FORTHE PEOPLE FOR EDVCATION FORSCIENCE LIBRARY or THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY iiiiiinnmmiiiimninfnniiTTmimnniiiiniiitiiniiiiiiniinifnni'infWfminHiwnnmiminnnniPBiTiMm >V;' \ >^ ,^0W The Song Thrush. ^1.^ e K SKETCH-BOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS BY R. BOWDLER SHARPE, LL.D., EL.S., etc. Aisistanl-Kccper, Sub-Department of Verlcbrata, British Museum. /■■■ ';':0iil/i^ THE PEREGRINE FALCON. WITH COLOURED ILLUSTRATIONS BY A. F. AND C. LYDON. Sonboii : SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE, Northumberland Avenue, W.C. ; 43, Queen Victoria Street. F..C. BRIGHTON : 129, North Street. NEW YORK : E. & J. 13. Young & Co. i8q8. PUBLISHED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE GENERAL LITERATURE COMMITTEE. Prlnlftd by Riddle Si Codciuian. Ti, Soiitliwark BridRe Road, London, S.E. PREFACE. ' I 'HIS little work will, I trust, be found useful as a Sketch-book of the Birds of Great Britain. Its limits have not allowed of my attemptin>; a full history ot the species, and I have but added a few notes as a running commentary on the little pictures which Messrs. A. F. and C. L^-don have provided. The Systematic Index is, I belie\'e, the most complete record of the birds in the 'British List' yet published. It contains the two latest additions to the British Avifauna, Herbivocula schwarzi and Mii>iia atricapilla, and brings the total number of species to 445. R. BOWDLER SHARPE Chiswick, October ^,151. 1898. Thl Blackbird. The Redwing. The Mistle Thrush. The Thrlsh. INTRODUCTION. THE Orders of the Class A-zvs are thirty-lour in number, and of these twenty-two are represented in the ' British List.' Such is the term applied to the roll of species which have occurred, or which are supposed to have occurred, within the area of the British Islands. The birds which ought to be considered as actually British are those which «f.v/ with us, as the breeding-place is, after all, the real home of a bird ; but there are also the regular migrants to be considered, I'/s.— the species which pass to and fro in spring and autumn — and finally, the occasional or accidental visitors. The claims of many of the species included under the last two headings are often so slight, that the birds can hardly be considered worthy of a place in the ' British List ' at all, but in the present work every species has been mentioned, so that the evidence of these stray occurrences may be taken for what it is worth. The total number of British Birds is now believed to be 445, divided as follows: — Passerifu7'>nes (Perching Birds) ... Picifurmcs (Woodpeckers) Cuciiliformcs (Cuckoo-like Birds) Coraciifnnnfs (Roller-like Birds) Strigiformcs (Owls) Accipitriforincs (Birds of Prey) ... PeleCMiiformcs (Pelican-like Birds) Phatiicoptcriformcs ( Flamingoes) Anscrifonncs (Duck-like Birds)... Ardeiformcs (Heron-like Birds)... Grniformcs [Cranes) ('haradriiformcs (Plover-like Birds) SPECIES ... 156 7 4 14 II 31 4 I ... 4S 14 2 .. 60 Larifoniics (Gulls) Alcifonncs (Auks) Proccllariiforines ( Petrels) ('iily)Hliifonncs (Divers) ... I'lidicipcdidiformcs (Grebes) Kiilliforiius (Rails) ('tdin/di/foi //ics (\'\geons) ... P'lcroclctifuniies (Sand-Grouse) . (itillifonni-s (Game-Birds) 7'iiriiic/fvrmi-s (Hemipodes) SPECIES 52 17 4 6 10 6 I 8 I 445 Of these four hundred and forty-five species, there are doubtless several that have no real claim to be considered British at all. The evidence of the capture of many of the specimens is not convincing, and many species are included in the British Avifauna on untrustworthy data. They have been, however, on the British list for so many years that any attempt to shake the authenticity of their occurrence by a single author may be resented. It is to be hoped that an authoritative list of British Birds may be published by the British Ornithologists' Union or by the B. O. Club. viii. British Birds. The difficulty of arranging and tabulating the various species which have been recorded as ' British,' is much greater than any una who had not essayed the task would believe, and it is scarcely possible that any two Ornithologists will entirely agree on the subject. I have, therefore, ventured, entirely on my own authority, to place before my readers, a synopsis of the British species as chronicled up to the present time, and I have assigned to them what I believe to be their constituent worth with regard to their membership of the British Avifauna, so that there is room for ample discussion on the subject. 1 propose to arrange the British Birds under the toUowing heads : — I.— SPECIES TO BE REJECTED (3). The evidence in the cases of Mclanocoryplia calandra, Pycnonoiiis capensis and TuDiix syhiatica, seems to be utterly untrustworthy, and the species should be dropped out of all future lists of British Birds. The occurrence of the Orphean Warbler is also not satisfactorily proven, but as several Warblers from the south have undoubtedly reached Britain, it is as well to leave Sylvia orplteiis in the list for the present. There are several other species, like Ross's Gull, the Swallow-tailed Kite, Purple Martin, etc., which are included on evidence quite as slender. The Polish Swan [Cvgnus iininntahilis\, is considered to be a domestic variety ot C ninr. II.— SPECIES WHICH HAVE PROBABLY ESCAPED FROM CONFINEMENT (14). I Agctdiis phaiticeus. 2 Sco/ecup/ingiis caroliniis. 3 Sluniclla magna. 4 StriiiKS canaria (Wild Canary). 5 Munia atricapilla, 6 Bcniicla canadensis. 7 jEx sponsa. S C/iena/iiprx irgyp/iaca. 9 Cairina inoschata. 10 Chionis alba. 11 Porphyria arnilcus. \i Porphyria poiphyrio. 13 Cygniis buccinator. 14. C. amcricanns. That some of the above occurrences are those of escaped birds, no reasonable doubt can be felt; but in the case of the three species of the North American Hang-nests, it is quite possible that they were migrants blown out nf their course to the eastward, and, if this be conceded, they can be reckoned with the ' Occasional Visitors from the West ' mentioned below. On the other hand, some of the latter, such as Turdus migratorius, and Ectopistcs migratoria might be added to the category' of those species which have, in all probability, escaped from confinement. III.— INDIGENOUS SPECIES (138.) I Trypanocora.v friigiltgns. 2 Co/i'iis corax. 3 Co7-onc corotic. 4 C. comix. 5 Culaia 7>ioncdiila. 6 Garrulus glandarius. 7 Pica pica. 8 Graculiis graciilus. 9 Stiintns vulgaris. 10 /Jgiirinits chloris. 11 Coccoihraiistcs caccvtiiranstcs. 12 Fringilla coslcbs. 13 Chrysotnitris spinas. 14 Cardnclis cardiiclis. 15 Cannabina Jlavirostris. 16 C. cannahina. 17 C. riifcsccns. iS Passe/ domestic/is. 19 Passer viontanus. 20 Loxia cuivirostra. 21 Pyrrhula ennp-nra. 11 Emberiza scha:nicli(s. 23 E. citrinclla. 24 E. ci/Pas. 25 Miliaria miliaria. 26 Alaiida arvensis. 27 Liillula arborea. 28 Motacilla lugubris. 29 M. mclannpte. 30 Anthns pratensis. 31 A. obscnrus. 32 Certliia familiaris. 33 .Sitta C(vsia. 34 J'arns major. 35 J', ca-nilens. 36 /'. br/tanniins. 37 /'. dirsseri. 38 /'. .mliearins. 39 Lophnphanes cristains. 40 Aigitlialus vagans. 41 Calamophihis liiarmicus. 42 Kegiilns regnlus. 43 Mclizophilus nnda/iis. 44 .Menila meriila. 45 Tnrdiis masicus. 46 7". viscivorus. 47 Erithaens rnbecnla. 48 Pratincola rubicola. 49 Tharrhalens modularis. 50 Cinclns aqiiaticus. 51 Anortliura troglodytes. 52 A. hirtensis. y^ Geciniisviridis. '^\ Dendrocopns major. 55 D. minor. 56 Alcedo ispida. 57 Asia otiis. 58 A. accipitriniis. 59 Syrninm aliico. do Strix Jiammca. 61 Pandion haliaeliis. 62 Circus cyaneus. 63 C. trruginosus. 64 Accipitcr nisits. 65 Buteo buteo. 66 Aquila chrysaetus. 67 Haliactus alhialln. (>% Milvus milvus. 6() Falco pc?rgrinus. ■^o Cerchncis tinnuneulus. 71 Phalaerocorax carbo. 72 P. graculus. 73 Dysporus bassatuis. 74 Anscr anser. 75 Cygnus olor. 76 Tadorna tadorna. ■]■; .Spatula clypcata. jS ylnas boscas. yg Chaulelasmusstreperus. So Mareca penclope. Si Xettion crecca. 82 Nyroca ferina. S3 Fuligula fnligula. 84 .Somateria mollissima. 85 (Edcmia tiigra. 86 Merganser jnciganscr. 87 M. senator. Sf, Ardeacinerea. 89 [liolaurus s/ellaris\ go [Otis tarda]. 91 CEdicnemus wdicnemus. Iiitriniiicliuii. ix. 92 Cliaradrius pluvialis. 93 .i^gialitis liiaticohi. 94 / 'aiicllits vaiicllus. 95 HiTiiiatopKs ostralcgns. 96 A'liDiciiiiis arqiiatus. 97 A', pha-opiis. 98 Totanits calidris. 99 Glottis nebulariKS. 100 Pclidiia alpiiia. loi Gallinago gallinago. 102 Scolopax rusticula. 103 Phalarnpits tiyperborciis. 104 Lariis ridibuiidiis. 105 L.marinus. 106 L.fuscus. 107 L. argcntatus. 108 L. Minis. 109 ^/j-^a tridadyla. wo Megalestes catarrhactes. Ill Stcrcorarius crepidatiis. 112 A/ca tarda. 113 [Plaittus impcn»ts\ 114 I'ria troile. 115 U.ringvia. 116 Ccpphiis grylle. 117 Frateirula arctica. 118 ProccUaria pelagica- 119 Oceanodroma leuconiioa. 120 Fidmarus glacinlis. 121 Pi/ffi>ius pii.ffiniis.'~ 122 Colymbus arctkiis. 123 C septentrionalis. 124 Lophathyia cristata. 125 Podicipes fluviatilis. 126 Rallns a'/iiaiiais. 127 Galtinula chloropiis. 128 Fidica atra. 129 Columba patmnbus. 130 C «•««;>■. 131 C. //<'/>?. 132 Lagopus scoticus. 133 i-. niuiiis. 134 Lyrurus tetrix. 135 Tctrao iirogallns. 136 Caccabis rufa. 137 Perdix perd/.v. 137 Phasiainis coh/iiciis. IV.— VISITORS FROM THE SOUTH. Regular Visitors (70). The following may be considered as regular visitors. They can be divided into two categories — those wliich breed, or have bred, in the British Islands, and those which have not been known for certain to do so. To the latter category belong 12 sjiecies as follows: — 1 Embcrisa liortulaiia. 2 Mcrops apiaster. 3 Strepsilas intcrprcs. 4 Sqiiatarola helvetica. 5 Limiisa Uippouica. 6 Totaniis fiisais. 7 Hctodromas ocliropiis. S Calidris arciiaria. 9 Limoiiitfs iiiiniita. 10 /,. tcinniiiirki. 11 AiKvlarlii/i/s snbarquatHs. 12 Triiiga catmtiis. The following 58 species breed regularly within our area, or have been known to do so at some time or other. Many species have been banished from their northern nesting-places by the drainage of the fens, or by the march of civilisation : — I Oriohis galbiila. 2 Motacilla alba. 3 J/, campcstris. 4 il/. flava. 5 Anthiis trivialis. 6 Lanius collyrio. 7 Sylvia sylvia. 8 6'. curriica. 9 .b". atricapilla. 10 .y. simplc.v. II PhylloscopHS sibilator. 12 y. trochilus. 13 P. minor. 14 Acrocephaliis pliragiiiitis. 15 A.strepcn/s. 16 A. paliisiris. 17 Lociistella ittcriis rosciis. 35 Plioy.v purpurea. 36 Hcrodias alba. 37 Garzctta garzctta. 38 Nycticorax nycticorax. 39 Ardeola nil I aides. 40 Hit bit I cits lucidus. 41 Ardetta tninuta. 42 Ciconia ciconia. 43 PlcgU'tis falcineltiis. 44 .Uitliropnidcs virgo. 45 Tetrax X. British Birds. telrax: 46 Cmsorins galliCHS. 47 Glarcola pratincola. 48 /Egialitis dnbia. 49 Himantopus hhnantopus. 50 Totantis slagnatilis. 51 Hydrochelidoii liyhrida. 52 H. Iciicoptera. 53 Gelocliclidoii anglica. 54 Hydroprognc caspia. 55 SIcrna anasthcta. 56 S. fitligitiosa. 57 Anoiis stolidiis. 58 Lanis vtclannccphalits. 59 Uccaiiodroma castro. 60 Pi:lagrodrm/ia marina. 61 Daptioii capcnsis. 62 I'l/Jfjiiiis ycUcoiiainis. (>t, I'.obsciiriis. 64 /'. asshn/h's. 65 /". g/isa/s. 6b QLstrclata hicvipcs. 67 Didwcria bulwcri. 68 I)io)ncdea iin'laiinpJirys. 69 Prodnpiis iiigrkoUis. v.— VISITORS FROM THE EAST. Regular Visitors (5). I Aiitluts (aiiipesfris. 2 ^. spipolctta. 3 .s)'/-'/(7 nisoria. 4 KiiticiUa titys. 5 /.r7;v/.? m/iintiis. Accidental or Occasional Visitors (38). 1 Niidfi'aga niacrorhvncha. 2 Pastor }-osciKS (43). 1 Ciiiiiiiil)iiia rostnita. 2 C. lioriicmaniii. 3 l.nxia Icucoptcra. 4 Rcgii/iis calcitdida. 5 Turdus migratoriiis. 6 Progne purpurea. 7 Dcndrocopiis villosiis. S I), piibesccns. 9 Coccyziis a)iicriauiiis. 10 C. crythroplitlialmtis. 11 Cc7ylc alcyoii. 12 .Snrniafuncrca. 13 Astur atricapiUus. 14 Butco boreal/ s. 15 5. Ihieaiiis. 16 Elanoides furcatiis. 17 Plotiis aiiliiiiga. 18 Clicii hyperlwrei/s. 19 Marcca amcricana. 20 Nett/oii carolincjise. 21 Qiicr(/iicdiila discors. 22 Cliariloiiettaalheola. 2'i Qidemia perspiciltata. 2i, Loplwdytcs ciicitllali/s. 25 Botaiinis letitiginosus. 26 O.xvceluis vocifcriis. 27 Niimenius borealis. 28 Macror/iamp/iiis griseiis. 29 To/amis flavipes. 30 He/odro!/ias solitariiis. 31 Trhigoidcs ?nacidariiis. 32 Bartramia loiigicaiida. 33 Tringites subruJicoUis. 34 Limoniics mhiutiUa. 35 Hctcropygm macidaia. 36 //. fuscicollis. 37 Stcganopns tricolor. 38 lAiriix Philadelphia. 39 Uceanifis occaiiica. 40 CEsirclata ho'siiata. 41 l'odilyiid)i(s podieipcs. 42 J'orza/ia rarolijia. 43 Ectopistes inig7-atoria. I can quite imagine that considerable exception will be taken by many Ornithologists to the arrangement of the above list, bnt, as Dr. Sclater pointed out at a recent meeting of the British Ornithologists' Club, the flight of any American species to the shores of Great Britain is not really greater than the bird would take in its ordinaPi- flight to its winter home. It would require, therefore, but an adverse wind to drive it to ]!ritain instead of to its ordinary winter home in Central or South America I fully expect that a difference of opinion on many points in the above synopsis will be felt amongst Ornithologists, especially amongst those who cling to the traditions of the recognised ' British List.' The different categories under which the species should be arranged are not easy to define, and exception may be taken to the headings under which I have placed some of them Thus, for instance, the Alpine Chough (Pyrrhocora.v pyiThocorax) might reasonably be con- sidered to be one of those species which have escaped from confinement. Coracias abyssiiiicus might with reason be relegated to the list of spurious British species, and so on. Again, the Little Bunting (Embcriza piisilla) might be supposed to be a visitor from the North instead of from the East, but in each case 1 have had in my mind the winter home of the species, and its probable line of migration. All the questions respecting the statusof every species in the List of British Birds could easily be settled by a committee of expert ornithologists, and if each bird was considered under its English name, some unanimity might be expected. Opinions differ so widely as to the proper scientific names of our British Birds, that it is useful sometimes to liave an independent opinion on the subject, and such I have endeavoured to express in the present work. R. B. S. ------Forehead ~~ -''Crown X -f. ^Occiput Hina-Neck Mantle '\Wmt' — Lower Rump Back I mne \X secondaries Upper tail-coverts Culmen _Tomium .Cen_ys Lower- Median win^- , coverfs Lower- Greater coverts DIAGRAM. OF A STAKLIN'G, DEFINING THE TERMINOLOGY OF A BIRD. Systemaiic Index. xiu. SYSTEMATIC INDEX. Order PASSERI FORMES Faniily CORVIDJL 1. Rook {Trypaiioco7'a.\ fnigilri^us) 2. 'R?iXen {Coj-vjis cora.x) 3. Carrion Crow {Coronc coroiic) 4. Hooded Crow (Co7-oiic conux) 5. Jackdaw (Co/a'?/i moiicdula)... 6. Siberian Nutcracker yXicfifraga mac- rorhyndia) 7. Jay {GaiTu/HS glandarins) ... 8. IMagpie {Pica pica) 9. Chough (Graculus gracnhis\ 10. Alpine Chough {Pyrrhocoya.xpyrrlio- corax) Family JCTEKJfXE 1. Red-winged Hang-nest {Agcl/cus p/iaiiiccus) 2. Rusty Black Hang-nest (Scoleco- pliagics carolinus) 3. Meadow Lark (Shinu-iia magna) .. Familv FR[NGILLIDjE Sub-Family FRIiXGILLIXyE 1. Greenfinch {Ligurinus cltloris) 2. Hawfinch (Coccotiuanstcs cocco- tliraustcs) 3. Chaffinch {Friiigilla cwlclis) 4. liranibling (Fringiila. montifriii- gilla) Family STURXID^ 7 1. Common Starling [Stiinnis vulgaris) 7 2. Rose-ColouredStarling(/V.s7«;vU'i'ina6itta cannahitia) Lesser Redpoll (Caimahiua riifes- ccns) Mealy Redpole (Cannahina linaria) Holboell's Redpoll (Caniudiina hoi- bwlli) Large-billed Mealy Redpoll (Caii- nabina ruslratd) Cones' Redpoll [Cainiahiiia cxiUpcs) Greenland Redpoll (Caiinabina lior- itcmaniii) House-Sparrow {Passer domcsticits) Tree Sparrow {Passer montanus) ... Serin Finch {Scrinus scriinis) Wild Canary (Scrinus camiria) Scarlet Bullfinch {Carpodacus ety- thriiuis] Crossbill (Loxia cwvirostra) Two-barred Crossbill, {Liixia bifas- ciata) American Two-barred ('rossbill {Loxia leucnptera) Bullfinch (Pyrrhu/a curopu'a) Greater Bullfinch {Pyrrliula pyr- rhula) Pine Finch {Pinicola cnuclcator) ... AGE 12 13 13 14 14 15 16 16 16 16 16 17 18 18 19 19 21 21 21 22 Sub-Family E.M PERI /.I X.E 22 26. Reed Bunting (Embcrisa sclia.'nicliis) 22 Little Bunting {Emhcriza pusilla) ... 23 Rustic Bunting (Embcrisa rustica)... 23 Black-headed Bunting {Emberiza melan(iccphala) 24 30. \e\\o\\'V>\m\im%(Embcrizacitrincna) 25 27. 28. 29. XIV. British Birds. 31. CuWiunX'mg iliinhcn'za ch'/iis) .-. 25 32. Ortolan Bunting [Eiiihciiza hortn- laiia] 26 2,2,. Siberian Meadow liiinting (Ein- bcriza cioidis) ... 26 34. Corn Bunting (.Miliaria miliaria) ... 26 35- Snow Bunting {Ph'Ctroplicna.v r.i- valis) ... ... ... ... ... 27 36. Lapland Bunting ( Ca/i arias lapponi- cu.<: ) ... 28 Family PLUCKID.-E I. Chestnut - bellied Weaver - Finch [Muiiia nlricapilla) ...241 Family AJ.. Win DA-: 28 1. ^\\ox^-\.^\V [Otvrorys alpeslris) ... 28 2. Calandra Lark (.Melamiroryplia calaiidra) ... ... ... ... 29 3. White-winged Lark (Mclaiiocvrypha sibirica) 29 4. 'Sky-\z.-^\i. (Ataiida at-c'i-mis) ... ..29 5. Short-toed Lark (Calaiiilrclla Orachy- dactyla) 30 6. Crested Lark [Galcrita cristata) ... 31 7. Wood Lark \I.iilliila arhoira) 31 Family .MOTACIU.ID.'E 32 1. Pied Wagtail KMoiacilla lugiibris)... 32 2. White Wagtail (Motacilla alba) ... 32 3. Grey Wagtail (Motacilla mclaiiopc).. 33 4. Yellow Wagtail [MolaciUa campcs- ii'iss 33 5. Blue-headed Wagtail {Motacilla flava) 34 6. Tree Pipit (.Inlinis trivialis) ... 35 7. Meadow Pipit (Antlnis pralciisls) ... 36 8. Red-throated Pipit (•4«///?/j-av't'/>/«,v') 36 9. Richard's Pipit (Aiitlnis ricliardi) ... 37 10. Tawny Pipit (Antlnis campcstrls) ... 37 11. 'WaS.er Vxp^X {Aittliiii spipolcita) ... 38 12. Rock Pipit \Anthiis obscurus) ... 38 13. Scandinavian Rock Pipit (Antlnis nipcstjis) 39 Famih ■ ( ER THI/DyE 40 1. Wall-C'ree])er (Tichodroma miiraiia) 40 2. 'Vvee-dreepev (Ccrtkia familiari.s) ... 43 Family SITTID.E I. Nuthach iSitta aesia) ... Family PARID.E 1. Great Tit (Pan/s major) 2. Blue Tit (Pariis acrulcus) 41 41 42 42 43 PAGE Coal Tit (Panii britaunicus) 43 European Coal Tit {Parus ater) ... 44 British Marsh Tit (Pariis drcsscri) ... 44 Continental Marsh Tit (Pants sali- carius) ... .44 Crested Tit (Lophophancs cristatiis] 45 British Long-tailed Tit [.EgithalKS vagaiis 45 White-headed Long-tailed Tit (.Egitlialiis caudal IIS) 46 ^eaxAedL"[\X (Painmis hiarmiciis\ ... 46 Family REGV LID a: 47 1. Common Gold-crest (/iV^«//c.s';r^i,'/^//«) 47 2. F'ne-cresX (Rcgiiljis igiticapillii.s) ... 47 3. Ruby-crest \Rcgulus calendula) ... 48 Family L.IMID.E 48 1. Lesser Grey Shrike (/,(!« w.? «//«w)... 48 2. Great Cirey Shrike (/.aiiius cxciibiton 48 3. Pallas's Great Grey Shrike A.aiiiiis sibiricii.':) 49 4. Red-backed Shrike (Lanius colliirio) 50 5. Woodchat (Lanius pomcraiiiis) ... 50 Family A.MPFLIDA-: 50 I. Wax-wing \.4mpflis garriiliis) .. 51 Family .SYLMIDA: 51 1. Barred Warbler (Sylvia nisorid) ... 51 2. Whitethroat (.s-i'/t'/cz .?i'/w'«) 52 3. Sub-alpine Warbler [.Syh'ia siib- alpina) 53 4. LesserWhite throat (6^i'/otV7 cwvvi'i'W) 53 5. Orphean Warbler (Sylvia orpliciis) 54 6. Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) ... 55 7. Garden Warbler (Sylvia simpler) ... 55 8. Dartford Warbler (Mclizophiliis 11 n- datics 55 9. ^■aiow&'V^i\x\i\ii\ (Acdon gaiactodcs) 56 10. Wood \\'arbler (Pliylliisrri/ms sibi- lator) ... 57 11. Willow Warbler (Pliylloscapus tro- cliilus 57 12. Q\\\'iic\vi'ii (Pliylloscopiis minor) ... 5S 13. Greenish Willow Warbler {Phvllos- copiis viridatius) 59 14. Yellow-Browed Willow Warbler PliylloscopHs supcrcilitjsii.s) ... 59 15. Pallas's Willow 'VV'arbler A'tiylloscn- piis prorcgiiliis) 60 16. Common Tree-warbler [llypolais hypolais) 60 17. Western Tree 'VVarbler {Hypolais polyglotta) 61 Systematic Index. XV. iS. Radde's Bush-Warbler (Hcrhixmcuhi scJiivarzi) 242 19. Aiiuatic Warbler [Acrocrplinlus aijuaticHS] ... ... ... ... 6i 20. Sedge Warbler (Acraceplialus plirai;initis) 62 21. Great Reed Warbler (Acroccplialus turdoides) 63 22. Reed Warbler (Acroccpltalus sii'C- peru.i\ ... 63 23. Marsh Warbler (Acrocr.pliahis pahtstris) 64 24. Grasshopper Warbler (Loaistclla ncn'ia) 65 25. Savi's Warbler (l.ocustclla liisci- lu'oides) 65 Family TL'RDID^'E 1. White's Thrush (Orcocichla varia)... 2. Siberian Ground-Thrush (Gcocichia sildrica) 3. Blackbird {Mcnila }>tcrit!a ) Ring Ouzel ^.Alcrula toniiiatd) Black-throatedOnzel {Mcriila atri«;u- laris) "ReCiwrng [Tio'dits i/iacHs) Song Thrush (Turdiis musicus) IVlistle Thrush (Tiirdus viscivorii.'i)... Fieldfare {Tiifdus pi'lat'i.i) American Thrush (Tiirdus ?iu'gni- tuniis) Commiin Nightingale \ Dan lias iiis- ciiiia) Redbreast {Erithaciis riibccula) Red-spotted Blue-thruat (Cyaacaila siiccica) Rock Thrush {Montiada sa.vatilis) ... Redstart \Rnticilla plui niciinis) Black Redstart {Ruticilla titys) Wheatear (Sa.vicola wiiaiithc) Isabclline Wheatear (Sa.xirola isahrl- liinn Black-throated Wheatear (Sa.vio/la stapazina) Desert Wheatear {Sa.vicola descr/i) Whinchat {Pratinrola riibclra) Stonechat {Pratiinnla nihicola) Hedge Sparrow [Tliaryhalnis inodii- laris) Alpine Accentor {Accentor collaris) 20. 21. 22. 23- 66 66 67 68 68 69 69 70 70 71 72 73 74 75 75 76 76 77 78 7S 79 79 80 81 Family CINCUD/E Si 1. \y\^^'^e:\' {Ciitcliis aquaticus) 81 2. Black-bellied Dipper {Ciiicliis ciii- cll/.':\ 82 PAGE Family TROGLODYTIDyE 82 1. Wren {Aiiorthiira troglodytes) ... 82 2. S. Kilila Wren {Aiioitliiira liirtcnsis) S3 Family PYCWOXOTIDJC 83 I. Gold-vented Bulbul {I'yctumotus cap- cusis) 83 Family MU.SCICAPID^ 84 1. Common Flycatcher {Miiscicapa grisola) S4 2. Pied Flycatcher {Ficcdida atri- capilla) 85 3. Red - breasted Flycatcher (.Sipliia parv(i) 85 Family HIRVNDIMD.P: 86 1. House Martin {Chclidon iirbica) ... 86 2. Sand Martin (Cli-idcula riparia) ... 87 3. Chimney Swallow (///rawrtfc rz/rf/crt) 88 4. Purple Martin [Progne purpurea). Order PICIFORMES 88 1. Greew'W ooAiiecker (Gecinus ziiridis).. 88 2. Great Black Woodpecker (Piai^ martins) 89 3. Great Spotted Woodpecker {P)ciidro- copHs jtiajor) ... go 4. Hairy Woodpecker (JJendrocopus 'tnllosus') 90 5. Downy Woodpecker (Dendrocopus pubcsccns) 90 6. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dni- drocopiis minor) 91 7. Wryneck {lyii.vtorqiiilla) 91 Order CUCULIFORMES 92 1. Common Cuckoo {(.'iiciilii:! canorus).. 92 2. Great Spotted Cuckoo {Coccystes glandarius) 93 3. Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus amc- ricanits) 94 4. Black-billed Cuckoo {Coctyztis crv- tliriiptliiiliini.s) 94 Order CORACHFORMES 95 Sub-Order CVPSFU 95 1. White-bellied Swil't (^//>?/j w/t'/Z/rt) ... 95 2. Common Swift (Apus apus) 96 3. Needle-tailed Swift {Chatura cau- dacuta) 96 Sub-Urdev CAPRIMil.Gl 97 1. Common Nightjar {Caprimutgus ci(7'opaus) ... 97 XVI. British Birds. 2. Isabelline Nightjar (Cap) hini/gus isabclliniis) 98 3. Red-necked Nightjar (Cdprii/iii/giis nifirollis) 98 Sub-Order ME ROPES 1. Commiin Bee - eater (Mcrops apiastcr) 2. Blue - tailed Bee - eater [Mcrops philippiiiiis) ... Sub-Ord.r V PUPAL I. Common Hoopoe [Lp?ipn cpops) ... 98 99 99 99 100 Sub-Order HALCYONES too 1. Common Kingfisher (Alccdo ispida).. 100 2. Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle akyon) ... loi Sub-Order COR AC I A: loi 1. QoramonV.oW^T (Coracias garrulns). loi 2. Abyssinian Roller {Coracias ahys- siniciis) ... 102 3. Indian Roller [Coracias /udiei/s) ... 102 Order STRIGIFORMES. 1. Eagle Owl [Bubo bubo) 103 2. Small Tnfted Owl (6"ro/.s' .y<"o/i) ... 104 3. Snowy Owl [Njclea nyctea) 104 4. Hawk-Owl [Suniia ulula) 105 5. American Haw'k - Owl (Surnia fullered) 106 6. Little Owl [Carine nocttia) 106 7. Long-eared Owl (^j/o o///,?) 107 8. 'Si\\or\.-^3.xfiA. Ow\{ Asia accipitriinis)... 107 <). \^ooA-0\m\ [Symiut/i aluco) loS 10. Tengmalm's Owl [\yetala /eiig- malmi) ... 108 11. V>?ixv\-C)\\\ {.Stri.v JianiDiea) 109 Order ACCIPITRI FORMES no Sub-Order PAMJIO.XES 110 I. Osprey iPaiidio/i /la/iae/us) ... ... no Sub-Order FA LCOAES in Fa7nily VULTURIDAl in 1. Griffon-Vulture (Gr;).? /«/T'«i) ... in 2. Egj^ptian Scavenger-Vulture [Neo- phron perciwpterui) 112 Fa>?iily FALCOXID.E. 1. Hen-Harrier (Oraw (rj'rt«f«.s) ... 112 2. Montagu's Harrier {Circus pygargiis) n3 3. ^axs\\-i\arr\eT [Circus a^'teginosiis). 113 4. Gos Hawk [Astiir palumbarius) ... 114 5. American Gos Hawlc [Astiir atri- capilliis) 114 6. Sparrow-Hawk (.4c.vv)^//(7' ?;/.?/«) ... 115 7. Common Buzzard (Z>V/A'0 /wAo) ... 115 8. Desert Buzzard (Butco dcsertorum) 116 9. Red-tailed Buzzard (/)'/c/ci9 ;5&rcrt//s) 116 10. Red - shouldered Buzzard (Buteo /i/iealus) n. Rough - legged Buzzard - Eagle (Arc/iibitteo lagopus) 12. Golden Eagle {Aquila chtysaetus)... 13. Larger Spotted Eagle {Aquila inaculata) 14. White-tailed Sea-Eagle [Haliactus albicillo) 15. Swallow- tailed Kite [E/aiioides ftircatiis) 16. Common Kite {Mitvus 7?iikius) ... 17. Black Kite {.Mi/vus migrans) 18. Black - shouldered Kite [Elanus cccr ulcus) 19. Honey-Kite (Pernis apii'urus) 20. 'Peregrme F3.\con (Falco pcregrinu.^) 122 21. Hobby {Falco subbuleo) 123 22. Merlin [Falco tr.':alon) 23. Greenland Gyr-Falcon (Hicrofalco eaudicans) ... ... 24. Iceland Gyr-Falcon [Hicrofalco islaiidicus) 25. Grey Gyr-Falcon {Hicrofalco gyr- falco) 26. Common Kestrel [Cerchncis tiii- II u lieu Ills) 27. Lesser Kestrel {Cerclincis ccnchris). 28. Red-footed Kestrel iCerchneis ves- pertiini) 117 117 m8 118 119 120 120 121 121 122 124 124 125 126 127 127 Order PELECANIFORMES. Sub-Order PHALA CROCORA CES. 1. Common Cormorant [PhalacrocorajK- carbo) 128 2. Shag {Plialacrocora.v graculiis) ... 129 3. American Darter (/Vo/w.f (7«/'/«^(2)... 243 Sub-Order SUL^E. I. Common Gannet sanus) {Dysporus bas- Order PHCENICOPTERIFORMES ... I. Common Flamingo [Pluvnicoptcrus rose US) Order ANSERIFORMES Family AXSER/D.E Sub-Family A.\SERJ\.E I. Snow-Goose {Chen hypci Ourcus) 131 13' 131 Systematic Index. xvii. PAGE 2. Grey 'Lag-Goose {A7ise>- anscr) ... 132 3. White-fronted Goose {Ansir alhi- frons) 132 4. Bean Goose, (^«,v^;'/rt/'r?/«) 133 5. Pink-footed Goose {Anscr bracliy- rliyiichus) 134 6. Bernacle Goose (Bcrnida kiicopsis) 134 7. Canada Goose (Drania canadensis) 134 8. Vixenl Goo?,e. {Bran fa bcru/c/a) ... 135 9. Ked-breasted Goose (Bcrnida riifi- collis 135 Sub-Family CYGNIN^ i37 10. VVhooper Swan [Cygnits miisicus) 137 11. Bewick's Swan {Cygnus bczvicki)... 137 12. Mute Swan (O'o;/«j- o/w) 138 13. Trumpeter Swan (Cygn?/s buc- cinati-7') 1 4. \\'|] ist ling Swan ( Cygniis anwricaniis) Sub-Family AXATIX.F 138 15. Summer Duck (^'^.r.f/wwrt) ... 138 16. Muscovy Duck (Cairina muscliata) 13S 17. Egyptian Goose-Duck {Clicnalopcx (cgyptiaca) 138 18. Sheld-Duck (Tadorna ladorna) ... 139 19. Kuddy Sheld - Duck (Casarra casarca) 139 20. Shoveler (Spatula clypi'ata) ... 139 21. MaWarA (Anas boscas) 140 22. GaAwaW (C/iaJilelaimus sircperu.'i).. 141 23. Wigeon iMarcca pen elope) 141 24. American Wigeon (Mareca aincri- cana) 142 25. Q-oxamowTeaX (Ncttion crecca) ... 142 26. American Teal (A f/Z/owrrtro/wc;/.?/') 143 27. Y\x\-\-A\\ {Dajila acuta) 143 28. Garganey (Ouerr/ucdula i/ucn/uc- diila) 144 29. Blue-winged Teal [Ourn/uedi/ln discur.s) ... ... ... ... 144 Snb-Fa?nily FVLIGULIN^E. 30. Red-crested Pochard (AVV/rt;'//////!/) 145 31. Pochard (Nyroca ferina) 146 32. White-eyed Pochard (Nyroca nvroca) 147 33. Tufted Scaup-Duck {Fuligula fuligula) 147 34. Scaup Duck {Fuligula marila) ... 147 35. Golden-eyed Duck (Clangula clan- gula) ... 1 48 36. 15ufl'cl-lie,ided Duck [Cliaritanclla albriila] 14S 37. Long-tailed Duck il/arclda gla- cialis) 149 149 150 ISO ■5' 152 153 153 37. Harlequin Duck (Cosnwnetta /lis- trionica) 38. Steller's .Kider Duck [Hcniconctta stelleri) 39. Common Eider Duck (Sotnatcria 7nollisima) 40. King Eider Duck (Somateria spcc- tabilis) 41. Common Scoter (Q^demia nigra\... 42. Velvet Scoter (CEdemia fusca) 43. Surf Scoter (CEdemia pcrspicillata) 44. Smew (Mergus albellus) 45. Hooded Merganser (Lophndytc^ cucullatus) 46. Goosander (Merganser merganser) 154 47. Red-breasted Merganser (Mergan- ser serrator) 1 54 Order ARDEI FORMES. Sttb-Order ARDEjE. 1. Purple Heron (Phoyx purpurea) ... 155 2. Qommon Wexon (Ardea cinerca) ... 155 3. Great White Heron (//c/W/(i.r (zZ/^i?) 156 4. \J\\.\\e Y.gxeX. (Garzctta garzctla) ... 157 5. Common Night-Heron (Nycticora.v nycticorax) I57 Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides) 157 Buff -backed Egret (BuhuLus lucid us) ... ... ... ... 158 Little Bittern (Ardetta mi?iuta) ... 158 Common Bittern (Botaurus stel- laris) 158 10. American Bittern (Botaurus Iciiti- ginosus) 159 11. VJhWe Stork (Ciconia ciconia) ... 160 12. MVack Stork (Cicoiiia nigra) ... 160 Suh-Urdcr FLA TALEM. 13. Glossy Ibis (Plcgadis falcincllui) 161 14. Sx'Onn-hW) yPlatalca leuccrodia) ... 161 Order GRUIFORMES 162 1. Common Crane (Gr?« ^/-«.f) ... 162 2. Demoiselle Crane (Anthropoides virgo) '63 6. 7- 8. 9- Order CHARADRHFORMES . Sub-Order OXIDES 1. Great Bustard ( Otis tarda) ... 2. Little Bustard (Tetrax tctrax) 3. Macqucen's tiiacqueeni] Bustard (Houbara 163 163 163 164 164 Sub-Order (EDICAE.MJ. I. Stone-I^lover ((Edicnemus wdicnc- mus\ '64 XVUl. British Birds. Sub-Order CURSOR//. I. Cream-coli)ured Courser {Ciir.'tor/iis gnl/iciis) 165 Sub-Order G/. A R/-:0/..E. I. VrMmcoV' {Gl(iiro/i! prat/iico/a) ... 166 Sub-Order C/I. IR. l/)R//. 1. Grey Plover [Squatarola helvetica) 166 2. Golden Plover {Charadrius plu- vialis) 167 3. Lesser Golden Plover {Cliaradrius domiiiicu.':) 167 4. Asiatic Dottrel (Ochtliddrdinus a.'iial/eus) 168 5. Dottrell {/-'.udroinias morinelhis\ ... 16S 6. Kildeer Dottrel (0.rivY/;;M 7wc//V-r«^) 16S 169 Plover {lEgialitis Sand - Plover vireistra avocetta) . . . Stilt {Himaiitopus {Xiimeiiius 7. Ringed Sand hiaticola) 8. Little Kinged {.i-Egialitis diib/a] ... 9. Kentish Sand-Pluver ij-Egiidi/is alexandrina) 10. hapwmg (J'auel/us 7iaue/!iis) 11. Sociable Lapwing [C/ia/usia gre- i:ar/a) 12. T\\rns\one {.Sirepsitas iiiierpres) ... 13. Oystercatcher (Ha'matopus ostra- leguss 14. Avocet {/iecur 15. Black-winged Itimantopus) ... 16. Common Cnrlew art/ucitu.O 17. Whimbrel {.\'u)?ie/ii//s p/iaopus) ... 18. Eskimo Curlew {A'u///en/usbeirea//.t) 19. Bar-tailed Godwit (IJmosa lap- ponica) ... ... 20. Black-tailed Godwit ( [.imiisn limosa) 21. Red-breasted Snipe-Tattler (i'/acvo- iiiantpu.7'«ov>/V/« )iiacularius) ... 170 170 171 171 172 173 173 ■74 175 175 175 176 177 177 1 78 2 179 3 179 4 180 5 I So 6 7 I So 8 30. Greenshank (Glottis uebuliiriu.i) ... 181 31. Wood-Tattler (R/ivacoplii/iis gla- reola) 181 yi. Rnff {.Pavnucellii piigim.v) 182 33. Bartram's Tattler \/Saitrai?ua iuugieaiida) 1S2 34. Bufi-breasted Sandpiper ( 7>v'«;f//(',s' stdiri(Jicidlis\ 183 35. S'dinA'itxWng [Calidris arena ria] ... 183 36. 'L\\{\e SXmi (Li»i07t!tis j?iiii?ita) ... 183 37. .\menca.nStint{Lii/i(mit<.i /iiii/uti//a) 184 38. Temmincks Stint (/jinoiiite.s tei/i- »!!}ic/ci) 184 39. Pectoral Sandpiper (I /eteropygin III aeu lata) 184 40. Sharp-tailed Pectoral Sand])iper [//eteropYgia aniiiniintu] ... ... 1 85 41. Bonaparte's Sandpiper U/etero- Pygia fuscicullis) 1S5 42. Purple Sandpiper \.lri/iiatella inaritiiiia) 1S5 43. Curlew Sandpiper {Aiievlochiliis subarquatiis) 186 44. KivA (Triiiga eaiiiiti/s) 186 45. Dunlin (Pclidua. alpiiia) 187 46. Broad-billed Sandpiper (/.iiitiada platvr/iyiiclia) iSS 47. Great Snipe (Galliiiago major) ... 18S 48. Common .Snipe [Galliiiago gal- liiiago) 1S9 49. JackSnipe (Liiiitiocrypte.igallim/la) 189 50. Woodcock (Scolopa.y rustieiila) ... 190 51. Grey Phalarope (Cryiiiopliilus fiili- rariiis) 191 52. Red-necked Phalarope {/'/lalaropus liyperhoreiis) 191 53. Wilson's Phalarope {Slegniiopii.': trieolor) 192 Sub-Order CJ/IOM/)KS 54. W\\\\.e 'SheaXhh'M {(/liioiii.'! alba) ... Order LARIFORMES 193 Sub-Order /.ARI 193 1. Black Tern {//ydrneliclidoii nigra.) 193 \\'hiskered Tern (//ydrneliclidoii hybrid a) 194 White-winged Black Tern (//ydro- elielidoii leiicoptera) 194 Gull-billed Tern (Geloclielidoii anglica) 194 Casjiian Tern (//ydioprogne caspia) 195 Common Tern (Sterna Jluviatilis)... 196 Arctic Tern (Sterna marriira) ... 197 Roseate Tern [Sterna doiigalli) ... 197 Systeuiatic Index. XIX. P/.GE 9. Sandwich Tern i.yAvv/rt ca^z/Mffl) ... 198 10. Smaller Sooty Tern (Sterna ancss- thcta 198 11. SoaKy Tern (StC7-iiafiiliginosa) ... 198 12. Little Tern (Sicnia minitta) ... 198 13. ^oddy Tern (Aiioiis s/o/idiis) ... 199 14. Sabine's Gull (A'cr/iti sa/'/nii) ... 199 15. Wedge-tailed Gull \Rlii.dusti-tliia rosea) 2C0 16. Little Gull (/.((/vc.v w////c/«i'i ... 200 17. Great Black-headed Gull {J. ants ichlliyactits) 201 iS. Mediterranean Black-headed Gull il.anis inelauoccphaliis) ... ... 201 19. Bonaparte's Gull i/uwiis Phila- delphia) 201 20. Black-headed Gull [Lams riili- h ail tins) ... ... ... ... 2C2 21. Great Blaclc-backed Gull [Lunts iiiariiiiis) 203 22. Lesser Black-backed Giill {/.ants fitsci/s) 204 23. Herring-Ciull {l.anis artrciitatits) ... 204 24. Common Gull (/,«/•/«' frtw/i'.v) ... 205 25. Glaucous Gull (Lams hypc7'l>orens) 206 26. Iceland Gull {Ijints leiimplcriis) ... 2c6 27. Ivory GnW U^agophila ehar/ica) ... 207 28. Kittiwake [Rissa tritiactvla) ... 207 29. Great Skua (Megalesliis catiir- rhades) 20S 30. Fomatorhine Skua (.SUrtorariits pt^matirrJiinits) 209 31. Richardson's Skua uS/ciri>}-ariits crefiiiia/its) 209 32. Buffon's Skua (.^/envrari/ts pa?-a- siticus) 209 Order ALCIFORiMES 210 1. Razor-bill (.-7/<« /CTv/(ii 210 2. Great Auk {Rla/t//is impe///iis) ... 210 3. Common Guillemot (Vria truile) ... 211 4. Bridled Guillemot ii'/ia 7'in<(viti) 211 5. Briinnich's Guillemot (L'riti l/nie/i- iiichi) 212 6. Black Guillemot (Cepphiis grvllc)... 212 7. Little Auk i/i/A.' rt//^) 213 8. Puffin (Fraicixiila aixticti) 213 Ordek PROCELLARIIFORMKS ... 214 Famih PRUCELLARIID.E 21,1 .Sitb-Family PROCF/J./IRIJAVE ... 214 1. Storm Petrel {Froccllaria pclagica) 214 2. Fork-tailed Storm Petrel (Oceaiiti- droiiia leiicoiThoa) 215 3. Madeira Storm Vetre\(0aa/tt,i/7'0Ma castro) Sub-Family OCFANITlDlA'jE 4. Wilson's Petrel yUceanilis occaniea) 5. White-bellied Storm Petrel iPelago- droina marina) Family ITFFIAID.E 6. Fulmar {Fiilmarits glacialis) 7. Cape Fulmar (Daptitm eapcnsis) ... 8. Great Shearwater {Pitjjiiiiis gravis) 'Ma.r\xS\\e3.r\\aieri.Piij(piinspiiffi)iiis) Levantine Shearwater O'ltjfiniis yclkottaiiits) Dusk\' .Shearwater {Pnffiiiiis obs- citnis) .. Allied Shearwater {Ptiffiiiits assi- milis) ... Sooty Shearwater iJ'itffinitsgrisens) Capped l^etrel (CEstrclata htrsi/ata) White-throated Grey Petrel ( CEstrc/a/ii brcvipcs) Bulwer's Petrel {Bithvcria bitlwiri) 216 216 216 216 216 217 217 218 219 219 219 220 220 220 221 Family DIOMEDEID^E. 17. Black-browed Albatros (l)iomedca Diclantiplirys) ... ... ... 221 Order COLYMBIFORMES 222 1. Great Northern Diver (Ctilytiibns glacitilis) ... ... ... ... 222 2. White-billed Diver [CtAyinbiis aiiamsi) ... ... ... ... 222 3. Black-throated Diver [Cnlvmbiis nrcticits) ... ... ... ... 223 4. Red-throated Diver iCtilymb/ts scptcntrionalis) 224 Order PODICIPEDIDIFORMES ... 225 1. Great Crested Grebe {Lophte/hyia iiis/a/a) 225 2. Reil-necked Grebe (I^pha:thvia griscigoia) 226 3. Sclavonian Grebe (Dytcs aiiriliis) ... 226 4. Black-necked Grebe [Piociopiis iiigricollis) 227 5. Little Grebe (Poditipes Ihivialilis) 227 6. Pied-billed Grebe (Podilvnthits Jiiidicipcs) ... ... ... ...228 Order RALLIFORMES 228 1. Water-Kail \Rallus aquat'iais) ... 228 2. Land-Kail (Crc.v i:rcx) 229 3. Little Crake (/fff/oryw'n/rt/T'rt) ... 229 -1. Spotted C'rake (Porzana porzaiia) 230 5. Carolina Crake {Porzatia Carolina) 230 XX. British Birch. 6. Bailie Ill's Crake (Porsana iiitcr- iiicdia) ... ... ... ■■■231 7. Moor-Hen {Gallinula ck/i>?'opiis) ... 231 S. Purple Gallinule (Porp)iyrio ca- r ulcus 231 9. Green-backed Gallinule (I'arpliyriu porpliyrio) ... ... ... ... 231 10. Cnmuion Cot>t (Fulica aim) ... 232 Order COLUMBIFORMES 232 Fami/v COLUMBID/E. Suh-Family COLUMBINjE. 1. Wood-Pigeon (Cv/ii»iba palumhns) 233 2. Stock-Dove (C«/z/?«/^« f?Avw) ... 233 3. 'R.ctcV-Vfove (Ciiliiiiiha livia) 233 Sub-Family ECTOPI.STIN.E 234 4. American Passenger-Pigeon \Eclu- pistcs iniirraliirius) ... ... ... 234 Family PERIS TERID. E. 5. Turtle-Dove ( 7'«;-//cr ////-/w) ... 234 6. Oriental Turtle - Dove {Tuiiur oricntalis) 235 PACK Order PTEROCLETEIFORMES ... 235 I. Pallas' Sand-Grouse {Syrrhaples parailii.rus) 235 Order GALLIFORMES 236 Family TETRAONID.E 236 1. Red Grouse (Lagopus scoliais) ... 236 2. Ptarmigan (Lagnpus mutus) ... 237 3. Black Grouse (/-j77odL sylvatica) ( Turuiv 241 ERRATA. Page 15, line 2, read "This is." Page 47, line 14 from bottom, for "National" read "Natural." Page 146, line 10 from top, for " Nyroca iiyroca" read " A'yroca /eriiin. ''% Wi A'V BRITISH BIRDS. Perching Birds— or^/^;- Passeriformes. THE first Order oi Birds, the Passeriformes, contains a larger number of species than any of the others, and we find that quite a third of the British species belong to the Perching Birds. The characters by which they are distinguished from the members of other Orders are not so easily explained as might be imagined by any one who compares in his mind a Rook or a Canary with a Duck or an Owl ; for although the external diflerences between the various Orders of Birds may be obvious enough, the characters for their recognition are deep-seated and often anatomical. Thus the principal feature which distinguishes a Passerine, or Perching, Bird is to be found in the form of the palatine bones, where the vomer is truncated in front, and is not connected with the maxillo-palatines. The arrangement of the tendons of the foot is also peculiar and is characteristic of the Order. .As regards external form, the Perching Birds present us with every possible variation — strong bills, weak bills, hooked bills, flat bills, wings, powerful, weak, pointed, rounded, and so on through every character. Those character.s which are of service in classifying the larger birds, such as Hawks, Ducks, or even Wading Birds, fail us when we wish to define the Order Passeriformes, nor are the I ■i Briiisli Birds. nesting-habits or the colour of the eggs of much assistance. It maj- indeed be said that the classification of the Passerifonnes has not yet been thoroughly mastered, and considerable modifications in our present systems may be expected. There appears to be a concensus of opinion in the present day THE CROWS. |.j^^j the Crows ought to form the leading Family of the Perching """ -* Birds. As lontr ago as 1877 I commenced the 'Catalogue' of CORVID.E. " " '' . , , ^ ., ^ . , the Passerijormcs in the British Museum with the ramily Lorvidcc, nor have 1 seen any reason to deviate from this arrangement, while the high position of the Crows and their perfect structure had already been insisted upon by such masters in anatomy as Macgillivray and VV. K. Parker. The Crows are more remarkable for strength than beauty, for the majority of them are black, relieved only by a purplish or green gloss on the plumage, and even this adornment is perceptible only at close quarters. Our Raven and Carrion- Crow are typical examples of this sombre famil}', but the Hooded Crow is ;i handsomer bird, with drab-coloured mantle and breast. The Magpies and Jays redeem the family Corcidcc from the stigma of dingy colouring, and even some of the Ravens have their black dress relieved by a white collar, as is seen in the thick- billed Ravens (Corvultnr\ of Africa. This is the most gregarious of all the Crows we have in Great THE ROOK. Britain, and usually builds in colonies, known as ' Rookeries.' The {Tryba)wcoyax , . ,, , ..,,,., ^ . . , , ' nest IS substantially and even artistically built of twigs, with a large fnigtUgus.) deep cup in the centre, lined witli roots and moss. It is generally placed at a considerable height from the ground, and is a comfortable dwelling enough for the young. So firmly built is the nest that it withstands a great deal of rough weather, and is not often dislodged by a gale, although the young birds are sometimes blown out. When the latter are full grown, they differ from the parent birds in being more dingy, as they have not the beautiful gloss on the plumage which makes the old Rook quite a beautiful bird, when looked at closely. Young Rooks too have the base of the bill and the fore part of the cheeks feathered, so that they much resemble Carrion Crows, but may be distinguished from the latter by their longer and more slender bill, and by the bases of the body feathers being grey, not white. The eggs are like those of typical Crows, being from three to five in number, spotted and blotched with greenish brown on a bluish green ground. From the number of grubs and wire-worms which the Rooks consume, they must be considered as most useful birds to the farmer, though tliey arc desperate hands at harrying a walnut tree in the autumn, and they likewise devour a considerable number of birds' eggs in the spring, particularly those of the Sky-lark when it builds in exposed country. Even in the Zoological Gardens strict watch has to be kept on the nests of the birds in the open paddocks, as the Rooks soon find out the nests of Cranes, Bustards, Geese and Swans, and carry off the eggs. In an article recently published in the Contemporary A'fi/i;,', Mr. Phil. Perching Birds. 3 Robinson, that most delightful of observers of the habits of birds, discourses on the 'First Nest of a Rookery'; and he mentions several facts which seem to me to have been unnoticed before, one of the most important of which is that a second hen bird, having no nest and eggs of her own, was allowed to take part in the incubation of the eggs of a lawful mother. I— The Rook. 2--The Raven. 3— The Jackdaw. 4— The Hooded Crow. 5— The Carrion Crow. 6— The Chocgh. The Raven is the largest of the European Crows, and is found in ■IHE RAVEN. North America as well as in the northern parts of the Old World. The species has been so persecuted on account ol the supposed depreda- tions it commits, that it has deserted many of its old breeding-haunts, and now nests but seldom in inland counties, though its eyrie is still to be found on several of our rocky coasts. It breeds quite early in the year, and eggs are to be found in the beginning of March or at the end of February. They are large editions of the eggs of the Rook and Carrion Crow, and are sometimes so small that they can scarcely be distinguished from those of the latter bird. From its size the Raven is able to make I* 4 British Birds. considerable havoc among the sheep farms, as it attacks wounded or sickly sheep, as well as fawns, and. in fact, will eat ever^thmg from a rat to a chicken, while it also feeds on carrion. This is a much smaller bird than the Raven, and has a some- what dift'erently shaped wing. In habits it is very like a Raven, CARRION -CROW. , . j. ri ,■ i j,i J. ... but IS of course not so powerful a bird, and like that species, it is (Connie cor one.] generally seen in pairs, though occasionally it is said to assemble in flocks. The eggs resemble those of other Crows, all of which have a family likeness. The Carrion-Crow is less common in the South of luigland than it is in Scotland and Wales, and it often mates with a Hooded Crow, producing a curious hybrid which shows the saddle-back and light-coloured breast of the latter bird, though these pale portions of the body are always more or less intermi.xed with black smudges and spots. This Crow, often called the • Royston ' or ' Danish ' Crow, is ""^ better known as a migrant than as a resident of Great Britain, HOODED CROW. , , , , , . ■ , . j- . . t .i though the species also breeds witli us in certain districts, i o the (Corone cornix.