^>. m ^ /2 // ■^ ^^^^■ ^ *»'.^ '^W V # -•V IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) 1.0 1^1^ 12.5 |5o '"''^■' IMI^H 2.2 I.I I 40 I 2.0 Photographic Sciences Corporation 1.25 |u J4 < 6" — ► ^ "t> A ^^' 23 WeST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 872-4S03 Ua CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques |v. \ N ■^. A >>M k <^. "^ 'ove, Ground Dove, Turtle Duck, Black or Surf Duck, Buffel-headed Duck, Golden-eye Duck, Pintail . Duck, Shoveller Dunk, Tufted . Eagle, Bald Eagle, Ring-tailed Eagle, Sea . Eagle, Washington's Eagle, White-headed Egret, Blue Falcon, Harlan's Falcon, Rough-legged Falcon, Winter . Finch, Purple . Finch, Savannah Finch, Seaside . Finch, Sharp-tailed Flamingo, Red , Flycatcher, Small-headed Flycatcher, Warbling . Carrot, Rocky Mountain PAOI . 218 . 187 . 465 . 467 . 476 • 489 . 480 . 475 . 90 . 308 90, 311 . 93 . 90 . 414 • 57 64 73 . 183 . 72 . 69 71 . 461 . 271 . 182 . 447 Vi CONTENTS. Godwit, Great Marbled God wit, Tell-tale Goosander Goosander, Female Goose, Canada . Goose, Snow Grouse, Ruffed . Grovae^ Sabine's . Hawk, American Sparrow Hawk, Ash-coloured Hawk, Black Hawk, Black-cap Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, Fish Hawk, Gos Hawk, Marsh Hawk, Mexican . Hawk, Night Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, SI ate- coloured Hawk, Swallow-tailed Heron, Exile Heron, Great Heron, Great White Heron, Green Heron, Little Heron, Louisiana Heron, Night Heron, Peal^s . Heron, Scapulary Heron, Snowy . Heron, Yellow- crowned Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Scarlet Ibis, White Ibis, Wood PAOE 328 352 483 488 468 493 251 256 52 . 287 290, 292 . 287 . 298 . 104 . 289 . 276 . 216 . 161 74, 294 . 283 . 211 . 216 . 278 . 395 . 444 . 403 . 395 . 395 . 428 . 399 . 404 . 395 . 417 . 442 . 456 . 458 . 459 . 455 Kestrel Lark, Brown Linnet, Gray-crowned Linnet, Mountain Magpie Magpie, Hudsonian Martin, Purple . Martin, Sand Oriole, Baltimore, Female Ortyx, Califomian Ortyx, Douglas's Ortyx, Painted . Osprey Owl, Bam . Owl, Barred Owl, Great Homed Owl, Hawk Owl, Little Owl, Long-eared Owl, Mexican Horned Owl, Red . Owl, Short-eared Owl, Snow . Owl, Tengmalrns Owl, White Owl, White Horned Oi/ster-catcher, Arctic, Black and White-footed Oyster-catcher, Pied Partridge . . Petrel, Bullock's . Petrel, Stormy . Pigeon, Carolina Pigeon, Passenger Pipit, Piping Plover, Black-bellied Plover, Golden . Plover, Kildeer . PAOI 04 . 185 . 3S 34 . 76 77 lfi3 141 295 225 225 225 104 267 58 ^59 273 66 281 281 180 63 47 67 267 261 430 429 224 387 386 187 195 185 337 367 370 CONTENTS. PAOI S4 . 18& . 35 . 34 76 77 153 141 295 225 225 225 104 267 58 259 273 66 281 281 180 63 47 67 267 261 Plover, Ring Plover, Ringed . Plover, Ruddy . Plover, Sanderling Puree , Quail . Rail . • • Rail, Clapper Rail^ Land . Rail, Virginian . Redpoll, Lesser . Redstart Sandpiper, Ash-coloured Sandpiper, Bartram's Sandpiper, Botigla^s Sandpiper, Little Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Red-backed Sandpiper, Red-breasted Sandpiper, Schinz's . Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Solitary . Sandpiper, Spotted Shoveller . Shoveller, Pink-eared . Sheerwater . Skimmer, Black . , Snipe . Snipe, Douglas's . Snipe, Drummond's Snipe, Red-breasted Snipe, Sabine's . Snipe, Semipalmated . paob . 360 . 122 . 426 . 364 . 336 . 224 . 232 . 410 . 233 . 406 . 33 . 214 . 332 . 358 . 322 . 124 . 321 . 320 . 339 . 321 . 426 349 355 480 480 381 381 221 221 221 341 246 323 Snipe, Yellow Shanks Spoonbill, Roseate Starling, European Starling, One-coloured Starling, Red-winged Swallow, Bank . Swallow, Barn Swallow, Chimney Swallow, Green-blue Swallow, White-bellies Swallow, Window Teal, Blue-winged Tern, Great Tern, Lesser Tern, Short-tailed Thrush, Hermit . Thrusy, Tawny . Turnstone . Warbler, Black-poll Warbler, Black-poll, Female Warbler, Blue Mountain Warbler, Blue Yellow-back Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Connecticut . Warbler, Hemlock Warbler, Pine Swamp \ Warbler, Yellow Red-poU . Warbler, Yellow-rump Whip-poor-will . Woodcock . Woodpeckers Woodpecker, Ivory-billed Woodpecker, Pileated Vll PAOE • 360 . 420 . SS . 28 • 2S . 141 . 126 . 143 . 138 • 138 . 138 491 372 376 379 190 192 328 32 307 209 6 305 160 210 194 7 215 169 246 8 8 19 !.//»,.. ^. mit^^ I I'lHtiliiiii I rifiirh;, :! tlhuk hit/.;/ , .7 'llii,- y,l/oM- /i,,,-h;;l II, ll\',/,;: l-y.-t/oH- /{,;/ I WILSON'S AMERICA]^ ORNITHOLOGY. YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO, (fefe OaroUnenA) PLATE XXV^III._FiG. 1. Ouculus Americanus, Linn Suif I7ft ^ 4 j. • r. No. 1778. n2.-Arct. Zool. 265, No. W5.~Peaie, Museum, COCCYZUS AMEJtICAJ^uS.-Bo^,^^nT^* A STRANGER who VlSlts the TlnJ* rl «Sfof«„ t xu ayatems. mason, and by this it should aland in our Jetng™ r",!hrsr u^r *' '"■; ™*°«' ** oths. French name Con c °nd ie Z, ? '"?""""' ^^ ^'^'"" "■"»«' *» .uide. Rename of io'^t^.S uZTrZlfV 'j/'f °'' the cuckooa chiefly in habit -biiiiaJr,,,? , ''^^- ^hey differ from young. North ALrica polesse 'nlv twT "''*' '"'' ^'^""^ *^^^ following, which are both Sltorv SaJT'.T. P''^'°* "°^ *^« " M '". Tr' P^^*« «^ *^--'^- conrent"^'^'^ ''''''' ^'^ ^'' VOL. II. • ^"^ *^'"^ "Migrations northward, they move A 2 YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO. he traverses the borders of deep, retired, high timbered hol- lows, an uncouth, guttural sound, or note, resembling the syllables, Icowe, kowe, koioe kmoe kowe, beginning slowly, but ending so rapidly, that the notes seem to run into each other ; and vice versa : he will hear this frequently, without being able to discover the bird or animal from which it proceeds, as it is both shy and solitary, seeking always the thickest foliage for concealment. This is the yellow-billed cuckoo, the subject of the present account. From the imitative sound of its note, it is known in many parts by the name of the cow-hird ; it is also called in Virginia the rain crmv, being observed to be most clamorous immediately before rain.' This species arrives in Pennsylvania, from the south, about the 22nd of April, and spreads over the country, as far at least as Lake Ontario ; is numerous in the Chickasaw and Chactaw nations ; and also breeds in the upper parts of singly ; but when removing again to a warmer latitude, they appear to be gregarious, flying high in the air, and in loose flocks. They appear to delight more in deep woody soUtudes than the true cuckoos, or those which approach nearest to the form of the European species. They, again, though often found near woods, and in richly clothed countries, are fond of open and extensive heaths or commons studded or fringed with brush and forest : here they may expect an abundant supply of the foster parent to their young. The gliding and turning motion when flying in a thicket, however, is similar to that of the American Coccyziis. Like them, also, they are seldom on the ground • but, when obliged to be near it, alight on some hiUock or twig, where they will continue for a considerable time, swinging round their body in a rather ludicrous manner, with lowered wings and expanded tail, and uttering a rather low, monotonous sound, resembUng the kme of our American bird, — Turning round and round with cutty-coo. When suddenly surprised or disturbed from their roost at night, they utter a short, tremulous whistle, three or four times repeated ; it is only on their first arrival, during the early part of incubation, when in search of a mate, that their well known and welcome note is heard ; by the first of July all is silent. The idea that the common cuckoo destroys eggs and young birds, like the American Coccyzus, is also entertained • I have never seen them do so, but the fact is affirmed by most country' persons, and many gamekeepers destroy them on this account.— Ed. YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO. Georgia : preferring, in all these places, the borders of «nl,>« sv^amps and apple orchards. It leaves us on TTf 7 ward, about the middle of September ' ' '''"'^ ^'"*^- The singular-I will not say unnatural-conduct of th« European cuckoo {Cv^ulus canorus), which neverclrf . a nest for itself, but drops its eggs in Zse72TTT of Heavea ha, ia.p„.ed aa a duty on t^ pit *i "uT remark, that the bird now before us hJC T ^ ^ hatches its own eg^, and rears Town y!' t ."r/? T proportionabletothatoftf b d While "f ""f "' ■" ''"^ ^^^ oC j;r iraTr sr^h ^r 'h^ H then precipitates herself to the irroiind fJl ■ , ' ""^ draw you awav from tl,,. 7 f ?. • ^"'"^ '"meness, to and tumblKr in thrm "T°",'™'''"= ''"^ »'"g«. cock, and n,:„y C specieT^B^'th „"' T '''"""' "•">"- vMin, food for L .onnru.rs.rCth::o;:;:;: 4 YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO. of caterpillars, particularly such as infest apple trees. The same insects constitute the chief part of their own sustenance. They are accused, and with some justice, of sucking the eggs of other birds, like the crow, the blue jay, and other pillagers. They also occasionally eat various kinds of berries. But, from the circumstance of destroying such numbers of very noxious larvBB, they prove themselves the friends of the farmer, and are highly deserving of his protection. The yellow-billed cuckoo is thirteen inches long, and sixteen inches in extent; the whole upper parts are of a dark, glossy drab, or what is usually called a quaker colour, with greenish silky reflections ; from this must, however, be excepted the inner vanes of the wings, which are bright reddish cinnamon ; the tail is long, composed of ten feathers, the two middle ones being of the same colour as the back, the others, which gradually shorten to the exterior ones, are black, largely tipt with white ; the two outer ones are scarcely half the length of the middle ones. The whole lower parts are pure white ; the feathers covering the thighs being large, like those of the hawk tribe ; the legs and feet are light blue, the toes placed two before and two behind, as in the rest of the genus. The bill is long, a little bent, very broad at the base, dusky black above, and yellow below ; the eye hazel, feathered close to the eyelid, which is yellow. The female differs little from the male ; the four middle tail-feathers in her are of the same uniform drab ; and the white, with which the others are tipt, not so pure as in the male. In examining this bird by dissection, the inner membrane of the gizzard, which in many other species is so hard and muscular, in this ir extremely lax and soft, capable of great distension ; and, what is remarkable, is covered with a growth of fine down, or hair, of a light fawn colour. It is difficult to ascertain the particular purpose which Nature intends by this excrescence ; perhaps it may serve to shield the tender parts from the irritating effects produced by the hairs of certain caterpillars, some of which are said to be almost equal to the sting of a nettle. BLACK.BILLED CVCKOO. BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO. (C7»«,?» e^ttrop««,.) PLATE XXVIII. -Fig. 2, PeaWa Museum, No, 1864. Boecjmt eiTthroplhiUmiu, Bmap. Symti. D 42 _T),. m w v,, j „ ^- Pi 32, „ J, J t.L?; S;f s^ 1 p.1?a •" ""'"""• This cackoo is nearly as nnmerous as the former, but has h.therto escaped the notice of European naturalists or from cedmg. Its par ,cu ar markings, however, and some of its habit, suffieientbr characterise it as a distinct species Its general colour above is nearly that of the formeHndininl more to a pale ash on the cheeks and front; it is ateuraf mch less ,n length ; the tail is of a uniform iark «% dmb except at he tip, where each feather is marked w h a '" t ttet'l' • '"Jti,,"''-'' "'* a slight touch of du black the b.ll ,s wholly black, and much smaller than that o the' P oedjng; and t wants the bright cinnamon on t e w „ls wH ktd,,r;Td "^ r .-'■•^^S-^'-ing trait is aT,™ Thew Y \t T^ '■''' °'''°"' """ »"'™™ds the eye The^ female d.ffers l.ttle in external appe .nee from X from its congeners and the trueTuIko ^ wAl I , f n"' 'f'^"^' insects, Audubon mentiona l.avin„ r J • f "" *° ^^^"« ^^^ water frog, which .rp,.rft": suS/zti'!"' ■■ *"'"'" " •'»"" "«" BLUE YELLOW-BACK WARBLER. that of the other ; but the eggs are smaller, iiBnally four or five in number, and of a rather deeper greenish blue. This bird is likewise found in the state of Georgia, and has not escaped the notice of Mr Abbot, who is satisfied of its being a distinct species from the preceding. BLUE YELLOW-BACK WAKBLER. {Sylvia pusilla.) PLATE XXVIII,— Fio. 3. Parus Americanui, Linn. Syat. 341.— Finch Creeper, Catesh. i. 64.— Za*' Bold of g^horfi>^'i^'"-ape^. *y*t*ttrj.mi,n.. /i-..^:*ai^ r..«^.^. ,^^,^^^ ,^ ^ _^ ^ -^-^r.w 29. i JVORY.BILLED WOODPECKER. hi« tribe; and Nature seems to have designed him a distin gm«ed characteristic in the superb carmifo cres and hi oi pohshed .vory wUh which she has ornamented him Hh; "^ ^^l'^^?^^:^t^^t^SZ ' f!^?.\-'^--ute species found to ran. in a fX'Z::::^^;;:^^ t^Sw^aLt^ ^"^ '' the title Picu^^iZnZ';;^^^^^^^^^ - *yP'-I. -de? of the red-headed woodpecC '^'' Colaptes; and ilfa^aco^^ 1^' Z^^tZTf^ p'' golden-wings, as Bpecies. Of these formT the^orthem mrt nf r'""'^"" ""^ ^"^^^" only three: two we have had occZ^^on^i ^ ^ . '"^^ ""^^ *=«"*'''" third forms the eubfecl of our a^^ ' ^^^ ^ *° T'*"'^ "P"'^'' ««d ^he powerful of the who^tribe;anVet;L?a^2^'^^^^^^^^ ">-' of the true woodpecker devdo^edtr^utL'st' ''^"^ "' ^"""""*^«« New ManTeZtTTS^^ h" '^^^"'"f °^^^ the whole world, may be termedTeC otrdpltr^Cva^sf ' ^^ ^"'^"^^'^*«' afford abundance to satisfv Zi. ? ^' """^ ^^^^^^^ forests retirement frontreinrolorcJ^^^^^^^ '''"''''' * ^^'^^"ded India and her islands are beat «tn!T ^JI' ^'/* '" '^"'"^«^' ^ ''^"eve, The numbers, however are ai^ ^^J^" Africa, and lastly, Europe! generally diminish as we recedrT ^ I"' ^'''^''° *^« ^^^P*'^"' «»d regions. They are moTtlvT . *"^ "^P'^^'^ temperate or cold illy on7Cnr^L7TCZ '' tIT '''^'' ^^ ^^^ -- form their abodes in dead and decavr^timh ""Ti' ^'^'P'"'''' '^^' and moss, with their eggs and wXL Lf' """^ ^'".''^*^ '^''' ^"^^ subsistence : for secunW thi. 1/^ ? "' • "^ *"' essential part of their the wood, and the ;rifa fir^^^^^^^^^ \ ^"* '^'^ their burrows in are most admirably adapted Th« ^^^f.^^^^^"* *° «"«t pursuits, they the neckpossesses gUt^st Jty 'I'lZZ^LTr'^'''^ construction of its muscles and tL ,7. ."^^f"^'^ ^7 the curious viscous saliva, either gent y to tcur. ^T"' ""'^ ^"^"^^^^^^ ^^'^ « ^ith great foice and r^y to Z J a,^^^^^ '" ^'^^ ^^^^ P^^^' ^v larger and more nimble infects-To led tn ?^ '* u '"?' *° ^^^^^^^ '^^ scansorial claws, with the stiff bpn^ 1 n '* ^'^^ '^"'^ ^««J^«d arranged for their wants ' ''^' "'' '" P^''^^^^^"^ beautifully cub^lto?:^rer4:!;l^^^^ ve numerous monuments of his industry behind lim We there see enormous pine trees with cartloads of \2v lymg around their roots, and chips of the trunk itself, in 1 quantities as to suggest the idea that half a dozen of ar,;.en ■ween ai>h , , . , "°" " » hundred yards, » performed by a einirle theTn/ e 0 S TZ.tlT''^ Bwinging^itself W \l t^of this moment all the beautv of t^'/T'"^ "" '^'^'^'^''^ ^"^^^^ ""«' At beholderwithplea^^^^^^ " ^^t'^^^^^^^' ^"^ strikes the during the love seTon'- but 7 „n .'T ""^^ '"""'^ ^^'^'^ '"^ ^'^"g. '^"l^B^ alighttd tharits rrnmriaw! 1 t"" '^ ''' f' ^'^''"^^ ^'^ ^^is bird it makes, whil ascrdt„^^^^^^^^^ '' almost every leap which or its highest branches T„r T'VT °^'^^ ^'^""^^ ^^ ^^^ee, They arf heard araconsidlbjedi^^^^^^^^^ "- '"-^ ''"' '''^ P''^'"''"^' semble the false wXn"te of ' T I ^'Sf ^^ ^"^^ " "^^^«' ^"^ '«- three times in succession L/ r^"''' ^^'^ "^° '""^% ^^P^^ted ;>a^•^;,a^7,;aS. ThrrlTso^T/^^^^ '^ *'^, "^^"^^^"'^^^^ that the bird spends few minutes of [he^ "I '"^""' ^"' *° ^^^^ and th'-^ circumstance JadT t o f« a *^ ""''^^""^ """""^ tl»«°'» because (as is sussed bv so *!/!u- '''"''^°"' ""^'"^ ^« "^^'^ -*» «o more because i^TrbeauZ b r ," V-"' '' V^'''''^'' '^ *^^««. ^"t upper mandible for^^s^rra^ t^ ::^^ T^^ \' *^« Indians, or for the shot-nminl, «f -, °* °^°b* o^ our who. ie bird i. rriCfofCpai;^^"^.''""''"- '^ "" °' 12 IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER. '■! had been at work there for the whole morning. The body of the tree is also disfigured with such numerous and so large excavations, that one can hardly conceive it possible for the whole to be the work of a woodpecker. With such strength, and an apparatus so powerful, what havoc might he not commit, if numerous, on the most useful of our forest trees! and yet with all these appearances, and much of vulgar pre- judice against him, it may fairly be questioned whether he is at all injurious ; or, at least, whether his exertions do not contribute most powerfully to the protection of our timber. Examine closely the tree where he has been at work, and you will soon perceive, that it is neither from motives of mischief ' nor amusement that he slices off the bark, or digs his way into the trunk. — For the sound and healthy tree is the least object of his attention. The diseased, infested with insects, and hastening to putrefaction, are Ms favourites ; there the deadly crawling enemy have formed a lodgement between the bark and tender wood, to drink up the very vital part of the tree. It is the ravages of these vermin, which the intelligent proprietor of the forest deplores as the sole perpetrators of the destruction of his timber. Would it be believed that the larvae of an insect, or fly, no larger than a grain of rice, should silently, and in one season, destroy some thousand acres of pine trees, many of them from two to three feet in diameter, and a hundred and fifty feet high 1 Yet whoever passes along the high road from Georgetown to Charlestown.in South Carolina, about twenty miles from the former place, can have striking and melancholy proofs of this fact. In some places the whole woods, as far as you can see around you, are dead, stripped of the bark, their wintry-looking arms and bare trunks bleaching in the sun, and tumbling in ruins before every blast, presenting a frightful picture of desolation. And yet ignorance and pre- judice stubbornly persist in directing their indignation against the bird now before us, the constant and mortal enemy of these very vermin; >i,s if the hand that probed the wound to extract its cause, should be equally detested with that which inflicted I \ I i IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER. it; or as if the thief-catcher should be confounded with the th,ef. U„ ,1 some effectual preventive or more complet^ mode of de,tr„ct,on can be devised against these insects and Their Iarv», I would humbly suggest the propriety of „Z and r«e.vu,gw,th proper feelings of gLtude, the 3 of th,s and the whole tribe of woodpeckers, letting theTdlm of guilt fall upon its proper owners. In looking over the accounts given of the ivory-bilfed wood- fnht-, V "^'"'"'^ "^ ^"™P^- 1 «"<• " asserted tl°ut nhabits from New Jersey to Mexico. I believe, however that few of them are ever seen to the north of Vii^inia Ind very few of them even in that state. The fi™t place fobserved ^^^::t' ™™ ""^ "^^ '» "■« «'""'. ^-^ about twelve miles north of Wrlmingtou in North Carolina. There I flund token TZb^'f '"^ T'"^ "' '""^ ^^'^ '" «- P'a'-at taken This bird was only wounded slightly in the wins and on being caught, uttered a loudly reitera°ted, and mol pTt^ uote exac ly resembling the violent crying of a youn/cMd It was . T ' ""^ "T ^"^ "^ "^"■■'y '» h^ve cos me my fe It was distressing to hear it. 1 carried it with me in the oha r' under cover, to Wilmington. In passing through the stree ' iLVa w7/"1 "^P""" '^'^ o»« "ithin heari„rpar: with nV /?"'''' "'=» hurried to the doors and widows sX ^J"" ';'™.\""'' f™"*' "hile the others stod wifh or two at then expense, I drew my woodpecker from under the cover, and a general laugh took place T („„1, i • opening the door, he set uX^ dXL- Srlilh" 14 IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER. now appeared to proceed from grief that he had heen discovered in his attempts at escape. He had mounted along the side of the window, nearly as high as the ceiling, a little below which he had begun to break through. The bed was covered with laige pieces of plaster ; the lath was exposed for at least fifteen inches square, and a hole, large enough to admit the fist, opened to the weather-boards ; so that, in less than another hour he would certainly have succeeded in making his way through. I now tied a string round his leg, and, fastening it to the tfible, again left him, 1 wished to preserve his life, and had gone off in search of suitable food for him. As I reascended the stairs, I heard him again hard at work, and on ' entering had the mortification to perceive that he had almost entirely ruined the mahogany table to which he was fastened, and on which he had wreaked his whole vengeance. While engaged in taking the drawing, he cut me severely in several places, and, on the whole, displayed such a noble and uncon- querable spirit, that I was frequently tempted to restore him to his native woods. He lived with me nearly three days, but refused all sustenance, and I witnessed his death with regret. The head and bill of this bird is in great esteem among the southern Indians, who wear them by way of amulet or charm, as well as ornament ; and, it is said, dispose of them to the northern tribes at considerable prices. An Indian believes that the head, skin, or even feathers of certain birds, confer on the wearer all the virtues or excellencies of those birds. Thus I have seen a coat made of the skins, heads, and claws of the raven ; caps stuck round with heads of butcher birds, hawks, and eagles ; and as the disposition and courage of the ivory- billed woodpecker are well known to the savages, no wonder they should attach great value to it, having both beauty, and, in their estimation, distinguished merit to recommend it. This bird is not migratory, but resident in the countries where it inhabits. In the low countries of the Carolinas it usually prefers tlie large timbered cypress swamps for breeding iu. In the trunk of one of these trees, at a considerable height, IVORY-BILLED WOODPECR-RR. the male and female alternately, and in conjunction, dicr out a large and capacious cavity for their eggs and j/oung ° Trees thus dug out have frequently been cut down, with sometiml the eggs and young in them. This hole, according to infor^ mation,-for I have never seen one myself,-is generallv a httle w.dmg U.e better to keep out the weather: and L two to five feet deep. The eggs are said to be genially \Z twf Ti .r ""}^'^' "' " P""^''^' P"^« -^'te, and equal Iv thick at both ends-a description that, except in size verv nearly agrees with all the rest of our woodpeckers. The y^Z begm to be seen abroad about the middle of June. Whether they breed more than once in the same season is uncertain.* * The description of the nestUng, &c., is thus also given bv Aurlnhnn the mclmafon of ite tru,,k ; first, because they pref"r ret IJeT j time, not more thon ten inches whilrt^;.!, . P' '*'°8 *""«- three feet do„„w.ri, inh, he c Jtf I tree I hTe I "f ," T"^ that these differences result from rt. ™ . *®'° '"' '° "■'"k under which the k^^^Z^ZflT^- "^ ^ '^'-'i'te necessity thought that the oX t" CodpecS '"'"h'e dT "^''k ""''='"" ""'^ hole The avenge diameter of t^ dM^nt ^t^ hth' l''h"f '" mined was about seven inchp^ witl,,',, „ui -TJT "'^^^ ^^a- per^I. round, is onl, Ju^tgri^^tSi^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^ outsfd^totXt^elSt^^^^^^^^^^ --f-^ one waiting the latter is fatigued takb ' ^^7. 1 t T^'"^'^ ''^ '^'^Sing, and when these woodpeckers weWthfb^^ 1 /' approached trees whilst by resting L head a^inst 2 1 l^ 7 '" ^"™^"S *^«^^ "««*. and given b/th7b" I obiVved that "" ' '""^ '"'^""""'^^^ ^^^^ ^^°- J- ira. 1 observed that m two instances, when the wood- i6 I* ifil IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER. So little attention do the people of the countries where these birds inhabit pay to tlie minutiee of natural history, that, generally speaking, they make no distinction between the peckers saw me thus at the foot of the tree in which they were digging their nest, they abandoned it for ever. For the first brood there are generally six eggs. They are deposited on a few chips at the bottom of the hole, and are of a pure white colour. The young are seen creeping out of the hole about a fortnight before they venture to fly to any other tree. The second brood makes its appearance about the 15th of August " In Kentucky and Indiana, the ivory-bills seldom raise more than one brood in the season. The young are at first of the colour of the female, only that they want the crest, which, however, grows rapidly, ^ and towards autumn— particularly in birds of the first breed— is nearly equal to that of the mother. The males have then a slight line of red on the head, and do not attain their richness of plumage until spring, or their full size until the second year. Indeed, even then, a difference is easily observed between them and individuals which are much older. " The food of this species consists principally of beetles, larvsO; and large grubs. No sooner, however, are the grapes of our forests ripe than they are eaten by the ivory-billed woodpecker with great avidity. I have seen this bird hang by its claws to the vines, in the position so often assumed by a titmouse, and reaching downwards, help itself to a bunch of grapes with much apparent pleasure. Persimmons are also sought for by them, as soon as the fruit becomes quite mellow, as are hagberries. " The ivory-bill is never seen attacking the com, or the fruit of the orchards, although it is sometimes observed working upon and chipping off the bark from the belted trees of the newly cleared plantations. It seldom comes near the ground, but prefers at all times the tops of the tallest trees. Should it, however, discover the half-standing broken shaft of a large dead and rotten tree, it attacks it in such a manner as nearly to demolish it in the course of a few days, I have seen the re- mains of some of these ancient monarchs of our forests so excavated, and that so singularly, that the tottering fragments of the trunk appeared to be merely supported by the great pile of chips by which its base was surrounded. The strength of this woodpecker is such, that I have seen it detach pieces of bark seven or eight inches in length at a single blow of its powerful bill, and by beginning at the top branch of a dead tree, tear off the bark, to an extent of twenty or thirty feet, in the course of a few hours, leaping downwards, with its body in an upward position, tossing its head to the right and left, or leaning it against the bark to ascertain the precise spot where the grubs were concealed, and imme- IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER. '7 •vory-billed and pilented woodpecker, represented in the same plate; and . was not till I showed them the two bh^ ^ ge her. tha they knew of any difference. The more inteltet and observing part of the natives, however distin Ji^ir f by the name of the large and les;er hgZc^'l^^^Z examme them but at a distance, gunpowder being consTdetd too precious to be thrown away on woodpeckers • nothinl i? tha. a turkey being thought worth the U. o/aTo d ' " Ihe food of th.s bird consists, I believe, entirely of insects and theu. larv..* The pileated woodpecker is^tpeetd 'riKr^:^ty S^I^S«^ ^^-- an the .Mie souna- paZtt "^Srs^zziizfr ''-''^^ '-^ '^'^ ^^^^ Their mutual attachmenu7fLwr.T^^^ *^^« ^^^«' «hy. ing when di^^^inc a hole /- ^^ ^^^^t^nued through life. Except- seldom, if ev^faftack tin/t LVr'^^"'' f '^''' '^^'' *^^«« b^^de procuring food rdoinrwficrtt /T''^\'P"^P°«^ '^'^ '^^' ^i otherwise'proveiujurru^tlrhe tJees' '"' *'' '""^^^ *^' ^^^^ youn^^ This generally happens alhtftill.^'a^^^^^^^^^^^^^ reared their perseverance until it ZhLtre^oA^^^^^^ '' Z'"''.''''' ''^'^''y «"d generally with great effect WkZ LTndS:.''^'" '' '^"^^^ '""^ ^^'^-' the tree, utters its loud pait Ja^^Lf Tf ^' * ™°^'' 'P^"'^"^ ^0"«d silent the momentrreaSs'^ a XI' y, ? '"''^ ^''^P' ^"* »^«««™«« They sometimes Clin! rttLrk'tlLhe^^^^ """T^^ itself secure, cramped to the spot for several hmt^ '^rt""^ '° '^^^^^^ *« ^^^^^^^ hand, which is r/ther a Sl^u^e L^^^^^^^^ *^« violence, and inflict very severe wounds with tf' .^\V^' '''^^ great which are extremely sharp and stront On ^ '^^ ^. ^'" ^« '^^"^'^ utters a mournful an^d very'Xus cry''-E. "'' "'"^^"^' ""« ^^^^ Mr Audubon says, that though the greater mrf nf +T, • i- ^ ot insects and their larvje no sooner nr!?i^^ ^ of their food consists than they are eaten with 'th grea st "vS^^^^^^^^ °"^ ^«-«*« "P«. hang by its claws to the vines in ^^7.!^ ^" ^'^^ '^'" ^^^^ hird titmouse, and, reaching dorM^tsTtra b °\«" f-"^^ by the Simmons are also sought b7tCn^^af«ni .J""'^ "^ ^^^P^^' ^^r- mellow, and hagberries Ied ' "' '^' ^''^^' ^'^'^^^^^^ ^^ite VOL. II. B I8 IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER. of sometimes tasting the Indian corn : the ivory-billed never. His common note, repeated every three or four seconds, very much resembles the tone of a trumpet, or the high note of a clarionet, and can plainly be distinguished at the distance of more than half a mile ; seeming to be immediately at hand, though perhaps more than one hundred yards off. This it utters while mounting along the trunk or digging into it. At these times it has a stately and novel appearance ; and the note instantly attracts the notice of a stranger. Along the borders of the Savannah river, between Savannah and Augusta, I found them very frequently ; but my liorse no sooner heard their trumpet-like note, than, remembering his former alarm, he became almost ungovernable. The ivory-billed woodpecker is twenty inches long, and thirty inches in extent ; the general colour is black, with a considerable gloss of green when exposed to a good light; iris of the eye, vivid yellow ; nostrils, covered with recumbent white hairs ; fore part of the head, black ; rest of the crest, of a most splendid red, spotted at the bottom with white, which is only seen when the crest is erected, as represented in the plate; this long red plumage being ash-coloured at its base, above that white, and ending in brilliant red ; a stripe of white proceeds from a point, about half an inch below each eye, passes down each side of the neck, and along the back, where they are about an inch apart, nearly to the rump ; the first five primaries are wholly black ; on the next five the white spreads from the tip, higher and higher, to the secondaries, which are wholly white from their coverts down- ward. These markings, when the wings are shut, make the bird appear as if his back \yere white: hence he has been called by some of our naturalists the large white-backed woodpecker. The neck is long ; the beak an inch broad at the base, of the colour and consistence of ivory, prodigiously strong and elegantly fluted. The tail is black, tapering from the two exterior feathers, which are three inches shorter than the middle ones, and each feather has the singularity of being PILE A TED WOODPECKER. greatly concave beW; the wing i, li„ed „ith yellowish wh.te; the leg, are about an inch and a quarter long the Z terior toe abont the aame length, the claws e=c«cUy sera circjar and remarkably powerfal,_the whole of a light blue orT„!l CO our The female is about half an inch fhorte t 'bt rather less, and the whole plumage of the k«I black, Z^" W'th green ,• m the other parts of the plumage, she St resembles the male. In the stomachs of fhJwS J opened I found large quantities of a species of worm caHed borers two or three inches long, of a dir y eream ooZr „ h a black head ; the stomach was an oblong'pouch. n^ Uu ' ipa^ariff rLtrthe ^:z:z:2^ PILKATED WOODPECKER. (P.W pto«».) PLATE XXIX. -Fig. 2. Pious niger, crista rubra, Lath. Ind. Om i t, gs*! 4 P- Syst. i. p. 173, ^.-Gmel. Svst i n^fi p- ^^' *-T^'*'"« pileatus, Linn. Pic noir hupp6 de la £ou sLa ' pTenrjinT '°T ^"^^ ""• P" ^«- <7afe«6. Car. i. 6, 17 -Pileatel W„J ^^^•-^"g^'- Crested Woodpecker, Spn. ii. p. 554, a-y/^^t p^o, ''« '; ^"''- ^'"''- "• N«- ^^7.~Lath No. 1886. -^^ P- ^^^---Bartram, p. 289.-Peafe's ilf««eM;„, Picus pUeatus, 5o,«,p. ^^„^^. p. 44 _ pileatus, JVror<;i. ibo/u. p 3M (diyotomus) This American species is the second in size amona hi. ♦ -i. and ma, be styled the great northern chief of ZZZ^^l: of M^Audubon im mi :;^ r:Ser:;rj'-r • ^^^ ^--- viel^^e^r^nrha^a.;^^^^^^^^^^ to the divisions, and .e diW WstXlH^^^^^^^ 20 PILE ATE D WOODPECKER. though, in fact, his runge extends over the whole of the Uint.e(l States from the inferior of Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. He is very numerous in the Gennesee country, and in all the tracts of high-timhered forests, particularly in the neighbour- hood of our large rivers, where he is noted for making a loud and almost incessant cackling before wet weather ; flying at such times in a restless uneasy manner from tree to tree, making the woods echo to his outcry. In Pennsylvania and the northern states, he is called the black woodcock ; in the southern states, the logcock. Almost every old trunk in the forest where he resides bears the marks of his chisel. Where- ever he perceives a tree beginning to decay, he examines it ^ round and round with great skill and dexterity, strips off the ' bark in sheets of five or six feet in length, to get at the hidden cause of the disease, and labours with a gaiety and activity really surprising. I have seen him separate the greatest part of the bark from a large dead pine tree, for twenty or thirty feet, in less than a quarter of an hour. Whether engaged in flying from tree to tree, in digging, climbing, or barking, he seems perpetually in a hurry. He is extremely hard to kill, clinging close to the tree even after he has received his mortal wound ; nor yielding up his hold but with his expiring breath. If slightly wounded in the wing, and dropt while flying, he instantly makes for the nearest tree, and strikes with great bitterness at the hand stretched out to seize him; and can rarely be reconciled to confinement. He is sometimes observed among the hills of Indian corn, and it is said by some that he frequently feeds on it. Complaints of this kind are, however, not general ; many farmers doubting the fact, and conceiving that at these times he is in search of insects which lie concealed in the husk. I will not be positive that they never occasionally taste maize ; yet I have opened and examined great numbers value. For the type of one of them, he has chouen the Picus pileatus, under the title of Dryotomus, differing from Picus, in the exterior -ouiex toe being ghorter than the anterior external one, exactly the reverse of the proportions of Picus. — Ed. PILEATED WOODPECKER.' 21 •C 1 of these birds, killed in various parts of the United States from Lalody. Ilie bird represented in the plate was shot ■„ (l?. ne,«hbonrho„d of the Great Pine ^.L^ iT h ll'tf speoraen was a male in full and perfeet plumage ' and ru'TT""^ ?''''"' '' ^™ '""''^^ and'a quarter long and e,gh inches and a quarter in extent ; wing, and t^d .leep b aek, the former crossed with two bro, d ba™ of whUe general colour of the plumage dark crimson, partia ly slttd with dusky; lores and frontlet, pale brom'; ven[ whit streaked w,th black ; bill, a brown bom colour the nllil , crossmg each other as in the precedi„r sides tTetw! to the left m the male, and to the right in the femak of thi Amernan crossbill. The female of the present Zcies will be mlroduced ae soon as a good specimen can be obtained SbetcSr ""'" ""''---- -"»--" within two miles of Belfiiof in fi,. 1 Tt I^atham, was shot female, and perit y r elk^ "'■'''T'' '''^' ^' -«« * bird as a British viuoT Whpn t" t V^ '°^^ '''"'^ ^« ^^^« ^^ this naturalists more d voted ractual ^h T'' "^^^^ ^^"^^^' ^"'i ^- A /««oo;,^er«, (7JS Izt 1 p '''^'*'""' ^^ ™^y hear more of iemale, has eLterfdt llv ^to'tf " ^°"T'''' ^" ^^^ description of the of leucptera.~Ev ^ ^" ''"''''' ^'' "^"P^^'^g '^e specific name 44 WHITE-CROWNED BUNTING. It WHITE-CROWNED BUNTING. {Emhenm leucophrys,) PLATE XXXI.— Fio. 4. Turton, Syat. p. 536.— Peale't Museum, No. 6587. ZONOTRIGHIA LEUCOPHR F^.-Swainson. Fringilkleucophrys, Bonap. Synop. p. lOZ—FringiUa (Zonotriohia) leucophrys North. Zool. ii, p. 265. This beautifully marked species ia one of the rarest of its tribe in the United States, being chiefly confined to the northern districts, or higher interior parts of the country, except in severe winters, when some few wanderers appear iii the lower parts of the state of Pennsylvania. Of three speci- mens of this bird, the only ones I have yet met with, the first was caught in a trap near the city of New York, and lived with me several months. It had no song, and, as I afterwards discovered, was a female. Another, a male, was presented to me by Mr Michael of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The third, a male, and in complete plumage, was shot in the Great Pine Swamp, in the month of May, and is faithfully represented in the plate. It appeared to me to be unsuspicious, silent, and solitary ; flitting in short flights among the underwood and piles of prostrate trees, torn up by a tornado, that some years ago passed through the swamp. All my endeavours to dis- cover the female or nest were unsuccessful. From the great scarcity of this species, our acquaintance with Its manners is but very limited. Those persons who have resided near Hudson's Bay, where it is common, inform us, that It makes its nest in June, at the bottom of willows and lays four chocolate-coloured eggs. Its flight is said to be short and silent; but, when it perches, it sings very melodiously.* ^ The white-crowned bunting is seven inches long, and ten inches in extent ; the bill, a cinnamon brown ; crown, from * Arctic Zoology. BAY. WING ED BUNTING. 45 the front to the hind head, pure white, bounded on each side by a stripe of black proceeding from each nostril ; and these again are bordered by a stripe of pure white passing over each eye to the hind head, where they meet ; below this, another narrow stripe of black passes from the posterior angle of the eye, widening as it descends to the hind head ; chin, white ; breast, sides of the neck, and upper parts of the same, very pale ash ; back, streaked laterally with dark rusty brown and pale bluish white ; wings, dusky, edged broadly with brown ; the greater and lesser coverts tipt broadly with white, forming two handsome bands across the wing ; tertials, black, edged with brown and white ; rump and tail-coverts, drab, tipt with a lighter tint ; tail, long, rounded, dusky, and edged broadly with drab ; belly, white ; vent, pale yellow ochre ; legs and feet, reddish brown ; eye, reddish hazel ; lower eyelid, white. The female may easily be distinguished from the male, by the white on the head being less pure, the black also less in extent, and the ash on the breast darker ; she is also smaller in size. ' There is a considerable resemblance between this species and the white-throated sparrow, already described in this work. Yet they rarely associate together; the latter re- maining in the lower parts of Pennsylvania in great numbers, until the beginning of May, when they retire to the north and to the high inland regions to breed ; the former inhabiting much more northern countries, and though said to be common in Canada, rarely visiting this part of the United States. BAY-WINGED BUNTING. {Emlerim grammea.) PLATE XXXI.— Fig. 5. Grass Finch, Arct. Zool. No. 2,m.~Lath. iii. 273.— Tttrton, Syst. i. p. 565. 1 ZONOTRICHIA OBAMINEA.—Smvai^son. FringUla grammea, Bonap. Synop. p. 108.— FringiUa (Zonotrichia) graminea, North. Zool. ii. p. 254. The manners of this bird bear great affinity to those of the common bunting of Britain. It delights in frequenting grass 46 BA y. WINGED BUNTING. and clover fields, perches on tlie tops of the fences, sin-lncr from the middle of April to the beginning of July, with a cl -ar and pleasant note, in which particular it far excels its European relation. It is partially a bird of passage here, some leavmg us, and others remaining with us. durin- the wn,ter In the month of March I observed them numerous in the lower parts of Georgia, where, according to Mr Abbot they are only winter visitants. Tliey frequent the middle of fields more than hedges or thickets ; run along the ground like a lark, which they also resemble in the great breadth of their wings. They are timid birds, and rarely approach the farmhouse. Their nest is built on the ground, in a grass or clover field amr formed of old withered leaves and dry grass, and lined with hair The female lays four or five eggs, of a grayish white. On the first week in May. I found one of their nests with four young, from wiiich circumstance I think it probable that they raise two or more broods in the same season. This bird measures five inches and three quarters in length and ten inches and a half in extent ; the upper parts are cmereous brown, mottled with deep brown or black • lesser wing-coverts. bright bay ; greater, black, edged with very pale brown; wings, dusky, edged with brown; the exterior primary edged with white; tail, sub-cuneiform, the outer feather white on the exterior edge, and tipt with white ; the next, tipt and edged for half an inch with the same ; the rest, dusky, ed-ed witii pale brown ; bill, dark brown above, paler below ; round the eye is a narrow circle of white ; upper part of the breast, )^llowish white, thickly streaked with pointed spots of black that pass along the sides ; belly and vent, white ; legs and feet, flesh-coloured ; third wing-feather from the body, nearly as long as the tip of the wing when shut I can perceive little or no difference between the colours and markings of the male and female. ^^rmft Ifivrf Minirg ftv jLWUtvn I Snow Owl . 'J. Male Sparrow Maiwk. 33. trnn^rfd ^ Wtlu.vj ^NOtV OWL. » 47 SNOW OWL. {Strix nyctea.) PLATE XXXII. -Pro. 1. Mali Lath. i. 132. No. n.~Buff. i. 387. -Great White Owl. Edw. 61 -Snowy Owl Arct. Zool. 233. No. Ul.-PeaU'» Museum, No. 468. ^ ' SURNIA NYCTEA.-Dvmmu Snowy Owl, Mont. Om. Diet. Hupp.—Bewict'ii Brit ni^,i. o c Strix nyctea, -S«%>,Z?W<. Om p 68^23 s;rf '5 '^^"^"""'^ ^'''• P ^«m. ^r. Anim. p. 58.-£cnaj>. ^^nop. p. 38.-North. Zool. il p. 88. The snow owl represented in the plate is reduced to half its natural size. To preserve the apparent magnitude, the other accompanymg figures are drawn by the same scale a his great northern hunter inhabits the coldest and most dreary regions of the northern hemisphere on both continents Ihe forlorn mountains of Greenland, covered with eternal ice and snows, where, for nearly half the year, the silence of death and desolation might almost be expected to rei^n furnish food and shelter to this hardy adventurer; whence he 18 only driven by the extreme severity of weather towards the sea-shore. He is found in Lapland. Norway, and the country near Hudson's Bay. during the whole year ; is said to be common m Siberia, and numerous in Kamtschatka He is often seen m Canada and the northern districts of the United Sates; and sometimes extends his visits to the borders of Florida Nature, ever provident, has so effectually secured thi. bird from the attacks oi cold, that not even a point is left exposed. Ihe bill is almost completely hid among a mass of feathers that cover the face ; the l.gs are clothed with such an exuberance of long, thick, hair-like plumage, as to appear nearly as large as those of a middle-sized dog. nothing bein.. visible but the claws, which are large, black, much hooked" and extremely sharp. The whole plumage below the surface IS of the most exquisitely soft, warm, and elastic kind, and so closely matted together as to make it a difficult matter to penetrate to the skin. v^tM ^ Wtluarvi 48 SNOW OWL. Tlie iisunl food of tliis species is said to be hares, grouse, rabbits, ducks, mice, and even carrion. Unlike most of his tribe, he hunts by day as well as by twiliglit, and is particu- larly fond of frequenting the shores and banks of shallow rivers, over the surface of which he slowly sails, or sits on a rock a little raised above the water, watching for fish. These he seizes with a sudden and instantaneous stroke of the foot, seldom missing his aim. In the more southern and thickly settled parts, he is seldom seen ; and when he appears, his size, colour, and singular aspect, attract general notice* In the month of October, I met with this bird on Oswego River, New York State, a little below the Falls, vigilantly watching for fish. At Pittsburg, in the month of February, I saw another, which had been shot in the wing some time before. At a place on the Ohio, called Long Reach, I exa- mined another, which was the first ever recollected to have been seen there. In the town of Cincinnati, State of Ohio, two of these birds alighted on the roof of the court house, and alarmed the whole town. A people more disposed to super- stition would have deduced some dire or fortunate prognos- tication from their selecting such a place ; but the only solicitude was how to get possession of them, which, after several volleys, was at length effected. One of these, a female, ♦ The following observations by Mr Bree of Allesly, taken from Loudon's Magazine of JVatural History, will show that other owls also fish for their prey :— " Probably it may not be generally known to naturalists, that the common brown owl (S'rix stridula), is in the habit— occasionally, at least— of feeding its young with live fish,— a fact which I have ascertained beyond doubt. Some yeavs since several young owls were taken from the nest, and placed in a yew tree, in the rectory garden here. In this situation, the parent birds repeatedly brought them live fish, bull heads {Coitus gobbius), and loach (Colntis barbatula), which had doubtless been procured from a neighbouring brook, in which these species abound. Since the above period, I have, upon more than one occasion, found the same fish, either whole or in fragments, lying under the trees on which I have observed the young owls to nerch after they have left the nest, and where the old birds were accustomed to feed ihem."— Ed. SNOW OWL. 49 I afterwa.d8 examined, when on my way through that place to New Orleans. Near Bairdstown, in Kentucky, I met with a large and very beautiful one, which appeared to be alto-ether unknown to the inhabitants of that quarter, and excited general surprise. A person living on the eastern shore of Maryland shot one cf these birds a few months ago, a female; and,' bavmg stuffed the skin, brought it to Philadelphia, to Mr i^eale. m expectation, no doubt, of a great reward. I have exammed eleven of these birds witliin these fifteen months last past, m diflferent and very distant parts of the country all of which were shot either during winter, late in the fall' or early in spring ; so that it does not appear certain whether any remain during summer within the territory of the United States ; though I think it highly probable that a few do in some of the more northern inland parts, where they are m'ost numerous during winter. The colour of this bird is well suited for concealment while roaming over the general waste of snows ; and its flight 'strono- and swift, very similar to that of some of our large hawks'' Its hearing must be exquisite, if we judge from the largeness of these organs in it ; and its voice is so dismal, that, as Pennant observes, it adds horror even to the re-ions of Greenland, by its hideous cries, resembling those of a'' man in deep distress. The male of this species measures twenty-two inches and a lialf m length, and four feet six inches in breadth ; head and neck, nearly white, with a few small dots of dull brown interspersed ; eyes, deep sunk, under projecting eyebrows, the plumage at their internal angles, fluted or prest in, to admit direct vision ; below this it bristles up, covering nearly the whole bill ; the indes are of the most brilliant golden yellow and the countenance, from the proportionate smallness of the head, projection of the eyebrow, and concavity of the pluma-e at the angle of the eye, very different from that of any other of the genus ; general colour of the body, white, marked with lunated ^spots of pale brown above, and with semicircular D so SNOW OWL. dashes below ; femoral feathers, long, and legs covered, even over the claws, with long shaggy hair-like down, of a dirty white ; the claws, when exposed, appear large, much hooked, of a black colour, and extremely sharp pointed ; back, white ; tail, rounded at the end, white, slightly dotted with pale brown near the tips; wings, when closed, reach near the extremity of the tail ; vent-feathers, large, strong shafted, and extending also to the point of the tail ; upper part of the breast aid belly, plain white; body, very broad and flat. The female, which measures two feet in length, and five feet two inches in extent, is covered more thickly with spots of a much darker colour than those on the male; the chia, throat, face, belly, and vent, are white ; femoral feathers, white, long, and shaggy, marked with a few heart-shaped spots of brown ; legs, also covered to the claws with long white hairy down ; rest of the plumage white, every feather spotted or barred with dark brown, largest on the wing-quills, where they are about two inches apart ; fore part of the crown, thickly marked with roundish black spots ; tail, crossed with bands of broad brownish spots ; shafts of all the plumage, white; bill and claws, as in the male, black; third and fourth wing-quill the longest ; span of the foot, four inches. From the various individuals of these birds which I have examined, I have reason to believe that the male alone approaches nearly to white in his plumage, the female rarely or never. The bird from which the figure in the plate was drawn, was killed at Egg Harbour, New Jersey, in the month of December. The conformation of the eye of this bird forms a curious and interesting subject to the young anatomist. The globe of the eye is imraoveably fixed in its socket, by a strong elastic hard cartilaginous case, in form of a truncated cone ; this case being closely covered with a skin, appears at first to be of one continued piece ; but, on removing the exterior membrane, it is found to be formed of fifteen pieces, placed like the staves of a cask, overlapping a little at the base, or narrow end, and seem as if capable of being enlarged \ \ SNOW OWL. 5r or contracted, perhaps by the muscular membrane with which they are encased. In five other different species of ow s tltln7:r """"1- ' '^""'^ "^^^^^ «- -- eon- formation of this organ, and exactly the same number of staves. The eye being thus fixed, these birds, as they view different objects, are always obliged to turn the head ; and Nature has so excellently adapted their neck to this purpose that they can With ease, turn it round, without moving the body, m almost a complete circle.* at *JZ ^'l'''"^ *^' ^f.f "° ^PP«"ati«n8 to this curious family I must at once confess my inability to do it in a manner satisfactory to my3 imX^: r^'i''"P"'*^"^^^""«^"^^«'i ' andtheorgan^o S^; mportance have been seemingly most neglected. Neither my own to d^cI^Zn I^iT^^^^^^^ ^^ Britain, contain sufficient nTaUll^ 10 aecide upon . I will therefore, consider any attempt now to divide them in the words of Mr Swainson, "as somewhat sn^mlnH.! certainly not warranted by any evide'nce that^s ye been b^^^^^^^^^^ ward on he subject." The names are applied, then, on ^e authorkv of ornithologists of high standing, autHonty This owl, and some others, will form the genus Noctua of q^^vJ^r,,. and Cuvier and are closely allied to the ^.mf of Dumerr In ttihe characters of the latter appear to me to agree better than th e of Si and Lesson says, " Les chev^ches ne se font pas reconnattrP f rxf l ' n^ent des chouettes." The snowy owl feeds b day as w 1 as bj nt^t" and IS much more active than the nic^ht feedin-bfrrir f ^ t' nearer to the hawk owls. The held is es J/f , .^ ^Pf "^.'^hes elongated, and the plumage is more Tot Ltd r id.^lt Tptr To extend as far north in America as any inhabited country, and^s Znd n the coldest districts of Europe. It is also mentioned W Pennant to reach beyond the Asiatic frontier to the hot kHt,,,!? Ja ? ! specimens. Its visits to the mainland of Britain are IZ -T indeed, I believe one of the only instances nrecS sTa\Ta T^ '' and female killed near Rothbury in Northumberland, Ljanuty Tm^ -a winter remarkable for a severe snow storm. Th;y were Sed on an open moor, in a wild and rocky part of the countrv nr, [ in Js oTtheTr "'^ 'rf^. '"^ "^"^^^' approaching close to the dS ' 52 AMERICAN SPARROW HA WK. AMERICAN SPARROW HAWK. {Faho sparvenus.) PLATE XXXII.-Fio. 2, Male. Little Hawk, Arct. Zool. 211, No. llO.-Emerillon de Cayenne, Bujf. i. 29L PI. enl. No. iU.~Lath. i. 110.— Peate's Museum, No. 340. FALCO SPARrERIUS.-LmTSMVS. Faloo sparvenus, Bo7iap. Smop. p. 27.— Faloo sparverius, Little Rusty-orowneil Falcon, North. Zool. ii. p. 31. The female of this species has been already figured and described in Vol. I. of this work. As they differ considerably in the markings of their plumage, the male is introduced here, drawn to one half its natural size, to conform with the rest of the figures on the plate. The male sparrow hawk measures about ten inches in length, and twenty-one in extent ; the whole upper parts of the head are of a fine slate blue, the shafts of the plumage being black, the crown excepted, which is marked with a spot of bright rufous ; the slate tapers to a point on each side of the neck ; seven black spots surround the head, as in the female, on a they are looked upon with superstition. They utter a sound at night when perched, like the grunting of pigs, which, by the common and uninformed people, is thought to be some apparition or spectre. By Hearne the snow owl is said to be known to watch the grouse shooters a whole day, for the purpose of sharing in the spoil. On such occasions It jjerches on a high tree, and wlien a bird is shot, skims down and carries it off belwre the sportsman can get near it. We have the fol- lowing remarks by Dr Richardson in the "Northern Zoology "•_ " Frequents most of the arctic lands that have been visited, but retires with the ptarmigan, on which it preys, to more sheltered districts in winter ; hunts by day. Wlien I have seen it on the barren grounds It was generally squatting on the earth ; and if put up, it alicrhted again after a short flight, but was always so wary as to be approached with difficulty. In woody districts it shows less caution. I have seen it pursue the American hare on the wing, making repeated strokes at the animal with its feet. In winter, when this owl is fat, the Indians and white residents in the Fur Countries esteem it to be good eating Its flesh is delicately white." By the Cree Indians it is called Wapow^ keethoo, or Wapahoo ; by the Esquimaux, Oookpecguak ; by the Nor- wegians, Lemensgriis and Gysfugl ; by the Swedes, Harfang.— Ed. \^ AMERICAN SPARRO W HA WK. reddisli white ground, which also borders eacli slopino- side of the blue; front lores, line over and under the eye, chin, and throat, white ; femoral and vent-feathers, yellowish white • the rest of the lower parts, of the same tint, each feather bemg streaked down the centre with a long black drop • those on the breast, slender, on the sides, larger; upper part of the back and scapulars, deep reddish bay, marked with ten or twelve transverse waves of black; whole wing-coverts and ends of the secondaries, bright slate, spotted with black- primaries and upper half of the secondaries, black, tipt with' white and spotted on their inner vanes with the same • lower part of the back, the rump, and tail-coverts, plain bright bay; tail rounded, the two exterior feathers, white, their inner vanes beautifully spotted with black ; the next, brijrht bav witli a broad band of black near its end, and tipt for half an inch with yellowisli white; part of its lower exterior ed-e white, spotted with black, and its opposite interior edV touched with white ; the whole of the others are very de°ep red bay, with a single broad band of black near the end and tipt with yellowish white; cere and legs, yellow; orbits', the same; bdl light blue; iris of the eye, dark, almost black; claws, blue black. The character of this corresponds with that of the female given at large in Vol. 1. p. 262. I have reason, however, to believe, that these birds vary considerably in the colour and markings of their plumage during the first and second years • havmg met with specimens every way corresponding with the' above, except in the breast, which was a plain rufous white without spots ; the markings on the tail also differing a little in' differcLt specimens. These I uniformly found, on dissection to be males ; from the stomach of one of which I took a con- siderable part of the carcass of a vobin {Turdus migratorius) in- clud.ngthe unbroken feet and claws; though the robin actually measures within half an inch as long as the sparrow hawk.- * Bonaparte has separated the small American falcons from the lamer kinds, characterising the group as having the wings shorter In the "uil 54 ROUGH-LEGGED FALCON. ROUGH-LEGGED FALCON. {Falco lagopus) PLATE XXXIII.— Fiu. 1. Arct. Zool. p. 200, No. %2.~Lath. i. 7b.-Peale^s Museum, No. 116. BUTEO ii^(?OPTO.— Bechstein? Hough-legged Falcon. Mont. Ornith.'Dict. Sarp.-Bew. Br. Birds, Supp - Rough-legged Buzzard, Selhy's Illust. Br. Ornith. i. p. 20 pi 7 -Jaco This handsome species, notwithstanding its formidable size and appearance, spends the chief part of the winter among tarsi scutellated ; and Mr Swainson says, that the group seems natural ^ffenng somewhat m their n.anners from the larger falcons, and having analogies in their habits to the shrikes. iJT^ ??^ -i^''^ ""' ^^""'' ^' ^' ^""S «^"^« ^' thought the general F™ . fr '. . ""' T"''' kestrel-analogous to Wilson's bird in Europe-differed from those of the true falcons, as much, certainly, as stir tT "'^f'"' '^^ ^'''^ '^'"''^^ ^' «"'J^ ^y subordinate divi- sions. The manner of suspendir.g itself in the air is exactly similar to that of our windhover ; and I am not aware that this peculiar manner tVo!""f .T^ i' T.^ T '^ ^^' ^"y '^^^^ °f *h^ Falconida:, with the excep- or atn'if fl- 1^^ 7' ^'^''"' ^"'"'^ *''^ ground by extensive sweeps, L f ?? ' '""^ '*°'P ^* ""'^^ «" *h"^ P^^y ^ith the velocity and force of hghtnmg; the others quietly watch their quarry when suspended or perched on a bare eminence or tree in the manner described, and take t by surprise. Insects, reptiles, and small animals form par of their ood ; and to the old falconists they were known by the name of Ignoble." The whole of the kestrels are very familiar, easily tamed and when in confinement become even playful. Their great breeding..' place IS steep rocks clothed with ivy, and fringed with the various wild th y nestle, often in security from any clamberer that has not the assist- ance of a rope ; though the appearance of a stranger immediately calls forth peculiarly shnl and timid notes of alarm. When the young are ha ched and partly advanced, they may be seen stretching out from Uieir hole, and on the appearance of their parent, mutual greetings are heard and in a tone at once different from those before mentioned. Our natTve species, m addition to rocks, delights in ruined buildings as a breeding! place ; and it is remarkable, that perhaps more kestrels build and brin"- / Rouffh legptd falcan 2. SuneJ Owl. o.SkoH eairU i\ 55. ^/ttfrvt^ni hy I^HUnnv KOUCH-LEGGED FALCOK. 55 our low swamps and meadows, watching for mice, frog, lame ducks, and other inglorious game. Twenty or thirTy .ndi»,du«Is of this family have regularly taken up H.eir winter quarters, for several years past, and probahly long ^2^1 to tha date, m the meadows below this city, between th" nvers Delaware and Schuylkill, where they spend theTr time watohmg along the dry banks like cate ; or sailing low and s owly over the surface of the ditches. Though rendered shy fiom the many attempts made to shoot them, they seldom flv fer usually fi^m one tree to another at no great distant makmg a loud squeeling as they arise, somethr„g resembW K^va^e tone"^ " ^'"""^ ''°"' "'°"^'' '" " """■« '''"" »"d The bird represented in the plate was one of this fraternity .hr^NoThe™ ^tS^?:l'""''"'"° °'»-*- °- ""» »Pe-.in " In the vicinity of Carlton House, where the plains are WiififnU, ornamented by numerona .mall clunip, of aspen., Z Z aTehl'^ tn epue effect to the landscape, which I have never »enTq„alled in"^^ Engbsh park, th„ small falcon was frequently discovered nerc ed »no^ v^tSwrh^^^p-,^^^^^^^^^^^^ rfoj and devious approach. He is not, howeverf unnoticed L the bird shows, by the motion of its head, that he is carefullyTatchin' ll manc^uvres, though, unless he walks directly towards it, I irnot refd^v aJarnied. When at rest, the wings are closely applied o the ddes wS tZiZ 'T T ?^ *"'' ''''''' --third from its end Tand the taU Itself, being closely shut up, looks long and narrow. If its suspicion be prtdsits^rf/^^^ ''' head quickly two or threSrand Et The^nd /T T 'P'^ ''' ^^"8^ ""*•! *b^ -«t-°t it tak s its in tht-r !f '''?^^'^"f «h°t at Carlton House, had mice and small birds 56 ROUGH-LEGGED FALCON: and several others of the same associution have been ol)tainevhich was met wiiii in the last Overland Arctic J^xpedition Ihe buzzards are slu-^gish and inactive in their habits : their bdls, feet, and claws, comparatively weak ; tbe form heavy, and tlie plumage more soft and downy, as if a smooth flight was to supply in part their want of activity. Their general flight is in sweeping ciix;le.s. after mounting from their resting-place. They watch tiieir prey either irom the air, or on some tree or eminence, and sometimes pounce upon It when sailing near the ground. When satiated, they again return to their perch, and if undisturbed, will remain in one situation until hun<'er again calls them forth. Our present species is one of the more active and 13 common also to the European continent. In Britain, it is an occasional visitant. They seem to appear at uncertain intervals, in more abundance ; thus, in 1823, 1 received two beautiful specimens from East Lothian ; and in the same year, two or three more were killed on that coast. Mr feelby mentions, that in the year 1815, Northumberland was visited by them, and several specimens were obtained. He remarks 1 wo of these birds, from having attached themselves to a neighbourinc' marsh, passed under my frequent observation. Their flight was smooth but slow, and not unlike that of the common buzzard ; and they seldom continued for any length of time on the wing. They preyed upon wild ducks and other birds, frogs and mice, which they mostly pounced upon on the ground." They appear to prefer trees for their breeding-place whereas rocks, and the sides r '• deep ravines, are more frequently selected by the common buzzard. N instance has occurred of them breeding in this country. In plumage, they vary as much as the common species the colour of the upper parts being of lighter or darker shades ; the ^ See description of F. Niger. 58 BARRED OWr^ BARRED OWL. {^rix ncbulosa.) PLATE XXXirr.-Fio. 2. TuHoH, ^l'(-^f~ArcL Zool p. 234, N... m.-Lath. 133.-.atrix aoolamator. Tho Whooting Owl, Itartram, 289. -Peale'a Museum, No. 464. STRIX NEBVLOSA.—FOKSTKB.* La ohouette du Canada (Ulula), Cuv. Itegn. Anim. i. p. 328.-Strix nebulo.a, (Bub-gen. Ulula, Cut;.) Bonap. Synop. p. 38. -Chouette n6buloui,e, Temn. Man. 1. p. 86.-Stnx nebulosa, North. Zool. ii. p. 81. This is one of onr most common owls. In winter particularly It 18 numerous in the lower parts of Pennsylvania, among the breast sonxetimes largely patched with deep brown, and sometimes en- tirely of that colour ; and the white bar at the base of the tail, thouch always present, is of various dimensions. Dr Richardson says it arrives m the Fur Countries in April and May ; and having reared its voung retires southward early in October. They were so shy, that only one specimen could be got by the Expedition.— Ed. • Cuvier places this bird in his genus Ulula. It may be called nocturnal, though it does show a greater facility of conducting itself during the day than the really night-living species, and will approach nearer to the tawny owl of this country than any other ; indeed, it almost seems the American representative of that species. The tawny owl, though not so abundant, has the very same manners ; and when raised from its dormitory in a spruce or silver fir, or holly, or oak that s 111 carries its leaves, it will flit before one for half a day, moving its station whenever It thinks the aggressor too near. It does not utter any cry during flight. It is common to both continents, visiting, however, only the more northern parts of the European, and does not extend so generally as many of those which inhabit both. ^ According to Mr Audubon, this owl was a most abundant visitor to his various solitary encampments, often a most amusing one ; and by less accustomed travellers, might easily have been converted iito s^me supposed inhabitant of another world. «.Hl"r''f'"A l^^' ?'' distinguished ornithologist, "when snugly settled under the boughs of my temporary encampment, and preparing to roast a venison steak, or the body of a squirrel, on a wooden spit of IL n.!'\t f f 7-'^ the exulting bursts of this nightly disturl; of the peace, that, had it not been for him, would have prevailed around me, as well as m my lonely retreat - How often have I seen this BARRED OWL. 59 woods that border the extensive meadowB of Schuylkill and Delaware. It is very frequently observed flying during day, and certainly sees more distinctly at that time than many of nocturnal marauder alight within a few yards of me, exposing his whole body to the glare of my fire, and eye me in such a curious manner, that had It been reasonable to do so, I would gladly have invited him to walk m and join me in my repast, that I might have enjoyed the pleasure of forming a better acquaintance with him. The liveliness of his motions, joined to their oddness, have often made me think that his society would be at least as agreeable as that of many of the buffoons we meet with in the world. But as such opportunities of forming acquaintance have not existed, be content, kind reader, with the imper- lect information which I can give you of the habits of this Sancho ran^a of our woods. " Such persons as conclude, when looking upon owls in the glare of day, that they are, as they then appear, extremely dull, are greatly mistaken. Were they to state, like Buffon, that woodpeckers are miserable beings, they would be talking as incorrectly ; and, to one who might have lived long in the woods, they would seem to have lived onlv m their libraries. " The barred owl is found in all those parts of the United States which 1 have visited, and is a constant resident. In Louisiana, it seems to be more abundant than in any other state. It is almost impossible to travel eight or ten miles in any of the retired woods there, without seeing several of them even in broad day ; and, at the approach of night, their cries are heard proceeding from every part of the forest around the plantations. Should the weather be lowering, and indica- tive of the approach of rain, their cries are so multiplied during the day, and especially in the evening, and they respond to each other in tones so strange, that one might imagine some extraordinary fete about to take place among them. On approaching one of them, its gesticula- tions are seen to be of a very extraordinary nature. The position of the bird, which is generally erect, is immediately changed. It lowers Its head and inclines its body, to watch the motions of the person beneath ; throws forward the lateral feathers of its head, which thus has the appearance of being surrounded by a broad ruff ; looks towards him as if half blind, and moves its head to and fro in so extraordinary a manner, as almost to induce a person to fancy that part dislocated from the body. It follows all the motions of the intruder with its eyes • and should it suspect any treacherous intentions, flies off to a short" dis- tance, alighting with its back to the person, and immediately turning about with a single jump, to recommence its scrutiny. In this manner the barred owl may be followed to a considerable distance, if not shot Hi .V 60 BARRED OWL. s gen„«. In one spnng, at different times, I met with more than forty of them, generally flying or sitting exposed. I also once met wUh one of their nests, containing three young, in at, for to halloo after it does not seem to frighten it much. But if shot at and missed, It removes to a considerable distance, after which it whoh-wUah-M, IS uttered witli considerable pomposity TWs ow :; ti:^ mif """"^ '' ''' ^^™ --'''' -^ ^^ Aui^ti/dei;:] "The flight of the barred owl is smooth, light, noiseless, and capable of bemg greatly protracted. I have seen them take th ir departu L f om a detached grove m a praivie, and pursue a direct couse toward he kir s ot tlie main forest, distant more than two miles in broad div l.gh . I have thus followed tlieni with the eye until thev we lostt ihe dis ance, and have reason to suppose tliat they continued tlei fltl" until they reached the woods. Once, whilst descending the OWo no iar from the well known Gave-in-rock, about two hour^ before sun et in he month oi November, 1 saw a barred owl teased by seve al cr " ' and chased Irom the tree in which it was. On leaviL Ihe t ee t Its appearance again. So very lightly do they flv thaf T hZ f ., discovered one passing over m^, ami onl/ffe; y^rds d stnrf"; ^ seeing its shadow on the <^round during .il ^^^^^^ distant, by fir«t not the faintest rustling JZX^^I:^::^''''' ''''''' ''''''' " Their power of sight during the day seems to bp rnfl,„ f vocal character, as I once saw o°ne ah ^^ lu this place may be introduced another species, mentioned by BARRED OWL. 6i the crotch of a v.hite oak, among tliick foliage. The nest was rudely put together, composed outwardly of sticks, intermixed with some dry grass and leaves, and lined with smaller twigs. At another time, in passing through the woods, I perceived something white, on the high shaded branch of a tree dose to the trunk, that, as I tliought, looked like a cat asleep Unable to satisfy myself, I was induced to fire, wlien, to my surprise and regret, four young owls, of this same species, nearly full grown, came down headlong, and, flutterino- for a few moments, died at my feet. Their nest was probably not far distant. I have also seen the eggs of this species, which are nearly as large as those of a ycung pullet, but much more globular, and perfectly white. Bonaparte as inhabiting Arctic America, and met M-ith by Dr Richardson during the last northern expedition. It is the largest of the American owls, exceeding even the size of the Virginian horned owl, and seems to have been first noticed and described by Dr Latham, from Hudson's Bay specimens. Dr Eicliardson has more lately given tlie ibllowinght inches in the length. Both scream during day. like a The male barred owl measures sixteen inches and a half m length, and thirty-eight inches in extent; upper parts a pale brown, marked with transverse spots of white; wings barred with alternate bands of pale brown, and darker • head' smooth, very large, mottled with transverse touches of dark brown, pale brown and white ; eyes, large, deep blue, the pupil not perceivable ; face, or radiated circle of the eyes ^^y, surrounded by an outline of brown and white dots • bill yellow tinged with green; breast, barred transversel^ with rows of brown and white ; belly, streaked longitudinally with long stripes of brown, on a yellowish ground ; vent plain yellowish white ; thighs and feathered legs, the same,' slightly pomted w,th brown ; toes, nearly covered with plum- age ; claw., dark horn colour, very sharp ; tail, rounded, and remaikauly concave below, barred with six broad bars of brown, and ..s many narrow ones of white ; the back and shoulders h.ve a cast of chestnut ; at each internal angle of the eye, is a broad spot of black ; the plumage of the radiated circle rouua tne eye ends in long black hairs ; and the bill is encompassed by others of a longer and more bristly kind Ihese probably serve to guaru the eye when any danger approaches it in sweeping hastily through the woods; a'nd those usually found on flycatchers may have the same inten- tion to fulfil ; for, on the slightest toucii of the point of any of these hairs, the nictitant membrane was instantly thrown over the eye. '' The female is twenty-two inches long, and four feet in extent; the chief difference of colour consists in her winces being broadly spotted wilh white; the shoulder being a plahi chocolate brown ; the tail extends considerably bejond the SHORT-EARED OWL. 63 tips of the wings ; the bill is much larger, and of a more golden yellow ; iris of the eye, the same as that of the male The different character of the feathers of this, and, I believe u iiTi ''T.