, and which Frifch has miftaken for the long-tailed titmoufe :j:, there is another fpecies well known in Languedoc, though entirely overlooked by the naturalifts, which builds as artfully as the Po- hili titmoufe, and difphiys even more fagacity in the ftrudure. It deferves the more our at- tention, bccaufe its talents have not attained the fame celebrity. It may be confidered as ana- * In Languedoc it is vulgarly called thf wild canary. Tl\e bird and neft were fent by M. de BroufTe, Mayor of Aramont, Deputy of the States of Languedoc. t See Colleftiou Acadcmiquc partie etrangere, t. x. p» 37 1 • ylctulfinie de Bologiw. X This en-6r was the eafier avoided, fince the neft of the oriole is cup-ftiaped, open above j and fince that bird nev.r employs the down furnifhed by the flowers and leaves of .'^^"^in plants, even tiiough they grow abundantly near it. logous '.'t.l! < 1* -"l' r\.\. 1-. I ■■•.,; ^r'i- f', ' M.i. I ^ ■■'%■' J 43» THE LANCUEDOC TITMOUSE. W'-'^' iii. logoua to the pcncluline titmoufe, but not as a mere variety : the differences in its Cv/.Cj its pro, portions, its eoiours, the ihape of its nc(l, &c. arc fully fuflicient to conflitute it another ([k- cies. The neft is very large, compared with the fizc of the bird ; Ihut above, and has nearly the bulk and fhape of an oftrich's egg : its greater axis is fix inches ; its fmaller axis, three and an half. It is fufpended from the fork of a flexible poplar branch ; and, to give greater liability, it is wrapped with wool, for the Ipace of more than feven or eight inches ; and the down of the poplar, the willow, &c. is alfo ufed. The aperture is placed in the lidc near the upper part, and has alfo a fort of projcdion, or penthoule, that juts eighteen lines. From thefe precautions, the young are better fliel- tered and concealed, and confequently fafer than thofe of the penduline titmoufe. The throat and all the under fide of the body are rufty white ; the upper fide rufty gray, deeper than the under ; the top of the head gray ; the fuperior coverts of the wings blackift, edged with rufous, and likewife the middle quills : but the rufous grows more dilute near the end. The great quills blackiQi, edged with whitifli ; the quills of the tail blackifli, edged w'iti THE LANGUEDOC TITMOUSE. 43« \\\l\\ light rufous : the bill Mack ; the upper ridge brownilh yellow ; the legs lead colour. Total length, rather lefs than four inches ; the bill, like that of the titmoufe, and four liner, and an half ; the turfus^ fix lines j the hind nail the flrongeft of all, a little hooked : the tail, eleven or twelve lines, would lie exadlly j([i!are, were not the two exterior tjuills a little Ihorter than the reft ; it exccecjp the wings lix liueit. ;./:* ■■'-;* *■. »■■" £ I- J* '* ■'; i ■¥■ THE V »■■- ,-?.;>*;, 4 .«V-.' ". ' C 432 1 THE LONG-TAILED TITMOUSE. I.a Mefange a longiic Queue, Bi/f. Parus Caudatus, Lifiu. Gmel. Kram> Frif. Ra\y Klclu isf Scop. Parus Longicaudus, Brljl Schwanzmeifc, Pfannenftiel, Gunth. Ss* Wirs. Pendolino, o Paronzino, Zinii.* THIS very fmall bird is beft diftinguifhed by the length of its tail, which exceeds that of its body. It is flender, and its flight fo rapid, that it feems like a dart fhooting through the airf. But notvvithftanding this remarkable difparity J, it has Hill the eflential cliaraders , of * In Greclc, A;yi5^^oj eftivoj, or mountain tltmoufe; Jrijl, Hift. Anim. lib. viii. 3. In Italian, Punuzifio, Pi/kciizim, Fciukliiio .' ill German, Sihiuautz-niaifi'y (tail-titmoule), Ztigtl-iiMtjly (the fame), Pfaiiiie?i-j}ifly or Pfiinnai-Jlui^li" (tail-fi(kin), Rict-maifc (rced-titmoufe), Bcrg-viaife (nioim- f.iin-titmoufe), Schiue-maife (rnovv-titmoufe) : in Poliih, 5;- kora 'Adtiigim Ugo/win. f liritilli Zoology. X This difparity induced Ray to fuppofe it a diftincl genus. The authors of the Britifli Zoology obferve, that it much refcmblos the flirikes in the form of its bill, wlm"'' is more convex than that of the titmice, and by other niinuti: aiialo- Gufith. ^ Win. „* is beft dlftinguifhed tail, which exceeds ider, and its flight fo art fhooting through ding this remarkable elTential charaders of I mountain tltmoufc ; Jfif- m, Punnzino, Pi/hom \,iz-»inifc', (tail-titmoufc), Ljiiel, or Pfanmi-fui''' foufe), Bcrg-vtaife (nioun- Uitmoufe) : in PoUlh, &• to fuppoie it a difti"'^ lull Zoologv obferve, that Ithc form of its bill, \vl>i^'> ice, and by other minute r7S3 THBT> ■■'■ ;. s '' :\ ... 1 , If H'.. ,1 ^^^ .;4..:; .it' > ij.iii'. ', .;.ii . -! ? ■■.;.'!< ■.■* .J 'iM ■;■ I [ ■ p 't r '' '«i 1- r'r?i li 'f ■ t ■-'' f* ( , ] ' ' ■ t i' ' V, THE LONG-TAILED TTTMOI^SE. 433 bf the titmice: its bill is (hort, yet pretty ftrong : its chief refidence is in the woods ; it is aftive and reftlefs) fluttering inceflfantly from bufli to bu(h, from fhrub to fhrub; running among the branches^ hanging by the feet ; lives in fociety, attending to the call of its compa* nions; feeds on caterpillars, flies, and other infedls, fometimes feeds ; crops the buds from the trees; lays a great many eggs: in fine, according to the moft accurate obfervations, it has the principal exterior charafters of the tit- mice ; and, what is more decifive, it has their habits and oeconomy. Nor is the long tapered jtail entirely difl:inft from thofe of all the other titmice, fmce thofe of the bearded and penduline [kinds are fomewhat of the fame form. With regard to th6 mode of conftru£ting its left, it follows a middle plan between that 3f the ox-eye and colemoufe and that of the penduline titmoufe. It does not conceal it in le hole of a tree, which would be ill adapted Dr its long tail , and it feldom or never hangs it a flender ftring ; but it fixes it firmly in -'■:■ '■V,, .. ' .. '■ -S'ifc iiil'i .■' ■'ill ■I * ' ■- . *!"■ ; ' ^.■;■fc^.| ■i-i-dr-i J ■■'■''}i . •■_.;■;.;■■■ ■'-'''Mr ,. .■ ■■■> • plogies : but there is evidently a wide difference between ilirlke and the Idng-tailed titmoufe. I am furprifed that ne nomenclator has not ranged the latter among the hcilla^ where it would have made a figure, its long 1 vibrating brifltly and repeatedly up and down. IV0L.V. Ff ^ \ke : if r*:, i 1 • 1' ? I i m\& t!-i *• ■■ .' h\ ; ■. ,■ , ; ll^r: 4 |Pr 'i' ^ 1 , F 1*' i^:^-;,:\! i;. i I '*•: THE LONG.TAILED TITMOUSE. the branches of (hrtibs, three or four feet from the ground ; works it into an oval, and almoft cylindrical form ; clofes it above, leaving only an aperture of an inch in the fide, and often makes two oppofite holes, to avoid the inconvenience of turning*; a precaution the more ufeful, as the tail quills are eafily de* tached, and drop with the flighted ruffling f. The neft differs from that of the penduline tit- moufe in other circumftances alfo : it is larger|, of a more cylindrical form ; its texture is not fo clofe ; its little aperture has feldom the pro- tuberant brim § ; its outer coat confifts of ftalks of herbs, mofs, lichens, and, in fhort, of the coarfer materials ; and the infide is lined with a great deal of feathers, and not with that cotton which the willows and other plants furniih the penduline titmoufe. The long-tail titmoufe lays ten or fourteen eggs, and even as many as twenty, concealed i almoft entirely beneath the feathers colleded in the bottom of the neft; thefe eggs are of thefize of a hazel nut, their greateft diameter being fix j lines ; they are furrounded by a reddifli zone I * Frifch and Rzaczynflcl. f Hence it lias been called hfe-tail (perd-fa-queuc). $ I meafured one of thefe nells, which was ciglit inckil high, and four wide. 5 Cajctan Monti and Daniel Titius, compared together. THE LOliTG-TAILED TITMOUSE. 43$ on a gray ground, \vhich grows more dilute at the thick end. The young continue with the parents through the whole winter, and hence the fmall flocks of twelve or fifteen feen during that feafon. They utter a ftnall fhrill cry^ only as a call ; but in the Tpring they acquire a new modula- tion, which makes it much more pleafant*. Ariftotle aiTures us, that thefe birds prefer the mountains. Belon fays, that he obferved them in all countries ; and Belon had travelled : he adds, that they feldom leave the woods to vifit the gardens. Willughby informs us, that in England they frequent the gardens more than the mountains : Hebert aflferts the fame, but te- ftrifts it to the winter feafon. According to Gefner, they appear during cold weather only, and haunt the marfhes; whence their name reed titmice, Daubenton, the younger, I has feen flights of them in the king's garden, [about the end of December; and has informed * " It fings fo pleafantl^ in the fpring,*' fays Belon, " that fcarce any bird has a voice fo lofty and airy." Gefner (Terts that, in this feafon, the long-tailed titmoufe utters iickeg, guickeg : this feems not to be the phafatit fang hich Belon mentions. Others fay that this titmoufe has feeble voice, and a little fhrill cry, //, //, /r, ti ; but this certainly not the warble heard in fpring. F f 3 me, 1i if :.; Ji;':'* 43^ THE LONG-TAILED TITMOUSE. '^mi p-fi'il- tf^ ^: ill: 1 '^''^ I* ■ .■ i ' *. I. ■ '1 4: life 1'5- me, that they are frequent in the woods of Bou- logne. Laftly, fome maintain that they conti- nue through the winter; others, that they mi- grate ; and others, that they arrive later than the other titmice, and have therefore been called /now titmice, Thefe oppofite ftatements may be reconciled, by fuppofmg, what is at the fame time very probaWe,. that thefe birds vary their range c-ccording to circumftances j that they remain when their fituation is com- fortable, and change when they want a better; that they inhabit the mountain or the vale, the ^ank or the marfh, the foreft or the vineyard, or wherever they can enjoy convenience and fubfiftence. They are feldom caught in traps, and their flefli is unpleafant food. Their feathers are loofe, and refembleavery long down ; they have a fort of black eyebrows, and the upper eyelids of an orange yellow, but this colour is hardly vifible in dried fubjeds; the upper fide of the head, the throat, and all the under fide of the body, white, fliadcd with blackifh on the breaft, and fometimes tinged with red on the belly, the loins, and under the tail: the back of the neck is black, whence | rifes a bar of the fame colour, which ftretches j tlirough the whole of the upper part of the I body between two broad bars of baftard red; I , i . . the iTMOtJS!:. be woods of Bou- 1 that they conti- ers, that they mi- ' arrive later than e therefore been )ppo(ite ftatements )ofing, what is at •e^ that thefe birds to circumftances ; r fituation i& cora- :hey want a better; aiti or the vale, the eft or the vineyard, Y convenience and om caught in traps, i food, andrefembleavery t of black eyebrows, an orange yellow, ble in dried fubjefts; th€ throat, and all white, fliadcd with d fometimes tinged lloins, and under the ■k is black, whence Jour, which ftretches e upper part of the ,ar8 (rfbaftardred;! the I THE LONG-TAILED TITMOUSE. 