\ eastern counties come numbers of Hooded Crows in the autumn from Scandinavia and Russia, when they distribute themselves over the Midlands, though the bulk remain near the coasts. In Norway they arc by no means uncommon in summer, and harry the nests of the Willow-Grouse as they do those of our Red Grouse on the northern moors. One which I brought up from the nest in 1896 proved to be the most amusing and, at the same time, the most mischievous of pets. His affection was at all times embarrassing to its object, and was demonstrated by tweaks, pinches, and digs at one's head, or attempts to bite a piece out of one's ear. This individual was never caged, and would absent himself from home for half the day, but he never failed to appear the moment we came back from our day's fishing, and would fly out half-a-mile to welcome us. Some ornithologists disagree with the Crows being placed at the head of the Perching Birds, and argue that the Thrushes and Warblers should have this place of honour, on account of their wonderful development of singing powers. No one seems to have credited a Crow with any such a faculty, but my Hooded Crow would sit for an hour at a time, croaking forth his melody, which really constituted a by no means despicable effort at a song. It was only when he fancied himself quite unobserved that he gave vent to his feelings, and he would fly up to his perch in a garden house, and thence proceed to utter the most e.xtraordinary succession of notes it is possible to imagine. He certainly fancied himself immensely, for he raised his crest and puffed out all the feathers of his throat, and was evidently of the opinion that the Thrushes and Blackbirds could do nothing equal to his own song. The nest and eggs of the Hooded Crow resemble those of the Carrion Crow. The Jackdaw is the smallest of the true Crows in Great Britain, THE JACKDAW. ^^^^ diflersfrom them in its nesting place, which is almo.st invariably (CoUeus i}ioneiiu!u.) , , , r t • i in a building or m the hole of a tree. It is also to a certain e.xtent Perching Birds. The Nutcracker. THE SIBERIAN NUTCRACKER. {Nncifriiga viacrorlivncha.) gregarious like the Rook, man}- couples nesting in the same vicinit}-, and in the autumn small flocks of Jackdaws may be observed in migration. Nesting as it does under cover, the structure which it makes is a slovenly' affair, wantmg the neatness and substantiality of the Crows' nest. The eggs, too, are different from those of the latter birds, being paler and much less plentifully marked. It would seem from the recent observations of Mr. Ernst Hartert (Nov. Zool. I\'., pp. 131-136) that ornithologists have been in error in supposing that the Nutcracker which occasionally visits England is the Scandi- navian species, the true jV. caryocntactes of Linnaeus. There appear to be four races which have been confounded under the latter heading, viz. : — ^V. caryocatactes from Scandinavia and the Russian Baltic Provinces, N . relicta from the Alps and mountains of Central Europe, N . macyorhyncha from Siberia, and N.japonica from Japan. The Siberian form apparently migrates, whereas the others are stationary, and it is this Siberian bird which invades Europe at certain periods, coming in large numbers, like Pallas' Sand-Grouse and the \\'&y.w\ni^ [Am pells garrnlus). At rare intervals the Nut- cracker visits England. It is a most unmistakeable kind of Crow, having a long thin bill, more slender than that of a Rook, while the upper plumage is varied with triangular spots of white. In their native home these birds are quite early breeders, nesting in March in the pine forests of Europe and Asia. Like other Crows, the Nutcracker is almost omnivorous. The Jay divides with the Magpie the palm of being the handsomest of our British Comff/rt-, and, though it does not possess the iridescent tints of the latter bird, the beauty of the blue and black barred feathers on the wing is unsur- passed by any of our native birds. Unfortunately the Jay, despite his beauty, has few friends, for he is an unmerciful pilferer of the eggs and young of Game birds, and is i-The Jay. 2 T.n: Mag.me. waged war upon in consequence. THE JAY. [Gmiulus glandarius.) V N 6 British Birds. Luckily for himself, the Jay is gifted with an uncommon degree of artfulness, and its presence is generally only detected by its harsh note of alarm from some thick covert. It has also a strong partiality for fruit and will commit havoc in the earl\- morning on rows of peas, should the kitchen-garden be in the proximity of a wood. At certain times of the }-ear the Jay devours a large quantitv of grubs, and a good acorn year is sure to attract a number of the birds to the oak trees. The nest is a tolerably neat cup of twigs and roots, lined with finer rootlets, and the eggs, sometimes as many as six in number, are olive brown or clay colour, finely dotted with pale brown, so minutel}' that the eggs appear to be sometimes quite uniform in colour. A resident species in most parts of the British Islands, but absent THE MAGPIE. j- . ■ . rt- ^i j j r »u ^u m some districts oi Scotland, and now rare in many ot the southern and midland counties of England, where it was formerly not uncom- mon. The bright colours of the wings, the long tail, and the conspicuous white shoulder-patch are features which easily distinguish the Magpie from all the other British Crows, and its chattering cry is also quite different from the harsh croaking notes of the other species. The generic character by which it may be told from the other members of the family which are found in Great Britain is the long tail, and another peculiarity is seen in the attenuated first primary-quill of the wing, which is narrowest towards the end, while the quick flapping of the wings is also different from the ordinary powerful flight of other Crows. The pilfering habits of the Magpie and its egg- destroying propensities render it obnoxious to farmers and game-keepers, who ignore the fact that it is a bird which devours a large number of injurious insects and grubs. In other countries of Europe, such as Norway, for example, the bird is not persecuted and becomes comparativeh' tame, three and four individuals being often seen in compan}'. The nest is an artistic structure of twigs and is generally domed, and the eggs are sometimes as many as seven in number, of a light greenish colour, mottled or spotted with brown or greenish brown. This bird is easily recognised by its black plumage and bright red THE CHOUGH. ^j„_ -pj^^ nostrils are difterently placed to those of the true Crows, ( racu us being situated lower down in the bill, nearer to the cutting edge of the graculns.) mandible than to the ridge. Its former inland habitats in Great Britain now know the Chough no more, but it is found still on many of the rocky coasts of Wales and Ireland, and on some of the Western Islands of Scotland, It breeds in caves or in holes of cliffs, where it builds a nest of sticks and heather-stems, lined with wool and hair. The eggs are much lighter than those of any other British Crow, being nearh- white with brown spots. The Alpine Chousrh is distiiitruished from the Red-billed Chough THE ALPINE r o o rHnilCH ' '°'^' ''■^ shorter and yellow bill, and by having the base of the cheeks (Pyrrhocorax bare, and not feathered, as in the foregoing species. It is an inhabitant pyrrhocorax.) of the mountains of Southern Europe, whence it extends through the Perching Birds. Alpine regions to Central Asia and N orthern China. One specimen has been recorded from England, having been obtained in Oxfordshire, but the bird may pro- bably have been an individual which had escaped from confinement. THE STARLINGS. Family STURNIDM. The Alpine Chough. The Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris). Our Starling is the typical representative of a family of birds which is widel}' distributed over the old world. They are allied to the Crows in many respects, and, like the latter birds, thev walk, instead of hopping, like Thrushes or Finches. They further differ from Crows in having a distinct winter dress, when their bright plumage becomes obscured by whitish tips to the feathers, which fall off as spring approaches, and leave the burnished colour of the Starling in full perfection. The bill, too, loses its dull colour, and becomes bright yellow. No one, to see a Starling on a lawn, would guess that the bird which appears to be entirely of a dull black, is reallv shot with iridescent and metallic shades of bronze and green and purple. In full summer plumage, it is indeed a beautiful bird, and one which does an immense amount of good in the destruction of grubs and wire-worms. In the neighbourhood of towns Starlings are a common feature during the winter until the early summer, rearing their young under the roofs of houses, or in holes in trees, or old buildings, but, as soon as the young are able to take care of themselves, they disappear for some weeks, and do not reappear until October, visiting, no doubt, the fruit gardens in the country, where they often commit great havoc. The Staki-ing. The nest is a rough structure of grasses and straws, and has generall)- a peculiar odour, as is the case with hole-breeding Crows, 8 British Birds. like the Jackdaw. The et;"gs, often as many ^^^^^^ as seven, are of a delicate pale blue or bluish 'V ">0, J^Ih white. ■ ' ^* The t_vpical Starling {>S". vulgnris) has a green head as well as green cheeks and throat, but a large number of the specimens procured in Great Britain, particularly on the east coast, have a good deal of purple on the head and thrt)at, while the ear-coverts remain green. This is probably owing to the crossing of S. vulgaris with the Purple-headed Siberian Starling [StiiniHS iiioizbieii). The Rosk-Coloured Starling (Pastor roseiis). This is one of the most brightly coloured members of the family, being a remarkably handsome bird. It is only an occasional visitor to Great Britain, its breeding home being in South-eastern Europe, and its winter home in India, where it occurs in vast numbers. It builds its nest in holes of walls or rocks, and is gregarious during the nesting-season as well as in winter. The eggs are whitish or pale grey. The Golden Oriole (Oriolus galbula). Butforthe destruction THE ORIOLES. ^^,|^l^].i j.|^^ [jj.||[j^j^(. pjuj^j^gg qj- (_|.|g Q^jylg jnyites, there can be little The RrisE-coi.orKEii St.^ri.ing. Fiviiily ORIOLin.i:. doubt that the species would nest in England, as scarcely any spring passes without the bird being observed in our counties, and it breeds not un- commonly on the opposite side of the Channel. The nest IS quite peculiar, being sus- pended between a fork at the end of a branch, generally of an oak-tree. It is a slender structure, made of strips of bark, which are wound round the branch to which the nest is attached. The eggs, four or five in number, are quite unmistakable, being white, spotted with black and choco- late brown. The winter home of the species is in Africa, and at this season of the year it is found as far south as the Cape Colony. )uthern TnE Golden Oriole. Perching Birds. The Reti-Winged Hang-nest. The Meadow Lakk. THE HANG-NESTS Family ICTERIDM. The Red-Winged Hang-nkst (AgeLcus plucniceus) is an American bird, of whicii some dozen specimens liave jjeen recorded as British. Like the two following species, it is a mem- ber of the truly American family /cft'nV/if, though generally called the ' Red-Winged Starling.' Whether the birds which have been captured in Great Britain are really wild individuals which have flown across the Atlantic, or whether they have escaped from confinement, it is difficult always to decide, but in any case the species can never be considered anything but a very irregular visitor to Britain. Like our own Starlings, the Agelcciis seems to feed its young on insects, of which it devours a vast quantity, but at the same time it does considerable dam- age to corn and rice. The nests are generally placed in swampy localities in bunches of reeds or in small bushes at no great height from the ground. The eggs are bluish green, of a dif- ferent type to those of our Starling, as they are spotted with black, brown, or purple. The Rusty Black Hang-nest tScoleco- phagiis caroliniis) is said to have occurred once in Great Britain, and is included in the British List on even slenderer grounds than the fore- going American species, which it much resem- bles in its mode of nidification. The eggs also are blue, spotted with brown or grey. The Rusi V Black Han(.-nest 'i'H''^ Meadow Lark [Sturnella m„gna) has (Male and Female). been procured three times in Great Britain. lO British Birds. The Greenfinch. It is a ijround-loving species, and in North America it is considered to be a most useful bird, as it feeds upon insects and worms, and does but little damai^e to crops. Its nest is placed on the ground and has a dome of grass, so that it is generally well concealed. The eggs are pale greenish white with brown or grey spots and blotches. The Greenfinch [Lignviniis chloris]. The Finches are numerously represented as a family in Great Britain, and we have a good many resident species, of which the Green finch is one of the best known. The bright colours are confined to the male, the hen bird, as is usual in this family, being much more dingil_v coloured than her mate. The Greenfinch is found all over Europe, and as far east as Central Asia, and a considerable migration takes place to the British Islands, the birds which arrive from the Continent being generally of a brighter and purer colour than our own resident birds. Like most Finches, the Greenfinch feeds its young upon insects, but in the autumn and winter it consorts with others of its kind and feeds principally on grain, visiting the fallow-fields and the stock-yards for this purpose. The young, when brought up from the nest, are easily tamed, and make amusing little pets, but they are dangerous denizens of an aviary, as their powerful bills inflict pecks upon their weaker companions which have generallv a fatal result. The nest is often a rather large struc- THE FINCHES. Family FRINGILLID.E. ture, not very care- fully constructed, and built of moss with a few twigs or roots outside, and lined with horse- hair. The eggs are four to si,\ in num- ber, and are bluish- white with blackish spots or lines. The Hawfinch (CoccotJi ra usl es coccotlirn nst cs). The Hawfinch. Perching Birds. 1 1 0L^ The Chaffinch. is the largest of the British Finches, and is a very powerful bird. For some years past its range in Great Britain has been evidently increasing, and it now breeds in some of our midland counties where it was formerly quite unknown. Notwith- standing its large size, the Hawfinch is never very easy to observe, and often a glimpse of the white on the wings and tail is all that is seen of the bird as it disappears with a wonderfully rapid flight. This species does considerable damage to peas, of which the young birds will devour a large quantit}', and stone fruit is also a favourite food of the Hawfinch, which strips off the fruit in order to get at the stone and devour the kernel. The nest is made of twigs and lined with roots and hair, and there is an external net-work of small twigs imparting rather a pretty appearance to some of the nests. ^j^£ With the exception, perhaps, of the Greenfinch, the Chaffinch is CHAFFINCH. our commonest Finch, and it not only nests everywhere throughout (Frlngilla the British Islands, but is also plentiful in winter, when a consider- ciclebs.) .^i3]g iinmigration to our shores takes place. The Chaffinch is a very pretty bird, and if it were a denizen of some tropical country, its beauty would be thought still more of than is the case in Europe. As with the generality of Finches, the female is different from the male, and not nearly so bright in colour. The nest of the Chaffinch is a beautiful little structure, being cup-shaped, and made of moss, with a few twigs, lined with horsehair, feathers and down. It is placed in the fork of a branch of a tree, and the outside of the nest is covered with lichens and cobwebs, which cause the nest to resemble the bark of the tree to which It is attached, so that it is often difficult to discover. The eggs are from four to six in number, and vary considerabh', being sometimes pale blue without any spots. Typical eggs, however, have more or less of a pinkish shade, and show a few blotches or scribblings of black or reddish brown. The B r a m b l I n g (F ringilla iiiontifringilla). Although similar in form to the Chaftinch, building a nest and laying eggs like those of the last- Thf. Bramblino or Mountain Finch. named bird, the Brambling is very 12 British Birds. The Siskin. different in colour, and is easil)- distinguished l)y its white rump, black head, and orange breast. This is as the bird appears in summer, for in winter all the feathers have paler edges, whicli obscure the bright plumage which lies under- neath, and the female is always duller in colour than the male. The Brambling is a winter visitor to Britain, and it is sometimes seen in large numbers, frequenting the beech woods during the day, feeding on the beech-mast, and betak- ing itself in the evening to the evergreen woods to roost. It nests in Scandinavia and throughout the northern part of the Old World, and is a familiar feature of bird life in Norway in the valle\'s. but still more so on the fjelds. There nearly every hill has its pair of Bramblings, which frequent the birch woods and build their nest in one of the taller trees. The nest is not at all eas}' to find, but its vicinity can generally h^ discovered by following up the note of the male, for the Brambling has a curious habit of sitting on the top of a tree and uttering a continuous note, more like that of a Bunting than a Finch. It is. in fact, something like the call of the Yellow Bunting, but has no inflection at the end, and is, of course, much more powerful. When giving vent to this note, the Brambling raises his crest and throws his head back, and is apparently engaged in uttering de- fiance to the Brambling which occupies the ne.xt hill, for the bird appears to be oblivious of everything except his challenge, and allows a spectator to approach within a few yards. When thus engaged the bird looks ver}- handsome, his black head and orange breast being puffed out to their full extent. The Hi^KiK (Chiysoniili'isspiinis). This pretty little P'inch is a great favourite with lovers of birds, on account of the facility with which it can be tamed. It nests in the pine-woods in parts of Scotland and Ireland, and is also found breeding over the whole of Northern Europe, and Northern Asia as far as Japan, so that its range The Goldfinch. Perching Birds. 13 is very similar to that of the BrambHng. In winter it goes south from its breeding places, and is then found, in small parties, freciuenting the alders, and often consorting with Redpolls and Goldfinches. Sometimes flocks of Siskins, consisting of twenty or thirty individuals, may be noticed on the alders, all busily engaged in obtaining the seeds, and hanging on to the twigs in every conceivable position. So intent are the birds on their task that a note is seldom uttered, and I have many times waited for several minutes under an alder into which I had seen a flock of Siskins pass, before I could discover the little birds, which are generally seen feeding close together at the end of the slender twigs. The nest of the Siskin resembles that of the Goldfinch in size and in material, and the eggs are very similar to those of the latter bird ; it is generally placed at a good height in a fir-tree, and is difficult to find. The Goldfinch (Canluelis cardnelis). This bird, like its relation the Siskin, has a more pointed bill than the Chaffinch and the BrambHng, and is of much more slender build than those birds : otherwise, however, it is very difficult to distinguish the different characteristics of these Finches, which are very similar in structure to each other, and are told more by their style of coloration than by any other well-marked character. It is, in fact, very interesting to notice how a certain pattern of colour runs through a genus of Finches. Thus the Siskins are nearly all greenish birds with black heads and throats and yellow bands on the wings, so that this coloration is characteristic not only of our European species, but of the majority of the species of Siskins which are spread over the New World. So, with the Goldfinches, the onl}- species known are recognisable at a glance by their crimson face and the patch of gold on their wings. In form and in habits the Goldfinch is most like the Siskin, and the call-note of both these species, and also that of the Redpolls, is much the same, and sounds like the word eaglet. The food of the Goldfinch consists of the seeds of the alder trees and those of plants, and it is very fond of thistle-seeds. The nest is a pretty little structure, smaller than that of the Chaffinch, but built on the same plan of concealment by means of the lichens and cob- webs with which it is covered. It is built in an evergreen bush, or in a fruit tree, and is often placed at the very end of an outlying branch of an oak or birch-tree, when it is often (|uite inaccessible. The eggs are like small editions of those of a Greenfinch or Linnet. The Twite {CnnnabinaJJdvirostrisi. Just as the Goldfinches and the Siskins have a characteristic st_\le of colouring, so have the Linnet group of I'inches, viz. — a rt-d rump and a red cap and breast — generally the three combined. The principal exception to this rule is the Twite or Mountain-Linnet, which has no red on the Thk Twite. 14 British Birds. The Brows Linnet. breast and no red cap, the head being coloured like the back. It is also easily recognised by its yellow hill. The Twite is a resident bird with us, but breeds only on the moorlands ot cenain parts of Ireland, Scotland, and the northern counties of Eng- land, as far south as some ot the Midlands. In winter it migrates southwards and is seen in flocks of considerable size near the coasts, where the birds feed on seeds of aquatic plants, and keep up a continued and musical twittering as they feed. The call-note resembles that of a Redpoll or Siskin, being a somewhat harsh 'eaglet.' The nest is cup-shaped and made of moss with a few heather twigs and is lined with rootlets or feathers and down. The eggs are from four to six in number, and are of the usual Linnet type, being light blue with red or purple spots and lines. The Brown Linnet (Cannabina cannahina) is easily recognised from its allies by the crimson forehead and breast of the male, but more especially by the white on the upper tail-coverts and tail-feathers, which are edged with white. The young birds have the breast spotted with brown, and in winter the plumage of the adults is concealed bj' broad brown margins to the feathers, which gain their full beauty in spring by the abrasion and falling off of these brown edgings. The Linnet is found breeding over the greater part of the British Islands, and in u'inter and spring considerable accessions to the number of our resident birds take place b\- the immigration of birds from the Continent; these individuals are generally brighter in colour than our resident birds. The food of the Linnet consists almost entirely of seeds of some kind, and the birds distribute themselves over the stubbles and fallow ground in the autumn, when I have seen large flocks of them, in September, in the coast-lands in the south of England. The nest is a neat cup, made of moss with a few twigs, and lined with horse-hair. It is generally to be looked for in gorse or heather, and the eggs are from four to six in number, bluish with spots and streaks of purplish-brown. The Lesser Redpoll [Cannabina rufescens). This is a smaller bird than the Linnet or the Twite, and is brown, with a crimson cap, breast, and rump. It is exclusively a species of Western Europe, and nests in nearly every part of the United Kingdom, excepting the south-western counties of England ; in the south ol England it appears to be spreading, as it nests not unfrequently now m Middlesex, Surrey and Kent. On the Continent it nests in France, Belgium, Holland, and Western Germany, as well as in the Alps of Italy, Savoy, and Styria. In Perching Birds. 