^'' '' ''"""^ surprising. Those that surround the bill differ little from bristles ; those that surround the region of the eyes are exceedingly operj, and unwebbed ; these are bounded by another set, generally proceeding from the ex- ternal edge of the ear, of a most peculiar small, narrow velvety kmd, whose fibres are so exquisitely fine, as to be mvisible to the naked eye ; above, the plumage has one general character at the surface, calculated to repel rain and moisture ; but, towards the roots, it is of the most soft, loose and downy substance in nature— so much so, that it may be touched without being felt ; the webs of the wing-quills are also of a delicate softness, covered with an almost impercep- tible hair, and edged with a loose silky down, so that the owner passes through the air without interrupting the most profound silence. Who cannot perceive the hand of God in all these things I SHORT-EARED OWL. {Strix Brachyotos.) PLATE XXXIII.— Fig. 3. Turton Syst. p m.-Arct. Zool. p. 229, No. m.~Lath. i. 124.-La chouette ou la grand chev^cbe, Bvff. i. PL enl. m.-Peay, Museum, No. 440 OTUS BBACSYOTOS.-CvviER.* Short-eared Owl, Bew. Br. Birds, i. p. 48, BO.-Selby, Illust. Br. Orn. i. p. 54 S io 4^ l"-achyote, Temm. Man. i. p. 99.-La Chouette, ou le moyen due, a Huppes courte.s, Cuv. Rcgn. Anim. i. p. 328.-Otu8 bracl yotus F^em This is another species common to both continents, bein- found in Britain as far north as the Orkney Isles, where i't * This owl as Wilson observes, is also common to both continents but the British history of it is comparatively unknown. The following observations may perhaps advance some parts of it •— In England it bears the name of woodcock owl," from its appearance 1 '.' 64 SHORT-EARED OWL. also breeds, building its nest upon the ground, amidst the heath ; arrives and disappears in the south parts of England with tlie woodcock, that is, in October and April ; conse- quently does not breed there. It is called at Hudson's Bay, nearly about the same time with that bird, and its reappearance again in tlie spring. Very few, if any, remain during the whole season, °and they are only met with in their migrations to and from the north, their breeding-places, similar to the appearance, for a few days, of the rin- gousels and dotterels ; in spring, singly or in pairs ; and in the fall, in small groups, the amount of their broods when again retiring. They do not appear to be otherwise gregarious ; and it is only in this way that we can account for the flock of twenty-eight in a turnip field, quoted by our author, and the instances of five or six of these birds frequently found roosting together, as mentioned by Mr Selby. They appear at the same seasons (according to Temminck),and are plentiful in Holland. It is only in the north of England, and over Scotland, that they will rank as summer visitants. Hoy, and the other Hebrides, where they were first discovered to breed, were considered the southern limit of their incubation. It extends, however, much farther ; and may be, perhaps, stated as the extensive muirland ranges of Cumberland, West- moreland, and Northumberland. Over all the Scottish muirs, it occurs in considerable abundance ; there are few sportsmen who are unac- quainted witli it ; many are killed during the grouse season, and those individuals which Mr Selby mentions as found on upland moors, I have no doubt bred there. On the extensive moors at the Head of Dryfe (a .small rivulet in Dumfriesshire), I have, for many years past, met with one or two pairs of these birds, and the accidental discovery of their young first turned my attention to the range of their breeding ; for, pre- vious to this, I also held the opinion, that they had commenced their migration 6outhv,-ard. The young was discovered by one of my do"s pointing it ; and, on the following year, by searching at the proper season, two nests were found with five eggs. They were formed upon the ground among the heath ; the bottom of the nest scraped until the fresh earth appeared, on which the eggs were placed, without any lining or otlier accessory covering. When approaching the nest or young, the old birds fly and hover round, uttering a shrill cry, and snapping^with their bills. They will then aliglit at a short distance, survey the aggres- sor, and again resume their flight and cries. The young are barely able to fly by the 12th of August, and appear to leave the nest some time before they are able to rise from the ground. I have taken them, on that great day Lo sportsmen, squatted on the heath like young black game, at no great distance from each other, and always attended by the parent birds. Lasit year (1831) I found them in their old haunts, to which SHOXT-EARED OIVL. 65 the mouse hawk ; and is described as not flyin.r like other owls, .n search of prey, bnt sitting qniet, on a°stun,p ot a ree, watching for m,ce. It is said to be found in plenty in the woods near Chatteau Bay, on the coast of Labrador. In the Umted States, it is also a bird of passage, conjin- to us from the north in Novemtar, and deputing ii Aprii" The bnd represented in the plate was shot in New Jersey, a few .mles below Philadelphia, in a thicket of pines. It as Z stern aspect of a keen, vigorous, and acHve bird • and s reputed to to „n excellent monser. It flies frequenti; by day, and particular y ,n dark cloudy weather, takes shori flights and when s,tt.ng and looking sharply around, erects th^ wo hght feathers that constitute its horns, which are at such frnes very noticeable ; bnt, otherwise, not perceivable. No person on shghtly examining this bird after being shot would but by careful search, or previous observation, on the livin<. t IS speces is sometimes seen in companies,-twenty-eight of '^I'Tl^"" """? ''°"'"''"" " ""•■"^fi"''' '" November. Length fifteen inches; extent, three feet fo,u- inches- general colour above, dark brown, the feathers broadly skirted with pale yeUowish brown; bill, large, black; irides, rich of ha^oJc owl implies more activity and boldness and a diff "'7' and I have received Wrom.he„eighbo,nWofcL,,taLa-Eo' mid, dunng the whole jfvr .-Ei, """'' '^^' ' '"I''™ •»■»» VOL. II. ' ■ • • K '/ r ) 66 LITTLE OWL. golden yellow, placed in a bed of deep black, which radiates outwards all around, except towards the bill, where the plumage is whitish ; ears, bordered with a semi-circular line of black, and tawny yellow dots ; tail, rounded, longer than usual with owls, crossed with five bands of dark brown, and as many of yellow ochre— some of the latter have central spots of dark brown, the whole tipt with white quills also banded with dark brown and yellow ochre; breast and belly streaked with dark brown, on a ground of yellowish ; legs, thighs and vent plam dull yellow ; tips of the three first quill-feathern, black ; legs, clothed to the claws, which are black, curved to about the quarter of a circle, and exceedingly sharp. The female I have never seen ; but she is said to be some- what larger, and much darker, and the spots on the breast larger, and more numerous * LITTLE OWL. {Strix passenna.) PLATE XXXIV. -Fig. 1. Arct. Zool. 236, No. \2&.-Turton, Spst. 172.-Peale's Museum, No. 522. STmx ACADICA.-GmelvhA Chouette chev6chette, Temm. Man. i. p. 96.-Strix acadica, Bonap. Spnop. p. 38 -Monog. sinotstngimaunc. osserv. sulla, 2d edit. del. Beg. Anim. Cuv. p. 52 -Strix aoadica, Amencan Sparrow Owl, Iforth. Zool. p. 97. This is one of the least of its whole genus ; but like many other little folks, makes up. in neatness of general' form * The female is nearly of the same size with the male ; the colours are all of a browned tinge, the markings more clouded and indistinct ; the white of the lower parts, and under the wings, is less pure, and the belly and vent are more thickly dashed with black streaks ; the ear^ are nearly of the same, length with the other feathers, but can be easily distinguished. She is always foremost to attack any intruder on her nest or youp','.— Ed. ^ t There .s so much alliance between many of the small owls, that it IS a matter of surprise more species have not been confounded Wilson appears to have been mistaken, or to have confounded the name at least of the httle owl; aud ou the authority of Temminck and Bonaparte, w. : it I ;h radiates where the cular line •nger than rown, and itral spots BO banded r streaked lighs, and -feathers, )urved to be some- le breast '■"I II ,„ VaaiKbv.l til.:,; I J.mle Owl. :> Sea-,iJe J-i„rh. .?. Sharf, unleJ F. -^ Savannah F. En^ravedlry KKluars. LITTLE OWL. 67 and appearance, for deficiency of size, and is. perhaps, the most shapely of all our owls. Nor are the colours and markings 0 ,8 phmiage inferior in simplicity and effect to most others It also possesses an eye fully equal in spirit and brilliancy to tlie best of them. ^ This species is a general and constant inhabitant of tho middle and northern states; but is found most numerous in he neighbourhood of the sea-shore, and among woods and swamps of pme trees. It rarely rambles much during day; from h. 1 if ;?;" ' '^"' "^^' ^"^ ^^^- takes Shelter from the hght: at the approach of twilight it is all life and activity, being a noted and dexterous mouse catcher. It is found as far north as Nova Scotia, and even Hudson's Bay; way up the tree, and lays two eggs, which, like those of the have given it as above, that of a^adica. It is a native of both continents but does not yet appear to have reached the British shores. AccoS o Temm.nck, .t is found in the deep German forests, though rteTy tut IS plentiful xn Livonia. Bonaparte hints at the p obability of the S pa«.mna being yet discovered in America, which seems very hkelv con Bidering the similarity of its European haunts. The last OvTr Sretl' Expedition met with this and another allied specie. Tr!« ; Kichardson has the following observations regarding the latter- "When r^;:^:zs;r:st;ir^ of thesuU^^ -^ challenged the speedy death'oTtt^ "uir" t^^^^^^^^^^ Cree appellation of Bmth Bird. "o"^eu , nence its On the banks of the Sascatchewan it is so common tT^nf ,-fa • • Sao!'"'* ""' -"^'" '^ '"» ""*'. wStrm:: Both the latter species extend over tlie nnrfTi r^f v,.,.^ j «c«Uy in Britain. The «peci J': XfhtSr rlu ?„ fi":' n.e„t seem to Jeep or dose .way tlie morning and Cnoo" Ztlt remarkably active when roused, and move about with „re°T3vR ,b rrS:-7r '" ""■ "•'* "'"^ '-^'"' '° '"^ ^"^trBe,!;::; 68 LITTLE OWL. rest of its genus, are white. The iiieLmcholy and gloomy umbrage of those solitary evergreens forms its favourite haunts, where it sits dozing and slumbering all day lulled by the roar of the neighbouring ocean. The little owl is seven inches and a half long, and eighteen inches in extent ; the upper pnrts are a i)hiin brown olive, the scapulars and some of the greater and lesser coverts being spotted with white ; the first five primaries are crossed obliquely with five bai-s of white ; tail, rounded, rather darker than the body, crossed with two rows of white spots, and tipt with white ; whole interior vanes of the wings, spotted with the same ; auriculars, yellowish brown ; crown, upper j)art of the neck, and circle surrounding the ears, beautifully marked with munerous points of while on an olive brown ground ; front, pure white, ending in long blackish hairs ; at the internal angle of the eyes, a broad spot of black radiating outwards ; irides, pale yellow ; bill, a blackish horn colour ; lower parts, streaked with yellow ochre and reddish bay; thighs, and feathered legs, pale buff; toes, covered to the claws, which are black, large, and sharp-pointed. The bird, from which the foregoing figure and description were taken, was shot on the sea-shore, near Great Egg Harbour in New Jersey, in the month of November, and, on dissection, was found to be a female. Turton describes a species called the white fronted owl {8. alhifrons,) which, in everything except the size, agrees with this bird, and has, very probabl3% been taken from a young male, which is sometimes found considerably less than the female. SEA- SIDE FINCH, 69 SEA-SIDE FINCH. {Frm. ^ ' ^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT 3) // - ni^ I.I 11.25 1^1 t 1^ 2.2 U IIIIII.6 v^ <^ /a 7 .% ^^^^ ^>^ ;> //A Ci^' Photographic Sdences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14S80 (716) 872-4503 ^0 'm 70 SEA-SIDE FINCIf. This epecies aerives its whole subsistence from the sea. I examined a great number of individuals by dissection, and found their stomachs universally filled with fragments of shrimps, minute shell-fish, and broken limbs of^small se» crabs. Its flesh, also, as was to be expected, tasted of fish, or was what is usually termed sedgy. Amidst the recesses of these wet sea marshes, it seeks the rankest growth of grass and sea weed, and climbs along the stalks of the rushes with as much dexterity as it runs along the ground, which is rather a singular circumstance, most of our climbers being rather awkward at running. The sea-side finch is six inches and a quarter long, and eight and a quarter in extent ; chin, pure white, bordered on each side by a stripe of dark ash, proceeding from each base of the lower mandible ; above that is another slight streak of white; from the nostril over the eye extends another streak, which immediately over the lores is rich yellow bor- dered above with white, and ending in yellow olive; ciown brownish olive, divided laterally by a stripe of slate blue, or fine light ash; breast, ash, streaked with buff; belly, white- vent, buff coloured, and streaked with black; upper parts of the back, wings, and tail, a yellowish brown olive, intermixed with very pale blue ; greater and lesser coverts, tipt with dull white ; edge ot the bend of the wing, rich yellow ; primaries edged with the same immediately below their coverts- tail cuneiform, olive brown, centered with black ; bill dusky above, pale blue below, longer than is usual with finches - legs and feet, a pale bluish white ; irides, hazel. Male and female nearly alike in colour. SHARP.TAILED FINCH. ;i / SHARP-TAILED FINCH. {FringUla caudacata.) PLATE XXXIV.-FiG. 3. Sharp-taUed Oriole, Lath. Gen. Synop. ii. p. 448. pL 17.— Peale'a Museum, No. 6442. AMMODBAMUS CA VDACUTUS.—SvfAmaos.* Ammodramus, Swain. Zool. Joum. No. iL p. 348.-Fringilla caudaouta, Bonap. Synop. p. 110. A BIRD of this denomination is described by Turton, Syst. p. 562, but which by no means agrees with the present. This, however, may be the fault of the describer, as it is said to be a bird of Georgia : unwilling, therefore, to multiply names unnecessarily, I have adopted his appellation. In some future part of the work I shall settle this matter with more precision. This new (as I apprehend it) and beautiful species is an associate of the former, inhabits the same places, lives on the same food ; and resembles it so much in manners, that but for their dissimilarity in some essential particulars, I would be disposed to consider them as the same in a different state of plumage. They are much less numerous than the preced- ing, and do not run with equal celerity. The shai'p-tailed finch is five inches and a quarter long, and seven inches and a quarter in extent ; bill, dusky ; auriculars, ash ; from the bill over the eye, and also below it, run two broad stripes of brownish orange ; chin, whitish ; breast, pale buff, marked with small pointed spots of black ; belly, white ; vent, reddish buff ; from the base of the upper mandible a broad stripe of pale ash runs along the crown and hind head, • Mr Audubon has figured a bird, very closely allied in plumage, under the title of Ammodramus Henshwii, and, in tho letter-press, has described it as Henslow's bunting, Emberiza Henslowii. It will 'evi- dently come under the first genus, and if new and distinct, will form a third North American species. It is named after Professor Henslow of Cambridge, und was obtained near Cincinnati There is no account of its history and hacits.— Ed. 73 SA VANNAH FINCH. bordered on each side by one of blackish brown ; back a yel- lowish brown olive, some of the feathers curiously edged with semicircles of white; sides under the wings btiflP. spotted with black ; wing-coverts and tertials black, broadly edged with light reddish buff; tail, cuneiform, short; all the feathers sharp pomted ; legs, a yellow clay colour ; irides hazel I examined many of these birds, and found but little dif- ference m the colour and markings of their plumage Since writing the above, I have become convinced that the bird described by Mr Latham, under the name of sharp-tailed onole, 18 the present species. Latham states, that his descrip- tion and figure were taken from a specimen deposited in Mrs •Blackburn s collection, and that it came from New York SAVANNAH FINCH. {Fringilla Savanna.) PLATE XXXIV.-Fio. 4. Male.* PeaWa Museum, No, 6683. ZONOTRICHIA i SA VANJ^A.-jAumi^E. Fringilla Savanna, Bonap. Synop. p. 108, This delicately marked sparrow has been already taken notice of, m a preceding part of this work, wiieie a figure of the female was introduced. The present figure was drawn from a very beautiful male, and is a faithful representation of 4he original. If '« Jength is five and a half indies; extent, eight and a half; bill, pale brown ; eyebrows, Naples yellow; breast and whole ower pai-ts. pure white, the former marked with small pomted spos of brown ; upper parts, a pale whitish drab, motled with reddish brown; wing-coverts, edged and tip wi h white ; tertials, black, edged with white ami bay; \Z pale clay ; ear-feathers, tinged with Naples yellow. 1^,^ female and young males are less, and much darker. • The female is described in Vol. I. p. 342. ik, a yel- ged with ted with fed with featliers el. ittle dif- that the •p-tailed descrip- l in Mi-8 .ik. I notice of the n fiom of 4he and a st and I small drab, d tipt The '.■• v„Krr tf.t ira\^ '^^ f^«"^ ^l^ven to twelve inches, that of the common being from nine to ten." In the "Northern Zoology," C'on;M. Hudsonicus is quoted as a synonym The authors remark, " This bird, so common in Europe, is equally plen- tiful in the interior prairie lands of America ; but it is singular, that of 2 of. w"u'-°' *'' ^'^"^ '' ^"^^^"' -^ °*^- --itime' part of the Old Wor d, it is very rare on the Aiantic, eastward of the Missis- sippi, or Lake Wmipeg." " The manners of the American bird are pre- cisely what we have been accustomed to observe in the English one On comparing its eggs with those of the European bird, they were found to be longer and narrower ; and though the colours are the same, the blotches are larger and more diffused." The distinctions mentioned by Mr Sabine seem very trivial ; indeed they may be confined entirely to a less size. The grayish tuft of feathers on the rump is the same in the common magpie of Britain. I have had an opportunity of examining only one North American specimen, which s certainly smaller, but in no other respect different. The authors of the Northern Zoology" mention their having compared Arctic specimens with one from the mterior of China, and they found no difference. The geographical distribution may therefore extend to a greater ranae than was 8uppo8ed,-Europe, China, and America.-En. 78 MAGPIE. particularly peruicious to plantations of young oaks, tearing up the acorns ; and also to birds, destroying great numbers of their eggs and young, even young chickens, partridges, grouse and pheasants. It is perhaps on this last account that the whole vengeance of the game laws has lately been let loose upon him in some parts of Britain, as appears, by accounts from that quarter, where premiums, it is said, are offered for his head, as an arch poacher ; and penalties inflicted on all those who permit him to breed on their premises. Under the lash of such rigorous i)er8ecution, a few years will probably exterminate the whole tribe from the island. He is also de- structive to gardens and orchards ; is noisy and restless, almost constantly flying from place to place ; alights on the backs of the cattle, to rid them of the larvie that fester in the skin ; is content with carrion when nothing better offers ; eats various kinds of vegetables, and devours greedily grain, worms, and insects of almost every description. When domesticated, he is easily taught to imitate the human voice, and to articulate words pretty distiaotly; has all the pilfering habits of his tribe, filling every chink, nook, and crevice, with whatever he can carry off; is subject to the epilepsy, or some similar dis- order ; and is, on the whole, a crafty, restless, and noisy bird. He generally selects a tall tree, adjoining the farm house, for his nest, which is placed among the highest branches ; this is large, composed outwardly of sticks, roots, turf, and dry weeds, and well lined with wool, cow hair, and feathers ; the whole is surrounded, roofed, and barricaded with thorns,' leaving only a narrow entrance. The eggs are usually five of a greenish colour, marked with numerous black or dusky spots. In the northern parts of Europe, he migrates at the com- mencement of winter. In this country, the magpie was first taken notice of at the factories, or trading houses, on Hudson's Bay, where the Indians used sometimes to bring it in, and gave it the name of heart-bird,— for what reason is uncertain. It appears, how- ever, to be rather rare in that quarter. These circumstances MAGPIE. ;9 are taken notice of by Mr Pennant and other BiitisU naturalistfi. In 1804, an exploring party under the command of Captains Lewis and Clark, on their route to the Pacific Ocean across the continent, first met with the magpie somewhere near the great bend of the Missouri, and found that the number of these birds increased as they advanced. Here also the blue jay disappeared ; as if the territorial boundaries and jurisdic- tion of these two noisy and voracious families of the same tribe had been mutually agreed on, and distinctly settled. But the magpie was found to be far more daring than the jay - dashing into their very tents, and carrying off the meat from' the dishes. One of the hunters who accompanied the expedi- tion informed me, that they frequently attended him while he was engaged in skinning and cleaning the carcass of the deer bear, or buffalo he had killed, often seizing the meat that hung within a foot or two of his head. On the shores Oi the Koos-koos-ke river, on the west side of the great ran^^e of Kocky Mountains, they were found to be equally numerous It is highly probable that those vast plains, or prairies aboundmg with game and cattle, frequently killed for the mere hides, tallow, or even marrow bones, may be one great mducement for the residency of these birds, so fond of flesh and carrion. Even the rigorous severity of winter in the high regions along the head waters of Kio du Nord, the Arkansaw and Red River, seems insufficient to force them from those favourite haunts ; though it appears to increase their natural voracity to a very uncommon degree. Colonel Pike relates that in the month of December, in the neighbourhood of the North Mountain, N. lat. 410 W. long. 34°, Reaumur's ther- mometer standing at 17" below 0, these birds were seen in great numbers. "Our horses," says he, "were obhVed to scrape the snow away to obtain their miserable pittance''- and to increase their misfortunes, the poor animals were attacked by the magpies, who, attracted by the scent of their sore backs, alighted on them, and, in defiance of their wincin- and 8o CJiOW. kicking, picked many places quite raw ; the difficulty of pro- curing food rendering those birds so bold, as to alight on our men's arms, and eat meat out of their hand." * The magpie is eighteen inches in length ; the head, neck, upper part of the breast and back, ai-e a deep velvety black ; primaries, brownish black, streaked along tlieir itmer vanes with white; secondaries, rich purplish blue; greater coverts, green blue ; scapulars, lower part of the breast and belly, white ; thighs and vent, black ; tail, long ; the two exterior feathers scarcely half the length of the longest, the others increasing to the two middle ones, which taper towards their e^itremities. The colour of this part of the plumage is very splendid, being glossy green, dashed with blue and bright purple ; this last colour bonnds the green ; nostrils, covered with a thick tuft of recumbent hairs, as are also the sides of the mouth ; bill, legs, and feet, glossy black. The female differs only in the less brilliancy of her phmiage. CROW. {Corviis corone.-\) PLATE XXXV. -Fig. .3. Peak's Museum, No. 124G. CORVUS COHONEf-Uni^MVS. Tins is perhaps the most generally known, and least beloved, of all our land birds; having neither melody of song, nor * Pike's Journal, p. 170. + " The voice of tlii.s bird is so remarkably .lifferent from that of the Corone of Europe, that I was at first led to believe it a distinct species ; but tlie most scrupulous examination and comparison of European and American specimens proved them to be the same," are the words of Bonaparte in his Nomenclature to Wilson ; and Corviis corone is quoted as the name and synonym to this species in tlie " Northern Zoology," from a male killed on the plains of the Saskatchewan. This is one oi the birds I have yet lieen unable to obtain for compari- son with European specimens, and it may seem presumption to differ from the above authorities, without ever having seen the bird in question, CHOW. Zi beauty of plumage, nor excellence of flesh, nor civility of manners, to recommend him ; on the contrary, he is branded as a thief and a plunderer-a kind of black-coat^d vagabond who hovers over the fields of the industrious, fattening on their labours, and. by his voracity, often blasting their expec- tations. Hated as he is by the farmer, watched and persecuted by almost every bearer of a gun. who all triumph in his destruction, had not Heaven bestowed on him intelligence and sagacity far beyond common, there is reason to believe that the whole tribe (in these parts at least) would Ion- a-o have ceased to exist. ** " The crow is a constant attendant on agriculture, and a general inhabitant of the cultivated parts of North America In the interior of the forest he is more rare, unless during the season of breeding. He is particularly attached to low flat corn countries, lying in the neighbourhood of the sea, or of large rivers; and more numerous in the northern than southern states, where vultures abound, with whom the crows are unable to contend. A strong antipathy, it is also said, prevails between the crow and the raven, insomuch, that where the latter is numerous, the former rarely resides. Many of the first settlers of the Gennesee country have informed me that, for a long time, ravens were numerous with them but no ovor ,, and even now the latter are seldom observed in tliat country. In travelling from Nashville to Natchez, a I cannot, nevertheless, reconcile Wilson's account of the difference of habits and cry to those of Britain and Europe. It seems ^8^8 lr« intermediate between the common rook, oXg^ZZaZT:^^ their gregarious habits, and feeding so much on grain are quite rvari Burns s line in the « Cottar's Saturday Night " alludes certainlv tn fha VOL. ir. 82 CROIV. ; distauce of four hundred aud seventy miles, I saw few or no crows, but ravens frequently, and vultures in.great numbers. The usual breeding time of the crow, in Pennsylvania, is in March, April, and May, during which season they are dispersed over the woods in pairs, and roost in the neighbour- hood of the tree they have selected for their nest. About the middle of March they begin to build, generally choosing a high tree ; though I have also known them prefer a middle- sized cedar. One of their nests, now beftve me, is formed externally of sticks, wet moss, thin bark, mixed with mossy earth, and lined with laige quantities of horse hair, to the amount of more than half a pound, some cow hair, and some , wool, forming a very soft and elastic bod. The eggs are four, of a pale green colour, marked with numerous specks and blotches of olive. During this interesting season, the male is extremely watchful, making frequent excursions of half a mile or so in circuit, to reconnoitre ; and the instant he observes a person approaching, he gives the alarm, when both male and female retire to a distance till the intruder has gone past. He also regularly carries food to his mate, while she is sitting ; occa- sionally relieves her; and, when she returns, again resigns up his post. At this time, also, as well as until the young are able to fly, they preserve uncommon silence, that their retreat may not be suspected. It is in the month of May, and until the middle of June, that the crow is most destructive to the corn fields, dif^nn*' up the newly planted grains of maize, pulling up by the roots those that have begun to vegetate, and thus frequently oblig- ing the farmer to replant, or lose the benefit of the soil; and this sometimes twice, and even three, times, 'occasioning a considerable additional expense, and inequality of harvest. 2^0 mercy is now shown him. The myriads of worms, moles, mice, caterpillars, grubs, and beetles, which he has destroyed, are altogether overlooked on these occasions. Detected in robbing the hens' nests, pulling up the corn, and killing the CROIV. g young cliickens, lie is considered as an outlaw, and sentenced to destruction. But the great difficulty is, how to put this sentence in execution. In vain the gunner skulks along the hedges and fences ; his faithful sentinels planted on some commanding point, raise the alarm, and disappoint venc^eance of Its object. The coast again clear, he returns once more in silence, to finish the repast he had begun. Sometimes he approaches the farm house by stealth, in search of young chickens, which he is in the habit of snatcliing off, when he can elude the vigilance of the mother hen, who often proves too formidable for him. A few days ago, a crow was observed eagerly attemptmg to seize some young chickens in an orchard near the room where I write; but these clustering close round the hen, she resolutely defended them, drove the crow into an apple tree, whither she instantly pursued him with such spirit and intrepidity, that he was glad to make a speedy retreat, and abandon his design. The crow himself sometimes falls a prey to the superior strength and rapacity of the great owl, whose weapons of otience are by far the more formidable of the two.* the*bl^wrwT'"T ? °^"^^^"^ correspondent, "I resided on the banks of the Hudson, about seven miles from the city of New York Not far from the place of my residence was a prettv thick wood o^ swamp in which great numbei^ of crows, who used to' cross the river from the opposite shore, M'ere accustomed to roost. Returning home- ward one afternoon, from a shooting excursion, I had occasioiAo pass through Ins swamp. It was near sunset, and troops of crows were flj! mg 111 all directions over my head. While engaged in observing th Jr flight and endeavouring to select from among them an object to Z at my ears were suddenly assailed by the distressful cries of a crow who was evidently struggling under the talons of a merciless a^d rapacious enemy. I hastened to the spot whence the sounds proceed d and. to my great surprise, found a crow lying on the ground, just ex- piring, and seated upon the body of the yet warm and bleedingCarry a large brown ot.^ who was beginning to make a meal of the uufominafe robber o corn fields. Perceiving my approach, he forsook h s prey with evident reluctance, and flew into a tree at a little distance, where he sat watching all my movements, alternately regarding with ondn' eyes, the victim he hud been forced to leave, and dartin,:;:;^: ^Xy 84 CROW. Towards the cloee of Biimmer, tlie parent crowg, with their new families, forsaking their solitary lodgings, collect together, as if by previous agreement, when evening approaches. About an hour before sunset, they are first observed, flying, some- what in Indian file, in one direction, at a short height above the tops of the trees, silent and steady, keeping the general curvature of the ground, continuing to pass sometimes till after sunset, so that the whole line of march would extend for many miles. This circiimstance, so familiar and picturesque, has not been overlooked by the poets, in their descriptions of a rural evening. Burns, in a single line, has finely sketched it:— " The blackening trains of crowB to their repose," The most noted crow-roost with which I am acquainted is near Newcastle, on an island in the Delaware. It is there known by the name of the Pea Patch, and is a low, flat, alluvial spot, of a few acres, elevated but a little above high water m^rk, and covered with a thick giowth of reeds. This friendly looks, that seemed to reproach me for having deprived him of his expected regale. I confess that the scene before me was altogether novel and surprising. I am but little conversant with natural history ; but I had always understood, that the depredations of the owl were con- fined to the smaller birds and animals of the lesser kind, such as mice, young rabbits, &c., and that he obtained his prey rather by fraud and stratagem, than by open rapacity and violence, I was the more con- firmed in this belief, from the recollection of a passage in Macbeth, which now forcibly recurred to my memory.— The courtiers of King Duncan are recounting to each other the various prodigies that pre- ceded his death, and one of them relates to his wondering auditor, that ' An eagle, towering in his pride of place, "Was by a inovMng owl hawk'd at and kill'd.' But to resume my relation : That the owl was the murderer of the unfortunate crow, there could be no doubt. No other bird of prey was in sight ; I had not fired my gun since I entered the wood ; nor heard any one else shoot : besides, the unequivocal situation in which I found the parties would have been sufficient before any 'twelve good men and true,' or a jury of ci^ws, to have convicted him of his guilt. It is proper to add, that I avenged the death of the hapless crow by a well-aimed shot at the felonious robber, that extended him breathless on the ground." CA'Off^. g- appears to be the grand rendezvous, or head-quarters, of the greater part of the crows within forty or fifty miles of the spot. It is entirely destitute of trees, the crows alighting and nestling among the reeds, which by these means are broken down and matted together. The noise created by those mul- titudes, both in their evening assembly and reascension in the morning, and the depredations they commit in the immediate neighbourhood of this great resort, are almost incredible. Whole fields of corn are sometimes laid waste by thousands alighting on it at once, with appetites whetted by the fast of the preceding night ; and the utmost vigilance is unavailing to prevent, at least, a partial destruction of this their favourite grain. Like the stragglers of an immense, undisciplined, and i-apacious army, they spread themselves over the fields, to plunder and destroy wherever they alight. It is here that the character of the crow is universally execrated ; and to say to the man who has lost his crop of corn by these birds, that crows aie exceedingly useful for destroying vermin, would be as consolatory as to tell him who had jiist lost his house and furni- ture by the flames, that fires are excellent for destroying bugs. The strong attachment of the crows to this spot may be illustrated by the following circumstance : Some years ago, a sudden and violent north-east storm came on during the uFght, and the tide, rising to an uncommon height, inundated "the whole island. The d... Kness of the night, the suddenness and violence of the storm, and the incessant torrents of rain that fell, it is supposed, so intimidated the crows, that they did not attempt to escape, and almost all perished. Thousands of them were next day seen floating in the river ; and the wind, shifting to the north-west, drove their dead bodies to the Jersey side, where for miles they blackened the whole shore. This disaster, however, seems long ago to have been repaired ; for they now congiegate on the Pea Patch in as immense multitudes as ever.* * The following i- extracted from a late number of a newspaper printed in that uei^'bourhood :— 86 CHOW. So universal is the liatred to crows, tl.at few States, either here or in Europe, have neglected to offer rewards for their destruction. In the United States, they have heen repeatedly ranked in our laws with the wolves, the panthers, foxes, and squirrels, and a proportionable premium offered for their heads, to be paid by any justice of the peace to whom thev are .,°" "" """=''• "'">■ '««°"'- awa,« that water-fo,vlVavX„ h! """'^ "'■ ™' """■«»"• 1^«" and .„e,eby elude th^i'lue pL" ^^^ CftW a" °*h"'°" r~°''' opposite directions over thp 1 ,Vo ' ^ "^^"^^"^ "^ *^»e air, in theyaredesirou o p ssesiVfa bTe,r7 '" T'"^^^ *^" object which height, ininiediatelv afte 3h one of n ^'''?^; ^"^^^ ''^'^' ^ ^^^^^i" towards tlie prey ; "the ktl 1° h"" ^^'^'^^ ''''^' 8^^^* ^^^'i^^^ss dives ^he moment be ri;.^X^^ ^T °J! ^^^ «-g'^'« -tention, in the air, and is met by its n a "^^ S Z P'' f'^^"'^^ ^^^'^ "««^ that has just emerged to^reaS^ ^ri^.tfstt T^^^^^^ ''^ "r^"''' he surface, to escape the talons of this sectU a a' nt'^Tfi 'f "1^^ IS now poising itself in tlie place where its ml. -n/' ' ^''* ""«'' anew, to force the quarry to make 2 f , '"'^ "'^'' '''"'^ "^^^^^s gliding, in rapid and often relt, ^ "' ^^""°'- ^^ '^'"« alternately Boon fatigue il, when U st3 f oITs ,"' ."" •*'' "^"'^^^^ •^"•^' ^^^^ for the shore, in the hope of onc^a n >^^''"'' deeply, and makes But this is of no avail -Ir he e.:?7i; '™'"^ '^'' ^"^"^ ^''^'- WHITE-HEADED, OR BALD EAGLE. 93 >owera. He Falls, have been dragged into the current, and precipitated down that tremendous gulf, where, among the rocks that bound the Rapids below, they furnish a rich repast for the it is one of the earliest, arriving in the month of March, which has thence received the name of Meekeeshew, or Eepeeshim, or eagle month. It ap- pears also migratory everywhere to the North ; it was not met with to the north of the Great Slave Lake, lat. 62° N. although it is common in the summer in the country lying between that and Lake Superior, and its breeding-places in the district are numerous. In the month of Octo- ber, when the rivers are frozen over, 't entirely quits Hudson's Bay lands ; and it is only on the sea-coasts that individuals can be then met with. In this place we must introduce another splendid fishing eagle, which, if ultimately proved to be an undescribed species, will stand as the Hceliceetus Washingtonii of Audubon. It has been first beautifully figured and described by that gentleman, and a specimen of it exists in the Academy of Philadelphia. Its immense size, and some other differences, seem to keep it distinct from any species we are acquainted with, and it is most probably before this time proved to be new. We strongly suspect, however, that the state in which it is figured is not that of the adult plumage, and that this has yet to be found : we can only wish that its discoverer may be successful in his present arduous journey. It must be of very rare occurrence, three or four being all that Mr Audubon has ever found of it. We have transcribed the more essential parts of his description. From it there will be seen a difference in their habits from the white-headed bird, building and roosting on rocks ; and in their mode of fishing, which is performed like the osprey. It was in February, 1814, that Mr Audubon first saw this bird, while on a trading voyage on the Upper Mississipi. He was assured that it was rare ; and, from the accounts he received, being convinced that it was unknown to naturalists, he felt anxious to learn its habits, and to discover in what particulars it differed from the rest of its genus. Mr Audubon did not again meet with it for some years, and his next meet- ing was partly accidental : he was engaged in collecting crayfish, and perceived, on the steep and rocky banks of the Ohio, the marks of the breeding- place of some bird of prey. His inquiries among the people in the neighbourhood led him to suppose that it was an eagle, different from any of those known in America. He resolved to watch the nest ; and tlie following is the result :— " In high expectation I seated myself about a hundred yards from the foot of the rock. Never did time pass more slowly. I could not help betraying the most impatient curiosity, for my hopes whispered it was a sea eagle's nest. Two long hours had elapsed before the old bird made his appearance, which was announced to us by the loud hissings of the 94 WHITE-HEADED, OR BALD EAGLE. \ ' i vulture, the raven, and the bald eagle, the subject of the present account. This bird lias been long known to natu- ralists, being common to both continents, and occasionally met with from a veiy high northern latitude, to the borders of the torrid zone, but chiefly in the vicinity of the sea, and along the shores and cliffs of our lakes and large rivers. Formed by nature for braving the severest cold; feeding equally on the produce of the sea and of the land ; possessing two young ones, which crawled to the extremity of the hole to receive a fine fisli. I had a perfect view of this noble bird, as he held himself to the edging rock, hanging like the barn, bank, or social swallow, his tail spread, and his wings partly so. I trembled lest a word should escape my companions. The slightest murmur had been treason from them They entered into my feelings, and, though I'ttle interested, joined with me. In a few minutes the other parent joined her mate. She glanced her quick and piercing eye around, and instantly perceived that her abode had been discovered. She dropped her prey, with a loud shriek communicated the alarm to the male, and, hovering with him over our heads, kept up a growling cry." It was not till two years after that Mr Audubon had the good fortune to shoot this eagle ; and the following description was then taken : — " " Bill, bluish black, the edges pale; the soft margin towards the com- missure, and the base of the under mandible, yellow ; cere, yellowish brown ; lore, light greenish blue ; iris, chestnut brown ; feet, deep yel- low ; claws, bluish black ; upper part of the head, hind neck, back scapulars, rump, tail-coverts, and posterior tibial feathers, blackish brown, glossed with a coppery tint ; throat, foreneck, breast, and belly light brownish yellow, each feather marked along the centre with black- ish brown ; wing-coverts, light grayish brown, those next the body becoming darker, and approacliing the colour of the back ; primary quills, dark brown, deeper on their Inner webs ; secondaries lighter and on their outer webs, of nearly the same light tint as their coverts • tail, uniform dark brown ; anterior tibial feathers, grayish brown "Length, three feet seven inches ; extent of wings, ten feet two inches- bill, three and a quarter inches along the back ; along the gap which' commences directly under the eye, to the tip of the lower mandible three and one-tlurd, and one and three quarters deep ; length of wing when folded, thirty-two inches; lengthof tail, fifteen inches; tarsus four and a half ; middle, four and three-riuarters ; hind claw, two and a'half "The two stomaclis, large and baggy; their contents in the individual described were fish, fishes' scales, and entrails of various kinds • intes- tines, large, but thin and transparent."— Ed. ' WHITE-HEADED, OR BALD EAGLE. 95 powers of flight capable of outstripping even the tempests themselves ; unawed by anything but man ; and, from the ethereal heights to which he soars, looking abroad, at one glance, on an immeasurable expanse of forests, fields, lakes, and ocean, deep below him, he appears indifferent to tiie little localities of change of seasons; as, in a few minutes, he can pass from summer to winter, from the lower to the higher regions of the atmosphere, the abode of eternal cold, and thence descend, at will, to the torrid, or the arctic regions of the earth. He is, therefore, found at all seasons in the countries he inhabits ; but prefers such places as have been mentioned above, from the great partiality he has for fish. In procuring these, he displays, in a very singular manner, the genius and energy of his character, which is fierce, con- templative, daring, and tyrannical,— attributes not exerted but on particular occasions, but, when put forth, overpowering all opposition. Elevated on the high dead limb of some gigantic tree that commands a wide view of the neighbouring- shore and ocean, he seems calmly to contemplate the motions of the various feathered tribes that pursue their busy avoca- tions below,— the snow-white gulls slowly winnowing the air ; the busy Tnnj/oe coursing along the sands ; trains of ducks streaming over the surface ; silent and watchful cranes, intent and wading ; clamorous crows ; and all the winged multitudes that subsist by the bounty of this vast liquid magazine of nature. High over all these hovers one, whose action instantly arrests his whole attention. By his wide curvature of wing, and sudden suspension in air, he knows him to be the fish hawk, settling over some devoted victim of the deep. His eye kindles at the siglit, and, balancing himself, with halt' opened wings, on the branch, he watches the result. Down, rapid as an arrow from heaven, descends the distant object of his attention, the roar of its wings reaching the ear as it dis- appears in the deep, making the surges foam around. At this moment, the eager loolis of the eagle are all ardour ; and, levelling his neck for flight, he sees the fish hawk once more ill 96 WHITE-HEADED, OR BALD EAGLE. emerge, struggling with his prey, and mounting in the air with screams of exultation. These are the signal for our hero, who, launching into the air, instantly gives chase, and soon gains on the fish hawk ; each exerts his utmost to mount above the other, displaying in these rencontres the most elegant and sublime aerial evolutions. The unencumbered eagle rapidly advances, and is just on the point of reaching his opponent, when, with a sudden scream, probably of despair and honest execration, the latter drops his fish ; the eagle, poising himself for a moment, as if to take a more certain aim, descends like a whirlwind, snatches it in his grasp ere it reaches the water, and bears his ill-gotten booty silently away to the woods. These predatory attacks, and defensive manoeuvres of the ' eagle and the fish hawk, are matters of daily observation along the whole of our sea board, from Georgia to New England" and frequently excite great interest in the spectators. °Sym- pathy, however, on this, as on most other occasions, gene- rally sides with the honest and laborious sufferer, in opposi- tion to the attacks of power, injustice, and rapacity— qualities for which our hero is so generally notorious, and which, in his superior, man, are certainly detestable. As for the feel- ings of the poor fish, they seem altogether out of the question. When driven, as he sometimes is, by the combined courage and perseverance of the fish hawks, from their neighbourhood, and forced to hunt for himself, he retires more inland, in search of young pigs, of which he destroys great numbers. In the lower parts of Virginia and North Carolina, where tho inhabitants raise vast herds of those animals, complaints of this kind are very general against him. He also destroys young lambs in the early part of spring ; and will sometimes attack old sickly sheep, aiming furiously at their eyes. In corroboration of the remarks I have myself made on the manners of the bald eagle, many accounts have reached me from various persons of respectability, living on or near our sea-coast : the substance of all these I shall endeavour to incorporate with the present account. WHITE-HEADED, OR BALD EAGLE. gy Mr Jolin L. Gardiner, who resides on an island of three thousand acres, ahout three miles fiom the eastern point of Long Island, from which it is separated hy Gardiner's Bay and who has, consequently, many opportunities of observing the habits of tliese birds, has favoured me with a number of interestm- particulars on this subject ; for which I be- leave thus publicly to return my grateful acknowledgment "^ "The bald eagles," says this gentleman, "remain on this island durmg the whole winter. They can be most easily discovered on evenings by their loud snoring while asleep on high oak trees ; and, when awake, their hearing seems to be nearly as good as their sight. I think I mentioned to you that I had myself seen one flying with a lamb ten days old' and which it dropped on the ground from about ten or twelve feet high. The struggling of the lamb, more than its wei-ht prevented its carrying it away. My running, hallooing and being very near, might prevent its completing its desic^n It had broke the back in the act of seizing it ; and I was under the necessity of killing it outright to prevent its misery The lamb's dam seemed astonished to see its innocent offsprino- borne off into the air by a bird. "^ •' I was lately told," continues Mr Gardiner, "by a man of Iruth, that he saw an eagle rob a hawk of its fish and the hawk seemed so enraged as to fly down at the ea'rle while the eagle very deliberately, in the air, threw himself partly over on his back, and, while he grasped with one foot the fish extended the other to threaten or seize the hawk I have known several hawks unite to attack the eagle ; but never knew a smgle one to do it. The eagle seems to regard the hawks as the hawks do the king birds-only as teasing, troublesome fellows." ^ Froni the same intelligent and obliging friend, I latelv received a well-preserved skin of the bald eagle, which, from Its appearance, and the note that accompanied it, seems to have belonged to a very formidable individual. "It was shot » says Mr Gardiner, "last winter, on this island, and weighed G VOL. If. i^, 98 WHITE-HEADED, OR BALD EAGLE. thirteen pounds ; measured three feet in length, and seven from tip to tip of the expanded wings ; was extremely fierce looking ; though wounded, would turn his hack to no one ; fastened his claws into the head of a dog, and was with diffi- culty disengaged. I have ridden on horsehack within five or six rods of one, who, hy his bold demeanour, raising his feathers, &c., seemed willing to dispute the ground with its owner. The crop of the present was full of mutton, from my part blood Merinos; and his intestines contained feathers, which he probably devoured with a duck, or winter gull, as I observed an entire foot and leg of some water fowl. I had two killed previous to this, which weighed ten pounds avoir- dupois each." The intrepidity of character, mentioned above, may be further illustrated by the following fact, which occurred a few years ago, near Great Egg Harbour, New Jerst/. A woman, who happened to be weeding in the garden, had set her child down near, to amuse itself while she was at work ; when a sudden and extraordinary rushing sound, and a scream from her child, alarmed her, and starting up, she beheld the infant thrown down, and dragged some few feet, and a large bald eagle bearing off the fragment of its frock, which being the only part seized, and giving way, providentially saved the life of the infant. The appetite of the bald eagle, though habituated to long fasting, is of the most voracious, and often a most indelicate kind. Fish, when he can obtain them, are preferred to all other fare. Young lambs and pigs are dainty morsels, and made free with on all favourable occasions. Ducks, geese, gulls, and other sea fowl, are also seized with avidity. The most putrid carrion, when nothing better can be had, is accept- able ; and the collected groups of gormandising vultures, on the approach of this dignified personage, instantly disperse, and make way for their master, waiting his departure in sullen silence, and at a respectful distance, on the adjacent trees. In one of those partial migrations of tree squirrels that WHITE-HEADED, OR BALD EAGLE. gg sometimes take place in our western forests, many tliousands of them were drowned in attempting to cross the Ohio- and at a certain place, not far from Wheeling, a prodigious number of their dead bodies were floated to the shore by an eddy Here the vultures assembled in great force, and had re-ale(i themselves for some time, when a bald eagle made his appear- ance, and took sole possession of the premises, keeping the whole vulttn-es at their proper distance for several days He has also been seen navigating the same river on a floatino- carrion, though scarcely raised above the surface of the wate" and tugging at the carcase, regardless of snags, sawyers' planters, or shallows. He sometimes carries his tyranny to great extremes against the vulture.. In hard times, when food happens to be scarce, should he accidentally meet with one of these who has its craw crammed with carrion he attacks It fiercely in the air ; the cowardly vulture instantly disgorges, and the delicious contents are snatched up by the eagle before they reach the ground. The nest of this species is generally fixed on a very lar-e and lofty tree, often in a swamp or morass, and difficult to be ascended. On some noted tree of this description, often a pme or cypress, the bald eagle builds, year after year, for a long series of years. When both male and female have been shot from the nest, another pair has soon after taken posses- sion. 1 he nest is large, being added to and repaired every season, until it becomes a black, prominent mass, observable at a considerable distance. It is formed of large sticks, sods, earthy rubbish, hay, moss. &c. Many have stated to me that the female lays first a single egg, and that, after having sat on It for some time, she lays another; when the first is ha ched. the warmth of that, it is pretended, hatches the other. Whether this be correct or not, I cannot determine; but a very respectable gentleman of Virginia assured me. that he saw a large tree cut down, containing the nest of a bald eagle in which were two young, one of which appeared nearly three times as large as the other. As a proof of their attachment to 100 WHITE-HEADED, OR BALD EAGLE. their younfj, a person near Norfolk informed me, tliat, in clearinj^ a piece of wood on his phxce, they met with a large dead pine tree, on which was a bald eaj^le's nest and young. The tree being on fire more than half wny up, and the flames rnpidly ascending, the parent eagle darted around and among the flames, until her phmiage was so much injin-ed that it was with difficulty she could make her escape, and even then, she several times attempted to retiun to relieve her offspring. No bird provides more abuudantly for its young than the bald eagle. Fish are daily carried thither in numbers, so that they sometimes lie scattered round the tree, and the putrid smell of the nest may be distinguished at the distance , of several liundred yards. The young are at first covered with a thick whitish or ci-eara coloured cottony down ; they gradually become of a gray colour as their plumage developes itself; continue of the brown gray until the third year, when the white begins to make its appearance on the head, neck, tail-coverts, and tail ; these, by the end of the fourth year, are completely white, or very slightly tinged with cream ; the eye also is at first hazel, but gradually brightens into a brilliant straw colour, with the white plumage of the head. Snch at least was the gradual progress of this change, witnessed by myself, on a very fine specimen brought up by a gentleman, a fiiend of mine, who, for a considerable time, believed it to be what is usually called the gray eagle, and was much surprised at the gradual metamorphosis. This will account for the circumstance, so frequently observed, of the gray and white-headed eagle being seen together, both being, in fact, the same species, in different stages of colour, according to their difference of age. The flight of the bald eagle, when taken into consideration with the ardour and energy of his character, is noble and interesting. Sometimes the human eye can just discern him, like a minute speck, moving in slow curvatures along the face of the heavens, as if reconnoitring the earth at that immense distance. Sometimes he glides along in a direct horizontal WHITE-HEADED, OR BALD EAGLE. jqi line, at a vast lieiglit, with expanded and unmovitig wings, till he gradually disappears in the distant blue ether. Se°en gliding in easy circles over the high shores and mountainous cliffs that tower above the Hudson atid Susquehanna, he attracts the eye of the intelligent voyager, and adds gi-gat interest to the scenery. At the great Cataract of Niagara, already mentioned, there rises from the gulf into whicir the Fall of the Horse-shoe descends, a stupendous column of smoke, or spray, reaciu'ng to the heavens, and moving off in large black clouds, according to the direction of the wind, forming a very striking and mnjestic appearance. The eagles are here seen sailing about, sometimes losing them- selves in this thick column, and again reapi)earing iiranother place, with such ease and elegance of motion, as renders the whole truly sublime. High o'er the watery uproar, silent seen. Sailing sedate in majesty serene. Now midst the pillar'd spray sublimely lost. And now, emerging, down the Rapids tost. Glides the bald eagle, gassing cr.lm, and slow, O'er all the horrors of the scene below ; Intent alone to sate himself with blood, From the torn victims of the raging flood. The white-headed eagle is three feet long, and seven feet in extent ; the bill is of a rich yellow ; cere, the same, slightly tinged with green ; mouth, flesh-coloured ; tip of the tongue, bluish black ; the head, chief part of the neck, vent, tail- coverts, and tail, are white in the perfect, or old birds of both sexes,— in those under three years of age these parts are of a gray brown ; the rest of the plumage is deep dark brown, each feather tipt with pale biown, lightest on the shoulder of the wing, and darkest towards its extremities. The conformation of the wing is admirably adapted for the support of so large a bird ; it measures two feet in breadth on the greater quills, and sixteen inches on the lesser ; the longest primaries are twenty inches in length, and upwards of one inch in circumference where they enter the skin; 102 WHITE-HEADED, OR BALD EAGLE. the broadest secondaries are three inches in breadth across the vane ; the scapulars are very large and broad, spreading from the back to the wing, to prever.t the air from passing through ; anotlier range of broad flat feathers, from three to ten inches in lengtl), also extends from the lower part of the breast to the wing below, for the same purpose ; between these lies a deep triangular cavity ; the thighs are remarkably thick, strong, and muscidar, covered with long feathers point- ing backwards, usually called the femoral feathers ; the legs, which are covered half way below the knee, before, with dark brown downy feathers, are of a rich yellow, the colour of ripe Indian corn ; feet the same ; claws, blue black, very large ,and strong, particularly the inner one. which is considerably the largest; soles, very rough and warty; the eye is sunk under n bony, or cartilaginous projection, of a pale yellow colour, and IS turned considerably forwards, not standing parallel with the cheeks ; the iris is of a blight straw colour, pupil black. The male is generally two or three inches shorter than the female; the white on the head, neck, and tall being more tmged with yellowish, and its whole appearance less formi- dable ; the brown plumage is also lighter, and the bird itself less daring than the female,— a circumstance common to almost all birds of prey. The bird from which the foregoing drawing and description were taken, was shot near Great Egg Harbour, in the month of January. It was in excellent order, and weighed about eleven pounds. Dr Samuel B. Smith, of this city, obli-ed me with a minute and careful dissection of it ; from whose copious and very interesting notes on the subject, I shall extract such remarks as are suited to the general reader. " The eagle you sent me for dissection was a beautiful female. It had two expansions of the gullet. The first prin- cipally composed of longitudinal bundles of fibre, in which (as the bird is ravenous and without teeth) large portions of immasticated meats are suffered to dissolve before they pass to the lower or proper stomach, which is membranous. I did not receive the bird time enough to ascertain whether any •mSSm WHITE-HEADED, OR BALD EAGLE. 103 chilification was effected by the juices from the vessels of this enlargement of the oesophagus. I think it probable, that it also has a regurgitating, or vomiting power, as the bird con- stantly swallows large quantities of indigestible substances, such as quills, hairs, &c. In this sac of the eagle, I found the quill-feathers of the small white gull ; and in the true stomach, the tail and some of the breast-feathers of the same bird, and the dorsal vertebrae of a large fish. This excited some surprise, tmtil you made me acquainted with the fact of its watching the fish hawks, and robbing them of their prey. Thus we see, throughout the whole empire of animal life, power is almost always in a state of hostility to justice ; and of the Deity only can it truly be said, Wxixi justice is commensurate with jaoiyer / "The eagle has the several auxiliaries to digestion and assimihition in common with man. The liver was unusually large in your specimen. It secretes bile, which stimulates the intestines, prepares the chyle for blood, and by this very secretion of bile (as it is a deeply respiring animal), separates or removes some obnoxious principles from the blood. (See Dr Rush's admirable lecture on this important viscus in the human subject.) The intestines were also large, long, convolute, and supplied with numerous lacteal vessels, which differ little from those of men, except in colour, which was transparent. The kidneys were large, and seated on each side the vertebrae, near the anus. They are also destined to secrete some offensive principles from the blood. " The eggs were small and numerous ; and, after a careful examination, I concluded that no sensible increase takes place in them till the particular season. This may account for the unusual excitement which prevails in these birds in the sexual intercourse. Why there are so many eggs, is a mystery. It is, perhaps, consistent with natural law, that everything should be abundant ; but, from this bird, it is said, no more than two young are hatched in a season, consequently, no more eggs are wanted than a suflSciency to produce that effect. Are the eggs numbered originally, and is there no increase of number, but a gradual loss, till all are deposited ? If so, 104 FISH IIAIVK, OR OSPREY. i (■ the nunil,™- mny corrapond to the l„„g life „na ,|,.„,.„,„ lK.«llh „f lhi« „„ble binl. Why the™ are but two ,^ZZ « «.™m,, ,a easily ex|,lm„ed. N,.l,„e h,u, 1,»„ ,iu,liou.ly L- s..non,on» of her physical »t,e„Kll,, fr„,„ „|„„<,„ «,« tnLtl of ammals u.capnblo to ■e.i.t, deiivo security audco„(i.lence." I he eagle „ e-ud to live to a great age.-sixty, eighty, and, » some assert, one hundred years. This ci^iu^t.L i of the h, d. So„,el,„,e» fasting, through necessity, forseveral days, and at other tiraes gorging itself with animal food till its craw swell, out the plumage of tl„>t part, fonning „ lar^ pro uberance on the breast. This, however, is ite „„,urd adapted. It has not, hke men, invented rich wines, ardent spuas, and a thousand artificial poisons, in the form of so,™ mnces. and sweetmeats. Its food is simple, it indulges fr Jy ..»es great exercise, breathes the purest .lir, is healthy f^ ou^ and long lived. The lords of the creation the'm ets ZfltT"- """ 'T'"' '"'"" '"'"' ""=- '»«'". "-■» they not already, ,n g.eneral, too wise, or too proud, to learn from tl.e,r ^nfcr^ors. the fowls of the air and beasts of the field. FI8H HAWK, OE OSPEEY. (FafcoWto„.) PLATE XXXVII.-FiG. 1. Carolina Osprey, Lath. Si/n. i. p. 46 -2f5 a v.u • x « ■ . Catesly, Car. ^/t-Ztsyst TlT'/t Kf' ^^^-^'^'-^ "awk, f ^ un. oytt. 1. 149.— i>ea/e'a Museum, No. 144. PANDION ITALI^JETUS.-SAVWiiY.* Le Brtlbuzard, Cuv. Rean Anim i ^ qip . . , « tus. Selby, must. Br. oTnUhi. fs" .1 T' l' f^'T^.prey, Falco halix-e- This fornmlable, vigorous-winded, and well known bird 8ubH.st8 altogetber on the finny tribes that swarm in our buys '• ' iwiiiiiii|iti)ii!ih)|piiymnpiwwwi>irni i Fi.tit /lowk . .i. t'ixli Crow. 3.Kiiut rUner. )-. t.fo.it Sni/i,- 37. i V FISH HAWK, OR OSPREY.