43^ the tall black, edged with white ; the fore part of the wing black and white ; the great quills blackilh; fo are the middle ones, but edged with white, except thofe next the body, which are of the fame rufous with the black ; the ground of the feathers deep cinereous j the iris gray ; the bill black, but gray at the point ; and the legs blackifh. The white bar on the crown of the head Spreads more or lefs, and fometimes incroaches fo much on the lateral black bars, that the head appears entirely white. In fome fubjeds, the under fide of the body is all white ; fuch were thofe feen by Belon, and fome that I have obferyed myfelf. In females, the lateral bars pf the head are only blackifli, or even varie- gated with black and white, and the colours of the plumage are not well defined or contrafted. The bird is hardly larger than the gold-crefted ^vren ; it weighs about one hundred and four- teen grains. As its feathers are almod always bridled, it appears rather thicker than in reality. Total length, five inches and two-thirds ; the bill, three lines and a half, thicker than that of the blue tltmoufe, the upper mandible a little hooked ; the tongue rather broader than in that hird, and terminated with filaments ; the ta'fus, fcveu lines and a half; the hind nail the F f 3 ftrong- mm '■■■'■ .A<- Y* :■ '"\. 'm ■mw^ I' ivmi '^ 7'^ ri. ;" ;j ■ ^ ^ Mil 43» THE LONG-TAILED TITMOUSE. ftrongcft ; the alar extent, fix inches and a half J the tail, three lines and a half, confifting of twelve unequal quills, and irregularly ta- pered, increafing conftantly in length from the outermod which is eighteen lines to the fifth which is forty-two, or thereabouts ; the interme- diate pair only thirty-^nine at moil, and hardly equal to the fourth : the tail exceeds the wings About two inches and a half. Its inteftinal tube, four inches ; only a flight trace of a cctcum ; the gizzard mufcular, and con- tained portions of infedts and vegetables, a bit of a n^t, but ^0 pebbles. [A] [A] Specific chara£ler of the Long-tailed Titmoufe, Pa. fvs Caudatus : " Its top is hoary, its tail longer than its f bodv, its head bearded,'* THI C 439 3 T HE CAPE TITMOUSE. i."" I ■ ...^ j ^: ■:'■ 1 '■' Lc Petit Dcujl, Buf. Parus Capenfis, GmfL THIS little titmoufe was brought from tlic Cape of Good Hope by Sonnerat, who publiftied a defcription of it in the Journal de Pbyfyue. Its plumage isblack, gray, and white; the head, the neck, the upper and under fides of the body, light cinereous gray ; the quills of the wings black, edged with white ; the tail black above, and white below; the iris, the bill, and the legs black. This bird refembles thofe precedi'ig, parti- cularly the long-tailed titmoufe, in the manner itconftrudts its neft; which it places in the thlckeft bufhes, but not at the extremity of the branches, as fome naturalifts have fuppofed. The cock aflifts the hen in building ; he ftrikes his wings forcibly againft the fides of the neft, and compadts it into the form of an elongated ball; the aperture is in the fide; the eggs in I the centre, where they are fafeft and warmeft. Ff 4 So ;,;.;■ sj ',:■■: I,-: ',.1 ■;'». '1 ■!' 'it' ■I: ■ ■ ■ 'ill 1 .(*, ' \ '''[^y ''■' . :;i;!:n;.'ii-H; IWV i.|", *V' ,!' i m^^- i. 'i-tt, '|>i. (' Lip"' vZ ' V>\Kt. i> WH\ 7 'mM] i •* K IS ?' '•'< ' i 1 Mil'ii^ i 44« THE CAPE TITMOUSE, So far the conftrudion agrees with the long, tailed titmoufe: but there is befides a fmall compartment where the male lodges during the incubation. [A] [A] Specific cliarafter of the Parus Caperifts : " It Is •* of a dilute cinereous gray ; its wing quills black, edged " with wlute i its tail black abovC) and white below." '»-ri>. .r\ » •■' • ' [ t » THE "ar.i.i*"4i- *T<'J I O U S E» s with the long, befides a fmall e lodges during rus Cnpenfis: « It is g quill3 black, edged ad white below." C 44t 3 THE SIBERIAN TITMOUSE. La MeAinge u Celnture BlancliC} Buff, Parus Sibericus, Gtnel. WE faw this bird in M. Maudult's cabi- net; but we are unacquainted with its hiftory. Muller makes no mention of it, and perhaps it is not found in Denmark, though it was fent from Siberia. On the throat and the fore part of the neck is a black mark, which defcends on the breaft, accompanied on each fide with a white bar, which rifes from the corners of the mouth, paffes below the eye, and defcends fp reading as far as the wings, and extends, on each fide, on the breaft, where it aflumes a cinereous hue, and forms a broad cindure : all the reft of the under fide of the body is rufty gray; fo is the upper fule, but deeper; the upper part of the head and neck, brown gray ; the fuperior coverts of the wings, their quills, and thofe of the tail, afh brown : the quills of the wings, and the outer quill of the tail, edged with rufous gray; the bill and legs, Iblackifh. Total \Hm '^^'ff.. u- 4^i THE SIBERIAN TITMOUSE. Total length, five inches ; bill, fix lines ; the tarfuSy feven lines; the tail twenty-two lines, and exceeds the wings fifteen lines: it is a little tapered, in which refpedl ttiis fpecics re> fembles more the bearded, the penduline, and the long-tailed titmice, than the others, in all which it is a little forked. tl ••1 f-BIiH-* i:\ -J-- ■*;»■.; Lt5-i •■»J T US I 443 3 THE CRESTED TITMOUSE*. La Mefange HuppeCj Buff". Parus Criftatus, jIU the Naturalijt. The Juniper Titmoufe, CAar/if 0/1. • '* , ' " IT has a handfome blacl. and white creft, which rifes eight or ten lines en the head, and whofe feathers taper with an elegant re- gularity. The bird is alfo naturally perfumed, and exhales the fcents of the junipers and other refinous trees and fhrubs, among which it aU mod conftantiy lodges t. And thefe advantages, which feem appropriated to the luxury of fo- ciety, are enjoyed in the wildeft folitude ; not fo completely, perhaps, but furely in more tran- Iquillity. Forefts and heaths, efpecially thofe I abounding with junipers and firs, are its fa- JO..'. • In German, Schopf-meife (tufted tltmoufe), Haubettm \nttl( (capped titmoufe), Heiden-tntifsUn (heath titmoufe), Y^'^tifi-nuifslin (ftrutting titmoufe), Kopj-meife (head tit- liAoufe): in Swedifti, Toft-tnu/faf Tefs-titat Mejbatt : in Tolifli, Sikora-czubata. t Charleton^ vourite '>!' ■•'1 "^ '• ■,'.■« !:«■,.! 444 THE CRESTED TITMOUSE. Pill mm vourlte haunts : there it lives fequeftered, and iliiins the company of all other birds, even thofe of its own fpecies *. It is equally beyond the reach of man : its retreat and its caution fav« k from the fowler's fnares. It is feldom caught in traps ; and, if furprifed, it will refufe food, and, fpurning every fpothing attention, will expire in confinement. Hence it is little known : we learn only that, in its congenial folitude, it feeds upon the infedts which it catches as they fly about the trees ; and that it has the chief chara^er of the titmice, great ft,* cundity. . Of all the French provinces, Normandy is that where it is moil common. It is unknown, fays Salerne, both in Orleanois, and in the neighbourhood of Paris. Bel on makes no meH"^ tion of it, nor Olina ; and Aldrovandus would feem to have never feen it : fo that Sweden, on the one fide, and the north of France on the other, are the limits of its excurfions. * This is the opinion of Frifch, corroborated by tliai of the Vifcount tic Querhoent. Yet I mufl; own, that, ac- cording to Rzaczynfki, the crefled titmice go in flocks ; but his authority will not outweigh that of the other two ob- fervers. Rzaczynfki adds, that, in autumn, piany of theft j birds are caught in the mountains. | h TMOUSE. fequeftered, and Dther birds, even is equally beyond I and its caution res. It 18 Seldom ifed, it will refufe nothing attention, Hence it is little t, in its congenial j'infeds which it trees ; and that it ,e titmice, great ft- nces, Normandy is on. It is unknown, 2anois, and in the ;lon makes no men. Mdrovandus would t : fo that Sweden, i-th of France on the ixcurfions. h, corroborated by tU fet I muft own, that, ac 1 titmice go in flocks-, but hat of the other two o • ! n autumn, piany of ilie« 'rat CtLtSttp tlf MOt^SE. 44$ Its throat is black, its face white, and alfb its cheeks, on which the white is framed in a flender black collar, which rifes from the two fides of the black mark on the throat, and mounts in a curve to the back df the head: there is a black vertical bar behind the eye ; the under fide of the body, whitiih ; the flanks, light rufous ; the upper fide of the body, rufous gray; the ground of the feathers, black j the quills of the tail gray, and thofe of the wings brown ; all of them edged with rufous gray, except the great ones of the quills, which are partly dirty white; the bill blackifti, and the legs lead coloured. Willughby perceived a greenlih tinge on the back, and on the outer edge of the quills of the tail and of the wings : Charleton faw a limilar tinge on the feathers that com- pofe the creft ; probably thefe feathers have different reflections, or vary flightly from age, fex, &c. This bird weighed about the third of an ounce, and was hardly larger than the long- tailed titmoufe. Total length, four inches and three quar- ters ; the bill, live lines and a half; the tongue terminated by four filaments ; the tarfuSy eight I lines; the hind nail the ftrongeft; the alar 5 extent. I . , , ■■ tit . ; I ^ lit' ■).