15 The Meai-v Redpoli,. The Lesser Redpoll. winter a large southward migration takes place, but the species does not seem to reach the countries of the Mediterranean basin. In its wa_vs the Lesser Redpoll, whether free or in captivity, is a most engaging little bird, and in confine- ment it makes the tamest of pets and can be taught to do a number of tricks. It will even nest in an aviary, a pair which Mr. Lort Phillips took to Norway this 3-ear (18971 building their nest in a pine branch placed in a cage on his verandah, and rearing four young. In the winter in the Thames Valle_y the Lesser Redpoll frequents the alders in company with the .■-liskins, and is very similar to these birds in its habits, collecting in flocks or small parties and feeding on the seeds of the birch and alder. The call-note is also '■eaglet,' like that of the Siskin and Twite. The nest is a compact little cup-shaped structure of moss and grass-stems, lined with hair and vegetable down and a few feathers. The Mealy Redpoll {Cannabina linaria). A larger bird than the Lesser Redpoll, and easily told b_v its white rump, which is streaked with dark brown ; the bill and feet are also much stouter than in the Lesser Redpoll. It is a winter visitor to the British Islands, arriving in some numbers on our eastern and north-eastern coasts. Its breedmg-range extends across Northern Europe and Siberia, and in Norway I have found it breeding on the fjelds near the limit of the birch-growth, at a height of about 3500 feet, but the nesting-habits certainly vary according to ihe season, as in i8g6 scarcely a Mealy Redpoll was noticed during the whole summer until the end of July, when the sorrel and plantain seeds were ripe, and then numbers of the birds descended from thehigher mountains and frequented the meadowsof the up,ier valleys. In the present year ( 1S97), on the contrary, the species was quite common all over the birch-region and bred in the neigh- bourhood of every saeter. I'he nests were only discovered when the young were far advanced, and this may account for their very untidy and slovenly appearance, for the\' by no means recalled the pretty little nests of the ordinary Redpoll. The eggs are five or six in number, and resemble those of the Linnet, but are much HoLiiOELi. s Redpoll. smaller. i6 Biitis/i Birds. Holboell's Rkdi'oli. [CauiKibiiui holbnlli). This a large form of Meal}- Redpoll with a much stouter bill. Two specimens have been obtained in England, near Norwich, in Januar}'. They were former!}' in the collection of Mr. John Gould, and are now in the British Museum. The habitat of this species is Scandinavia and Eastern Siberia, so that it can only be considered a rare and occasional visitor to this countrv. The Large-billed Me.xly Redpoll (Canna- bina rostratu \. This form differs from the pre- ceding one in having a larger and more obtuse bill, and in i)eing very coarsely striped on the flanks. It mhabits Greenland and Eastern North America, and I have recently seen two specimens shot m .Achill Island, on the West Coast of Ireland, by Mr. J. Sheridan. CoUEs' Redpoll (Cannabimi e.vilipt's) is an inhabitant of Arctic America, as well as the Northern part of the Old World, from Northern Scandinavia across Siberia. It is very similar to the Mealy Redpoll, but is easi!}- distinguished from that species by its un- streaked white rump. I know of four specimens having been captured in England, \'iz. : three in Yorkshire and one near Tring, in Hertfordshire. It doubtless occurs more frequently than is suspected, and is confounded with the ordinar}' Mealy Redpoll. The Greenland Redpoll ( Caunnbiiia honiemanni) is another big race of Redpoll, resembling C. exilipes, but differing in its larger size, and having a wing of 3-2 — 3-4 inches, instead of 3 inches, as in Coues' Redpoll. Its home is in Iceland, Greenland, and Eastern North America, and it has only occurred unce in England, a specimen having been shot in Durham in April, 1S55. The Hovse-Svarrow (Passer lioiinsticHS). In the -...*-«,=:,. common Sparrow we have perhaps the most abundant species of bird in the world, and there is no doubt that it is a species which needs little encouragement, as it takes up its abode in ever}- kind of situation where cultivation provides it with a living, and not only drives away more useful species, but is in many places an absolute pest. Against the damage which the Sparrow unquestionably does to grain crops, must be recorded the tact that, like most Einches, it feeds its young largely upon insects, and, I have seen one shot with the crop absolutely crammed with the Bean Aphis. Nevertheless, the general verdict of those countries into which the Sparrow has been introduced, seems to be that it is a pest, as it ousts the Thi; Sparrow. Perching Birds. 17 insectivorous species and is undeserving of protection. In this countiv it certainly drives away and persecutes man}' useful birds, and it flourishes to such an extent that I am informed by Mr. Ashton Jones, our Chief Messenger, that anv Warbler or other bird which happens to visit our gardens in the Natural History Museum, is at once attacked by the Sparrows and either driven ofl", or killed instanth'. The House-Sparrow is found throughout the greater part of Europe and Asia, as far as Lake Baikal, though the individuals from Asia are certainlv smaller and brighter in plumage than those of our own islands. In the South of Europe the Spanish Sparrow, and in ltal\' Passer itnlicr, replace our domestic species. The sexes differ greatly in colour, and the male Sparrow, when not disfigured by the smoke of towns, is really quite a handsome little bird. Like most Finches, he gains his summer plumage by the abrasion of the brown edges to the feathers with which he is clothed in winter, and as these tips fall off, his spring dress, which is hidden beneath, becomes apparent. White varieties of the House-Sparrow are not uncommon, and a pair of birds which frequented our gardens at the Natural History Museum a few years ago, were noticeable for their white wing-feathers, and this peculiarity was reproduced in their young ones. To this day a few birds with a more or less marked degree of albinism may be seen in the vicinity, but the white- winged birds seem to have gradually died out. The nest of the common Sparrow is to be found in all kinds of situations, and the way in which it chokes up water-pipes with its untidy structure of grass and straw, is well known to and dreaded by the dwellers in our suburbs. Where the hole of a roof or a barn is not available, the Sparrow often builds its nest in iv}- or even on a tree apart, while in the Natural History Museum may be seen a curious example of the bird's choice, a pair having sought the shelter of a large fungus on old Putney Bridge, under which they placed their nest. The present species is quite different in appearance from the House-Sparrow, being not only a smaller bird, but dis- tinguished by its chocolate-coloured pate. The sexes are alike in colour, and the note is not nearh- so harsh as that of the Common Sparrow. In the British Islands the Tree-Sparrow is always more or less local in its habitat, and is principally an in- habitant of the Eastern Counties in England and Scotland. In Ireland it breeds on the coast ot Dublin and is increasing in numbers. In the autumn the Tree-Sparrow con- sorts with the House-Sparrow in the stubble- fields, and retires to roost with it in the ever- greens or ivy-covered trees, where the clamour of Sparrows in the evening is so noticeable a Tm- Tki;k Si'arrow. THE TREE-SPARROW. {Passer tnoittaiius.) i8 British Birds. The Serin Finch. THE SERIN FINCH. [Scriniis st'riniis.) feature in our countrv districts. It is a curious fact in distribution that whereas in Western Europe the House - Sparrow is the bird of the cities and viHages, and tlie Tree- Sparrow is the species of the country, as the eastern range of the two birds is reached, it is the Tree- Sparrow which becomes tlie dominant one and replaces the House-Sparrow as the famihar species of the towns and fjardens. The nest is a roui^h structure of straw, hke that of other Sparrows, and is situated in holes of barns or rocks, but it is more frequently placed in pollard willows. The eggs are more thickly marked than those of the House-Sparrow, which they otherwise closely resemble. Is a Canar}-, and is so like the wild Canary of Madeira, from which the ordinary yellow cage-bird is derived, that there is practicalh- no difference between the two birds, e.xcept that the Serin is decidedly the smaller of the two. It is an inhabitant of Southern and Central Europe, and is apparently extending its range northward, as frequent notices of its breeding in localities hitherto unrecorded appear in the German periodicals. It extends as far north as Denmark, and occasionally wanders to the British Islands, some eight individuals having been captured in England during the season of spring or autumn migration. The song of the Serin Finch or • Zei/ig,' as it is called in Germany, is quite unmistakable, as I can state from my own observations in the P'rankfort Zoological Gardens, wdiere I was first introduced to the bird, by the well-known naturalist, Ernst Hartert. The habits of the Seiin are those of the Siskin, excepting that the former is a more lively bird, and is much more often seen, as it sings from the top of a tree or mounts into the air. The eggs resemble those of the Linnet, but are smaller. Many Wild Canaries (Seri)!us canaria) have been caught in England, and I have had several brought to me at the British IMuseum; but whether they are really individuals which have been brought ali\e from the Canary Islands and have escaped, or whether they are ordinary yellow Canaries which have got out of their cages and taken to the woods and flourished, it is impossible to .say. Those brought to me have shewn no signs of captivity, but a few seasons of freedom would probably result in the reversion of the yellow bird of our aviaries to the plumage of the ancestral stock — the Wild Canary. Perching Birds. 19 ■s^^ THE SCARLET This pretty Finch has only BULLFINCH. i,gg,., captured twice in England, [Qarbodacnz t-i ■ 1 1 once near Brighton, and once near eryUirinns.) Hampstead. I have seen both specimens, and could detect no sign of then' having been kept in confinement, nor is the species a frequent cage- bird in this country. Its home is in Northern Russia and in Siberia, but it breeds also in Eastern Prussia, and it has occurred during the season of migration in Heligoland, in Southern Sweden, and in France, so that there is nothing extraordinar\' in its occasional occurrence in Great Britain. Although popularly spo- ken of as a ' Bullfinch,' the present species is more like a stoutly-built Canary in form, but has scarlet as the predominating colour instead of yellow. As will be seen by the accompanying figures, there is consider- able difference in the colour of the se-xes, the female being a very sober-plumaged individual. The nest is built in svvamp_\' localities, and is placed in the fork of a willow-bush cr some other low tree, or amongst climbing-plants. It is a carefully made, but slenderly built cup, and is more like that of a Warbler than that of a Finch. The eggs are four or five in number, of a beautilul blue, with well-marked spots of black and purplish or reddish brown. The Crossbill [Loxia curvirustrat. The pretty legend connected with the blood-stained breast and the crossed bill of this bird has been immortali;;ed by Longfellow, but the same story of the attempted rescue of the Saviour from the Cross has been told of the Robin and other birds with red breasts, which were bidden to 'bear in token of this moment, marks of blood and holy rood.' The The Scarlet Bullfi.nch. The Crossbill. 20 British Birds. curious way in which the two mandihles of the heak cross each other at the tips is found. I heUeve, in but one other genus of birds, the Httle Hawaian form Loxops. A remarkable fact is that this pecuhar conformation is not found in the 3'oun{j birds, which have a bill more like that of ordinary Finches, but as the birds advance to maturity, the crossing of the mandibles becomes a feature. The colour of the male is red, of a pale ^■ermilion or scarlet tint, but after moulting; in confinement, the red tints give place to yellow, and it is said that even in a wild state Crossbills become j-ellower with age. I have, however, seen no evidence of this peculiarity in the specimens which have come under my notice in the British Museum, and I believe that the red plumage is a sign of a very old bird. The female is always duller in colour and is olive-}ellow where her mate is tinged with red. Young birds have streaks, both above and below^ these streaks Ijeing more distinct on the under-surface of the bod}', which is whitish. The Crossbill nests rarely in England, where it occurs principal!}- in winter, but it is found breeding in the pine districts, both of Scot- land and Ireland. It is likewise distributed over the pine regions of both hemispheres, and is represented as far south as Mexico in the New World, and the Himalayas and the island of Luzon in the Old. The so-called ' Parrot' Crossbill I Lo.v/(i pvtiopsittticiist is a strong-billed form inhabiting Scandinavia and occasionally occurring in Great Britain, and it has been said that the larger-billed Crossbills feed on the seeds of the Scotch Fir. whereas the smaller-billed ordinary Crossbills feed on berries or pine-seeds, which do not require such strength of bill to attack. The nest is built early in the year, and has a net-work of twigs outside it, as in the nest of the Bullfinch. It is cup-shaped and made of moss and grass, Imed with a little wool. The eggs are four or five in numlier. stone-coloured to pale blue, with dark spots or lines of purplish brown. The Two-Barred Crossbill (Lo.vin hifasciata). This species is easily recognised by the double bar of white on the wing, formed by the tips to the median and greater wing-coverts. It is an inhabitant of Northern Russia and Siberia, and occasional stragglers visit Central and Western Europe, so that the species turns up in Great Britain at intervals, and sometimes in considerable numbers. Its habits are the same as those of the Common Crossbill, and the nest is similarly made, but is rather smaller, and the eggs are said The Two-Barred Crossbill. to be darker. Perching Birds. 21 The American T w o - B a r r e d Crossbill (Loxia Icucoptera) is said to have occurred in the British Islands. It is scarcely to be distinguished from the European form, but it is rather more crimson in tint, and has the scapulars blacker. Is a resident bird in nearly every por- THE BULLFINCH. {Pyrrhuln europcca.) The Bullfinch. tion of the British Islands, frequenting woods and gardens, and in the spring-time doing great damage to the latter by eating the buds of the fruit-trees. The Bullfinch is a very sh}' bird and is more often heard than seen, but when darting from one tree to another it may generally be recognised by the white on the rump, which is conspicuous in flight. The form of the Bullfinch is quite characteristic, the bullet head and conical bill being unlike those of any other European Finch, and these peculiarities distinguish Bullfinches from all parts of Northern Europe and Asia ; in most cases the male has a scarlet breast and the female a grey or brown one, but there are certain species in which both sexes are gre}' and no scarlet is seen on the male. The nest is a very neat one, made of twigs and lined with fine rootlets and ornamented on the outside by a fringe of scattered twigs which add to the beauty of its appearance. The eggs are four or six in number, of a clear blue with distinct spots and blotches of purplish brown. This is a large race of our Common Bullfinch, inhabit- ing Northern Europe and Si- beria, which has occurred at least three times in England, and probably more often. Two were shot on the Yorkshire coast and one in Norfolk, so that the bird may be con- sidered an accidental visitor to our east coast. It is not only a larger bird than our ordinary species, but it is brighter in colour and the red of the breast is purer and clearer than in P. cnropa-a. Its habits are the same as those of the latter bird. THE GREATER BULLFINCH. {Pyyyhnla pyn'liida.) The Grhater Bullfinch. 22 British Birds. The Pink Finch. Thk Pine FitozniPinicola euucleatov). This fine bird is an accidental visitor to Great Britain, and it is only occasionally that the species wanders from its native pine-woods in the North of Europe and Asia to Central Europe. It is one of those species known as ' circumpolar,' occurring near the Arctic Circle in both the Old and New Worlds, and nesting only in these high latitudes. In form the Pine Finch is ver}' like a Bullfinch, and has the same thick-set head and bill, but it has not the black head of the latter bird. The sexes differ totally in colour, the female Pine Finch being grey with only a little yellow in the plumage, whereas the male has a fine rosy or crimson colour. In winter the Pine Finches assemble in flocks, which pair off for the summer. The food of the bird consists of seeds of pine, fir cones and berries. The nest is like that of the Bullfinch to a certain extent. It is, however, larger and is very neatly made of twigs and grasses, with a few rootlets and fine grass-stems in the lining. The outside net-work of lichen-covered pine-twigs is very pretty, and is constructed in the same style as that of the Bullfinch, but the twigs are rather closely and firmly intertwined. The eggs are greenish blue with tiny spots and larger blotches of brown, distributed over their surface, the stronger markings being chiefly at the larger end of the egg. The bill \n this sub-family of birds is generally more acute than in the F"inches or the Grosbeaks, and the angle of the ' genys,' as the outline of the lower edge of the under mandible is called, is much more marked. Some Buntings have a distinct gap in the bill, the mandibles not meeting along their whole line, while in man}' species a round knob is found in the roof of the palate, which has been supposed to be of use to the birds in crushing up the grain on which so many of them feed. The Reed Bunting (Emheriza scha nidus \. This species is widelj' distributed throughout Great Britain, and is found in many situations near water, frequenting the sides of rivers, brooks or ponds. The female, which is much browner and THE BUNTINGS. Sub-Family EMBERIZIN.E. The RKi-.n Blntixg. The Little Bunting. Perching Birds. duller in colour than the male, is not so often seen, but the latter is often a con- spicuous object by the river-side, as he sits on the top of a reed or bush and utters his twittering call-note ; his black and white head and neck render him easily recognis- able. The nest is generally found in marshy ground in a clump of rushes or in a bush where tl;e surrounding plants help to conceal it. I have, however, taken a nest at some little height above the ground in a bush, and in Norway I have twice found a nest at some distance from water, built upon the ground under the roots of a small birch tree. In each case the j'oung were well advanced before the nest was discovered, so well was the latter concealed, though placed within a few feet of a well-frequented path. I was led to suspect the presence of a nest in both instances through the action of the parent-birds, who pretended to be wounded and were nearly caught by the hand, as they fluttered along the ground, trying to draw me away from the vicinity of the nest. The eggs are boldly marked, being of a stone-brown colour with very distinct writing-lines and spots of black. Only one occurrence of this Bunting has as yet been recorded in England, a specimen having been captured near Brighton in Novem- ber, 1864. As, however, the species visit Heligoland during the autumn migration, and has occurred occasionally in Holland, it may be expected to occur more frequently in Great Britain than has been hitherto supposed. It is a smaller bird than the Reed Bunting, but has the sides of the body striped with black as in that bird. It is, moreover, easily distinguished by the chestnut colour on the ear-coverts and throat. In its native home in Siberia, the Little Bunting is said to be remarkably tame, but in its winter home in India and Burma, where it assembles in flocks after the manner of other Buntings, it is very shy in its habits. The nests found by Mr. Seebohm on the Yenesei River were simply holes made in the dead leaves, moss, and grass, and lined with dead grass or reindeer-hair. The eggs are like those of the Corn Bunting, but are smaller. Thk Black Hkadki. Bunting j^^ Rustic Binting lEmberiza The Rustic Bunting. THE LITTLE BUNTING. (Emberiza piisilln.) 