\ 105 creeks, and rivers ; procuring his prey by his own active skill and industry ; and seeming no farther dependent on the land than as a mere resting-place, or, in the usual season, a spot of deposit for his nest, eggs, and young. The figure here given is the plunder of others, but labours for itself in the most dexterous man- ner ; and for this, the beautiful adaptation of its form renders every assistance. The body is very strongly built, but is rather of a narrow and elongated shape ; the head is less than the ordinary proportional dimensions ; and the wings are expansive, powerful, and sharp-pointed. The manner of seizing their prey is by soaring above the surface of the sea, or lake, and, when in sight of a fish, closing the M'ings, and darting, as It were, by the weight of the body, which, in the descent, may be perceived to be directed by the motion of the tail. For this purpose, those parts which we have mentioned are finely framed, and for the remainder of the operation, the legs and feet are no less beautifully modelled. The thighs, instead of being clothed with finely lengthened plumes, as in most of the other falcons, and which, when wet° would prove a great encumbrance, are covered with a thick downy plumage ; the tarsi are short and very strong j the toes have the same advantages J and underneath, at the junction of each joint, have a large protuberance^ covered, as are the other parts of the sole, with a thick and strong array of hard jagged scales, which are sufiicient, by the roughness, to prevent any escape of their slippery prey when it is once fairly clutched ; the claws are also very strong, and hooked, and are round as a cylinder, both above and beneath, which will ensure an easy, piercing, or quick retrac- tion from any body at which they may be struck. The outer toe is also capable of being turned either way— a most essential assistance in grasping. In striking their prey they do not appear to dive deep ; indeed, their feet, by which alone it is taken, could not then be brought into action, but they are often concealed in the spray occasioned by their rapid descent. The size of a fish they are able to bear away is very great, and some- times exceeds their own weight. That of the female is little more than five pounds, and Mr Audubon has figured his specimen with a weak fish more than that weight ; while our author mentions a shad that when partly eaten, weighed more than six pounds. These authenticated accounts lead us almost to credit the more marvellous stories of that amusing sporting writer, Mr Loyd. That gentleman relates, that in Sweden the eagle sometimes strikes so large a pike, that not being able to disengage his talons, lie is carried under water and drowned. Dr Mullenborg vouched for this, by the fact of having himself seen an enormous pike, with an eagle fastened to his io6 FISH HAWK, OR OSPREY. reduced to one-third the size of life, to correspond with that of the bald eagle, h.s common attendant and constant plunderer. Ihe fish hawk is migratory, arriving on the coasts of New York and New Jersey about the twenty-first of March, and retmng to the south about the twenty-second of September. Heavy equmoctial storms may vary these periods of arrival and departure a few days ; but long observation has ascertained that they are kept with remarkable regularity. On the arrival of these buds m the northern parts of the United States, in March, they sometimes find the bays an ! ponds frozen, and experience a difficulty in procuring fish for many days. Yet there is no instance on record of their attacking birds or inferior land animals, with intent to feed on them; though back, lying dead on a piece of ground which had been overflowed but from whence the water had retreated. veiuowea, out He mentions also an account of a struggle between an ea-le and a t)ikp TZt^l IT^^^r ''' e^^'r^-^' ^' - Srear^i't^nctLt' To % w i ^^/™ * '^'''* ^''**"«« ^«t« the air, but the weicrht of the fish, together with its struggles, soon carried them back a Jn to the water under which for a while they both disappeared. Present Iv how ever, the eagle again came to the surface, uttering the mrircini cnes,and making apparently every endea;our to extricate hisTalonf but al m vam ; and after struggling, he was carried under water ' Savigny formed his well marked genus Pandion from this species which we now adopt. The osprey is common to both continentsTnd I possess one from New Holland in no way different. It is met wfth in plentiful in Devonshire. In Scotland, a pair or two may be found about most of the Highland lochs, where they fish, and'^duringthe breeding season, build on the ruined towers so common on the Xes or Z^^^'''''-''-^-^' The nest is an immense ffbr • S Itself a burden for the tallest tree, and is generally placed, if r,uch exists, on the top of the chimney and f this be wanting, on the highest summit of the building. In a'ed tree may sometimes be chosen, but ruins are always preferred, if ne°ar They have the same propensity of returning to an old station w th those of America ; and if one is shot, a mate is soon found, and brotht to the anient abode. Loch Lomond, Loch Awe and Kilchurn Cast fand Loch Menteith, have been long breeding places—Eo ' F/SH HAWK, OR OS PREY. 107 their great strength of flight, as well as of feet and claws, would seem to render this no difficult matter. But they no sooner arrive, than they wage war on the bald eagles, as against a horde of robbers and banditti; sometimes succeeding, by force of numbers and perseverance, in driving them from their haunts, but seldom or never attacking them in single combat. The first appearance of the fish hawk in spring is welcomed by the fishermen, as the happy signal of the approach of those vast shoals of herring, shad, &c., that regularly arrive on our coasts, and enter our rivers in such prodigious multitudes. Two of a trade, it is said, seldom agree ; the adage, however, will not hold good in the present case, for such is the respect paid the fish hawk, not only by this class of men, but, generally, by the whole neighbourhood where it resides, that a person who should attempt to shoot one of them would stand a fair chance of being insulted. This prepossession in favour of the fish hawk is honourable to their feelings. They associate* with its first appearance, ideas of plenty, and all tlie gaiety of business ; they see it active and industrious like themselves ; inoflfensive to the productions of their farms ; building with confidence, and without the least disposition to concealment, in the middle of their fields, and along their fences; and returning, year after year, regularly to its former abode. The nest of the fish hawk is usually built on the top of a dead, or decaying tree, sometimes not more than fifteen, often upwards of fifty feet, from the ground. It has been remarked by the people of the sea coasts, that the most thriving tree will die in a few years after being taken possession of by the fish hawk. This is attributed to the fish oil, and to the excre- ments of the bird ; but is more probably occasioned by the large heap of wet salt materials of which the nest is usually composed. In my late excursions to the sea shore, I ascended to several of these nests that had been built in from year to year, and found them constructed as follows :— Externally, large sticks, from half an inch to an inch and a half in diameter, and two or three feet in length, piled to the height i; 1 08 FISH HAWK, OR OS PREY. of four or five feet, aud from two to three feet ia breadth ; these were intermixed with corn stalks, seaweed, pieces of wet turf, 111 huge quantities, mullein stalks, and lined with dry sea-grass ; the whole forming a mass very observable at half a miles distance, and large enough to fill a cart, and be no inconsiderable load for a horse. These materials are so well put together, as often to adhere, in large fragments, after being blown down by the wind. My learned and obliging corre- spondent of New York, Dr Samuel L. Mitchill, observes, that A sort of superstition is entertained in regard to the fish hHwk. It has been considered a fortunate incident to have a nest, aud a pair of these birds, on one's farm. They have , therefore been generally respected ; and neither the axe nor the gun has been lifted against them. Their nest continues from year to year. The same couple, or another, as the case may be, occupies it, season after season. Repairs are duly mmle or, when demolished by storms, it is industriously rtbu.lt. Ihere was one of these nests, formerly, upon the leatless summit of a venerable chestnut tree on our farm duectly in front of the house, at the distance of less than half a mile. 1 he withered trunk and boughs, surmounted by the coarse wrought and capacious nest, was a more picturesque object than an obelisk: and the flights of the hawks, as they went forth to hunt-returned with their game- exercised themselves m wheeling round and round, and circling about It-were amusing to the beholder, almost from morning to mght. The family of these hawks, old and young, was killed by the Hessian ^ajjrm. A succeeding pair took possession of the nest ; but m the course of time, the prongs of the trunk so ro ted away, that the nest could no longer be supported. Ihe hawks have been obliged to seek new quartern We have lost tins part of our prospect; and our trees have not afforded a convenient site for one of their habitations since" About the first of May. the female fish hawk begins t« lay her ..^.., which are commonly three in number, sometimes only two, and rarely four. They are somewhat larger than FISH HAWK, OK OSPREY. IC9 those of the common lien, and nearly of the same shape. The ground colour vaiies, in different eggs, from a reddish cream, to nearly a white, splashed and daubed all over with dark Spanish brown, as if done by art* Diu-ing the time the female is sitting, the male frequently supplies her with fish ; though she occasionally takes a short circuit to sea herself, but quickly returns again. The attention of the male, on such occasions, is regulated by the circumstances of the case. A pair of these birds, on the south side of Great Egg Harbour river, and near its mouth, was noted for several years. The female, having but one leg, was regularly fm-nished, while sitting, with fish in such abundance, that she seldom left the nest, and never to seek for food. This kindness was continued both before and after incubation. Some animals, who claim the name and rationality of man, might blush at the recital of this fact. On the appearance of the young, which is usually about the last of June, the zeal and watchfulness of the parents are extreme. They stand guard, and go off to fish, alternately: one parent being always within a short distance of the nest. On the near approach of any person, the hawk utters a plain- tive whistling note, which becomes shriller as she takes to wing, and sails around, sometimes making a rapid descent, as if aiming directly for you ; but checking her course, and * Of the palatableness of these eggs I cannot speak from personal experience ; but the following incident will show that the experiment has actually been made :— A country fellow, near Cape May, on his way to a neighbouring tavern, passing a tree, on which was a fish hawk's nest, immediately mounted, and robbed it of the only egg it contained, which he carried with him to the tavern, and desirecf the landlord to make it into egg-nogg. The tavern keeper, after a few wry faces, complied with his request, and the fellow swallowed the cordial. Whether from its effects on the olfactory nerves (for he said it smelt abominably), on the imagination, or on the stomach alone, is uncertain, but it operated as a most outrageous emetic, and cured the man, for that time at least, of his thirst for egg-nogg. What is rather extraordinary, the landlord (Mr Beasley) assured me, that, to all appearance, the eg-' was perfectly fresh. "^ I i ffi no FISH HAWK, OR OS PREY. 8weepin<]f past, at a short distance overhead, her wings making a loud whizzing in the air. My worthy friend Mr Gardiner informs me, that they have even been known to fix their claws in a negro's head, who was attempting to ch'mb to their nest ; and I had lately a proof of their daring spirit in this way, through the kindness of a friend, resident, for a few weeks, at Great Egg Harbour. I had requested of him the favour to transmit me, if possible, a live fish hawk, for the purpose of making a drawing of it, which commission he very faithfully executed ; and I think I cannot better illustrate this part of the bird's character, than by quoting his letter at large :— ^ " Bkaslet's, Great Ego Haubour, 30vhich pre- Swallows have been divided intn r^nn'^..^ from their being eommonlSc ', J " ^'"""■,°' ""S*' "» -Ppo>ed form among these arrSr.n a mo ""''■ '" "' °' ■""'""■ ^ome proach the poles ; and n Nor S Am" 7 "T'"^' «"'P' "" "» 'P- «11 be comprised in s^^ h" WduX?; h . ° "'""'' ■^•"•»«»«« martins, the very stron..Vformed tC. V"" '"" '"""o"". *»» Jive of the swi Jin ^^^a X^' Thel^ll'^;! 'he representa. tion as we proceed. The nrcspnt ,viM, X ™,. ""^ ""■'""' "bserva. Jgured hy Laparlel hHoSttalr^^^^^^ °"'"""°«-. forms of avun^o, „„e which pcsesses "re^, „ . V .f ^""P"' "" '""= .trength in flighi a, the Jn:Z'^LTS'^^°T''''* '"'"'''' relative proportion of power between ,.,''° """■» """=' generallydis.ributed,have tW wtags Tn XcuTe .71 J'7 ?r "7 'S, rats: ;re";"ratir%"'""n?^^^^^ perhaps shL .,e farL^'dXmentTthe , ^ranT:?; h"!*;'^ h'™XrrTrttir^:i:t;r^^^^^ »ith great celerity and elegance, and tf ^ J^d-CX °^StoS ^^r:frrS?S"«-^^^^^ Amo.,-n • ' ™^ *^^^^ observation has extended TK«. American species congregate- an rln tl^o ^ n- '^^'•^'^'^ed. ihe to™,^ the eud or August, o^i Z^l^lJ^^ /-'c^C 'n t gateways, porches, and gaUeries. chimneys are rare, it builds in 128 BARN SIVALLOIV, f/ { t companions of flowery spring and ruddy Biimraer ; and when, after a long, fiost-boiind, and boisterous winter, we hear it announced, that " the swallows are come," what a train of charming ideas are associated with the simple tidings 1 house tops or comicca, on railings, or on a bare tree, where the later broods are still fed and exercised by the parents, and the southern jour- ney of the whole mass, aa it were, delayed until all had required suffi- cient strength. ,1-1 At times, these congregations are much greater than at others, or like some great assemblage from the neighbouring country. One of these took place in 1816 near Rotherham, and has been made the subject of an anonymous pamphlet, by a clergyman in that neighbourhood. The assemblage and departure is thus described in it :— " Early in the 'month of September 1815, the swallows, that beautiful and social tribe of the feathered race, began to assemble in the neighbourhood of Rother- ham, at the willow ground, on the banks of the canal, preparatory to their migration to a warmer climate ; and their numbers were daily augmented, until they became a vast flock, which no man could easily number. Thousands upon thousands— tens of thousands— and myriads; 80 great, indeed, that the spectator would almost have concluded, the whole swallow race were there collected in one huge host. " It was their manner, while there, to rise from the willows in the morning, a little before six o'clock, when their thick columns literally darkened the sky. Their divisions wore then into four, five, and some- times into six grand wings, each of these filing and taking a different route,— one east, another west, another south ; as if not only to be equally dispersed throughout the country, to provide food for their numerous troops, but also to collect with them whatever of their fellows, or stragglii.g parties, might still be left behind. " In the evening, about five o'clock, they began to return to their station, and continued coming in from all quarters, until nearly darl.. It was here that you might see them go through their various aerial evolutions, in many a sportive ring and airy gambol, strengthening their pinions in these playful feats, for their long ethereal journey, as they cut the air and frolicked in the last beams of the setting sun, or lightly skimmed the surface of the glassy pool. " The verdant enamel of summer had given place to the warm and mellow tints of autumn. The leaves were now fast falling from their branches, while the naked tops of many of the trees appeared. The golden sheaves were safely lodged in the barns, and the reapers had shouted their harvest-home. Frosty and misty mornings succeeded, the certain presages of the approach of winter. They were omens under- stood by the swallows, as signals for their march ; and on the morning BARN SIVALLOW. 129 The wonderful activity displnyed by these birds forms a tnkn,^ constraHt to the slow habit, of most other animals, tllr/f t ft"'ly questioned whether, among the whole fea- theied tnbes winch Heaven has formed to adorn this part of creation, here be any that, in the same space of time, pas over an eqnal extent of surface with the swallow. Let a person t,tke 1„B stand, on a fine summer evening, by a new-mown field, meadow, or nver shore, for a short time, and amon.^ the numerous individuals of this tribe that flit before him" fix Ins eye on a particular one. and follow for a while all rlidlv^.:^^" /» 'y-ths-its extensive sweeps-its sudden, rapidly ,e,terated zigzag excursions, little inferior to the li^^ht- Tc^Ionl '";r" , '•'' I ''>T^^^'' ^' "^'^ P«"«'« «f "mathematics, to calculate the length of the various lines it describes. Alas 1 even his omnipotent fluxions would avail him little here and 11^^ -"Abandon the task in despair. Yet. that iome fw '"":,^I^^'!^" ™«7 b« f«'«^e^^ «f this extent, let us suppose Urn this httle bird fl.es. in his usual way, at the rate oPone m le in a minute, which, from the many experiments I have made I believe to be within the truth ; and that Ls is so en! gaged for ten hours every day ; and further, that this active 1 e IS extended to ten years (many of our small birds being nown to live much longer, even in a state of domestication) the amount of all these, allowing three hundred and sixty-fivi days to a year would give us two million one hundred and n ne y thousand miles; -upwards of eighty-seven times the cir- cumference of the globe ! Yet this little winged seraph if I may so speak who, in a few days, and at will, caa pass 'from the borders of tlie arctic regions to the torrid zone, is forced when winter approaches, to descend to the bottoms of lakes' ivers, and mill-ponds, to bury itself in the mud with eels and ie^^ons, and, directed by an unerring guide, took their trackless way." VOL. II. I I, 130 BARN SWALLOIV. i \* I! m> V B' H 'B; other reptiles, until the return of spring 1 Is not this true, ye wise men of Europe and America, who have pubhshed so many credible narratives on this subject? Tiie geese, the ducks, the cat bird, and even the wren, which creeps about our out- houses in summer like a mouse, are all acknowledged to be mi-ratory, and to pass to southern legions at the approach o winter • the swallow alone, on whom Heaven has conferred superior powers of wing, must sink in torpidity at the bottom of our rivers, or doze all winter in the caverns of the eartlu 1 am myself something of a traveller, and foreign countries afford many novel sights : should I assert, that in some of my pere- ' grinations I had met with anation of Indians, all of whom, old and vouncr, at the commencement of cold weather, descend to the bottom of their lakes and rivers, and there remain unl. the breaking up of frost ; nay, should I affirm, that thousands of people, in the neighbourhood of this city, reg.ilarly undergo the same semi-annual submersion-that I myself had fished up a whole family of these from the bottom of Schuylkill, where tbey had lain torpid all winter, carried them home, and bron'' "' '>™ »litory and 'e.y suspicions reports of a Mr Somebody bavin.- made a .hseovery o this kind ? If caves were their places%f Ite: leheat. perhaps no country on earth could supply then, with a greater choice. I have myself explored maiy of these „ various parfsot the United States, both in winter'and in s, rin" called the Barrens, where some of these subterran.ous caverns nndei a large and deep river-have conversed with the Lt- petre workers by whom they are tenanted; but never heard m wintei. lliese people treated such reports with ridicule. I IS to be regretted that a greater number of e.x,«ri,nents have not been made, by keeping live swallows th ough the «.nter. to convince the,,e believers in the torpidity of bhds o? then- mistake. That class of cold-blooded animals which are *««»» to become torpid dming winter, and of which bun- I i; ■! i ■ i 132 BAHN SWALLOIV. dieds and thousands are found every season, are eubject to the same when kept in a suitable room for experiment. How is it with the swallows in this respect ? Much powerful testi- mony might be produced on this point: the following experi- ments, recently made by Mr James Pearson of London, and communicated by Sir John Trevelyan, Bart., to Mr Bewick, the celebrated engraver in wood, will be sufficient for our present purpose, and throw great light on this part of the subject * " Five or six of these birds were taken about the latter end of August 1784, in a bat fowling-net at night. They were put separately into small cages, and fed with nightingale's •food : in about a week or ten days, they took food of them- selves ; they were then put all together into a deep cage, four feet long, with gravel at the bottom ; a broad shallow pan, with water, was placed in it, in which they sometimes washed themselves, and seemed much strengthened by it. One day Mr Pearson observed that they went into the water with unusual eagerness, hurrying in and out again repeatedly with such swiftness as if they had been suddenly seized with a frenzy. Being anxious to see the result, he left them to themselves about half an hour, and, going to the cage again, . found them all huddled together in a corner, apparently dead; the cage was then placed at a proper distance from the fire, when only two of them recovered, and were as healthy as l>efore : the rest died. The two remaining ones were allowed to wash themselves occasionally for a short time only ; but their feet soon after became swelled and inflamed, which Mr Pearson attributed to their perching, and they died about Christmas. Thus the first year's experiment was in some measure lest. Not discouraged by the failure of this, Mr Pearson determined to make a second trial the succeeding year, from a strong desire of being convinced of the truth of their going into a state of torpidity. Accordingly, the next season, having taken some more birds, he put them into the QiwQ, and in every respect pursued the same methods as with « See Bewick's British Birds, vol. i. p. 254. 11 I BAH^r SWALLOIF. *33 the last ; but. to guard their feet from the bad effects of the damp and cold, he covered the perches with flannel, and had the pleasure to observe that the birds throve extremely well- they sang their song during the winter, and, soon after Christmas, began to moult, which they got through without any difficulty, and lived three or four years, regularly moultin- every year at the usual time. On the renewal of their leathers, it appeared that their tails were forked exactly the same as m those birds which return hither in the sprin- and m every respect their appearance was the same. Theselbirds says Mr Pearson, were exhibited to the Society for Promoting' Natural History, on the 14tli day of February 1786, at the time they were in a deep moult, during a severe frost, when the snow was on the ground. Minutes of this circumstance were entered in the books of the society. These birds died at last from neglect, during a long illness which Mr Pearson had : they died in the summer. Mr Pearson concludes his very interestmg account in these words :— '20th January 1797-1 have now in my house. No. 21 Great Newport Street Long Acre, four swallows in moult, in as perfect health as any bird ever appeared to be when moulting.'" The barn swallow of the United States has hitherto been considered by many writers as the same with the common chimney swallow of Europe. They differ, however, consider- ably m colour, as well as in habits ; the European species having the belly and vent white, the American species tliose parts of a bright chestnut ; the former building in the corners of chimneys, near the top, the latter never in such places • but usually in barns, sheds, and other outhouses, on beams' braces, rafters, &c. It is difficult to reconcile these constant differences of manners and markings in one and the same bird ; I shall tlierefore take the Uberty of considering the present as a separate and distinct species. The barn swallow arrives in this part of Pennsylvania from the south on the last week in March or the first week in April, and passes on to the north, as far, at least, as the i J 34 BARN SWALLOW. liver St Lawrence. On the east side of the great range of the Alleghany, they are dispersed very generally over the country, wherever there are habitations, even to the summit of high mountains; but, on account of the greater coldness of such situations, are usually a week or two later in making their appearance there. On tlie 16lh of May, being on a shooting expedition on the top of Pocano Mountain, Northampton, when the ice on that and on several successive 3norning3 was more than a quarter of an inch thick, I observed with surprise a pair of these swallows which had taken up their abode on a miserable cabin there. It was then jibout sunrise, the ground while with hoar frost, and the male was twittering on the roof by the side of his mate with great sprightliness. Tlie man of the house told me that a single pair came regularly there every season, and built their nest on a projecting beam under the eaves, about six or seven feet from the ground. At the bottom of the mountain, in a large barn belonging to the tavern there, I counted upwards of ttventy nests, all seemingly occupied. In the woods they are never met with ; but, as you ai)proach a farm, they soon catch the eye, cutting their gambols in the air. Scarcely a barn, to which these birds can find access, is without them ; and, as ])ublic feeling is universally in their favour, they are seldom or never disturbed. The proprietor of the barn last men- tioned, a German, assured me that if a man permitted the swallows to be shot, his cows would give bloody milk, and also that no barn where swallows frequented would ever be struck with lightning; and I nodded assent. When the tenets of superstition "lean to the side of humanity," one can readily respect them. On the west side of the Alleghany these birds become more rare. In travelling through the States of Kentucky and Tennessee, from Lexington to the Tennessee river, in the months of April and Ma}', I did not see a single individual of this species ; though the purple martin, and, in some places, the bank swallow, was numerous. Early in May they begin to build. From the size and BARN SWALLOW. 135 Structure of the nest, it is nearly a week before it is com- pletely finished. One of lliese nests, taken on the 21st of June from, the rafter to which it was closely attached is now lymg before me. It is in the form of an inverted cone with a perpendicular section cut off on that side by which it adhered to the wood. At the top it has an extension of the edge or offset, for the male or female to sit on occasionally as appeared by the dung ; the upper diameter was about six inches by five, the height externally seven inches. This shell ,s formed of mud, mixed with fine hay, as plasterers do then- mortar with Imir, to make it adhere the better ; the mud seems to have been placed in regular strata or layers, from side to side ; the hollow of this cone (the shell of which IS about an inch in thickness) is filled with fine hay well stuffed in ; above that is laid a handful of very large downy geese feathers. The eggs are five, white, specked, and spotted a 1 over with reddish brown. Owing to the semi-transparency of the shell, the eggs have a slight tinge of flesh colour. Tiie whole weighs about two pounds. They have generally two broods in the season. The first make their appearance about the second week in June ; and Uie last brood leave the nest about the lOLli of August Though It is not uncommon for twent}^ and even tlWity, pair to build in the same barn, yet everything seems to be conducted with great order and affection ; all seems harmony among them, as if the interest of each were that of all. Several nests are often within a few inches of each other • yet no appearance of discord or quarrelling takes place in this peaceful and affectionate community. When the young are fit to leave the nest, the old ones entice them out by fluttering backwards and forwards, twitter- ing and calling to them every time they pass ; and the youn- exercise themselves for several days in short essays of this kind within doors before they first venture abroad. As soon as they leave the barn, they are conducted by their parents to the trees or bushes by the pond, creek, or river shore, or BAHN" SlVALLOfV. other suitable situation, where their proper food is most abundant, and where they can be fed with the greatest con- venience to both parties. Now and then they take a short excursion themselves, and are also frequently fed while on wing by an almost instantaneous motion of both parties, rising perpendicularly in air, and meeting each other. About the middle of August they seem to begin to prepare for their departure. They assemble on the roof in great numbers, dressing and arranging their plumage, and making occasional essays, twittering with great cheerfulness. Their song is a kind of sprightly warble, sometimes continued for a con- 'siderable time. From this period to the 8th of September, they are seen near the Scliuylkill and Delaware every after- noon, for two or three hours before sunset, passing along to the south in great numbers, feeding as they skim along. I have counted several hundreds pass within sight in less than a quarter of an hour, all directing their course towards the south. The reeds are now their regular roosting places; and about the middle of September there is scarcely an individual of them to be seen. How far south they continue their route is uncertain ; none of them remain in the United States. Mr Bartram informs me, that, during his residence in Florida, he often saw vast flocks of this and our other swallows passing from the peninsula towards the sou'^h in September and October, and also on their return to the north about the middle of March. It is highly probable that, were the countries to the south of the Gulf of Mexico, and as far south as the great river Maranon, visited and explored by a competent naturalist, these regions would be found to be the winter rendezvous of the very birds now before us, and most of our other migratory tribes. In a small volume which I have lately met with, entitled, " An Account of the British Settlement of Honduras," by Captain George Henderson, of the 5th West India Regiment, published in London in 1809, the writer, in treating of that part of its natural history which relates to birds, gives the BARN SWALLOW. m following particulars :— " Myriads of swallows," says he, " are also the occasional inhabitants of Honduras. The time of their residence is generally confined to the period of the rains [that is, from October to February], after which they totally disappear. There is something remarkably curious and deserving of notice in the ascent of these birds. As soon as the dawn appears, they quit their place of rest, 'vhich is usually chosen amid the rushes of some watery savannah ; and invariably rise to a certain height, in a compact spiral form, and which at a distance often occasions them to be taken for an immense column of smoke. This attained, they are then seen separately to disperse in search of food, the occupation of their day. To those who may have had the opportunity of observing the phenomenon of a waterspout, the similarity of evolution in the ascent of these birds will be thought surprisingly striking. The descent, which regularly takes place at sunset, is conducted much in the same way, but with inconceivable rapidity ; and the noise which accom- panies this can only be compared to the falling of an immense torrent, or the rushing of a violent gust of wind. Indeed, to an observer, it seems wonuerful that thousands of these birds are not destroyed, in being thus propelled to the earth with such irresistible force." * How devoutly it is to be wished that the natural history of those regions were more precisely known, so absolutely neces- sary as it is to the perfect understanding of this department of our own ! The barn swallow is seven inches long, and thirteen inches in extent ; bill, black ; upper part of the head, neck, back, rump, and tail-coverts, steel blue, which descends rounding on the breast; front and chin, deep chestnut; belly, vent, and lining of the wing, light chestnut ; wings and tail, brown black, slightly glossed with reflections of green ; tail, greatly forked, the exterior feather on each side an inch and a half longer than the next, and tapering towards the extremity, each * Henderson's Honduras, p. 119. 138 GREEN-BLUE, OR WHITE-BELLIED SWALLOW. 1' i f I l\ i i J '»i feather, except the two middle ones, marked on its iimer vane with an oblong spot of wliite ; lores, black ; eye, dark hazel ; sides of the mouth, yellow ; legs, dark purple. The female differs from the male in having the belly and vent rufous white, instead of light chestnut; these parts are also slightly clouded with rufous ; and the exterior tail-feathers are shorter. These birds are easily tamed, and soon become exceedingly gentle and famili:i". I have frequently kept them in my room for several days at a time, where they employed them- selves in catching flies, picking them from my clothes, hair, 4c., calling out occasionally as they observed some of their old companions passing the windows. GREEN-BLUE, OR WHITE-BELLIED SWALLOW. (Hirundo viridis.) PLATE XXXVIII.— Fig. 3. Peak's Museum, No. 7707. HIRUNDO BICOLOR.—YiEiLhOT.* Hirundo viridis, Aud. Ann. Lye. of New York, i. p. 166.— The White-bellied Swallow, Aud. Orn. Biog. i. p. 491, pi. 98.— Hirundo bicolor, Bunap. Synop' p. 65.— North. Zool. ii. p. 328. This is the species hitherto supposed by Europeans to be the same with their common martin, Hirundo urhica, a bird nowhere to be found within the United States, 'i.' he English * This beautiful and highly curious little bird has, like the last, been confused with a European species, //. urhica. Gmelin and Latham esteem it only a variety, while other writers make ic identical. From the European martin it may always at once be distinguished by want- ing the purely white rump, so conspicuous during the flight of the former. The priority of the name will be in favour of Yieillot, and it should stand as H. bicolor of that naturalist. The martins possess a greater preponderance of power in the wings over the tail than the swallows ; and their flight, as our author remarks, is consequently more like sailing than flying. All their turns are round and free, and performed most frequently in large sweeps, without any GREEN-BLUE, OR WHITE-BELLIED SWALLOW. I 139 mnrtin is blue black above, the present species greenish blue; the former has the whole rump white, and the legs and feet are covered with short white downy feathers ; the latter has nothing of either. That ridiculous propensily in foreign writers to consider most of our birds as varieties of their own, has led them into many mistakes, which it shall be the business of the author of the piesent work to point out de- cisively, wherever he may meet with them. The white-bellied swallow arrives in Pennsylvania a few days motion of the wings. In their other forms they hardly differ, though almost any one will say this is a martin, tliat a swallow. I am inclined to keep them as a subordinate group, and there also would be placed the water martins, which have already been made into a genus by Boje. They are all nearly of the same form, are gregarious, and build and feed in large companies. The white-bellied swallow bears more analogy to the water martins than that of Europe, or those which frequent inland districts. Accord- mg to Audubon, they sit and roost on the sedges and tall water plants, as well as upon the bushes ; and they sometimes in the beginning of autumn, as mentioned by our author, collect on the shores or s^nd- banks ol rivers, in considerable numbers. About the end of July, in the present year, I had an opportunity of seeing the latter incident take place with our common sand martin {H. riparia), one very hot evenin", when residing on the shores of the Solway Frith, where the beach is unusually flat and sandy. Several hundreds of these were collected upon a space not exceeding two acres, most of them were upon the ground, a few occasionally rising and making a short circuit. At this part, a small stream entered the sea, and they seemed partly resting and washing, and partly feeding on a small fly that had apparently °come newly to existence, and covered the sands in immense profusion. None of our other species mingled, though they were abundant in the neigh- bourhood. The American bird is also remarkable as being a berry eater an occurrence nearly unknown among the lUrundinidw. Neither is their breeding in holes of trees frequent among them. The only instance of a sunilar propensity is one related of the common swift, in " Loudon's Magazine of Natural History," which, however, is a species more likely to suit Itself to circumstances of the kind, as it appears to have done in this instance, where it formed its breeding place in the deserted holes of woodpeckers. Audubon has traced their migrations through the year, and has proved that they winter in Louisiana. I believe they belong exclusively to the New "World.— Ed. 140 GREEN-BLVE, OR WHITE-BELLIED SWALLOW. later than the preceiling species. It often takes possession of an apartment in the boxes appropriated to the purple martin ; and also frequently builds and hiitches in a hollow tree. The nest consists of fine loose dry grass, lined with largo downy feathers, risJno- , ', v } its surface, and so placed as to curl inwards, ana i. r'v'ltiy conceal the eggs. These last are usually four or live in number, and pure white. They also have two broods in the season. The voice of this species is low and guttmal ; they are more disposed to quarrel than the barn swallows, frequently fifhtiuir in the air for a o'ihiuh 01'...^ hour at a time, particu- larly in spring, all the while keeping up a low ra[ \ chatter. 'They also sail more in flying; but, during the breeding season, frequent the same situations in quest of similar food. They inhabit the northern Atlantic States as far as the district of Maine, where I have myself seen them ; and my friend Mr Gardiner informs me that they are found on the coast of Long Island and its neighbourhood. About the middle of July, I observed many hundreds of these birds sitting on a flat sandy beach near the entrance of Great Egg Harbour. They were also very numerous among the myrtles of these low islands, completely covering some of the bushes. One man told me that he saw one hundred and two shot at a single discharge. For sometime before their departine, they subsist principally on the myrtle berries {3Iyricacerifera), and become extremely fat. They leave us early in September. This species appears to have remained hitherto undescribed, owing to the misapprehension before mentioned. It is not perhaps quite so numerous as the preceding, and rarely associates with it to breed, never using mud of any kind in the construction of its nest. The white-bellied swallow is five inches and three quarters long, and twelve inches in extent ; bill and eye, black ; upper parts, a light glossy greenish blue ; wings, brown black, with slight reflections of green ; tail, forked, the two exterior feathers being about a quarter of an inch longer than the ! BANK SWALLOW, OR SAND MARTIN. j^, liiicldle ones, and all of a uniform brown black ; lores, black ; whole lower parts pure wl.ite; wings, when shut, extend about a quarter of an inch beyond the tail; legs, naked short und strong, and, as well as the feet, of a dark purplish flesli colour ; claws, stout. The female has much less of the greenish gloss than the male, the colours being less brilliant ; otherwise alike. BANK SWALLOW, OR SAND MARTIN. {Hirundo riparia.) PLATE XXXVIII. -Fio. 4. Zr,^^. ,Sr^/« iv p. Sfi8 \0.-Arct. Zool. ii. No. .332.-L'Hiron,lelle de rivage. Bvff. VI. 0.32, PI. enl. :■ 1.!, f. 2.-Turt. Syst. 629.-Peale^s Museum, No. 7637. niRUNDOJ RIPARIA ?-UmjEvs* Hirundo riparia, Bonap. Synop. p. e.'i.-C.tilo riparia, Boje. This appears to be the most sociable with its kind, and the least intimate with man, of all our swallows, living together in large communities of sometimes three or four hnndred. * I have been unable to compare specimens of these birds from both countries, but from tlie best authorities, I am induced to consider them identical. A doubt has been expressed by Vieillot, who considered the American bird as possessing a greater length of tarsus, and havin" that part also clothed with short plumes. Bonaparte has, again, fromlctual comparison, said they w^ere entirely similar. As in America, they are the first swallow which appears in this country, arriving soon after the commencement of March. Their breeding-places are in the same situations, but often pierced into the banks for a much greater length. If the bank is sandy and easily scratched, seven or eight feet will scarcely reach the extremity, a won- derful length, if we consider the powers of the worker. They are abundant over every part of North America, and were met by Dr Eichardson in the 68th parallel. « We observed," says that naturalist, "thousands of these sand martins fluttering at the entrance of their burrows, near the mouth of the Mackenzie, in the 68th parallel, on the 4th of July. They are equally numerous in every district of the Fur Countries, wherein banks suitable for burrowing exist ; but it is not likely that they ever rear more than one brood north of the Lake Superior." — Ed. 143 BANK SWALLOW, OR SAND MARTIN. On tlio hij^h Rnruly bnnk of a river, qtiarry, or gravel pit, at a foot or two from tlie Hiuface, tliey commonly Rcnitcli out IioIch for their nests, riiniiiiig them in a horizontal direction to Iho depth of two and sometimea three feet. Several of tiieso holes are often within a few inches of each other, and extend in various strata along the front of the precipice, sonietimes for eighty or one hundred yards. At the extremity of this hole, a liltle fine dry grass, with a few laigo downy feathers, form the bed on whicli their eggs, generally five in number, and pure while, are deposited. Tlie young are hatched late in Miiy ; and hero I have taken notice of tiio conimon crow, in parlies of foin- or five, watching at the entrance of these ' holes, to seize the first straggling young that should make its appearance. From the clouds of swallows that usually play round these breeding places, they remind one at a distance of a swarm of bees. » Tlie bank swallow arrives here earlier than either of the preceding ; begins to build in April, and has commonly two broods in the season. Their voice is a low mutter. They are particularly fond of the shores of rivers, and, in several places along the Ohio, they congregate in immense multitudes. We have sometimes several days of cold rain and severe weather after their arrival in spring, from which they take refuge in their holes, clustering together for warmth, and have been frequently found at such times in almost a lifeless state with the cold ; which circumstance has contributed to the belief that they lie torpid all winter in these recesses. I have searched hundreds of these holes in tlio months of December and January, but never fomid a single swallow, dead, living, or torpid. I met with this bird in considerable numbers on the shores of the Kentucky river, between Lexington and Danville. They likewise visit the seashore in great munbers previous to their departure, which continues from the last of Sejjtember to the middle of October. The bank swallow is five inches long, and ten inches in extent; upper parts mouse coloured, lower white, with a ;1 pit, at a I out holes Ion to llio ,hefiO lioles extend in 3tiinc8 for ,y of this ' feathers, I number, ched hite lion crow, ) of these make its iially phjy i distatice ler of the iionly two jr. They n several ulliludes- id severe Lhey take nth, and a lifeless ibuted to Jesses. I 10tltll8 of swallow, isiderable between seashore continues inches in , with a \;u.r. h' Mi'h. Kt>4lf;iye,i Ai- tfff/,;M-\e / (iiimii,;v Sh;i//,i». :' I'lu-f)!,' .Kf.irliii ' /i'ni.Uf ■t.tWi/h'ifiiiit Warbler. CHIMNEY SWALLOW. band of dusky brownisli across the upper part of the breast • ^t^t^r^ ''''''' Bllghtly edged with whS; o es and bill, black ; legs, with a ievr tufts of downy feathers stti jf ir f"V"'"^^' -'^ very sharp; over Ihe e^ a stieak o wh. ,sii ; lower side of the shafts, white ; win^s and f::LrLr^^'^^^^^'- ^^"^^-^e^'-^ers'ver/h-tSe En.opean spec.es; from which circumstance, and its early arnval here I would conjecture that it passes to a hi northern latitude on both continents ^ [ CHIMNEY SWALLOW. (Hirundo pelaegia.) PLATE XXXIX. -Fio. 1. ''^%!ffM' r S "^h"'"'',"'/'";. ^^- *• «-Hi-delle de la Caroline ^«i/_. VI, p. 700.-Hirundo C.irolinensis, £n«s. ii n ^01 0 a „, i Tj Swallow, ^,.c<. Zool. ii. No. 335, lL-r«r< Svst n ffq'n p ^•-^?''**''* No. 7663. ^*'' P- «30. -Peace's Museum, CH.ETURA PELASGIA.-STETHEm * Ch^turapelaagia. S^.^^. Cont. Sh. Zoo,. Sup. p. 76.-CypseI«s pelasgius. Bonap. Synop. p. 63. ^ & . i!^om Tfl' '' T"!'"'"'^ '"' '"'"' "^"^^ ^'"'^"^'^ distinguished fiom all the rest of our swallows by its figure. fliH.t and njanners Of the first of these, the repreren.^tion" in the pate w,ll give a correct idea; its other peculiarities shall be detailed as fully as the nature of tlie subject requires. r/ir^' T'r ^"', ^''" '"'^'^ "^ *'^^ *yP« °f ^^' Stephens' genua Ch^tura. In ona they rescn.llo the svifts; and the first observed distmction will be the structure of the tail, where the quills of Ihe f thers are elongated and run to a sharp ov subulated 'poi. t. Th bill IS nore compressed laterally ; the legs and feet possess ver^ .reat inuscuhmty .-the toes alone are scaled, and the tarsi are covered "^vitl a naked sk.n, tl.rough whicli the form of the n.nsdes is plamly vi!^^ e Uie claws are nmch hooked. All these provisions are n cessafyto thii; n ode of hfe. Without some strong support, they could not clin" for a g^e t length of time in the hollows of trees, or in chimneys ; and th i^ tads are used, ui the manner of a woodpecker, to assist u/e powe o i M 144 CHIMNEY SWALLOW. This swallow, like all tlie rest of its tribe in the United States, is migratory, arriving in Pennsylvania late in April or early in May, and dispersing themselves over the whole country wherever there are vacant chimneys in summer sufficiently high and convenient for their accommodation. In no other situation with us are they observed at present to build. This circumstance naturally suggests the query, Where did these birds construct their nests before the arrival of Europeans in this country, when there were no such places for their accommodation ? I would answer, Probably in the same situations in which they still continue to build in the remote regions of our western forests, where European im- provements of this kind are scaicely to be found, namely, in the hollow of a tiee, which in some cases has the nearest resemblance to their present choice, of any other. One of the first settlers in the State of Kentucky informed me, that he cut down a large hollow beech tree, which contained forty or fifty nests of the chimney swallow, most of which, by the fall of the tree, or by the weather, were lying at the bottom of the hollow ; but sufficient fragments remained adhering to the sides of the tree to enable him to number them. They appeared, he said, to be of many years' standing. The present site which they have chosen must, however, hold out many more advantages than the former, since we see that, in the whole thickly settled parts of the United States, these birds have uniformly adopted this new convenience, not a single pair being observed to prefer the woods. Security from birds of prey and other animals — from storms that frequently over- throw the timber, and tlie numerous ready conveniences which these new situations afford, are doubtless some of the advan- th strong feet. They present, in a beautiful manner, the scansorial form among the Fissirostres ; one species, the Ch. senex {Cypsclus senex, Temm.), even feeds in the manner of the true climbers, running up the steep rocks, assisted by its tail, in search of food. The group will contain a considerable number. We have them from India, North and South America, and New Holland, but I am not aware that Africa has yet produced any species. — Ed. CHIMNE Y SWALLOW. tages. The choice they have made certainly bespeaks some- thing more than mere rm-easoning instinct, and does honour to their discernment. The nest of this bird is of singular construction, bein- formed of very small twigs, fastened together with a stron" adhesive glur or gum. which is secreted by two glands, one on each side of the hind head, and mixes with the saliva. With this glue, which becomes hard as the twigs themselves, the whole nest is thickly besmeared. The nest itself is small and shallow and attached by one side or edge to the wall, and is total y destitute of the soft lining with which the others are so plentifully supplied. The eggs are generally four, and white. Ihis swallow has two broods in the season. The youn- are ted at intervals during the greater part of the night, a'fact Which I have had frequent opportunities of remarking both here and m the Mississippi territory. The noise which the old ones make m passing up and down the funnel has some resem- blance to distant thunder. When heavy and long-continued rains occur, the nest, losing its hold, is precipitated to the bottom. This disaster frequently happens. The eggs are destroyed ; but the young, though blind (which they are for a considerable time), sometimes scramble up along the vent to which they cling like squirrels, the muscularity of their feet' and the sharpness of their claws, at this tender age, beino^ remarkable. In this situation they continue to be fed for perhaps a week or more. Nay, it is not uncommon for them volunlanly to leave the nest long before they are able to fly and to fix themselves on the wall, where they are fed until able to hunt for themselves. When these birds first arrive in spring, and for a consider- able time after, they associate together every evenin«- in one general rendezvous ; those of a whole district roosting together, riiis place of repose, in the more unsettled parts of the co^untry IS usually a large hollow tree, open at top ; trees of that kind,' or swalloiv trees, as they are usually called, having been noticed in various parts of the country, and generally believed i|i| 146 CHIMNE Y SWALLO W. to be the winter quarters of these buds, where, heaps upon heaps, they dozed away the winter in a state of torpidity. Here they have been seen on their resurrection in spring, and here they have again been remarked descending to their deathlike sleep in autumn. Among the various accounts of these trees that might be quoted, the following are selected as bearing the marks of authenticity. "At Middlebury, in this State," says Mr Williams, " History of Vermont," p. 16, " there was a large hollow elm, called by the people in the vicinity, the swallow tree. From a man who for several years li'-ed within twenty rods of it, I procured this information. He always thought iihe swallows tarried in the tree through the winter, and avoided cutting it down on that account. About the first of May the swallows came out of it in large numbers, about tho middle of the day, and soon returned. As the weather grew warmer, t'iey came out in the morning, with a loud noise, or roar, and were soon dispersed. About half an hour before sundown, they returned in millions, circulating two or three times round the tree, and then descending like a stream into a hole about sixty feet from the ground. It was customary for persons in the vicinity to visit this tree to observe the motions of these birds: and when any person disturbed their operations, by striking violently against the tree with their axes, the swallows would rush out in millions, and with a great noise. In November 1791, the top of this tree was blown down twenty feet below where the swallows entered : there has been no appearance of the swallows since. Upon cutting down the remainder, an immense quantity of excrements, quills, and feathers were found, but no appearance or relics of any nests. "Another of these swallow trees was at Bridport. The man who lived the nearest to it gave this account : The swallows were first observed to come out of the tree in the spring, about the time that the leaves first began to appear on the trees ; from that season they came out in the morning about half an hour after suuiise. They rushed out like a stream, as big as II CmMA'EV SH^ALLOIV. the hole in the tree «-„uId admit, and ascended in a nernen d.eular jne. until they were above the height of uradblt trees ; then assumed a circular motion per ormin. T evolutious two or three times, but alwa^; inl Scire^ and then d.spersed in every direction. A little before^ down they returned in immense numbers, formin' le "l cu^cular motions, and then descended like ; stream^intoX hole, from whence they came out in the morning About h r:u- :/ T"":-' f^^ -^^^ ^^^ ^"^'--^ '- '-™ me last time. Ihese birds were al of the species callml tl,» house, or chimney swallow. The tree was a la'Tg 1 o I 1,m the ho e at which they entered was about forty feet above the' ground and about nine inches in diameter. The swalbws ance in the fall, in the vicinity of this tree ; and the neiir- ng ...habitants had no doubt but that the swallows c^tin, d botton, of the t,.ee: from that time the swallows have been gradually fo,«lc,ng the tree, and have now almost deserted It" Though Mr Williams himselt; as he informs us. tf^d o details that the bouse swallow, in this part of America generally resides during the winter in the hollow fftv s Md the ground swallows (banlc swallows) find secu-itv ^.11' mu at the bottom of lake, rivers, and pLs » ye I'c ^noT behef. Ilie buds were seen to pass out on the Ist of May or in tne »pnng, when the leaves began io appear on the trees' and , bout t e middle of September, they ^^^i-e seen ^ n^ the tree for the last time ; but there is no information here o"f heir being seen at «y time during winter, either wi I o around the tree. This most important part of th- ma eris taken for gi-aned without '^^ least examination, and as wi be presently shown, without foundation. I shLlI i " , ^1 a so piove t .,t, if these trees had been cut down intho d S of winter, not a single ■ .vallow would have been found cTt 4fi 'ml 148 CHIMNE Y SWALL 0 W. in a living or torpid state 1 And that tliis was merely a place of rendezvous for active living birds is evident from the " immense quantity of excrements " found within it, which birds in a state of torpidity are not supposed to produce. The total absence of the relics of nests is a proof that it was not a breeding place, and that the whole was nothing more than one of those places to which this singular bird resorts immediately on its arrival in May, in which, also, many of the males continue to roost during the whole summer, and from which they regularly depart about the middle of September. From other circumstances, it appears probable that some of these trees have been for ages the summer rendezvous or general roosting place of the whole chimney swallows of an extensive district. Of this sort I conceive the following to be one, which is thus described by a late traveller to the westward :— Speaking of the curiosities of the State of Ohio, the writer observes : — " In connection with this, I may mention a large collection of feathers found within a hollow tree which I examined, with the Kev. Mr Story, May 18th, 1803. It is in the upper part of Waterford, about two miles distant from the Muskingum. A very large sycamore, which, through age, had decayed and fallen down, contained in its hollow trunk, five and a half feet in diameter, and for nearly fifteen feet upwards, a mass of decayed feathers, with a small admixture of brownish dust, and the exuviee of various insects. The feathers were so rotten, that it was impossible to determine to what kinds of birds they belonged. They were less than those of the pigeon ; and the largest of them were like the pinion and tail feathers of the swallow. I examined carefully this astonishing collection, in the hope of finding the bones and bills, but could not distinguish any. The tree, with some remains of its ancient companions lying around, was of a growth preceding that of the neighbouring forest. Near it, and even out of its mouldering ruins, grow thrifty trees of a size which indicate two or three hundred years of age." * * Harris's Journal, p. 180. CHIMNEY SWALLOW. 149 ^ Sucli are the usual roosting places of the chimney swallow in the more thinly settled parts of the country. In towns however, they are ditferently situated, and it is matter of curiosity to ohserve, that they frequently select the court- house chimney for their general place of rendezvous, as hein- usually more central, and less liable to interruption during the night. I might enumerate many places where this is their practice. Being in the town of Reading. Pennsylvania, in the month of August, I took notice of sixty or eighty of these buds, a httle before evening, amusing themselves by ascendino- and descending the chimney of the court-house there. I was told that, in the early part of summer, they were far more numerous at that particular spot. On the 20th of May, in returning from an excursion to the Great Pine Swamp, I spent part of the day in the town of Easton, where I was informed by my respected friend, Moitlecai Churchman, cashier of the bank there, and one of the people called Quakers, that the chiumey swallows of Easton had selected the like situation; and that, from the windows of his house, which stands nearly opposite to the court-house, I might, in an hour or two, witness their whole manoeuvres. I accepted the invitation with pleasure. Accordingly, a short time after sunset, the chimney swallows, which were generally dispersed about town, began to collect around the court-house, their numbers every moment increasing, till, like motes m the sunbeams, the air seemed full of them. These, while they mingled amongst each other seemingly in every du-ection, uttering their peculiar note with great sprightliness, kept a regular circuitous sweep around the top of the court- house, and about foiu'teeu or fifteen feet above it, revolving with great rapidity ibr the space of at least ten minutes. There could not be less than four or five hundred of them. They now gradually varied their line of motion, until one part o'f its cu-cumference passed immediately over the chimney and about five or six feet above it. Some as they passed made a slight femt of entering, which was repeated by those immedi- 150 CHIMNEY SWALLOW. utely after, and by the whole circling multitude in succession : in this feint they approached nearer and nearer at every revolution, dropping perpendicularly, but still passing over; the circle meantime becoming more and more contracted, and the rapidity of its revolution greater, as the dusk of evening increased, until, at length, one, and then another, dropped in, another and another followed, the circle still revolving, until the whole multitude had descended, except one or two. These flew off, as if to collect the stragglers, and, in a few seconds, returned, with six or eight more, which, after one or two rounds, dropped in one by one, and all was silence for the night. It seemed to me hardly possible that the internal surface of the vent could accommodate them all, without clustering on one another, which I am informed they never do ; and I was very desirous of observing their ascension in the morning, but having to set off before day, I had not that gratification. Mr Church- man, however, to whom I have since transmitted a few queries, has been so obliging as to inform me, that towards the begin- ning of June the number of those that regularly retired to the court-house to roost was not more than one-fourth of the former ; that on the morning of the 23d of June, he particu- larly observed their reascension, which took place at a quarter- past four, or twenty minutes before suiuise, and that they passed out in less than three minutes; that at my request the chimney had been examined from above ; but that, as far down at least as nine feet, it contained no nests ; though at a former period it is certain that their nesls were very numerous there so that the chimney was almost choked, and a sweep could with difflculty get up it. But then it was observed that their place of nocturnal retirement was in another quarter of the town. " On the whole," continues Mr Churchman, " I am of opinion that those who continue to roost at the court-house are male birds, or such as are not engaged in the business of incubation, as that operation is going on in almost every unoccupied chimney in town. It is reasonable to suppose, if they made use of that at the court-house for this purpose,' CHIMNEY SWALLOW. 151 at least some of tlieir nests would appear towards the top as we find such is the case where but few nests are in a place'" ^^ In a subsequent letter Mr Churchman writes as follows •- Alter the young brood produced in the different chimneys m Easton had taken wing, and a week or ten days previous to their total disappearance, they entirely forsook the court-house chimney, and rendezvoused in accumulated numbers in the southernmost chimney of John Eoss's mansion, situated per- haps one hundred feet norlh-eastward of the court-house In this last retreat I several times counted more than two hundred go in of an evening, when I could not perceive a single bird enter the court-house chimney. I was much diverted one evening on seeing a cat, wliich came upon the roof of the house, and placed herself near the chimney where she strove to arrest the birds as they entered without success • she at length ascended to the chimney top and took her station, and the birds descended in gyrations without seemin- to regard grimalkin, who made frequent attempts to grab them. 1 was pleased to see that they all escaped her fan-g About the first week in the ninth month [September], the biSs quite disappeared ; since which I have not observed a sinHe individual. Though I was not so fortunate as to be present at tlieir general assembly and council, when they concluded to take their departure, nor did I see them commence their flight, yet I am fully persuaded that none of them remain m any of our chimneys here. I have had access to Boss's chimney, where they last resorted, and could see the li-hts out from bottom to top, without the least vestige or app'^ear- ance of any birds. Mary Boss also informed me that they have had their chimneys swept previous to their makino- fires and, though late in autumn, no birds have been found^there' Chimneys, also, which have not been used, have been ascended by sweeps in the winter without discoveiino- any Indeed, all of them are swept every fall and winter, and I have never heard of the swallows being found, in either a dead, living, or torpid state. As to the court-house, it has 152 CHIMNEY SWALLOW. been occupied as a place of worship two or tlirco times n-week for several weeks past, and at those times there has been fire ill the stoves, the pipes of them both going into the chininoy, which is Kliut up at bottom by brick work : and, as the birds had forsnken that place, it remains pretty certain that they did not return tiiere ; and, if they did, tlie smoke, I think, would be deleterious to their existence, especially as I never knew them to resort to kitchen chinmeys where fire was kept in the summer. 1 think I have noticed them enter such chimneys for the purpose of exploring; but I have also noticed that they immediately ascended, and went off, on find- ing fire and smoke." ' The chimney swallow is easily distinguished in air from the rest of its tribe here by its long wings, its short body, the quick and slight vibrations of its wings, and its wide unex- pected diving rapidity of flight ; shooting swiftly in various directions without any aj)parent motion of the wings, and uttering the sounds tsi-p tsip isip tsee tsee in a hurried manner. In roosting, the thorny extremities of its tail are thrown in for its support. It is never seen to alight but in hollow trees or chimneys ; is always most gay and active in wet and gloomy weather ; and is the earliest abroad in the morning, and latest out in evening, of all our swallows. About the first or second week in September, they move off to the south, being often observed on their route, accompanied by the purple martins. When we compare the manners of these birds, while here, with the account given by Captain Henderson of those that winter in such multitudes at Honduras, it is impossible not to be struck with the resemblance, or to suppress our strong suspicions that they may probably be the very same. This species is four inches and a half in length, and twelve inches in extent ; altogether of a deep sooty brown, except the chin and line over the eye, which are of a dull white ; the lores, as in all the rest, are black ; bill, extremely short, hard, and black ; nostrils, placed ia a slightly elevated membrane ; legs, covered with a loose purplish skin ; thighs, naked, and PURPLE MARTm. 153 of the same tint ; feet, extremely muscular ; the three fore toes nearly of a length ; claws, very sharp ; the wing, when closed, exteudH an inch and a half beyond the tip of the tail, which is rounded, and consists of ten leathers, scarcely longer than their coverts; their shafts extend beyond the vanes, are sharp-pointed, strong, and very elastic, and of a deep black colour ; the shafts of the wing-quills are also remarkably strong ; eye,^ black, surrounded by a bare blackish skin, or orbit. The female can scarcely be distinguished from the male by her plumage. ¥• PURPLE MARTIN. {Hirundo purpurea.) PLATE XXXIX.-F10. 2, Male; Fio. 3, Fkmale. Lath. Syn. iv; p. 574, 21 ; Ibid. iv. p. 575, 23. -Catcsh. Car. i. 5l.-Arct. Zool u. JNo. d.i.i.-Hiroudelle bleu de la Caroline, Buff. vi. p. G74 PI ml T>'> -i Le Martinet coulour Ue pourpre, Buff. vi. p. 67ii.-Turt. Syat. 'md.-7dw. {UQ~ "" '"''"' ■^"'''" '^' ^' ^'^* 24.-Pea/e'a Mimum, Nos. 7645, HIRUNDO PURPUREA.~Umx.vs.* Hirundo purpurea, £on«;,. Si/nop. p. 6i.-North. Zool. ii.-p. .335. -The Purple Martm, And. Om. Bioy. i. p. 114, pi. 22, male and female. This well-known bird is a general inhabitant of the United States, and a particular favouiite wherever he takes up his * This bird, at first sight, almost presents a different appearance from a swallow ; but, upon examination, all the members are truly that of H^^rniudo, developed, particularly the bill, to an extraordinary extent. The bill 18 very nearly that of a Procnias or Ptiliogonys; but the economy ot the bird presents no affinity to the berry-eaters ; and the only diffeit ence in its feeding seems the preference to larger beetles, wasps, or bees which Its strength enables it to despatch without any dan<'er to itself ' This bird exclusively belongs to the New World, and its migratio'ns have a very extensive range. It makes its first appearance at Great Bear Lake on the 17th May, at which time the snow still partially covers the ground, and the rivers and lakes are fast bound in ice. In the middle of August, it retires again with its young brood from the lur Countries. In a southern direction, Mr Swainsou observed num- bers round Pernambuco, 8^ degrees south of the line. They migrate in ilocks, and at a very slow rate. The account of Mr Audubon IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1.25 '-IIIIM IIM It i^ Ip.o 1.8 1-4 IIIIII.6 V] <^ /a 7 'ew e. ^1 >^ o / Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4 J03 .V -^ ^ ^ ^^. i/.l 154 PURPLE MARTIN. abode. I never met with more than one man who disliked tlie martins, and would not permit them to settle about his house. This was a penurious close-fisted German, who hated them, because, as he said, " they ate his ^ecw." I told him he must certainly be mistaken, as I never knew an instance of martins eating ipeas ; but he replied with coolness, that he had many times seen them himself " blaying near the hife, and going schnip, schnap ;" by which I understood that it was his bees that had been the sufferers ; and the charge could not be denied. This sociable and half-domesticated bird arrives in the southern frontiers of the United States late in February or eaily in March ; reaches Pennsylvania about the 1st of April, and extends his migrations as far north as the country round Hudson's Bay, where he is first seen in May, and disappears in August ; so, according to the doctrine of torpidity, has, con- sequently, a pretty long annual nap, in those frozen regions, of eight or nine months under the ice! We, however, choose to consider him as advancing northerly with the gradual approach of spring, and retiring with his young family, on the first decline of summer, to a more congenial climate. The summer residence of this agreeable bird is universally among the habitations of man, who, having no interest in his who witnessed them, will show the possibility of much less powerful birds performing an immense distance, especially where every mile brings them an additional supply of food and a more genial climate. I give his own words :— " I have had several opportunities, at the period of their arrival, of seeing prodigious flocks moving over that city (New Orleans) or its vicinity, at a considerable height, each bird performing circular sweeps as it proceeded, for the purpose of procuring food. These flocks were loose, and moved either westward, or towards the north-west, at a rate not exceeding four miles in the hour, as I walked under one of them, with ease, for upwards of two miles, at that rate, on the 4th of February 1821, on the bank of the river below the city, constantly looking up at the birds, to the great astonishment of many passengers, who were bent on far different pursuits. My Fahrenheit's thermometer stood at 68°, the v/eather being calm and drizzly. This flock extended about a mile and a half in length, by a quarter of a mile in breadth." — Ed. PURPLE MARTIN. 