• r' , ' p.i::. ' s '^ ■'■■ '■ ;..iiH«i III ' , .li . - ,. 'J' |» - .?..!.:■. "iy ^}^, :bj!, t«i' 446 THE CRESTED TITMOUSE. extent) (even inches and a half; tlie vi'i^ compofed of eighteen quills ; the tail about tv;cnty-two lines, a little forked, and com- pofed of twelve quills ; it exceeds the wings ten lines. [A] [A] Specific chnrader of the Crcftcd Titmoufc, ?-»« CrijUitus : " Its head is creftcd } its collar black ; its bdljr white." its egg is whitilh rufuus, with fuuU rcJJlUi fpots. 1 '-'iM IA:- § ^ >■ " U ♦k^. r*1^1 , fB^r, ■ rORF.ICAj 4 i ' Si* C 447 ] FOREIGN BIRDS WHICH ARE RELATED TO THE TITMICE. I. THE CRESTED TITMOUSE OF CAROLINA. La Mcfiingc Huppec dc la Caroline, BtiJ'. Parus Bicolur, JJum. l*f Chnel. Farus Caroliiiunfis Cridatus, lirijf. The Crellcd Titmoufc, Catijby. The Toupct Titmoufc, Pern. isT Lath. ''PHE creft of this foreign bird is not per- A manent, but only rifes and tapers to a point (luring a fit of paflion ; ordinarily its feathers recline flat on the head. This bird inhabits, breeds, and continues [during the whole year in Carolina, Virginia; and probably it occurs alfo in Greenland *, fmce Muller has inferted it in his Danifti Zoo- logy. It lives in the forefts, and, like all the [other titmice, it feeds on infe(5ls : it is larger *han the preceding fpecies, and differently pro- * The Grccnlandcrs call it Auingurfah. portioned ; f^ ' ^^#4' ..?.'«! ,^ '» ..' ■ M i _ 1 1 , ■J' n , -I '•'.8' ••..'•' ;T''.i.*'r, j ^ t' 'W'r::: ' ¥ J 44^ FOREIGN BIRbS WHICH ARE ■f' i't' » ■ < ; ■t ^1' > -A h: pv.. portioned ; for its bill is fhorter, and its tail longer : it weighs about four gros : its plumage is pretty uniform : its forehead is encircled ■with a fort of black fillet : the reft of the up- per fide of the head and of the body, and even the quills of the tail and of the wings, are deep gray : the under fide of the body is white, mixed with a flight tinge of red, which be- comes more perceptible on the inferior coverts of the wings ; the bill is black, and the legs lead coloured. Ths female is exadly like the male. Total length, about fix inches ; the bill, five lines and an half; the iarjus^ eight lines and an half ; the hind nail ftrongeft ; the tail two inches and an half, confifting of twelve quills; and it exceeds the wings about fixteea lines. [A] [A3 Specific charafter of the Panis BIcolor : " Its head is crefted, and black before ; its body cinereous •, below tawny whitifh." It inhabits the forefts in Virginia and tli« CaToIinas : its flight is fwift i its note feeble. II. THE RELATED TO THE TITMICE. II. . THE COLLARED TITMOUSE. 449 I ;»; ■ ■ ,n.'-, .J" ^-iV-"! 1 : ■ ■ l> Ml 1. '■''■•(..•. ,»■ ■- ,;>^ e the male, nches ; the bill, five f, eight lines and an igeft ; the tail two ig of twelve quills; )ut fixteea lines. [A] ■>arus Bicokr : " Its head . body cinereous •, below jrefts in Virginia and the lote feeble. La Mefange a Collier, Btif. Parus Carollnenfis Torquatus, Brljf. The Hooded Titmoufc, Catejhy. IT appears to have a black hood fet a little back on its yellow head, the fore part being uncovered : the throat too has a yellow mark, below which is a black collar : all the reft of the under fide of the body is alfo yel- low, and all the upper fide olive : the bill is black, and the legs brown. The bird is nearly the fize of the chaffinch. It inhabits Caro- lina. Total length, five inches ; the bill, fix lines ; the iarfus, nine lines ; the tail twenty-one lines, a little forked, pmu exceeds the wings ten lines. i-- k (it 'I ;^ ■ ! . ' I, -v. ill :*M-': Vol. V. Gg III. THE Irfi'ri-: ,11 ' »;1 ; !.*■ 4."o FOREIGN BIRDS WHICH ARE ■t-l SI-''''-' t4 ' .* . III. THE YELLOW RUMP TITMOUSE. La IMtf;ingo a Croupion Jaunc, BuJ^. Parus Virginianus, Litin. Gmel. Brijf. I.ufclnia Uropygio Luteo, Klein. 'I he Yv'Iiow Rump, Catcpy. '1 he Virginian Titmoufe, Penn. £r* Laih. IT creeps on the trees like the woodpeckers, favs CalcPoy ; and, hke them, it commonly feeds upon infects : its bill is blacklfli ; its legs brown ; its throat, and all the under fide of its body, gray j its head, and all the upper fide of its body, as far as the end of the tail, including the wings and their coverts, of a greenifli brown, excepting always the rump, which is yellow. This yellow rump is the only beauty of the bird, and what alone interrupts the infipid uni- formity of its plumage. The female refem- bles the male : both are nearly as large as the chaffinch, and were obfcrved in Virginia by Catcfl:)y. Total length, about five inches ; the bill, five lines ; the taijiis^ eight lines ; the tail twenty- one lines, a little forked, confifling of twelve quilL^ Oi which the intermediate ones are a 1 little :h are RELATED TO THE TITMICE. 4St TITMOUSK. h B'if lel. Brif kin. enn. b* Laih. e the woodpeckers, em, it commonly is blackidi ; its legs le under fide of b ai the upper fide of .f the tail, including of ag^eenift^bro^A•n, ,, which is yello\v. only beauty of tlie |upts the infipid uni- I'he female refem- ;arly as large as tk ■ved in Virginia by inches -, the bill, five |cs ; the tall twenty- confining of twelve Irniediate ones are a li little fhorter than the lateral ones, and it exceeds the wings about ten lines. [A] [A] Specific chara£ler of the Parus Virghuamn : " Itg rump is yellow ; its body cinereous." IV. THE YELLOW-THROATED GRAY TITMOUSE. La Mefange Grife a Gorge Jaune, BuJ^. Parus Carolinenfis Grifeus, BriJ/l The Yellow-throated Creeper, Catejliy NOT only the throat, but all the fore part of the neck, is of a line yellow ; and alfo on each fide of the head, or rather at the bafe of the upper m.ndible, is a fmall trace of that colour : the reft of the under fide of the body is white, with feme black ftreaks on the flanks : all the upper fide is of a handfome gray : a black baf covers the face, extends on the eyes, and de- fcends on both fides of the neck, accompany- ing the yellow mark of which I have fpoken j the wings are of a brown gray, and bear two Gg a white M ".U^-.-- '^^^■S A .,; . (■ ■": (i--f', 4S« FOREIGN BIRDS WHICH ARE If :. ii "U"...f' :i> '€'■'1. ' white fpots : the tail is black and white ; th;! l)i!l hlaclc, and the legs brown. The female has neither the fine yellow which fets off the plumage of the male, nor the black fpots which rife out of the other co- lours. This bird is common in Carolina. It weighs only two f^ros and an half; and yet Brillbn fuppofcs it as large as the ox-eye, which isieven or eight gros. Tc.tal length, five inches and one third j the bill, fix lines; the //7;y//j", eight lines and an half; the nails very long, the hind one ftrongcft; the tail twenty-fix lines, a little forked, con- fifting of twelve quills, and exceeds the wing} fourteen lines. V. THE GREAT BLUE TITMOUSE. La Grofle Mefangc Bleue, Bt/f. Parus-Cyanus, GhuI. Pariis Indicus, Ray b* TFiU. Parus Cxruleus Major, Brij: THE figure of this bird was communi- cated by the Marquis Fachinetto to Aldrovan- dus. It made a patt of the coloured drawings of RELATED TO THE TITMICK. 453 of birds, which certain travellers from Japan prefcnted to Pope Benedict: XIV. and which were fiifpedled by the fagacious naturalill VVil- lughby, as either imaginary or very inaccurate. But we fhall exadlly copy the defcription of Al- ilrovandus. Light blue predominates on all the upper part of this bird, and white on the under : a very deep blue is fpread on the quills of the tul, and of the wings : the iris is yellow : there is a black fpot behind the eyes : the tail is as long as the body, and the legs arc black and fmall, which is not the cafe in the titmoufc : befides, the defcription {hews a certain uni- formity different from the defign of nature, and which juftilies the fufpicions of Willughby. [A] /'^■• ,,• • ...•■ I Ird was communi. icttoto Aldrovan- [A] A h!rcl,anfvvcrlng nearly to Aldrovamlus's defcription, haslatcly been tlifcoverccl in the remote parts of RuHia, and dcfcribcd, in the Petcrlliurg Tranfaclions, by Pallas, Falck, and Lepecliin. We cannot do better than traufcribe Mr. Pennant's account of it. " AzuRR TiTMousK. With a very fliort and thick bill ; crown, and hind part of tjie head, of a hoary whitenefs ; the lower part of the laft bounded by a tranfverfe band of link blue ; che(.kH wliile, crofl'ed by a deep blue line, ex- tL'ndii;|^ beyond the eyes ; back, liglit blue •, rump, whitiOi; uiuler fule of the neck, bvcait, and belly of a fnowy \vhite- i;>.'lS with a fmgle duiky fpot on the breall : wings varied vith rich blue, dulky, and white ; tail rather long, of a i*lulky hue, tipped with white ; legs dufky blue." " Size of the Englith Blue Titmoufe. The plumage of G g 3 this 1 "V 454 FOREIGN BIRDS WHICH ARE V}^M if] ^iii ''. CI ^> tliis clfgant fptcies is extremely loofe, foft, and of mod m. quifitcly fine texture } and fo liable to be raifed, tliat wlicn the bird is fitting, but elpccially when it is afleep, it a|-. pears like a ball of feathers." " It inhabits, in great aban<1.uicc, the northern woods of Siberia and RufTia, and about Synbirik, in the government of K ifaii. It is a migratory bird, and appears in wiiitu convorfant about the houfesin Peteilburgh : it twitters like the common fparrow, but witli a lofter and fwccltr note, ' Arclic Zoologyf vol. ii. 426. VI. THE AMOROUS TITMOUSE . La Mefange Amoureufc, B'ljf- Parus Amatorii'.s, Ginel. Parus Eralles, Coviwerfoi:. CHINA alfohas its titmice : the prefcnt was brought by the Abbe Gallois from the cxtre- niity of Afia, and was fhewn to Commerron in J 769. I have been induced, by the account of this naturalill, to place it at the clofc of the lili of titmice, from which it manifeftly diflers, by the length and fhape of its bill. The epithet of amorous cxpreflcs the vvarmtli • Some have called it the Camncfs, on account cf ii- garb. cf RELATED TO THE TITMICE. pmfs^ on account of it- of Its conftitutlon : the male and female conti- nually carefs each other, at icall in the cage, where it is their folc occii))ation : tlicy even wear out their vigour ; and iF this lolaeement baniflies the gloom of confmemcnt, it alfo abridges the period of their life. Commerfon does not tell us if the fame ardour pervades their otlicr functions, and is difplaycd in the con- Ihudion of their nell, their incubation, Sic, and vvhellier their brood is as numerous as in the other titmice. In the ordinary courfe of nature the aflirmative is the nio(l probable, tliou|:li it may indeed be modified by climate, and peculiar inftindts. Their plumage is enlircly of a flaty black, which appears equally on the upper and under fide of the body, and the uniformity of which is only interrupted by a bar divided by yellow and rufous, placed longitudinally on the wing, and formed by the exterior border of fomc of the middle quills : this bar has three indent- ings, at its origin, near the middle of the wing, which confifts of fifteen or fixteen cpiills dif- fering little in length. The amorous titmoufe weighs three gros : it is of the fame fliape with the other titmice, and of a middle fize; but its tail is fliorter, and only live inches and a quarter j the bill eight lines, G cr 4. black ■*■ - :.