24 British Birds. BUNTING. \Emhcviza mdnnoccphala.) rustled). Some three or four occurrences of this Bunting have been recorded, examples having been obtained near Brighton, near London, and in Yorkshire. The species is more rufous in colour than either of the preceding birds, and distinguished from both of them by the chestnut streaks on the flanks, while the lesser wing-coverts are chestnut, and there is a band of chestnut across the fore-neck. In the female the lesser wing-coverts are brown, and there is no rufous on the head and throat. The Rustic Bunting is a Siberian bird, and breeds as far westward as Archangel and Fin- land, up to almost 64^ or 65'-' N. Lat. It is said to possess a rich and melodious song, and its alarm-note to resemble that of the Redwing. Its habits are like those of the Reed Bunting, and its home is in the marshy pme-vvoods of Northern Europe. Properly identified nests and eggs of this species are desiderata in most of our Museums. This richly-coloured bird is an Oriental species, whose THE BLACK-HEADED migrations appear to be due east and west, instead of north and south, as is the case with most migratory birds. Although it is more gaudily coloured than is the case with most Buntings, which, as a rule, are remarkable for a sober plumage, the observations of naturalists tend to shew that it is a true Bunting in its habits. The breeding home of the species extends from the Riviera to Greece and Turke_\-, and thence to Central Asia, while it winters in North-Western India in enormous numbers, leaving its European breeding-quarters very early in the year, and disappearing at the end of July or the beginning of August. Three specimens of the Black-headed Bunting have been recorded in the British Islands, the species having occurred in Sussex, Nottinghamshire, and near Dunferm- line, in Scotland ; so that it may be reckoned as an occasional visitor to our shores. The nest is a somewhat bulky structure, and is placed on the ground or in some low bush, or amongst the vines and other trailing plants. Near Constantinople, Seebohm found it principally amongst the rows of peas and beans. The eggs are four or five in number, and are of a different type from those of most European Buntings, being of a pale greenish blue colour, with -The YiiLLow Bunting. 2-The Cirl Bunting. l^rown spots and grey under- 3— The Ortolan Bunting. ly'^S markings. Perching Birds. 25 THE YELLOW Our commonest Bunting, generally called the ' Yellow BUNTING. Hammer,' or, more correctly, the Yellow ' Ammer,' the name bemg, no doubt, derived from the German name of ' Ammer,' a citrinelta.) Bunting. In many parts of England it is known as the ' 'Writing Lark,' from the scribblings which are the chief feature of the Yellow Bunting's egg. The last-mentioned species, E. melanocephala, which is even more brilliantly coloured than our Yellow Bunting, is easily recognised b}' its black head and by the absence ot any streaks on the flanks, whereas the Yellow Bunting has the centre of the crown 3'ellow, and has ver\' distinct blackish streaks on the flanks ; the breast and sides oi the body also are light chestnut. It is universally distributed throughout the British Islands, and receives a large addition to its numbers in the autumn. The breeding- range of the Yellow Bunting extends throughout Northern Europe and Eastern Siberia as far as the River Ob, and in winter it visits Southern Europe and Central Asia. The nest of E. citrinella is a neat structure of grass and bents, usually placed on the ground and well concealed, but occasionally to be found in a low bush. The eggs wsLxy from four to si.x in number, and are of a stone-gre}' or pinkish-grey colour, with spots and scribblings of grey and purplish brown. In appearance and also in habits the Cirl Bunting is very similar to the Yellow Bunting, with which it is often confused. „ , . . , , The male, however, can always be distinguished from E. citrinella {hmbcrtza ctrlns.) ' ' j o by the black throat, and the olive-green rump and lower back, these parts being streaked with dusky black. The female Cirl Bunting is more difficult to tell from the same se.x of the Yellow Bunting, but it may be distinguished by the greenish grey colour of the lesser wing-coverts, which contrast with the colour of the back. Instead of being universally distributed throughout the British Islands, like the Yellow Bunting, the present species is decidedly local, and is not known to nest to the north of our Midland counties, In the South of England, though still local in its distribution, the Cirl Bunting is generally met with, but from its retiring habits and from its resemblance to the Yellow Bunting, it is a species which escapes general observation. To anyone acquainted with the voice of the Cirl Bunting, which has a diflerent intonation to that of E. citrinella, and lacks the final ascending note of the latter species, it is not difficult to discover E. cirlus in the South of England, where, as late as May, small flocks may be found, composed of birds in full breeding plumage, while in the autumn small parties, composed of young and old birds, may be noticed ; from which it would appear that the Cirl Bunting never associates in autumn and winter with Chaffinches and other kindred species in the stubble-fields and farmyards, but keeps to small family parties of its own kind. Such, at least, has been my own experience. The nest is sometimes placed on the ground, but is more often built in bushes, at a height of a few feet from the ground. The eggs are four or iive in number, but are rather lighter than those of the Yellow Bunting, with ratlier more distinct scribblings and lines than in the eggs of the latter species. British Birds. THE ORTOLAN BUNTING. {Emberizn horUdnna). This species, which is easily distini;uished hy its red bill from the two preceding species, is to be recognised by the absence of stripes on the flanks, hy its cinnamon-coloured breast and oliye- 3'ellow throat. The hen bird is paler in colour and has dark brown streaks on the fore-neck and lower throat. Considerinj,' the wide ranj^e of the Ortolan, it is strange that it has not been noticed more often in the British Islands, but it is doubtless overlooked or mistaken for one ot the allied species of Buntings. It must be considered a rare but regular visitor to Great Britain. The species is spread over the greater part of Europe in the summer, and extends in Asia as far as the valley of the Irtisch, and it winters in Central Asia and probably in North-eastern Africa as well. Mr. Seebohm sa\s that the Ortolan is not sh^- in its nature, and has much the same habits as our Yellow Buntmg, sitting on the top of a tree and uttering a song like that of the last-named bird, but without the curious ending which is characteristic of .1. citi-iiiellii . The nest is built on the ground, and the eggs are from four to si.x in number, differing in appearance from those of the other British Buntings, and being most like those of the Reed Bunting, but clearer and paler in colour, and having black spots instead of streaks and lines. The Siberian Meadow Bunting (Emberiza cioidcs) has once been noticed in England, a specimen having been obtained at Flamhorough, in Yorkshire, in October, 1887. It is a Siberian species, shewing no vellow on the under parts, with a chestnut lower back and rump, and the crown of the head and ear-coverts chestnut in the male. In the female the head is dark brown in the centre, with lateral bands of chestnut. The Corn Bunting (Miliaria miliaria). This species is very like a Lark in appearance, being of a sober brown colour, with a tail longer than the wing, and the inner secondary-quills so long that they nearly equal the primaries in length, as is the case with the Wagtails and Pipits. Although somewhat local in its habitat, the Corn Hunting is distributed over the whole of the British Islands, It is a species of the Western Pahearctic Region, not breeding outside European limits, nor e.\tending very far north, but being found in winter as far east as the Persian Gulf. In Great Britain it is commonly observed in summer, when it sits on some telegraph wire bv the side of the road, or on the top of a tree or hedge, and utters its somewhat monotonous anil long- drawn-out trill, which resembles that The Siberian Me.\do\v Buntinc;. Th?: Corn Bunting. The Lapland Bunting. Perching Birds. 27 of the Yellow Ammer, but is more powerful, and ends without the high note which distinguishes the song of the last-named bird. In the autumn the species is some- what gregarious and collects in small flocks. The nest is a care- lessh'-built structure of bents, grass, or rootlets, with a scanty lining of fine grasses or hairs, and is placed on the ground. The eggs are four or five in number, rather handsome, stone- grey or purplish brown, with large spots, lines and scribblings of purplish black. The Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivnlis). This is a by no means uncommon winter visitor to our shores, coming from the Arctic Regions. It is an inhabitant of the Northern territories of both the old and new Worlds, and also ascends the mountains in the lower latitude of its range ; thus it is known to breed in the North of Scotland high up on the hills. In winter, when it visits Great Britain, the Snow Bunting is found in flocks along our sea-coasts, but is sometimes driven far inland by stress of weather. The plumage of the male in summer is white and black, the wings and tail being for the most part black like the mantle. The female is duller in colour and is never so black as the male. In winter both old and _young birds are suffused with rufous, both above and below, and the black of the nesting plumage is entirely obscured b}- margins of this colour. In spring the birds do not moult, but gain their full coloration h\ the shed- ing of these pale tips to the feathers. Where the Snow Bunting breeds in the rocks, the nest is placed in a hole under shelter, and when built on the ground the structure seems to be the same, being composed of grasses, twigs, and moss, and lined witli liair and feathers. The eggs arc from five to eiirht in number, Thk Snow Bunting. 28 British Birds. varying in colour from stone-grey to greenish white, with spots or streaks ot purpHsh black, and faint blotches of violet or lilac-gre}'. THE LAPLAND This is a handsome bird, remarkable for the length of the claw BUNTING. on the hind-toe, whence it is often called the Lapland Long-spur iCidcarius or Long-spurred Bunting. The adult male is easily recognised by lappomctis). its black crown, throat, and sides of face, followed by a broad collar of bright chestnut which surrounds the hind neck and the sides of the neck ; the under-surface of the body is creamy white, the flanks being streaked with black. The adult female has the head and neck like the back and lacks the black crown and chestnut collar. In both se.xes there is a conspicious buff eyebrow, and a broad line of white from the eyebrow down the sides of the neck to the sides of the upper breast. This white marking is evident even in the winter dress, when the whole of the plumage is obscured b)' sandy buff edges, which fall oft" in the spring and leave the summer plumage in its full beauty. In habits the Lapland Bunting presents few features of difference from those of the Snow Bunting, and it also collects in flocks like that species. The home of the Lapland Bunting is on tlie tundra or barren grounds of the Arctic portions of both hemispheres, and the nest is placed on the ground in tussocks on the marshy tundra; it is made of dr\- grass and roots and is plentifully lined with feathers. The eggs are four to six in number, and are of a dark olive-brown or stone-brown, streaked and spotted with purplish brown. The Larks ma}' be recog- THE LARKS. nised from other Passerine The Shoue Lark. Faniilv ALAUDID E Birds by having both aspects of the tarsus scutellated. The Shore-Lark (Otocorys alpestris). A visitor to Great Britain in late autumn and winter, and sometimes noticed on its return journey in spring. The species is the sole British representative of a genus of Larks which is distributed over Northern Europe, and Northern and Central Asia, but is much more plentiful in the New World, where not i)nly our own Shore Lark is found in the Arctic Regions, but many other races of these Horned Larks occur, ex- tending even into the mountains of the South American Continent as far as Colombia. The Shore-Lark is an Arctic species, breeding in the high north beyond the limit of torest-growth both in Europe and America. It is essentially aground bird, and accord- ing to Seebohm's observations, even sings on the ground, as do several of the Larks. On the other hand, it will frequently mount into the air to sing. The nest is on the ground and is of the usual Lark-like pattern, a loosely-made .structure of dry grass and stalks, with a lining of hairor willow-down. The eggs are from three to five in number, brown, with spots of darker brown, generally collected round the larger end. Perching Birds. The Shore-Lark is recognised b_v the tufts of black feathers, forming horns, on each side of the hinder part of the crown. The general colour is ashy vinous, and the eyebrow and forehead are yellow, followed by a broad band of black across the crown. The occurrence ot the Calandra Lark, which is a South European species, in THE CALANDRA LARK. {Melanocorypha cnlandra). The White-Winged Lark. England is doubtful, and is generally dis- credited, though the species appears in most lists of so-called British Larks. The pointed wing and stout bill distinguish it from the rest of our British Larks. The White-Winged Lark [M elanocorypha sibirica) is a smaller species than the true Calandra Lark, and is to be easily told by its rusty-red lesser wing-coverts, which form a distinct shoulder-patch, and by the white secondary-quills, which are very conspicuous, especialh' when the bird is flying. It has been observed once only in Great Britain, a specimen having been obtained near Brighton, in November, 1867. On the Continent it has been noticed in Belgium and Northern Itah', and also in the Island of Heligoland, but it can only be reckoned as a very rare and occasional visitor to Western and Southern Europe. The home of the species is in Central Asia and Southern Russia, whence it wanders westward to Poland and Galicia, and still further into Western Europe. In its habits the White-winged Lark resembles our Sky- Lark, mounting into the air and singing, and assembling in flocks in the autumn. The nest is built on the ground, under the covering of a tuft of grass or small bush, and is constructed of grass. The eggs are four or five in number, of the usual Lark-like character, being white or greenish white, with numerous brown spots and grey underlying spots and markings. The Sky-Lark [Alauda arvensis). This familiar species would seem scarcely to require any detailed description, as it is well known to all of us as a companion of our walks or as a frequent cage-bird. It may be known, however, from the other British species, by its very diminutive first primary, which is so small that it is distinguished with difficulty, and in reality looks like one of the primary-coverts. The The Skv-Lark. 30 British Birds. hind-claw, moreover, is lonj,^ and straight. The resident Sky-Lark of the British Islands is a rufous bird, and the birds which visit us on migration, often called ' Northern Larks,' or ' Scotch Larks,' are decidedly larger than our ordinar}' Sk}- Lark, and are darker and greyer in colour. In all the members of this family it must be borne in mind that the females are, as a rule, smaller than the males. Our Sky-Lark inhabits the greater part of Europe and breeds even beyond the Arctic Circle. Several races, more or less recognisable from our own bird, represent the true Alanda nrveiisis in Southern Europe and in temperate Asia, and though it is quite certain that two forms are found in Great Britain, their constant inter- breeding renders it very difficult to separate them. Like our Starlings, which undoubtedlj- intermarr}' with the migrants from the Continent, the large Northern Larks also find British mates, and it becomes more and more difficult e\'ery year to distinguish our rufous resident form from the winter visitor which overruns all Great Britain. That our Sky-Lark is a migrant in vast hordes can be proved by anyone who visits the Island of Heligoland in autumn, when, t)n a favourable night, the quantity of Larks which fly over the little sea-girt rock is almost incredible. Giitke speaks of 15,000 Larks having been captured in a single night on Heligoland and estimates that this only represented the capture of one individual in every 10,000 which passed over the island. The nest of the Sky- Lark is built on the ground, and is a simple structure of grass, but is generally well concealed. The eggs are from three to five in number, and are so thickly speckled with brown that the greenish white ground colour is obscured, the brown spots being mingled with the underlying grey ones. Very frequentK- the dark spots are congregated at the larger end of the egg, and often form a ring. Thi: Short-Tokd h.\RK tCal(i)idit'llii hrachv- ' dactyla). This is a diminutive Skj'-Lark in appearance, and has the first primary-quill rudi- mentary : it may, however, be easily recognised bv its curved hind-claw. Unhke the Sky-Larks, in the genus Calandrella the sexes do not differ much in size. The Short-toed Lark is a bird of Southern Europe, and is only of accidental occurrence in Central Europe and Great Britain, where it has occurred on some eight occasions. It is of a tame disposition, and is entirely a ground-loving species, and an inhabitant of sandy districts. In habits and nesting it much resembles the Sky-Lark, but the scmg is not so vigorous as in the last-named species, though it also mounts into the air to sing. In winter, the Short-toed Larks congregate in large flocks. The nest is placed on the ground, and is made of dry grass, with a lining of vegetable down and fine hair. The eggs are four or five in number, the ground colour being whitish, but in some instances obscured by a mass of tiny brown dots, while in others the The Short-Toed Lark. Perching Birds. 31 The Crested Lark. pale ground colour is less obscured bv brown spots and markings, which, when present, are confined to the larger end of the egg. The Crested Lark (Galci-ita cristntii) is only a rare visitor to Great Britain, having occurred some half-dozen times, and it is some- what remarkable that it should not have been more often noticed, as it is by no means un- common in the adjoining countries of the Continent. Many more instances of its occurence have been reported to me, but on enquiry I have always found the evidence to be inconclusive, as it is the Sl<3--Lark which has been observed by my correspondents. The latter bird has a very full crest of feathers, which it often erects, and hence the bird is mistaken for a Crested Lark. The crest of the last-named species is, however, of a different form to that of the Sky-Lark, being long and pointed, projecting from among the feathers on the back of the head. Another difierence between the two species consists in the greater development of the first primary in the Crested Lark, which is very distinctly indicated. The species is generally distributed over Europe, and is represented 1)3' ck)sely allied forms in Northern Africa, India, China, and Central Asia. It rises only a little way from the ground when singing, and does not soar high into the air like the Sky-Lark, nor does it collect into flocks in the autumn. Otherwise its habits are similar to those of other Larks, and it is especiall}- fond of dusting itself in sandy roads. The liest is generally placed on the ground, and the eggs are rather paler than those of the Sky-Lark. The Wood-Lark (Lullnia arborca) is a small species, with a well-developed first primary, and although of a generally rufous coloration like the Sky-Lark, it is easily distinguished from that species by the broad band of buffy white which encircles the head, and by the blackish patch on the wing, formed by the black primary-coverts. The crest-feathers are rounded and full. The Wood-Lark is a local bird in all the three kingdoms, being decided!}' rarer towards the north, and scarcely known from Scotland. It frequents woodlands and loves to perch on trees, whence it takes short flights into the air, descending with the wings half- closed like a Tree-Pipit, for \\'hich the Wood-Lark is often mistaken. The song is very sweet. The nest is placed on the ground, and is rather more neatlv constructed than that of the Sky-Lark, and the eggs are much lighter in appearance than those of the latter bird, being white, with numerous reddish brown The Wood-Lakk. dots and underlying grey spots. Brifish Birds. THE In some respects these birds resemble the Warblers {Svlviida'], but they possess one character which shews a WAGTAILS AND PIPITS, ^j^^^^ resemblance to the Larks, viz., the shape of the Fnmily MOTACILLID.E. \ wing, in which the inner secondaries are lengthened, so as to nearly equal the primary-quills in extent. They are also "round-loving birds, walking or running like the Larks, and not hopping like Finches or Thrushes. The Pied Wagtail (Motacilla !ngu- bfls). This is one of our most elegant little birds, and is familiarly known as the ' Dish-washer' in many parts of England, and in France it is called the ' Lavandiere' or ' Washer-woman.' It has a graceful way of vibrating the tail, especially when it first alights on the ground, a peculiarity also observable in the Pipits. The male Pied Wagtail is black above, but the female never seems to acquire a perfectly black back, this being dusky grey, more or less mixed with black, even in the breeding season. In winter the throat is white, with a black band across the fore-neck, and instead of a perfecth- black head, the forehead is white, with only the hind part of the head black. Young birds in their first winter may be told by the yellowish tinge on the face ; otherwise they resemble the old birds in their winter plumage. Great Britain is the home of the Pied Wagtail, as it breeds scarcely anywhere else, and is a species peculiar to Western Europe. It has been found nesting in the North West of France, and occasionally in Holland. It remains in England during the winter, though a certain number migrate, but the winter range extends only through Western Europe to France, Spain and Morocco. The nest is a simple structure of grass or moss, neatly lined with hair or wool, built in the hole of a wall or bank, or on the stems of ivy. The eggs are five or six in number, pale, sprinkled with purplish brown dots on a whitish ground. The White Wagtail (Motacilla alba]. This species is similar in form and markings to the ordinary Pied Wagtail, but is easily distinguished by its uniform Thk White Wagtail. The Pied Wagtail. Perching Birds. 33 grey back, instead ol the black back of the last-mentioned species. It is a widely spread form, ranging from Western Europe across Siberia to the Valley of the Yenesei, and wintering in India and in Western and North-eastern Africa. On the Continent the White Wagtail is a very common bird, and it probably occurs more frequently in England than is generally supposed, and it has been certainly identified as nesting occasional!