'i I5S destruction, and deriving considerable advantage, as well as tieat fitted up for his accommodation, and that of his youn- either m the projecting wooden cornice, on the top of the roof' or sign-post, in the box appropriated to the blue bird • or if aU hese be wanting. i„ the dove-house among the pigeons. In this last case, he sometimes takes possession of one quarter or tier, of the premises, in which not a pigeon dare for a 7ZT^T '^ '""' . ^"' P^'P^^ ^^^^^^^Se conveniencies foimed for the martins, with many apartments, whicli are usually full tenanted, and occupied regularly every sprin<. • and, m such places, particular individuals have been noted to return to the same box for several successive years. Even the solitary Indian seems to have a particular respect for this bird. The Choctaws and Chickasaws cut off all the top branches from a sapling near their cabins, leavincr the prongs a foot or two in length, on each of which they h^nc a gourd, or calabash, properly hollowed out for their conveni- ence. On the banks of the Mississippi, the negroes stick up ong canes, with the same species of apartment fixed to their tops, in which the martins regularly breed. Wherever I have travelled in this country, I have seen with pleasure the hospitality of the inhabitants to this favourito bird As superseding the necessity of many of my own observa- tions on this species, I beg leave to introduce in this place an extract of a letter from the late learned and venerable John Joseph Henry, Esq., judge of the supreme court of Pennsyl- vania, a man of most amiable manners, which was writton to me but a few months before his death, and with which I am happy to honour my performance :— '« The history of the purple martin of America," says he, '« which is indigenous in Pennsylvania, and countries very far north of our latitude will, under your control, become extremely interesting. We know Its manners, habitudes, and useful qualities here • but we are not generally acquainted with some traits in its 156 PURPLE MARTIN. character, which, in my mind, rank it in the class of the most remarkable birds of passage. Somewhere (I cannot now refer to book and page) in Anson's Voyage, or in Dampier, or some other southern voyager, I recollect that the martin is named as an inhabitant of the regions of Southern America, parti- cularly of Chili ; and in consequence, from the knowledge we have of its immense emigration northward in our own country, we may fairly presume that its flight extends to the south as far as Tierra del Fuego. If the conjecture be well founded, we may, with some certainty, place this useful and delightful companion and friend of the human race as the first in the order of birds of passage. Nature has furnished it with a long, strong, and nervous pinion ; its legs are short, too, so as not to impede its passage ; the head and body are flattish ; in short, it has every indication, from bodily formation, that Providence intended it as a bird of the longest flight. Belk- nap speaks of it as a visitant of New Hampshire. I have seen it in great numbers at Quebec. Hearne speaks of it in lat. sixty degrees north. To ascertain the times of the coming of the martin to New Orleans, and its migration to and from Mexico, Quito, and Chili, are desirable data in the history of this bird ; but it is probable that the state of science in those countries renders this wish hopeless. " Relative to the domestic history, if it may be so called, of the blue bird (of which you have given so correct and charming a description) and the martin, permit me to give you an anecdote :— In 1800 I removed from Lancaster to a farm a few miles above Ilarrisburg. Knowing the benefit derivable to a farmer from the neighbourhood of the martin, in preventing the depredations of the bald eagle, the hawks, and even the crows, my carpenter was employed to form a large box, with a number of apartments for the martin. The box was put up in the autumn. Near and around the house were a number of well-grown apple-trees and much shrub- bery,—a very fit haunt for the feathered race. About the middle of February, the blue birds came ; in a short time i. ^ I PURPLE MARTIN. 157 they were very familiar, and took poseession of tlie box- these consisted of two or three pairs. By the 15th of May, the blue birds had eggs, if not young. Now the martins arrived ia numbers, visited the box, and a severe conflict ensued The blue birds, seemingly animated- by their right of possession or for the protection of their young, were victorious. The martins regularly arrived about the middle of May for the eight following years, examined the apartments of the box m the absence of the blue birds, but were uniformly com- pelled to fly upon the return of the latter. " The trouble caused you by reading this note you will be pleased to charge to the martin. A box replete with that beautiful traveller is not very distant from my bed-head 1 heir notes seem discordant because of their numbers • yet to me they are pleasing. The industrious farmer and mechanic would do well to have a box fixed near the apartments of their drowsy labourers. Just as the dawn approaches, the martin begins Its notes, which last half a minute or more, and then 6ubs.de until the twilight is fairly brokeu. An animated and incessant musical chattering now ensues, sufficient to arouse the most sleepy person. Perhaps chanticleer is not their superior in this beneficial qualification ; and he is far beneath the martin in his powers of annoying birds of prey." I shall add a few particulars to this faithful and interesting sketch by my deceased friend :-About the middle, or 20th of April, the martins first begin to prepare their nest. The last of these which I examined was formed of dry leaves of the weeping willor, slender straws, hay, and feathers in con- siderable quantity. The eggs were four, very small for the size of the bird, and pure white, without any spots The first brood appears in May, the second late in July During the period in which the female is laying, and before she com- mences incubation, they are both from home the greater part of the day. When the female is sitting, she is frequently visited by the male, who also occupies her place while she takes a short recreation abroad. He also often passes a 158 PURPLE MARTIN. quarter of an hour in the apartment beside her, and has become quite domesticated since her confinement. He sits on the outside dressing and arranging his plumage, occasion- ally passing to the door of the apartment as if to inquire how she does. His notes, at this time, seem to have assumed a peculiar softness, and his gratulations are expressive of much tenderness. Conjugal fidelity, even where there is a number together, seems to be faithfully preserved by these birds. On the 25th of May, a male and female martin took possession of a box in Mr Bartram's garden. A day or two after, a second female made her appearance, and stayed for several days; but, from the cold reception she met with, being frequently beat off by the male, she finally abandoned the place, and set ofi^, no doubt, to seek for a more sociable companion. The purple martin, like his half-cousin the king bird, is the terror of crows, hawks, and eagles. These he attacks whenever they make their appearance, and with such vigour and rapidity, that they instantly have recourse to flight. So well known is this to the lesser birds, and to the domestic poultry, that, as soon as they hear the martin's voice engaged in fight, all is alarm and consternation. To observe with what spirit and audacity this bird dives and sweeps upon and around the hawk or the eagle is astonishing. He also bestows an occasional bastinading on the king bird when he finds him too near his premises ; though he will, at any time, instantly co-operate with him in attacking the common enemy. The martin differs from all the rest of our swallows in the particular prey which he selects. Wasps, bees, large beetles; particularly those called by the boys goldsmiths, seem his favourite game. I have taken four of these large beetles from the stomach of a purple martin, each of which seemed entire, and even unbruised. The flight of the purple martin unites in it all the swift- ness, ease, rapidity of turning, and gracefulness of motion of its tribe. Like the swift of Europe, he sails much with little PURPLE MARTW. 159 action of tho wings. He passes through the most crowded of honght; or plays among the clouds, gliding ak-ut at a vast height, I,ke an aerial being. His usual not:, p.J, 1„ mo. « loud and musical, but is f,^<,uently sioce^edT; other, ,„„,e ,„„ j ^t„,.^^ g_,^_^ _^j^^^ ^^ ^ by he leaves Penusylrania for the south. This bird has been described three or four different times by European writers, as so many different »pecies,_the Canadian swallow of Turton, and the gi^at American martb of Edwards, being evidently the female of the present specie Louisiana, differs m no respect from the present. Deceived to tha of the swi t of Europe, strangers from that country have also asserted that the swift is common toNorth America and the Un, ed States. No such bird, however, iuhS any part of this «,ntiae„t that I have as yet visited. The purple martin is eight inches in length, and sixteen inches m e.,tent ; except the lores, which are bkclc and Z wings and tail, which are of a brownish blacl , he i „ 'a nch and deep purp ish blue, with strong violet reflections • the bill IS strong the gap very large; the legs also short stout, and of a dark dirty purple ; the tail consfsts of twelve TeX ™"^ "^'' """ *" """ P-P'« "-! The female measures nearly as large as the male ; the upper parts are blackish brown, with blue and violet reflection thinly scattered ; chin and breast, grayish brown ; sides under the wmgs darker; belly and vent, whitish, not pure with stams of dusky and yellow ochre; wings and tai' bkckUh i6o CONNECTICUT WARBLilR. 'I i CONNECTICUT WARBLER. {Sylvia agilk) PLATE XXXIX.— Fio. 4, SYLVICOLA ^C/X/.ST.-Jardine.* Sylvia ftgilis, Sonap. Synop. p, 84 ; Nomenclature, p. 163. This is a new species, first discovered in the State of Connec- tioiit, and twice since met with in the neij^libonrhood of Philadeli)hin. As to its notes or nest, I am altogether unac- quainted witli them. The different specimens I have shot cor- responded very nearly in their markings ; two of these were males, and the other undetermined, but conjectured also to be a male. It was found in every case among low thickets, but seemed more than commonly active, not remaining for a moment in the same position. In some of my future rambles I may learn more of this solitary species. Length, five inches and three qiiarters; extent, eight inches ; whole upper parts, a rich yellow olive ; wings, dusky brown, edged with olive; throat, dirty white or pale ash; upper part of the breast, dull greenish yellow ; rest of the lower parts, a pure rich yellow ; legs, long, slender, and of a pale flesh colour ; round the eye, a narrow ring of yellowish white ; upper mandible, pale brown ; lower, whitish ; eye, dark hazel. Since writing the above, I have shot two specimens of a bird, which in every particular agrees with the above, except in having the throat of a dull buff colour, instead of pale ash ; both of these were females; and I have little doubt but they are of the same species with the present, as their peculiar activity seemed exactly similar to the males above described. These birds do not breed in the lower parts of Pennsylvania, though they probably may be found in summer in the alpine swamps and northern regions, in company with a numerous class of the same tribe that breed in these unfrequented solitudes. * According to Bonaparte, this is a new species discovered by Wilson. Comparatively little is^known regarding it.— Ed. W-^ '"■i*/. ■n'T. Katkre hy /I Wilu / Ntifht ////«'/• 'J l'>>n,ilr. fLttrj-tterd hy mSJ.n NIGHT HAWK. I6l NIGHT HAWK. {Gaprimulgus Americanus.) PLATE XL.-FIO. 1, Male; Fio. 2, Female. Lonff.winged Goatsucker, Arct. Zool. No. 337.-Pea?e'*Jlf„„„„. No. 772.3, male • 7724, femnle. ' CAPRIMULGUS AMERICANUS f-Wjimtf.* CaprimulguB Virgininnus. Ronap. Si,nop. p. 62.-ChordeiIe8 Virgimoni. Sw. North. Zool. ii. p. 337. This bird in Virginia and some of tl.e soutliern districts, is called a bat ; the name night hawk is usually given it in the muldle and northern States, probably on account of .'ts appearance, when on wing, very much resembling some of our * North America appears to contain three species of this curious cenus dT rbe:r"Thr.Vr' ^'^ following,and C. CaroHnensis, aZ!Z2 uescriDeu. ihe whole are nearly of like si/P n-nA fn«^ \^ , Imt notwithstanding, I cannot help preferring that given by Wilson' particularly as it seems confined to the New World ' lionaparte remarks that the night hawks are amon.^ the swallow« Tvhat the owls are among the Fakonid<,; and, if we may be al wL the expression, the C. Americanus has mo e of he hiruS. on .1 the others. The whole plumage is harder the end of H. u " .ore pointed, the tail isLked, and the rTctSVat e' ror":r:: ol bnstles which we consider one of the essentiftlo in fV,. !° r ^ forme, Ca^^ul^.. We n,«y he. ^^T^^rt LTnrS here are exception.), that we have generally lerved in those Lta' the t ,1 forked, and, eonseqn.ntly, „ith a greater power olZciS fr^L'^r .' \ ., f"^""™' ""J' '» ■««" "''MS' everywhere tradtenVlhfj.""' °"^' """''' ^'^""^ °'"« «- ««y>Stl The truly night-feeding species have the plumaace of a quarto ;f an hour, and also towards the fall, when he has no ne t Tw" r'";L''^'""°' "1"'™'^ '" "'» °""- '^'"« fern ^ of the male. Dunng the t,me she is sitting, she will suffer you to approach within a foot or two before be attempt, to st,r, and, when she does, it is in sueh a flutterinrtumbl^ manner, „„d with snob appearance of a lame and wTund f b rd. as nme tmies in fen to deceive the person and Mn™ urn to pursue her. This " pious fraud," asihe p^ TlomZ cdls ,t, ,s kept up until the person is sufBoiently removed from the nest, when s^.e imn.ediately mounts and Limears ■W ben the young are first batched, it is difficult to distinJ^th hem fron, t e surface of the ground, their down betl°o U pale browmsh colour, and they are altogether destitut ^f tbe common shape of bird.,, sitting so fi..ed and so squ t as o be ensdy mistaken for a slight prominent mouldiness lyinrolthe i NIGHT HAWK. 167 When the weather happens to be wet and gloomy the night hawks are seen abroad at all times of the day, generally at a considerable height ; their favonrite time, however is from two hours before sunset until dusk. At such times they seem all vivacity, darting about in the air in every direction making frequent short sudden turnings, as if busily engaged in catchmg insects. Even in the hottest, clearest weather they are occasionally seen abroad, squeaking at short intervals' Ihey are also often found sitting along the fences, basking themselves m the sun. Near the seashore, in the vicinity of extensive salt marshes, they are likewise very numerous sk.mmmg over the meadows, in the manner of swallows! until it IS so dark that the eye can no longer follow them When wounded and taken, they attempt to intimidate you by opening their mouth to its utmost stretch, throwino- the head forward, and uttering a kind of guttural whizzing sound, striking also violently with their wings, which seem to be their only offensive weapons, for they never attempt to strike with the bill or claws. About the middle of August they begin to move off towards the south, at which season they may be seen almost every evening, from five o'clock until after sunset, passin- along the Schuylkill and the adjacent shores, in widely scattered multitudes, all steering towards the south. I have counted several hundreds within sight at the same time dis- persed through the air, and darting after insects as they ad- vanced. These occasional processions continue for two or three weeks ; none are seen travelling in the opposite direc- tion, bometimes they are accompanied by at least twice as many barn swallows, some chimney swallows and purple martins. They are also most numerous immediately pre- ceding a north-east storm. At this time also they abound in the extensive meadows on the Schuylkill and Delaware, where I have counted fifteen skimming over a single field in an evening. On shooting some of these, on the 14th of August their stomachs were almost exclusively filled with crickets' i6S mCBT HAWK. Prom one of them I took nearly a ooramon snuff-box full of these ,nse,' », all seemingly f,.esh swallowed By the middle or 20th of Sei.tember, very few ot these b.rds are o be seen in Pennsylvania ; h„; fa/s„ I tLl !' of : e"u ird'st^l" T '""^ r *^ -"«-" 'ou!7aries wint i^"'"' ' ""■ """""^ '" «'^- N°- »' them onTh! f'"™'""' """" S<«"«»*«'-.-»'l«-oh was first bestowed the teats of the goats, because, probably, it inhabited tl,„ solitary heights whem they fed, which nickname has been smce a,, .ed to the whole ge„us,-I have thougU ' „nert o.n.t. There is something worse than absurf fu ooZ in! t« brand a whole family of birds with a knavish nam aTef they are universally known to be innocent of the elZ; ■8 not only unjust, but tends to encoura-e th« b„ If ^ • ., fable that is totally destitute of all Z:lZ "'"' "" ""'' JntS t^stZ^Z^"^ ^'™""""-' my deep blackish brown .rn^ixd on'^h ^"^ "•" "' " thickly sprinued or powd::e7o:rb:ci x^;:rrd\i",' with mnumerable minute spots and streab of a lb Ctm colour, interspersed with specks of r«l,i;.l, . ii , barred with the same, a Jt le triL *^' LttdlT ™ "" black for an inch and a half from fl.p t;» i "'^^"'S" ».«> marks the thr„a,tidi:;- oVeST ^lltl'" * w*e le^s are short, feathered a little below the if 'HI m ^"^^'i f^an'Njxuit iyJWUgfi^ 1 Whip-potn- wOl. 2. Female. •11. ^•v^^lyWULum, WHIP-POOR-WILL. 169 ^ ■,.v knees, and, as well as the toes, of a purplish flesh colour, seamed with white; the middle claw is pectinated on its inner edge, to serve as a comb to clear the bird of vermin ; the whole lower parts of the body are marked with transverse lines of dusky and yellowish. The tail is somewhat shorter than the wings when shut, is handsomely forked, and consists of ten broad feathers; the mouth is extremely large, and of a reddish flesh colour within ; there are no bristles about the bill ; the tongue is very small, and attached to the inner sur- face of the mouth. The female measures about nine inches in length, and twenty-two in breadth ; differs in having no white baud on the tail, but has the spot of white on the wing; wants the triangular spot of white on the throat, instead of which there is a dully defined mark of a reddish cream-colour ; the wings are nearly black, all the quills being slightly tipt with white ; the tail is as in the male, and minutely tipt with white ; all the scapulars, and whole upper parts, are powdered with a much lighter graj'. There is no description of the present species in Turton's translation of Linnaeus. The characters of the genus given in the same work are also in this case incorrect, viz., " mouth furnished with a series of bristles; tail not forked,"— the night hawk having nothing of the former, and its tail being largely forked. WHIP-POOK-WILL. {Caprimulgus vociferm.) PLATE XLI.-Fio. 1, Malb; Fio. 2, Female ; Fxo. 3, Yoono. Pealt'a Museum, No. 7721, male ; 7722, female. GAPBIMULGUS VOCIFEHUS.-WihSOti. Caprimulgus vooiferus, Bo7iap. Si/nop. p. 61.— North. Zool. ii. p. 336.- Whip- poor-will, Aud. Oi-n. Biog. i. p. 422, pi. 32, This is a singular and very celebrated species, universally noted over the greater part of the United States for the loud ; . NJ 'Vmt.Jlyirm.Lim. I/O WHIP.POOR. WILL. e.te,at.on8onn8 fuvonntu call in spring ; and yet personally he ,8 but l.ttle known, most people being unable to distinguish this from the preceding species when both are placed before them, and some insisting that they ore the same. This being the case it becomes the duty of his historian to give a full and faith ul delineation of his character and peculiarity of manners, that his existence as a distinct and independent spec.es may no longer be doubted, nor his story mingled con- fused y w.th that of another. I trust that those best acquainted w.Ui h,m will bear witness to the fidelity of the portrait On or about the 25th of April, if the season be not un- commonly cold, the whip-poor-will is first heard in this part ot Pennsylvania, in the evening as the dusk of twilicrht com- mences or in the morning as soon as dawn has bi'oke. In the State of Kentucky I first heard this bird on the 14th of April near the town of Danville. The notes of this solitary bu-d, from the ideas which are naturally associated with them seem ike the voice of an old friend, and are listened to b; almost all with great interest. At first they issued from some retired part of t.ie woods, the glen, or mountain ; in a few evenings, perhaps, we hear them from the adjoining coppice the garden fence, the road before the door, and even from th^ loof of the dwe Img-house, long after the family have retired to rest. Some of the more ignorant and superstitious consider this near approach as foreboding no good to the family,_nothin<^ less than sickness, misfortune, or death, to some of its memt bers. Ihese visits however, so often occur without any bad consequences, that this superstitious dread seems on the decline He is now a regular acquaintance. Every mornin.^ and evening his shnll and rapid repetitions are heard from the adjoining woods, and when two or more are calling out at the same time as is often the case in the pairing season, and at no great distance from each other, the noise, mingling with the echoes from the mountains, is really surprising. Stnmcers jn parts of the country where these birds are numerous. td It almost impossible for some time to sleep; while to those tcttf «W NtiWMi 'm wuBHin^g-aewiwi WJIIPPOOR-WILL. i;i long acquainted with tliem, the sound often serves as a hillaby to assist their repose. These notes seem pretty phiinly to articulate the words which have been generally applied to them, lohip-poor-toill, the first and last syllables -being uttered with great emphasis, and the whole in about a second to each repetition ; but when two or more males meet, their whip-poor-will altercations be- come much more rapid and incessant, as if each were straining to overpower or silence the other. When near, you often hear an introductory cluck between the notes. At these times, as well as at almost all others, they fly low, not more than a few feet from the surface, skimming about the house and before the door, alighting on the wood pile, or settling on the roof. Towards midin'ght they generally become silent, unless in clear moonlight, when they are heard with little intermission till morning. If there be a creek near, with high precipitous bushy banks, they aie t^ure to be found in such situations. Dur- ing the day they sit in the most retired, solitary, and deep shaded parts of the woods, generally on high ground, where they repose in silence. When disturbed, they rise within a few feet, sail low and slowly through the woods tor thirty or forty yards, and generally settle on a low branch or on the ground. Their sight appears deficient during the day, as, like owls, they seem then to want that vivacity for which they are dis- tinguished in the morning and evening twilight. They are rarely shot at or molested ; and from being thus transiently seen in the obscurity of dusk, or in the deep umbrage of the woods, no wonder their particular markings of plumage should be so little known, or that they should be confounded with the night hawk, whom in general appearance they so much resemble. The female begins to lay about the second week in May, selecting for this purpose the most unfrequented part of the wood, often where some brush, old logs, heaps of leaves, &c., had been lying, and always on a dry situation. The eggs are deposited on the ground or on the leaves, not the slightest appearance of a nest being visible. These are i;2 ^HIP.POOR.IVILL. uaually two .n number, in shape much resembling those of the n,ght huwlc. but having the ground colour much daZ and more thickly nuvrbled with durlc olive Tho tl. period of incubation I am unable to say ^ '"'" In traversing the woods one day, in the early part of June L^mT;!' -i^y^leclivity. a whip-pooi^w'ili rose frru my ttet and fluttered along, sometimes prostratin- herself and beatmg the ground with her win-^s as if ill Aware of her purpose, 1 stood still 2t^. / '''^"""^' asleep, as its eyelids were ne«rlv .1 ,"^'^'"°';'^'"' seemingly (Sec l.g. 3.) It was probably uot a week old. All the wbiln e.::::tS;i:f-^^^^^^^ pencil, bat the ..Z^, 'I'^e """'^^ """ f™"" -^ n.gbt ba,vL». ou tbe contarjr, delight ia these extensive el I WniP.POOR- WILL. 173 mniBlies, nnd nre much more numerous there tlian in the interior nnd higlier ports of tlie country. But nowljcre in the United Slates have I found the whip-poor-will in such numbers as in that tract of country in the State of Kentucky called the Barrens. This appears to be tlieir most congenial climate and place of residence. There, from the middle of April to tlio Ist of June, as soon as the evening twiliglit draws on, tlie shrill and confused clamours of these birds are incessant, and very surprising to a stranger. They soon, liow- ever, become extremely agreeable; the inhabitants lie down at night lulled by their whistlings, and the first approach of dawn is annoiuiced by a general and lively chorus of the same music; while the full-toned tooting, as it is called, of the pinnated grouse forms a very pleasing bass to the whole. I shall not, in the manner of some, attempt to amuse the reader with a repetition of the unintelligible names given to this bird by the Indians, or the superstitious notions generally entertained of it by the same people. These seem as various as the tribes, or even families, with which you converse; scarcely two of them will tell you the same story. It is easy,' however, to observe, that this, like the owl, and other nocturnal birds, is held by them in a kind of suspicious awe, as a bird with which they wish to have as little to do as possible. The superstition of the Indian differs very little from that of an illiterate German or Scots Highlander, or the less informed of any other nation. It suggests ten thousand fantastic notions to each, and these, instead of being recorded with all the punctilio of the most important truths, seem only fit to be forgotten. Whatever, among either of these people, is strange and not comprehended, is usually attributed to supernatural agency ; and an unexpected sight or uncommon incident is oflen ominous of good, but more generally of bad, fortune to the parties. Night, to minds of this complexion, brings with it its kindred horrors, its apparitions, strange sounds, and awful sights; and this solitary and inoffensive bird, being a frequent wanderer in these hours of ghosts and hobgoblins, is 174 WniP.POOR- WILL. w, considered by tlio Indians as being, by liabit and rej)nto, little better than ono of them. All these people, however, are not 80 credulous ; I have conversed with Indians who treated these silly notions with contempt. The whip-poor-will is never seen during the day, unless in circumstances such as have been described. Their food appears to be large moths, grasshoppers, pismires, and such insects as frequent the bark of old rotten and decaying timber. They are also expert in darting after winged insects. They will sometimes skim i i the dusk within a few feet of a person, uttering a kind of low chatter as they pass. In their migra- tions north, and on their return, they piobably stop a day or two at some of their former stages, and do not advance in one continued flight. The whip-poor-will was first heard this season (1811) on the 2d day of May, in a corner of Mr Bartiam's woods, not far from the house, and for two or three mornings after in the same place, where I also saw it. From this time until the beginning of September, there were none of these birds to be found within at least one mile of the place, though I frequently made search for them. On the 4tli of September, the whip-poor-will was again heard for two even- ings successively in the same part of the woods. I also heard several of them passing, within the same week, between dusk and nine o'clock at night, it being then clear moonlight. These repeated their notes three or four times, and were heard no more. It is highly probable that they migrate during the evening and night. The whip-poor-will is nine inches and a half long, and nineteen inches in extent; the bill is blackish, a full q°iarter of an inch long, much stronger than that of the night hawk, and bent a little at the point, the under mandible arched poor-wi]l (Travels, t Caprimulgns rirginianus, wliip-poor-will or night hawk (Frag- ments of the Natural History of Pennsylvania, p. 3}. See also Ameri- can Phil. Trans., vol. iv. p. 208, 209, note. WHIP-POOR-WILL. 179 night >g- four females. Tl)e former all corresponded in the raarkin-s and tints of their plumage; the latter also agreed in theh- marks, difTermg slightly from the males, though evidently of the same species. Two others were shot as they rose from the nests, or rather from the eggs, which, in both cases, were two m number, lying on the open ground. These also agreed in the markmgs of their plumage with the four preceding, and. on dissection, were found to be females. The e-^gs we?e also secured. A whip-poor-will was shot in the "evening, while m the act of repeating his usual and well-known notes This bird was found to be a male, differing in many remark- able particulars from all the former. Three others were shot at different times during the day, in solitary and dark shaded parts of the wood. Two of these were found to be females one of which had been sitting on two eggs. The two females resembled each other almost exactly ; the male also corre- sponded in Its markings with the one first found, and all four were evidently of one species. The eggs differed from the tormer both in colour and markings. I' The differences between these"two birds were as follows- — Ihe sides of the mouth in both sexes of the whip-poor-will were beset with ranges of long and very strong bristles, extending more than half an inch beyond the point of the bill ; both sexes of the night hawk were entirely destitute of bristles. The bill of the whip-poor-will was also more than twice the length of that of the night hawk. The Ion- win^r. quills of both sexes of the night hawk were o[\ deep brownish black, with a large spot of white nearly in their middle, and, when shut, the tips of the wings extended a little heyond the tail. The wing-quills of the whip-poor-will of both sexes were beautifully spotted with light brown-had no spot ot white on them-and, when shut, the tips of the win-s did not reach to the tip of the tail by at least two inches. The tail ot the night hawk was handsomely /orA^^df, the exterior feathers being the longest, shortening gradually to the middle ones; tlie tail of the whip-poor-will wasrounded, the exterior feathers being the shortest, lengthening gradually to the middle ones. i • s- 1 I i iO 1 80 /USD OWL. "After a careful examination of these and several other re- markable diflferences, it was impossible to withstand the con- viction that these birds belonged to two distinct species of the same genus, diflfering in size, colour, and conformation of parts. " A statement of the principal of these facts having been laid before Mr Bartram, together with a male and female of each of the above-mentioned species, and also a male of the great Virginian bat, or chuck-wiU's-widow, after a particular examination, tiiat venerable naturalist was pleased to declare himself fully satisfied ; adding, that he had now no doubt of the night hawk and the whip-poor-will being two very distinct species of Caprimulgus. " It is not the intention of the writer of this to enter at pre- sent into a description of either the plumage, manners, migra- tions, or economy of these birds, the range of country they inhabit, or the superstitious notions entertained of them ; his only object at present is the correction of an error, which, from the respectability of those by whom it was unwarily adopted, has been but too extensively disseminated, and received by too many as a truth." RED OWL. {Strix asio) PLATE XLII.-riG. 1, Female. Little Owl, Catesh. L 7. -Lath. i. m.-Linn. Sijst. 132.-Arct. Zool. ii No 117 —Turton, Syst. i. p. 166.— Peace's Museum, No. 428. STRIX ^-S/O.— LiNN^us. — Young.* Strix asio, Bonap. Synop. p. 36. This is another of our nocturnal wanderers, well known by its common name, the little screech oivl; and noted for its melancholy quivering kind of wailing in the evenings, parti- cularly towards the latter part of summer and autumn, near the farmhouse. On clear moonlight nights, they answer each * See Vol, I. for description of the adult of this species, and Note. I /h.ntii /hm.Vanu,- h A Wilsrtn I Rni Owl. 2. M'iithUmj FlyMfeher. J FmplrFuuh . 4. Bn>wnL.irk £„.„.„,. I /., ini i.i:. I will. .1 'i,";>ULmgaagu / RED OWL. I8l Other from various parts of the fields or orchard ; roost durino- the day in thick evergreens, such as cedar, pine, or junipe" trees, and are rarely seen abroad in sunshine. In May thev construct their nest in the hollow of a tree, often in the orchard in an old apple tree ; the nest is composed of some hay and a few feathers; the eggs are four, pure white, and nearly round Ihe young are at first covered with a whitish down ^ The bird represented on the plate I kept for several weeks in the room beside me. It was caught in a barn, where it had taken up its lodging, probably for the greater convenience of mousing ; and being unhurt, I had an opportunity of remark- ing Its manners. At first, it struck itself so forcibly acrainst the wmdow, as frequently to deprive it, seemingly, of alt sen- sation for several minutes: this was done so repeatedly that I began to fear that either the glass or the owl's skull must give way. In a few days, however, it either began to comprehend something of the matter, or to take disgust at the glass for it never repeated its attempts; and soon became quite tame and familiar. Those who have seen this bird only in the day can form but an imperfect idea of its activity, and even spri^ht- Iiness, m its proper season of exercise. Throughout the day it was all stillness and gravity,— its eyelids half shut, its neck contracted, and its head shrunk seemingly into its body • but scarcely was the sun set, and twilight began to approach, when its eyes became full and sparkling, like two living globes of fire; it crouched on its perch, reconnoitered every object around with looks of eager fierceness ; alighted and fed ; stood on the meat with clenched talons, while it tore it in morsels with Its bill ; flew round the room with the silence of thought and perching, moaned out its melancholy notes with many lively gesticulations, not at all accordant with the pitiful tone of its ditty, which reminded one of the shivering moanincr.s of a half-frozen puppy. * This species is found generally over the United States, and IS not migratory. The red owl is eight inches and a half long, and twenty- 1 82 WARBLING FLYCATCHER. one inches in extent ; general colour of the plumage above, a bright nut brown or tawny red ; the shafts, black ; exterior edges of the outer row of scapulars, white ; bastard wing, the five first primaries, and three or four of the first greater converts, also spotted with white ; whole wing-quills, spotted with dusky on their exterior webs ; tail, rounded, transversely barred with dusky and pale brown ; chin, breast, and sides, bright reddish brown, streaked laterally with black, intermixed with white ; belly and vent, white, spotted with bright brown ; legs, covered to the claws with pale brown hairy down ; extremities of the toes and claws, pale bluish, ending in black ; bill, a pale bluish horn colour ; eyes, vivid yellow ; inner angles of the eyes, eyebrows, and space surrounding the bill, whitish ; rest of the face, nut brown ; head, horned or eared, each horn consisting of nine or ten feathers of a tawny red, shafted with black. WABBLING FLYCATCHER. {Muscica^a mehdia.) PLATE XLII.-F1G. 2. VIREO C/ZFtr^-BoNAPARTB. Muscioapa gilva, VieUl. pi. 34. (auct. Bonap.)-Yir^o gilvus. Bonap. Synop. p. 70. Nomen. «p. 123. This sweet little warbler is for the first time figured and described. In its general appearance it resembles the red- eyed flycatcher ; but, on a close comparison, differs from that bird in many particulars. It arrives in Pennsylvania about the middle of April, and inhabits the thick foliage of orchards and high trees ; its voice is soft, tender, and soothing, and its notes flow in an easy, continued strain, that is extremely pleasing. It is often heard among the weeping willows and Lombardy poplars of this city ; is rarely observed in the woods, but seems particularly attached to the society of man. It gleans among the leaves, occasionally darting after winged insects, and searching for caterpillars; and seems by^its ^jjuawiJJttUJuw^f PURPLE FINCH. jg^ manners to partake considerably of the nature of the genus sylvm. It is late in departing, and I have frequently heard its notes among the fading leaves of the poplar in October. This little bird may be distinguished from all the rest of onr songsters by the soft, tender, easy flow of its notes while hid among the foliage. In these there is nothing harsh, sudden, or emphatical ; they glide along in a kind of meandering strain^ that is peculiarly its own. In May and June it may be generally heard in the orchards, the bordert of the city, and around the farmhouse. This species is five inches and a half long, and eight inches and a half in extent ; bill, dull lead colotir above, and notched near the point, lower, a pale flesh colour ; eye, dark hazel ; line over the eye, and whole lower parts, white, the latter tinged with very pale greenish yellow near the breast ; upper parts, a pale green olive ; wings, brown, broadly edged with pale olive green ; tail, slightly forked, edged with olive ; the legs and feet, pale lead ; the head inclines a little to ash ; no white on the wings or tail. Male and female nearly alike. PUKPLE FINCH. {Fringilla purpurea) PLATE XLII.— Fig. 3. ERYTHROSPIZA PUEPUBEA.-Bovava.tx7e.* This bird is represented as he appears previous to receiving his crimson plumage, and also when moulting. By recurring to the figure in Vol. I. pi. 7, fig. 4, of this work, which exhibits him in his full dress, the great difference of colour will be observed to which this species is annually subject. It is matter of doubt with me whether this species ought not to be classed with the Loxia; the great thickness of the bill, and similarity that prevails between this and the pine grosbeak, almost induced me to adopt it into that class. But * See description of adult male, Note and Synonyms, Vol. I. p. 119. 1 84 PURPLE FINCH. & respect for other authoritieB has prevented mo from ma this alteration. When these birds aro taken in their crimson dress, and kept m a cage till they moult their feathers, they uniformly change to their present appearance, and sonietiines never after receive their red colour. They aro also subject, if well fed. to become so fat as literally to die of corpulency, of which 1 have seen several instances; being at these times subject to somethuig resembling apoplexy, from which they sometimes recover m a few minutes, but oftener expire in the same space or time. * The female is entirely without the red, and differs from the p/esent only m having less yellow about her. These birds regularly arrive from the north, where they breed, ,n September, and visit us from the south again early m April, feeding on the cherry blossoms as soon as they appear. Of the particulars relative to this species, the reader 18 referred to the account in Vol. I., already mentioned. I he individual figured in the plate measured six inches and a quarter m length, and ten inches in extent; the bill was horn coloured ; upper parts of the plumage, brown olive, strongly tinged with yellow, particularly on the rump, where It was brownish yellow ; from above the eye, backwards, passed a streak of white, and another more irregular one from the lower mandible ; feathers of the crown, narrow, rather lonn- and generally erected, but not so as to form a crest ; nostrihi and base of the bill, covered with reflected brownish hairs • eye dark hazel; wings and tail, dark blackish brown, ed.^ed with olive ; first and second row of coverts, tipt with pale yellow; chin, white; breast, pale cream, marked with pointed spots of deep olive brown ; belly and vent, white ; legs, brown. This bird, with several others marked nearly in the same manner, was shot 25th April, while engaged in eating the buds from the beech tree. ft BROWN LARK. 185 BROWN LARK. {Alauda rufa.) PLATE XLII.— FiQ, 4. Red Lark, FAw. 297.-yJrr<. Zool. No. 27d.-Lath. ii. 376.-L'Alouette aux joues brunes de Pennsylvanie, Buff. v. 58. -Pea/e'a Museum, No. 5138. ANTHUS LUDOVICIANUS.-BoifAPAnTK.* Synonyma of Antlius Ludovicianus, Bonap. (from his Nomenclature) :-" Alauda rubra, Omel. X,an.— Louisiana Lark, Lath. Syn."~ Anthus spinoletta, Boiiap. Synop. p. 90, In what particular district of the northern regions this bird breeds, I am unable to say. In Pennsylvania, it first arrives from the north about the middle of October ; flies in loose scattered flocks ; is strongly attached to flat, newly-ploughed * Anthus is a Renua of Bechstein's, formed to contain birds which have been generally called larks, but which have a nearer resemblance to the Motacillw, or wagtails, and the accentors. They are also allied to Seiurus of Swainson, The Prince of Musignano made this identical with the European rock lark, Anthus aquaticus, Bechst., Alauda spinoletta, Linn. ; but in his observations on Wilson's nomenclature, saw reason to change his opinion, and it will now stand as A. Ludovicianus of that gentleman. Audubon has, on the other hand, placed it in his " Biography " as the European bird, but I fear, with too slender comparison ; and the same name is - 1 mtioned in the " Northern Zoology," without comparing the arctic specimens with those of Britain or Europe. On these accounts, I rather trust to the observations of Bonaparte, which have been made from actual comparison. It must also be recollected, that the summer and winter dress of the Anthi differ very considerably in their shades. Audubon has introduced in his " Biography " another Anthus, which he considers new, under the title of pip.MS. It was only met with once, in the extensive prairies of the north-western States, where two were killed; and though allied to the common brown titlark, were distinguished by the difference of their notes. If these specimens were not preserved, the species must rest on the authority of Mr Audubon's plate, and, of course, admitted with doubt. — Ed. 1 86 BROWN LARK. fields, commons, and fiiich like situations ; has a feeble note characteristic of its tribe ; runs rapidly along the ground • and, when the flock takes to wing, they fly high, and generally to a considerable distance before tl.cy nlight. Many of them continue in the neighbourhood of Philadelphia all winter if the season be moderate. In the southern States, particularly m the lower parts of North and South Carolina, I found these larks in great abundance in the middle of February Loose flocks of many hundreds were driving about from one corn- field to another ; and, in the low rice-grounds, they were in great abundance. On opening numbers of these they appeared to have been feeding on various small seeds with a h^rge quantity of gravel. On the 8th of April, I shot several of these buds in the neighbourhood of Lexington, Kentucky In Pennsylvania, they generally disai)pear, on their way to the north, about the beginning of May, or earlier. At Port- and, m the district of Maine, I met with a flock of these birds in October. I do not know that they breed within the United States. Of their song, nest, eggs, &c., we have no account. The brown lark is six inches long, and i^n inches and a hal m extent ; the upper parts, brown olive, touched with dusky ; greater coverts and next superior row li.rhter • bill black, slender; nostril, prominent; chin and lin'e over the eye, pale rufous ; breast and belly, brownish ochre, the former spotted with black; tertials, black, the secondaries brown edged with lighter; tail, slightly forked, black; the two ex- terior feathers, marked largely with white ; legs, dark purplish blown ; hind heel, long, and nearly straight; eye, dark hazel. Male and female nearly alike. Mr Pennant says that one of these birds was shot near London. I" note, ind ; rally hem 31', if larly liese oose oni- vere Mey th a eral 3ky. ' to ort- lese the no 1 a ith >ill, the aer vu, JX- ish :el. of Kmir.ir,,! /„• \r // /,,„„.j- / Tlirth I),. Hftimt Thiusli -^ niniirvT/inm/i. ti 4.T. 'luf .ru'tiinf) Wothhr. CAROLINA PIGEON. 187 CAROLINA PIGEON OR TURTLE DOVE. {Golumha Garolinensis.) PLATE XLIII.— Fig. 1. Linn. Syst. 286.~Cafes6. Car. i. 24.-£uff. ii. 657, PI. eni. 175.-LaTourterelle de la Caroline, Brisson, i. 110.— Peak's Museum, No. 50S8.—Turton 479 — Arct. JZool. ii. No. 188. ECTOPISTES GAROLINENSIS.-^ViA.imov. Genus Ectopistea, Swain. N. Groups. Zool. Journ. No. xi. p. 362.-Columba Garolinensis, Bonap. Synop. p. 119.— The Carolina Turtle Dove, Aud. Orn. Biog. i. 91, pi. 17, male aud female. This is a favourite bird with all those who love to wander among our woods in spring, and listen to their varied harmony. They will there hear many a singular and sprightly performer, but none so mournful as this. The hopeless woe of settled sorrow, swelling the heart of female innocence itself, could not assume tones more sad, more tender and affecting. Its notes are four ; the first is somewhat the highest, and preparatory, seeming to be uttered with an inspiration of the breath, as if the afflicted creature were just recovering its voice from the last convulsive sobs of distress ; this is followed by three long, deep, and mournful meanings, that no person of sensibility can listen to without sympathy. A pause of a few minutes ensues, and again the solemn voice of sorrow is renewed as before. This is generally heard in the deepest shaded parts of the woods, frequently about noon and towards the evening. There is, however, nothing of real distress in all this ; quite the reverse. The bird who utters it wantons by the side of his beloved partner, or invites her by his call to some favourite retired and shady retreat. It is the voice of love, of faithful connubial affection, for which the whole family of doves are so celebrated ; and, among them all, none more deservingly so than the species now before us. 1 88 CAROLINA PIGEON. U. ted SU es f,„m Canada to Florida, and from the sea-colt to tne M,ss,ss,p,,i, and far to the westwrd. Thev are hi ever, partial!, n.igratory i„ the northern and mMirStater and oollec together in North and South CaroUna and e ; N , r. , ^:»'"'"".>'' "' "'« neighbourhood of Newbern North Carohna, I ^w a flock of turtle dovea of many hundred ' n other places as I advanced farther south, particullnea; the Savanuah r.ver, in Georgia, the woods were swarml.- ,"., them, a^ the whistling of their wings was heardTerJ On their return to the north in March and early in ADril Xr:u:tt;::r"? "''- ''" ^-"■^' "•»"'--■■ on V twT H "' ™'' '''° 'ogo'l^'-n'ost frequently to L , ,.^'^™ "'^y """""""ly fly i» pairs, resort constantly to the puhhc roads to dust themselves and procure .ravel .,^ often seen m the farmer's yard before the door the stable C and other outhouses, in search of food, seemi'^ il i^ft „; .n fam,har.ty at such times, to the domestic "pig on Zy v.s.t the yard aud adjoining road many times a day andtlfe' pump, creek, horse-trough, and rills for water ^' Ihen- flight is quick, vigorous, and always accompanied l.,- a pecuhar wh.stling of the wiugs, by which'they Teas ,y b^ distinguished from the wild Di<^enn Tl„>„ i "'" 7*"y "^ ^ftness, alight on trees, fen^ro"; ^^^L Jl^ nately; ,„, exceedingly fond of buckwheat, hem « d Tnd Ind,an.corn; feed on the berries of the holy, tl do" ^s^'J:t^"r /"«"«-"--. and tho°:rji Hcorns 01 tiie live oak and shriih nnh- n^u,.., i quantities of gravel, and sometiit ^ a viXTS garden for peas, for which they have a particular regard abot : b'e;r„nt':T2;™^„e"''^"™"'™"^''''"'"''"« 0+ 4. 1 &'"""o "I ^ay. 1 he nest IS very rudelv con- ^tructed, generally in an evergreen, among the thicklli™ CAROLINA PIGEON. 189 of the vine, in an orchard, on the horizontal branches of an apple tree, and, in some cases, on the ground. It is composed of a handful of small twigs, laid with little art, on which are scattered dry fibrous roots of plants; and in this almost flat bed are deposited two eggs of a snowy whiteness. The male and female unite in feeding the young, and they have rarely more than two broods in the same season. The flesh of this bird is considered much superior to that of the wild pigeon ; but its seeming confidence in man, the tenderness of its notes,, and the innocency attached to its character, are with many its security and protection ; with others, however, the tenderness of its flesh, and the sport of shooting, overcome all other considerations. About the com- mencement of frost, they begin to move off to the south ; numbers, however, remain in Pennsylvania during the whole winter. The turtle dove is twelve inches long, and seventeen inches in extent; bill, black; eye, of a glossy blackness, surrounded with a pale greenish blue skin ; crown, upper part of the neck and wings, a fine silky slate blue; back, scapulars, and lesser wmg-coverts, ashy brown; tertials spotted with black; primaries, edged and tipt with white ; forehead, sides of the neck, and breast, a pale brown vinous orange ; under the ear- feathers, a spot or drop of deep black, immediately below which the plumage reflects the most vivid tints of green, gold, and crimson ; chin, pale yellow ochre ; belly and veHti whitish ; legs and feet, coral red, seamed with white ; the tail is long and cuneiform, consisting of fourteen feathers'; the four exterior ones, on each side, are marked with black, about an inch from the tips, and white thence to the extremity; the next has less of the white at the tip ; these gradually lengthen to the four middle ones, which are wholly dark slate; all of them taper towards the points, the two middle ones most so. The female is an inch shorter, and is otherwise only dis- tinguished by the less brilliancy of her colour; she also wants 190 HERMIT THRUStr. HERMIT THRUSH. iTnrdns solilaHus^ PLATE XLIII.-FxG. 2. Little Thrush, Ca<<«6y, i. 31.~Edwards 20fi T! This is the snecies m^-t;/ i !, I "'"= """""S 'hem- while treatioTo a ^wo dT,t" "^ first volume of this wo.k. described, move ZnM. ' "' *"""» **"" "S"-"! ""-l ™ae.. the supposition "i it L'^t t7;'i^;c:z extent as the passenger fU^Z fZ ,1 ."^ r."""" '" ™* ™.t hunJred being c„„sidere/aW floA H^:r'^ '""^ "^'^ "> "'«» ing in another more imn„,t!,„, ,■' , "" """"'io'is them differ- They prefer sittinra3 u!e i " "T'Y '"•™"'' «' '=>»=«»?. foot of the dr, stalks oTmai '\id orlZ "^.'"'"''""el &!*, at thl foliage of trees, or the differ^; ,„eeie,'lf °"''"'' '"°" '» ""= *«d |.ear each other, b„. are diapeldTve L'lTX ™F "<■ "■" '" "-XrhCistb^?^?-^^^^ will rank in the ° emis SI / }" '?""'«■ That, however -il-e. a small .peC^rS tame"^ it!:^" " "^ '^^^ HERMIT THRUSH. 191 mehdm). It is, however, considerably less, very differently marked, and altogether destitute of the clear voice and musical powers of that charming minstrel. It also differs in remaining in the southern States during the whole year ; whereas the wood thrush does not winter even in Georgia, nor arrive within the southern boundary of that State until some time in April. The hermit thrush is rarely seen in Pennsylvania, unless for a few weeks in spring, and late in the fall, long after the wood thrush has left us, and when scarcely a summer bird remains in the woods. In both seasons it is mute, having only in spring an occasional squeak, like that of a young stray chicken. Along the Atlantic coast, in New Jersey, they remain longer and later, as I have observed them there late in November. In the cane swamps of the Choctaw nation, they were frequent in the month of May, on the 12th of which I examined one of their nests on a horizontal branch, imme- diately over the path. The female was sitting, and left it with great reluctance, so that I had nearly laid my hand on her before she flew. The nest was fixed on the upper part of the body of the branch, and constructed with great neat- ness, but without mud or plaster, contrary to the custom of the wood thrush. The outside was composed of a consider- able quantity of coarse rooty grass, intermixed with horse hair, and lined with a fine, green-coloured, thread-like grass, perfectly dry, laid circularly, with particular neatness. The eggs were four, of a pale greenish blue, marked with rpecks and blotches of olive, particularly at the great end. I also observed this bird on the banks of the Cumberland river in April. Its food consists chiefly of berries, of which these low swairps furnish a perpetual abundance, such as those of the holly, myrtle, gall bush (a species of vaccimum), yapon shrub, and many others. A superficial observer would instantly pronounce this to be only a variety of the wood thrush ; but taking into consi- deration its difference of size, colour, manners, want of song, secluded habits, differently formed nest, and spotted eggs, all 192 TAWNY THRUSH. nnhke those of llie former, with which it never associates, it IS impossible not to conchide it to be a distinct and separate species, however near it may approach to that of the former its food, and the country it inhabits for half the year, bein.^ tlie same, neither could have produced those differences • and we must believe it to be now, what it ever has been, and ever will be, a distinct connecting link in the great chain of this part of animated nature ; all the sublime reasoning of certain theoretical closet philosophers to the contrary notwithstanding Length of the hermit thrush, scv^en inches ; extent, ten inches and a half; upper parts, plain deep olive brown- lower, dull white ; upper part of the breast and throat, dull cream colour, deepest where the plumage falls over the slioulders of the wing, and marked with large dark brown pointed spots ; ear-feathers,, and line over the eye, cream, the former mottled with olive ; edges of the wings, lighter ; tips dusky; tail-coverts and tail, inclining to a reddish fox colour' In the wood thrush, these parts incline to greenish olive, rail, slightly forked; legs, dusky; bill, black above and at the tip, whitish below ; iris, black and very full ; chin, whitish Ihe female differs very little,-chiefly in being generally darker in the tmts, and having the spots on the breast larger and more dusky. TAWNY THRUSH. {Turdm musteUms) PLATE XLIII.— Fig. 3. Peak's Museum, No. 5570, TURDUS WILSOmi.-BottAFAnrE.* Tardus WUsonii, Bonap. Simop. p. 76.-Merula Wihonii, North. Zool. ii. p. 183, This species makes its appearance in Pennsylvania from the south regularly about the beginning of May, stays with us a • The wood thrush of Vol. I., the hermit thrush, and our present species, have so much snnilarity to each other, that they have been con- fused together, and their synonyms often misquoted by different authors TAlVJVy THRUSH. 193 week or two, and passes on to the north and to the high raonntainons districts to breed. It has no song, but a sharp cliuck. About the 20th of May I met with numbers of them in the Great Pine Swamp, near Pocano ; and on the 25th of September in the same year, I shot several of them in the neighboufliood of Mr Bartram's place. I have examined many of these birds in spring, and also on their return in fall, and foimd very little difference among them between the male and female. In some specimens the wing-coverts were brownish yellow; these appeared to be young birds. I have no doubt but they breed in the northern liigh districts of the United States ; but I have not yet been able to discover their nests. The tawny thrush is ten inches long, and twelve inches in extent ; the whole upper parts are a uniform tawny brown ; the lower parts, white; sides of the breast and under the wings, slightly tinged with ash ; chin, white ; throat, and upper parts of the breast, cream coloured, and marked with pointed spots of brown ; lores, pale ash or bluish white ; cheeks, dusky brown ; tail, nearly even at the end, the shafts of all, as well as those of the wing-quills, continued a little beyond their webs ; bill, black above and at the point, below From these circumstances, the name of mustelinus, given by Wilson to this species, is incorrect ; and Bonaparte has deservedly dedicated it to its first describer, a name which ought now to be used in our systems. Another bird has been also lost sight of in the alliance which exists among those, and which will now rank as an addition to the northern fauna, the Turdus -parvus of Edwards, and confounded by Bonaparte with the T. soUtaria. From the observations of Dr Richardson and Mr Swainson, in the second volume of the " Northern Zoology," there can be little doubt of its being distinct from any of the others just men- tioned, and will be distinguished by the more rufous tinge of the upper parts. It was met by the Overland Expedition on the banks of the Saskatchewan, where it is migratory in summer, and appears as nearly allied to the others in its habits as it is in its external appearance. It spreads, no doubt, over the other parts of North America, getting more abundant, perhaps, towards the south. Mr Swainson has received it from Georgia, and remarks that the rufous tinge of the plumage is much clearer and more intense in the southern specimens.— Ed. VOL. II. jy 194 PINE-SWAMP WARBLER. at tho base, flesh coloured ; corners of the mouth, yellow ; eye, large and dark, surrounded with a white ring ; legs, long, slender, and pale brown. Though I have given this bird the same name that Mr Pennant has applied to one of our thrushes, it must not be considered as the same ; the bird which hq has denominated the tawny thrush being evidently, from its size, markings, vith more security between them ; eye, brilliant yellow, sunk below a i)rojecting cart Hugo. The male was nearly two inches sliorter ; the upper parts, dark brown ; the feathers skirted with pale reddish, the front streaked with the same; cere, greenish yellow; lores, bluish; bill, black, as in the female; streak over the eye, lighter than in the former; chin, white; breast the same, streaked with brown ; bars on the tail, rather narrower, but in tint and number the same ; belly and vent, white ; feet and shins, exactly as in the female ; the toes have the same pendulous lobes which mark those of the female, and of which the representation in tiie plate will give a correct idea ; the win«'-8 barred with black, very noticeable on the lower side. Since writing the above, I have shot another specimen of this hawk, corresponding in almost every particular with the male last mentioned, and which, on dissection, also proves to be a male. This last had within the grasp of its sharp talons a small lizard, just killed, on which he was about to feed. How he contrived to get possession of it ap])eared to me matter of surprise, as lightning itself seems scarcely more fleet than this little reptile. So rapid are its motions, that, in passing from one place to another, it vanishes, and actually eludes the eye in running a distance of twelve or fifteen feet. It is frequently seen on fences that are covered with grey moss and lichen, which in colour it very much resembles ; it seeks shelter in hollow trees, and also in the ground about their decayed roots. They are most numerous in hilly parts of the country, particularly on the declivities of the Blue Mountain, among the crevices of rocks and stones. When they are disposed to run, it is almost impossible to shoot them, as they disappear at the first touch of the trigger. For the satisfaction of the curious, I have introduced a full-sized figure of this lizard, which is known in many parts of the country by the uame of the Swift. ; I tl 214 REDSTART. REDSTART. {Muscicapa ruticilla.) PLATE XLV.-Fio. 2. Edw. 257.— Yellow Tail, Arct.Zool. ii. p. 466, No. 301. SETOPHAGA HUTICILLA.-BvfAiifisos. By recurring to Vol. I. Plate VI. fig. 6, the male of this species may be seen in his perfect dress. The present figure represents the young bird as he appears for the first two seasons ; the female differs very little from this, chiefly in the green olive being more inclined to ash. This is one of our summer birds, and, from the circumstance of being found off Hispaniola in November, is supposed to winter in the islands. They leave Pennsylvania about the 20th of September ; are dexterous flycatchers, though ranked by European naturalists among the warblers, having the bill notched and beset with long bristles. In its present dress the redstart makes its appearance in Pennsylvania about the middle or 20th of April ; and, from being heard chanting its few sprightly notes, has been sup- posed by some of our own naturalists to be a different species. I have, however, found both parents of the same nest in the same dress nearly ; the female, eggs, and nest, as well as the notes of the male, agreeing exactly with those of the redstart- evidence sufficiently satisfactory to me. Head above, dull slate; throat, pale buff; sides of the breast and four exteiior tail-feathers, fine yellow, tipt with dark brown ; wings and back, greenish olive ; tail-coverts blackish, tipt with ash ; belly, dull white ; no white or yellow on the wings ; legs, dirty purplish brown ; bill, black. The redstart extends very generally over the United States having myself seen it on the borders of Canada, and also on the Mississippi territory. This species has the constant habit of flirting its expanded tail from side to side, as it runs along the branches, with its head levelled almost in a line with its body, occasionally YELLOW-RUMP WARBLER. 215 shooting off after winged insects in a downward zigzag direction, and, with admirable dexterity, snapping its bill as it descends. Its notes are few and feeble, repeated at short intervals, as it darts among the foliage ; having at some times a resemblance to the sounds, sic sic sdic ; at others, weesy iveesij weesy ; which last seems to be its call for the female, while the former appears to be its most common note. YELLOW-KUMP WARBLER. {Sylvia coronata.) PLATE XLV.— Fig. 3. Edw. 255.— Arct. Zool. ii. p. 400, No. 288. SYLVICOLA CORONATA.— ^WAmm^.-WwTm Plumage. Sylvia coronata, Bonap. Synop. p. 78.— Sylvicola coronata. North. Zool. ii. p. 210. I MUST again refer the reader to the first volume, Plate XVII. fig. 4, for this bird in his perfect colours ; the present figure exhibits him in his winter dress, as he arrives to us from the north early in September ; the former shows him in his spring and summer dress, as he visits us from the south about the 20th of March. These birds remain with us in Pennsylvania from September until the season becomes severely cold, feeding on the berries of the red cedar ; and, as December's snows come on, they retreat to the lower countries of the southern States, where, in February, I found them in great numbers among the myrtles, feeding on the berries of that shrub; from which circumstance they are usually called, in that quarter, myrtle birds. Their breeding place I suspect to be in our nortliern districts, among the swamps and evergreens so abundant there, having myself shot tiiem in the Great Pine Swamp about the middle of May. They range along our whole Atlantic coast in winter, seeming particularly fond of the red cedar and the myrtle ; and I have found them numerous in October, on the low islands along tiie coast of New Jersey, in the same pursuit. They also dart after flies, wherever they can see them, gene- rally skipping about with the wings loose. 2l6 SLA TE-COLO URED HA WK. Lengtli, five inches and a quarter ; extent, eight inches ; upper parts and sides of the neck, a dark mouse brown,' obscurely streaked on the back with dusky black; lower parts, pale dull yellowish white ; breast, marked with faint streaks of brown ; chin and vent, white ; rump, vivid yellow ; at each side of the breast, and also on the crown, a spot of fainter yellow; this last not observable without separating the plumage ; bill, legs, and wings, black ; lesser coverts, tip't with brownish white ; tail-coverts, slate ; the three exterior tail-feathers marked on their inner vanes with white ; a touch of the same on the upper and lower eyelid. Male and female at this season nearly alike. They begin to change about the middle of February, and in four or five weeks are in their slate-coloured dress, as represented in the figure referred to. SLATE-COLOUKED HAWK. {Falco Penmylvanicus.) PLATE XLVI.— Fig. 1. ACCIPITERPENNSYLVANICUS.-^Vf Almoin* Falco velox, Bonap. Synop. p. 29.-Autour a bee sineuse, Temm. PI. Col 67 (young).— Acoipiter Pennsylvanicus, North. Zool ii. p. 44. This elegant and spirited little hawk is a native of Penn- sylvania, and of the Altantic States generally, and is now for the first time introduced to the notice of the public. It frequents^ the more settled parts of the country, chiefly in winter; is at all times a scarce species; flies wide, very ♦ It is now satisfactorily ascertained that this and the Falco velox of the last plate are the same species, the latter representing the plumage of the young female. The changes and differences are the same with those of the common European sparrow hawk, Acoipiter nisus. Ihis bird most probably extends to the intertropical parts of South America. Its occurrence far to the northward is not so common It was not met with by Dr Richardson, and the authority of its existence in the Fur Countries rests on a specimen in the Hudson's Bay Company museum killed at Moose Factory. It very nearly resembles two sniaU species from Mexico, the A. frinyilloides of Mr Vigors, and one newly characterised by Mr Swainson as A. Mexicatius.—Eu. />ruwn ih^n Aau/rehy A:WiUon.. Enur.n::! h- V'U.Uz. l.ShtU- >^> IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1.25 Jf-IM IIM s ;^ IIM i t^ 12.0 I. U ill 1.6 V} V ?1> o^ <> .•^^ ^^ 232 RAIL. as in Pennsylvania, is nine inches long, and fourteen inches in extent ; the bill is black ; line over the eye, down the neck, and whole chin, pure white, bounded by a band of blacki which descends and spreads broadly over the throat; the eye is dark hazel ; crown, neck, and upper part of the breast, red brown ; sides of the neck, spotted with white and black on a reddish brown ground ; back, scapulars, and lesser coverts, red brown, intermixed with ash, and sprinkled with black | tertials, edged with yellowish white; wings, plain dusky J lower part of the breast and belly, pale yellowish white,' beautifully marked with numerous curving spots, or arrow- heads of black; tail, ash, sprinkled with reddish brown ; legs, very pale ash. The female differs in having the chin and sides of the head yellowish brown, in which dress it has been described as a different kind. There is, however, only one species of quail at present known within the United States. RAIL. {Rallus Carolinus.) PLATE XLVIII.— Fig. 1. Soree, Catesh. i. 7Q.~Arct. Zoo!, p. 49i, No. 409. -Little American Water-hen £dw. 144.— Le Rale de Virginie, Bvff. viii. 165. * CEEX CAEOLmUS.-BoNAPAHTE.* Eallus (Crex) Carolinus, Bonap. Si/nop. p. 335, Of all our land or water fowl, perhaps none afford the sportsmen more agreeable amusement, or a more delicious repast, than the little bird now before us. This amusement is indeed temporary, lasting only two or three hours in the * Almost every ornithologist has been at variance with regard to the propriety and limitation of the genera Rallus, Crex, and Gallmnla. They appear to be sufficiently distinct, and not to run more into each other than many other groups, and, in the present state of ornitholo-v their separation is indispensable. Crex may be characterised by the bill shorter than the head, strong at the base, and tapering, the forehead leathered ; the common land rail or corncrake of Europe, and our I i I y RAIL. !33 day, for four or five weeks in each year ; but as it occurs in the most agreeable and temperate of our seasons, is attended with little or no fatigue to the gunner, and is frequently successful, it attracts numerous followers, and is pursued in such places as the birds frequent with great eagerness and enthusiasm. present species, may be taken as very good typical examples. In Oallinula, the forehead is defended with a flat cartilaginous shield, and the habits are more open. In Rallus, the bill is longer than the head, and comparatively slender. In habit they nearly agree ; timid, and fond of concealment during the day, they frequent low meadows or marshy grounds, and run swiftly : the common land rail will beat a good runner for a short way, as I have sometimes experienced. They run with the body near the ground, and make their turns with astonishing celerity. When raised or sur- prised during the day, they fly clumsily ; but in the evening, and when that faculty is exerted with their will, it is much more actively per- formed ; their time for exertion is evening and morning, often during the night : then they feed, and, during breeding season, utter the in- cessant and inharmonious cry which almost all possess. The cry is remarkable in all that I have heard, appearing to i •" uttered sometimes within a few yards, and, in a second or two, as if at an opposite part of the ground. The land rail possesses this ventriloquism to a great extent, and, knowing their swift running powers, I at first thought that the bird was actually traversing the f old, and it was not until I had observed one perched upon a stone utter its cry for some time, and give full evidence of its powers, tliat I became convinced of the contrary. The corncrake, and, indeed, I rather think most of the others, and also the rails, seem to remain stationary when uttering the cry. A stone, clod of earth, or old sod wall, is the common calling place of our own bird ; and they may be easily watched, in the beginning of summer, if approached with caution, before the herbage begins to thicken. They seem to feed on larger prey than what are assigned to them : large water insects and the smaller reptiles may assist in sustaining the aquatic species, while slugs and larger snails will furnish subsistence to the others. I have found the common short-tailed field mouse in the stomach of our land rail. Their flesh is generally delicate, some as much esteemed as the American bird, and the young, before commencing their migrations, become extremely fat. Crex Carolinus is the only species of the genus yet discovered in North America, and is peculiar to that continent. — Ed. 234 RAIL, The natural history of the rail, or, as it is calLd in Virginia, the sora, and m Sontli Caroh'na, the coot, is, to the most of our sportsmen, involved in profound and inexph'cable mystery It comes they know not whence, and goes they know not where. No one can detect their first moment of arrival ; yet all at once the reedy shores and grassy marshes of our large rim-8 swarm with them, thousands being sometimes found withm the space of a few acres. These, when they do venture on wmg, seem to fly so feebly, and in such short fluttering fl.ghts among the reeds, as to render it highly improbable to most people that they could possibly make their way over an extensive tract of country. Yet, on the first smart frost that occurs, the whole suddenly disappear, as if they had never been. -To account for these extraordinary phenomena, it has been supposed by some that they bury themselves in the mud : but as this IS every year dug into by ditchers, and people employed m repainng the banks, without any of those sleepers being found, where but a few weeks before these birds were in- numerable, tins theory has been generally abandoned. And here their researches into this mysterious matter generally end in the common exclamation of "What can become of wir/. Ti ^.'