#', .-, I . I; 4S<5 FOREIGN BIRDS WHICH ARE i'. iv. black at the bafe, and bright orange at the oppo- fite extremity ; the upper mandible exceeding a little the lower, and having its edges flightly in- dented near the tip ; the tongue fomewhat trun- cated at the end, as in the other titmice ; the tarJuSy eight lines ; the mid toe the longcil, ad- hcring by its lirft phalanx to the outer toe ; ihc nails forming a lemi-circle by their curvature, the hind one ftrongeft ; the alar extent, fevcn inches and an halfj the tail near two inches, a little forked, confifting of twelve quills : it ex- ceeds the wings more than an inch. [A] [A] Specific chara£ler of the Piiriis Amatontis : " It is tinged with flate colour ; a longitudinal fpot on the wings, divided by yellow and rufous." ■ il^i i ijlli "■.I't J ; ■'■'< - ■ The Black Tit mo u: <:, or the Parus Cch of Linnsus*, bears a ftriking refemblance to this fpecies ; lince the only difference in regard to colours is, that its bill is white, and there is a yellow fpot on the fuperior coverts of the tail. Linnaeus fays that it is found in the Indies; but he means the Weft Indies, for Dupratzi'aw it in Guiana. Notv.ithlUiading this, the wide * The Guiana Titmoufc of Latham. Specific clranc- ter : " It is black ; its bill white ; a yellov,' fpot on tlvc wings, and at the bafc of the tail." difference [CH ARE ange at the oppo, diblc cxcccdiii. a edges flightly in- le fomewhat trun- thcr titmice ; the »c the longcll, ad- hc outer toe ; the ' their curvature, dar extent, fcvcn lear two inches, a elve quills : it cx- inch. [A] rus Amatorius : " It is inal fpot on the wings, RELATED TO THE TITMICE. *57 JifTcrence of climate, we mud confider it as only a variety of the amorous titmoule of China ; but to be more decifive would require a knowledge of its fizc, proportions, and, above all, of its natural habits. ■«. ■ id:- . "i.i. !■ or the Piirus Cck ing refemblance to fference in regard hite, and there is coverts of the tail. d in the Indies; s, for Dupratziaw ing this, the wide ham. Specific clianc. a ycllov.' I'pot on the difference THE <.\vv . J^' I ■ ''Pi,,!.*.:/, ,/(V f ', V \ri....- P' i ' 'It!,' £k*' :;■. ■{ ;^i.r iaB'!>T^il'fili'''li>i XYl ''' ^ " " '1 1 { i-i S Z 458 3 THE NUTHATCH. T,;i Sitellc, /.'///. Sltta Euiopxa, Lifri. ^ Gme!. Parus Facie Pici, Klein Picus Subcoeruleus, Schwcnchf. Picas Ciiiereus, Gcfncr l:f Johnj!. Sitta, i?^/;', C/jfl;-/. Sihb, Frif. Brijf. ■ !,,""' !■•• ■ i -; .f- i-i" /•>;■' ,'l. ^ 0' :;,.■« : ■1 ',»!!?■"• : ■If- 1 ,■', ■ v,''..it!M ii' '»<«.■ ■! r- 460 THE NUTHATCH. ■: -i ' i- - K 1 J- w hard as nuts. But it is idle to aflert, that this Is what provokes the vengeance of the eagle*, as if a bird of prey needs inftigation to plunder and devour weaker birds. Though the nuthatch fpends a great part of its time in climbing or creeping upon trees, its motions are quicker and nimbler than thofe of the fparrow ; they are alfo fmoother and more connected, for it makes lefs noife in flying. It commonly lives in the woods, in the mod I'oli- t.iry manner ; yet if confined in a volery ^vith other birds, fparrows, for inftance, or finches, it will continue on good terms with them. In fpring, the male has a fong, or love-call, guinc\ gw'ricy often repeated. The female is long invited, it is fuid, before Ihe will yield to the folicitations ; but, when the union is ac- complifhed, both in concert labour in forming their neft. They fix it in the hole of a treetj and when they cannot find one that fuits them, they make an excavation with their bills, if the wood be worm-eaten : if the external aperture * Hi/I. j^fii/ii. lib. ix. I. Perhaps the clam'itoria or pre- J::l:iorui of Piiny is the fame bird : the name prohthltm might alhide to the ancient fables, with regard to the nut- hatch, and to its ufe in necromancy. See Nat, Hljl fib. X. 14. t Sometimes in the Iiole of a wall or of a roof, fays Linnaeus. be ;'» "i the clamitoria or j^rc- the name proh:l\tj\-M th regard to the init- incy. Sec Nat, U\jl- THE NUTKATCH. 4J5f be too large, they contrad it with fat earth, and fometimes with dirt, which they mould and fafhion, it is faid, as a potter would do his clay, and they ftrengthen it with fmall ftones ; and hence are derived the names mafon-woodpcckcr and wipe-pot^. From the appearance of the outllde of the neft, we could hardly fuppofe it lodged birds. The hen lays five, fix, or feven eggs of the ordinary Ihape, of a dirty white ground, and dotted with rufty; the bed is wood duft, mofs, &c. She hatches affiduouflyj and fo ardent is her attachment that (he will fufFer the feathers to be torn, rather than quit the nell. If it be rummaged with a ftick, Ihe bridles with rage, and hiffes like a ferpent, or rather like a tit- moufe in the fame fituation. Nor does fhe leave her eggs to feek food, but patiently expcds the return of the male, who affedionately brings fupply. They do not live altogether on ants, like the woodpeckers, but on caterpillars, beetles, gadflies, and all forts of infeds, and the various kinds of nutsf. The fiefh of the young ones * Torche-pot : this word comes from torche-poteicny which fignifies wipe-hole. t Ifed a female fix weeks with hemp-feed which other birds had dropped bruifed. It has indeed been remarked, that the nuthatch vifits the hemp-fields about the month of September. accord- rv •15^'-.»^ ' ' \ ' r::5tf' ' I*.' ' 1 , . *: •'■ ' ' .,.* A t*i: ' 'J '1 f- j;>^ ' !//!•! ■J^ K'i'l 'V" p .' "•' i. . V far. .1 '•' . f .'''':''* !• '• , ■■! rir-;,4 •^i; '■' ;.; ,,.;j; 111..,- .''■■if p'i ikWm Vii m rll ;l!«J.:i,'*y 1- i' "^' :?^ s :; -i 4<^2 THE N U T II A T C tt. accordingly, when they are fat, is excellent, and has not the wild tafte of the wood- peckers. The incubation is completed in May*; and after the young are reared, the parents feldom begin a fecond liatch, but diflblve their union, and live feparate during the winter. *' The peafants have obferved," fays Belon, *• that the cock beats the hen whenever he finds her after parting ; and hence it is become a proverb, that a perfon who keeps his wife in due order is like a nuthatch." But the condud: of the huf- band has no concern, I am confident, in the pre* fent cafe : the female, as fne is the laft to pair, is probably the firil in fcparating ; and when the male meets her after a long abfence, he loads her with carefTes, and gives vent to rap- j turous endearments, which inaccurate obfcrvers may mi flake for harfli ufage. The nuthatch is filent through the greatcfl part of the year ; its ordinary cry //, //, //, //', //", it\ tly w'hich it repeats as it fcrambles round tiie trees, and quickens the meafure more and more, Linn:cus aiferts from the teflimony of Strom, that it cries alfo during the night. Befides the different cries and the noife vvhicli * I faw fome neftlingj by the 1 0th, and I faw Come egg! not hatched by the I jtli. : c H. at, is excellent, of the wood- 1 in May*; and e parents feldom )lve their union, ^A^;nter. *' The Belon, " that the he finds her after me a proverb, that ■e in due order is ondua of the huf- nfident, in the pre- is the laft to pair, xrating ; and when i long abfence, he gives vent to rap- ■naccurate obfcrvers hrough the greateft ]y cry //, i^i ^'> ^'' ^'' fcrambles round the 'ure more and more, eftimony of Strom, night. , andthenoife^vl^lcltl oth,andHawfomccgg*| THE NUTHATCH. 4. J«. - ' i » r tail, are blueifh cinereous ; the throat and tlic? cheeks whitilh ; the breaft and the belly orange; the flanks, the thighs, and near the anus, of a deeper caft, inclined to chefnut ; the lower co- verts of the tail whitifli, edged with rufous, and extending five lines from the end of the tail: there is a black bar which rifes from the nof- trils, pafles ovjr the eyes, and extends behind the ears ; the great fuperior coverts, and the quills of the wings brown, edged with gray, "which is more or lefs intenfe ; the lateral quills of the tail black terminated with cinereous, the outermoft edged with white as far as the middle, and crofTed near the end with a fpot of the fame colour ; the three following marked with a white fpot on the infide ; the bill cinereous above, lighter belovvj the legs grayj the ground of the feathers blackifh cinereous. In the female the colours are fainter. I oh- ferved one on the third of May, of which all the under fide of the body, from the anus to the bafe of the neck, was unfeathered, as common in hen birds. Total length, fix inches ; the bill, ten lines, ftraight, a little inflated above and below ; the two mandibles nearly equal, and the upper one not fcallopedj the noftrils almoft round, half covered VARIETIES OF THE NtfTHATCH. 