}-. It ranges far to the north in Europe, and in northern Norway it is certainl}' one of the most interesting of the birds, and is remarkable for its lameness. The • Linel.' as> it is called, is to be seen in the vicinity of every ' saeter ' or dairj'-farm in the mountains, and each year that I have visited Norwa\-, these pretty birds have been my constant companions, building their nests on beams in the hay-barns, or in holes in the roofs of the houses. A pair, which were more than usually tame, and frequented Mr. Lort Phillips' house on the Alfheim Lake, reared their _\'oung in a barn in perfect confidence, and when the nest- lings were able to support themselves, the parents brought them down to the lake, where they would run about the verandah or settle down on the boats within a few feet of us. Xo sooner were tht\ started in life than the old female laid a second set of eggs in the same nest and reared a second brood. The short summer in Norway probably accounted for the lack of time necessary for the building of a second nest. The latter is inartisticall}- constructed, and resembles that of the Pied Wagtail of Britain. The eggs are five or six in number (in the second nest above-mentioned there were only four eggs), and are generally lighter than those of il/. lugubris. THE GREY This species is intermediate between the ordinary Pied WAGT.^IL. Wagtails and the Yellow Wagtails which follow. It has a very [Mutacilla long tail, with bright yellow under tail-co\'erts, which are very m,ii!iiope.\ conspicuous in both old and young birds. It is light blue-grey above with a black throat in summer, this being absent in the winter plumage. Young birds can always be told by the fawn-coloured eyebrow, and the tint of the same colour which pervades the throat and fore-neck. During the nesting season, the Grey Wagtail is decidedly a local bird in Great Britain, but it is universally spread over Europe and Northern Asia, though ahvays aftecting its own peculiar haunts. It loves rocky places, and builds its nest by the side of mountain streams, though in the South of England it may be found in other situations, under the shadow of a sluice-gate in water-meadows, or in the ivy against an old building, but always close to water. The nest is like that of other Wagtails, but is lined with cow's hair, generally white. The eggs vary from five to seven in number, and are rather more uniform in tint than those of other Motacillidn. being sometimes of an olive tint or bluish-white, with only a little rufous mottling. THE YELLOW '^''''*^ species is often known as Ray's Wagtail, and is WAGTAIL. of a beautiful canary -yellow on the head and underparts, the (Motacilln back being olive-yellow. It is a smaller bird than the pre- campestfis.) ceding species, and has a shorter tail. The female is 3 34 British Bi'rds^ duller in colour than the male, and has the head of the same greenish-yellow colour as the back, so that the bright yellow forehead is not visible. The winter plumage is also similar, but the under parts are brighter yellow, and there is a tinge of saffron colour on the breast : the evebrow is well marked and of a bright yellow. The breeding range of the Yellow Wagtail is very similar to that of our Pied Wagtail, as its principal nesting place is in the British Islands, and it is almost entireh' a bird of Western Europe. It goes, ht)wever, much further south for its winter home, wintering in West Africa, while man_v find their wa}' along the east coast of Africa as far as the Zambe;?i and the Transvaal. As, however, there seems to be a second colonj' of the Yellow Wagtail in Southern Russia and Central Asia, it is probable that the birds from this area, choosing the --rSi The Grey Wagtah.. Thk Yellow Wagtail. The Blue-headeii Wagtail. east coast route, find their wa\- into South-eastern Africa. In liabits the present species differs considerabl\ from its relatives, being mostly gregarious, except in the nesting-season. On their arrival in Great Britain the Yellow Wagtails fretiutnt commons and pasture-lands in small parties, and are very fond of feeding in the neighbourhood of cattle, running about the feet of the latter and feeding on flies. In the autumn they collect in large numbers in the reed-beds near the shores of our south coast, and hundreds roost in these places, before their autumn migration. The nest is placed on the ground, generally under some shelter, and is made of grass and rootlets, and lined with hair or feathers. The eggs are from four to six in number, and vary in colour and markings more than do those of the other species of Wagtails, The Blue-headed Wagtail ( Motacilla flava]. Is of the same size and general The Meadow-Pipit. The Tree-Pipit. Perching Birds. appearance as the Yellow Wagtail, but distinguished by its blue-grey head and broad white eyebrow. The females and young birds can, however, scarcely be told from those of Ray's Wagtail. M.Jiava is an accidental visitor to Great Britain, but has been known to breed in Northum- berland, and pro- bably occurs more frequently than is supposed. Like its relative, M. cainpestris, it winters both in Western and South-eastern Africa, but it otherwise enjoys a much wider ran^e extending across Siberia to the Pacific, and wintering as far south as the Moluccas and in the peninsula of India. In habits and its mode of nidification it does not differ from those of the Yellow Wagtail. THE T\\\B is a very elegant little bird, in appearance like a Lark, but TREE-PIPIT. more trim and brighter looking. All the Pipits have a more or less {Anthus Lark-like plumage, being brown streaked with black, and paler under- tnvialis.) neath, with blackish streaks on the breast. The Tree-Pipit is distinguished from the Meadow-Pipit and the other British species by its curved hind claw: it is also much less of a ground bird than the other Pipits. The present species breeds over the greater part of Europe, as far as the Valley of the Yenesei, but it only nests on the mountains of Southern Europe. Its winter home is in Northern and North-eastern Africa, and in Western India. It is locally distributed throughout England, but becomes gradually rarer in Scotland, and is scarcely known in Ireland. The Tree- Pipit may often be observed on the outskirts of woods and plantations, flying up from the trees and bushes into the air, and descending spirally to its perch or to the ground, and singing melodiously all the while. Its food consists chiefl}' of insects, and it also frequents the neighbourhood of cattle on the pastures, to catch flies like the Wagtails, and it has the same dipping motion of the tail as in the latter birds. The nest is a simple structure of dried grass or rootlets, with a lining of fine grass or horsehair, and is always placed on the ground. The eggs are from four to seven in number, and vary 3* 36 British Birds. THE MEADOW-PIPIT, {Antlnis prnttnsls.\ from purplish i>r pinkish-red to oHve-grey, with sometimes tiny dots and some- times bolder spots and blotches of reddish brown and purplish-grey. The present species is rather a smaller bird than the Tree-Pipit, is not so bright in colour, and may always be told by its straight hind-claw, which exceeds the length, of the hind toe itself. It is found everywhere throughout Great Britain, and is resident with us, though a considerable number migrate. There is some difference in size observable among our British Meadow- Pipits, and the ones from the south coast seem to constitute a smaller race than those from more upland localities. It must also be noted that in Pipits, as in Larks, the females are always smaller than the males. The range of the Meadow-Pipit extends over the greater part of Europe and reaches east as far as the Valley of the Ob. Its winter home is in the Mediterranean countries and Northern Africa. It is generally a ground-lo\-ing bird, but in the mountains of Norway, at 3,500 feet, where it is exceedingly common, I have found it more like a Tree-Pipit in habits, perching on the birch trees, and soaring high into the air like a Sky-Lark, singing the while very sweetly. I shot one or two birds after thev had perched on the trees to make sure that the}' were not Tree-Pipits. Its food consists almost entirelv of insects, which it seeks on the ground. The nest is always built on the latter, and is generally sheltered i it is a neat little cup of grass with a little moss and lined with fine grass or hair. The eggs are from four to six in number, and are somewhat browner and more uniform in appearance than those of the Tree- Pipit, being brown, more or less clouded with minute spots and markings of brown and purplish-grey. The Red-throated Pipit {Anthus ceyvinus). This is a kind of Meadow-Pipit, very similar to Autliiis prateiisis, and only distinguishable in the winter plumage by the streaks on the rump, this part of the back beinguniform in the Meadow-Pipit. Three un- doubted specimens of the Red- throated Pipit have been taken within the British Islands, so that the species may be considered to be an occasional visitant, but it may occur more often than is suspected, as its plumage in winter is so very similar to that of Antlnis pratemis. In the summer dress, of course, the uniform vinous red throat and breast easily distinguish the species. In the female the red colour is confined to the throat, and does notextend to thechest. Red-throated Pipit. Richard's Pipit. Perching Birds. 2>y RICHARD'S PIPIT. {Anfhiis richardi.) The range of the Red-throated Pipit is more eastern than that of the Meadow- Pipit, as it breeds from Northern Scandinavia to Eastern Siberia and Kamtchatka, beyond the limits of forest growth, wintering in China and Burma, and the Malayan Islands, as well as in Persia and North-eastern Africa, as far as Machakos in British East Africa. It is an inhabitant of the swampy districts of the north, breeding in June, and making- a nest of dr}' grass, placed under a tussocky ridge in the bogs, according to Mr. Seebohm. In habits it resembles the Meadow-Pipit, as might be expected, and the eggs are similar in colour and variation to those of the last-named bird. This is a large species, with a very strong hind claw, equal to the hind toe in length, or even e.xceeding the latter. The male measures 7 J inches in length, and the wing is 3-95 ; the female, which is smaller, having a wing of 3^ inches. It is very much like a Lark in appear- ance, but has no dark streaks on the flanks, and the pale portion of the outer tail-feather is white. All Pipits have the outer tail-feathers of two colours, and the extent of the pale marking forms a distinctive character in many of the species, as will be seen below. Richard's Pipit seems to be a regular autumnal visitor to Western Europe. It has been met with in England several times at this season of the year. Its breeding home is in Siberia, from the Valley of the Yenesei and Central Asia to Mongolia, and it is a frequent winter visitor to China and the Indian Peninsula. It is a grass- loving species and is seldom seen in its northern haunts during the breeding season, except when it rises into the air to sing. In its winter quarters in India and Ceylon, it is a shy bird, as it is also in its northern habitat, but it resembles a Lark in its fondness for cattle pastures, and like the last-named bird, it is fond of dusting itself in a sand}- road. The eggs are from four to six in number, the ground-colour being greenish- white, nearly hidden by spots of greenish-brown and grey. Some eggs are browner in tint than others. The Tawny Pipit (Anthns cam- pestris]. A rare winter visitor from the Continent to the southern coasts of England, several specimens having been captured near Brighton. The home of the species is in Central and Southern Europe, where it inhabits the sandy districts, as far east as Central Asia, extending even to Eastern Siberia. The winter home is in Senegambia, North-east Africa, and the plains of North-western India. The Tawny Pu'IT. 38 Brilish Birds. The Water-Pipit. The Tawny Pipit is easily distin- guished, when adult, by its uniform plain-coloured under-surface of huffy white, without any streaks on the breast. These streaks are present in youn^ birds, but are very indistinctly indicated. The outer tail-feather is almost entirely white, and has a v^hite shaft, with a brown edging to the inner \veb ; the next feather has a brown shaft, and is blackish-brown, but the outer web is light buff and this pale colour extends obliquely across the inner web to the tip. The sides of the face are whitish, with a well-marked moustachial streak of dusky brown. The flanks are uniform, and the wing-coverts ha\e broad margins of pale sandy colour. In its habits the Tawny Pipit is very Lark-like, soaring into the air for a little distance and singing. The nest is placed on the ground, concealed under a tuft of grass or a clod of earth, and is simply- made of dry grass, lined with fine roots or horsehair. The eggs are from four to six in number, very pale, being white with numerous dots of black and grey. The Water-Pipit (Anthus spipoletta). A rare visitor, some half-dozen speci- mens having been procured in England and Wales, on the spring and autumn migrations. Adult birds, with their uniform vinous-coloured breasts and also in their striped winter plumage, might be mistaken for Rock-Pipits, but they may always be distinguished by the white pattern on the outer tail-feathers, this light portion being always smoky brown in the Rock-Pipit. The Meadow- Pipit has the end of the last tail-feather but one white, whereas in the Tawn}' Pipit it is brown. The latter is moreover, a larger bird than Antlius pratensis. The streaks on the flanks will always distinguish the latter from the Tawny Pipit. The Water-Pipit, or, as Seebohm calls it. the Alpine Pipit, is an inhabitant of the mountains of Central and Southern Europe, extending to Central Asia and Baluchistan. It is found nesting beyond the limits of forest-growth, and resembles the Meadow-Pipit in habits, and soars into the air to utter its song. The nest is alwa3's on the ground, and is made of dr}' grass and moss, lined with rootlets, hair, or wool. The eggs are four or five in number, dull white, closely mottled or spotted with purplish-brown. The Rock-Pipit [Anthiis ohscurns). This is also, like the Pied Wagtail, a The Rock-Pipit. Pcniiiiio^ Birds. 39 species of Western Europe, nesting in tlie British Islands, and, according to Mr. Howard Saunders, on the opposite shores of Northern France. In Northern Europe its place is taken by the Scandinavian Rock-Pipit, ^-Inthiis rupestris. The species can always he told by the smoky brown tint of the light portion of the outer tail- feathers, which distinguishes it from all other British Pipits. Although, in my opinion, the Scandinavian Rock-Pipit is easily recognisable in its summer plumage from our own ,/. obsciinis, at other times of the 3'ear the 3'oung and winter birds are indistinguishable. The Kock-Fipit is an inhabitant of our wilder coasts, and does not frequent the more open portions during the breedmg season, though it occurs m winter on our southern coast-line. In habits it closely resembles the Meadow-Pipit, and its food is similar. During the breeding season the male flies up into the air to sing, and warbles sweetly as it descends spirally with outspread wings. The nest is a rough structure of dead grass with shore-plants intermixed, and lined with moss or hair according to the facilities with which the bird can obtain these materials. It is placed generally close to the shore, but not unfrequently on a clifl at some height. The eggs are four or five in number, rather dark in tint as a rule, the brown mottlings obscuring the greyish-white ground colour. The Scandinavian Rock-Pipit (Anthiis nipes- tris). As already remarked, there is no obvious difference between this species and the ordinary Rock-Pipit in the winter plumage or in that ot the 3'oung birds, but in the summer dress the two species are quite recognisable, the vinous breast of the Scandinavian form being a distinct feature. In this respect it is allied to the Water-Pipit, but is easily separated from that species by the tint of the light pattern on the outer tail-feather, which is smoky brown instead of being white as in yi. spipulefta. The present species is an autumnal migrant to the eastern and southern coasts of England, returning eastwards in spring, and moulting on the journey, as is the habit of Pipits, which have a spring as well as an autumnal moult. Thus, the individuals procured near Brighton in spring, generally shew traces of the change to the uniform vinous breast from the preceding winter plumage with its striped breast. The Scandinavian Rock-Pipit, in fact, follows the same line of western migration as the Black Redstart IRntuilla titys), in the British Islands. In summer it is distributed along the rocky shores of Scandinavia and the l^altic .Sea, as far as the WHiite Sea. The habits and nesting are similar to those of our own Rock-Pipit, and the eggs are indistinguishable from those of the last-named species. \ The Scanpin.avian Rock-Piimt. THE CREEPERS. Family CERTHIID.E. 40 • British Biids. The Creepers are truly insectivorous birds and expert climbers on rocks and trees, feeding on i\n\ insects which the_y discover in such situations. The family is almost entirely a northern one, being distributed over the temperate portions of the Old and New Worlds, rangmg in the west to Central America, and in the east to the Himalayas, being sparsely replaced by allied genera in the Indian Peninsula, Africa and Australia. The true Creepers have a stiffened and pointed tail like that of the Woodpeckers, but there are many soft-tailed species, just as there are the sott- tailed Wrynecks (lynx), amongst the Woodpeckers. One of the most conspicuous of the soft-tailed Creepers is the following : — The \Vall-Crp:epf.r \TicIiodroiiia imirdria}. This bird has occurred in Norfolk and in Lanca- shire, while a third has been recently recorded from Sussex. Mr. Howard Saunders has pointed out that the species occasionally visits Normandy, so that its occurrence in the British Islands may now and then be expected. It is a bird easily recognis- able on account of the crimson in the wmgs. As in other Creepers, the bill is long, slender, and curved. The general colour of the Wall-Creeper is a delicate blue-grey, and the wmgs and tail are black, with a conspicuous white spot on the outer primaries, verv much in evidence when the bird is flying; the tail is likewise tipped with white spots. In summer the throat is black, but in winter it is white. The Wall-Creeper inhabits the mountain ranges of Southern P^^urope. North-east Africa, Central Asia, and the Himalayas as far as China. It has a peculiar flight, like that of a Butterfly, and climbs up rocks and buildings with a sidling crab-like motion, flicking its wings open rapidly, and exhibiting their beautiful crimson colour with every movement. The nest is placed in crevices of rocks, and is made of moss and grass, with a mass of hair, wool and feathers compacted together, and is lined with wool and hair. The eggs are from three to five in number, pure white, sparsely spotted with tiny black or reddish- brown dots. The Tree-Creeper [Ccrthta fauiiUans). This is a small bird with a curved bill and a peculiar tail, the feathers of which are stiffened and pointed, serving the same purpose as the rigid tail of the Woodpeckers, as the bird climbs up the trunk of a tree or runs along the branches. The Tree-Creeper of Great Britain has been separated as a distinct race by Mr. Ridgway, and called Certliia britannica, and 5 The Wai,i,-Cri;ei>er. Perclu'ng Birds. 4T Mr. Harteit in his recent review of the species, also considers it to he diflerent from the Continental form, and names it Certhia fainiliaris britannicn (Novt. Zool. iv., p. 139). He sa^s that it differs from the form of Western Europe (C. brachydnctyla), in having the orange-tawny colour of the rump more extended and slightly more orange, the whole aspect of the upper surface being more rufous, the beak also averaging decidedly shorter, the hind-claw longer. Thus, in the opinion of the two above-mentioned observers, the British Creeper is a form peculiar to our islands, like our Coal-Tit and Long-Tailed Tit. The Creeper is not a very easy bird to observe, as it is small, and not readily seen. It flies down to the bottom of a tree-trunk and climbs to the top with a rapidly jerking motion of the body, generally keeping itself well out of sight on the other side of the tree, and feeding on minute insects as it goes. The single hissing note, when once comprehended, is not easily mistaken, and seems to come from all points of the compass. Competent observers have assured me that the Creeper has a song, but I have never heard this myself in England, though on the Continent I have heard a Creeper sing as loudly as a Tit. The nest is placed under shelter below the eaves of a shed or in the hole of a tree, or beliind a crevice of bark on the latter. It is generally an untidy structure of small roots and moss, with strips of inside bark and dead wood. The eggs are from four to si.\ in number, very similar to those of Tits, being white or pinky-white, with rufous or blackish spots. The Xlthatch {Sitta casin) is our only representa- tive of a family which is widely distributed over the northern parts of the Old and New Worlds. The members of it may be said to have the plumage of a Tit with the habits of a Creeper, but instead of the long curved bill of the latter birds, the Nuthatches have a powerful wedge-shaped bill, more like that of a Woodpecker, though they have nut the extensile tongue of the last-named bird, nor do they possess a spiny tail. The Nuthatch is principally an English bird, being pretty generally distributed, but becoming rarer towards Scotland, and being unknown in Ireland. On the Continent it is found westwards of the Peninsula of Jutland, through Central and Southern Europe, east to Asia Minor and Palestine. The favourite haunt of the Nuthatch is in the large trees of a well-timbered park, and THE NUTHATCHES. Family SITTID.E. The Tree-Ckeeper. The Nuthatch. 42 British Birds. ^''" I— The Great Tit. 2 — The Crested Tit. 3 — The Com, Tu. 4 — The M.