■"^''""^ ^'"'i""""'"'' '^"^"^^«'' "«t discouraged With these difficulties, have prosecuted their researches with more success ; and one of tiiose, living a few years ago near the mouth of James River, in Virginia, whe4 the rail or sora are extremely numerous, has (as I was informed on 'the Bpot) lately discovered that they change into frogs! havino- hnnsef found in his meadows an animal of an extraonlinarP k.na, tluvt appeared to be neither a sora nor a frog, but. as he expressed it, ''something between the two." He carried it to 1"8 negroes, and afterwards took it home, where it lived three days ; and, m his own and his negroes' opinion, it looked like nothing in this world but a real sora changing into a frog 1 Wha. further confirms this grand discovery is the well-known circumstance of the frogs ceasing to hollow as soon as the sora comes in the fall. in- RAIL. 235 This sagacious discoverer, however, like many others re- nowned in history, has found but few supporters, and, except his own negroes, has not, as far as I can learn, made a single convert to his opinion. Matters being so circumstanced, and some explanation necessary, I shall endeavour to throw a little more light on the subject by a simple detail of facts, leaving the reader to form his own theory as he pleases. The rail, or sora, belongs to a genus of birds of which about thirty different species are enumerated by naturalists ; and those are distributed over almost every region of the habitable parts of the earth. The general character of these is everywhere the same. They run swiftly, fly slowly, and usually with the legs hanging down ; become extremely fat ; are fond of concealment; and, wherever it is practicable, prefer running to flying. Most of them aie migratoiy, and abound during the summer in certain countries, the inhabitants of which have very rarely an opportunity of seeing them. Of this last the land rail of Britain is a striking example. This bird, which during the summer months may be heard in almost every grass and clover field in the kingdom, uttering its common note crek, crek, from sunset to a late hour in the night, is yet unknown by sight to moie than nine-tenths of the inhabitants. "Its well-known cry," says Bewick, "is first heard as soon as the grass becomes long enough to shelter it, and continues till the grass is cut; but the bird is seldom seen, for it constantly skulks among the thickest part of the lierbage, and runs so nimbly through it, winding and doubling in every direction, that it is difficult to come near it ; when liard pushed by the dog, it sometimes stops short, and squats down, by which means its too eager pursuer overshoots the spot, and loses the trace. It seldom springs but when driven to extremity, and generally flies with its legs hanging down, but never to a great distance ; as soon as it alights, it runs off, and, before the fowler has reached the spot, the bird is at a considerable distance."* The water crake, or spotted rail, * Bewick's British Birds, vol. i. p. 308. I'i 236 RAIL l( w to o T :r "•""'','" '" ^''^'Se «PproacI„s nearer haW nf ; " ™ ■■ "f"' '^""■'''^ 0' "'" '"'^ g™«™' writer .; T"'" ^'' °°"""°" '''^'" «»>■» "» «>">« write., ,8 m io«- swampy gr„„„,U, i„ „hicl, are pools or »r«.„,ieb overgrown with willows, reeds, and rushes, where it "ris „nd h,des Ml with groat oircraspeotion ; i^ is wild "ohta^,, and shy, and will ewim, dive, or skulk «„der any cover, and sometimes suffer itself to be knoeked on the head rather than nse before the sportsman and bis do. " The water .-a,! „f the same country is equally noted for the like 1 ab,ts I„ short, the whole .enus possess this stron-. flmnv character in a very remarkable degree. ^ These three species are well known to migrate into Britain arly ,„ sprmg, and to leave it for the mo.^ southern ^ta 0 Europe n. anturnn. Yet they are rarely or never seen on the,r passage to or from the countries where they are re^uWy found at different seasons of the year, and this for tt ve y x:er;i:,iX"'^^»'^-'-'^-'"-^-hepiaZ It is not, therefore, at all surprising, that the regular mi..ra- .onsof the American rail, or sora, should in Fike man°,^er mve escaped notice in a country like this, whose pop" bear-s so sma 1 a proportion to its extent, and where'^th tu ly o( natural history is so little attended 1«. But that these migrations do actually take place, from north to south atd «ce .er«,, may be fairly inferred from the common pia'cfe of housands of other species of birds less solicitous of co^ cealment, and also from the followin-. facts On the 22d day of February. I killed two of these birds in the neighboui-liood of Savannah, in Georgia, where they have never Ijeen observed during the summer On the 2 If SI 7'"T .' ^'"",'"'»"-- ■•» « ™te,.y thieke b Iw Philadelphia between the rivers Schuylkill and Delaware in what IS usually called the Neck. This last was a ma e' u ft.ll plumage. We are also informed that they a^te' Hudson 3 Bay early i„ June, and again leave that sett men ', KAIL, 2^7 for the south enrly in autumn. That many of them also remain here to breed is proven by tlie testimony of persons of credit and intelligence with whom I have conversed, both here and on James River, in Virginia, who have seen their nests, eggs, and young. In the extensive meadows that border the Schuylkill and Delaware it was formerly common, before the country was so thickly settled there, to find young rail in the first mowing time among the grass. Mr James Bartram, brother to the botanist, a venerable and still active man of eighty-three, and well acquainted with this bird, says that he has often seen and caught young rail in his own meadows in the month of June ; he has also seen their nest, which he says is usually in a tussock of grass, is formed of a little dry grass, and has four or five eggs, of a dirty whitish colour, with brown or blackish spots : the young run off as soon as they break the shell, are then quite black, and run about among the grass like mice. The old ones he has very rarely observed at that time, but the young often. Almost every old settler along these meadows with whom I have conversed has occasionally seen young rail in mowing time ; and all agree in describing them as covered with blackish down. There can, therefore, be no reasonable doubt as to the resi- dence of many of these birds, both here and to the northward, during the summer. That there can be as little doubt rela- tive to their winter retreat will appear more particularly towards the sequel of the present account. During their residence here, in summer, their manners exactly correspond with those of the water crake of Britain, already quoted, so that, though actually a different species, their particular habits common places of resort, and eagerness for concealment, are as nearly the same as the nature of the climates will admit. Early in August, when the reeds along the shores of the Delaware have attained their full growth, the rail resort to them in great numbers to feed on the seeds of this plant, of which they, as well as the rice birds, and several others, are immoderately fond. These reeds, which appear to be the "I i\ u % 5! / 238 RAIL. \ f if ' ! Zizania 'pamcula effusa of Linru«„8, and tlie Zkania clavulosa of Willdoiiow, jriovv up from tl.e Hoft muddy shores of tho tide water, which are alternately dry, and covered. with fonr or five feet of water. They rise with an erect, taperir..? stem, to the height of eight or ten feet, being nearly as thick below as a man's wrist, and cover tracts along tlie river of many acres The cattle ieed on their long green leaves with avidity and wade in alter tliem as far as tliey dare safely venture They grow np so close together, that, except at or near hi-h water a boat can with difficulty make its way tlirough amo^n- them' The seeds are produced at the top of the pl.nt, the blossoms' or male parts, occupying the lower branches of the panicle' and the seeds the higher. These seeds are nearly as lon.^ as n common-sized pin. somewhat more slender, white, sweet to the taste, and very nutritive, as appears by their effects on the various birds that at this season feed on them. When the reeds are in this state, and even while in blossom the rail are found to liave taken possession of them in o-reat immbers. These are generally numerous in proportion to the full and promising crop of the former. As you walk alon«- the embankment of the river at this season, you hear them squeaking in every direction like young puppies. If a stone be thrown among the reeds, there is a general outcry and' a reiterated huh, huh, huh, something like that of a guineafowl Any smlden noise, or the discharge of a gun, produces the same effect. In the meantime none are to be seen, unless if, be at or near high water ; for when the tide is low they universally secrete themselves among the interstices of the reeds, and you may walk past, and even over where there are hundreds, without seeing a single individual On their first arrival, they are generally lean, and unfit for the table ; but, as the reeds ripen, they rapidly fatten, and from the 20th of September to the middle of October are excellent and eagerly sought after. The usual method of shootinoi them, in this quarter of the country, is as follows ;-The sportsman furnishes himself with a light batteau, and a stout ;. RAIL. 2sg experienced boatman, with a pole of twelve or fifteen foot long, tliickened at the lower end to prevent it from Kinkin<,' too deep into the mud. About two hours or so before hi'^h water, they enter the reeds, and each takes his post, the sportsman standing in the bow ready for action, the boatman, on the stern seat, pushing her steadily through the reeds' The rail generally spring singly, as tlie boat advances, and at a short distance ahead, and are instantly shot down, while the boatman, keeping his eye on the spot where the bird fell, directs the boat Ibrward, and picks it up as the gunner is loading. It is also the boatman's business to keep a sliari> look-out, and give the word " Mark ! " when a rail sprin-s on either side without being observed by the sportsman, and to note the exact spot where it falls until he has picked it up ; for this once lost sight of, owirig to the sameness in the appearance of the reeds, is seldom found again. In tl.is manner the boat moves steadily through and over the reeds, the birds flushing and falling, the gunner loading and firing^ while the boatman is pushing and picking up. The sport continues till an hour or two after high water, when the shallowness of the water, and the strength and weight of the floating reeds, as also the backwardness of the game" to sprino- as the tide decreases, oblige them to return. Several boats are sometimes within a short distance of each other, and a perpetual cracking of musketry prevails along the whole reedy shores of the river. In these excursions it is not uncommon for an active and expert marksman to kill ten or twelve dozen in a tide. They are usually shot singly, though I have known five killed at one discharge of a double-barrelled piece. These instances, however, are rare. The flight of these birds among the reeds is usually low, and, shelter being abundant, is rarely extended to more than fifty or one hundred yards. When winged, and uninjured in their legs, they swim a-id dive with great rapidity, and are seldom seen to rise again. I have several times, on such occasions, discovered them clinging with their feet to the fl 4 240 RAIL. w k\ roods imdor the wator, and at othof timos Hkiilkinj* urulor the floatiii"; loedH, with thoir bill jiiHt abovo tho Hiirfaco. Soine- tiinoH, whoii wounded, they divo, and riHin^ under tho (jfun- walo of tiio boat, Hccreto thoniHolvoH there, inoviti^ round aa tho boat niovcH, until they have an opportunity of oHcaping ininoticed. They are fooblo and delicate in overythinj? but tho 1o< ^^^B '^^B ^^P as to tion 1 ^^^^^K^^^^H^ ^^K misto ^^H^^^^^^V^ ^H the 0^ W K ^H not u m A ^H autho w ^^..^H santlj «. ^^^^^B^^^B air at a|^^^H^^^^^^B distan HHMPM^, ceive Kiff/nm/ ^ mxtltun •( flat. ,i.J'ma/lA«ti4/f/f/'/v,\if)'/i,r. tt.Utwk Owl. GREAT HORNED OWL. j-g GliEAT HORNED OWL. {Strix Virgimana.) PLATE L.-FIG. 1. Arct. Zool. p. 228, No. \U.-Edw. m.-Lath. i. Il9.-Turt. Syat. p. 1G6.- Peale's Museum, No. 410. BUBO VIRGINIANA.-CmiKVi.'- Le Grand Hibou d'Amerique, Cuv. Rec,. Anim. i. p. 329. -Strix Vir-iniana Bmiap. Synoip. p. 37.-The Great Horned Owl, Aud. Orn. Bioa. i%. 313 pi. 61, male and female. -Strix (Bubo) Virginiana, North. Zool. 'ii. p. 82. The figure of this bird, as well as of those represented in the same plate, is reduced to one half its natural dimensions. * Cuvier uses the title Bubo to distinguish those species whicli, as in the genus Otus, have the tarsi feathered, and are furnished Avith e<>ret8 but have the disk surrounding the face less distinctly marked, and\ave a small external conch. He assumes as the type the eac^le owl of Europe, but places the Virginian species in his genus Ijtus, with the small long-eared owl of Britain : the latter has the disk very dis- tinct, and the ears large, the characters of Otus; but the American bird IS in every way a true Bubo, as defined by the great French naturalist It IS a genus of very extensive geographical distribution ; individuals exist in almost every latitude, and in the four quarters of the world Their abodes are the deep and interminable forests, their habits nocturnal, though they are not so much annoyed or stupified if dis- turbed in the day, and much more diihcult to approach, earnestly watching their pursuer. An eagle owl in my possession remains quiet during the day, unless he is shown some prey, when he becomes eager to possess it, and when It IS put within his reach, at once clutches it, and retires to a corner to devour It at leisure. During night he is extremely active, and sometimes keeps up an incessant bark. It is so similar to that of a cuv or terrier as to annoy a large Labrador house-dog, who expressed his dissatisfac- tion by replying to him, and disturbing the inmates nightly. I at first mistook the cry also for that of a dog, and, without any recollection of the owl, sallied forth to destroy this disturber of our repose ; and it was not until tracing the sound to the cage, that I became satisfied of the author of the annoyance. I have remarked that he barks more inces- santly during a clear winter night than at any other time, and the thin air at that season makes the cry very distinctly heard to a considerable distance. This bird also shows a great antipathy to dogs, aud will per- ceive one at a considerable distance, nor is it possible to distract his ! 1 ,r 260 GREA T HORNED OWL, m i By the same f?cale the greater part of the hawks and owls of the present volume are drawn, their real magnitude render- ing this unavoidable. attention so long as the animal remains in sight. When first perceived, the feathers are raised and the wings lowered as when feeding, and the head moved round, following the object while in sight : if food is thrown, it will be struck with the foot and held, but no further attention paid to it. The Virginian owl seems to be very extensively distributed over America, is tolerably common over every part of the continent, and Mr Swainson has seen specimens from the tableland of Mexico. The southern specimens present only a brighter colouring in the rufous parts of the plumage. According to all authorities, owls have been regarded as objects of sitperstition ; and this has sometimes been taken advantage of by the well-informed for purposes far from what ought to be the duty of a better education to inculcate. None are more accessible to such super- stitions than the primitive natives of Ireland and the north of Scotland. Dr Eichardson thus relates an instance, which came to his own know- ledge, of the consequences arising from a visit of this nocturnal wanderer. "A party of Scottish Highlanders, in the jervice of the Hudson's Bay Company, happened, in a winter journey, to encamp after nightfall in a dense clump of trees, whose dark top& and lofty stems, the growth of more than one century, gave a solenmity to the scene that strongly tended to excite the superstitious feelings of the Highlanders. The effect was heightened by the discovery of a tomb, which, with a natural taste often exhibited by the Indians, had been placed in this secluded spot. Our travellers having finished their supper, were trimming their fire preparatory to retiring to rest, when the slow and dismal notes of the horned owl fell on the ear with a startling nearness. None of them being acquainted with the sound, they at once concluded that so unearthly a voice must be the moaning of the spirit of the departed, whose repose they supposed they had disturbed by inadvertently making a fire of some of the wood of which his tomb had been con- structed. They passed a tedious night of fear, and, with the first dawn of day, hastily quitted the ill-omened spot." In India there is a large owl, known by the native name of Googoo, or Ooloo, which, according to some interesting notices, accompanying a large box of birds sent to Mr Selby from the vicinity of Hyderabad, is held as an object of both fear and veneration. " If an Ooloo should alight on the house of a Hindoo, he would leave it immediately, take the thatch off, and put fresh on. The eyes and brain are considered an infallible cure for fits in children, and both are often given to women GREAT HORNED OWL. i 261 This noted and formidable owl is found in almost every quarter of the United States. His favourite residence, how- in labour. The fiesh, bones, &c., boiled down to a jelly, are used to cure spasms or rheuumtism. Some of the fat, given to a child newly born, averts misfortune from him for life." Independent of these, says our correspondent, " there are innumerable superstitions regarding this bird, and a native will always kill one when he has an opportunity. We must mention here a very beautiful sijecies, which is certainly first accurately described in tlie second volume of the "Northern Zoology," though Wilson appears to have had some informal m regard- ing a large white owl ; and i)r Richardson is of opinion thai the %nx Scandiaca of Linnceus, if not actually the species, at least resembles it. It IS characterised and figured by the northern travellers under the name of Bubo Arctica, arctic or white-horned owl ; and we add the greater part of their description. " This very beautiful owl appears to be rare, only one specimen having been seen by the members of the expedition. It was observed flying, at mid-day, in the immediate vicinity of Carlton House, and was brought down with an arrow by an Indian boy. I obtained no information respecting its habits. " The facial disk is very imperfect ; the ears, small, and without an operculum, as in Strix Virginiana; the ear-feathers, ample ; but the disk even smaller than in the last-mentioned bird, and the tarsi some- what longer. The toes are similarly connected. The tail is of mode- rate length, and considerably rounded. The bill is strong, and rather short. " Description.— Colom of the bill and claws, bluish black. Irides, yellow. The face is white, bounded posteriorly by blackish brown' succeeded by white, which two latter colours are continued in a mixed band across the throat. Egrets, coloured at the base, like the adjoining plumage ; the longer feathers tipped with blackish brown, their inner webs, white, varied with wood brown. The whole dorsal aspect is marked with undulated lines, or fine bars, of umber brown, alternating with white ; the markings bearing some resemblance to those of the Virginian owl, but being much more lively and handsome. On the greater wing-coverts, on the inner half of the scapularies, and also partially on the neck and lesser wing-coverts, the white is tinged or replaced by pale wood brown. The primaries and secondaries are wood brown, with a considerable portion of white along the margins of their inner webs. They are crossed by from five to six distant umber brown bars on both webs, the intervening spaces being finely speckled with the same. Near the tips of the primaries, the fine sprinkling of the dark colour nearly obscures the wood brown. On the tertiaries, the 262 GREA r HORNED 0 WL. ever, is in tlie dark solitudes of deep swamps, covered with a growth of gigantic timber ; and here, as soon as evening draws wood brown is mostly replaced by white. The tail-feathers are white, deeply tinned on their inner webs by wood brown, and crossed by six bars of umber brown, about half as broad as the intervening spaces ; their tips are white. " Under aur/ace. -Chin, white. Throat, crossed by the band above mentioned, behind which there is a large space of pure snow white, that 18 bounded on the brea.st by blotches of liver brown, situated on the tips of the feathers. The belly and long plumage of the flanks are white, crossed by narrow, regular bars of dark brown. The vent- feathers, under tail-coverts, thighs, and feet, are pure white. The linings of the wings are also white, with the exception of a brown spot on the tips of the greater interior coverts." , Audubon has the following remarks on their incubation, which are somewhat at variance with Wilson. It would also appear that this bird makes love -luring the day : "Early in February, the great horned owls are seen to pair The cnrious evolutions of the male in the air, or his motions when he has alighted near his beloved, it is impossible to describe. His bowings and the snappings of his bill, are extremely ludicrous ; and no sooner 13 the female assured that the attentions paid her by the beau are the result of a sincere affection, than she joins in the motions of her future mate. " The nest which is very bulky, is usually fixed on a large horizontal branch not for from the trunk of the tree. It is composed externally of crooked sticks, and is lined with coarse grasses and some feathers, llie whole measures nearly three feet in diameter. The e^rgs which are from three to six, are almost globular in form, and of a dull white colour. The male assists the female in sitting on the eggs. Only one brood IS raised m the season. The young remain in the nest until fully fledged, and afterwards follow the parents for a considerable time utter- ing a mournful sound, to induce them to supply them with food They acquire the full plumage of the old birds in the first sprinc> and until then are considerably lighter, with more dull buff in their "tints I have found nests belonging to this species in large hollows of decayed trees, and twice in the fissures of rocks. In all these cases, little pre- paration had been made previous to the laying of the eggs, as I found only a few grasses and feathers placed under them. " The great horned owl lives retired, and it is seldom that more than one is found in the neiglibourhood of a farm after the breeding season • but as almost every detached farm is visited by one of these dangerous and powerful marauders, it may be said to be abundant. The havoc GREAT HORNED OWL. 263 on, and mankind retire to rest, he sends forth such sounds as seem scarcely to helong to this world, startling the solitary pilgrim as ho slumbers by his forest fire- Making night hideous. Along the mountainous shoi-es of the Ohio, and amidst the deep forests of Indiana, alone, and reposing in the woods, this giiostly watchman has frequently warned me of the approach of morning, and amused me with his singular exclamations, sometimes sweeping down and around my fire, uttering a loud and sudden Waugli 0 ! Waugli 0 f sufficient to have alarmed a whole garrison. He has other nocturnal solos, no less melodious, one of which very strikingly resembles the half- suppressed screams of a person suffocating or throttled, and cannot fail of being exceedingly entertaining to a lonely be- nighted traveller, in the midst of an Indian wilderness ! This species inhabits the country round Hudson's Bay ; and, according to Pennant, who considers it a mere variety of the eagle owl (Strix bubo) of Europe, is found in Kamtschatka ; extends even to the arctic regions, where it is often found white, and occurs as low as Astiakan. It has also been seen white in the United States, but this has doubtless been owing to disease or natural defect, and not to climate. It preys on which it commits is very great. I have known a plantation almost stripped of the whole of the poultry raised upon it during spring by- one of these daring foes of the feathered race in the course of the ensuing winter. " This specip- is very powerful, and equally spirited. It attacks wild turkeys when half grown, and often masters them. Mallards, guinea- fowls, and common barn fowls prove an easy prey ; and on seizing them, it carries them off in its talons from the farmyards to the interior of the woods. When wounded, it exhibits a revengeful tenacity of spirit, scarcely surpassed by any of the noblest of the eagle tribe, dis- daining to scramble away like the barred ov\ but facing its enemy with undaunted courage, protruding its powerful talons and snapping its bill as long as he continues in its presence. On these occasions, its large goggle eyes are seen to open and close in quick succession, and the feathers of its body, being raised, swell out its apparent bulk to nearly double the natural size." — Ed. 264 CREA T HORNED OWL. younf? rabbits, squirrels, rats, mice, partridges, ami firnall birds of various kinds. It lias been often known to prowl about the farinliousc, and carry off chickens fioni roost. A very larj^'e one, wing-broken while on a foraging excursion of this kind, was kept about the house for neveral days, and at length disappeared, no one knew how. Almost every day after this, hens and chickens also disappeared, one by one, in an unac- countable manner, till, in eight or ten days, very few were left remaining. The fox, the minx, and weasel were alter- nately the reputed authors of this mischief, until one morning, the old lady herself, rising before day to bake, in passing towards the oven, surprised her late prisoner, the owl, regaling himself on the body of a newly-killed hen I The thief'inJtantly mftde for his hole under the house, froin whence the enraged matron soon dislodged him with the brush handle, and without mercy despatched him. In this snug retreat were found the greater part of the ftjathers, and many large fragments, of her whole family of chickens. There is something in the character of the owl so recluse, solitary, and mysterious, something so discordant in the tones of its voice, heard only amid the silence and gloom of night, and in the most lonely and sequestered situations, as to irave' strongly impressed the minds of mankind in general with sensations of awe and abhorrence of the whole tribe. The poets have indulged freely in this general prejudice ; and in their descriptions and delineations of midnight storms and gloomy scenes of nature, the owl is generally introduced to heighten the horror of the picture. Ignorance and superstition, in all ages and in all countries, listen to the voice of the owl,' and even contemplate its physiognomy with feelings of disgust! and a kind of fearful awe. The priests or conjurors among some of our Indian nations have taken advantage of the reverential horror for this bird, and have adopted °the great Im-ned oivl, the subject of the present account, as the symbol or emblem of their office. "Among the Creeks," says Mr Bartram, in his Travels, p. 504, " the junior priests or students J GREAT HORNED OWL. 265 constantly wear a white mantle, and have a great owl skin cased and stufFed very ingenioiiHly, so well executed as ahnoHt to appear like the living hird, having largo sparkling glass beads or buttons fixed in the bead for eyes. This insignia of wisdom arid divination they wear sometimes as a crest on the to[) of the head, at other times the image sits on the arm, or is borne on the hand. Tlieso bachelors are also distinguished from the other people by their taciturnity, grave and solemn countenance, dignified step, and singing to themselves songs or hymns in a low, sweet voice, as they stroll about the town. Nothing is a more effectual cure for superstition than a knowledge of the general laws and productions of nature, nor more forcibly leads our reflections to the first, great, self- existent Cause of all, to whom our reverential awe is then humbly devoted, and not to any of His dependent creatures. With all the gloomy habits and ungracious tones ot the owl, there is nothing in this bird supernatural or mysterious, or more than that of a simple bird of prey, formed for feeding by night, like many other animals, and of reposing by day. The harshness of its voice, occasioned by the width and capacity of its throat, may be intended by Heaven as an alarm and warning to the birds and animals on which it preys to secure themselves from danger. The voices of all carnivorous birds and animals are also observed to be harsh and hideous, probably for this very purpose. The great horned owl is not migratory, but remains with us the whole year. During the day he slumbeis in the thick evergreens of deep swamps, or seeks shelter in large hollow trees. He is very rarely seen abroad by day, and never but when disturbed. In the month of May they usually begin to build. The nest is generally placed in the fork of a tall tree, and is constructed of sticks piled in considerable quantities, lined with dry leaves and a few feathers. Sometimes they choose a hollow tree ; and in that case carry in but few mate- rials. The female lays four eggs, nearly as large as those of a hen, almost globular, and of a pure white. In one of these 266 GREAT HORNED OWL. % i nests, after the young had flown, were found the heads and bones of two chickens, the legs and head of the golden-winged woodpecker, and part of the wings and feathers of several other birds. It is generally conjectured that they hatch but once in the season. The length of the male of this species is twenty inches ; the bill is large, black, and strong, covered at the base with a cere ; the eyes, golden yellow ; the horns are three inches in length, and very broad, consisting of twelve or fourteen feathers, their webs black, broadly edged with bright tawny ; face, rusty, bounded on each side by a band of black ; space between the eyes and bill, whitish ; whole lower parts elegantly marked with numerous transverse bars of dusky on a bright tawny ground, thinly interspersed with white; vent, pale yellow ochre, barred with narrow lines of brown ; legs and feet large, and covered with feathers or hairy down of a pale brown colour; claws, very large, blue black; tail, rounded, extending about an inch beyond the tips of the wings, crossed with six or seven narrow bars of brown, and variegated or maibled 'vith brown and tawny ; whole upper parts finely pencilled with dusky, on a tawny and whitish ground ; chin, pure white, under that a band of brown, succeeded by another narrow one of white ; eyes, very lai-ge. The female is full two feet in length, and has not the white on the throat so pure. She has also less of the bright ferru- ginous or tawny tint below ; but is principally distinguished by her superior magnitude. WHITE OR BARN OWL. 267 WHITE OR BARN OWL. {Strix flammea.) PLATE L.— Fig. 2. Lath, i. 138.— ^?-c<. Zool. p. 235, No. 124.— P/tt7. Trans, iii. 138.— L'Eflfraie, ou la Fresaie, Buff. i. 366, pi. 26, PL enl. 440.— Bewick's Brit. Birds, i. p. 89. —Common Owl, Turt. Syst. p. 170.— Peale's Museum, No. 486. ULULA FLAMMEA.— CvviER.* Strix flammea, Bonap. Synop. p. 38. This owl, Ihongh so common in Europe, is much rarer in this part of tlie United States than tlie preceding, and is only * From the authority of most writers, this owl is common to hoth continents. Temminck says those from America are exactly the same. I liave not personally had an opportunity of comparing them. In all true night-feeding birds, or those that require to steal upon their prey unobserved, the general plumage is formed for a light, smooth, and noiseless flight ; but the members are not adapted for great swiftness, «jr for seizing their prey by quick and sudden evolutions. The form is comparatively light, as far as the necessary requisites for sufficient strength can be combined with it ; and the plumage being ample and loose, assists by its buoyancy, and does not offer the same resistance to the air as one of a stiff' and rigid texture. The wings, the great organs of loconaotion, and which, in flight, produce the most noise, are rounded, liaving the webs of the feathers very broad, calculated for a power- ful and sustaining flight ; and the mechanism of the feathers at once bespeaks an intention to destroy the sound produced by motion. In all those birds which perform very swift and rapid flights— the falcons, for instance, swifts, or swallows, many of the sea-fowl, the frigate bird —the wings are very pointed (a contrariety of form to the Stricjidce), with the plumules very closely united, and locked together, so as to form almost a thin or solid slip. These produce more resistance, and act as a strong propelling medium when vigorously used. In the owIp the wings present a larger surface, but are not so capable of swift motion ; and to prevent the noise which would necessarily be produced by the violent percussion of so great an expanse, the webs are entirely detached at the tips, and the plumules of the inner ones being drawn to a fine point, thus offer a free passage to the air, and a gradual diminution of resistance. As a further proof that this structure is so intended, we find it to a much less extent in those species that feed occasionally during the day, and we have also the narrowing and accumination of the wings, denoting superior flight ; while, in some, there is a still greater digression in the elongated tail. — Ed. /(I ' 1 i mJ 'T'f 268 WHITE, OR BARN OWL. I/F i\ 1 1 ¥ ' found here (lining very severe winters. This may possibly be owing to the want of those favourite recesses in this part of the world which it so much affects in the eastern continent. The multitudes of old ruined castles, towers, monasteries, and cathedrals, that everywhere rise to view in those countries, are the chosen haunts of this well-known species. Its savage cries at night give, with vulgar minds, a cast of supernatural horror to those venerable mouldering piles of antiquity. This species, being common to both continents, doubtless extends to the arctic regions. It also inhabits Tartary, where, according to Pennant, "The Monguls and natives almost pay it divine honours, because they attribute to this species the preservation of, the founder of their empire, Ginghis Khan. That prince, with his small army, happened to be surprised and put to flight by his enemies, and forced to conceal himself in a little coppice ; an owl settled on the bush under which he was hid, and induced his pursuers not to search there, as they thought it impossible that any man could be concealed in a place where that bird would perch. From thenceforth they held it to be sacred, and every one wore a plume of the feathers of this species on his head. To this day the Kalmucs continue the custom on all great festivals; and some tribes have an idol in form of an owl, to which they fasten the real legs of one." * This species is rarely found in Pennsylvania in summer. Of its place and manner of building, I am unable, from my own observation, to speak. The bird itself has been several times found in the hollow of a tree, and was once caught in a barn in my neighbourhood. European writers inform us that it makes no nest, but deposits its eggs in the holes of walls, and lays five or six, of a whitish colour ; it is said to feed on mice and small birds, which, like the most of its tribe, it swallows whole, and afterwards emits the bones, feathers, and other indigestible parts, at its mouth, in the form of small round cukes, which are often found in the empty buildings it frequents. During its repose it is said to make a blowintr noise resembling the snoring of a man.f ° * Arctic Zoology, p. 235. f Bewick, i. p. 90. WHITE OR BAA.V OWL. 26g It is distinguished in England by various names, tlie barn owl, the church owl, gillihowlet and screech owl. In the Lowlands of Scotland it is universally called the hoolet. The white or barn owl is fourteen inches long, and upwards of three feet six inches in extent ; bill, a whitish horn colour, longer than is usual among its tribe ; space surrounding each eye remarkably concave, the radiating feathers meeting in a high projecting ridge, arching from the bill upwards; between these lies a thick tuft of bright tawny feathers, that are scarcely seen unless the ridges be separated ; face, white, surrounded by a border of narrow, thick-set, velvety feathers, of a reddish cream colour at the tip, pure silvery white below, and finely shafted with black ; whole upper parts, a bright tawny yellow, thickly sprinkled with whitish and pale purple, and beautifidly interspersed with larger drops of white, each feather of the back and wing-coverts ending in an oblong spot of white bounded by black ; head, large, tumid ; sides of the neck, pale yellow ochre, thinly sprinkled with small touches of dusky ; primaries and secondaries the same, thinly barred, and thickly sprinkled with dull purplish brown ; tail, two inches shorter than the tips of the wings, even, or very slightly forked, pale yellowish, crossed with five bars of brown, and thickly dotted with the same; whole lower parts, pure white, thinly ii:ter- spersed with small round spots of blackish ; thighs, the same ; legs, long, thinly covered with short white down nearly to the feet,- which are of a dirty white, and thickly warted ; toes, thitdy clad with white hairs ; legs and feet large and clumsy ; the ridge, or shoulder of the wing, is tinged with bright orange brown. The aged bird is more white ; in some, the spots of black on the breast are wanting, and the colour below a pale yellow ; in others, a pure white. The female measures fifteen inches and a half in length, and three feet eight inches in extent ; is much darker above ; the lower parts tinged with tawny, and marked also with round spots of black. One of these was lately sent me, which was shot on the border of the meadows below Philadelphia. 2/0 WHITE OR BARN OWL. Its stomach contained the manj^Ied carcasses of four lar^e meadow mice, hair, hones, and all. The common practice of most owls is, after hrenkin^ the hones, to swallow the mouse entire; the hones, hair, and other indigestihle parts, are after- wards discharged from the mouth in large roundish dry balls, that are frequently met with in such places as these birds usually haunt. As the meadow mouse is so eagerly sought after by those birds, and also by great numbers of hawks, which regularly, at the connuencement of winter, resort to the meadows below Philadel[)hia, and to the marshes along the sea-shore, for the purpose of feeding on these little animals, some account of them may not be improper in this place. Fig. 3 represents the meadow mouse drawn by tlie same scale, viz., reduced to one half its natm-al dimensions. This species appears not to have been taken notice of by Turton in the latest edition of his translation of Linnasus. From the nose to the insertion of the tail, it measures four inches ; the tail is between three- quarters and an inch long, hairy, and usually curves up- wards ; the fore feet are short, five-toed, the inner toe very short, but furnished with a claw; hind feet also five-toed ; the ears are shorter than the fur, through which, though laro-e, they are scarcely noticeable ; the nose is blunt ; the colour of the back is dark brown, that of the belly, hoary ; the fur is long, and extremely fine ; the hind feet are placed very far back, and are also short ; the eyes exceeding small. This mis- chievous creature is a great pest to the meadows, burrowing in them in every direction ; but is particularly injurious to the embankments raised along the river, perforating them in numerous directions, and admitting the water, which afterwards effects dangerous breaches, inundating large extents of these low grounds,— and thus they become the instruments of their own destruction. In their general figure they bear great resemblance to the common musk rat, and, like them, swim and dive well. They feed on the bulbous roots of plants, and also on garlic, of which they are remarkably fond. I : SMALL-HEADED FLYCATCHER. 271 Anollier favourite prey of most of our owls is the bat, one species of which is represented at fig. 4, as it hung during the day in the woods where I found it. This also appears to be a nondescript. The length of this bat, from the nose to the tip of the tail, is four inches ; the tail itself is as long as the body, but generally curls up inwards ; the general colour is a bright iron gray, the fur being of a reddish cream at bottom, then strongly tinged with lake, and minutely tipt with white ; the ears are scarcely half an inch long, with two slight valves '; the nostrils are somewhat tubular; fore teeth, in the ui)per'jaw none, in the lower four, not reckoning the tusks ; tlie eyes are very small black points ; the chin, upper part of the breast, and head, are of a pale reddish cream colour ; the wings have a single hook or claw each, and are so constructed that the animal may hang either with its head or tail downward. I have several times found two hanging fast locked together be- hind a leaf, the hook of one fixed in the mouth of the other ; the hind feet are furnished with five toes, sharp-clawed ; the membrane of the wings is dusky, shafts, light brown ; extent, twelve inches. In a cave, not far from Carlisle, in Pennsyl- vania, I found a number of these bats in the depth of winter, in very severe weather: they were lying on the projecting shelves of the rocks, and when the brand of fire was held near them, wrinkled up their mouths, showing their teeth ; when held in the hand for a short time ; they became active, and, after being carried into a stove room, flew about as lively as ever. SMALL-HEADED FLYCATCHER {Muscicapa minuki.) PLATE L.-FiG. 5. SYLVICOLA ? MINUTA.-3 \B.l>WE. Sylvia minuta, Bonap. Synop. p. 86. This very rare species is the only one I have met with, and is reduced to half its size, to correspond with the rest of the 272 SMALL-HEADED FLYCATCHER, I '..; figures on the same plate. It was shot on the 24th of April, in an orchard, and was remarkably active, running, climbing, and darting about among the opening buds and blossoms with extraordinary agility. From what quarter of the United States or of North America it is a wanderer, I am unable to determine, having never before met with an individual of the species. Its notes and manner of breeding are also alike unknown to me. This was a male : it measured five inches long, and eight and a quarter in extent ; the upper parts were (lull yellow olive ; the wings, dusky brown, edged with lighter ; the greater and lesser coverts, tipt with white; the lower parts, dirty white, stained with dull yellow, particularly on the upper parts of the breast ; the tail, dusky brown, the two exterior feathers, marked, like those of many others, with a spot of white on the inner vanes ; head, remarkably small ; bill, broad at the base, furnished with bristles, and notched near the tip ; legs, dark brown ; feet, yellowish ; eye, dark hazel. Since writing the above, I have shot several individuals of this species in various quarters of New Jersey, particulaily in swamps: they all appear to be nearly alike in plumage. Having found them there in June, there is no doubt of their breeding in that State, and probably in such situations far to the southward ; for many of the southern summer birds that rarely visit Pennsylvania are yet common to the swamps and pine woods of New Jersey. Similarity of soil and situation, of plants and trees, and consequently of fruits, seeds, and insects, &c., are, doubtless, their inducements. The summer red bird, great Carolina wren, pine-creepiug warbler, and many others, are rarely seen in Pennsylvania, or to the northward, though they are common in many parts of West Jersey. HAW/C OWL. 273 HAWK OWL. {Strix Hudsonia) PLATE L.-F10. 6. Little Hawk Owl, Edw. Q2.-Lath. i. 142, No. 2a.-PW Trans 61 ^«^ t Chat-huantde Canada, 5m,. i. ^IS.-Buff.i 391 ~aj!T'^ , ' '^'"^^ de Siberie, PI. enl. m.-Arct. Zool. p 234^ m L^T^T''"''' No. 500. ^ ' • ^^^-—Peale's Museum, SURNIA FUNEREA.~Iivwmiu* Strix (sub-genus Surnia) funerea, Bonap. Simov « S^J qtmV * Man. i. p. m.-.mrtk. 2111^02 ""'''''' ''"'''■ This is another inhabitant of both continents, a kind of equi- vocal speces or rather a connecting link between the hawk and owl tribes, resembling the latter in tlie feet, and in the mdmtmg feathers round the eye and bill; but approachino- nearer to the former m the smallness of its head, narrowness 0I Its face, and in its length of tail. In short, it seems just'such a figure as one would expect to see generated between a hawk and an owl of the same size, were it possible for them to produce, and yet is as distinct, independent, and original a species as any other The figure on the plate is reduced to one half the s.ze o life. It has also another strong trait of the hawk tnbe,_in flying and preying by day, contrary to the general hab. of owls. It is characterised as a bold and active species, ollowmg the fowler, and carrying off his game as soon as it is shot. It is said to prey on p^ridgefand other birds ; and ,s very common at Hudson's Bay, where it is called by the Indians coparacoch.f We are also informed * In this we have the true form of a diurnal owl Th^ i,., 1 • parativel, «„,all ; facial disk, ixnperfect ; th^t^^rdty "4:' 1^ I brds of prey, and not operculated ; the wings and tail ire ha Jk 1? he former, as Wilson observes, with the w^bs scarcely dtidedtth' tips. Fhes by day, and, according to Dr EicharSon nrla f -nter on ptarmigan, which it con^stantly atfends t thersfrint mf gxations northward, and is even so bold, on a bird beinTkil ed bv 2 + Edwards. VOL. II. S 274 I/AWf: OWL. that thia some species inlmbits Denmark and Sweden, is fre- quent in all Siberia, and on the west side of the Uralian chain as far as Casan and the Volga ; but not in Russia * It was also seen by the navigators near Sandwich Sound, in lat. 61 deg. north. This species is very rare in Pennsylvania and the more southern parts of the United States. Its favourite range seems to be along the borders of the arctic regions, making occa- sional excursions southwardly when compelled by severity of weather, and consequent scarcity of food. I some time ago received a drawing of this bird from the district of Maine, where it was considered rare : that, and the specimen from which the drawing in the plate was taken, which was shot in the neighbourhood of Piiiladelphia, are tlie only two that have come under my notice. These having lucidly happened to be male and female, have enabled me to give a description of both. Of their nest or manner of breeding we have no account. The male of this species is fifteen inches long; the bill, orange yellow, and almost hid among the feathers ; plumage of the chin, curving up over the under mandible ; eyes, bright orange ; head, small ; face, narrow, and with very little con- cavity; cheeks, white; crown and hind head, dusky black, thickly marked with round spots of white ; sides of the neck, marked with a large curving streak of brown black, with another a little behind it of a triangular form ; back, scapulars, rump, and tail-coverts, brown olive, thickly speckled with broad spots of white; the tail extends three inches be} end the tips of the wings, is of a brown olive colour, and crossed with six or seven narrow bars of white, rounded at the end, and also tipt with white ; the breast and chin are marked with a large spot of brown olive ; upper part of the breast, light ; lower, and all the parts below, elegantly barred with dark brown and white ; legs and feet, covered to and beyond the claws with long whitish plumage, slightly yellow, and barred * Pennant. ' i MARSH HA IVA'. 27$ The weight of with fine lines of olive; claws, horn coloni this bird wa twelve ounces. The female is much darker above ; the quills are nearly bltkillU,lwn "^^'' ^^'^ '^*^' ^''"'"'^ '' ^^'^'^'''^ ""^"^ ^^'P It is worihy of remark, that, in all owls that fly by ni-^ht the extenor edges and sides of the wing-quills are slighti; recurved, and end in fine hairs or points; by which means the bird Ks enabled to pass through the air with the greatest silence, a provision necessary for enabling it the better to surprise Its prey. In the hawk owl now before us, which flies by day, and to whom this contrivance would be of no consequence, it is accordingly omitted, or at least is scarcely observable. So judicious, so wise, and perfectly applicable are all the dispositions of the Creator ! MARSH HAWK. {Faho uliginosus.) PLATE LI.— Fro. 2. Edw. iv. 29l.-Lath. i. 90.-Arct. Zool. p. 208. No. m.-Bartram, p. 290 - Peale's Museum, No. 318. emeus CYANEUS.-BEcmTEm* Faico (8ub.genu8 Circus), Bonap. Synop. p. 33.-Buteo (Circus) cyaneus » var Americanus. North. Zool. ii. p. 55. A DRAWING of this hawk was transmitted to Mr Edwards more than fifty years ago. by Mr William Bartram and engraved m plate 291 of Edwaruct' " Ornithology." At that time, and I believe till now, it has been considered as a species peculiar to this country. I have examined various individuals of this hawk both in summer and in the depth of winter, and find them to corre- spond so nearly with the ring-tail of Europe, that I have no doubt of their being the same species. This hawk is most numerous where there are extensive * See note in Vol. III. accompanying description of the male.-ED. i I 276 MARSH HAWK. nioadows and salt marHhes, over wliich it sails very low, making frequent circuitous sweeps over the same ground, in searcli of a species of mouse, figured in plate 50, and very abundant in such situations. It occasionally flaps the wings, but is most commonly seen sailing about within a few feet of the surface. They are usually known by the name of the mouse hawk along the sea-coast of New Jersey, where they are very common. Several were also brought me last winter from the meadows below Philadelphia. Having never seen its nest, I am unable to describe it from my own ob.servation. It is said by European writers to build on the ground, or on low limbs of trees. Mr Pennant observes that it sometimes changes to a rust-coloured variety, except on the rump and tail. It is found, as was to be expected, at Hudson's Bay, being native in both this latitude and that of Britain. We are also informed that it is common in the open and temperate parts of Eussia and Siberia ; and extends as far as Lake Baikal, though it is said not to be found in the north of Europe.* The marsh hawk is twenty-one inches long, and three feet eleven inches in extent ; cere and legs, yellow, the former tinged with green, the latter long and slender ; nostril, large, triangular ; this and the base of the bill thickly covered with strong curving hairs, that rise from the space between the eye and bill, arching over the base of the bill and cere ; this is a j)articular characteristic ; bill, blue, black at the end ; eye, daik hazel ; cartilage overhanging the eye, and also the eyelid, bluish green ; spot under the eye, and line from the front over it, brownish white ; head above and back, dark glossy chocolate brown, the former slightly seamed with bright ferruginous ; scapulars, spotted with the same under the surface; lesser coverts and band of the wing, here and there edged with the same ; greater coverts and primaries, tipt with whitish ; quills, deep brown at the extreme half, some of the outer ones hoary on the exterior edge ; all the primaries, yellowish white on the inner vanes and upper half, also barred on the inner vanes * Pallas, as quoted by Pennant. MARSH HAWK. 277 With black ; tall, long, extending three inches beyond the winga, routided at tlie end, and of a {)ale sorrel colour, crossed by four broad bars of veiy dark brown, the two middle feathers excepted, which are barred with deep and ligl.ter shades of chocolate brown; chin, pale ferruginous; round the neck a collar of bright rust colour ; breast, belly, and vent, pale rust, shafted with brown ; femorals, long, tapering, and of the same pale rust tint; legs, feathered near an inch below the knee This was a female. The male differs chiefly in being rather lighter and somewhat less. This hawk is particularly serviceable to the rice-fields of the southern States, by the havoc it makes among the clouds of rice buntings that spread such devastation among that grain in its early stage. As it sails low and swiftly over the surface of the field, it keeps the flocks in perpetual fluctua- tion, and greatly interrupts their depredations. The planters consider one marsh hawk to be equal to several negroes for alarming the rice-birds. Formerly the marsh hawk used to be numerous along the Schuylkill and Delaware, durincr the time the reeds were ripening, and the reed-birds abund^mt ; but they have of late years become less numerous heie. Mr Pennant considers the ''strong, thick, and short legs" of this species as specific distinctions from the ring-tailed hawk ; the legs, however, are long and slender ; and a** marsh hawk such as he has described, with strong, thick, and short legs, IS nowhere to be found in the United States. ii/fl ri:; I 278 sir. I /.LOir. TAILED HA WK. It» SWALLOW-TAILED HAWK. {Fako f meatus.) I'LATE LI.-Fio. a linn.Sytt. l2d.~Lath. i. 80. -Hirundo maxima l>eruvi.inaavl« pricdutoiiHoaloa- nl.UH iimtruotu, /V«i7/. tiUo. This very clegnnt species iuluibits tl.o southern districts of the United States in summer ; is seldom seen us fur nortli us Pennsylvania, but is very ubundunt in South Caroh"nu und • The clmrnctors of the birds composing this genus are.-geneml form ol less strength tluvn most of the Falconuhe ; bill, rather weak • tooth, little seen ; the tarsi, short, thick, reticulated, anu partly eathercl m iront ; wings, greatly elongated ; timorous, and, like the kites, excel 111 Ihght, circling in tho air. Mr Vigors has formed a genus. Nauclerm of tins and a small African species, dividing them from JiUmm, where they were placed by most prior ornithologists. In these two birds the tail is forked to a great e.xtent, while in the others it only commences to assume that form, and in one is altogether square 1 he claws, also are not circular underneath, as in the others, to which Mr Vigors would restrict Manus. The wings of the two birds how- ever, show considerable dilierence ; the quills, in the American, being abruptly emarginated. the third longest; in the African, the second is longest, and only a slight emargination on the two first. Alto«ether we are not (luite satisfied with the distinctions. I have for the present retained i';/an«*', notwithstiuiding the ditterences that do exist between some ol Its members. According to Audubon, they feed chiefly on the wing ; and haviui: pounced on any prey upon the ground, rise wiUi it, and devour it while flying. " In calm and warm weather," he remarks, « they soar to an immense height, pursuing the large insects called mosquito hawks and perlonmng the most singular evolutions that can be conceived' using their tail with an elegance peculiar to themselves" They thua show a manner of feeding entirely dillerent from most birds of prey which generally retire to some distance, and devour in quiet on the ground. There are some partly insectivorous hawks-i^mi., for in. ^ i ill f SWALLOW.TAIIED HAWK. 279 in- aeoi-Kia, and still more so in West Florida, and tho extensive prairies of Ohio and tho Indiana territory. I met with these birds in tho early part of May at a place called Duck Creek, in Tennessee, and found thorn sailing about in groat num- bers near Uiiyo Manchac on tho Mississippi, twenty or thirty being within view at the same tinie. At that season a species of cicada, or locust, swarmed among tho woods, making a deafening noise, and I could perceive these hawks frequently snatcbing them from tho trees. A species of lizard, which is very numerous in that quarter of the country, and has the faculty of changing its colour at will, also furnishes the swallow- tailed hawk with a favouiito morsel. These bzards are some- times of the niost brilliant light green, in a few minutes change to a dirty clay colour, and again become nearly black. The swallow-tailed hawk and Mississipj)! kite feed eagerly on this lizard, and, it is said, on a small green snake Idso, whicb is the mortal enemy of the lizard, and frequently pursues it to the very extremity of tlie branches, where both become the prey of the hawk.* The swallow-tailed hawk retires to the south in October, at which season, Mr Baitram informs me, they are seen, iri Florida, at a vast height in the air, sailing about with great stance— wliich seize and devour the insect diiriiiy llight , but larger I)rey is treated at leisure. I am ivvare of none that feed so decidedly on the wing as that now described ; in everything it will appear more like a large swallow than an accipitrine bird. Mr Audubon remarks another curious circumstance at variance with the wary manners of the Falconidce. " When one is killed, and falls to the ground, the whole liock comes over the dead bird, sis if intent upon carrying it olf. I have killed several of these hawks in this manner, firing aa fast as I could load my gun." This bird occurred to the late Dr Walker, at Ballachulish, in Argyle- shire, in 1792. Another specimen was taken near Howes, in Wensley- dale, Yorkshire, by W. Fotheringill, Esq., and communicated ^o the London Society, November 1823.— Ed. * This animal, if I mistake not, is the Lacerta hullaris, or Uadder limrd, of Turton, vol. i. p. 666. The facility with which it changes colour is surprising, and not generally known to naturalists. m li iiil 28o SWALLOW-TAILED HAWJC. Steadiness ; and continue to be seen thus, passing to their winter quarters, for several days. They usually feed from their claws as they fly along. Their flight is easy and graceful with 8om( times occasional sv/eeps among the trees, the lon^^ feathers of their tail spread out, and each extremity of it used alternately to lower, elevate, or otherwise direct their course. I have never yet met with their nests. These birds are particularly attached to the extensive prairies of the western countries, where their favourite nakes lizards, grasshoppers, and locusts, are in abundance They are sometimes, though rarely, seen in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and that only in warm and very long summers A specimen now in the Museum of Philadelphia was shot within a few miles of that city. We are informed that one was taken in the South Sea, off the coast which lies between Ylo and Arica, in about lat. 23 deg. south, on the 11th of September by the Reverend the Father Louis Feuillee.* They are also common in Mexico, and extend their migrations as far as Peru. The swallow-tailed hawk measures full two feet in lenc^th and upwards of four feet six inches in extent; the bilt is black ; cere, yellow, covered at the base with bristles ; iris of the eye, silvery cream, surrounded with a blood-red rin- • vhole head and neck, pure white, the shafts, fine black hairs • the whole lower parts also pure white ; the throat and breast' shafted in the same manner ; upper parts, or back, black,' glossed with green and purple ; whole lesser coverts very dark purple ; wings long, reaching within two inches of the .p of the tail, and black ; tail also very long, and remarkably forked, consisting of twelve feathers, all black, glossed with green and purple ; several of the tertials, white, or edged with white, but generally covered by the scapulars ; inner vanes of the secondaries, white on their upper half, black towards their points; lining of the wings, white; legs, yellow, short, and thick, and feathered before half way below the knee; claws, * Jour, des Obs., toiu. ii. 33. rse. ive as IS of I li' />nirn /h'/n Mmn' btJ-WUnm A'lijr-.ji'td />v wjf ■ l.Lomf earedOwl. J.Marsh Bunk .T.Su-.jJhH' ituied II. Al. ^^ i ^ I ir,]Vfd bf ft' J/ ' LONG-EARED OWL. 281 much curved, whitish ; outer claw, very small. The greater part of the plumage is white at the base; and when the scapulars are a little displaced, they appear spotted with white. This was a male in perfect plumage. The colour and markings of the male and female are nearly alike. LONG-EARED OWL. {Strix otus.) PLATE LI.-FiG. 1, Turt. Si/3t. p. 1Q7.-Bewick, i. p. 84t.— Peak's Museum, No. 434. OTUS rULGARIS.-FLmiNG.* Strix otus, Bonap. Synop. p. 37.— iVor Sony to say, are almost all I have fn o-;,ro + 1 , extent of country : letirin,- ,i,.,l ^ disiwised over a vast forests to breed^ a SI " f Tr ' '.° ""^ ''^P"' "^ ""^ other thieves and pi nXe "with".. '"':"°°' "' """'- '«» -Idom permitting'a ntX ttK-ltT'''"" J""'""^ = of plumage; and, sinee the dec i^ of , ^''^'.^''''''Ses "ever domesticated,_offer to »!,„„ \ i™"'''^' ''''^»'» »■• tigate their histor; and tl d^r T "r"""*'"''^''""™- aoter and manne^^' lat and" ""'"" P""'""'"^ "har- Little more can be d™„ i„ 1, """'""r'"'''* '"«'='"«^- species, and trace it th 1 .ft tarir *™ '" "^"'"^ "'» ^vhere it has been certah,Vniet wT ''"''*" ''""'"°^''' i;f:/r;?viriiT:L^^^^^^^^^ ««.»«). and wherett ;dm ;:!;*": 'f \(^^-* many individuals of this ha».n„e„d M ^'■"" "'"'"''anee, winter. Others pr„„l aronni ,1 f '''IS'^o'o'- Part of the vagrant ci^oi^ens'! I'rr „ '^^t! r,!',"*'"/ ™' '^ ing swiftly over the snof nn^ ""^ '^'^''^^ ^'»ch is by sweep- t;..o„s. beir them a™;":^^™^^ "^ ^ '^'t pelled to abandon "Tberm,-" of 7' T-'r"" ''" "^ ™- diately baited to a steel tap and Ivlh! ? ""^ '"'■"^- unforlunate red-tail was found „ " -^ " '"'" """"'"g «'e l-y the leg. The same ten wLrr d "Tf^ '"'^"'"' massacred was. the very next rnat U '^ ^""''' ''" '"«' '"HI to bis destruetion.-iu « ; Te „f ',! r""""' "' ""^"^'"S fair and just retribution. ^ '"'■"""•■ " ^J'^'^'" «« This species inhabits the whole Uniiprf«y are extremely active and Md fte f flW-t"^ 7 ° ■°°'-"" ** '''■''>' in search of p'rey, skimminrnea to ft ^o J Z'.V'"'"' "l'. ^"""^ and darting at anythin" either o^ (^ ^^' " '™'^'' ""'' '""»''. celerity, fhave sJen im 'orornatirrciern,- r'"^'v'? «*' flying near the ground so ranidlv th,t ,? .? "? " ^"^' "'"'" clutching was harily perceptMe and tt fl L""'' ■" "' "'""P"'? ""> had happened. DnXS hiiS if '»''' T'T^ " " """"■■« a thick'Lod, which iS^7:^tJ^^tZ^^'T'''''^''''''°'^'' tail are perceived directin^g their rZlX:^: S^tS :^:X AS /I. COLO UK ED OR BLA CK- CAP HA VVK. 289 the flamo. The individual from which the drawing,' was made is faithfully represented in the plate, reduced to one half its natural dimensions. This bird was shot within a few miles of Philadelphia, and is now preserved, in good order, in Mr Peale's Museum. Its general make and aspect denotes great strength and spirit ; its legs are strong, and its claws of more than propor- tionate size. Should any other specimen or variety of this hawk, differing from the present, occur during the publication of this work, it will enable me more accurately to desiccate the species. ° The black-cap hawk is twenty-one inches in length ; the bill and cere are blue ; eye, reddish amber ; crown, black, bordered on each side by a line of white finely specked with black; these lines of white meet on the hind head; whole upper parts, slate, tinged with brown, slightest on the quills ; legs, feathered half way down, and, with the feet, of a yellow colour ; whole lower parts and femorals, white, most elegantly speckled with fine transverse pencilled zigzag lines of dusky, all the shafts being a long black line ; vent, pure white. If this be not the celebrated goshaioh, formerly so much esteemed in falconry, it is very closely allied to it. I have never myself seen a specimen of that bird in Europe, and the descriptions of their best naturalists vary considerably ; but, from a careful examination of the figure and account of the goshawk, given by the ingenious Mr Bewick (Bi-it. Birds, vol. i. p. 65), I have very little doubt that the present will be found to be the same. The goshawk inhabits France and Germany ; is not very common in South Britain, but more frequent in the northern most conspicuously necessary. When perched at rest, the position is unusually erect ; so much, that the line of the back and tail is almost perpendicular. The plumage in the adults is often of a dark leaden colour above, with bars and crosses on the under parts ; in the young, the upper surface assumes different shades of brown, while the mark- ings beneath are longitudinal.— Ed VOL. II. f ■ i i Hi: 290 BLACK HAWK. parts of the island, and is found in Eussia and Siberia. Buffon, who reared two young birds of this kind, a male and female, oDserves, that " the goshawk, before it has shed its feathers, that is, in its first year, is marked on the breast and belly with longitudinal brown spots ; but after it has had two moultings they disappear, and their place is occupied by transverse waving bars, which continue during the rest of its life ; " he also takes notice, that though the male was much smaller than the female, it was fiercer and more vicious. Mr Pennant informs us that the goshawk is used by the Emperor of China in his sporting excursions, when he is usually attended by his grand falconer and a thousand of inferior rank. Every bird has a silver plate fastened to its foot, with the name of the falconer who has charge of it, that, in case it should be lost, it may be restored to the proper person ; but, if he should not be found, the bird is delivered to another officer, called " the guardian of lost birds," who, to make his situation known, erects his standard in a conspicuous place among the army of hunters. The same writer informs us, that he examined, in the Leverian Museum, a specimen of the goshawk which came from America, and which was superior in size to the European. He adds, "they are the best of all hawks for falconry." * BLACK HAWK. {Falco Sancti JoJiannis .?) PLATE LIlI.-FiG. 1. Lath. Ind. Orn. p. 34, No. 74.~Cliocolate-coloured Falcon, Penn. Arct. Zool. No. 94. BUTEO SANCTI JOHANNJS ?—BoNAVAmE. Falco (sub-genu8 Buteo) Sancti Johannis, Bonap. Synop. p. 32. This, and the other two figures on the same plate, are reduced from the large drawings, which, were taken of the exact size of nature, to one half their dimensions. I regret * Arctic Zoology, p. 204. Arct. Zool. Ihittnt TTC-n S'uP:U' bv -^JK..'V Engraved hyWS Lujrs .55. BLACK HAWK. ; 291 the necessity which ohliges me to contract the figures of these birds, by which much of the grandeur of the originals is lost ; particular attention, however, has been paid in the reduction to the accurate representation of all their parts. This is a remarkably shy and wary bird, found most fre- quently along the marshy shores of our large rivers ; feeds on mice, frogs, and moles ; sails much, and sometimes at a great height ; has been seen to kill a duck on wing ; sits by the side of the marshes on a stake for an hour at a time, in an almost perpendicular position, as if dozing ; flies with great ease, and occasionally with great swiftness, seldom flapping the wings ; seems particularly fond of river shores, swamps, and marshes ; is most numerous with us in winter, and but rarely seen in summer ; is remarkable for the great size of its eye, length of its wings, and shortness of its toes. The breadth of its head is likewise uncommon. The black hawk is twenty-one inches long, and four feet two inches in extent ; bill, bluish black ; cere, and sides of the mouth, orange yellow ; feet, the same ; eye, very large ; iris, bright hazel ; cartilage overhanging the eye, prominent, of a dull greenish colour; general colour above, brown black, slightly dashed with dirty white; nape of the neck, pure white under the surface; front, white; whole lower parts black, with slight tinges of brown ; and a few circular touches of the same on the femorals ; legs, feathered to the toes, and black, touched with brownish ; the wings reach rather beyond the tip of the tail ; the five first primaries are white on their inner vanes , tail, rounded at the end, deep black, crossed with five narrow bands of pure white, and broadly tipt with dull white ; vent, black, spotted with white ; inside vanes of the primaries, snowy ; claws, black, strong, and sharp ; toes, remarkably short. I strongly suspect this bird to be of the very same species with the next, though both were found to be males. Although differing greatly in plumage, yet, in all their characteristic features, they strikingly resemble each other. The chocolate- 1 n II 292 BLACK HAWK. coloured hawk of Pennant, and St John's falcon of the same author (Arct. Zool., No. 93 and 94), are doubtless varieties of this; and, very probably, his rough-legged falcon also. His figures, however, are bad, and ill calculated to exhibit the true form and appearance of the bird. This species is a native of North America alone We have no account of its ever having been seen in any part of Europe ; nor have we any account of its place or manner of breeding. BLACK HAWK. PLATE LIII.