46; covered by fmall feathers, which fprout at the bottom of the bill, and run parallel to its aper- ture: the tongue is flat, and broader at the bafc. [A] I..' ^■■^ «;iM t«:. ' ?V ;, ;;^^ if'"' ' , , wt •; f. lit- > - ■ 1 - '•3;- f :• «i [A] Specific chrrailer of the Nuthatch or Nutjobbcr, Sittii Ettropita : '' Its tail quills are black, its four lateral ones white below the tip.' ,fi'v MMnli '••"■■iSi. Varieties of the NUTHATCH. THE chara(£ler of this genus of birds feems little affeded by the influence of various cli- mates. Its oeconomy and natural habits are ever the fame : the upper part always afh gray, the lower ftained with rufous, more or lefs dilute, and fometimes whitifli. The chief dif- ference confifl:s in the fize and proportions, and this does not conftantly refult from climate. After attentively comparing the foreign Nut* hatches with the European kinds, I am con- vinced that they are varieties of the fame fpecies. 1 except one only, which differs in many re- fpeftsj and, from the little curvature of its bill, feems to form the ihade between the nut- hatches and the creepers. VoL.V, Hh I. The 'ff-*,i i^,,j i;' / -1.: ■ V ., • I:;" ' .4iJ:,, r ml' B, .->aiK Sloniii', The ISmull Nuthatch, Caiejliy. fufiiciently t'~ '\ VARTKTIF.S OI- THE NUTHATClt. 4^9 »■!• mon nuth:itch : it clumbers both upwards and downwards: it continiicii the wIjoIc year in its native climate, Carolina. It weiglis four }i;rns anil three quarters : the upper fulo of the head aiul neck, is covered with a lort of black cowl, and tlie lateral quills of the tail are vailcj^arcd with black and white. In other rcfpcdls, it ; plumage is the lame witli that of the l\i»ropcaa niitliatch, but has rather more whitilli beneath llic; body. Total length, five inclicr. and a quarter; the 1)111, nine lines ; the tiirfus^ eight lines and a half; the mid toe nine lines, the hinrl nail the Itrongeil ; the tail nineteen lines, aiid docs not exceed the wings. VI. The LiTTLR BiiowN-iiRADr-.D Nut- hatch*. I need only add, that there is a whltilh fpot behind the head ; that the fupe- rior coverts of the wings are brown, and tliat the lateral quills of the tail arc of an uniioru) black. It is alfo much fmaller than the pre- ceding varieties ; and this circumllance, togc - iihcr with the obvious difference of plumage. '') ^• hi* I in .'■If I'i • s ?. .ft 470 VARIETIES OF THE NUTHATCH. fufficiently diftinguiflies it from Sloane's fecond ipecies of nuthatch, though Briflbn feems inclin- ed to confound them. It is only two gros : it continues the whole year in Carolina, where it lives on infeds, like the black-headed nut- hatch. Total length, four lin?s and one-third; the bill, feven lines; the tail fourteen lines, confifting of twelve equal quills, and hardly exceeds the wings. it^T FOREIGN ^: '•.;:'::::>;' t 47> 3 FOREIGN BIRDS HELATED TO THE NUTHATCH, q _>»„■ ••'. ,ffl t*''''\ f- ' A !'.r. I. THE GREAT HOOK-BILLED NUTHATCH. Sitta Major, Gmel. The Great Nuthatch, Lath. IT is the largefl: of the known nuthatches : its bill, though pretty ftraight, is inflated at the middle, and a little hooked at the end ; the nof- trlls are round ; the quills of the tail and of the wings edged with orange on a brown ground j the throat white ; the head and back gray ; the under fide of the body whitifh. Such are the principal properties of the bird. It was ob-» ferved by Sloane in Jamaica, Total length, about feven inches and a half; the bill, eight lines and one third; the upper mandible a little protuberant near the middle ; the mid toe, eight lines and one third; the alar extent, eleven inches and a Quarter; the tail about twenty-three lines, |ih^ 11, THE. i .-'4'.' -I 1 ■ ■■:a. ;'■(,„; l;>V|- ■ I'* ,1 . m .*■•: 472 FOREIGN BIRDS, &c. II. yi Hi ')! 111 P^i -S' If ■!] if- THE SPOTTED NUTHATCH, Lailj, La Sittelle Grivelee, Buf. Sitta Naevia, Gmel. The Wall-creeper of Surinam, Edw. THIS is another American nuthatch, with a hooked bill ; but differs from the preceding in fize, plumage, and climate : it inhabits Dutch Guiana. The upper fide of the head atv^ of the body of a dull afli colour ; the fupe ;o coverts of the wings, of the fame colour, but termi- nated with v;hite ; the throat white ; the bread and all the under fide of the body cinereous, and more dilute than the upper fide, with white ftreaks fcattered on the breaft and fideS) which forms a fort of fpeckling j the bill and legs brown. Total length, about fix inches ; the bill, an inch ; the tarfusy feven lines and a half; the mid toe, eight or nine lines, longer than the hind toe whofe nail is the ftrongeft j the tail, about eighteen lines, confifting of twelve nearly equal quills j exceeds the wings thirteen or four- teen lines. Tas i'i.- xn^m C 473 1 THE •r" .'W CREEPERS. Les Grimpereaux, Buff". WE have already treated of feveral creep- ing birds, the nuthatches and titmice : we (hall fee others in the fequel, fuch as the woodpeckers ; but the appellation of creepers is appropriated to the genus which we are now to confider. They creep very nimbly on trees, both inafcending and defcending; both on the upper and the under fide of the branches : they runfwiftly along beams, clafping the edge with their little feet. They are diftinguifhed from the woodpeckers by their bill and tongue; and from the titmice by the greater length of their bill ; and from the nuthatches by its more flen- der and hooked form ; and accordingly they do not ftrike the bark with it, like thefe other birds. Many foreign fpecies of creepers refemble much the humming birds; by their diminutive fize, by the rich colours of their plumage, by their (lender incurvated bill, only it is of a more lengthened and (harper form, while that of the humming 'Mr-: |jS|:.i; mm i^-t' ^u 'ic'"f]'.' M* : ,1 ■* iH':'' ■ m .1 It" r^ :'ti 474 THE CREEPERS. humming bird Is of an equal thicknefs through- out, or even flightly inflated at the tip ; the legs of the creepers are fhorter, their wings longer, and their tail contains twelve quills, though that of the humming birds has only ten : and, laftly, the tongue of the creepers is not, like that of the humming birds, compofed of two cylindri- cal half tubes, which, joined together, form aa entire tube, and is properly an organ of rcfpi- 1 ation, and more analogous to the feeler of an infe(ft than the tongue of a bird. The genus of creepers is alfo fpread through a wider extent than that of the humming birds. Thefe feem peculiar to the continent of Ame- rica, and feldom venture farther than the ibuthern parts of Canada; and at that latitude the breadth of the ocean Is too vaft to be tra- verfcd by a little infedt-blrd. But the creeper of Europe penetrating to Denmark, or even beyond, thofe of Afia and America probably advanced alfo to the north, fo that an eafy com- munication might be found from one continent to the. otiier. As the creepers live upon the fame Infeds \vilh the woodpeckers, the nuthatches, and the titmice, and cannot, from the defect of their bill, extradt the inledls lodged under the bark, they follow thofp birds, which they make their providersj THE CREEPERS. 47if providers, and dexteroufly fnatch the little prey. And fince infeds are their fole fubfift- ence, we may readily fuppofe that the fpecies are more prolific and varied in hot climates, where fuch provifion abounds, than in cold or temperate climates, which are lefs favourable to the multiplication of infedlg. This is an ob- fervation of Sonnerat, and it correfponds to fadts. It is a general remark, that the plumage of young birds is not fo bright as that of adults ; |)ut the difference is more flriking in the bril- liant tribes of the creepers, the humming birds, and other fmall birds that inhabit the immenfe forefts of America. Bajon informs us, that the colours of thefe are formed very gradually, and do not aQume their luftre till after a number of moultings. He adds, that the females are fmaller than the males, and inferior in beauty*. Whatever analogy fublifts between the creep- ers of the old ?ind of the new continent, they are yet diftin<^ ; and I have no doubt but, in time, more important differences will be found both in their exterior appearance and in their natu- ralhabitsf. * Memoires pour ferv'ir k I'HiJloire de CayerifiPf p. 257. t In Senegal, according to Adanfon, there are many, ipecics of birds, of which the females are as brilliant as the THE ,'•' ■■ ■ , ''I'i. ■ Ww4 «|:t C 47(5 ] THE COMMON CREEPER, Le Grimpercau, Bi/J". Ccrthia Fnmiliaris, Li/i/i. Gmd. Mull. ^ Bruiu Certhms Minor, Frif. Falfiiiellus Arboieus Noflras, Klein. llpiila Cauda Rigul.i, Krnw. Ccrthia, mil. R,,y b* BrU/l* LITTLE animals are commonly the moft agile. The creeper is nearly as fmall as the crowned wren, and accordingly is perpetually in motion : but the Iccne of its adivlty is ex- tremely limited ; it never migrates, and its or- dinary abode is the hole of a tree. From this it emerges in pnrfuit of the infeds harhourcd in the bark and the mofs ; and there the femaic breeds and hatches t. Belon alTerts, and ahnoft all the naturalifts have repeated it, that the creeper has about twenty eggs ; but he certainly confounded it with the titmice. For my own ♦ In Greek, Ks^-Stoc, Kfffija, KffSioj-, Arifl. Hiji. An'wu lib. ix. 17. Ill Italian, Crzia dncrinay P'uihio Fiifru:^ RiWip'uhino: m German, liaum-lauff'tr (tree-runner), Rimk- llt'hcr (bark-climber), Hiriigrillc (brain-cricket) : in Uaiiill:, 3">vf Pikki'y L'lchcjlcn : in Swedilh, Kryparc f Frifch lays, that it defends itfelf floutly againft tk nuthatch, when invaded. il4 I ..« Av :^ THE COMMON CREEPER. 