\ksh Tit. T — The Be.arded Tit. 5 — The Blue Tit. here its presence may be detected by its note. ' too-ee. too-ee.' many times repeated, or by the sound of its hammering on the bark, the blows which it gives being remarkably powerful for so small a bird. It runs round the branches like a Creeper, prising off the bark to get at the ants and small insects, and often runs on the under side of a bough or comes along the trunk for a short distance head-downwards. The nest is a ver\- rough structure of a few grasses or dead leaves, and is placed in the hole of a -wall or of a tree, in the latter case the entrance being plastered up. The eggs are from four to eight in number, white, with rufous spots and gre}- under- lying dots. These birds are found in nearly every part ot the globe, excepting the Australian Region and South America from Mexico southwards. They are. however, more numerous in the northern countries of both hemispheres, and several species occur m Great Britain. They are birds of small size, but have a stout conical bill, with the base covered with teathers. The Great Tit [Parus major). This is the largest British species, and is distinguished by its black head, breast, and abdomen, the black on the latter parts forming a broad streak, which is less evident in the female than in the male. There is a patch of white on the nape as in the Coal Tit, but the large size and yellow colouring on the under-surface of the Great Tit, easilj- serve to distinguish the two species. The ' Ox-eye,' as this bird is frequenth' called, is a very active little cieature, and is always in evidence in woods and gardens in the spring, when its lively THE TITS, Family PARID.E. Perching Birds. 43 THE BLUE TIT. iPnnis caruleus.\ song is sure to attract attention. In winter it frequents the woods in companj' with other Tits, Creepers, and Nuthatches, and is always distinguished from its relatives by its larger size and more powerful note. As a nest-builder it is one of the most industrious of birds, for it will fill a bo.\ or an inverted flower pot of large size with moss, and sometimes two or three nests will be found in the same bed of moss, as if the bird inhabited the place for year after year and occupied a fresh nest each season. The eggs are from five to nine in number, white, with red and grev (underlying) spots. This is by far the most plentiful of the British Tits. It is smaller than the Great Tit, and is easily distinguished by its blue crown, pale green back, blue tail and wing-coverts, white cheeks and eyebrow, and yellow under-surface. The Blue Tit is found ever\'where throughout the United Kingdom, and large numbers migrate every year from the Continent, where it is also everj'where distributed, but its range does not extend beyond the Ural mountains. Though chiefl}' subsisting on insect food, the Blue Tit does considerable damage in the spring of the 3'ear by devouring the buds of fruit-trees, and is as much per- secuted as the Bullfinch at this season. At other times, however, it is so entirely an insect-feeder that great good must be done by these active little birds, though again in the fruit-season it does some damage b}- pecking holes in the pears and other fruit. At the same time the number of insects caught by the Blue Tits ought to be taken into consideration, when their family consists of perhaps eight little ones. The nest of the Blue Tit is always in the hole of a tree or a wall, and the entrance is some- times so tiny that it is difficult to believe that even a Blue Tit can squeeze through the aperture. Here in a rough nest of moss and grass, but comfortablv lined with feathers, the young are reared, and fed entirely on insects. The eggs, from five to twelve in number, are white, sprinkled with tiny dots of reddish. The Com^ Tit (Panis britdiniicns). This is entirely a British species, and difiers from the Coal Tit of the Continent in having an olive-brown back, instead of a blue- grey one. Our Coal Tit has a white patch on the nape, in which respect it resembles the Great Tit, and. like the latter, it has a black head and white cheeks, but it is a very much smaller bird, has no yellow on the under- parts, and entirely lacks the black band down the centre of the breast and abdomen. It is also a bird of somewhat different habits, as far as two species of Tits can differ in habits. It is much more shy than the Great Tit, and except in winter, when it joins the roving parties of Tits and Creepers, is not easy of observation. Its plain coloration protects it as well as its small size, but where it occurs it is an interesting little species to watch, though. it is by no means so noisy as the Blue or Great Tits. I was very much interested in watching a pair which were The Co.\l Tit 44 British Birds. nesting last summer (1897) in Froyle Park, in Hampshire, where my friend, Captain Sawbridge, would on no account allow an}- oi the birds to be disturbed. The Coal Tits were particularly tame, and I soon found their nesting-place m a tiny hole in the wall which formed the terrace between the garden and the park. While standing quite still under an elm tree, the little birds flew from the stable-yard into the branches not two feet above my head, with a feather or some other nesting material in their bill, and after making sure that all was safe, they descended, and hovered in the air for a second or two in front of the hole, into which the_\- disappeared with their prize. This was not the only pair of Coal Tits nesting m this same old wall. The species also often selects a hole in a tree for its nest, and lays from six to eight or nme eggs, white, with dots of light and dark rufous, generally clustering round the larger end of the egg. The Europe.\n Coal Tit (Parus ater). Occasional individuals of the Continental form appear to visit our eastern coasts in autumn. They may be recognised from our British Coal Tit by their blue-grey back, and in winter plumage, when the olive- brown back of the British form is very pronounced, the two races are recognised at a glance, but in summer, when the olive-brown edges to the feathers of our British bird become abraded, and the general aspect becomes grey, I admit that the two races are difficult to distinguish. The European Coal Tit is found throughout Europe and Northern Asia. Its habits are similar to those of our British Coal Tit. The exact range of the difterent species of Marsh Tits in the THF RRTTTSH Pahearctic Region, that is. in Europe and Northern Asia, is a very M\RSH-TIT 01 „ * ' .' diiTicult problem to solve, and it is far from being settled at the {Parus drfssen.) ' ° present time. Compared with the Marsh-Tit of the Continent, the true Parus pnliist/is, the British representative shews certain differences which point to its recognition as a distinct insular form. It is a much darker bird, with a more marked bufftsh-brown rump and browner flanks. Though generally considered to be a marsh bird, from its popular name, our Marsh-Tit is by no means entirely a frequenter of the willows and water meadows, but on the contrary, is found, in winter at least, far away from such localities, in parks and woodlands, in company with companies of •other Tits and kindred wanderers, feeding on insects, and even frequenting the neighbourhood of houses. It is to be told by its brown back, glossy blue-black crown, whitish face and under parts, isabelline-buff sides and flanks, and black throat. The nest is almost always in the hole of a tree, and sometimes the bird digs out its own nesting-place, being armed with a powerful little pick-axe of a bill, like all Tits, and knowing well where to attack a rotten part of a tree, generally a willow, wherein to place its nest. The latter is rather more carefully built than is usual with the Paiidii , and is made of moss and wool and hair. The eggs are from five to eight in number, white, with rufous spots, either scattered all over the egg, or collected at the larger end. The Continental Marsh-Tit [Pants sallcariiis). This is supposed to be a Perching Birds. 43 separate race of our ordinary Marsh Tit, and Mr. Hartert (Bull. Brit. Orn. Club, vii., p. iv.l, gives the differences as follows : — The crown is less glossy and more of a brownish black, the flanks are strongly marked with rufous, and the proportions of the bill, wings and tail are slightly different. The call-note also is not the same, and its habitat is confined to dark, shadow^■ and swampy places. The same form is said by Mr. Kleinschmidt, who first drew Mr. Hartert's attention to the occurrence of P. salicarius in England, to be found in German}'. The Crested Tn [Lophophanes cj-istatiis). Members of the genus Lo/'/io/Adw^i are distinguished bv their pointed crest, which forms an evident tuit. The genus is more strongly represented in the New World than in the Old, but there are a few species in the Himalaya Mountains. Otherwise the Crested Tit of Great Britain is the characteristic Palaarctic representative of the genus, and is found over the greater part of Western Europe, wherever pine-forests occur, extending east to the Volga, but not occurring in Greece or Italy below the line of the Alps. The species is distinguished b}' its sober olive-brown colour, white iace, black throat joining the black of the nape, and long crest of black, white-edged feathers, the crown itself being black. It is at the present time only found within a certain limited area in Scotland, but has occurred in many of the English counties and in Ireland. The Crested Tit seems to be everywhere a bird of the pine-forests, where it searches for its insect food after the manner of a Creeper, and, according to Mr. Seebohm, it never comes down to the ground, like other Tits sometimes do. The nest is roughly made of dry grass and moss, and is placed in the hole of a tree or in the foundations of Crow's, Magpie's, or even Squirrel's nests. The eggs are from four to seven in number, white, with very distinct spots of red and purplish-red. The British Long-Tailed Tit {.Hgithalus vagans). The members of this genus have a very long tail, which exceeds the wing in length, thus difler- ing from all the other British Paridii. The nest of the Long-Tailed Tits, too, is quite different from those of the rest of the family, being a moss- built, domed structure, placed in the open, and not in the hole of a wall or tree. Our Long-tailed Tit may almost be considered a peculiar British species. Like the Coal Tit, it is easily recog- nisable from its Ci)ntinental repre- sentative, as it has only the centre of the crown white, with a broad tmk WHixE-HEADiiD Lo.ng-Tailed Tit lateral stripe of black on each side of it. The Uritish Long-Tailed Tir 46 British Birds. whereas the true Al. caudatn of Linnaus inhabits Northern Europe and has a pure white head. It is distributed over the greater part of the British Islands, becoming rarer towards the northern parts, and it is said to range over France into Northern Itah', and east into the Rhine Provinces, but the actual distribution of the species is not exactly known at present. In spring these pretty- little birds build their nest of moss and lichen, warmly coated inside with a mass of feathers, in a hedge or furze-bush, sometimes in a tree at a considerable height from the ground. The nest is often to be found quite early in the year, before the leaves have grown on the trees, and it is frequently placed in quite exposed situations. The eggs are white, with scarcely perceptible reddish dots, and are from six to ten in number, or even more. This numerous family is snugly housed in the moss}- nest, and is brooded over at night by both parents, so that the long tails of the latter can be seen resting against the hind wall of the nest, and they are even said to protrude sometimes through the opening. In the autumn, family parties are formed, consisting of old and young birds, which fly about the woods hunting for their insect food, and following one another in regular procession from tree to tree. This is the common species of Scandinavia and Northern THE WHITE-HEADED ,, ■ •»■ r- . 1 r- ■ » * u- u liurope, visiting Central Europe m winter, at which season LONG-TAILED TIT. . "^ . „ . , t, • ■ t , t ■ _ . , , J , , it occasionallv migrates to the lintish Isles, in its adult {.Egithnlus caudatus.) - " plumage it is easilv told by its pure white head, but the young of this and our British Long-Tailed Tit cannot be told apart, both having a dull white crown with a dusky band on each side, and, curiously enough, a longer tail than the o\A birds. In habits, nest, and colour of eggs, the White-Headed Long-Tailed Tit does not differ in any way from our insular species. This IS not a true Tit at all, and ought perhaps to be called by its other name of the Bearded Reedling. In plumage, mode of , nesting, and colour of the eggs it is so different, that many [Fannrjis ojarmnus.) ° "° naturalists have referred it to the Buntings rather than to the Tits. Mv own opinion is that it belongs to neither group, but is really a Timehine bird, akin to the Reed-birds of the tropical east, such as Panuhxornis. to which it assimilates in style of plumage and in habits. The old male is easih- to be told by its cinnamon-red colour, its pearly-grej- head, and by its broad black moustachial streak on each side of the cheeks. The female is duller in colour, has no black moustache, and the head is brown like the back. The young differ remarkably from both parents, being more tawn}-, and have a black patch in the centre of the back and a black stripe along either side of the crown. Though doubtless of wider distribution formerly in England than it is at the present time, the Bearded Tit is now almost confined to a few districts in the Norfolk and Suflblk Broads. On the Continent it occurs in marshy localities from Holland, France, and Spain, eastwards to Central Asia. Po'cliiiw Birds. 47 THE GOLD-CRESTS. Family REGULIDM. It is a bird of retired and skulking habits, and it lives entirely in the reed-beds, where it feeds on msects and tiny mollusca, as well as on the seeds of the reeds themselves. The nest is placed low down in a clump of rushes, and is rather a deeply made structure of flat grass, lined with down. The eggs are from four to seven in number, white, with dots and streaks of dark brown. The Gold-Crests are among the smallest of known birds, and are found only in the temperate portions of the Old and New Worlds, occurring as far south as the Himalayas in the former, and in Central America in the latter. They have all a beautiful crown of orange, yellow, or red, more or less concealed by the lateral feathers of the head. The Common Gold-Crest [Regains n-giiliis). This is the resident species in Great Britain, and is found everywhere, excepting in the northern islands of Scot- land, while a large migration from Northern Europe occurs annually, and a corresponding wave of returning migrants is often noticed in sprmg. How such a tiny and fragile little bird accomplishes these long dis- tances of flight is one of the puzzles of nature, and the migration is often performed in daylight, as I have seen myself in Heligoland, while that it travels also by night is shewn by its appearance in numbers at the light- houses, and also by a curious in- stance which occurred at the end of The Fire-Ckest. The Gold-Crest October, 1897, when a gentleman brought to the National History Museum a live Gold-Crest, which had flown at ten o'clock on the preceding night into the top-most carriage of the gigantic wheel at the Earl's Court E.xhibition. It was by watching this interesting little captive that I was enabled to see that the orange crest is not displa3ed as a rule, but is kept concealed by the feathers on each side of the crown. The nest is made of green moss, lined with feathers, and is slung, hammock-like, under the branch of a fir or yew, and the young, when fully fledged, sit in a row on some adjoining fruit tree, being fed in turn by the industrious little parent birds, and the clamour made by the nestlings is something quite remarkable. The eggs are from five to eight in number, creamy white or isabelline in colour, usually with a distinct zone of reddish-brown around the larger end of the egg. The Fikf.-Crest (Regulus igniaipiUus). This species is an inhabitant of Central and Southern Europe, extending as far north as the Baltic Provinces, but not nesting in Scandinavia. It is only a winter visitant to Great Britain, and never 48 British Birds. comes over in such large hordes as the Gold-Crest, althou,t;h I noticed it as a mii^rant on Helit;()Uind in Jarj^er numbers than the last-named bird. The golden- orange crown, richer in colour than that of the ordinar}- Gold-Crest, with the black band on each side of the crown, and the conspicuous white eyebrow, distinguish the Fire-Crest from the Gold-Crest at a glance. The habits and mode of nesting are similar in the two species. The eggs, from five to ten in number, are more rufous than those of the Gold-Crest and are almost chocolate in colour, either sprinkled with reddish dots or with a ring of the latter round the larger end of the The Ruby-Crest [Regulus calendula) oi North America has been supposed to have occurred in Scotland ; a specimen from Loch Lomond, said to have been shot by Dr. Dewar, in 1S52, being in the British Museum. This is a wide-spread family of birds, and is represented even THh SHRIKES. ,,-, ^ugtr^^iif^ ij^t ^ot in South America. The members of the familv Family LANIIDJE. which occur within British limits are all true Laiiiithi. and do not belong to the aberrant groups which are found in tropical countries. The Lesser Grey Shrike {Lanius ininor). This species visits Central and Southern Europe in summer, extending to Persia and Central Asia and wintering in Africa. It is one of the ' Grey' section of the genus Lanius, and can be recognised at any age by its short first primary- (luill. The adult birds have a broad black band on the forehead, and a beautiful rosy blush over the breast. The species has occurred at least four times in England, as an occasional visitor both in autumn and spring. Its food consists principallv of insects, which it is said to impale on thorns after the manner of its kind, but, according to Seebohm, it will also devour fruit in the shape of figs, cherries, and mulberries. The nest is a rough structure of moss and twigs, lined with wool, and the eggs, from four to seven in number are white, or greenish-white, with markings of brown and purplish-grey. The Great Grey Shrike [Lauiiis excubitor). This large species is a regular winter visitor to Great Britain, and comes to us from vScandinavia, where the bird is a summer \'isitor only. In Central Europe it is a resident species. This species, like the ne.\t, is told from the other British Butcher-birds by its large size and gre\' colouring above, with the base of the forehead and a small eyebrow white, contrasting with the black lores and ear-co\erts ; the wings and tail Thi; Lesser Gkev Shkike. Pcrcliiu!^ Birds. 49 I — The Great Grey Shrike. -The Red-backed Shrike. 3 — The Woodchat Shrike. are black, with white ends to most of the feathers, the outer tail-feathers being- broadly tipped with white. On the wing are two conspicuous patches of white, the first formed by the white base of the primaries, and the other by the white base to the outer secondaries. Young birds are shaded with brown, both above and on the breast, the under surface of the bodv being barred with brown margins to the feathers. The two species of Great Grey Shrike are very conspicuous birds wherever they occur, from their habit of selecting the top of a bush or small tree from which to take a good snrve\' of the surrounding ground. They de\'our all kinds of food, insects, frogs, lizards, and mice being eaten in summer, but in winter mice and small birds form their prey. The Shrikes have a very strongly hooked bill like that of a Hawk, and they are called ' Butcher-birds,' from their habit of impaling their prey on thorns, and here, in the Shrike's ' larder,' as it is called, ma\' often be found hanging the remains of the bodies of his victims. The nest is a somewhat rough structure of twigs, grass and moss, and the eggs, tiom five to seven in number, are greenish-white or brownish-white, with spots of olive or greenish-brown. P.^LL.vs's Great Grey Shkiki-; [Laniui sihiriciis). This is another winter visitor, coming from Siberia and Northern Russia, where it breeds. In habits and form it exactly resembles the foregoing species, from which it differs in onlj' having one white wing- patch instead of two, the inner secondaries being entirelv back. Pallas's Great Grey Shrike. 50 Bii'tisli Birds. This is the common Butcher-bird of our islands, visiting THE RED-BACKED i i ■ i ,■ ,u . . r us resjularlv in suminer, and nestmjr over the jjreater part oi SHRIKE. „ , or , . ,,1 En.trland, but beconiinsj rarer to\\'ards the north, and not [Lamus iolhtno.) ^ ' breeding in Scotland ; it has only once been recorded from Ireland. It is generallv distributed over Europe as far east as Central Asia, and it winters along the Persian Gulf and in East and South ^Vfrica. Although a much smaller bird than the three Grey Shrikes, the present species has much the same habits as its larger relatives, and impales insects and mice and small birds on the thorns which constitute its store-house. It is fond of frequenting dells and over-grown gravel pits, or commons where there are plenty of scattered clumps of bushes, and it mav often be seen on the telegraph-wires, swooping down from this perch on the msects which tly below. The nest is an untidy structure of moss and roots, lined with grass and hair. The eggs are from four to six in number, of two kinds, a reddish and a white t\pe, with rufous spots in the one and olive or greenish-brown spots in the latter. The Red-backed Shrike is distinguished b\" its blue-grev head and chestnut back, and pinkish under-surface. The female is duller in colour and is reddish-brown with a brown head, while there are crescentic bars of brown on the sides of the bod}' and breast. This Shrike is of about the same size as the preceding int. ^^u._JL..o.ll. gpe^ij-g^ \y^[ jg gasilv to be told bv its coloration, the back being {Laiiiiis puiiu-rninis.) , , , .,,.',,, ' , , , , , , black, with white shoulders and rump, the head and neck chestnut, with a bri_)ad frontal band of black, and the sides of the face also black. The Woodchat is a common summer \isitor to the greater part of Europe, but has only occurred a few times in England, though it has been said to nest in the Isle of Wight. The eastern range ui the species e.xtends to the Caucasus and Western Persia, and it winters in North-eastern Africa and Senegambia. Like other .Shrikes, the Woodchat takes up its perch in some conspicuous position on a bush or tree, from which it sallies forth after its insect prey, and its white breast renders it easily seen. It has a gentle and not unmusical song. The nest is more carefully built than is usually the case with Butcher-birds, and is placed in the fork of a tree, without any attempt to conceal it, bevond the fact that the materials of which it is composed resemble the bark of the tree m which it is placed. The eggs are irom four to si.