-riQ. 2. -Young. ' Peak's Museum, No. 405. BUTEO SANCTI JOHANms.-Yovm.-BoNAPAmK Falco (sub-genus Buteo) Sancti Johannis, young, Bonap. Synop. p. 32. This is probably a younger bird of the preceding species, being, though a male, somewhat less than its companion Both were killed in the same meadow, at the same place and time. In form, leatures, and habitudes, it exactly agreed with the former. This bird measures twenty inches in length, and in extent four feet; the eyes, bill, cere, toes, and claws, were as in the preceding; head above, white, streaked with black and Mght brown; along the eyebrows, a black line; cheeks, streaked like the head ; neck, streaked with black and reddish brown on a pale yellowish white ground; whole upper parts, brown black, dashed with brownish white and pale ferruginous • tail, white for half its length, ending in brown, marked with one or two bars of dusky and a larger bar of black, and tipt with dull white ; wings as in the preceding, their lining- varie- gated with black, white, and ferruginous; throat and^'breast brownish yellow, dashed with black ; belly, beautifully varie- gated with spots of white, black, and pale ferruginous • femorals and feathered legs, the same, but rather darker • vent, plain brownish white. ' ; I BLACK HAWK. 293 The original colour of these birds in their young state may probably be pale brown, as the present individual seemed to be changing to a darker colour on the neck and sides of the head. This change, from pale brown to black, is not greater than some of the genus are actually known to undergo. One great advantage of examining living or newly killed specimens is, that whatever may be the difference of colour between any two, the eye, countenance, and form of the head instantly betray the common family to which they belong ; for this family likeness is never lost in the living bird, though in stuffed skins and preserved specimens it is frequently entirely obliterated. I have no hesitation, therefore, in giving it as my opinion that the present and preceding birds are of the same species, differing only in age, both being males. Of the female I am unable at present to speak. Pennant, inhis account of the chocolate-colouredhawk, which is, very probably, the same with the present and preceding species, observes that it preys much on ducks, sitting on a rock, and watching their rising, when it instantly strikes them. While traversing our sea-coast and salt marshes, between Cape May and Egg Harbour, I was everywhere told of a duck Imivk, noted for striking down ducks on wing, thouo'h flying with their usual rapidity. Many extravagances were mingled with these accounts, particularly that it always struck the ducks with its breast bone, which was universally said to project several inches, and to be strong and sharp. From the best verbal descriptions I could obtain of this hawk, I have strong suspicions tiiat it is no other than the Hack hawk, as its wings were said to be long and very pointed, the colour very dark, the size nearly alike, and several other traits given, that seemed particularly to belong to this species. As I have been promised specimens of this celebrated hawk next winter, a short time will enable me to determine the matter more satisfactorily. Few gunners in that quarter are unacquainted with the duck hawk, as it often robs them of their wounded birds before they are able to reach them. w 294 RED-SHOULDERED HAWK. bince writing the above, I have ascertained that the duck hawTc 18 not this species, but the celebrated peregrine falcon a figure and description of which will be given in our third vohime. RED-SHOULDERED HAWK. {Fako lineatm.) PLATE LIU.— Fig. 3. Arct. Zool. p. 206. No. 102.-Lath. i. 56. No. Z&.-Turt. Syst. p. 153.- Peale's Museum, No. 205. BUTEO? LIN£!ATVS.~jA^msK* Falco (-^-g^-^ Circus) hyernalis. BonapSynop. p. 33. -Red-shouldered Hawk, Aud. pi. 56, male and female j Orn. Biog. i. p. 296. This species is more rarely met with than either of the former. Its haunts are in the neighbourhood of the sea It preys on larks sandpipers, and the small ringed plover," and frequently on ducks. It flies high and irregularly, and not la the sailing manner of the long-winged hawks. I have occasionally observed thi. bird near Egg Harbour, in New * This bird is certainly distinct from the F. hyenalis of this volume • h^v'/ fT?.^'^'°^ \^'' distinctions of plumage, the very dSnt habi^ of both pointed out by Mr Audubon can^hardly be reconcUed All the characters and habits of the bird lean much more to the gos- ha^vks ; it delights in woody countries, builds on trees and is much more active The plumage generally is 'that of the bu ks and ^ ^11 T^T' P'"f * ' •^^-bination of the transverse barrinlof that Lis b-f"/° f' '""'P''°" '' Wilson, Audubon observes tha this bird IS rarely observed in the middle districts, where onTe c ntrary, the winter falcon usually makes its appearance from the "or^ a he approach of autumn. " It is one of the most noisy of its genus during spring especially, when it would be difficult to walk the sSrts of woods bordering a large plantation, without hearin. its discordln shrill notes, ^a-Aee, ka-hee, ^ it sails in rapid circles °at a v ry «rea 7T"\: ^^V'''''^'' «f tt« ^-oods seem; the fittest haunts fofthe tHe extremity of a large branch, and is as bulky as that of a .Z mon crow. It is formed externally of dry sticks'and Spanth mo" and IS lined with withered grass and fibrous roots. The Wle lavs four eggs, sometimes five ; they are of a broad oval form g^nulated an over pale blue, faintly blotched with brownish red aTthe m^S FEMALE BALTIMORE ORIOLE. 2QK Jersey, and once in the meadows below this city. This hawk was first transmitted to Great Britain by Mr Blackburne, from Long Island, in the State of New York. With its manner of building, eggs, &c., we are altogether unacquainted. The red-shouldered hawk is nineteen inches in length ; the head and back are brown, seamed and edged with rusty ; bill, blue black ; cere and legs, yellow ; greater wing-coverts and secondaries, pale olive brown, thickly spotted on both vanes with white and pale rusty ; primaries, very dark, nearly black, and barred or spotted with white ; tail, rounded, reaching about an inch and a half beyond the wings, black, crossed by five bands of white, and broadly tipt with the same ; whole breast and belly, bright rusty, speckled and spotted with tiansverse rows of white, the shafts black ; chin and cheeks, ])ale brownish, streaked also with black ; iris, reddish hazel ; vent, pale ochre, tipt with rusty ; legs, feathered a little below the knees, long ; these and the feet, a fine yellow ; claws, black ; femorals, pale rusty, faintly barred with a darker tint. In the month of April I shot a female of this species, and the only one I have yet met with, in a swamp, seven or eight miles below Philadelphia. The eggs were, some of them, nearly as large as peas ; from which circumstance I think it probable they breed in such solitary parts even in this State. In colour, size, and markings, it differed very little from the male described above. The tail was scarcely quite so black, and the white bars not so pure ; it was also something larger. FEMALE BALTIMORE ORIOLE. {Oriolm Baltimorus.) PLATE LIII.— Fig. 4. Amer. Orn. vol. i. p, 23. ICTERUS BALTIMORE.— Davdw. The history of this beautiful species has been particularly detailed in the first volume of the present work ; * to this reprc- * See Vol. I. p. 16. h 296 /!'£MAZ£ BALTIMORE ORIOLE. sentation of the female, drawn of half the size of nature a few particulars may be added Tho ,« 1 „ °^^"'^' ^ ^^^ davs beforfl f I : f ^""^^^ generally arrive several days before the females, saunter about their wonted places of pnsea and pleased at hearino- ^^'n snmo i.„u.- • ., garden w,.i,tIio« hi, identioa. dd chlTand l:™d I tl he parfcuMy frequented that quarter ^f the Id n where he tree stood, on the pendantbranche, of wh Li |,e ha, formed his nest the preced=-<. year Tl,i» „!! . ■ taken ro.es,io„ of h/the l-ouseTen, a Tw ^ 'rfL.":: doltry* heTalf ;f 1°*'," ""'""' ^ '""» "«-' w I f • ' ''"'^'' "'' "™ I'ei-self had also raised ■, iftn: rstS\"'™'''i'i'"'"''''-™<'"»'--^ former to S^ronh'latf'Th; ."t "'"T "'""■- "^ "- shining bU • he tail of t T ', 7 ■""'" "^^ "^ « ''<«P FEMALE TOWHE BUNTING. 297 FEMALE TOWHE BUNTING. {Emheriza erythropthalma.) PLATE LIIL— Fig. 6. Amer. Orn. vol. ii, p. 35,-TurL Syst. p. 534.-Peale's Museum, No. 5970. PIPILO ERYTHROPTHALMA.-ymihh(ys. This bird differs considerably from tbe male in colour, and lias, if I mistake not, been described as a distinct species by European naturalists, under the appellation of the " Rusty Buntingr The males of this species, like those of the pre- ceding, arrive several days sooner than the females. In one afternoon's walk through the woods, on the 23d of April, I counted more than fifty of the former, and did not observe any of the latter, though I made a very close search for them. This species frequents in great numbers the barrens covered with shrub oaks ; and inhabits even to the tops of our moun- tains. They are almost perpetually scratching among the fallen leaves, and feed chiefly on worms, beetles, and gravel. They fly low, flirting out their broad white-streaked tail, and uttering their common note tow-hee. They build always on the ground, and raise two broods in the season. For a parti- cular account of the manners of this species, see our history of the male. Vol. I. p. 185. The female towhe is eight inches long, and ten inches in extent; iris of the eye, a deep blood colour; bill, black; plumage above and on the breast, a dark reddish drab, reddest on the head and breast ; sides under the wings, light chestnut ; belly, white ; vent, yellow ochre ; exterior vanes of the tertials,' white; a small spot of white marks the primaries immediately below their coverts, and another slighter streak crosses them in a slanting direction ; the three exterior tail-feathers are tipt with white ; the legs and feet, flesh-coloured. This species seems to have a peculiar dislike to the sea-coast, as in the most favourable situations in other respects, within several miles of the sea, it is scarcely ever to be met with. «! . m 298 BROAD-WINGED HAWK. Scarcity of its particular kinds of favourite food in such places may probably be the reason, as it is well known that many kinds of insects, on the larvee of which it usufilly feeds, care- fully avoid the neighbourhood of the sea. BROAD-WINGED HAWlv. {Falco Pennsyluanicus.) PLATE LIV.-FiG. 1. Peale's Museum, No. 407. ASTUR ? LA TISSIMUS.— J ATxmyv." Falcolntissiinus, Ord's reprint of Wilson.— ¥a,\oo (sub-genus Astur) Pennsylvanicus, Bonap. Synop. p. 29.— Tho Broad-winged Hawk, Aud. pi. 91, male and female ; Om. Biog. i. p. 461. This new species, as well as the rest of the figures on the same plate, is represented of the exact size of life. The hawk was shot on the 6th of May in Mr Bartram's woods, near the Schuylkill, and was afterwards presented to Mr Peale, in whose collection it now remains. It was perched on the dead limb of a high tree, feeding on something which was afterwards found to be the meadow mouse (figured in plate 50). On my approach, it uttered a whining kind of whistle, and flew off to another tree, where I followed aud shot it. Its great breadth * Mr Ord's name of latissimus is the most proper for this hawk. Wilson seems inadvertently to have given the name of Pennsylvanicus to two species, and the latter being applied to the adult plumage, and velox to the young, the former has been retained by Temminck and the authors of the " Northern Zoology," while Ord seems to have the merit of discriminating the large species, and giving it the, title above adopted. I have taken jistur, on the authority of Bonaparte, for its generic appellation ; though the habits and kind of food ally it more to the buzzards, it is one of those bir'l s with dubious and combined characters, Mr Audubon describes it as of a quiet and sluggish disposition, allowing itself to be tormented by the little sparrow hawk and tyrant flycatcher. It feeds on animals and birds, and also on frogs and snakes ; breeds on trees ; the nest is placed near the stem or trunk, and is composed of dry thistles, and lined with numerous small roots and large feathers ; the eggs are four or five, of a dull grayish white, blotched with dark brown. — Ed. '!■ Mi I I i 1^^^ H Vm i^mim frmi Nature H A Ittljvn /in^attd *f irszijutnr I Broad winded Ua.wk. li.Chuck-wiUs-widtyw .\CaptMay ffiu^hler. 4J'emaUSlackcap 11^. 54. BROAD-WINGED HAWK. 299 of wing, or width of the HCCondarioH, and nlso of its head and hody, when compared with its length, struck nio as pecuHa- rities. It seemed a remarkahly strong-built bird, bandsomely marked, and was altogether unknown to mo. Mr Bartram, who examined it very attentively, declared he had never before seen such a hawk. On the afternoon of the next day, I observed another, probably its mate or companion, and cer- tainly one of the same species, sailing about over the same woods. Its motions were in wide circles, with unnioving wings, the exterior outline of which seemed a complete semicircle. I was extremely anxious to procure this also if possible ; but it was attacked and driven away by a king-bird before I could eftect my purpose, and I have never since been fortunate enough to meet with another. On dissection, the one which I had shot proved to be a male. In size this hawk agrees nearly with the Buzzardet (Falco albidus) of Turton, described also by Pennant ;* but either the descriptions of these authors are very inaccurate, the change of colour which that bird undergoes very great, or the present is altogether a different species. Until, however, some other specimens of this hawk come under my observation, I can only add to the figure here given, and which is a good likeness of the original, the following particulars of its size and plumage : — Length, fourteen inches ; extent, thirty-three inches ; bill, black, blue near the base, slightly toothed ; cere and corners of the mouth, yellow ; irides, bright amber ; frontlet and lores, white ; from the mouth backwards runs a streak of blackish brown ; upper parts, dark brown, the plumage tipt and the head streaked with whitish ; almost all the feathers above are spotted or barred with white, but this is not seen unless they be separated by the hand ; head, large, broad, and flat ; cere very broad ; the nostril also large ; tail short, the exterior and interior feathers somewhat the shortest, the others rather longer, of a full black, and crossed with two bars of white, * Arctic Zoology, No. 109. It'! 300 BROAD-WINGED HAWK. t^pt also sl.ght y wth whitish ; tail coverts, spotted with white • wgs dusky ,„,w„. indistinctly barred ;ilh black laL; par of th ,n„er vanes, snowy; lesser coverts and u,^m par of tlie bac.-, t.pt and streaked with bri<.ht ferrn-Zr.T ars of iaek are ve,y distinct on the lower sM f' he win.": -f at:;:,::!' „rrn"'ct''^i'r^ "'"^''' -^^ .e!w?cVe:rcLx;;:triit;^^^^ considerably the largest. ^ ^''^'^' ^""^ ^°« While examining the Dliimfl. Si/nop. p. 79.— The Carbonated Warbler? And. pi. 60, male ; Orn, Biog. i. p. 308, This new and beautiful little species was discovered in a maple swamp in Cape May county, not far from the coast, by Mr George Ord of Philadelphia, who accompanied me on a shooting excursion to that quarter in the month of May last (1811). Through i\\^ zeal and activity of this gentleman I succeeded in procurin^^: many rare and elegant birds among the sea islands and extensive salt marshes that border that part of the Atlantic, and much interesting information rela- tive to their nests, eggs, and particular habits. I have also at various times been fiivoured with specimens of other birds from the same friend ; for all which I return my grateful acknowledgments. The same swamp that furnished us with this elegant little stranger, and indeed several miles around it, were ransacked by us both for another specimen of the same, but without success. Fortunately it proved to be a male.f and being in excellent plumage, enabled me to preserve a faithful portrait of the original. Whether this be a summer resident in the lower parts of * Tlie Prince of Musignano first directed my attention to the identity of this bird of Wilson and Audiilon's carbcn ,'-d Avarbler. 1 cannot perceive any essential difference, that is, judging from the two plates and descriptions. Mr And^ibru procured his species in the State of Kentucky. — Ed. t Female figured Vol. III. VOL. II. U I .j,^ 3o6 CAPE MA Y WARBLER. New Jersey, or merely a transient passenger to a more northern climate, I cannot with certainty determine. The spring had been remarkably cold, with long and violent north-east storms, and many winter birds, as well as passengers from the south,' still lingered in the woods as late as the 20th of May, gleaning^ in small companies, among the opening buds and infant leaves,' and skipping nimbly from twig to twig, which was the case with the bird now before us when it was first observed. Of its notes or particular history I am equally uninformed. The length of this species is five inches and a half ; extent, eight and a half ; bill and legs, black ; whole upper part of the head, deep black ; line from the nostril over the eye, chin, , and sides of the neck, rich yellow; ear-feathers, orange, which also tints the back part of the yellow line over the eye ; at the anterior and posterior angle of the eye is a small touch of black ; hind head and whole back, rump, and tail-coveiis, yellow olive, thickly streaked with black; the upper exterior edges of several of the greater wing-coverts are pure white, forming a broad bar on the wing, the next superior row being also broadly tipt with white ; rest of the wing, dusky, finely edged with dark olive yellow ; throat and whole breast, rich yellow, spreading also along the sides under the wings, hand- somely marked with spots of black running in chains'; belly and vent, yellowish white ; tail, forked, dusky black, edged with yellow olive, the three exterior feathers on each .^ide marked on their inner vanes with a spot of white. The yellow on the throat and sides of the neck reaches nearly round it, and is very bright. 1 li FEMALE BLACK-POLL WARBLER. 307 FEMALE BLACK-POLL WAKBLER. {SyMa striata.) PLATE LIV.-FiG. 4, Amer. Orn. vol. iv. p. 40. SYLViaOLA STItlATA.-SwAiNSOif. This bird was shot in the same excursion with the precedin":, and is introduced here for the purpose of preventing future collectors, into whose hands specimens of it may chance to fall, from considering it as another and a distinct species. Its history, as far as was then known, has been detailed in a preceding part of this work, supra, p. 32. Of its nest and eggs I am still ignorant. It doubtless breeds both here and in New Jersey, having myself found it in both places dining the summer. From its habit of keeping on the highest branches of trees, it probably builds in such situations, arrd its nest may long rem?vin unknown to us. Pennant, who describes this species, says that it inhabits, during summer, Newfoundland and New York, and is called in the last, sailor. This name, for which, however, no reason is given, must be very local, as the bird itself is one of those silent, shy, and solitary individuals, that seek the deep retreats of the forest, and are known to few or none but the naturalist. Length of the female black-cap, five inches and a quarter, extent, eight and a quarter ; bill, brownish black ; crown' yellow olive, streaked with black ; back, the same, mixed with some pale slate; wings, dusky brown, edged with olive; first and second wing-coverts, tipt with white ; tertials, edged with yellowish white; tail-coverts, pale gray; tail, dusky, forked, the two exterior feathers marked on their inner vanes with a spot of white; round the eye is a whitish ring; cheeks and sides of the breast, tinged with yellow, and slightly spotted with black ; chin, white, as are also the belly and vent; legs and feet, dirty oi-ange. The young bird of the first season and the female, as is usually the case, are very much alike in plumage. On their ' ii^ij IH-K 3o8 RING-TAILED EAGLE, arrival early in April, the black feathers on the crown are frequently seen coming out, intermixed with the former ash- coloured ones. This species has all the agility and many of the halDits of the flycatcher. [Parts VII. and VIII. of this work, commencing with the next description (ring-tailed eagle), seem to have been finished more hurriedly, and contain greater mistakes in the nomenclature, than any of the preceding ones ; the descriptions, however, are alike vivid and well drawn. In 1824 Mr Ord, the personal friend of Wilson, undertook, at the request of the publisher, to improve these two pavts, and they were accordingly republished with that gentleman's additions. We have thought it better to print from the original edition, as showing the true opinions of its author, but have occasionally inserted, at the concl usion of the descriptions, the observations of Mr Ord, taken from his reprint. —Ed.] KING-TAILED EAGLE. {Falcofdvm.) PLATE LV.-FiG. 1. Linn. Spst. 125.— Black Eagle, Arct. Zool. p. 195, No. %1.—Laih. i. 32, No. 6. —White-tailed Eagle, Edw. i. 1.— L'Aigle commun, Buff. i. 86, PI. enl. 409. — Bewick, 1. p. 4\).~Turt. Syst. p. 145. — Peak's Mtismim, No. 84. A Q VILA CHR YSAETUS.—Wlhhomu^Y.* Ayle royal, Temm. Man. d'Orn. i. p. 38.— Aquila chrypaetos, Flem. 138. — Eool, p. 52.— Golden Eagle, Selbj/, Illust. Br. Orn. pi. 1 and 2, the young and adult, parti, p. 4. — Aquila chrysaetos? Worth. Zool. ii. p. 12. — Bonap. Synop. p. 24. The reader is now presented with a portrait of this cele- brated eagle, drawn from a fine specimen shot in the county of Montgomery, Pennsylvania. The figure hero given, though * Wilson, like many other ornithologists, imagined that the ring-tailed and golden eagles constituted two species. Temminck, I believe, first asserted the fact of their being identical, and the attention of naturalists in this country was attracted to the circumst.ince by the different opinions entertained by Mr James Wilson and Mr Selby. The latter gentleman has long siiice satisfactorily proved their identity from obser- vation, and the numerous specimens kept alive in various parts of Britain have set the question completely at rest. The ring-tail is the young of crown are "ormer ash- le habits of ith the next aished more iire, than any ke vivid and n, undertook, rts, and they Qs. We have iving the triie lie conclusion n his reprint. IS.) \h. i. 32, No. 6. 16, PI. enl. 409. .84. em. 138.— Zool. oung and adult, 0. Synop. p. 24. f this cele- I the county ven, though ;he ring-tailed ; believe, first of naturalists the different r. The latter ty from obser- arts of Britain ! the young of ffnan /tttm Xtmrr. ir4 WUsa l.Huu) taii. ta^te . 2.Seti Kiu/U . RING-TAILED EAGLE. 309 IM reduced to one-third the size of life, is strongly characteristic of its original. With respect to the Imhitsof the 8i)ecie8, such pm-ticuhirs only yhull ho selected . s arc well authenticated, rtyecting whatever seems vague, or savours too much of the marvellous. This noble bird, in strength, spirit, and activity, ranks among the first of its tribe. It is found, liiougii sparingly, dispersed over the whole temperate and arctic regions, parti- cularly the latter ; breeding on high precipitous rocks, always I)referringa mountainoua country. In its general appeanujce, it has great reKemblance to the golden eagle, from which, how- ever, it differs in being ratlier less, as also in the colours and markings of the tail, and, as it is said, in being less noisy. When young, the colour of the body is considerably lighter, but deepens into a blackish brown as it advances in age. The tail-feathers of this bird are highly valued by tlie various tribes of American Indians for ornamenting their calumets or pipes of peace. Several of these pipes, which were brought from the remote regions of Louisiana by Captain the first year, and as such is correctly figured by our author. In a wild state, three years are required to complete the clouded barring, the principal mark of the adults, and which, even after that period, increase in darkness of colour. Wlien kept in confinement, the change is gene- rally longer in taking place ; and I have seen it incomplete .at six years. It commences by an extension of the bar at the end of the tail, and by additional cloudings on the white parts, which increase yearly until perfected. This bird does not seem very common in any part of America, and is even more rarely met with in the adult plumage. It was found on the borders of the llocky Mountains by the Overland Arctic Expedi- tion, and is known also on the plains of the Saskatchewan. The noble bearing and aspect of the eagles and falcons have always associated them, among rude nations and in poetical comparisons, with the true courage of the warrior and the magnanimity of the prince or chief. The young Indian warrior glories in his eagle's plume, as the most honourable ornament with which he can adorn himself ; the dress of a Highland chieftain is incomplete without this badge of high degree. The feathers of the war eagle are also used at the propitiatory sacrifices, and so highly are they prized, that a valuable horse is sometimes ex- changed for the tail of a single eagle.— Ed. A IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) ^^^O {/ I A .^ ..%^ MP. C/j f/. 1.0 fM IIIIIM I.I 1.25 •- IIM IIIII2.2 M 1.8 1.4 IIIIII.6 V] art of the apparently ccording to I the Arctic Scotch and f of August, blies. The nd it is not n this state Early in ge,,inay be left at the barrenness. .—Ed. '0 TURNSTONE. 329 world, and of a solitary diflposition, seldom mingling among the large flocks of other sandpipers ; but either coursing the sands alone, or in company with two or three of its own species. On the coast of Capo May and Egg Harbour this bird is well known by the name of the horse-foot snipe, from its living, dur- ing the months of May and June, almost wholly on the eggs, or s[)awn, of the great king crab, called here by the common people the horse-foot. This animal is the Monoculua poly- phemua of entomologists. Its usual size is from twelve to fifteen inches in breadth, by two feet in length, though some- times it is found much larger. The head, or forepart, is semi- circular, and convex above, covered with a thin, elastic, shelly case. The lower side is concave, where it is furnished with feet and claws resembling those of a crab. The posterior extremity consists of a long, hard, pointed, dagger-like tail, by means of which, when overset by the waves, the animal turns itself on its belly again. The male may be distin- guished from the female by his two large claws having only a single hook each, instead of the forceps of the female. In the Bay of Delaware, below Egg Island, and in what is usually called Maurice River Cove, these creatures seem to have formed one of their principal settlements. The bottom of this cove is generally a soft mud, extremely well suited to their accommodation. Here they are resident, burying them- selves in the mud during the winter ; but, early in the month of May, they approach the shore in multitudes, to obey the great law of nature, in depositing their eggs within the influ- ence of the sun, and are then very troublesome to the fisher- men, who can scarcely draw a seine for them, they are so numerous. Being of slow motion, and easily overset by the surf, their dead bodies cover the shore in heaps, and in such numbers, that for ten miles one might walk on them without touching the ground. The hogs from the neighbouring country are regularly driven down, every spring, to feed on them, which they do with great avidity ; though by this kind of food their flesh ji 330 TURNSTONE. acquires a strong disngreeablo fishy taste. Even tlie small turtles, or terrapins, so eagerly sought after by our epicures, contract so rank a taste by feeding ou the spawn of the king crab, as to bo at such times altogether unpalatable. This spawn may sometimes bo seen lying In hollows and eddies in bushels, while the snipes and sandpipers, particularly tho turnstone, are hovering about feasting on tho delicious fare. The dead bodies of the animals themselves are hauled up in wagons for manure, and when placed at the hills of corn in planting time, are said o enrich tho soil, and add greatly to the increase of the crop. Tho turnstone derives its name from another singularity it ^ po88e8se8,"of turning over with its bill small stones and pebbles in search of various marine worms and insects. At this sort of work it is exceedingly dexterous ; and even when taken and domesticated, is said to retain the same habit.* Its bill seems particularly well constructed for this purpose, differing from all the rest of its tribe, and very much resembling in shape that of the common nuthatch. We learn from Mr Pennant that these birds inhabit Hudson's Bay, Greenland, and the arctic flats of Siberia, where they breed, wandering southerly in autumn. It is said to build on the ground, and to lay four eggs, of an olive colour, spotted with black, and to inhabit the isles of the Baltic dining summer The turnstone flies with a loud twittering note, and runs with its wings lowered ; but not with the rapidity of others of its tribe. It examines more completely the same spot of ground, and, like some of the woodpeckers, will remain search- ing in the same place, tossing the stones and pebbles from side to side for a considerable time. These birds vary greatly in colour ; scarcely two individuals are to be found alike in markings. These varieties are most numerous in autumn when the young birds are about, and are less frequently met with in spring. The most perfect speci- mens I have examined are as follows : — * Catesby. rc/Pz/sroATE, 531 Length eiglit inches and a half ; extent, Reventeen inches ; bill, blackish horn ; frontlet, space paswiiig through the eyes, and thence dropping down and joining tlie under umndiblo, black, enclosing a spot of white ; crown, white, streaked with black; breast, bhick, frotn whence it turns up half across the neck ; behind tiio eye, a spot of black ; upper part of the neck, white, running down and skirting the bhick breast as far as the shoulder ; upper part of the back, black, divided by a strip of bright ferruginous ; scapulars, black, glossed with greenish, and inlersperstil with rusty red ; whole back below this, pure white, ^ut hid ^v the scapulars; rump, black; tail-coverts, white , lail, rounded, white at the base half, thence black to the extremity; belly and vent, white; wings, dark dusky, cros^-id by two bands of white ; lower half of the lesser coverts, ferruginous; legs and feet, a bright vermilion, or red ^jad; hind too, standing inwards, and all of them edged with a thick warty membrane. The male and female are alike variable, and when in perfect plumage nearly resemble each other. Bewick, in his " History of British Birds," has figured and described what he considers to be two species of turnstone ; one of which, he says, is chiefly confined to the southern, and the other to the northern parts of Great Britain. The diffe- rence, however, between these two appears to be no greater than commonly occurs among individuals of the same flock, and evidently of the same species, in this country. As several years probably elapse before these birds arrive at their com- plete state of plumage, many varieties must necessarily appear, according to the different ages of the individuals. i,\l 332 ASH-COLOURED SANDPIPER. ASH-COLOURED SANDPIPER. "Vvinga cinerea.) PLATE LVIL— Fig. 2. Arct. Zool. p. 474, No. 386.— ^ewtci-, ii. p. 102.— Peace's Museum, No. 4060. TBINGA C^iV?77'£/',S.—LiNN^U8.— Plumage of the young.* Synonyms of young : Tringa calidris, Linn. i. 252. — Tringa noevia, Lath. Ind. Om, ii. 732.— Maubeohe tachete, Buff. — Freckled Sandpiper, Aixt, 2ool. ii. p. 480. The regularly-disposed concentric semicircles of white and dark brown that mark the upper parts of the plumage of this species, distinguish it from all others, and give it a very neat appearance. In activity it is superior to the preceding ; and traces the flowing and recession of the waves along the sandy * This beautiful sandpiper has also from its changes been described under various names, and our author has well represented the states of the young and summer plumage in his ash-coloured and red-breasted sandpipers of the present plate. In the winter plumage of the adult, the upper parts are of a uniform gray, and want the black and light edges represented in fig. 2. America and Europe seem the only countries of the Knot. I have never seen it from India, but have a single specimen of a knot from New Holland, very similar, and which I considered identical, until a closer examination has led me to have doubts on the subject. Like the other migratory species, they only appear on our coasts in autumn, on their return with their broods, or more sparingly in spring, when on their way north. The young possess a good deal of the rufous colour on the under parts, which leaves them as the winter approaches. I once met a large flock on the east side of Holy Island, in the month of September, which were so tame as to allow me to kill as many as I wanted with stones from the beach : it may have been on their first arrival, when they were fatigued. I have a specimen, in full plumage, killed by a boy on Portobello sands by the same means. In general they are rather shy, and it is only in their wheeling round that a good shot can be obtained. Before the severity of the winter sets in, they are fat, and are sought after by persons who knoxo them, for the table. There is a peculiarity in the gregarious Tringce, and most of the Charadriadce, which is very nearly confined to tliese tribes,— the simul- taneous flight, at 1 the acting as it were by concert in their wheels and evolutions. Among none is it more conspicuous than in this species ; and every one who has been on the shore during winter, on a day ASH-COLOURED SANDPIPER. 333 heacli with great nimbleness, wading and searching among the loosened particles for its favourite food, which is a small thin oval bivalve shell-fish, of a white or pearl colour, and not larger than the seed of an apple. These usually lie at a short depth below the surface ; but in some places are seen at low water in heaps, like masses of wet grain, in quantities of more than a bushel together. During the latter part of summer and autumn, these minute shell-fish constitute the food of almost all those busy flocks that run with such activity along the sands, among the flowing and retreating waves. Tiiey are universally swallowed whole; but the action of the bird's stomach, assisted by the shells themselves, soon reduces them to a pulp. If we may judge from their effects, they must be extremely nutritious, for almost all those tribes that feed on them are at this season mere lumps of fat. Digging for these in the hard sand would be a work of considerable labour, whereas, when the particles are loosened by the flowing of the sea, the birds collect them with great ease and dexterity. It is amusing to observe with wr,at adroitness they follow and elude the tumbling surf, while at the same time they seem wholly intent on collecting their food. The ash-coloured sandpiper, the subject of our present account, inhabits both Europe and America. It has been seen in great numbers on the Seal Islands near Chatteaux Bay ; is said to continue the whole summer in Hudson's Bay, and breeds there. Mr Pennant suspects that it also breeds in Denmark ; and says, that they appear in vast flocks on the Flintshire shore during the winter season.* With us they are also migratory, being only seen in spring and autumn. They gleaming and cloudy, may have seen tlie masses of these birds at a dis- tance, when the whole were only visible, appear like a dark and swiftly moving cloud, suddenly vanish, but in a second appear at some dis- tance, glowing with a silvery light almost too intense to gaze upon, the consequences of the simultaneous motions of the flock, at ouce changing their position, and showing the dark gray of their backs, or the pure white of their under parts. — Ed. * Arctic Zoology, p. 474. I ! !l 334 ASH-COLOURED SANDPIPER. are pi imp birds ; and, by those accustomed to the sedgy taste of this tribe, are esteemed excellent eating. The length of this species is ten inches, extent twenty ; bill black, straight, fluted to nearly its tip, and about an inch and a half long; upper parts, brownish ash, each feather marked near the tip witli a narrow semicircle of dark brown, bounded by another of white ; tail-coverts, white, marbled with olive ; wing-quills, dusky, shafts, white ; greater coverts, black, tipt with white ; some of the primaries edged also with white ; tail, plain pale ash, finely edged and tipt with white ; crown and hind head, streaked with black, ash, and white ; stripe over the eye, cheeks, and chin, white, the former marked with pale streaks of dusky, the latter pure ; breast, white, thinly specked with blackish ; belly and vent, pure white ; legs, a dirty yellowish clay colour ; toes, bordered with a narrow, thick, warty membrane ; hind toe, directed inwards, as in the turn- stone ; claws and eye, black. These birds vary a little in colour, some being considerably darker above, others entirely white below ; but, in all, the con- centric semicircles on the back, scapulars, and wing-coverts, are conspicuous. I think it probable that these birds become much lighter coloured during the summer, from the circumstance of having shot one late in the month of June at Cape May, which was of a pale drab or dun colour. It was very thin and emaciated ; and on examination appeared to have been formerly wounded, which no doubt occasioned its remaining behind its com- panions. Early in December I examined the same coast every day for nearly two weeks, without meeting witli more than one solitary individual of this species, although in October they were abundant. How far to the southward they extend their migrations, we have no facts that will enable us io ascertain, though it is probable that the shores of the West India islands afford them shelter and resources during our winter. THE PURRE. 335 THE PURRE. {Tringa cinclus.) PLATE LVII.— Fia. 3. Linn. S,.H. ^ol-Arct. Zool. p. 475, No. m.-Bcwick, ii. p. 115.-L'Alouette de Mer, Buff. vii. 548.— Peace's Museum, No. 4126. TBI NO A ^LP/jV^.— Pennant. This is one of the most numerous of our strand birds, as tliey are usually called, that frequent the sandy beach on the frontiers of the ocean. In its habits it differs so'little from the preced- ing, that, except in being still more active and expert in run- ning and searching among the sand on the reflux of the waves, as it nimbly darts about for food, what has been said of the former will apply equally to both, they being pretty constant associates on these occasions. The purre continues longer with us, both in spring and autumn, than either of the two preceding ; many of them remain during* the very severest of the winter, though the greater part retire to the more genial regions of the°south, where I have seen them at such seasons, particularly on the sea-coasts of both Carolinas, during the month of February, in great numbers. These birds, in conjunction with several others, sometimes collect together in such flocks, as to seem, at a distance, a large cloud of thick smoke, varying in form and appearance every instant, while it performs its evolutions in air. As this cloud descends and courses along the shores of the ocean, with great rapidity, in a kind of waving serpentine flight, alter- nately throwing its dark and white plumage to the eye, it forms a very grand and interesting appearance. At such times the gunners make prodigious slaughter among them ; while, as the showers of their companions fall, the whole body often alight, or descend to the surface with them, till the sportsman is completely satiated with destruction. On some of those occasions, while crowds of these victims are fluttering- ' i« y ■ I 336 THE PURRE. along the sand, the small pigeon-hawk, constrained by necessity, ventures to make a sweep among the dead in presence of the proprietor, but as suddenly pays for his temerity with his life. Such a tyrant is man, when vested with power, and unrestrained by the dread of responsibility 1 The purre is eight inches in length, and fifteen inches in extent ; the bill is black, straight, or slightly bent downwards, about an inch and a half long, very thick at the base, and tapering to a slender blunt point at the extremity ; eye, very small ; iris, dark hazel ; cheeks, gray ; line over the eye, belly, and vent, white ; back and scapulars, of an ashy brown, marked here and there with spots of black, bordered with bright ferruginous ; sides of the rump, white ; tail-coverts, olive, centred with black; chin, white; neck below, gray J breast and sides, thinly marked with pale spots of dusky, in some pure white ; wings, black, edged and tipt with white ; two middle tail-feathers, dusky, the rest, brown ash, edged with white ; legs and feet, black ; toes, bordered with a very narrow scalloped membrane. The usual broad band of white crossing the wing forms a distinguishing characteristic of almost the whole genus. On examining more than a hundred of these birds, they varied considerably in the black and ferruginous spots on the back and scapulars ; some were altogether plain, while others were thickly marked, particularly on the scapulars, with a red rust colour, centred with black. The females were uniformly more plain than the males ; but many of the latter, probably young birds, were destitute of the ferruginous spots. On the 24th of May, the eggs in the females were about the size of partridge-shot. In what particular regions of the north these birds breed is altogether unknown. ill il ! i BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER. 337 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER. {Charadrius apricarius.) PLATE LVir.— Fio. 4. Al wagrim Plover, A ret. Zool. p. 483, No. 398. -Le Pluvier Dor^ h gorge noire Buff. viii. m.-Peale't Muteum, No. 4196. SQUATAROLA CINEREA.—FLmim* Pluvialiscinerea, Wil. Om.229.-GrnySquatarola,Squatarolagrigea,«i ■0 I ■4' RED-BllEASTED ISNIPE. {Scolo^ux novchoracams,) PLATE LVIII.-Fio. 1. Arct. Zool p. 404, No. 308.— Pea/e'a Museum, No. 3932. MACRORHAMPUS GRISEUS.-Lk\cu.* MacrorhampuB giiseus, Steph. C'ont. Sh. Zool. vol. xii. p. Ol.-Scolopax grisea, Flem. Br. Zool. p. lQV,.-lionap. Cat. p. 27.-Lo Becassino Grise, Soolopax leucophuiii, VidU. Oal. iles Oi,. pi. 241.-Lin,08a ^colupucua, Say's ExpcU. to Rocky Moant. 1. p. 170, 171, uoto.-Browu Snipe, Mont. Urn. Jjivt.-Becimim 1 onctuee, U'cmm. Man. ii. p. G7!>.-Iirowii Suipe, SMy's Illmt. Br. Orn. pi. 21, tijj. 2, *^ This bird has a con.sidemble resemblance to the common snipe,^ not only in its general form, size, and colours, but likewise in the excellence of its flesh, which is in high esti- mation.- It dill'ers, however, greatly from the common snipe * This bird will stand in the rank of a sub-genus. It was first in- dicated by Lead), in the Catalogue to the British Museum, under the above title. It is one of those beautifully connecting forms wliich it is impossible to place without giving a situation to themselves, and in- timately connects tlie snipes with Totanus and Limosa. The bill is truly that of iSculopax, while the plumage and changes ally it to the other genera ; from these blending cliaracters it had been termed Limosa scolopacea by Say, who gave the characters of the form, without apply- ing the name. He has the following observations in the work above quoted : — " Several specimens were shot in a pond near the Bowyer Creek. Corresponds with the genus Scolopux, Cuvier, in having the dorsal grooves at the tip of the upper mandible, and in having this part dilated and rugose ; but the eye is not large, nor is it placed far back upon the head ; which two latter characters, combined with its more elevated and slender figure, and the circumstance of the thighs being denudated of feathers high above the knee, and the exterior toe being united to the middle toe by a membrane which extends as far as the first joint, and the toes being also margined, combine to distinguish this species from those of the genus to which the form and characters of its bill would refer it, and approach it more closely to Limosa. In one speci- men, the two exterior primaries on each wing were light brown, but the quills were white. It may, perhaps, with propriety be considered as the type of a new genus, and, under the following characters, be placed between the genera Scolopax and Limosa. Bill, longer than the 342 RED-BREASTED SNIPE. in itfl manners, nnd in ranny other peculinritics, a few of which, as far as I have myself observed, may he sketched as follows : — The red-breasted snipe arrives on the sea-coast of New Jersey early in April ; is seldom or never seen inland : early in May it proceeds to the north to breed, and retnrns by the latter part of eTnly or beginning of Angust. During its stay here, it flies in flocks, sometimes very high, and has then a loud and shrill whistle, making many evolutions over the marshes, forming, dividing, and reuniting. They sometimes settle in such numbers, and so close together, that eighty-five have been shot at one discharge of a musket. They spring from the marshes with a loud twirling whistle, generally rising high, and making several circuitous manoeuvres in air before they descend. They frequent the sandbars and mud flats at low water in search of food ; and being less suspicious of a boat than of a person on shore, are easily ajjproached by this medium, and shot down in great numbers. They usually keep by themselves, being very numerous; are in excellent order for the table in September ; and on the approach of winter retire to the south. I have frequently amused myself with the various action of these birds. They fly very rapidly, sometimes wheeling, coursing, and doubling along the surface of the marshes ; then shooting high in air, there separating and forming in various bodies, uttering a kind of quivering whistle. Among many which I opened in May, were several females that had very little rufous below, and the backs were also much lighter, and less marbled with ferruginous. The eggs contained in their ovaries were some of them as large as garden peas. Their head, dilated, and rugose at tij-., slightly curved downwards, and with a dorsal groove ; nasal groove, elongated ; feet, long, an extensive naked space above the knee ; toes, slightly margined, a membrane connecting the joints of the exterior toes ; first of the primaries, rather longest." It is of rare occurrence in Europe, a few specimens only being men- tioned, and a solitary instance of its appearance on the coast of Britain is recorded by Montagu. — Ed. RED-BREASTED SNIPE. 343 fitomnclis contained masses of those small snail-shells that lie itj millions on iho salt marshes ; the wrinkles at the base of tlie bill, and the red breast, are strong characters of this upecicH, ns also the membrane which unites the outer and iniddlo toes together. The red-breasted snipe is ten inches and a half long, and eighteen inches in extent ; the bill is about two inches and a quarter in Icnglh, straight, grooved, black towards the point, and of a dirty eel-skin coloiu* at the base, where it is tumid and wrinkled ; lores, dusky ; clieoks and eyebrows, pale yellowish white, mottled with specks of black ; throat and breast, a reddish buff colour ; sides, white, barred with black ; belly and vent, white, the latter barred with dusky ; crown, neck above, back, scapulars, and tertials, black, edged, mottled, and marbled with yellowish white, pale and bright ferruginous, much in the same manner as the common snipe ; wings, plain olive, the secondaries, centred and bordered with white ; shaft, of the first quill, very white ; rump, tail-coverts, and tail (which consists of twelve feathers), white, thickly spotted with black ; legs and feet, dull yellowish green ; outer toe united to the middle one by a small membrane; eye, very dark. The female, which is paler on the back, and less ruddy on the breast, has been described by Mr Pennant as a separate species.* , These birds, doubtless, breed not far to the northward of the United States, if we may judge from the lateness of the season when they leave us in spring, the largeness of the eggs in the ovaries of the females before they depart, and the short period of time they are absent. Of all our seaside snipes, it is the most numerous, and the most delicious for the table. From these circumstances, and the crowded manner in which it flies and settles, it is the most eagerly sought after by our gunners, who send them to market in great numbers. • See his brown snipe, Arct, Zool., No. 369. If ( so It 344 LONG-LEGGED AVOSET. LONG-LEGGED AVOSET. {Recurvirostra kimantopus.) PLATE LVIIL— Fig. 2. Long-legged Plover, Arct. Zool. p. 487, No. 405.— Twrtow, p. 'ilQ.— Bewick, ii. 21.— L'Echasse, Buff. viii. 114, PI. ml. 878.— Peak's Museum, No. 4210. HIMANTOPUS NIGRIGOLLIS.—Ymn.WT.* Himantopus Mexicanus, Ord's edit, of ITiYs.— Himantopus nigricoUis, Bonap. Synop. p. 322. Naturalists have most unaccountably classed this bird with the genus Charadrius, or plover, and yet affect to make the particular confirmation of the bill, legs, and feet, the rule ' of their arrangement. In the present subject, however, ex- cepting the trivial circumstance of the want of a hind toe, there is no resemblance whatever of those parts to the bill, legs, or feet, of the plover ; on the contrary, they are so en- tirely different, as to create no small surprise at the adoption and general acceptation of a classification evidently so absm-d &nd unnatural. This appears the more reprehensible, when we consider the striking affinity there is between this bird and the common avoset, not only in the particular form of the bill, nostrils, tongue, legs, feet, wings, and tail, but extend- ing to the voice, manners, food, place of breeding, form of the nest, and even the very colour of the eggs of both, all of which are strikingly alike, and point out at once, to the actual observer of Nature, the true relationship of these remarkable birds. Strongly impressed with these facts, from an intimate Wilson confounded this species with the long-legged plover of Europe, and ranged it with the Avosets. Mr Ord, in his reprint, placed it in the genus Himantopus, properly established for these birds, but under the name Mexicanus. The Prince of Musignano is of opinion that it cannot range under this, being much smaller, and refers it to the H. nigricoUis of Vieillot. The genus contains only a few species, all so closely allied, that near examination is necessary to distinguish them. They are all remarkable for the great disproportion of "their legs. —Ed. LONG-LEGGED AVOSET. 345 acquaiutance with the living sii^^jects in their native wilds, I have presumed to remove the present species to the true and proper place assigned it hy Nature, and shall now proceed to detail some particulars of its history. This species arrives on the sea-coast of New Jersey about the 25th of April, in small detached flocks of twenty or thirty together. These sometimes again subdivide into lesser parties ; but it rarely happens that a pair is found solitary, as, during the breeding season, they usually associate in small companies. On their first arrival, and, indeed, during the whole of their residence, they inhabit those particular parts of the salt marshes, pretty high up towards the land, that are broken into numerous shallow pools, but are not usually overflowed by the tides duiing the summer. These pools or ponds are generally so shallow, that, with their long legs, the avosets can easily wade them in every direction ; and as they abound with minute shell-fish, and multitudes of aquatic insects and their larvffi, besides the eggs and spawn of others deposited in the soft mud below, these birds find here an abundant supply of food, and are almost continually seen wading about in such 1)1 aces, often up to the breast in water. In the vicinity of these laid places, as they are called by the country people, and at the distance of forty or fifty yards off, among the thick tufts of grass, one of these small associa- tions, consisting ])erhaps of six or eight pair, takes up its residence during the breeding season. About the first week in May they begin to construct their nests, which are at first slightly formed, of a small quantity of old grass, scarcely suffi- cient to keep the eggs from the wet marsh. As they lay and sit, however, either dieading the rise of the tides, or for some other purpose, the nest is increased in height with dry twigs of a shrub very common in the marshes, roots of the salt grass, seaweed, and various other substances, the whole weighing between two and three pounds. This liabit of adding materials to the nest after the female begins sitting is common to almost all other birds that breed in the marshes. The eggs are four 346 LONG-LEGGED AVOSET. in number, of a dark yellowish clay colour, thickly marked with large blotches of black. These nests are often placed within fifteen or twenty yards of each other ; but the greatest liarmony seems to prevail among the proprietors. While the females are sitting, the males are either wading through the ponds, or roaming over the adjoining marshes ; but should a person make his appearance, the whole collect together in the air, flying with their long legs extended behind them, keeping up a continual yelping note of click, click, clich Their flight is steady, and not in short, sudden jerks, like that of the plover. As they frequently alight on the bare marsh, they drop their wings, stand with their legs half bent, and trembling, as if unable to sustain the burden of their bodies. In this ridiculous posture they will sometimes stand for several minutes, uttering a curring sound, while, from the corresponding quiverings of their wings and long legs, they seem to balance themselves with great difficulty. This singular manoeuvre is, no doubt, intended to induce a belief that they may be easily caught, and so turn the attention of the person irom the pursuit of their nests and young to themselves. The red-necked avoset, whom we have introduced in the present volume, practises the very same deception, in the same ludicrous manner, and both alight indiscriminately on the ground or in the water. Both will also occasionally swim for a few feet, when they chance, in wading, to lose their depth, as I have had several times an opportunity of observing. The name by which this bird is known on the sea-coast is the stilt, or tilt, or long-shanks. They are but sparingly dispersed over the marshes, having, as has been already observed, their particular favourite spots, while in large inter- mediate tracts there are few or none to be found. They occasionally visit the shore, wading about in the water and in the mud in search of food, which they scoop up very dexter- ously with their delicately-formed bills. On being wounded while in the water, they attempt to escape by diving, at which LONG-LEGGED AVOSET. 347 they are by no means expert. In autumn, their flesh is tender and well tasted. They seldom raise more than one brood in the season, and depart for the south early in September. As they are well known in Jamaica, it is probable some of them may winter in that and other of the West India islands. Mr Permant observes that this bird is not a native of northern Europe, and there have been but few instances where it has been seen in Great Britain. It is common, says Latham, in Egypt, being found there in tlie marshes in October. It is likewise plentiful about the salt lakes, and is often seen on the shores of the Caspian Sea, as well as by the rivers which empty themselves into it, and in the southern deserts of Independent Tartary. The same author adds, on the authority of Eay, that it is known at Madras in the East Indies. All the figures and descriptions which I have seen of this curious bird represent the bill as straight, and of almost an equal thickness throughout, but I have never foimd it so in any of the numerous specimens I have myself shot and examined. Many of these accounts, as well as figures, have been taken from dried and stuffed skins, which give but an imperfect, and often erroneous, idea of the true outlines of nature. The dimensions, colours, and mai-kings of a very beautiful specimen, newly shot, were as follows : — Length, from the point of the bill to the end of the tall, fourteen inches, to the tips of the wings, sixteen; extent, twenty-eight inches ; bill, three inches long, slightly curved upwards, tapering to a fine point, the upper mandible rounded above, the whole of a deep black colour ; nostrils, an oblong slit, pervious ; tongue, short, pointed ; forehead, spot behind the eye, lower eyelid, sides of the neck, and whole lower parts, pure white ; back, rump, and tail-coverts, also white, but so concealed by the scapulars as to appear black ; tail, even, or very slightly forked, and of a dingy white; the vent-feathers reach to the tip of the tail below ; line before the eye, auri- culars, back part of the neck, scapulars, and whole wings. ) ill iln . iiti i» : ^ GREAT TERN. 373 Bill, straight, sharp pointed, a little compressed, and strong; nostrils, linear ; tongue, slender, pointed ; legs, short ; feet, webbed ; hind toe and its nail, straight ; wings, long ; tail, generally forked. Turton enumerates twenty-five species of this genus, scattered over various quarters of the world ; six of which, at least, are natives of the United States. From their long pointed wings, they are generally known to sea- faring people, and others residing near the sea-shore, by the name of sea-swallows; though some few, fiom their near resemblance, are confounded with the gulls. The present species, or great tern, is common to the shores of Europe, Asia, and America. It arrives on the coast of New Jersey about the middle or 20th of April, led, no doubt, hy the multitudes of fish which at that season visit our shallow bays and inlets. By many it is called the Sheep's-head gull, from arriving about the same time with the fish of that name. About the middle or 20lh of May, this bird commences laying. The preparation of a nest, which costs most other birds so much time and ingenuity, is here altogether dispensed with. The eggs, generally three in number, are placed on the surface of the dry drift grass, on the beach or salt marsh, and covered by the female only during the night, or in wet, raw, or stormy weather. At all other times, the hatching of them is left to the heat of the sun. These eggs measure an inch and three-quarters in length, by about an inch and two-tenths in width, and are of a yellowish dun colour, sprinkled with dark brown and pale Indian-ink. Notvvithstunding they seem thus negligently abandoned during the day, it is very different in reality. One or both of the parents are generally fishing within view of the place, and, on the near approach of any this bird as identical with the &t. hirundo of Europe. Later comparisons by the Prince have induced him to consider it distinct, and peculiar to America, and he has dedicated it to Wilson. That gentleman mentions, as North American, in addition to the list by Wilson, St. cyanea, Lath. ; iSt. ardica, Temm. ; St. stolida, Linn. — Ed. i ! 374 GREA T TERN, person, instantly make their appearance overhead, uttering a hoarse jarring kind of cry, and flying about with evident symptoms of great anxiety and consternation. The young are generally produced at intervals of a day or so from each other, and are regularly and abundantly fed for several weeks before their wings are sufficiently grown to enable them to fly. At first the parents alight with the fish which they have brought in their mouth or in their bill, and tearing it in pieces, distri- bute it in such portions as their young are able to swallow. Afterwards they frequently feed them without alighting, as they skim over the spot ; and, as the young become nearly ready to fly, they drop the fish among them, where the strong- est and most active have the best chance to gobble it up. In the meantime, the young themselves frequently search about the marshes, generally not far apart, for insects of various kinds; but so well acquainted are they with the peculiar language of their parents that warn them of the approach of an enemy, that, on hearing their cries, they instantly squat, and remain motionless until the danger be over. The flight of the great tern, and, indeed, of the whole tribe, is not in the sweeping shooting manner of the land swallows, notwithstanding their name ; the motions of their long wings are slower, and more in the manner of the gull. They have, however, great powers of wing and strength in the muscles of the neck, which enable them to make such sudden and violent plunges, and that from a considerable height too, headlong on their prey, which they never seize but with their bills. In the evening, I have remarked, as they retired from the upper parts of the bays, rivers, and inlets to the beach for repose, about breeding time, that each generally carried a small fish in his bill. As soon as the young are able to fly, they lead them to the sandy shoals and ripples where fish are abundant ; and while they occasionally feed them, teach them by their example to provide for themselves. They sometimes penetrate a great way inland, along the courses of rivers ; and are occasionally GREAT TERN. 375 seen about all our numerous ponds, lakes, and rivers, most usually near the close of the summer. This species inhabits Europe as high as Spitzbergen ; is found on the arctic coasts of Siberia and Kamtschatka, and also on our own continent as far north as Hudson's Bay. In New England, it is called by some the Mackerel-gull. It retires from all these places at the approach of winter to more congenial seas and seasons. The great tern is fifteen inches long, and thirty inches in extent ; bill, reddish yellow, sometimes brilliant crimson, slightly angular on the lower mandible, and tipt with black ; whole upper part of the head, black, extending to a point half way down the neck behind, and including the eyes ; sides of the neck, and whole lower parts, pure white ; wing-quills, hoary, as if bleached by the weather, long and pointed ; whole back, scapulars, and wing, bluish white, or very pale lead colour ; rump and tail-coverts, white ; tail, long, and greatly forked, the exterior feathers being three inches longer than the adjoining ones, the rest shortening gradually for an inch and a half to the middle ones, the whole of a pale lead colour ; the outer edge of the exterior ones, black ; legs and webbed feet, brilliant red lead ; membranes of the feet, deeply scal- loped ; claws, large and black, middle one the largest. The primary quill-feathers are generally dark on their inner edges. The female differs in having the two exterior feathers of the tail, considerably shorter. The voice of these birds is like the harsh jarring of an opening door rusted on its hinges. The bone of the skull is remarkably thick and strong, as also the membrane that surrounds the brain ; in this respect resembling the woodpecker's. In both, this provision is doubtless intended to enable the birds to support, without injury, the violent con- cussions caused by the plunging of the one and the chiselling of the other. V i! I 11 I II 2^6 LESSER TERN. LESSER TERN. {Sterna mimta.) PLATE LX.— Fio. 2. Arct. Zool. No. 449.— La Petite Hirondelle de Mer, Buff. viii. 337, PI. enl. 996.— Bewick, ii. 183.— Peale'a Museum, No. 3505. STERNA 3fINUTA.-Litism\ja.* Sterna minuta, Bonap. Si/nop.—Flem. Br. Zool. p. m.—Temm. Man. d'Orn. ii. p. 75, This beautiful little species looks like the preceding in miniature, but 8ur{)asse8 it far in the rich glossy satin-like white plumage with which its throat, breast, and whole lower parts are covered. Like the former, it is also a bird of passage, but is said not to extend its migrations to so ^igh a northern latitude, being more delicate and susceptible of cold. It arrives on the coast somewhat later tlian the other, but in equal and perhaps greater numbeis ; coasts along the shores, and also over the pools in the salt marshes, in search of prawns, of which it is particularly fond ; hovers, suspended in the air, for a few moments above its prey, exactly in the manner of some of our small hawks, and dashes headlong down into the water after it, generally seizing it with its bill ; mounts instantly again to the same height, and moves slowly along as before, eagerly examining the surface below. About the 25th of May, or beginning of June, the female begins to lay. * This species is common to Europe and the northern continent of America, Bonaparte mentions anotlier closely allied species, which appears to take its place in South America, and has been confounded with it. The breeding places of this tern are somewhat different from many of those British species with which we are acquainted. Most of the latter breed on rocky coasts and solitary islands, while the little tern prefers flat shingly beaches, where the eggs are deposited in the manner described by Wilson, — in some little hollow or footstep. They become clamorous on approaching the nest, but seem hardly so familiar or bold as most of the others. The young soon leave the hollow where they, were hatched, and move about as far as their limited powers will allow. — Ed. LESSER tern: 377 The eggs are dropped on the dry and warm sand, the heat of which, during the day, is fully sufficient for the purpose of incubation. This heat is sometimes so great, that one can scarcely bear the hand in it for a few moments without incon- venience. The wonder would, therefore, be the greater should the bird sit on her eggs during the day, when her warmth is altogether unnecessary, and perhaps injurious, than that she should cover them only during the damps of night, and in wet and stormy weather ; and furnishes another proof that the actions of birds are not the effect of mere blind impulse, but of volition, regulated by reason, depending on various incidental circumstances to which their parental cares are ever awake. I lately visited those parts of the beach on Cape lyiay where this little bird breeds. The eggs, generally four in number, were placed on the flat sands, safe beyond the reach of the highest summer tide. They were of a yellowish brown colour, blotched with rufous, and measured nearly an inch and three-quarters in length. During my whole stay, these birds flew in crowds around me, and often within a few yards of my head, squeaking like so many young pigs, which their voice strikingly resembles. A humming-bird, that had accidentally strayed to the place, appeared suddenly among this outrageous group, several of whom darted angrily at him ; but he shot like an arrow from them, directing his flight straight towards the ocean. I have no doubt but the dis- tressing cries of the terns had drawn this little creature to the scene, having frequently witnessed his anxious curiosity on similar occasions in the woods. The lesser tern feeds on beetles, crickets, spiders, and other insects, which it picks up from the marshes, as well as on small fish, on which it plunges at sea. Like the former, it also makes extensive incursions inland along the river courses, and has frequently been shot several hundred miles from the sea. It sometimes sits for hours together on the sands, as if resting after the fatigues of flight to which it is exposed. The lesser tern is extremely tame and unsuspicious, often 378 LESSER TERN. passing you on its flight,, and within a few yards, as It traces the windings and indentations of the shore in search of its favourite prawns and skippers. Indeed, at such times it appears altogether heedless of man, or its eagerness for food oveicomes its apprehensions for its own safety. We read in ancient authors, that the niiiiermeu used to float a cross of wood, in the middle of which wnss rjstened a small fish for a bait, with limed twigs stuck to the four corners, on which the bird darting was entangled by the wings. But this must have been for mere sport, or for its feathers, the value of the bird being scarcely worth the trouble, as they are gen.M-ally lean, and the flesh savouring strongly of fish. The lesser tern is met with in the south of Russia, and about the Black and Caspian Seas ; also in Siberia about the Irtish.* With the former, it inhabits the shores of England during the summer, where it breeds, and migrates, as it does here, to the south as the cold of autumn approaches. This species is nine and a half inches long, and twenty inches in extent ; bill, bright reddish yellow ; nostril, pervious ; lower mandible, angular ; front, white, reaching in two narrow points over the eye ; crown, band through the eye, and hind head, black, tapering to a point as it descends ; cheeks, sides of the neck, and whole lower parts, of the most rich and glossy white, like the brightest satin ; upper parts of the back and wings, a pale glossy ash or light lead colour ; the outer edges of the three exterior primaries, black, their inner edges white ; tail, pale ash, but darker than the back, and forked, the two outer feathers an inch longer, tapering to a point ; legs and feet, reddish yellow ; webbed feet, claws, and hind toe exactly formed like those of the preceding. The female nearly resembles the male, with the exception of having the two exterior tail-feathers shorter. * Pennant. SHORT-TAILED TERN. 379 SHORT-TAILED TERN. {Sterna plumhea.) I'LATE LX.