477 ;:,'l". r (tvec-runncv), Rinh:- rain-cricket); mDanill;, part, I am confident, both from my own ob- icivalions and thofe of many naturalifts*, that the hen generally lays only five eggs, and fel- doin or never above fevcn : they are cinereous, th points and ftrc"''" of a deeper colour, and V .. fliell is pretty haiu. It is obferved that the hatch is begun early in the fpring, which 13 very probable, fince the bird is neither obliged to conftrudl its neft nor to migrate. Frifch aflerts, that they fearch for infedls on walls ; but fince he was not acquainted with the real wall-creeper, and did not recognize it m Gefner's defcription, though diftindlly cha- racterifed, he probably confounded here the two fpccies, efpecially as the common creeper is rcclufe, and lives chiefly in the woods. One was brought to me in the month of January 1773, which had been (hot on an acacia in the king's garden ; but it was regarded as a cu- riofity, and the people who worked there the whole year told me that they very feldom faw thefe birds. Nor are they common in Bur- gundy or Italy f? though frequent in England J: they are found alfo in Germany, and as far a» * S'.ilcrne, Lottlnger, Ginnani. f Gerini. t Willughby. I;ea- lii % )tmm ■;'!'■ ■'■■ w. fc;^^ "4 ^ mi 478 THE COMMON CREEPER. Denmark, as I have already remarked. They have a weak cry, which is very fhriil and very common. They generally weigh five drachms Englifh, and appear larger than they really are, becaufe their feathers are not laid regularly upon one another, but briflled and diforderedi and they are alfo very long. The throat of the creeper is pure white,but ge- nerally affumes a rufty tint, which is always deeper on the flanks and ihe remote parts (fomctimes all the under fide of the body is white), the upper fide variegated with rufous, with white, and with blackifli ; and thefe colours vary in their bright- nefs and intenlity: the head is of a darker cad; the ring about the eyes, and the eyebrows, white i the rump rufous ; the quills of the wings brown, the three firll edged with gray, the fourteen following marked with a whitifli I'por, which forms on the wing a tranfvcrfc bar of the fame colour ; the three laft marked near the tip with a black fpot between two white ones: the bill is brown above, and whitifh below ; the legs gray; the ground of the feathers deep ci- nereous. Total length, five inches; the bill, eight lines, flender, hooked, contrading gradually, and terminating in a point : the throat is wide, fays Belon ; the noftrils very oblong, half co- vered m^ THE COMMON CREEPER. 47;) VereJ by a convex membrane, without any linall feathers ; the tongue pointed and cartila- ginous at the tip, (horter than the bill , the tarfus^ feven lines ; the mid toe feven lines and a half, the lateral toes adhering to the middle one by their firft phalanx ; the hind nail the ftrongeft, and even longer than its toe; the nails in general very long, hooked, and calculated for climbing; the alar extent, about feven inches; the tail twenty-four lines, according to BrifTon, and twenty-eight, according to Willughby : I have found it to be twenty-fix : it confifts of twelve tapered quills*, the longer ones laid over the fliorter, which makes the tail appear narrow ; they are all pointed at the tip, and the extremity of the fhaft is worn as in the wood- peckers; but being Icfs ftifFthan in thefe birds, it exceeds the wings twelve lines : the wings confill of feventeen quills; what is generally reckoned the firft, and which is very (hort, ought not to be reckoned among the quills. The eefophaguSf two inches ; the inteftines, fix J the gizzard mufcular, lined with a mem- brane which is not eafily detached, and con- tained portions of infeds, but not a fingle f:: n^s:i * Brlflbn, Willughby, and Linnseus reckon only ten quills ; but their fubjeds muft have been incomplete, f«r I wve counted twelve, as well as Pennant and Moehring. pebble 48o VARIETY or THE CREEPER. Im ■ ^ r^l: pebble or fragment of a (lone : there were flight traces of a avcunit but no gall bladder. [A] [A] Specific cliara£l:cr of the Common Creeper, Certhia Familiaris : " It is gray, below white } its wing quills brown, ten of them marked with a white fpot," It is found likewife in America. Variety of the CREEPER. The Great Creeper. It dificrs only in fize ; its cEconomy, its plumage, and its ftruc- ture are the fiime as in the common creeper: it feems however lefs fliy and cautious ; for Be- lon mentions the ordinary kind as difficult to catch; but Klein relates, that he once caught one of the great creepers running on a tree. THE ^^' ion Creeper, Certhia lite i its wing quills white fpot." It is It differs only In ige, and its ftruc- common creeper ; cautious; forBe- ind as difficult to JfJJfJ n&lTHE SMAtt CTRBBPEK FROM TfrE ISLE (iF ri?A2^CE . ■ ' 1 .?i 4'r'l ■'H.' P^ ,'■1. i m i' I'll" WW. I .1 J .1111 i'l .;:■{;! ,....•.'• ,:|[>| 482 THE V/ALL CREEPER. ■I, t Flies, ants, and particularly fpiders, are their iifual food. Belon fuppofed this (pedes peculiar to Au- vergne; but it occurs in Auftria, Silefia, Switzer- land, Poland, Lorraine, and particularly the part bordering on Germany, and even in England*, according to fome, though others regard it as at leafl: very rare. On the contrary, it is com- mon in Italy, near Bologna and Florence ; but much lefs frequent in Piedmont. It is chiefly in winter that thefe birds appear near dwellings ; and if we believe Belon, they are heard flying at a great diftance in the air. defcending from the mountains to lodge on the walls of cities. They keep fmgle,or at leaft by two and two, like moll birds that feed on infeds, and though folitary, they are neither weary nor melancholy: fo certain it is, that cheerfulnefs depends more on the original dif- pofition than on the enlivening influence of ibciety ! In the male, there h a black mark under the throat, which extends to the fore part of the neck, and diflinguilhes the fex : the upper fide of the head and body is of a pleafant alh co- * Edwards thinks, with Ray and Willughby, that i« never vifits England, at leait he never faw it there. . . lOUf; tHE WALL CREEPER. 483 lour, the under fide of a deeper caft; the fmall. fuperior coverts of the wings, rofe co- lour ; the great ones blackifh edged with rofe colour 9 the quills terminated with white, and bordered from their bafe to the middle with rofe colour, which grows more dilute, and almofl vanifhes on the quills neareft th body; the five firft marked on the infide with two fpots of white more or lefs pure, and the nine following with a fmgle fulvous fpot ; the fmall inferior coverts next the margin rofe coloured, the others blackifh ; the quills of the tail blackifii, the four mid ones tipt with dirty gray, and the two outer pairs with white ; the bill and legs black. In the female, the throat is whitifh. A fubject which I obferved had, under its throat, a broad mark of light gray, which defcended on the neck, and fent off a branch to each fide of the head. The female defcribed by Edwards was larger than the male defcribed by Briflbn. In general, this bird is of a fize between that of the blackbird and of the fparrow. Total length,. fix inches and two-thirds; ^he bill, fourteen lines j and fometimes twenty, ac* cording to Briflbn ; the tongue very pointed, broader at the bafe, terminated by two appen- dices J the iarfus, ten or twelve lines j the toes I i a * dif- 'v''^' .^::i M}r\ '■'K .4 ■^■;r' 'r-V * '■' i .il < ■"j,l. mi' u iv.r-i .1 i g Itb 4U THE WALL CREEPER. difpofed three before and one behind ; the mid one nine or ten lines, the hind one eleven ; and the chord of the arc formed by the nail alone is fix lines; in general all the nails are long, nar- row, and hooked; the alar extent, ten lines; the wings confift of twenty quills, according to Edwards, and of nineteen, according to Briffon; and both include the firft, which is very ihort, and ought not to be reckoned a quill ; the tail twenty-one lines, confifting of twelve quills nearly equal ; it exceeds the wings fix or feven lines. Belon pofitively afferts, that this bird has two toes before and two behind ; but he alfo fays, that the tail of the common creeper is fhort. The fource of both errors is the fame : that natu- ralifl confidered thefe birds as related to the woodpeckers, and he afcribed thofe charaders without examining narrowly. Analogy, which fo often conduds to great difcoveries, frequent- ly mifleads in the detail of obferyation. [A] [A] Specific charader of the Wall-creeper, -Certhii Muraria: " It is cinereous, with a fulvous fpot on the wings." t 'tsilf: FOREIGN '■'■' : * C 4«S 3 the mid en ; and alone is tng, nar- ;n lines; Drding to ) Briffon; ery Ihort, ; the tail Ive quills K or feven rd has two alfo fays, (hort. The that natu- ted to the charafters >gy, which i, frequent- n. [A] FOREIGN BIRDS OF THE ANCIENT CONTINENT, WHICH ARE RELATED TO THE CREEPERS. I SHALL term thefe birds Soui-mangas, the name which they receive in Madagafcar. After thefe, I Ihall range the birds of the new continent, which bear fome analogy to the creepers, but whofe habits and oeconomy are very different ; and I fhall prefer the Indian ap- pellation guit-guit^ as more exprellive than any abftra^fc artificial term. In general the creepers, and foui-m&ngas, have their bill proportionally longer than the guit-guits, and their plumage at lead as beautiful, and even equal to that of the moft brilliant of the humming birds. The co- lours are the fofteft, the richeft, the moft daz- zling ; all the tints of green, of blue, of orange, of red, of purple, heightened by the contraft Oi various (hades of brown and glofTy black. We cannot enough admire the glow of thefe colours, their fparkling luftre, their endlefs variety, even in the dried fpecimens which decorate our cabi- nets. Nature would feem to have formed the feathers of precious ftones ; of the ruby, of the emerald, the amethyft, and the topaz. How fnchanting, could we view the birds themfelves ! 113 their ■■■'■fc,;. .'; m : ■:,l.i,ri| _ !.'l i ill W' ■j,|';, I . ,1' "'!;■•'! 