-Fio. 3. Peale'a Museum, No. 3519. STERNA NIORA.-hiNfiMm.* Sterna plumbea, Bonap. Nomencl. No. 244.— Sterna nigra, Bonap. Synop. p. 366. A SPECIMEN of this bird was first sent me by Mr Beasley of Cape May ; but being in an imperfect state, I could form no correct notion of the species, sometimes supposing it might be a young bird of the preceding tern. Since tliat time, how- ever, I have had an opportunity of procuring a considerable number of this same kind, corresponding almost exactly with each other. I have ventured to introduce it in this place as a new species ; and have taken pains to render the figure ia the plate a correct likeness of the original. On the 6th of September 1812, after a violent north-east storm, which inundated the meadows of Schuylkill in many places, numerous flocks of this tern all at once made their appearance, flying over those watery spaces, picking up grass- hoppers, beetles, spiders, and other insects, that were floating on the surface. Some hundreds of them might be seen at the same time, and all seemingly of one sort. They were busy, silent, and unsuspicious, darting down after their prey without hesitation, though perpetually harassed by gunners, whom the novelty of their appearance had drawn to the place. Several flocks of the yellow-shanks snipe, and a few purres, appeared • C. L, Bonaparte remarks, — "*S'. plumhea is evidently, even judging only by Wilson's figure and description, no other than the young of the European S, nigra, of which so many nominal species had already been made. Indeed, so evident did the matter appear to us, even before we compared the species, that we cannot conceive why this hypothesis did not strike every natural!' , particularly as the S. nigra is well known to inhabit these States, though not noticed by Wilson in its adult dress. It is a singular fact that we hardly observed one adult among twenty young, which were common in the latter part of summer at Long Beach, New York."— Ed. :i« 38o SHORT-TAILED TERN. r 'I also in the meadows at the samo time, diiveii thither doubtless by the violence of the storm. I examined upwards of thirty individuals of this species by dissection, and found both sexes alike in colour. Their stomacliH contained grasshoppers, crickets, spiders, &c., but no fish. The people on the sea-coast have since informed mo that this bird conies to them only in the fall, or towards tho end of summer, and is more frequently seen about the mill- ponds and fresh-water marshes than in tho bays ; and add, that it feeds on grasshoppers and other insects which it finds on the meadows and marshes, picking them from the grass, as well as from the surface of tho water. They have never known it to associate with the lesser tern, and consider it altogether a different bird. This opinion seems confirmed by the above circumstances, and by the fact of its greater extent of wing, being full three inches wider than the lesser tern ; and also making its appearance after the others have gone off. The short-tailed tern measures eight inches and a half from the point of the bill to the tip of the tail, and twenty- three inches in extent ; the bill is an inch and a quarter in length, sharp pointed, and of a deep black colour ; a patch of black covers the crown, auriculars, spot before the eye and hind head ; the forehead, eyelids, sides of the neck, passing quite round below the hind head, and whole lower parts, are pure white ; the back is dark ash, each feather broadly tipt with brown ; the wings, a dark lead colour, extending an inch and a half beyond the tail, which is also of the same tint, and slightly forked ; shoulders of the wing, brownish ash ; legs and webbed feet, tawny. It had a sharp shrill cry when wounded and taken. This is probably the hrown tern mentioned by Willoughby, of which so many imperfect accounts have already been given. The figure in the plate, like those which accompany it, is reduced to one half the size of life. BLACK SKIMMER, OR SIIEERWATER. 381 BLACK SKIMMER, OR SHEERWATER. {Ehyncliops nijrn) PLATE LX.— Fio. 4. Arct. Zool. No. AA^.—Cattiihti, \. 90.— Le Bec-en-cinenux, Buff. viii. 454, tub. 3C.— Peak's Museum, No. 3530. RHYNCHOPS NIORA.-LimJEva.* KhjTiohopB nigra, Stq^li. Cont. Sli. Zool. vol. xiii. p. 130.— C«i'. Reg. Anim. i. 522.— Bonap. Symp.-Leas. Man. d'Orn. ii. p. 385. This truly singular fowl is the only species of its tribe hitherto discovered. Like ninny others, it is a bird of pas- snge in the United States, and makes its first appearance on the shores of New Jersey early in May. It resides there, as well at, along the whole Atlantic coast, during the summer ; and retires "early in September. Its favourite haunts are low sandbars raised above the reach of the summer tides, and also dry flat sands on the beach in front of the ocean. On such places it usually breeds along the shores of Cape May, in New Jersey. On account of the general coldness of the spring there, the sheerwater does not begin to lay until early in Ju'ne, at which time these birds form themselves into small • This very curious genus is composed, according to ornithologists, of two species,— that of our author and the E. flavirostris, Vieillot ; though I suspect that another is involved in the birds which I have seen "from the Southern Ocean. In form and plumage they bear a strong resemblance to the terns, but are at once distinguished by the bill, which will show the greatest instance of the lateral development of that member. The manners of these birds, in adaptation to the structure of the bill and mouth, are noted by our author ; and it seems generally tiiought that their practice of skimming and cutting the water, as it were in search of food, is their only mode of procuring sub- sistence. The immense flocks of this species, mingled with gulls and terns, with their peculiar mode of feeding on some bivalve shells, is thus described by Lesson, and shows that sometimes a more substantial food is required, for the procuring of which the form of their bill is no less beautifully adapted, and that the opinion of Wilson is at variance with reality :— " II formait avec les mouettes et quelque autres oiseaux ■■—"'■" •• ^82 BLACK SKIMMER, OR SHEERWATER. ' ,i i r:^] societies, fifteen or twenty pair frequently breeding within a few yards of each other. Tiie nest is a mere hollow formed in the sand, without any other materials. The female lays three eggs, almost exactly oval, of a clear white, marked with large round spots of brownish black, and intermixed with others of pale Indian-ink. These eggs measure one inch and three-quarters, by one inch and a quarter. Half a bushel and more of eggs have sometimes been collected from one sandbar, within the compass of half an acre. These eggs, have some- thing of a fishy taste, but are eaten by many people on the coast. The female sits on them only during the night, or in wet and stormy weather. The young remain for several weeks before they are able to fly ; are fed with great assiduity by both parents, and seem to delight in lying with loosened wings, fiat on the sand, enjoying its invigorating warmth. They breed but once in the season. The singular confirmation of the bill of this bird has ex- cited much surprise ; and some writers, measuring the divine proportions of nature by their own contracted standards of conception, in the plenitude of their vanity have pronounced it to be " a lame and defective weapon." Such ignorant pre- sumption, or rather impiety, ought to hide its head in the dust on a calm display of the peculiar construction of this de mer, des bandes tellement dpaisses qu'il resemblait h des longuea 6charpes noires et mobiles qui obscurcissaient le ciel depuis les rives de Penco jiisqu' a Tile de Quiriquine, dans un espace de douze luilles. Quoique le bec-en-ciseaux semble d6favoris6 par la forme de son bee, nuus aquimes la preuve qu'il savait s'en servir avec avantage et avec le plus grande adresse. Les plages sablonneuses de Penco sont en efFet remplies de Mactres, coquilles bivalves, que la maree decendente laisse presque h sec dans des petites mares ; le bec-en-ciseaux tres au fait de ce pli6nomene, se place aupres de ces mollusques, attend que leur valve sent ouvre uu ])eu, et profite aussitot de ce mouvement en enfor9ant la lame inferieure, et tranclumte de son bee entre les valves qui se refer- ment. L'oiseaux enleve alors la coquille, la frappe sur la greve, coupe le ligament du molusque, et peut ensuite avaler celui-ci sans obstacle. Plusieurs fois nous avons ct6 tC'moins de cet instinct tres perfec- tioime." — Ed. BLACK SKIMMER, OR SHEER WATER. 383 singular bird, and the wisdom by which it Is so admirably adapted to the purposes or mode of existence for which it was intended. The sheerwater is formed for skimming, while on winjr, the surface of the sea for its food, which consists of small fish, shrimps, young fry, &c., whose usual haunts are near the shore and towards the surface. That the lower mandible, when dipt into and cleaving the water, might not retard the bird's way, it is thinned and sharpened like the blade of a knife; the upper mandible being, at such times, elevated above water, is curtailed in its length, as being less necessary, but tapering gradually to a point, that, on shutting, it may offer less opposition. To prevent inconvenience from the rushing of the water, the mouth is confined to tiie mere opening of the gullet, which, indeed, prevents mastication taking place there ; but the stomach, or gizzard, to which this business is solely allotted, is of uncommon hardness, strength, and muscu- larity, far surpassing, in these respects, any other water-bird with which I am acquainted. To all these is added a vast expansion of wing, to enable the bird to sail with sufficient celerity while dipping in the water. The general proportion of the length of our swiftest hawks and swallows to their breadth is as one to two ; but, in the present case, as there is not only the resistance of the air, but also that of the water, to overcome, a still greater volume of wing is given, the sheerwater measuring nineteen inches in length, and upwards of forty-four in extent. In short, whoever has attentively examined this curious apparatus, and observed the possessor, with his ample wings, long bending neck, and lower mandible, occasionally dipped into and ploughing the su^-face, and the facility with which he procures his food, cannot but consider it a mere playful amusement when compared with the dashing immersions of the tern, the gull, or the fish-hawk, who, to the superficial observer, appear so superiorly accommodated. Tlie sheerwater is most frequently seen skimming close along shore about the first of the flood, at which time the young fry, shrimp, &c., are most abundant in such places, In rf 384 BLACK SKIMMER, OR SHEERWATER. There are also numerous inlets among the low islands between the sea beach and mainland of Cape May, where I have observed the sheervvaters, eight or ten in company, passing and repassing, at high water, particular estuaries of those creeks that run up into the salt marshes, dipping, with extended neck, their open bills into tlie water, with as much apparent ease as swallows glean up flies from the surface. On examining the stomachs of several of these, shot at the time, they contained numbers of a small fish usually called silver-sides, from a broad line of a glossy silver colour that runs from the gills to the tail. The mouths of these inlets abound with this fry or fish, probably feeding on the various matters washed down from the marshes. The voice of the sheerwater is harsh and screaming, resem- bling that of the tern, but stronger. It flies with a slowly flapping flight, dipping occasionally, with steady expanded wiags and bended neck, its lower mandible into the sea, and vni\\ open mouth receiving its food as it ploughs along the surfnce. It is rarely seen swimming on the water ; but fre- quently rests in large parties on the sandbars at low water. One of tiiese birds which I wounded in the wing, and kept in ihs rno;ii beside me for several days, soon became tame, and even famili.'^'. It generally stood with its legs erect, its body hoi-ronl.ii, and its neck rather extended. It frequently reposed on its belly, and stretching its neck, rested its long bill on the floor. It spent most of its time in this way, or in dressing and arranging its plumage with its long scissors-like bill, which it seemed to perform witli great ease and dexterity. It refused every kind of food offered it, and I am persuaded never feeds but when on the wing. As to the reports of its frequenting oyt^ r-beds, and feeding on these fish, they are contradicted by all those persons with whom I have conversed whose long residence on the coast where thef^e birds are com- mon has given them the best opportunities of knowing. The sheerwater is nineteen inches in length, from the point of the bill to the extremity u ' the tail ; the tips of the wings, between I have passing of those ig, with as much surface. •t at the ly called our that se inlets J various J, resem- a slowly xpanded sea, and long the but fre- w water. I kept in irae, and its body equently its long 'ay, or in 3sors-like lexterity. ersuaded •ts of its they are lonversed are com- S- the point le wings, BLACK SKIMMER, OR SHEERWATER. 385 when shut, extend full four inches farther ; breadth, three feet eight inches ; length of the lower mandible, four inches and a half; of the upper, three inches and a half; both of a scarlet red, tinged with orange, and ending in black ; the lower extremely thin ; tho upper grooved, so as to receive the edge of the lower ; the nostril is la"ge and pervious, placed in a hollow near the base and edge of t)ie upper mandible, where it projects greatly over the lower ; upper part of the head, neck, back, and scapulars, deep black; wings, the same, except the secondaries, which are white on the inner vanes, and also tipt with white; tail, forked, consisting of twelve feathers, the two middle ones about an inch and a half shorter than the exterior ones, all black, broadly edged on both sides with white ; tail-coverts, white on the outer sides, black in the middle ; front, passing down the neck below the eye, throat, breast, and whole lower parts, pure white ; legs and webbed feet, bright scarlet, formed almost exactly like those of the tern. Weight, twelve ounces avoirdupois. The female weighed nine ounces, and measured only sixteen inches in length, and three feet three inches in extent ; the colours and markings were the same as those of the male, with the excep- tion of the tail, which was white, shafted, and broadly centred with black. The birds from which these descriptions were taken were shot on the 25th of May, before they had begun to breed. The female contained a great number of eggs, the largest of which were about the size of duckshot; the stomach, in both, was an oblong pouch, ending in a remarkably hard gizzard, curiously puckered or plaited, containing the half-dissolved fragments of the small silver-sides, pieces of shrimps, small crabs, and skippers, or sandfleas. On some particular parts of the coast of Virginia, these birds are seen on low sandbars in flocks of several hun- dreds together. There more than twenty nests have been found within the space of a square rod. The young are at first so exactly of a colour with the sand on which they VOL. II. 2 B 'If 4;: iJ 386 STORMY PETREL. sit, as to be with difficulty discovered unless after a close search. The sheerwater leaves our shores soon after liis young are fit for the journey. He is found on various coasts of Asia, as well as America, residing principally near the tropics, and migrating into the temperate regions of the globe only for the purpose of rearing his young. He is rarely or never seen far out at sea ; and must not be mistaken for another bird of the same name, a species of petrel,* which is met with on every part of the ocean, skimming with bended wings along the summits, declivities, and hollows of the waves. STORMY PETREL. (Procellaria pelagica.) PLATE LX.— Fig, 6. A7Ct. Zool. No. 464.— Le Petrel, ou I'Oiseaux Tempete, PL enl. 003. — Bewick, ii. 223.— Peak's Museum, No. 3034. THALASIDROMA TF/iSOiV//. -Bonaparte, t Thalasidroma Wilsonii, Bonap. Synop. p. 367. — Procellaria AVilsonii, Steph. Cont. Sh. Zool. xiii. p. 224. — Procellaria Wilsonii, OnVs reprint oj WiU. p. 94. — Journ. of the Acad, of N. S. of Fhilad, iii. p. 231, pi. ix. There are few persons who have crossed the Atlantic, or traversed much of the ccean, who have not observed these * Procellaria piiffinus, the slieerwater petrel. t This species, confounded (and with little wonder, from its near alliance) by Wilson with the P. pclasgica, has been named as above by the Prince of Musignano, another tribute to the memory of our American ornithologist, and he has added the following differences and distinctive characters. Bonaparte has also added the T. Dullockii to the American list. The smaller petrels of other countries are much allied to these ; they amount to a considerable numberj many of whicli are yet undetermined, and are ..onfused with each other, in the want of proper distinguishing characters being assigned to each. It is from this that the P. pelasgica has been assigned a distribution so extensive. Some species are found ill most latitudes, and from their similarity most observers seem to be STORMY PETREL. ^S/ solitary wanderers of the deep skimming along the surface of the wild and wasteful ocean; flitting past the vessel like swallows, or following in her wake, gleaning their scanty pittance of food from the roujjh and whirlin /^ % M '/ Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (71*> 872-4503 394 STORMY PETREL. navigators in almost every quarter of the globe, and known under the name of stormy petrels, formed several distinct species ; consequently, relying on the labours of his predeces- sors, he did not hesitate to name the subject of this chapter the pelagica, believing it to be identical with that of Europe. But the investigations of later ornithologists having resulted in the conviction that Europe possessed at least two species of these birds, it became a question whether or not those which are common on the coasts of the United States would form a third species ; and an inquiry has established the fact that the American stormy petrel, hitherto supposed to be the true pelagica, is an entirely distinct species. For this discovery we are indebted to tiie labours of Mr Charles Bonaparte, from whose interesting paper on the subject, published in the Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, we shall take the liberty of making an extract. The author of the paper in question first describes and figures the true pelagica of tlie systems ; secondly, the Leacliii, a species described by Temminck, and restricted to the vicinity of the Island of St Kilda, but which the former found diffused over a great part of the Atlantic, east of the Banks of Newfound- land ; and thirdly, +he species of our coasts. He also indicates a fourth, which inhabits the Pacific Ocean ; but whether or not this last be in reality a species different from those named, has not yet been determined. " ' Wiien I first procured this species,' says Mr Bonaparte, ' I considered ic a nondescript, and noted it as such ; the cita- tion of Wilson's pelagica among the synonyms of the true pelagica by the most eminent ornithologist of the age, M. Temminck, not permitting a doubt of their identity. But having an opportunity of inspecting the very individual from which Wilson took his figure and drew up his description, I was undeceived, by proving the unity of my specimens with that of Wilson, and the discrepancy of these with that of Temminck. The latter had certainly never seen an individual from America, otherwise the difference between the two spcjues wn net es- ter pe. ted !0f ich a a the rue ery om the Ilia, hor ,riie cies the )ver nd- ates r or led, trte, iita- tnie M. But rom n, 1 vith b of. lual ■oies Oranfi ftniu .V/u^f v bv A. I^Hti'tt . Entfi'mviti by W.H Liuv's GREEN HERON. 395 O would not have eluded the accurate ej'e of this naturalist. I propose for this species the name of Wilsonii, as a small testi- mony of respect to the memory of the author of the " American Ornithology," whose loss science and America will long deplore. The yellow spot upon the membrane of the feet distinguishes this species, at first sight, from the others ; and this character remains permanent in the dried specimens.' "] GREEN HERON. (Ardea virescens.) PLATE LXI.— Fig. 1. Arct. Zool No. 349, 2,m.—Catesby, i. p. 80.— Le Crabier Vert, Buff. vii. p. 404.— Lath. Syn. iii. p. 68. — Peale's MMcum, No. 3797. ARDEA VIRESCENS.-Ussm}^.* Ardea virescens, Bovap. Synop. p. 307.— TTaflr;. Syst. Av. No. 36. This common and familiar species ow«s little to the liberality of public opinion, whose prejudices have stigmatised it with a very vulgar and indelicate nickname, and treat it on all * There are two or t'.ree beautiful little herons confounded tinder this species, in the same manner, from their near alliance, as the little bittern of Europe has been with A. exilis and ptisilla. They are all, however, to be distinguished when compared together, or when attention is given to the markings. The nearest ally to A. virescens is the East Indian A. scapuloris ; the upper parts of both are nearly similar, but the neck and under parts differ in being of a deep vinous chestnut in the one, and rich ash grey in the other. In Wilson's plate, the chestnut colour is not re- presented of a deep enough tint, and too much white is shown on the fore part. In a specimen which I have lately received from South Carolina, the colour of the neck is very deep and rich, almost approaching to that of port wine ; the lengthened feathers of the back are remarkably long, and show well the white shafts which ought to be so conspicuous in both species. The confusion in the greater part of the synonyms must have arisen by the specimens from both countries being indiscriminately com- pared and described.— Ed. 396 GREEN HERON. occasions as worthless and contemptible. Yet few birds are more independent of man than this ; for it fares best, and is always most numerous, where cultivation is least known or attended to, its favourite residence being the watery solitudes of swamps, pools, and morasses, where millions of frogs and lizards " tune their nocturnal notes " in full chorus, undisturbed by the lords of creation. The green bittern makes its first appearance in Penn- sylvania early in April, soon after the marshes are completely thawed. There, among the stagnant ditches with which they are intersected, and amidst the bogs and quagmiies, he hunts with great cunning and dexterity. Frogs and small fish are his principal game, whose caution and facility of escape re- quire nice address and rapidity of attack. When on the look- out for small fish, he stands in the water, by the side of the ditch, silent and motionless as a statue, his neck drawn in over his breast, ready for action. The instant a fry or minnow comes within the range of his bill, by a stroke, quick and sure as that of the rattlesnake, he seizes his prey, and swallows it in an instant. He searches for small crabs, and for the various worms and larvae, particularly those of the dragon-fly, which lurk in the mud, with equal adroitness. But the capturing of frogs requires much nicer management. These wary reptiles shrink into the mire on the least alarm, and do not raise up their heads again to the surface without the most cautious cir- cumspection. The bittern, fixing his penetrating eye on the spot where they disappeared, approaches with slow stealing step, laying his feet so gently and silently on the ground as not to be heard or felt ; and when arrived within reach, stands fixed, and bending forwards, until the first glimpse of the frog's head makes its appearance, when, with a stroke instan- taneous as lightning, he seizes it in his bill, beats it to death, and feasts on it at his leisure. This mode of life, requiring little fatigue where game is so plenty as is generally the case in all our marshes, must be particulaily pleasing to the bird, and also very interestinc^ GREEN HERON. 397 from the continual exeiciise of cunning and ingenuity neces- sary to circumvent its prey. Some of the naturalists of Europe, however, in their superior wisdom, think very differently ; and one can scarcely refrain from smiling at the absurdity of those writers who deckre that the lives of this whole class of birds are rendered miserable by toil and hunger ; their very appear- ance, according to Buffon, presenting the image of suffering, anxiety, and indigence.* When alarmed, the green bittern rises with a hollow gut- tural scream ; does not fly far, but usually alights on some old stump, tree, or fence adjoining, and looks about with extended neck ; though, sometimes, this is drawn in so that his head seems to rest on his breast. As he walks along the fence, or stands gazing at you with outstretched neck, he has the frequent habit of jetting the tail. He sometimes flies high, with doubled neck, and legs extended behind, flapping the wings smartly, and travelling with great expedition. He is the least shy of all our herons, and perhaps the most numerous and generally dispersed, being found far in the interior, as well as along our salt marshes, and everywhere about the muddy shores of our millponds, creeks, and large rivers. The green bittern begins to build about the 20th of April, sometimes in single pairs in swampy woods, often in com- panies and not unfrequently in a kind of association with the qua-birds or night herons. The nest is fixed among the branches of the trees ; is constructed wholly of small sticks, lined with finer twigs, and is of considerable size, though loosely put together. The female lays four eggs, of the com- mon oblong form, and of a pale light blue colour. The young do not leave the nest until able to fly ; and, for the first season at least, are destitute of the long pointed plumage on the back; the lower parts are also lighter, and the white on the throat broader. During the whole summer, and until late in autumn, these birds are seen in our meadows and marshes, ♦ Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux, tome xxii. p. 343. \\ tj- 398 GREEN HERON. but never remain during winter in any part of the United States. The green bittern is eighteen inches long, and twentj'-five inches in extent ; bill black, lighter below, and yellow at the base; chin, and nairow streak down the throat, yellowish white ; neck, dark vinaceons red ; back, covered with very long, tapering, pointed feathers, of a hoary green, shafted with white, on a dark green ground ; the hind part of the neck is destitute of plumage, that it may be the more conveniently drawn in over the breast, but is covered with the long feathers of the throat and sides of the neck, that enclose it behind ; wings and tail, dark glossy green, tipt and bordered with yel- lowish white ; legs and feet, yellow, tinged before with green, the skin of these thick and movable ; belly, ashy brown ; irides, bright orange ; crested head, very dark glossy green. The female, as I have particularly observed in numerous instances, differs in nothing as to colour from the male ; neither of them receive the long feathers on the back during the first season. There is one circumstance attending this bird which, I re- collect, at first surprised me. On shooting and wounding one, I carried it some distance by the legs, which were at first yellow ; but on reaching home, I perceived, to my surprise, that they were red. On letting the bird remain some time undisturbed, they again became yellow, and I then discovered that the action of the hand had brought a flow of blood into them, and produced the change of colour. I have remarked the same in those of the night heron. NIGHT HERON, OR QUA-BIRD. 399 NIGHT HERON, OR QUA-BIRD. {_Ardm nycticorax.) PLATE LXI.— Fig. 2 ; Fio. 3, YoONo. Arct. Zool. No. 356.— Le Bichoreau, Buff. vii. 435, 439, rol. 22 ; PI. enl. 758, 759, 999.— £anerally found purchasers. Tho food of the night heron or qiia-bird is chiefly composed of small fish, which it takes by night. Those that I opened had a largo expansion of tho gullet immediately under tho bill, that narrowed from thence to the stomach, which is a largo oblong pouch, and wan filled with fish. Tho teeth of the pectinated claw were thirty-fivo or forty in number, and as they contained particles of tho down of tho bird, showed evidently, from this circumstance, that they act tho part of a comb, to rid the bird of vermin in those part which it camiot reach with its bill. GREAT WHITE HERON. {Ardea egretla.) PLATE LXI.-Fir,. 4. EGRETTA LEUCE.- J AnimK." Ardea leuco, Illig.- Ardca nlba, Bonap. Synop. p. '.m.- Anion, egretta, Wag!. Spat. Av. No. 7.— Bonap. Monug. del Gruppo Eyretta, Omrv. Sulla, 2d edit. Del Beg. Anim. Guv. This tall and elegant bird, though often seen during the summer in our low marshes and inundated meadows, yet, on * Among no birds has there occurred so much confusion as among the white herons, or those more particularly forming the division Egretts. They are distributed over every country of the world, are not very different in size, the young are chielly distinguished by the want of tho crest, and are in many instances of a plumage similar to the full ^li 404 GREA T WHITE HERON. account of its extreme vigilance and watchful timidity, is very difficult to be procured. Its principal residence is in the regions of the south, being found from Guiana, and probably beyond the line, to New York. It enters the territories of the United States late in February ; this I conjecture from having first met with it in the southern parts of Georgia about that time. The high inland parts of the country it rarely or never visits ; — its favourite haunts are vast inundated swamps, rice-fields, the low marshy shores of rivers, and such like places, where, from its size and colour, it is very conspicuous, even at a great distance. The appearance of tin's bird during the first season, when it is entirely destitute of the long flowing plumes of the back, is so different from the same bird in its perfect plumage, which it obtains in the third year, that naturalists and others very generally consider them as two distinct species. The oppor- tunities which I have fortunately had of observing them with the train in various stages of its progress, from its first appear- ance to its full growth, satisfies me that the great white heron with, and that without, the long plumes, are one and the same species, in different periods of age. In the museum of my friend, Mr Peale, there is a specimen of this bird in winter dress : most of the species ■vvhen mature are clothed in a garb of the purest white. The bird with Avhich our present species is more immediately con- nected is the Ardea alba, Gmel., a European bird, confoimded with the young of A. egretta, and not yet, I believe, found iu North America. The chief differences are presence of the crest, and much longer pro- portion of the legs. A, egretta seems to range extensively over the continents of America and some of the islands ; I am not aware of its being found elsewhere ; and the African, Asiatic, and New Holland allied species will, I suspect, turn out distinct, and most probably belong to their resj)ective countries. To the North American egretta must be added the Ardea Pealii, discovered by Bonaparte. It is distinguished from its allies by the flesh colour of the bill, is much smaller than A. alba, differs from A. garzettu by its large compound crest, and from A. candissima by the quality and texture of the ornamental feathers. — Ed. GREA T WHITE ffERON. ndlty, is is in the probably itories of ure from ;ia about rarely or swamps, iucli like spicuoiis, on, when the back, ^e, which tiers very lie oppor- bem with t appear- lite heron and the iiseum of bird in ri a garb of lately con- id with the 1 America. Longer pro- y over the ware of its w Holland t probably iea Pealii, lies by the irs from^. ma by the 405 which the train is wanting ; but on a closer examination, its rudiments are plainly to be perceived, extending several inches beyond the common plumage. The great white heron breeds in several of the extensive cedar swamps in the lower parts of New Jersey. Their nests are built on tlie.trees, in societies ; the structure and materials exactly similar to those of the snowy heron, but larger. The eggs are usually four, of a pale blue colour. In the months of July and August, the young make their first appearance in the meadows and marshes, in parties of twenty or thirty together. The large ditclies with which the extensive meadows below Philadelphia are intersected are regularly, about that season, visited by flocks of those birds ; these are frequently shot, but the old ones are too sagacious to be easily approached. Their food consists of frogs, lizards, small fish, insects, seeds of the splatterdock (a species of nymplw), and small water-snakes. They will also devour mice and moles, the remains of sucu having been at different times found in their stomachs. The long plumes of these birds have at various periods been in great request on the continent of Europe, particularly in France and Italy, for the purpose of ornamenting the female head-dress. When dyed of various colours, and tastefully fashioned, they form a light and elegant duster and mosquito brush. The Indians prize them for ornamenting their hair or top-knot ; and I have occasionally observed these people wandering through the market-place of New Orleans, with bunches of those feathers for sale. The great white heron measures five feet from the extremi- ties of the wings, and three feet six inches from the tip of the bill to the end of the tail ; the train extends seven or eight inches farther. This train is composed of a great number of long, thick, tapering shafts, arising from the lower part of the shoulders, and thinly furnished on each side with fine flowing hairlike threads, of several inches in length, covering the lower part of the back, and falling gracefully over the tail, .; 406 VIRGINIAN RAIL. which it entirely conceals. The whole plumage is of a snowy whiteness, except the train, which is slightly tinned with yellow. The bill is nearly six inches in length, o^f a rich orange yellow, tipt with black ; irides, a paler orange; pupil small, giving the bird a sharp and piercing aspect; the legs are long, stout, and of a black colour, as is the bare space of four inches above the knee ; the span of the foot measures upwards of six inches ; the inner edge of the middle claw is pectinated; the exterior and middle toes ar- united at the base, for about half an inch, by a membrane. The articulations of the vertebrae are remarkably Ionr! Tboy oflon mako oxonrsions np tlio rivors and inlols. bnt r«v turn roj^tilarly in tlio ovoiiin;,' to tlu» nni oodars on tbo b»(>t ono inob ; oxtcMii, tbroo foot two inobos ; tbo bill is four inobos and a (piartor lon;^', and j^roovod; tbo spaoo from tbo nostril to tbo (»yo, oraii>;o yoUow, tbo rost of tbo bill blaok ; iridos, vivid oran^'o; tbo wbolo pluma<,'o is of a snowy wbiloiu'ss ; tbo boad is lar^'oly (Mostod witb looso nnw(>bbod Ibatbors, noiuly four inobos in lon<;tb; anotbor tuft of tbo sanio oovors tbo broast ; but tbo most distinf,niisbod ornamont of tbis bird is u bunob of lon^' silky plumos, proooodinj; from t!io sboiddors, (;ovorin«,' tbo wbolo baok, and oxtondin^- b(«yond tbo tail ; tbo sludls of tboso nro six or sovon inobos lon;^^ oxtroinoly olastio, tnporin;; to i\ui cxtromitioH, and tJiiidy sot witb lonj,', slondor, bondin;^ iUvmiln or (ibros, oasily aj^ilatod by tbo sli^^blost motion of"tlio air; tboso sbafts curl upwards at tbo cuds. VVbou tbo binl is irri- tatod, and oroots tboso airy plumos, tboy liavo a very oloj^ant appoaranoo: tbo lo;;s and nidvod |)art of tbo lbi;^lis aro bluok ; tbo toot, l)ristitiil<« of tbo lonjr plumos of tbo broust and baok ; but as all tliosf! Iliat, liavo boon oxaminod in spring; aro found crohtcd and oma- monted as abovo, tJioy doubtloss roooivo tliciir full dicNs on tbo tirst monltiiijjj. 'JMioso sliot in Ootobur moiisuicd twenty-two inobos in lon<,4b by tbiity-four in oxtout; tbo crest was be^nu- , tl mi k U -if if 1I M I I 420 ROSEATE SPOONBILL. ning to form ; the legs, yellowish green daubed with black • the feet, greenish yellow; the lower mandible, white at the base ; the wings, when shut, nearly of a length with the tail, which is even at the end. The little egret, or European species, is said by Latham and Turton to be nearly a foot in length. Bewick observes that It rarely exceeds a foot and a half ; has a much shorter crest, with two long feathers; the feet are black; and the long plumage of the back, instead of turning up at the extre- mity, falls over the rump. The young of both these birds are generally very fat, and esteemed by some people as excellent eating. ROSEATE SPOONBILL. {FUtalm ajaja.) PLATE LXIII.— Fig. 1. Arct.ZooLl^^o. m.-Lath. Syn. iii. p. 16, No. 2.-La Spatule Coleur de Rose PLATALEA AJAJA.— -Lls^JEm.* Platalea ajaja, Bonap. Synop. p, 346. This stately and elegant bird inhabits the sea-shores of America from Brazil to Georgia. It also appears to wander up the llississippi sometimes in summer, the specimen from which the figure in the plate was drawn having been sent me • This group, remarkable for the curious development of the bill joins a number of characters in common with the herons and tantali They live during the breeding season in communities, and feed in twilight • their food IS fish and aquatic animals, and they are said to search in the mud with their bills in the manner of ducks, where the soft and closely nervous substance enables them to detect the smaller insects. To look at the bill in a stuffed or preserved state, it is hard and horny, but when Imug It IS remarkably tender, and has rather a fleshy and soft look and feel. The common British species is easily tamed, and, like most of its nearer a lies, eats voraciously ; fish will support them, and even porridcre. with a little raw meat; the gape is very wide, and substances are swallowed m immediate succession, taken always crosswise, and then tossed over. The trachea in the male performs a single convolution in Oran ihmSimr* irA.IUim. l.Ro^,'t0 StMonhill. 2Aitmi(xuiAvafee. 3 . Rud^ Plover . 4.Sanit>aimatedSaftdpiper. as. ROSEATE SPOONBILL. 421 ffom the neighbourhood of Natchez, in excellent order ; for which favour I am indebted to the family of my late benevo- lent and scientific friend William Dunbar, Esq., of that terri- tory. It is now deposited in Mr Peale's Museum. This s})e- cies, however, is rarely seen to the northward of the Alatamaha river, and even along the peninsula of Florida is a scarce bird. In Jamaica, several other of the West India islands, Mexico, and Guiana, it is more common, but confines itself chiefly (0 the sea-shore and the mouths of rivers. Captain Henderson says it is frequently seen at Honduras. It wades about in quest of shellfish, marine insects, small crabs, and fish. In pursuit of these it occasionally swims and dives. There are few facts on record relative to this verv sinfular bird. It is said that the young are of a blackish chestnut the first year, of the roseate colour of the present the second year, and of a deep scarlet the third.* Having never been so fortunate as to meet with them in their native wilds, I regret my present inability to throw any further light on their history and manners. These, it is probable, may resemble, in many respects, those of the European species, the white spoonbill, once so common in Holland.t To atone for this deficiencv I have endeavoured faithfully to delineate the figure of this American species, and may, perhaps, resume the subject in some future part of the present work. the sternum. The genus contains three or four species : that of Europe, found also in India ; a species from Africa very near i'. ajaja, peculiar to America ; and the Spatule huppee of Sonnerat, which Mons. Tem- miuck thinks distinct. In all, the young do not attain full plumage till after the first moult. — Ed. * Latliam. t The European species breeds on trees by the seaside ; lays three or four white eggs, powdered with a few pale red spots, and about the size of those of a hen ; are very noisy during breedir.g time ; feed on fish, mussels, &c., Avhich, like the bald eagle, they frequently take from other birds, frightening them by clattering their bill : they are also said to eat grass, weeds, an d roots cf reeds : they are migratory ; their flesh is reported to savour of that of a goose ; tlic young are reckoned good food. 422 ROSEATE SPOONBILL. The roseate spoonbill now before us measured two feet six inches in length, and near four feet in extent ; the bill was six inches and a half long from the corner of the mouth, seven from its upper base, two inches over at its greatest width, and three-quarters of an inch where narrowest ; of a black colour for half its length, and covered with hard scaly protuberances, like the edges of oyster-shells ; these are of a whitish tint, stained with red ; the nostrils are oblong, and placed in the centre of the upper mandible ; from tiie lower end of each there runs a deep groove along each side of the mandible, and about a quarter of an inch from its edge ; whole crown and chin, bare of plumage, and covered with a greenish skin ; that below the under mandible, dilatable like those of the genus Pelicanus; space round the eye, orange ; irides, blood red ; cheeks and hind head, a bare black skin ; neck, long, covered with short white feathers, some of which, on the upper part of the neck, are tipt with crimson ; breast, white, the sides of which are tinged with a brown burnt colour ; from the upper part of the breast proceeds a long tuft of fine hairlike plumage, of a pale rose colour ; back, white, slightly tinged with brownish ; wings, a pale wild rose colour, the shafts lake ; the shoulders of the wings are covered with long hairy plumage, of a deep and splendid carmine ; upper and lower tail-coverts, the same rich red ; belly, rosy ; rump, paler ; tail, equal at the end, con- sisting of twelve feathers of a bright brownish orange, the shafts reddish; legs and naked part of the thighs, dark dirty red ; feet, half webbed ; toes, very long, particularly the hind one. The upper part of the neck had the plumage partly worn away, as if occasioned by resting it on the back in the manner of the ibis. The skin on the crown is a little wrinkled ; the inside of the wing a much richer red than the outer. AMERICAN A VOSET. 423 AMERICAN AVOSET. (Recurvtrostra Americana.) PLATE LXIII.-FiG. 26. Arct. Zool. No. A2l.—Lath. Syn. iii. p. 295, No. 2.— Peak's Museum, No. 4250. RECURVIROSTRA AMERICANA.-U^SJ&vs* Avocette Isabelle, Kecurvirostra Americana, Tewm. Man. (VOrn. ii. p. 594.— Kecurvirostra Americana, Bunap. Synop. p. 345. This species, from its perpetual clai lour and flippancy of tongue, is called by the inliabitants of Cape May the hiwyer ; tlie comparison, however, reaches no furtlier, for our hiwyer is simple, timid, and perfectly inoffensive. In describing the long-legged avoset of this volume, the simi- larity between that and the present was taken notice of. This resemblance extends to everything but their colour. I found both these birds associated together on the salt marshes of New Jersey on the 20th of May. They were then breeding. Individuals of the present species were few in respect to the other. They flew around the shallow pools exactly in the manner of the long-legs, uttering the like sharp note of click, click, clicJc, alighting on the marsh or in the water indiscrimi- nately, fluttering their loose wings, and shaking their half-bent legs, as if ready to tumble over, keeping up a continual yelp- ing note. They were, however, rather more shy, and kept at a greater distance. One which I wounded attempted repeat- edly to dive ; but the water was too shallow to permit him to do this with facility. The nest was built among the thick tufts of grass, at a small distance from one of these pools. It was composed of small twigs of a seaside shrub, dry grass, sea- * This curious genus contains four known species ; perhaps ere lono- another may be made out. They nearly resemble each other, and all possess the turned-up bill. In their manners they assimilate generally with the totani, feed like them, and are very clamorous when their nest is approached. Like them, also, though possessed of partially webbed feet, they do not swim or take the water freely, except when wading, or by compulsion. — Ed. 424 AMERICAN A VOSET. \ weed, &c., raised to llio heijjht of several inches. Tlio eggs were four, of a dull olive colour, marked wilh largo irregular blotches of black, and with others of a fainter tint. This species arrives on the coast of Cape May late in Ai)ril ; rears its young, and departs again to the south early in Octo- ber. While here, it almost constantly frecpients the shallow pools in the salt marshes ; wading about, often to the belly, in search of food, viz., marine worms, snails, and various insects that abound among the soft muddy bottoms of the pools. The male of this species is eighteen inclies and a half long, and two feet and a half in extent ; the hill is black, four inches in length, flat iil)Ove, the general curvature upwards, except at the extremity, where it bends slightly down, ending in an ex- tremely fine point ; irides, reddish hazel ; whole head, neck, and breast, a light sorrel colour; round the eye, and on the chin, nearly white ; upper part of the back and wings, black ; scapulars, and almost the whole back, white, though generally concealed by the black of the upper parts ; belly, vent, and thighs, pure white ; tail, equal at the end, white, very slightly tinged with cinereous ; tertials, dusky brown ; greater coverts tipt with white ; secondaries, white on their outer edges and whole inner vanes ; rest of the wing, deep black ; naked part of the thighs, two and a half inches ; legs, four inches, both of a very pale light blue, exactly formed, thinned, and netted, like those of the long-legs ; feet, half webbed ; the outer mem- brane somewhat the broadest; there is a very slight hind toe, which, claw and all, does not exceed a quarter of an inch in length. In these two latter circumstances alone it differs from the long-legs, but is in every other strikingly alike. The female was two inches shorter, and three less in extent ; the head and neck a much paler rufous, fading almost to white on the breast, and separated from the black of the back by a broader band of white ; the bill was three inches and a half long ; the \q^ half an inch shorter ; in every other respect marked as the male. She contained a great number of eggs, some of them nearly ready for exclusion. The stomach was RUDDY PLOVER. 425 filled with smnll flnails, peiiwinklo ehelifiHii, Bomo kiiul of mossy ve{^etnblo food, mid a niiniLor of nqiuitic insects. Thu intestines were infested with tape-worms, and a number of smaller bot-like worms, some of wliich wallowed in the cavity of the abdomen. In Mr Peale's collection there is one of this snra') species, said to bavo been bron<;ht from New Holland, dillering little in the markings of its plumage from our own. The red brown on the neck does not descend so far, scarcely occupying any of the breast ; it is also somewhat less. In every stulFed and dried specimen of these birds which I have examined, the true form and flexure of the bill is alto- gether deranged, being naturally of a very tender and dclioalo substance.* BUDDY PLOVER. (Charadrius rubidus.) PLATE LXIII.-Fio. 3. Arct, Zool. No. AOi.—Lalh. Syn. iii. p. 195, No. 2.— Tart. Hyat. p. 415. CALIDRIS ARENAltlA.—lLLwm. Tringa arenaria, Bunap. Synop, p. 320. Tnis bird is frequently found in company with the sanderling, which, except in colour, it very much resembles. It is gene- rally seen on the sea-coast of New Jersey in May and October, on its way to and from its breeding place iu the north. It runs with great activity along the edge of the flowing or retreating waves on the sands, picking up the small bivalve * Mr Orel further observes, " It is remarkable that in tlie Atlantic States this species invariably affects the neighbourhood of the ocean, we never having known an instance of its having been seen in the interior ; and yet Captain Lewis met with this bird at the ponds in the vicinity of the Falls of the Missouri. That it was our species I had ocular evidence by a skin brought by Captain Lewis himself, and pre- sented, among other specimens of natural history, to the Philadelphia Museum." See *' History of Lewis and Clark's E.xpedition," vol. ii. p. 343. 426 SEMIPAI.MA TED SANDPrPER. I I I Khollfish which supplies 8o nmtiy niultitiules of tho plover nml Baiulpipor trihcs. I should not bo snrpriscil if tho pioscnt species turn out hereafter to bo tho Hjiiuleilinj; itself iu n different dress. Of mnny scores which I exiuuined, sciireo two were nliko ; in some, the pluningeof tho back was almost i)Iain ; in others, tho black phuua<;e was just shootin*? out. This was in the month of October. Naturalists, however, hnvo considered it as a separate species ; but have ^'iven us no further particulars than that, " in Hudson's Bay it is known by tho name of Mistchaychekiskaweshish," *— a piece of information cerlairdy very instructive. The ruddy i)lover is eight inches lotig, and fifteen in extent; tho bill is black, an inch long, and straight; sides of the neck and whole upper parts, speckled largely with white, black, and ferruginous ; tho feathers being centred with black, tipt with white, and edged with ferruginous, giving the bird a very motley appearance ; belly and vent, pure white ; wing-qnills, black, crossed with a band of white ; lesser coverts, whitish! centred with pale olive, the first two or three rows black ; two middle tail-feathers, black ; the rest, pale cinereous, edged with white ; legs and feet, black ; toes, bordered with a very narrow membrane. On dissection, both males and females varied in their colours and markin i\ l!i 428 LOUISIANA HERON. LOUISIANA HEROK {Avdea Ludoviciana) PLATE LXIV.-FiG. 1. Peak's Museum, No. 3750. ARDEA LUDOVICIANA.-WiLSON. Ardealeucogaster. Orel's reprint, part viii. p. l.-Ardea Ludoviciana. £o>iap. Si/mp. p. 304. This is a rare and delicately-formed species, occasionally found on the swampy river shores of South Carolina, but more frequently along the borders of the Mississippi, parti- cularly below New Orleans. In each of these places it is m.g.-atory ; and m the latter, as I have been informed, builds Its nest on trees, amidst the inundated woods. Its manners correspond very much with those of the blue heron. It is quick in al Its motions, darting about after its prey with sur- prising agihty. Small fish, frogs, lizards, tadpoles, and various aquatic insects, constitute its principal food There is a bird described by Latham' in his "General Synopsis, vol. ii,. p. 88, called the Demi Egret- which, from the accoun there given, seems to npproach near to the present species. It IS said to inhabit Cayenne. Length of the Louisiana heron, from the point of the bill to he extremity of the tail, twenty-three inches ; the long hair- like plumage of the rump and lower part of the back extends several inches farther ; the bill is remarkably long, measuring 111 five inches of a yellowish green at the base, black towards white, dotted with ferruginous and some blue ; the rest of the neck IS 0 a light vinous purple, intermixed on the lower part Siet ofT "'\'"'^ «late-coloured plumage; the whole feathe s of the neck are long, narrow, and pointed ; head crested, consisting first of a number of long narrow purpb feathers, and under these seven or eight pendant ones of a pure white, and twice the length of the former; uppe'r part *^See also Buffou, vol. vii. p. 373. measiinn► wedge shape, like ducks. They feed at night when the tide is suitable, and are often very noisy. Mussels and smaller shellfish, crabs, &c., &c., arc their most common food. — Ed. 432 In search of these. PIED OYSTER.CATCHER. is reported that it of often frequents the oyster-beds, looking out for the slightest opening through which it may attack its unwary prey. For this purpose the form of its bill seems very fitly calculated. Yet the truth of these accounts are doubted by the inhabitants of Egg Harbour and other parts of our coast, who positively assert that it never haunts such places, but confines itself almost solely to the sands ; and this opinion I am inclined to believe correct, having myself uniformly found these birds on the smooth beach bordering the ocean, and on the higher, dry, and level sands just beyond the reach of the summer tides. On this last situation, where the dry flats are thickly interspersed with drifted shells, I have repeatedly found their nests between the middle and 25th of May. The nest itself is a slight hollow in the sand, containing three eggs, somewhat less than those of a hen, and nearly of the same shape, of a bluish cream colour, marked with large roundish spots of black, and others of a fainter tint. In some, the ground cream colour is desti- tute of the bluish tint, the blotches larger, and of a deep brown. The young are hatched about the 25th of May, and sometimes earlier, having myself caught them running along the beach about that period. They are at first covered with down of a greyish colour, very much resembling that of the sand, and marked with a streak of brownish black on the back, rump, and neck, the breast being dusky, where, in the old ones, it is black. The bill is at that age slightly bent downwards at the tip, where, like most other young birds, it has a hard protu- berance that assists them in breaking the shell ; but in a few days afterwards this falls off.* These run along the shore with great ease and swiftness. ♦ Latham observes that the young are said to be hatched in about three weeks ; and though they are wild when in flocks, yet are easily brought up tame, if taken young. « I have known them," says he, " to^ be thus kept for a long time, frequenting the ponds and ditches during the day, attending the ducks and other poultry to shelter of nights, and not luifrequently to come up of themselves as evening approaches." — General Synopsis, vol. iii. p. 220. riED 0 YSTER- CA TCHER. uents the ; tlirough irpose the 3 truth of Harbour t that it ; solely to e correct, 3 smooth and level On this rsed with between a slight less than sh cream ad others " is desti- ;p brown. Jmetimes he beach down of and, and k, rump, •nes, it is ds at the 'd protu- in a few he shore ^ in about ire easily says he, d ditches shelter of 3 evening 433 The female sits on her eggs only during the night, or in remarkably cold and rainy weather ; at other times the heat of the sun and of the sand, which is sometimes great, renders incubation unnecessary. But although this is the case, she is not deficient in care or affection. She watches the spot with an attachment, anxiety, and perseverance that are really sur- prising, till the time arrives when her little offspring burst their prisons, and follow the guiding voice of tlieir mother. When there is appearance of danger, they squat on the sand, from which they are with difficulty distinguished, while the parents make large circuits around the intiuder, alighting sometimes on this hand, sometimes on that, uttering repeated cries, and practising the common affectionate stratagem of counterfeited lameness, to allure him from their young. These birds run and fly with great vigour and velocity. Their note is a loud and shrill whistling wheep-ivheep-iuheo, smartly uttered. A flock will often rise, descend, and wheel in air with remarkable regularity, as if drilled to the business, the glittering white of their wings at such times being very conspicuous. They are more remarkable for this on their first aiTival in the spring. Some time ago, I received a stuffed specimen of the oyster- catcher from a gentleman of Boston, an experienced sportsman, who, nevertheless, was un- acquainted with this bird. He informed me that two very old men to whom it was shown called it a liagdel He adds, " It was shot from a flock, which was first discovered on the beach near the entrance of Boston harboiu-. On the approach of the gunner, they lose, and instantly formed in line like a corps of troops, and advanced in perfect order, keeping well dressed. They made a number of circuits in the air previous to being shot at, but wheeled in line ; and the man who fired into the flock observed that all their evolutions were like a regidarly-organised military company." The oyster-catcher will not only take to the water when wounded, but can also swim and dive well. This fact 1 can assert from my own observation, the exploits of one of tliera VOL. 11. 2 E 434 PIED OYSTER-CATCHER. in this way having nearly cost me my life. On the sea-boacli of Cape May, not far from a doep and rapid inlet, I broke the wing of one of these birds, and being withont a dog, instantly pursued it towards the inlet, which it made for with great rapidity. We both plunged in nearly at the same instant ; but the bird eluded my grasp, and I sunk beyond my depth ; it was not until this moment that I recollected having carried in my gun along with me. On rising to the surface, I found the bird had dived, and a strong ebb current was carrying me fast towards the ocean, encumbered with a gun and all my shooting apparatus, I was compelled to relinquish my bird, and to make for the shore, with considerable mortification, and the total destruction of the contents of my powder-horn. The wounded bird afterwards rose, and swam with great buoyancy out among the breakers. On the same day I shot and examined three individuals of this species, two of which measured each eighteen inches in length, and thirty-five inches in extent ; the other was somewhat less. The bills varied in length, measuring three inches and three- quarters, three and a half, and three and a quarter, thinly com- pressed at the point, very much like that of the woodpecker tribe, but remarkably narrowed near the base where the nos- trils are placed, probably that it may work with more freedom in the sand. This instrument, for two-thirds of its length towards the point, was evidently much worn by digging ; its colour, a rich orange scarlet, somewhat yellowish near the tip ; eye, large ; orbits, of the same bright scai let as the bill ; irides, brilliant yellow ; pupil, small, bluish black ; under the eye is a small spot of white, and a large bed of tlie same on the wing- coverts ; head, neck, scapulars, rump, wing-quills, and tail, black; several of the primaries are marked on the outer vanes with a slanting band of white ; secondaries, white, part of them tipt with black ; the whole lower parts of the body, sides of the rump, tail-coverts, and that portion of the tail which they cover, are pure white; the wings, when shut, cover the whole white plumage of the back and rump ; legs, and naked part of WHOOPING CRANE. 435 the thif:;lis, pale red ; feet, three-toed, the outer joined to the w. ddle hy a hroiid and strong membrane, and each bordered with a rough warty edge ; the soles of tlio feet are defended from the hard sand and shells by a remarkably thick and callous warty skin. On opening these birds, the smallest of the three was found to be a male ; the gullet widened into a kind of crop ; the stomach or gizzard contained fragments of shellfish, pieces of crabs, and of the great king crab, with some dark brown marine insects. The flesh was remarkably firm and muscular ; tlie skull, thick and strong, intended, no doubt, as in the woodpecker tribe, for the security of the brain from tlie vio- lent concussions it might receive while the bird was engaged in digging. The female and young birds have the back and scapulars of a sooty brownish olive. This species is found as far south as Cayenne and Surinam. Dampier met with it on the coast of New Holland ; the British circumnavigators also saw it on Van Diemen's Land, Tierra del Fucgo, and New Zealand. WHOOPING CKANE. {Ardea Americana.) PLATE LXIV.— Fia. 3, Male. Arct. Zool. No. 339.— Ca- c o«e to the skull. These are common, I believe, to most o1 the tringaand scolopax tribes, and are probably desi-^ied to protect the skull from injury v-bile the bird is probi^ig and searching in the sand and mud. YELLOW-CROWNED HEROK ^rdea violacea) PLATE LXV.-FiG. 1. LeCrabierde Bahama, 2?m«.y. p. 481, 41.-Crested Bittern, C^^^^^ i „ 70 NYCTICORAX VIOLACEA.-Boi^AVARTE. * Ardea violacea, Boiiap. Synop. p. .306. This is one of the nocturnal species of the heron tribe, whose 'nanners, place, and mode of building its nest, resemble greatly * Tliis curious species is an instance of one of those connecting links ^^ oh nuorvene constantly among what have been defined ^'x^c^ J,-" , tmnovln 1 "" ^^^ '^'""^^^ P^"'^^ ''• ^'' "^'^""^^-^ «'iJ social Planner of breeding are exactly those of the qua-bird, but it possesses ■ mini iiiilariii*iirtalm of a ler, mea- thick as are two ye, lying most of igned to img and icea,) , i. p. 79. '.—Peale's , whose greatly ig links ' groups. 1 at the -I social ossesses } MM /V/v/H// /',:■■, .\.:rv!, H.t Hi/s.- Arwrirv.i fiv H'Ji. .^.t^ms- ,1 ' . ■ 1 • 1 : 1 \ ' n 1 i i ■ w YELLOW-CROWNED HERON. 443 those of the common night heron {Ardea nycticorax) ; the form of its bill is also similar. The very imperfect figure and description of this species by Catesby seem to have led the greater part of European ornithologists astray, who appear to have copied their accounts from that erroneous source, other- wise it is difficult to conceive why they should either have given it the name of yellow-crowned, or have described it as being only fifteen inches in length, since the crown of the perfect bird is pure white, and the whole length very near two feet. The name, however, erroneous as it is, has been retained in the present account, for the purpose of more particularly pointing out its absurdity, and designating the species. This bird inhabits the lower parts of South Carolina, Georgia, and Louisiana in the summer season ; reposing during the day among low, swampy woods, and feeding only in the night. It builds in societies, making its nest with sticks among the branches of low trees, and lays four pale blue eggs. This species is not numerous in Carolina, which, with its solitary mode of life, makes this bird but little known there. It abounds on the Bahama Islands, where it also breeds ; and great numbers of the young, as we are told, are yearly taken for the table, being accounted in that quarter excellent eating. This bird also extends its migrations into Virginia, and even farther north ; one of them having been shot a few years ago on the borders of Schuylkill, below Philadelphia. The food of this species consists of small fish, crabs, and lizards, particularly the former ; it also appears to have a strong attachment to the neighbourhood of the ocean. The yellow-crowned heron is twenty-two inches in length, from the point of the bill to the end of the tail ; the long flowing plumes of the back extend four inches fiirther ; breadth, from tip to tip of the expanded wings, tliirty-four the crest and long dorsal plumea of the egrets. As far as we at jsresent see, it will form the passage from the last-mentioned form to the night herons, which will again reach the bitterns by those confused under the name of tiger bitterns. — Ed. :f 444 GREAT HEROIC. inches ; bill, black, stout, and about four inches in length, the upper mandible grooved exactly like that of the c°onimon night lieron ; lores, palo green ; irides, fiery red ; head and part of the neck, black, marked on each cheek with an oblong spot of white ; crested crown and upper part of the head white! ending in two long narrow tapering plumes of pure white! more than seven inches long ; under these are a few others of a blackish colour ; rest of the neck and whole lower parts, fine ash, somewhat whitish on that part of the neck where it joins the black; upper parts, a dark ash, each feather streaked broadly down the centre with black, and bordered with white ; wing-qnills, deep slate, edged finely with white ; tail, even at tlie end, and of the same ash colour ; wing-coverts, deep slate, broadly edged with pale cream ; from each shoulder proceed a number of long loosely-webbed tapering feathers, of an ash colour, streaked broadly down the middle with black, and extending four inches or more beyond the tips of the wings ; legs and feet, yellow; middle claw, pectinated. Male and female, as in the common night heron, alike in plumage. I strongly suspect that the species called by naturafists the Cayenne night heron (Ardm Cayanensii) , is nothing more than the present, with which, according to their descriptions, It seems to agree almost exactly. GREAT HERON. {Ardea Herodlas.) PLATE LXV.-Fio. 2. Le Heron Hupe de Viiginie, Briss. v. p. 416, 10. -Grand Heron, Buff. vii. p. 355 • Id. p. .^8<'.-La.-sest Crested Heron. Catesby, App. pi. 10, fig. l.-Lati Syn. 111. p. 8o No. 5l.-Arct. Zool. No. 341, M2.-Peale's Museum, No. 3629; youDg, obol. ARDEA HERODIAS.—LiifiiMvs.* Ardea Herodias, Bonap. Synop. p. SOi.-Horth. Zool. ii. p. 373. The history of this large and elegant bird having been lono- involved in error and obscurity, I have taken more than com° * This may be called the representative of the European heron ; it is considerably larger, but in the general colours bears a strong resemblance, ■ GREA T HERON. 445 I long mon pains to present a faithful portrait of it in tliis place, and to add to that every fact and authentic particular relative to its manners which may be necessary to the elucidation of the subject* The great heron is a constant inhabitant of the Atlantic coast from New York to Florida ; in deep snows and severe weather seeking the open springs of the cedar and cypress swamps, and the muddy inlets occasionally covered by the and is, moreover, the only North American bird that can rank with the genus Ardm in its restricted sense. In manners they are simiUir, feed in the evening, or early in the morning, when their prey is most active in search of its own victims ; but roost at night except during very clear moonlight. They are extremely shy and watchful, and the height they are able to overlook, with the advantage of their long legs and neck, renders them difficult of approach, imless under extensive cover. When watching their prey they may be said to resemble a cat, prying anxiously about the sides of the ditches, lake, or stream, but as soon as the least motion or indication of a living creature is seen, they are fixed and ready to make a dart almost always unerring. Mouse, frog, or fish, even rails, and the young of the larger waterfowl, are transfixcid, and being carried to the nearest bank or dry ground, are immediately swallowed, always with the head downwards. Their prey appears to be often, if not always, transfixed,— a mode of capture not generally known, but admirably fitted to secure one as vigilant as the aggressor. One or two of the wild and beautiful islets on Loch Awe are occupied as breed- ing places by the herons, where I have climbed to many of their nests, all well supplied with trout and eels, invariably pierced or stuck through. None of the species breed on the ground, and it is a curious and rather anomalous circumstance, that the Ardeadee, the ibis, and some allied birds, which are decidedly waders, and formed for walking, should build and roost on trees, where their motions are all awkward, and where they seem as if constantly placed in a situation contrary to their habits or abilities. A heronry, during the breeding season, is a curious and inter- esting, as well as picturesque object. — Ed. * Latham says of this species, that " all the upper parts of the body, the belly, tail," and legs, are brown ; " and this description has been repeated by every subsequent compiler. Buff on, with his usual eloquent absurdity, "describes the heron as " exhibiting the picture of wretchedness, anxiety, and indigence ; condemned to struggle perpetually with misery and want ; sickened with the restless cravings of a famished appetite ; " a description so ridiculously untrue, that, were it possible for these birds to comprehend it, it would excite the risibility of the whole tribe. 44^ CREA T heron: tides. On tlie liighei- inland parts of tho country, beyond the mountains, they are less numerous ; and one which was shot in the upper parts of New Hampshire was described to me as a great curiosity. Many of tlieir breeding places occur in both Carolinas, chiefly in the vicinity of the sea. In the lower parts of New Jersey, they liave also their favourite places for building and rearing their young. These are generally in the gloomy solitudes of the tallest cedar swamps, where, if un- molested, they continue annually to breed for many years. These swamps are from half a mile to a mile in breadth, and sometimes five or six in length, and appear as if they occu'pied the former channel of some choked-up river, stream, lake, or arm of the sea. The appearance they present to a stranger is singular. A front of tall and perfectly straight trunks, rising to the height of fifty or sixty feet without a limb, and crowded in every direction, their tops so closely woven together as to shut out the day, spreading the gloom of a perpe'tual twilight below. On u nearer approach, they are found to rise out'' of the water, which, from the impregnation of the fallen leaves and roots of the cedars, is of the colour of brandy. Amidst this bottom of congregated springs, the ruins of the former forest lie piled in every state of cor. fusion. The roots, prostrate logs, and, in many places, the water, are covered with green mantling moss, while an undergrowth of laurel fifteen or twenty feet high intersects every opening so completely as to render a passage through laborious and harassing beyond description ; at every step you either sir .< to the knees, clamber over fallen timber, squeeze yourself through between the stub- born laurels, or plunge to the middle in ponds made by the uprooting of large trees, which the green moss concealed from observation. In calm weather, the silence of death reigns in these dreary regions ; a few interrupted rays of light ''shoot across the gloom ; and unless for the occasional hollow screams of the herons, and the melancholy chirping of one or two species of small birds, all is silence, solitude, and desolation. GKEA T heron: 447 When a breeze vises, at first it sij^hs mournfiill}- tliroii«;h the tops ; but as the gulo incrensoa, tho tall nmstliko cedars wave like fishing poles, and rubbing against each otiicr, produce a variety of singidar noises, that, with tho liolp of a little ima- gination, resemble shrieks, groans, growling of bears, wolves, and such like comlbrlablo nnisic. On the tops of the tallest of these cedars the herons con- struct their nests, ten or fifteen ])air sometimes occupying a particular part of tho swamp. The nests are large, formed of sticks, and lined with smaller twigs ; each occupies the top of a single tree. The eggs are generally four, of an oblong pointed form, larger than those of a hen, and of a light greenish blue, without any spots The young are produced about the middle of May, and remain on tho tree ; until they are full as heavy as the old ones, being extremely fat, before they are able to {\)\ They breed but once in the season. If disturbed in their breeding place, the old birds fly occasionally over the spot, sometimes honking like a goose, sometimes uttering a coarse, hollow grunting noise like that of a hog, but much louder. The great heron is said to be fat at the full moon, and lean at its decrease ; this might be accounted for by tho iact of their fishing regnlaily by moonlight through the greater part of the night as well as during the day ; but the observation is not universal, for at such times 1 have found some lean, as well as others fat. The young are said to be excellent for the table, and even the old birds, when in good order and pro- perly cooked, are esteemed by many. The principal food of the great heron is fish, for which he watches with the most unwearied patience, and seizes them with surprising dexterity. At the edge of the river, pond, or sea-shore, he stands fixed and motioidess, sometimes for hours together. But his stroke is quick as thought, and sure as fate, to the first luckless fish that approaches within his reach ; these he sometimes beats to death, and always swallows bead foremost, such being their uniform position in the stomach. '■ 448 Gh'I'lA T HEKO.V. .i He is also nn excel lont nioiiser, nnd of ^roat, servloo to our tueiidowa in (le.slroyiiij; tlie Klioit-tailed or mondow luoiiso, kg mjurions to llie baiilcs. ]Io also feeds eajjerly on {^nasslioppera, various wiu<,^ed insects, i)articularly dra^'onflies, which ho is very expert at strikin«]:, and also eats the seeds of Unit species of nymphce usually called splatterdocks, so abundant alonj? our fresh-water ponds and rivers. The heron has <,neat powers of win<,^ flyinj^ somelinies very hi<,'h, and to a <,n-eat distance; his necic doubled, his head drawn in, and his lonnr logs strelched out in a right line behind him, appearing like n tail, and probably serving the same rudder-liko office. When he leaves the sea-coast, and traces on wing the courses of the creeks or rivers upwards, he is said to prognosticate rain ; when downwards, dry weather. JIo is most jealously vigilant and watchful of uian, so that those who wish to succeed in shooting the heron n)ust, approach him entirely unseen, and by stratagem. The same inducements, however, for his destruction, do not prevail here as in Europe. Our sea-shores and rivers are free to all for the amusement of fishii;g. Luxtu-y has not yet constructed her thousands of fish- ponds, and surrounded them with steel traps, spiiug guns, and heron snares.* In our vast fens, meadows, amfsea- mnrshes, this stately bird roams at pleasure, feasting on the never-failing magazines of frogs, iish, seeds, and insects with which they abound, and of which he probably considers him- self the sole lord and proprietor. I have several times seen * " The heron," says an English writi-r, '< is a very groat .hn-ouror of- fish, ana does more niiscliief in a iioiul tlian an otter. People wiio have kept herons have liad tlie curiosity to nunil)er the tisli they feed them vitli into a tub of water, and counting them again afterwards, it lias heen found that they will eat up fifty moderate dace and roaches in a day It has been found, that in carp-ponds visited by this bird, one heron will eat up a thousand store carp in a year ; and will hunt them so close, as to let very few escape. The readiest method of destroying this mis- chievous bird is by fishing for him in the manner of pike, witli a baited hook. When the haunt of the heron is found out, three or four small roach or dace are to be procured, and each of them is to be baited on a wire, with a strong hook at the end, entering the wire just at the gills, GKEA T HEROIC. 449 the bald cnglc attnok nnd Icnso tlio fjrcnt licron ; but wliotljer for Rpoit, or to make liini disj^orj^o Imb fisli, I am miccrlain. Tho common lioron of Kiiropo {Ardca major) voiy much resembles tho present, which mi<;ht, as nstnil, have ])robably been ranked as tho original stock, of which tho present was a mere degenerated species, wore it not that tho American is greatly snperior in size and \v(Mght to the European species ; the former measuring four feet four inches, and weijrhinir upwards of seven pounds ; the latter, three feet three inches, and rarely weighing more than four pounds. Yet, with tho exception of size, and the rust-coloured thighs of tho present, they nro extremely alike. Tho common heron of Europe, liowovcr, is not an inhabitant of the United States. Tho great heron does not receive his fidl pin !\rrvi during the first season, nor until tho summer of tho second. In tho first season, the young birds are entirely destitute of the whitt; plumngo of the crown, and tho long pointed feathers of Iho back, shoulders, and brenst. In this dress I have frequently shot them in autumn ; but in the third year, both males and females have assumed their complete dress, and, contrnry to all the European accounts which I have met with, both are then BO nearly alike in colour and markings as scarcely to bo distinguished from each other, both having the long flowing crest, and all tho ornamenlal while pointed plumage of the back and breast. Indeed, this sameness in tho plumngo of the males and females, when arrived at their perfect state, is a characteristic of the whole of the genus with which I am ac- quainted. Whether it be different with those of Europe, or and letting it run just under the skin to the tail ; the fiah Avill live in this nianner for five or six days, which is a very essential tiling ; for if it be dead, tlie lieron will not touch it. A strong line is then to be pre- pared of silk and wire twisted together, and is to be about two yards long ; tie this to the wire that holds the hook, and to tlie other end of it there is to be tied a stone of about a pound weight ; let tlirec or four of these baits be sunk in different shallow parts of the pond, and, in a niglit or two's time, the heron will not fail to be taken with one or other of them." VOL. ir. 2 F } 450 GREAT HERON. f i tlmt tho young nnd imperfect birds hnve been hitherto mis- tnken for fenmlos, I will not pretend to say, thon<,'h I think tlie latter conjecture iiighly probable, «b the night raven {Ardca nycticornx) has been known in Europe for several centuri(;s, and yet, in all their accountH, tho Banieneps of tho colours and l>lumago of the male and ieniale of that bird is nowhere men- tioned ; on tho contrary, the young or yearling bird has been universally described as tho female. On the 18th of May, I examined, both externally and by dissection, five specimens of tho great heron, all in completo plumage, killed in a cedar swamp near the head of Tncka- hoe river, in Cape May county, New Jersey. In this case, tho females could not be mistjdceu, as some of the eggs were nearly ready for exclusion. Length of the great heron, four feet four inches from tho point of the bill to the end of the tail ; and to the bottom of the feet, five feet four inches ; extent, six feet ; bill eight inches long, and one inch and a quarter in width, of a yellow colour, in some, blackish on the ridge, extremely sharp at the point, tho edges also sharp, and slightly serrated near tlie extremity ; space round the eye, from the nostril, a light purplish blue; irides, orange, brightening into yellow where they join the pupil ; forehead and middle of the crown, white passing over the eye; sides of the crown and hind head, deep slate or bluish black, and elegantly crested, the two long, tapering black feathers being full eight inches in length ; chin, cheek.s and sides of the head, white for several inches ; throat white, thickly streaked with double rows of black ; rest of the neck, brownish ash, from the lower part of which shoot a great number of long, narrow, pointed white feathers, that spread over the breast, and reach nearly to the thighs; under these long plumes, the breast itself and middle of°the belly are of a deep blackish slate, the latter streaked with white ; sides, blue ash ; vent, white ; thighs and ridges of the wings, a dark purplish rust colour ; whole upper pa°ts of the wings, tail, and body, a fine light ash, the latter ornamented GREAT HERON. I or to mls- lliirik the n (Ardca ccrituiios, lours nnd leio men- has been ly nnd by complete )f Tuckii- I case, the 31-0 nearly from the bottom of bill eight a yellow irp at the near the , a light ovv where wn, white ead, deep two long, length ; 1 inches ; fick ; rest lich shoot hers, that ! thighs ; lie of the ked with jes of the rts of the [lamented 451 with n profusion of long, narrow, white, tapering feathers, originating on the shoulders or upper part of the back, and falling gracefully over the wings ; primaries, very dark slato, nearly black ; naked thighs, brownish yellow; legs, brownish black, tinctured with yellow, and netted with seams of whitish ; in gome, the legs are neaily black. Little dillerence could bo perceived between the plumage of the nudes nnd fen^ales ; the latter were rather less, and the long pointed plumes of the back were not quite so nbimdant. The young birds of the liist year have the whole Tipper part of the head of a dark slato; want the long plumes of the breast mul buck ; and have tlic body, neck, and lesser coverts of the wings considerably tinged with ferruginous. On dissection, the gullet was found of great width from the mouth to the stomach, which has not the two strong muscular coats that form the gizzard of some birds ; it wa^ more loose, of considerable and uniform thickness throughout, and capable of containing nearly a pint. It was entirely filled with fish, among which were some small eels, all placed head downwards ; the intestines measured nine feet in length, were scarcely as thick as a goose-quill, and incapable" of being distended ; so that the vulgar story of the heron swal- lowing eels, which, passing suddenly through him, are repeat- edly swallowed, is absurd and impossible. On the external coat of the stomach of one of these birds, opened soon after being shot, something like a blood-vessol' lay in several meandering folds, enveloped in a membrane, and closely adhering to the surface. On carefully opening this membrane, it was found to contain a large, round, living worm, eight inches in length ; another, of like length, was found coik-d, in the same manner, on another part of the external coat! It may also be worthy of notice, that the intestines of the young birds of the first season, killed in the month of October, when they were nearly as large as the others, measured only six feet four or five inches ; those of the full-grown ones, from eight to nine feet in length. 'ij, (I ••■Vj •4 452 AMEKICAN BITTERN. m AMEKICAN BITTERN. {Ardea minor.) PLATE LXV.-Fia, 3. Le Butor de la Baye de Hudson, Bnas. v. p. 449, 25.— iSw/. vii. p. 430.— Edw. l^Q. — Lath. Syn. iii. p. 58.— Peak's Museum, No. 3727. BOTAURUS MINOR— BONAFMITE. Ardea minor, Bonap. Si/nop. p. 307.— Ardea Mokoho, Wa{/1. Syst. Av. No. 29. This is another nocturnal species, common to all our sea and I'lver marshes, though nowliere numerous. It rests all day among the reeds and rushes, and, unless disturhed, fl!es and feeds only during the night. In some places it is called the Indian-hen ; on the sea-coast of New Jersey it is known by the name of dunhadoo a word probably imitative of its common note. They are also found in the interior, having myself hilled one at the inlet of the Seneca Lake in October. It utters, at times, a hollow guttural note among the reeds, but has nothing of that loud booming sound for which the European bittern is so remarkable. This circumstance, with its great inferiority of size and difference of marking, sufiiciently prove them to be two distinct species, although hitherto the present has been classed as a mere variety of the European bittern. These birds, we are informed, visit Severn River, at Hudson's Bay, about the beginning of June ; make their nests in swamps, laying four cinereous green eggs among the long grass. The young are said to be at first black. These birds, when disturbed, lise with a hollow hiua, and are then easily shot down, as they fly heavily. Like other night birds, their sight is most acute during the evening twi- light ; but their hearing is at all times exquisite. The American bittern is twenty-seven inches long, and three feet four inches in extent ; from the point of the bill to the extremity of the toes, it mepsures three feet ; the bill is four AMERICAN BITTERN. 453 inches long ; the upper mandible, black ; the lower, greenisli yellow ; lores and eyelids, yellow ; irides, bright yellow ; upper part of the head, flat, and remarkably depressed ; the plumage there is of a deep blackish brown, long beliind and on the neck, the general colour of which is a yellowish brown shaded with daiker ; this long plumage of the neck the bird can throw forward at will when irritated, so as to give him a more for- midable appearance ; throat, whitish, streaked with deep brown ; from the posterior and lower part of the auriculars, a broad patch of deep black passes diagonally across the neck, a dis- tinguished characteristic of this species ; the back is deep brown, barred and mottled with innumerable specks and streaks of brownish yellow ; quills, black, with a leaden gloss, and tipt with yellowish brown ; legs and feet, yellow, tinged with pale green ; middle claw, pectinated ; belly, light yellow- ish brown, streaked with darker ; v it, plain ; thighs, sprinkled on the outside with grains of dark brown ; male and female nearly alike, the latter somewhat less. According to Bewick, the tail of the European bittern contains only ten feathers ; the American species has invariably twelve. The intestines measured five feet six inches in length, and were very little thicker than a common knitting-needle ; the stomach is usually filled with fish or frogs.* This bird, when fat, is considered by many to be excellent eating. I ■ ■ tl i: i , fV The * I have taken an entire water-rail from the stomach of the European bittern. — Ed. if'') 454 LEAST BITTERN. ?4 I !■•, LEAST BITTERN. {Ardm exilis) PLATE LXV.-FiQ. 4, Male. Lath. Syn. iii. p. 26, No. 28.-Pca?c-« ilf«.e«»^ No. 3814; female, 3815. ARDEOLA EX/LIS.—BoifAFA^TE.* Ardeo]^ exilk,Bonap. Synop. p. 309. -Ardea exilis, Wagl Syst. Av. No. 43 - Le Heron Rouge et Noir. Azar. Voy. SGO.-Descript. Opt. Auct. C? This is the smallest known species of the whole tribe It is commonly found in fresh-water meadows, and rarely visits the salt marshes. One shot near Great E- Harbour was presented to me as a very uncommon bird. In the meadows of bchuylkill and Delaware, below Philadelphia, a few of these birds breed every year, making their nests in the thick tussocks of grass in swampy places. When alarmed, they seldom fly far, but take shelter among the reeds or long grass. 1 hey are scarcely ever seen exposed, but skulk during the day ; and, hke the preceding species, feed chiefly in the night. ^ This little creature measures twelve inches in len<-lh and sixteen in extent ; the bill is more than two inche'^ and a quarter long, yellow, ridged with black, and very sharp pointed ; space round the eye, pale yellow ; irides, bright yellow ; whole upper part of the crested head, the back scapulars, and tail, very deep slate, reflecting slight tints of green ; throat, white, here and there tinged with buff- hind part of the neck, dark chestnut bay ; sides of the neck, cheeks and line over the eye, brown buff; lesser wing-coverts, the same ; greater wing-coverts, chestnut, with a spot of the same • Bonaparte proposes the title of Ardeola as a subgenus for this pec:es and the A. .ninuta of Britain. They differ fr°om the o^. iwdTl' ;l'°'^^ \^"°"''^" ^''^'^"«" '^' «1^"^^ ^^°^^ tlie knees p umed, and m the scapulanes taking the broad form of those of the bitterns and night herons, instead of beautifully lengthened plumes. ^ mLTrrr °"''''r! '^"' group-that of America^!. cxiUs ; A. minuta, of Europe ; and A. pudlla, Wag]., of New Holland. Thev olhet ''1 ' '' *^' ^''"'' ^'' ^''" confounded hitherto with the 3815. No. 43.— Wagl, \ It is y visits 3ur was leadows few of le thick id, they g grass, ing the 3 night. :lh, and I and a shaip briglit 5 back, iints of '; hind cheeks, fts, the le same for this e other e knees i of the mes. exilis ; They i'ith the I lUa .& ' .$ 1 * s; 6 ♦. -o -i fe >> ,\t -5 J^i .H A s 'J > .1 1 « s \> ( ] t i I g t •5 s ^ «■ 1 ^ 1 ! ' •§ \ ^ 1 ly'OOD IBIS. 455 at the bend of the wing ; the primary coverts are also tipt witli the same ; wing-quills, dark slate ; breast, white, tinged with ochre, under which lie a number of blackish feathers ; belly and vent, white ; sides, pale ochre ; legs, greenish on the shins, hind pai-t and feet, yellow ; thighs, feathered to within a quarter of an inch of the knees ; middle claw, pectinated ; toes, tinged with pale green ; feet, large, the span of the foot measuring two inches and three-quarters. Male and female, nearly alike in colour. The young birds are brown on the crown and back. The stomach was filled with small fish ; and the intestines, which were extremely slender, measured in length about four feet. The least bittern is also found in Jamaica, and several of the West India islands. WOOD IBIS. {Tantalus loculator.) PLATE LXVI.— Fig. 1. Omd. Syst. p. 647. —Le Grand Courly d'Amerique, Briss. v. p. 335, 8.— Couri- caca, Buff. vii. p. 276, PI. enl. 868.— Calesby, i. 81.— ^rc^ Zool. No. 360.— Lath. Syn. iii. p. 104. — PeaWs Museum, No. 3832. TANTALUS LOCULATOR.— hmsms.* Tantalus loculator, Bonap. Synop, p. 310.— Wagl. Syst. Av. No. 1. The wood ibis inhabits the lower parts of Louisiana, Caro- lina, and Georgia ; is very common in Florida, and extends * This species, I believe peculiar to the New World, is extensively dispersed over it, but migratory towards the north. The bird stated by Latham as identical with this, from New Holland, will most probably turn out the T. lactms or leucocephalus ; at all events, distinct. The genera Tantalus and Ibis run into each other in one of those gradual marches where it is nearly impossible to mark the distinction ; yet, taking the extremes, the difference is very great. Tantalus loculator is the only American species of the former group, principally distinguished by the base of the bill being equal in breadth with the forehead, which, with the face, cheeks, and. throat, are bare. In their general manner, they are more sluggish than the ibis, and possess more of the inactivity of the heron when gorged, or the sedate gait of the stork and adjutants. 45 6 WOOD IBIS, as far south as Cayenne, Brazil, and various parts of South America. In the United States it is migratory ; but has never, to my knowledge, been found to the north of Virginia. Its favourite haunts are watery savannas and inland swamps, where it feeds on fish and reptiles. The French inhabitants of Louisiana esteem it good eatin"- The known species have been limited to about five in number, natives of America, Africa and India. The genus Ibis is more extensive ; they are spread over all the world, and among themselves present very con- siderable modifications of form. Those of Northern America are three- the two now figured, and the Lfalcinellus of Europe, first noticed by Mr Ord as a native of that country in the Journal of the Academy, under the name of Tantalus Mexicanus, and afterwards recognised by the Prince of Musignano as the bird of Europe. By Wagler, in his bystema Avium," they are put into three divisions, distinguished by the scutellation of the tarsi, and the proportion of the toes. The face is oliiL barejm one or two the crown is developed into a shield, as in /. cclva; m a few the head and neck are unplumed, /. sacra and melanocephaus; and in some, as that of Europe, the face and head are nearly v . ■ o i ly clothed, and bear close resemblance to the curlews They are all partly gregarious, feed in small groups, and breed on trees in most extensive communities. They include birds well known for many curious particulars connected with the history and superstitions of nations, and gorgeous from the pureness and decided contrast or dazzlincr richness of their plumage. To the former will belong the sacred ibis ot antiquity, whose bodies, in the words of a versatile and pleasing writer, from the perfection of an unknown process, have almost defied the ravages of time ; and, through its interventions, the self-same indivi- duals exist in a tangible form which wandered along the banks of the veiled, inhabited the sanctuary of temples, which, though themselves desTrT 1^!.? "* P'-^P^f ons are now scarcely discernible amid the desert dust of an unpeopled wilderness." To the others will belong the ^I^^'in rr' ^";* J^r^^d' °° i««« remarkable for its unassuming rtZ r' f/-^^ ^''* y^""' ^"^ '^' ^^<=hly plumaged glossy ibis! The last-mentioned bird is more worthy of notice, holding a prominen part n the mythology of the Egyptians, and occasionally honoured by fold Tt V 1;^" of extensive geographical distribution, beinj individual finding a devious course to the shores of Great Britain A specunen has occurred on the Northumbrian coast within thi month pyOOD IBIS. All With the particular manners of this species I am not per- sonally acquainted ; but the following characteristic traits are given of it by Mr William Bartram, who had the best oppor- tunities of noting them : — " This solitary bird," he observes, " does not associate in flocks, but is generally seen alone, commonly near the banks of great rivers, in vast marshes or meadows, especially such as are covered by inundations, and also in the vast deserted rice plantations ; he stands alone, on the topmost limb of tall, dead cypress trees, his neck contracted or drawn in upon his shoulders, and his beak resting like a long scythe upon )iis breast ; in this pensive posture and solitary situation, they look extremely grave, sorrowful, and melancholy, as if in the deepest thought. They are never seen on the sea-coast, and yet are never found at a great distance from it. They feed on serpents, young alligators^ frogs, and other reptiles." * The figure of this bird given in the plate was drawn from a very fine specimen, sent to me from Georgia by Stephen Elliot, Esq. of Beaufort, South Carolina ; its size and mark- ings were as follow : — Length, three feet two inches ; bill, nearly nine inches long, straight for half its length, thence curving downwards to the extremity, and full two inches thick at the base, where it rises high in the head, the whole of a brownish horn colour ; the under mandible fits into the upper in its whole length, and both are very sharp edged ; face, and naked head, and part of the neck, dull greenish blue, wrinkled ; eye, large, seated liigh in the head ; irides, dark red ; under the lower jaw is a loose corrugated skin or pouch, capable of containing about half a pint ; whole body, neck, and lower parts, white ; quills, dark glossy green and purple ; tail, about two inches shorter than the wings, even at the end, and of a deep and rich violet j legs and naked thighs, dusky green ; feet and toes, yellowish, sprinkled with black ; feet, almost semipalmated, and bordered to the claws with a narrow membrane ; some of the greater * Travels, &c., p. 150. 4. V It i i 458 SCARLET IBIS. Aving-coverts are black at the root, and shafted with black ; plumage on the upper ridge of the neck generally worn, as in the presented specimen, witii rubbing on the back, while in its common position of resting its bill on its breast, in the manner of the white ibis. (See fig. 3.) The female has only the head and chin naked ; both are subject to considerable changes of colour when young, the body being found sometimes blackish above, the belly cinereous, and spots of black on the wing-coverts ; all of which, as the birds advance in age, gradually disappear, and leave the plumage of the body, &c., as has been described. SCARLET IBIS. {Tantalus ruber.) PLATE LXVI.— Fig. 2. Le Courly Eougo du Bresil, Briss. v. p. 344, pi. 29, fig. 2. -Red Curlew, Cateshy, i. 84. —Arct. Zool. No. 366, 382.— Prase's Museum, No. 3864 ; female, 3868. IBIS RUBRA.— YmiLLOT. Ibis rubra, Vieill. Bonap. Synop. p. 311.— Wagl. Syst. Av. No. 4.— Ibis ruber, Wils. III. of Zool. i. pi. 7, and 36 iu the plumage of second and first years. Ibis rouge, Less. Man. d'Ornith. ii. p. 254. This beautiful bird is found in the most southern parts of Carolina, also in Georgia and Florida, chiefly about the sea- shore and its vicinity. In most parts of America within the tropics, and in almost all the West India islands, it is said to be common, also in the Bahamas. Of its manners, little more has been collected than that it frequents the borders of the sea, and shores of the neighbouring rivers, feeding on small fry, shellfish, sea-worms, and small crabs. It is said frequently to perch on trees, sometimes in large flocks ; but to lay its eggs on the ground on a bed of leaves. The eggs are described as being of a greenish colour ; the young, when hatched, black; soon after, grey; and before they are able to fly, white ; continuing gradually to assume their red colour until the third year, when the scarlet plumage is complete. It is also said that they usually keep in flocks, the young and WHITE IBIS. 459 old birds separately. They have frequently been domesti- cated. One of them, which lived for some time in the museum of this city, was dexterous at catching flies, and most usually walked about in that pursuit in the position in which it is represented in the plate. The scarlet ibis measures tweniy-threo inches in length, and thirty-seven in extent ; the bill is five inches long, thick, and somewhat of a square form at the base, gradually bent downwards, and shaiply ridged, of a black colour, except near the base, where it inclines to red ; irides, dark hazel ; the naked face is finely wrinkled, and of a i)ale red ; chin, also bare and wrinkled for about an inch ; whole plumage, a rich glowing scarlet, except about three inches of the extremities of the four outer quill-feathers, which are of a deep steel-blue ; legs and naked part of the thighs, pale red, the three anterior toes united by a membrane as far as the first joint. "Whether the female differs in the colour of her plumage from the male, or what changes both undergo during the first and second years, I am unable to say from personal observa- tion. Being a scarce species with us, and only found on our most remote southern shores, a sufiicient number of specimens have not been procured to enable me to settle this matter witli sufficient certainty. WHITE IBIS.' {Tantalus alhus.) PLATE LXVI.— Fig. 3. Le Courly Blanc du Bresil, Briss. v. p. 339, 10.— ^wf. viii. p. 41.— "White Curlew, Cateshy, i. pi. 82.— Lath. Syn. iii. p. Ill, No. ^.—Arct. Zool. No. 363. IBIS ^iJ5^.— ViEILLOT. Ibis alba, Wagl. Si/st. Av. No. 5.—Bonap. Synop. p. 312. This species bears in every respect, except that of colour, so strong a resemblance to the preceding, that I have been almost induced to believe it the same in its white or imperfect stage i 46o WHITE IBIS. f % of colour. The length and form of the bill, the size, confor- ination, as well as colour of the legn, the general length and breadth, and even the steel-blue on the four outer quill-feuthers ftre exactly alike in both. These suggestions, however, are not made with any certainty of its being the same, but as cir- cumstanc^t^ which luny lead to a more precise examination of the subject herouitor. I found this species pretty numerous on the borders of Lake Pontchartrain, near New Orleans, in the montii of June, and also observed the Indians sitting in market with strincrs of them for sale. I met with tK- again on the low kejs or islands ofr the peninsula of Florida. Mr Ba. ' am observes that •' they fly in huge flocks or squadrons, eveuin.^ and mornu)g, to and from their feerling places or roosts, and are usually called Spanish curlews. They feed chiefly on crayfish whose cells they probe, and, with their strong pinchino- bills' drag them out." The low islands above mentioned Abound with these creatures and small crabs, the ground in some places seeming alive with them, so that the rattling of their shells against one another was incessant. My venerable friend in his observations on these birds, adds, " It is a pleasino- si^ht' at times of high winds and heavy thunderstorms, to observe the numerous squadrons of these Spanish curlews drivinc. to and fro, turning and tacking about high up in the air, when" by then- various evolutions in the different and opposite currents of the wind, high in the clouds, their silvery white pluma-e gleams and sparkles like the brightest crystal, reflecting the sunbeams that dart upon them between the dark clouds " ^ The white ibis is twenty-three inches long, and thirty-seven inches in extent ; bill formed exactly like that of the scarlet species, of a pale red, blackish towards the point ; face a red- dish flesh colour, and finely wrinkled ; irides, whitish ; whole plumage pure white, except about four inches of the tips of the four outer quill-feathers, wliich are of a deep and glossy steel- blue ; legs and feet pale red, webbed to the first joint. These birds I frequently observed standing on the dead e, confor- (iistli and -feathers, ever, are lilt lis cir- iuatioii of 8 of Lake rune, unci itrings of ' keys or observes ling and and are crayfish, ing bills, 1 abound in some of their le friend, ng sight, ' observe fiving to when, by currents phunage ting the ids." ty-seven e scarlet ;e a red- ; whole ps of the sy steel- he dead HED FLAMINGO. 46 1 limbs of trees and on the shore resting on one log, tlicirbody in an almost perpendicular position, as rci)resonted in the figure, the head and bill resting on the breast. This appears to bo its mo.st common mode of resting, and perhaps sleeping, as, in all those which I examined, the plumage on the upper ridge of the neck and upper part of the back was evidently worn by this habit. The same is equally observable on the neck and back of the wood ibis. The present species rarely extends its visits north of Caro- lina, and even in that Slate is only seen for a few weeks to- wards the end of summer. In Florida they are common, but seldom remove to any great distance from the sea. RED FLAMINGO. (Phoemcopter'us ruler.) PLATE LXVI.-FiG. 4. Lo Flamant, Briss. vi. p. 532, pi. 47, fig. I.—Buff. viii. p. 475, pi. 39, PL ml 63.—Lath. Si/n. iii. p. 299, pi. Vl-Arct. ZouL JNO. A'12. -Catathi, i. pi. T.\ H,— Peak's Museum, No. ;i545, bird of the first year ; No. 354G, bird of the second year. PHCENICOPTER US R UB liR. — Linna:u8. rhoeniooptorus ruber, Bonap. Si/nop. p. 348. This very singular species, being occasionally seen on the southern frontiers of the United States and on the peninsula of East Florida, where it is more common, has a claim to a niche in our ornithological museum, although the author re- grets that, from personal observation, he can add nothing to the particulars of its history already fully detailed in various European works. From the most respectable of these, the " Synopsis" of Dr Latham, he has collected such particulars as appear authentic and interesting. " This remarkable bird has the neck and legs in a greater disprc portion than any other bird ; the length from the end of the bill to that of the tail is four feet two or three inches ; but to the end of the claws, measures sometimes more than six feet. The bill is four inches and a quarter long, and of a con- 462 RED FLAMIXGO. istniction (liflToroul, from Hint of nny other bird ; iho upper nmn- dible very thin .uid flat, luul so.newhut movuhlo ; the under, thick ; both of thonj bondinf; downwards from the middle • iho nostrils are linear, and placed in a blackish men.hrano •' the end of the bill, as far as the bend, is black ; frotn thence i the 1 iiso, reddish yellow ; ronnd the base, quite to the eye, covered with a flesh-coloured cere; the neck is .lender, and of a -reat length ; the t.ni-ne, lar-e, fleshy, fillin- the cavity of thj'bill Inrn.shed with twelve or more hooked papilla) on each side' tnrning backwards ; the tip, a sharp cartilairinoiis substance' The bird, when in full plumage, is wholly of a most deep scarlet (those of Africa said to be the deepest), except the qudls, which are black; from the base of the thi-di to the claws, measures thirly-two inches, of which the feathered part takes up n. .nore than thveo inches ; the bare part above tho knee, tlurteen inches ; and from thence to tho claws, sixteen • the colour of the bare parls is red, and the toes are lurt.ished with a web, as in tho duck rrenus. but is deeply indented The legs arc not straight, but slightly bent, tho ahia rather projecting. " These birds do not gain their full plumage till tho third year. In the first, they are of a greyish white for the most part; the second, of a clearer white, tinged with red, or rather rose colour ; but the wings and scapulars are red ; in the third year, a general glowing scarlet manifests itself throupor innn- lio undur, ildlo; tho ano ; tho lice to tho >, covered >f II ^roiit ; tho hill, ich side, iihstance. lost deep cept tho li to tho .'fed part hove tlio sixteen ; ijrnished iidented. II rutiier ho tliird ho most )r mther he third iglioiit ; i colour I hy de- )ntinent ; eveiy- 3, quite e coiusts diterrti- 'Icnty in \ 374. noun Rea, heiiipj at times met with at Marseilles, and lor some way ii[) the lUione; in Homo BeasonH frecpient Aleppo* and parts adjacent ; seen also on the I'ersian side of tho Cas- pian Sea, and from Iheneo alonjij tho weslern coast as far as the Wolga, th()U<;h this at uncertain times, and chiefly in considerahle flocks, comiii}; from the north coast ujostly in Octoher and Novemher, hut so soon as th(* wind ciian^'es, they totally disaiipeiir.t They hired in the Oape Venl Isles, particularly in that of Sal. J The nest is of a sin oad band of pure white , iris of th^. '^^'e, dark ; back, wings, and part of the scnpulars, black ; rest of the scapulars, lateral band along tho .ving, and whole breast, snowy white; bell}', vent, I ■i:H 468 CANADA GOOSE. and tail-coverts, dusky white ; tail, pointed, and of a hoary colour. The female is considerahly less than the male, and entirely destitute of the tumid plumage of the head ; the head, neck, and upper parts of the hody, and wings, are sooty black, darkest on the crown ; side of the head marked with a small oblong spot of white ; bill, dusky ; lower part of the neck, ash, tipt with white ; belly, dull white ; vent, cinereous ; outer edges of six of the secondaries and their incumbent coverts, white, except the tips of the latter, which are black ; logs and feet, a livid blue ; tail, hoary brown ; length of the intestines, three feet six inches ; stomach filled with small shellfish. This is the spirit-duck of Pennant, so called from its dexterity in diving (Arctic Zoology, No. 487), likewise the little brown duck of Catesby (Natural History of Carolina, pi. 98). This species is said to come into Hudson's Bny, about Severn Kiver, in Jime, and make their nests in trees in the woods near ponds.* The young males during the first year are almost exactly like the females in colour. CANADA GOOSE. {Anas Canadensis.) PLATE LXVIL— Fig. 4. L'Oye Savage de Canada, Briss. vi. p. 272, 4. pi. 2(5.— L'Oic il cravatte, Buff. ix. p. >i2. Edw. pi. irtl.—Arct. Zool. No. 471.— CVc«6?/, i. pi. '■32.— Lath. Hyn. in. p. 450. — Peak's Museum, No. 2704. ANSER CANADENSIS.— YiVAVLOi.* Bernicla Canadensis, Boie.—Ansev Canadensis, Bonap. Sijnop. p. .■)77. — North. Zool. ii. p. 468. — L'Outarde, French Canadians. — Bustard, Uuds. B. Settlers, This is the common wild goose of the United States, univer- sally known over the whole countiy, whose regular periodical * Latham. t The appellation "geese" will mark, in a jjeneral way, the birds and form to Avhich Anser should be generically applied. They are all of large Bize, possess in part the gait of a gallinaceous bird, are gregarious, except during the breeding season, mostly migratory, and are formed more for CANADA GOOSE. 469 migrations aro the siiro signals of returning spring or jip- proiiching v/inter. The tracts of their vast migratory jour- neys aro not confmeil to the sea-coast or its vicinity. In tlieir aerial voyages to and from the north, tlieso wingeil pilgrims pass over the interior on hoth sides of the mountains, as far west, at least, as the Osagu River ; and 1 have never yet visiled any quarter of tiie country where tiie iniiabilants are not familiarly acquainted with tiie regular passing and repass- ing of the wihl geese. Tiie general opinion here is, that they are on their wav to the lakes to breed; but the inhabitants on the confines of the great lakes that separate us from Canada aro equally ignorant witli ourselves of the particular breeding places of those birds, Tliere, their journey north is but commencing ; and how far it extends it is impossible for ns at present to ascertain, from our little acquaintance with these frozen regions. They were seen by llearno in largo flocks within the arctic circle, and were then pursuing their way still farther north. Captain riiipi)S speaks of seeing wild gee.se feeding at the water's edge on the dreary coast of Spitzbergen, in hit. 80" 27'. It is higidy probable that they extend their migrations under the very pole itself, amid the extensive lli^'lit than for the life of 11 truly aquatic fcediii},' ami diving bird. Most of tlieni, during winter, at tinu-s leave the .sea or hdces, and feed on the pastures, or, wiien to be had, on the newly-.'^prung grains, while some feed entirely on aquatic plants and animals. The (Jtmada goose is easily (h)niesticated, and it is probable that most of the .speci- mens killed in Great Britain have escaped from preserves ; it is found, however, on the continent of Europe, and stragglers may occasionally occur. On the beautiful piece of water at Gosford House, the seat of the Earl of Wemyss, Haddingtonshire, this and many other water-birds rear their younc freely. I have never seen any artiiicial piece of water so beauti- fully adapted for the domestication and introduction of every kind of waterfowl which will bear the climate of Great Britain. Of very large extent, it is embossed in beautiful shrubbery, perfectly recluse, and, even in the nearly constant observance of a resident family, several exotic species seem to look on it as their own. The Canada and Egyj)- tian geese both had young wheii I visited it, and the lovely Ana (Dendronessa) spo7xsa seemed as healthy as if in her native waters— Eu. 470 CANADA GOOSE. silent desolation of unlcnown countries, slmt out since creation from the prying eye of man by everlasting and insuperable barriers of ice. That such places abound with their suitable food, we cannot for a moment doubt ; while the absence of their great destroyer, man, and the splendours of a perpetual day, may render such regions the most suitable for their puipose. ^ Having fulfilled the great law of nature, the approaching rigours of that dreary climate oblige these vast congregated flocks to steer for the more genial regions of the south. And no sooner do they arrive ut those countries of the earth in- habited by man, than carnage and slaughter is commenced on their ranks. The English at Hudson's Bay, says Pennant, depend greatly on geese, and in favourable years kill three or four thousand, and barrel them up for use. They send out their servants, as well as Indians, to shoot these birds on their passage. It is in vain to pursue them ; they therefore form a row of huts, made of boughs, at musket-shot distance from each other, and place them in a line across the vast marshes of the country. Each stand, or hovel, as they are called, is occupied by only a smgle person. These attend the flight of the birds, and, on their approach, mimic their cackle so well, that the geese will answer, and wheel, and come nearer the stand The sportsman keeps motionless, and on his knees, with his gun cooked the whole time, and never fires till he has seen the eyes of the geese. He fires as they are going from him then picks up another gun that lies by him, and discharges that The geese which he has killed he sets upon sticks, as if alive to decoy others ; he also makes artificial birds for the same purpose. In a good day, for they fly in very uncertain and unequal numbers, a single Indian will kill two hundred. Not- withstanding every species of goose has a diffeient call yet the Indians are admirable in their imitations of every one The autumnal flight lasts from the middle of August to the middle of October; those which are tjiken in this season, when the frosts begin, are preserved in their feathers, and left l! CANADA GOOSE. 471 to be frozen for the fresh provisions of the winter stock. The feathers constitute an article of commerce, and are sent to England. The vernal flight of the geese lasts from the middle of April until the middle of May. Their first appearance coincides with the thawing of the swamps, when they are very lean. Their arrival from the south is impatiently attended ; it is the harbinger of the spring, and the month named by the Indians the goose-moon. Tliey appear usually at their settlements about St George's Day, O.S., and fly northward, to nestle in security. They prefer islands to the continent, as farther from the haunts of man.* After such prodigious havoc as thus appears to be made among these birds, and their running the gauntlet, if I may so speak, for many hundreds of miles through such destructive fires, no wonder they should have become more scarce, as well as shy, by the time they reach the shores of the United States. Their first arrival on the coast of New Jersey is early in October, and their first numerous appearance is the sure prognostic of severe weather. Those which continue all winter frequent the shallow bays and marsh islands ; their principal food being the broad tender green leaves of a marine plant which grows on stones and shells, and is usually called sea- cabbage ; and also the roots of the sedge, which they are frequently observed in the act of tearing up. Every few days they make an excursion to the inlets on the beach for gravel. They cross indiscriminately over land or water, generally taking the nearest course to their object, differing in this respect from the brant, which will often go a great way round by water rather than cross over the land. They swim well ; and, if wing-broken, dive and go a long way under water, causing the sportsman a great deal of fatigue before he can kill them. Except in very calm weather, they rarely sleep on the water, but roost all night in the marshes. When the * Arctic Zoology. ; 4,72 CANADA GOOSE. shallow bays are frozen, they seek the mouths of inlets near the sea, occasionally visiting the air-holes in the ice ; but these baj's are seldom so completely frozen as to prevenl them from feedin ; in both cases the van is led by an old gander, whd every now and then pipes his well-known honk, as if to ask how they come on, and the honk of "All's well " is generally returned by some of the party. Their course is in a straight Ime, with the exception of the undulations of their flight. When bewildered in foggy weather, they appear sometimes to be m great distress, flying about in an irregular manner and for a considerable time over the same quarter, making a great clamour. On these occasions, should they approach The earth and alight, which they sometimes do, to rest and recollect them- selves, the only hospitality they meet with is death and destruc- tion from a whole neighbourhood already in arms for their ruin. Wounded geese have, in numerous instances, been com- pletely domesticated, and readily pair with the tame grey geese. The offspring are said to be larger than either ; but the characteristic marks of the wild goose still predominate The gunners on the sea-shore have long been in the practice of taming the wounded of both sexes, and have sometimes succeeded in getting them to pair and produce. The female always seeks out the most solitary place for her nest, not far from the water. On the approach of every spring, however these birds discover symptoms of great uneasiness, frequently lookmg up into the air, and attempting to go off. Some whose wings have been closely cut have travelled on foot in a northern direction, and have been found at the distance of several miles from home. They hail every flock that passes overhead, and the salute is sure to be returned by the voya *^^#. > v ^ 474 CANADA GOOSE. ordincary as it may appear, I am well assured by the testimony of several respectable persons, who have been eye-witnesses to the fact, that they have been also known to return again in the succeeding autumn to their former habitation. These accounts are strongly corroborated by a letter which I some time ago received from an obliging correspondent at New York, which I shall here give at large, permitting him to tell his story in his own way, and conclude my history of this species : — " Mr Piatt, a respectable farmer on Long Island, being out shooting in one of the bays which, in that part of the country, abound with waterfowl, wounded a wild goose. Being wing- tipped, and unable to fly, he caught it, and brought it home alive. It proved to be a female ; and turning it into his yard with a flock of tame geese, it soon became quite tame and familiar, and in a little time its wounded wing entirely healed. In the following spring, when the wild geese migrate to the northward, a flock passed over Mr Piatt's barnyard ; and just at that moment their leader happening to sound his bugle- note, our goose, in whom its new habits and enjoyments had not quite extinguished the love of liberty, and remembering the well-known sound, spread its wings, mounted into the air, joined the travellers, and soon disappeared. In the succeed- ing autumn, the wild geese, as was usual, returned from the northward in great numbers, to pass the winter in our bays and rivers. Mr Piatt happened to be standing in his yard when a flock passed directly over his barn. At that instant, lie observed three geese detach themselves from the rest, and, after wheeling round several times, alight in the middle of the yard. Imagine his surprise and pleasure when, by certain well-remembered signs, he recognised in one of the three his long-lost fugitive. It was she indeed! She had travelled many hundred miles to the lakes; had there hatched and reared her offspring ; and had now returned with her little family to share with them the sweets of civilised life. " The truth of the foregoing relation can be attested by many respectable people, to whom Mi Piatt has related the TUFTED duck: A7S circumstances as above detailed. The birds were all Hviiij?, and in his possession, about a year ago, and had shown no dis- position whatever to leave bim." The length of this species is three feet ; extent, five feet two inches ; the bill is black ; irides, dark hazel ; upper half of the neck, black, marked on the chin and lower part of the head with a large patch of white, its distinguishing character ; lower part of the neck hefore, white ; back and wing-coverts, brown, each feather tipt with whitish ; rump and tail, black ; tail-coverts and vent, white ; primaries, black, reaching to tlie extremity of the tail ; sides, pale ashy brown ; legs and feet, blackish ash. The male and female are exactly alike in plumage. TUFTED DUCK. {Anas fuligula) PLATE LXVII. -Fig. .5, Male. FULIO ULA R UFITORQ UES. —Bonaparte. Fuligula rufitorques, Bonap. Joum. Acad. Nat. Sc. Phil.—Synop. p. 393.— North, Zool. ii. p. 453. This is an inhabitant of botb continents ; it frctpients fresh- water rivers, and seldom visits the sea-shore. It is a plump, short-bodied duck ; its flesh generally tender and well tasted. They are much rarer than most of our other species, and are seldom seen in market. They are most common about the beginning of winter and early in the spring. Being birds of passage, they leave us entirely during the summer. The tufted duck is seventeen inches long, and two feet two inches in extent; the bill is broad, and of a dusky colour, sometimes marked round the nostrils and sides witii light blue ; head, crested, or tufted, as its name expresses, and of a black colour, with reflections of purple ; neck marked near its middle by a band of deep cbestnut ; lower part of the neck, black, whicb spreads quite round to the back ; back and scapulars, black, minutely powdered with particles of white, not to be 4/6 observed but < GOLDElSr-EYE. I near inspection ; rump and vent, also black • wings, asl.y brown ; secondaries, pale ash or bluish vvliite J tertials, black, reflecting green ; lower part 'of the breast and whole belly, white ; flanks crossed with fine zigzag lines of dusky ; tail, short, rounded, and of a dull brownish black • legs and feet, gieenish ash ; webs, black ; irides, rich orange '; stonuich filled with gravel and some vegetable food. In young birds, the head and upper part of the neck are purplish brown ; in some, the chestnut ring on the fore part of the middle of the neck is obscure, in others very rich and glossy, and, in one or two specimens which I have seen it is altogether wanting. The back is in some instances destitute of the fine powdered particles of white, while in others these markings are large and thickly interspersed. The specimen from which the drawing was taken was shot on the Delaware on the 10th of March, and presented to me by Dr S. B. Smith of this city. On dissection, it proved to be a male, and was exceeding fat and tender. Almost every specimen I have since met with has been in nearly the same state; so that I cannot avoid thinking this species equal to most others for the table, and greatly superior to many GOLDEN-EYE. (Anas dangula.) PLATE LXVII.-FiG. 6, Male. Le Garrot, Briss. vi. p. 416, pi. 37, fig. 2.-Buff. ix. p. 222.-Arct. Zool. No. 486.- Lath. Syn. iii. p. 53D. CLANGULA VULGARIS.-FLEMliiG.* Clangula vulgaris, Flcm Br. Anim. p. I20.-North. Zool. ii. p. 454.-Fuligula cliingula, Bonap. Synop. p. 39.3.-Subgeii. Clangula. ' This duck is well known in Europe, and in various regions of the United States, both along the sea-coast and about the • The golden-eye is found on botL continents, and in the northern par s of Europe during winter is one of the most common migratory ducks. The garrots are distinguished by a short, stout, and compact body ; the neck short, the head Lnrge, and apparently more so from i GOLDEN-E VE. 477 lakes and livers of the interior. It associates in small parties, and may easily be known by the vigorous whistling of its thick plumage ; the bill short, hut thick and raised at the base ; the feet placed far behind, and formed for swimming. The flight is short and rapid. In habit, they delight more in lakes and rivers than the sea i are generally found in small Hocks ; are very clamorous during the breeding season, and feed on fish, aquatic insects, nioluscas, &c. Richard- son says, " Clangula vulgaris and alheola freqiient the rivers and fresh- water lakes throughout the Fur Countries in great numbers. They are by no means shy, allowing the sportsman to approach sufficiently near ; but dive so dexterously at the ^lash of a gun or the twang of a bow, and are consequently so difficult to kill, that the natives say they are endowed with some supernatural power. Hence their ajipellation of "conjuring," or " spirit-ducks." In Britain, they are winter visitants, assembling in small parties on the lakes and rivers. On the latter, they may be generally found near the head or foot of the stream, diving incessantly for the spawn of salmon, with which I have often found their stomach filled. The party generally consists of from four to ten, and they dive together. At this time, it is not very difficult to approach them, by running for- ward while they are under water, and squatting when they rise. I way, come to the very edge of the river, and have often, in thi^ awaited the arisih:^ of the flock. When taken by surprise, they dive on the instant of the first shot, but rise and fly immediately after. The young of the first year has been made a nominal species, and is somewhat like the adult females, but always distinguished by larger size, darker colour of the plumage of the head, and the greater propor- tion of white on the wings. The males have the white spot on the cheek perceptible about the first spring, and the other parts of the plumage proportionally distinct. Among most of the flocks which visit our rivers in winter, it is rare to find more than one full plumaged male in each, sometimes not more than two or three are seen during the winter among fifty or sixty immature birds. The American ducks belonging to this group are C vulgaris, alheola, and G. Barrovii, or Rocky Mountain garrot, a new species, discovered by the Overland Arctic Expedition, and described and figured in the " North- ern Zoology." The following is the description ; it has only yet been foimd in the valleys of the Rocky Mountains. " Notwithstanding the general similarity in the form and markings of this bird and the common golden-eye, the difference in their bills evidently points them out to be a distinct species. The Rocky Moun- tain garrot is distinguished by the pure colour of its dorsal plumage, and the smaller portion of white on its wings and scapulars ; its long flank feathers are also much more broadly bordered all round with black. 478 GOLDES'-EYE. wings as it passes tlirongh the air. It swima and dives well, but seldom walks on shore, and then in a waddling, awkward manner. Peeding chiefly on shellfish, small fry, &c., their flesh is less esteemed than that of the preceding. In the United States, they are only winter visitors, leaving us again in the month of April, being then on their passage to the north to breed. They are said to bnild, like the wood-duck, in hollow trees. _ The golden-eye is nineteen inches long, and twenty-nine in extent, and weighs on an average about two pounds ; the bill is black, short, rising considerably up in the forehead'- the plumage of the head and part of the neck is somewhat tumid, and of a dark green, with violet reflections, marked near the corner of the month with an oval spot of white ; the irides are golden yellow ; rest of the neck, breast, and whole lower parts white, except the flanks, which are dusky ; back and wincr.s' black ; over the latter a broad bed of white extends from llie middle of the lesser coverts to the extremity of the secondaries • the exterior scapulars are also white ; tail, hoary brown ; rump and tail-coverts, black ; legs and toes, reddish orange ; webs very large, and of a dark purplish brown ; hind toe and exte- rior edge of the inner one. broadly finned ; sides of the bill obliquely dentated ; tongue, covered above with a fine thick velvety down, of a whitish colour. The full plumaged female is seventeen inches in length, and twenty-seven inches in extent ; bill, brown, orange noar'the tip • head and part of the neck, brown, or very dark drab, bounded below by a ring of while; below that, the neck is ash, tipt with white ; rest of the lower parts, white ; wings, dusky six of the secondaries and their greater coverts, pure white, except the tips of the last, which are touched with dusky spots; rest of the wmg-coverts, cinereous mixed with whitish; back and The bases of tlie greater coverts in the golden-eye are black ; but they are concealed, and do not ibnn the black band so conspicuous in this species." The total lengtli of a male brought home by the Expedition M'as twenty-two inches in length.-ED. « ^Apeuuiou COLDF.N'F.YF.. 4/9 Rcnpulara, dusky, tipi with brown ; foci, dull ornn<:jc ; ncross iho vent, a bjind of ciiiercoua ; longno, covered with the same velvely down ns the ninle. The yonnj; birds of the first soiison very much resemble the females, but may generally be distinguished by the while spot, or at least its rudiments, which maric the corner of the mouth ; yet, in sonio cases, even this is variable, both old and young mule birds occasionally wanting the spot. From an exaniiuatiou of many individuals of this species of both sexes, I havO very little doubt that the morillon of Eng- lish writers {Anas gkmcion) is nothing more than the young male of the golden-eyo. The conformation of the trachea or windpipe of the nude of this species is singular. Nearly about its middle it swells out to at least five times its common diameter, the concentric hoops or rings of which this part is formed falling obliquely into one another when the windpipe is relaxed ; but when stretched, this part swells out to its full size, the rings being then drawn apart ; this expansion extends for about three inches ; three more below this, it again forms itself into a hard cartilaginous shell of an irregular figure, and nearly as largo as a walnut ; from the bottom of this labyrinth, as it has been called, the trachea branches off to the two lobes of the lungs ; that branch which goes to the left lobe being three times the dia- meter of the right. "JMie female has nothing of all this. The intestines measure five feet in length, and are largo and thick. I have examined many individuals of this species, of both sexes and in various stages of colour, and can therefore aflirm with certainty that the foregoing descri[)tion8 are correct. Europeans have differed greatly in their accounts of this bird, from finding males in the same garb as the females, and other full plumaged males destitute of the spot of white on t,he cheek; but all these individuals bear such evident marks of belong- ing to one peculiar species, that no judicious naturalist, with all these varieties before him, can long hesitate to prououuco them the same. 48o SHOVELLER. SHOVELLER. {Anas chj^eala) PLATE LXVII.-FiG. 7, Male. Le Souchet, Briss. vi. p. 329, G, pi. 32, fig. l.—Buff. ix. 191, PI. enl. 971.— Arct. Zool. No. A%5.— Cateshy, i. pi. 96, female.— Za the $ « •I- 5. a I M|i> i 1 s j ': ', 'iKl '' 1 f itJ ' '^ , GOO^SANDlilt, 483 (GOOSANDER. {Mcrg^ifi mergnnsev.) I'LATH I-XVITI. Flu. 1, Mai-R. i;iIarIo, Briu. vl. p. 231. 1. ,.1. 23.-B,^/- viji. ,.. 'M, 1'1;^2:. --.IrW. Zool. ««.- Lath. Syu. iii. l>. 418. - I'mIvh Mwo'nm, No. JUJ-'. MKJtaUS MEHOANSKR. Linna:uh.» OooKandcr, or M.TRanHcr, Jl^..^ Or».7/,. Z^.W. „nd Supp.-Bew It,. /Jin/., ii. p. 254 -.S'W/.'/''. llliut. pi. r,7.-MornuH in.TKauH.M', /»..»"/'. 'V'-'-V-.P' • •'7-- Vi'/cw. iir.'ylHtm. p. l'28.-Oni...lu lliuk-, Teiam. Man. U'OrnUli. u. 881. This lavfro nud iHUidHoinoly-iniukod bird lu'loiiRs to a romus (lidoront from tluit of tlio iluck, on nccount of tlio piiiticuliir * The .'cuus Merqus has been universally allowed. 1 1 contniiiH nine or tenBpecien, nlliea in their geucnvl fonu, but easily .list iuKuiHlunlhy Ihe.r r.lun.a.'e. They are truly a-iuati.', and never (luit the mi or lakes e.x- iept fo"r a partial repose or plunwnK, or during' the th • of meubat.ou. Their food is entirely lish, and they are necessarily e.vpert divers ; the bill i8 len-'thencd an.l narrow, its edges regularly serrated with recurved points. The breeding places of many of them are yet unknown but I believe that the greater proportion at that season retire inhuul to the more setmcstered lakes. I am also of opinion that the male l.n'sakes Ins mate so soon as she begins to .it, abo,^ which time he also loses the beautiful crest and plumage in which he is clothe.l during winter and spring, and assumes a duller garb. The males are remarkable for their difFerence from the other sex, whence the long-disputed point, now satisfactorily proved, of this and the f<,llowing bird being dillerent. That of the male is generally black or glossy green, contrasted witli he purest white or rich shades of tawny yellow ; that ol the femah-, the chaster grays and browns. Both are furni.shed with crests, composed of loose hackled feathers. i i .1 „,„ The distribution of the group' seems to be European and l^oth con- tinents of America. I have seen none from India or New Holland, thoupcv mnniUblo with two coirespondinf;; rows of ihio tooth witliin, tiio lower ilividod to the nail, nml (xnincctod by a tbin obistic nionibrnno, which admits of considorable expansion, to fjieilitalo the passage of fish ; nostrils, sub-ovate, broader on tlio hind part ; the bill is black above and below, its sides crimson ; the tongue is long, pointed, furnished with a double row of papillii' rutming along the middle, and has a hairy border ; irides, golden ; the front- let, lores, area t)f the eyes, and throat, jet black ; head, crested, tumid, and of a beautiful glossy bottle-green colour, extending nearly half-way down tho nock, the remainder of which, with the exterior part of tho scapulars, tho lesser coverts, the greater part of the secondaries, tho tertials and lining of the wings, white, delicately tinged with cream colour ; tho breast and whole lower parts arc of a rich cream colour ; the upper ])art of tho back and tho interior scapulars, a fine glossy bhvck ; tho primaries and exterior part of the secondaries, with their coverts, arc brownish black ; tho lower part of nearly all tho coverts of the secondaries, white, tho upper part, bhuik, form- ing a bar across the wing ; tho shoulder of tho wing is brownish ash, the feathers tii)t with black; tho middle and lower parts of the back and tail-coverts, ash, tho plumage centred with brown ; tail, brownish ash, romided, composed of eighteen feathers, aiul extends about three inches beyond the wings ; tho flanks aro marked with waving, fiuely-dolted lines of ash on a while ground ; tertials on tho outer vanes, edged with black; tho legs and feet are of a rich orango; toes, lotig, middle one somewhat tho longest ; claws, flesh-coloured. The whole plumage is of a silky softness, particularly that of tho head and neck, which feels like tho most delicate velvet. Naturalists represent tho I'eet ami legs of this species as of the colour of red sealing-wax. This is an error which aroso from the circumstance of their having seen their specimens some time after they had been killed. When the bird is alive, these parts aro of a beautiful orange, which changOB after death to the colour they mention. 488 FEMALE GOOSANDER. The above description was taken from a fine full-plumac-ed male, which was shot in the vicinity of Philadelpbia in U.e month of January. It was in good condition, and weighed three pounds thirteen ounces avoirdupois.] FEMALE GOOSANDER. PLATE LXVIII.— Fig. 2. i'ea/e'ail/w.eumKo 293.3 -Dun Diver. Lath. Syn. iii. p. 240.-^m. Zool. No m.-BcunckBBrit. Birds, ii. p. 2:}.-Tnrt. Syst. p. 335.-L'Harlo FemcUe Srm. M. p. 23G, Buff. yiu. p. 272, Fl. enl. %3. "ortmcue, MERGUS MERGANSER.— Lmisms,. ^^"'pf'V ^°«"f;-^I^'-sus castor, Linn. Si;st. i. 209. - Merganser cincreus, Brm.Orn.y^. 254.-Dun Diver, or Sparling Fowl, Mont. Bcu: &c.-Goos ander Female, .Sdfiys /«««<. pi. ivii. • -"t'^. 0.0. 000s- This generally measures an inch or two shorter than the male; the length of the present specimen was twenty-five inches ; extent, thirty-five inches ; bill, crimson on the sides black above; irides, reddish; crested head and part of the peck, dark brown, lightest on the sides of the neck, where it inchnes to a sorrel colour ; chin and throat, white ; the crest shoots out m long radiating flexible stripes; upper part of tiie body, tail, and flanks, an ashy slate, tinged with brown • primaries, black; middle secondaries, white, forming a lai-e speculum on the wing; greater coverts, black, tipt for half an mch with white ; sides of the breast, from the sorrel-coloured part of the neck downwards, very pale ash, with broad semi- circular touches of white ; belly and lower part of the breast a fine yellowish cream colom-a distinguishing trait also in tlie male ; legs and feet, orange red. [It is truly astonishing with what pertinacity Monta. 190, 1)1. 13; PL enl. 954— Ard. Zoul. No. 500.— Z«//t. Syn. iii. i». 5-'0.— Peak's Museum, No. 280G. DAFILA ACUTA.-1,P.KCU.\ Dafila caudacuta, Shaw's Zool. Steph. Cont. xii. p. 127.— Canard A longuo queue nu pillet, Tanm. Man. (TOrnith. ii. 838. — Pintail, Movt. Jkir.~- ^elhy's Illust. pi. 42, w.— Anas acuta, Cmckcr.— Flrm. Br. Anim. p. 124.— Bonap. Synop. p. 383.— Anas (Dalila) caudacuta, North. Zool. ii. j). 441. TiiK pintail, or, as it is sometiiucs called, the spri<;tail, is a common and well-known duck in our markets, much csleemod for the excellence of its flesh, and is generally in good order. It is a shy and cautious bird, feeds in the mud flats and shal- low fresh-water marshes, but rarely resides on the sea-coast. It seldom dives, is very noisy, and has a kind of chattering note. When wounded, they will sometimes dive, and coming up. conceal themselves under the bow of the boat, moving round as it moves. Are vigilant in giving the alarm on the approach of the gunner, *vlio often curses the watchfulness of ♦ The concluding paragraph, marked off with brackets, ia an addition by Mr Ord. t In this beautiful species we have the type of the subgenus JJafda. In it the marginal laniiuai begin to disappear, and tlie bill to assunio what may be called a more regular outline, approaching to that of ^1. hoschas, our wild and domestic breed. Another peculiarity is the de- velopment of the tail, which becomes much lengthened, whence the name of sea-'pheasant. In this country they arc not very common, which may arise from their being more diilicult to procure, by their fre(pient- ing the sea rather than any inland water ; they are frequently taken, hosvever, in decoys, and I orce shot two feeding in the evening on a wet •='- '/bio. field in company with the common wild duck.— Ed. 490 FINTAIL DUCK. the sprigtail. Some dncka, when aroused, disperse in dif- ferent directions ; but the sprigtails, when alarme(l, chister confusedly together as they mount, and thereby afford the sportsman a fair opportunity of raking them witli advantage. They generally leave the Delaware about the middle of lilarch, on the way to their native regions, the north, where they are most numerous. They inhabit the whole northern parts of Europe and Asia, and doubtless tiie cori-esponding latitudes of America ; are said likewise to be found in Italy. Great flocks of them are sometimes spread along the isles and shores of Scotland and Ireland, and on the interior lakes of both these countries. Ou the marshy shores of some of the bays of Lake Ontario, they are often plenty in the months of October and November. I have also met with them at Louisville, ou the Ohio. The pintail duck is twenty-six inches in length, and two feet ten inches in extent ; the bill is a dusky load colour ; irides, dark hazol ; head and half of the neck, pale brown, each side of the neck marked with a band of purple violet, border- ing the white ; hind part of the upper half of the neck. I hick, bordered on each side by a stripe of white, which spreads over the lower part of the neck before ; sides of the breast and upper part of the back, white, thickly and elegantly marked with transverse undulating lines of black, here and there tinged with pale buff; throat and middle of the belly, white, tinged with cream ; flanks, finely pencilled with waving lines ; vent, white ; under tail-coverts, black; lesser wing-coverts, brown ash ; greater, the same, tipt with orange; below which is the speculum, or beauty spot, of rich golden green, bordered below with a band of black and another of white ; primaries, dusky brown ; tertials, long, black, (!dged with white, and tinged with rust; rump and tail-coverts, pale ash, centred with dark brown ; tail greatly pointed, the two middle taper- ing feathers being full five inches longer than the others, and black, the rest brown ash, edged with white ; legs, a pale lead colour. BLUE-WINGED TEAL, 491 The fenwlotjns tlic crown of ii dark brown colour; nock, of II (lull hrowuish wliito, thickly Hpocklod with dark brown ; breast and belly, palo brownish white, inters[u'rsed with white ; back, and root of the neck above, bhick, each feather el(>«;antly waved with broad lines of brownish white, these wavinj^s be- conio ruf'ona on the scapulars"; vent, white, spotted with dark brown ; tail, dark brown, spotted with white ; tho two niiddlo tail-feathers half an inch lon