485 FOREIGN BIRDS WHICH ARE their plumage in all its freflinefs, animated by the breath of life, embelliflied by all that dazzles in the magic of the prifm, changing its re- fledions with each quick movement, and dart- ing new colours or new flames. To ftudy na- ture in her minute, as in her grand produdlons, we ought to contemplate her in the itate of freedom, before the hand of man has interfered. There are many foui-mangas living with the Dutch bird-catchers at the Cape of Good Hope: the only food offered is fugared water : the flies, which abound in that climate and torment Dutch deanlinefs, fupply the reft. Thefe birds are alert in feizing them, and none efcape that enter their volery. This additional food feems neceffary to their fupport : for they fooq die on board fhips, where there arc fewer in- fers. The Vifcount Qiierhoent, to whom we are indebted for thefe remarks, could never keep them alive above three weeks. % *# I. THE RELATED TO THE CREEPERS. 487 I. THE SOUI-MANGA. Certhi;a Soui-Manga, Gmel. Certhia Madagafcarenfis Violacea, 5r^ The Violet Creeper, Lath. THE head, the throat, and all the anterior part, are of a fine brilliant green, with a double collar of violet and chcfnut : but thefe colours are not uniform or permanent : the light which plays among the webs of the feathers changes inceflantly its fhades, from gold green to deep blue: on each fide, below the {houlder, there is a fpot of fine yellow : the breafl: is brown ; the reft of the under fide of the body, faint yellow ; the reft of the upper fide of the body, Sufky olive ; the great coverts and quills of the wings brown, edged with olive ; thofe of the tail black, edged with green, except the outermoft, which is partly brown gray : the following one is ter- minated with the fame colour : the bill and legs are black. The female is rather fmaller, and much Infe- rior in beauty : it is olive brown aboye, olive bordering on yellow below ; in other refpefts fimilar to the male, but inferior in luftre. It is nearly the fiz^ of the common wren, I i 4 Total ■* ■ f. ..11 I iiii( r'; Ifll X, m ■.';■! , . 4SI FOREIGN BIRDS WHICH ARE Total length, about four inches; the bill, nine lines *, the tarfus^ above fix lines ; the middle toe five lines and an half, larger than the hind one ; the alar extent, fix inches ; the tail fif- teen lines, confiding of twelve equal quills, and exceeds the wings feven or eight lines. I 11 .'r^ 404 FOREIGN BIRDS WHICH ARE (lead of green and yellow, on the breaft, it would have been almoft exaclly like the pre- ceding ; or, at leaft, it would have been more analogous than the collared foui-manga, which has not a fhade of purple in its plumage. I cannot conceive why BrifTon confiders the latter, and the purple creeper of Edwards, as precifely the faaie, only with different names. V. THE COLLAREt) SOUI-MANGA. Jr Soui-Manga a Collier, Buff". Certhia Chalybea, Linn, (s* Grjtef. Certhia Torquata Capitis Bon^e Spei, Brif. The Collared Creeper, Lath. * THIS fpecies, which comes from the Cape of Good Hope, bears fome analogy to that of the violet foui-manga : its head is likewife of a gold green, waving with rofe copper; and this gold green extends over the throat, the head, and all the upper fide of the body; it borders alfo the intermediate quills of the tail, * Briflbn, Liiinceus, Gmelin, and Latham agree to refer the Purple Indian Creeper of Edwards to this bird/ which RELATED TO THE CREEPER^: 495* •'t ^hich are of a gloffy black ; only it is not changeable on the fuperior coverts. The breaft is marked with red, as in the violet foui-manga, only confined to a narrower fpace, and not raifed fo high, and forming a fort of cindure whofe upper edge is contiguous to the collar of blue fteel colour, waving with green, and about a line in breadth : the reft of the un- der fide of the body is gray, with fome yel- low fpeckles on the top of the belly, and on the flanks: the quills of the wings are of a brown gray : the bill h blackifh, and the legs entirely black. The bird is nearly of the fize of the violet foui-manga, but differently pro- portioned. Total length, four inches and a half; the bill, ten lines; the tar/us, eight lines and a half; the mid toe fix lines, and nearly equal to the hind toe ; the alar extent, fix inches and a half; the tail eighteen lines, confifting of twelve equal quills, and exceeding the wings nine lines. The female, according to Briffon, differs from the male, the under fide of its body being of the fame colour with the upper fide, only there are yellow fpeckles on the flanks : according to others, it has alfo a red cindure, but which falls lower than in the male, and all its other colours are ■M^l Ilil-,:!' ilil I I ■'I 'lil Hi IIV.,, ■'t*^ m I ft' put'';',, ■. mo. .J '-,.'''': A9^ FOREIGN BIRDS WHICH ARE h ;•>.■■« are fainter : admitting this, we may regard as the female the foui-manga obferved at the Cape of Good Hope, by the Vifcount Quer- hoent, in January 1774. In that bird the throat was brown gray, variegated with green and blue; the breaft decorated with a flame- coloured cindure 5 the reft of the'under fide of the body, white gray ; the head and all the upper fide of the body brown gray, variegated with green on the back, and with blue at the origin of the tail ; the wings light brown, wliu a coat of gold yellow ; the quills of the tail, blackifli ; the bill and legs, black. The Vif- count fubjoins, that this bird fings prettily; that it lives on infers and the juices of flowers j but that its throat is fo narrow that it cannot fwalloW the larger common flies. Is it not then probable that this was a young bird, and that the true female of the foui-manga is the fame with Briffon's creeper from the Cape of Good Hope ■■■'■■, Vk'hich is uniformly of a brown gray, deeper above and lighter below, the colour which borders the tail and tlie wings? Their dimcn- fions alfo correfpond, and both are brought from the African promontory; but time and ob- fervation will afcertain the point. MW * Certlua Capenfis, Lvitu edit. xiii. Laftly, RELATED TO THE CREEPERS. 497 Laftly, we may reckon, as a female of this fpecies, or as one of its varieties, the Philippine creeper of Briflbn*, whofe plumage, uniform and without brilliancy, indicates a female, and the middle quills of whofe tail are edged with a fhining black, waving with gold green, like the quills of the tail of the collared foui-manga ; but, in this female, the refledions are much lefs bright : it is of a greenifh brown above, with a fulphur call below; the quills of the wings brown, edged with a lighter colour,* and the hiteral ones of the tail blackifli, terminated with dirty white. If the creepers of the Eaft Indies, like thofe of America, require feveral years to form their plumage, and if the rich colours be not aiTumed till after a number of moultings, we need not be furprifed that fo many varieties ave found. Total length, h/ur inches nine lines; the bill, an inch ; ihf iarfus^ fix lines and a half; the mid toe, five lines and a half ; the hind one -',■■■ J' ■ '1'' 'ih»; -ii :■""■::•/' virgin it Is ,;;^'i * Certhia Philippina, Linu. edit. xiii. (See art. Hi. the note.) I know not on what foundation Linnxus gives to this fpecies two long quills in the middle of the tail ; if he faw an individual fo formed, it mull have been a young one, or an old one in moult, or a female. But I am dif- pofcd to think that Linnoeus never faw tliis bird, fiuce he does not defcribe ir^ and adds notiang to what others have faid. Vol. V. Kk almoft ^\'. I "i,,, ," 4^8 FOREIGN BIRDS WHICH ARE almoft as long ; the alar extent, fix inches and a quarter; the tail fifteen lines, confifting of twelve equal quills, and prqjeding five line* beyond the wings. [A] [A] Specific chara£ler of the Certhia Chalybea : " It Ig of a glofl'y gveen, its bread red, a fteel-coloured bar be- fore." VI. WQ- THE PURPLE-BREASTED OLIVE SOUI-MANGA. Le Soui-manga Olive a Gorge Pourpre, Buff. Certhia Zeylonica, Linn, id" Gniel. Certhia Philippenfis Olivacea, Briff. The Ccylonefc Creeper, Lath. I'l'^ll THE moll: confpicuous colour of its plum- age is a deep and very brilliant violet, whicli fpreads below the neck, and on the throat : the reft of the under fide of its body is yellow; all the upper fide, including the fuperior coverts of the wings, of a dull olive, and the fame colour borders the quills of the tail and of the wings, and alfo their great coverts, of which brown RELATED TO THE CREEPERS. 499 brown is the prevailing colour; the bill is black, and the legs deep cinereous. Poivre brought this bird from the Philip- pines ; it is nearly of the fize of the common wren. Total length, four inches ; the bill, nine or ten lines ; the tar/us, fix lines ; the mid toe five lines ; the hind toe rather fhorter ; the alar ex- tent, fix inches; the tail fourteen lines, confift- ing of twelve equal quills, and exceeds the wings fix lines. [A] If the bill were not fhorter and the tail longer, I fliould regard the Madagafcar creeper of Briffon * as the female of the foui-manga of this article ; it is at lead an imperfed: or dege- nerated variety : all the upper part of the body, including the coverts of the wings, is of a dull olive green, but darkeft on the crown of tl 3 head, and the fame colour borders alfo the quills of the wings and of the tail : all thefe quills are brown ; the orbits are whitilh ; the [A] Specific cliarafter of the Certhla Zeylonica : " It has a green cap ; its back is ferruginous, its belly yellow, its throat and rump azure." * Certhia Olivacea, Linn. ^ Gmel, The Olive Creeper. Lath. Specific charadler : " It is olive, below brown, its orbits whitilh." K k 2 throat if. i mm :'ir' ■;! m 500 FOREIGN BIRDS WHICH ARE throat and the under fide of the body, dun gray ; the legs entirely brown : the bill is blackifli. It is nearly as large as the common creeper. Total length, four inches; the bill, fix or feven lines ; the tarfus^ feven lines ; the middle toe five lines and a half, and the hind one ra- ther fhorter ; the alar extent, fix inches and a half; the tail nineteen linesi confifting of twelve equal quills, and exceeds the wings ei^/it lines. There is a bird in the Philippine Iflands which may alfo be confidered as a variety of the fame fpecies-'- : tbe under fide of the body is of a pretty fhade of dun gray, and the upper fide yellowifli ; the bread darker : there is a deep vio- let bar, which rifes from the throat and defcends along the neck : the coverts of the wings arc of a fi:eel colour, and the fame borders the quills of the tail, the reft of which are blackifti ; the lateral ones are terminated with dirty white ; the quills of the wings, brown \ the bill ftrongcr than in the other creepers, and the tongue ter- minated by two threads, according to Linnxus; * Certliia Currucarla, Linn. \sf Gmel. Certlua Philippenfis Grifea, Brijf. The Gray Creeper, Lath. Specific character: " It is olive, below yellowifli, it» tail (juills equal." the ■ <*■.'. ''■e\*}« ' t. RELATED TO THE CREEPERS. 501 the bill and legs black : it is fmaller than the common creeper. Total length, four inches and two-thirds; the bill, nine lines ; the tarfus^ fix lines and a half; the mid toe, five lines and a half; the hind toe rather ihorter ; the alar extent, fix inches and a quarter; the tail fifteen lines, confiding of twelve equal quills, and projeding five lines be- yond the wings. * Laftly, we may reckon the little creeper from the Philippines as a fecondary variety of the preceding. It is always brown gray above, and yellow below ; it has a violet collar ; the quills of the wings are brown gray, like the upper fide of the body ; thofe of the tail arc deeper brown ; the two outermoft pairs are ter- minated with dirty white ; the bill and the legs are blackifh. This bird is much fmaller than the former, which it referables much in regard to plumage, and perhaps it is the leaft of all the foui-mangas known in the ancient conti- nent ; which aftbrds a prefumption that it is a young one. Total length, three inches and two-thirds; the bill, nine lines ; the tarfus^ fix lines ; the * Certhla Jugular! s, Linn. Isf Gmel. Certhia Philippenfis Minor, Brif. Specific charafter: " It is gray ifh, below yellow, its throat violet, the two outermoft quills of the tail tint with yellow." K k 3 mid '■ -,4 ' a: fl ! '.': II . 'I ••> ¥^ 502 FOREIGN BIRDS WHICH ARE mid toe four lines and a half; the hind one ratiicr fliortcr ; the alar extent, five inches and two-thirds ; the tail fifteen lines, confiding of twelve equal quills, and projeds five lines be- yond the wings. VII. THE ANGALA DIAN, Buff. CcrtliKi-Lotenia, Linn. i2f GnwI. Ccrthi.i M.uhigafcarcnfis Viridis, Brijf. Lotcii's Creeper, Lath. THIS bird has alfo a collar, a line and a half broad, and of a bright fcarlet ; the faiall fupc- rior covcrts of t'lie fame hue; the throat, the head, the ntck, all the upper fide of the body, and the middle coverts of the wings, of a bril- liant gold green : there is a flreak of glofs black between the nollril and the eye ; the breaft, the belly, arui a^l the under fide of the body, of the fame black, ?.:id alfo the quills of the tail and of the wing^' and the greater coverts of the wings : but thcle large coverts, and the quills of the tail, are bordered with gold green : the bill is black, and fo are the legs. [A] [A] Specific cliarader : " It is blue, with a gold red ftrip: rn irsbreaft j its ilraps black." Adanfon ■ ' .v. 'i RELATED TO THE CREEPERS. S03 Adanfon fufpeds tliat the l)Ird which l^riflbn confidcrs as the hen angala is only a young one of the fame fpccies before its hrll moulting. " This feems to appear," he fubjoins, " from the number of birds of this kind, and very linii- lar to it, which arc found at Sencg;il, and of which the females are exadiy like the males : but the young ones have a great intermixture of gray, which they lofc not till they drop their feathers* '" The angala is almofl: as large as the epicurean warbler : it gives its neit the fliape of a cup, like the canary and chaffinch, and fcarcely ufes any other materials than the down of plants. It lays generally five or fix eggs : but it is often driven from its hatch by a fort of large vora- cious fpider, which feizes the brood, and fucks the blood f* The bird which Briffon regards as a female, and Adanfon as a young one, is of a dirty white, * I doubt not that M. Adanfon faw at Senegal numbers of females like their males, fincc he avers it ; but we mufl not tlience draw any general rule for all the birds of Africa and of Afia : the gold pheafant of China, the peacock, many fpccies of turtles, of Ihrikes, of parrakcets, S:c. found in Africa, are proofs to the contrary. t Supplement de I'Encyclopedie, au mot /%./Aj. K k 4 intcrfperfed li I'll .■'.rj :,rV4 ■ i ■ IP,;- i^i' KM 1... ,M Ik e-^ 504 FOREIGN BIRDS WHICH ARE inteilpcrfcd with black fpots on the bread, and the reft of the under fide of the body, inftead of an uniform gloffy black ; and its wings and tail are alib of a lefs brilliant black. Total length, five inches and a quarter ; the bill, fourteen lines ; the tarfus^ eight lines ; the niiddle toe fix lines and a half, and larger than the hind one ; the alar extent, eight lines ; the tail nineteen lines, and confifting of twelve equal quills : it exceeds the wings fix or feven lines. JEi i If 3 ' VIII. THE IRIS SOUI- MANGA. Le Soui-Mariga de Toutcs Couleurs, Bttff^. Certhia Omnicolor, Li?in. ^Gmel. The Green-gold Creeper, Lath, OUR knowledge of this bird is veryfcanty: it conies fron\ Ceylon : its plumage is green, tinged with all the rich colours, among which that of gold feems to predominate. Seba fays* that its young often become the prey of large fpiuers ; a danger to which the angala alfo is liable, and even all the fmall birds that breed in . ■ - . . . . . climates l;r'.;;iiij^ RELATED TO THE CREEPERS. 505 climates inhabited by thofc formidable infcds, and have not (kill lufficicnt to guard tlic nclt from their intridions. If we judge from the figure which Scba has given, this ' 'rd is feven or eight inches in total length J its bill, about eigl>tee a lines; the tn;!j two inches -id a quarter : in fliort, it appears to be the lar^ s. of the foui-mangas. [Aj [A] Specific character of thcCerthia Omnkolor : " It is green, mixed with all forts of colours." IX. THE RED-BREASTED GREEN SOUI- MANGA. Le Soui-Manga Vert a Gorge Rouge, Buff. Certhia Afra, Linn.^Gnul. The Rcd-breafted Green Creeper, Edw. The African Creeper, Lath. SONNERAT, who brought this bird from the Cape of Good Hope, tells us that it fmgs as well as the nightingale, and that its voice is even fofter. Its throat is of a fine carmine ; its belly, white ; the head, the neck, and the aaterior part of the wings, of a fine gold green, and .1 \B IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 11.25 m 125 lit m mi 2.2 m m u >^ i. ■ 4.0 2.0 1.4 I IIIIJll 1.6 >,»• V ^."!»- ^^^■V •^* Hiotographic Sciences Corporation ^ \ r<\^ <> ^^<^. V 23 WIST MAIN STRUT WnSTIR,N.Y. MSM (716)S7?-4S03 6^ : ^' M^ i^ ^ 5o6 FOREIGN BIRDS WHICH ARE and filvery ; the rump, fky blue ; the wings and tail, fnufF brown ; the bill and legs, black. Total length, nearly four inches and two- thirds; the bill, an inch; the tail eighteen lines, and exceeds the wings about thirteen lines. [A] [A] Specific charafter of the Certhia Afra : " It is green, its belly white, its breaft and rump flcy blue." X. THE BLACK, WHITE, AND RED IN- DIAN CREEPER, OR SOUI-MANGA, Certhia Cruentata, Linn. i£f Gmel, Certhia Bengalenfis, Br'Jf' The Red-fpotted Creeper, Lath. THIS is the appellation which Edwards be- ftows on this bird, which is nearly of the fize of the crowned wren. The white is fpread on the throat, and all the lower part, without ex- ception ; the black, on the upper part : but on this dark ground, which is (lightly glofled with blue, there are fcattered four beautiful fpots of bright red ; the firft on the crown of the head, the fecond behind the neck, the third on the back, and the fourth on the fuperior coverts of the RELATED TO THE CREEPERS. 507 the tail. The quills of the tail and of the wings, the bill and the legs, are black. Total length, three inches and a quarter ; the bill, five or fix lines ; the tarfus, five lines ; the mid toe, four or five lines ; the hind toe ra- ther fhorter ; the tail about an inch, confid- ing of twelve equal quills, and exceeding the wings by five or fix lines. [A] [A] Specific charafter of the Certhia Cruetitata : " It is dark blue ; below white } its top, its neck, its back, and its rump, red." m ■ I'r' m m H [h the eyebrows white, and on the throat a fort of whitifli mark, which was larger than in the * Certhia Flaveola, var. i. Linn, iif Gmtl. Cenhia Martinicana, feu Saccharivora, Briji The Yellow-bellied Creeper, Ediv, above THE S U G A R-B I R D. 53t above female ; in all other refpeds it was ex- actly fimilar. Laftly, Linnxus regards the Bahama creeper of Briflbn as the fame with the fugar-birds of Martinico and Jamaica*. Its plumage is in- deed very fimilar ; all the upper fide is brown, including even the quills of the wings and of the tail J the latter are whitifli beneath; the throat is light yellow ; the anterior edge of the wings, their inferior coverts, and the reft of the under fide of the' body, of a deeper yellow as far as the lower belly, which is of the fame brown as the back. Further, this bird is larger than the other fugar-birds ; fo that it may be regarded as a variety of fize and even of cli- mate. The following are the dimenfions corn- pared : Bahama S^igar Bird. J amaica Sugar Bird, Inches. Lines. [nches. Lines. Total length ^ - - - 4 8 — 3 7 Do. not including the tail - 032 — 0 27 The bill ------ 0 6 — 0 6 The tarfuf - - - - - 0 6i- — 0 7 The middle toe - - - 0 54- — 0 6 The hind toe - - - - 0 5 and more 0 4 or 5 The alar extent - - - - 7 0 .^ unknown The tail confifting of 1 2 quills 2 0 — I 4 Its excef^ above the wings ^ 0 15 or 1 6 0 5 or $ * Certhia Flaveola, var. 2. Linn. ^5* Gmel. The Bahama Titmoufe, Catejby, The ii \ 53« THE SUGAR-BIRD. "* The name iufcinia, which Klein beftows on it, fhews that he regarded it as a finging bird ; another point of analogy to the Jamaica fugarr* bird. [A] c-.y-; -'T fA] SpeciBc charafter of.the Ctrthia Flavcola : ** It it black, below yellow 5 its eyebrows partly white ; it^ out- crmofl tail quills tipt with whitt." |IMO OP THE FIFTH V^UM«, tows on ig bird ; a fugaro a : « It it