\ in number, and are subject to the same variation as the eggs of the Red-backed Shrike. Of these birds, easily distinguishable by the curious THE WAX-WTNGS. tips to the secondary quills, which look like little tags of Family sealing-wax dropped on the ends of the feathers, there are AMPELIDM. three species found in the Northern parts of the Old and New Worlds. In the latter the commonest species is the Cedar-bird (Aiiipelis ccdi-umm), but the European Wax-wing also occurs in Arctic North America. Perching Birds. 51 The Wax-wing. The Wax-wing {Ainpelis garnilus). The plumage of this bird is singularly dehcate in tint, being of a drab-brown colour above, becoming grey towards the rump and upper tail-coverts ; the quills are black, with white tips and some \ellow near the end of the outer web. There is a very full crest on the head, of the same colour as the back ; the throat is black and the under tail-coverts chestnut, contrasting with the gre3'ish-drab colour of the under surface. The Wax-wing visits us nearly every winter, and sometimes invades Great Britain in large numbers. It breeds in the high north of Europe and America, and wanders south in winter, when it has been found in most countries of Europe. Its food in summer time consists of insects, but in winter it feeds on various kinds of berries, and large numbers of these birds are shot for the market in Russia. The nest is a large but well-built structure, made of twigs and moss with a lining of feathers. The eggs are from five to seven in number, of a lilac-gre}' colour with spots of black or blackish-brown. This is one of the representative families of birds of the Old World, where it is represented by a number of species, mostly migratory, but some stationary. The Warblers differ from the Thrushes in having the }-oung plain-coloured like the old birds, and not spotted as in the Turdidic. The latter, like- wise, go through but a single moult, whereas the Warblers moult twice in the year, once in autumn before migration, and again in the spring before they return to their breeding-haunts. The BARREn Warbler {Sylvia nisorin]. A rare and accidental visitor, of which some nine specimens have been recorded, eight The Barked Wardlek. THE WARBLERS. Family SYLVIID.E. Bniish Birds. from England and one from Ireland. The most recent occurrence was on the 27lh of Aui;ust, iSgy, when the Rev. H. H. Slater shot an adult female of this Warbler on the coast of Norfolk, and as the bird had evidently bred during the past season, he thinks that the .species may yet be found nesting in the eastern counties of England. From Central Europe to Central Asia the Barred Warbler is a nesting bird, and it reaches Denmark and Southern Sweden, but docs not breed apparently west of the Rhine. It winters in North-eastern Africa and along the Persian Gulf. In habits the Barred Warbler resembles our Whitethroats, and is a ver)' shy and skulking bird. It builds a more substantial nest than the last-named birds, of dried grass-stalks and roots mi.xed with plants, thistle-down and wool, and neatly lined with horse-hair and fine roots. The eggs are from four to six in number, creamy- white or light olive, slightlv spotted with greenish-brown, the spots being often so faintly indicated as to appear almost obsolete. The Barred Warbler is a little larger than the White- throat and is of a greyish- brown colour above, greyish- white below, with cross-bars of grey. The young are more uniform brown, with the breast and sides of the body ochreous-buff, and there are no bars on the under-surface. T H K W H I T F, T H R O A T [Svlvia svli'iti ). This species is more rufous than the Barred Warbler or the Lesser Whitethroat, and has pale chestnut edges to the wing-coverts and quills. Another character by which even the young birds can be distinguished as well as the old, is b)- the small size of the first or little ' bastard ' quill, which never reaches beyond the end of the primary- coverts. The colour of the male Whitethroat is greyish-brown and the head is ashy- grey, contrasting with the back. The tail is darker and has the outer feathers edged with white while the chestnut edges to the wing-feathers are \"ery conspicuous ; the under-surface is white, with a pinkish shade on the breast. The female is browner than the male and is whiter underneath, with the pink shade less evident. In winter this pink shade entirely disappears, and the head is also brown like the back. The young birds are browner than the adults, with brown heads and a tint of sandy- buff colour over the lower throat, breast and side of the body. The Whitethroat. The Lesser Whitethroat. Perchins^ Birds. 53 The Whitethroat is a shy httle bird and creeps about in search of its insect food in the thick hedges, especially those encumbered with a side-growth of nettles and brambles. Occasionally the male bird mounts into the air, utters a pretty little song and descends with a quivering flight to its former place of retreat. After their first arrival in spring, the Whitethroats may be noticed in the gardens and orchards, where the}' often appear on the tops of the hedges with the feathers of the crown and throat distended, making their heads look double their actual size, and they will often come so close that their pale-coloured little eye can be seen distinctl}'. The Whitethroat is called ' Nettle Creeper ' and ' Hay Chat ' in different districts of England, and is found everj'where in summer, but becomes rarer in the North of Scotland, where it is not known to breed. It is generally distributed throughout Europe in summer and winters in Africa. The nest is made of grass-stems and is so slightl}' constructed that it can be seen through. The eggs are from four to s_ix in number, the ground colour being white, spotted with olive-brown and violet-grey. A single occurrence of THE SUB-ALPINE WARBLER. [Sylvia snbalpina.) this pretty little Warbler has been noted in Britain, a specimen having been procured on S. Kilda, of all places, on the 13th ot June, 1S94, by Mr. J. S. Elliot, who thought that it was a Dartford Warbler at the time he captured it. The species inhabits the Mediterranean countries, and is easily distinguished from the Whitethroats by its chestnut chin and breast. In habits it much resembles the last-named birds. As its name implies, this is a smaller bird than the common Whitethroat, and has the bastard-primai}' longer than the primary-coverts. It is pale ashy-brown, with a lighter slaty- grey crown, contrasting with the back; the under surface is pure white, with a tint of pink on the fore-neck and breast, less distinct on the sides of the body. It is a little browner in winter and thej'oung birds are washed with brown below, with a great deal of white on the outer tail-feather, which has an oblique black mark across the inner web. The present species is a summer visitor to Great Britain, but does not nest in Ireland and only sparingly in the south of Scotland, It breeds throughout Central and Western Europe, and winters in the Mediterranean countries and Northern Africa. In habits it is a very shy bird, and seeks for its food in hedgerows, where the foliage is dense, but it is also sometimes found in trees, engaged in searching the leaves diligently for insects. Like the common Whitethroat and other Warblers, it utters a scolding ' churr,' when disturbed, or when its nest is approached. The latter THE LESSER WHITETHROAT. [Sylvia citmica.) The Sub-Alpine Warbler. 54 British Birds. is somewhat similar to that of the Common Whitethroat, but is rather more coarsely made, consisting of grass-stems, bound together with spiders'-webs, and lined with fine rootlets and horse-hair. The eggs are from four to six in number, white, with spots of light brown or greenish-brown and violet-grey, while a frequent feature is the distribution of black spots over the greater part of the egg. This species is larger than any of the preceding ones, with a wing three inches in length. Its black head might render it liable to be mistaken for the Black-cap, but the latter bird has the throat ashy-grey, whereas in the Orphean Warbler it is white. The general colour of the upper surface is slaty-grey, the tail black, tipped with white, increasing in extent towards the outer feathers, which are white on the entire outer web ; cheeks, throat, and under parts white, with the sides of the breast and flanks ashy-grey, tinged with pink and becoming browner on the lower flanks ; the THE ORPHEAN WARBLER. {Sylvitt orpht'iis). I — The Garden-Warbler. 2 — The Orphean Warbler. 3 — The Blackcap. iris is pale yellow. The female is browner than the male, and the cap is lighter, and more dusky black ; the young birds are also browner than the adults, and have the fore-neck and chest rosy buft, inclining to vinous on the sides of the body. The Orphean Warbler is supposed to ha\e occurred twice in England, once in Yorkshire and once near Hampstead, but considerable doubt attaches to both records. It is a species of Southern Europe, and is common in Spain and the South of France. Naturalists who have heard this bird smg state that its melody is nothing remark- able, and Lord Lilford says that he is puzzled to know why the name of ' Orpheus " should have been bestowed on the species. The nest is placed in the branch of a tree at from five to twenty feet above the ground, and is somewhat deep, composed of dry grass and stalks, with finer grass inside, the linmg consisting of down of the thistle or cotton grass. The eggs are four or five in number, white, spotted witli olive-brown or black, and with blotches of violet-grey. Perching Birds. 55 The Blackcap [Sylvia atricapilla). This beautiful songster is distributed over the greater part of England, Wales and Ireland in summer, but does not nest beyond the south of Scotland, occurring in the northern parts of the latter kingdom on the autumn migration. It extends throughout Europe in summer, as far east as the Caucasus and Persia, and winters in North East Africa and Senegambia. The Blackcap's song is considered by many observers to equal that of the Nightingale, and it certain!}' sings in a more sustained manner. The male takes his share in hatching out the eggs, and my experience in the South of England is that he is more often seen brooding than his red-capped mate, and the birds sit so close that they are easy of observation. The nest is an extremely slight affair, made of dry grass with a little moss, a few cobwebs, and sparsely lined with horse-hair. It is placed in small bushes, such as wild-growing privet or brambles, sometimes among the slender twigs of a small tree or among the dense ' growers' at the foot of an old elm, where the accumulation of dead leaves helps to conceal it. The eggs are from four to six in number, olive-brown or white, or salmon-pink in ground colour, varying both in tint and markings to a remarkable degree, the spots and blotches being olive- brown or grey or reddish-brown, with occasional black spots. This plain-plumaged little bird is also a beautiful songster, THE GARDEN- ^^^ j^ much resembles the Blackcap in habits. It is, however, WARBLER. . , , , , . ,. , , • , , , , i ,^ , . , . very simplv coloured, being olive-brown above, with the head or [Sylvia simplex.) j l ^ > n the same tint as the back, and the wings and tail also resembling the latter. The under parts are ochreous-buff, with the centre of the breast and abdomen greyish-white, and the under wing-coverts and axillaries orange-buft". This last character will generally distinguish the species. Young and old birds, after the autumn moult, are more russet brown and not so olive as in tlic breeding plumage. The Garden-Warbler is a summer visitor to Europe, extending to Western Siberia, and it winters in South Africa. It is found over the greater part of England, and nests in Southern Scotland, but becomes less frequent in our northern districts, and is rare and local in Ireland. The food of the species consists almost entirely of insects, but in the autumn it frequents elder bushes along with the Blackcaps, and feeds on the berries. As a rule it is a sh}' and retiring bird, and its song is only heard from the depths of the thickets which it loves to frequent. Like the Blackcap, it makes a slight and artless nest of dry grass and a few rootlets, with a little moss and a lining of horsehair. Sometimes the nest is suspended in nettles, like a W'hitcthroat's, but at other times it is built in the thin twigs of a blackberry or elder busli. The eggs are from four to six in number, and resemble greatly those of the Blackcap, though the markings are, as a rule, somewhat coarser. The Dartford Warbler (Melizophilns iDidatits). The present species is a dark- coloured kind of Whitethroat with a longer tail than in these birds, the tail exceeding the wing in length. The general colour is a dark slaty-grey, the under surface 56 Bnilsh Birds The Dartford Warbler. vinous chestnut, with the abdomen white. It is an inhabitant of heath-land, nesting in the furze districts of the South of England, ex- tending, so it is said, into the Midlands. Its Continental home is confined to Western Europe, viz., France, Spain, and Italy, nest- ing on the mountains in South-wester n Europe, and descending to the low country in winter. The note of the Dartford \\'arbler resembles the syllables pit-il-chou, and the French name for the species is Pitchon. Like other Warblers, it has a harsh scolding note when disturbed or when its nest is approached. In the districts which it frequents it is always very shy and skulking in its habits, but the male is some- times to be seen on the top of a furze-bush for a second or two, whence it takes its flight to another, onlv pausing occasionalh' to utter a little song from the top of the bush. The nest is rather neatly constructed and deep, made of fine grass- stems, with a little moss and wool, and scantily lined with horsehair. The eggs are from four to five m number. They are greenish-white, with numerous spots of greenish-brown and grey sprinkled all over the The RiiFoi's Warbler {Aedoii galactodes). This Mediterranean species is found in Spain and North Africa, and has occurred three times in England, once near I-irighton, and twice in Devonshire. It is uniform cinnamon-rufous in colour above : the outer tail-feathers broadly tipped with white, and before this white tip is a broad band of black. There is a distinct eyebrow of a creamy-buff colour, and a faint moustache of dusky brown. The under surface The Great Reed-Warbler (p. 63) The Rui ous Warbler. Perching Birds. 57 This is the lartrest of the of the body is sandy buff, whiter on the throat, breast and abdomen, with a wash of cinnamon on the sides of the body. In Algeria and the countries where the Rufous Warbler nests, it is a hvely bird, though quick of observation, and retiring to concealment on finding that its movements are being watched. It has a habit of flirting its tail, the white-tipped feathers of which render it somewhat conspicuous. The nest is usually placed m the fork of a tree, made of dead tamarisk shoots or such-like material and lined with feathers with usuall\- a piece of snake's skin added ! The eggs, from three to five in number, are of a dull white, streaked and spotted with reddish-brown, and violet-grey, especially near the larger end. The Wood-Warbler (Phyl/oscopns sibilntor). Willow-\Vrens or Leaf- Warblers (Phylloscopi). which come to the British Islands in summer. It is a beautiful little bird, and its ways are so graceful and butterfly-like, that anyone who has once seen the species in life in our woods in spring, is not likely to forget it. Just when the leaves are coming into life, when the woods and plantations shew their greenest tints, the Wood-Warbler makes its appearance, the males preceding the females by some days. When the latter arrive, the nest is actively prepared on the ground beneath the budding trees, and the male can be heard singing at intervals of a few moments from the boughs above the selected spot. The nest is built on the ground, and is partially domed, the structure being of grass lined with horse-hair, but not with feathers, like the nests of our other Willow- Warblers. The eggs are from five to seven in number, white, with very distinct spots and blotches of purplish-brown and violet-grey, generally collected round the larger end of the egg. The Wood-Warbler is not only distinguished from its relatives by its large size, but is yellowish-green above, and has a clear yellow eyebrow. The breast and abdomen are white, and the first or bastard-primary does not reach to the end of the primar^'-coverts, wliile the second primary quill exceeds the fifth in length. It breeds in nearly every part of Great Britain and is generally distributed throughout Europe in the summer, but does not nest in some of the more northern districts. It winters in Western and North-eastern Africa. The Willo\v-W.\rhi.er (Phylloscopits trochiliis). This is a more dull-coloured species than the Wood-Warbler, and may be told at any age by the wing- formula, the second primary being intermediate in length between the fifth The Wood-Warbler. The Willow- Warbler. 58 British Birds. and sixth, while the third and tburth are the longest. It has a more pointed winj; than the Chiflchaft'. as might be expected in a bird which migrates so much further south than the latter bird. In addition to this different wing-formula, the Willow-Warbler can always be distinguished from the Chiffchaff by its paler legs. The Willow-Warbler is a summer visitor and breeds in nearly every portion of the British Islands, its breeding range extending over the greater part of Europe to the high north, and as far east as the Valley of the Yenesei. In winter it is found throughout Africa, from the oases of the Sahara to the forests of West Africa, and throughout the eastern portion oi the Continent down to the Cape Colony itself. The nest is placed on the ground, and is made to look like the surroundings of dead leaves among which it is built. It is composed of dr\- stems ot grass with a little moss, and is somewhat scantily lined with feathers. The eggs are from five to eight in number, white, with reddish dots, occasionally with more distinct spots, dots, or streaks, generally collected towards the larger end of the egg. The Chiffchafi-' [Plixllos- copiis niiiior). This little Warbler is smaller than the Willow-Wren, is duller in colour, and has blackish legs. The wing - formula is also different, the wing being more rounded, with the second pri- mary equal in length to the sixth. These characters will serve to tell the two species at all ages, even in the young plumage, which is always much more )ellow in immature Phvlloscopi than it is in the adult birds. The Chin'chafI arrives in England in March, and its feeble song and vociferous call-note are heard long before either of its near relations have reached our shores. It inhabits the whole of the United Kingdom during summer, but is rarer and more locally distributed than the Willow-Warbler. It does not extend its winter range nearl_\- so far to the south as the latter bird, and even Slavs in the South of Eng- land in mild winters. It ranges in summer throughout Europe, but does not reach so far north as the Willow- Warbler, breeding onlv on the higher mountains in the Mediterranean countries, nor does it cross the Ural Mountains, being replaced in the east by the Siberian Chiflchaft" {P. tristis). The winter range does not extend beyond North Africa and Abyssinia. Its habits are like those of the other Willow- Warblers, but it is a more retiring bird and is more often heard than seen. The Thk Chiffchaff. Perching Birds. 59 The Greenish Willow-Warbler. THE GREENISH WILLOW- WARBLER. {Phylhscofus viridanus.) nest is placed close to the ground, and is composed of dry grass, some- times half-domed, and is lined with feathers. Occasionally the nest is to be found at a height of some few feet from the ground. The eggs are from five to seven in number, white, with well-marked spots of chocolate or reddish-brown, inclining to purplish-brown or black, with underlying spots of violet-grej'. This species has only once been obtained in Great Britain, a single individual having been shot on the Lincolnshire coast by Mr. G. H. Caton Haigh, on the 5th of September, iSg6. It is an Asiatic species, breeding in the mountains of Central Asia and the Himalayas, and also in Europe in North East Russia and the Ural Mountains. It has been noticed on three occasions in Heligoland, and so there is nothing ver}' surprising in its occasional wandering to Great Britain. In appearance the species is very like our Willow- Warbler, but is greener on the upper surface and is distinguished by the yellowish-white tips to the greater wing- coverts, which form a distinct wing-bar. The under parts are pale greenish-yellow, with the axillaries and under wing-coverts pale yellow. In its breeding home this little Warbler is said to frequent willow-bushes and the tall steppe-grass. By some observers its song has been recorded as feeble, but by others it is stated to ha\-e a very powerful song. The nest is placed on the ground and is domed, but the eggs are as 3'et unknown. Although a freciuent visitor to the island of Heligoland, this small Warbler is of rare occur- rence in Great Britain, where less than a dozen specimens have hitherto been recorded, though it has been met with in different parts of the United King- dom. It nests throughout Siberia, and its winter home is in China, Borneo and India. It is a tiny species, scarcely larger than a Gold-cre.st, olive green in colour, with an indistinct line of yellow down the centre of the crown, and shewing a double wing-band of yellow, caused by the yellow tips to the median and greater wing-coverts. It has, moreover, a distinct pale THE YELLOW-BROWED WILLOW-WARBLER. [Phylloscopiis superciliosus.) The Yellow- Browed WiLI fnv-\\'AKHM"K. 6o British Birds. Pallas's Willow-Warbler. PALLAS'S WILLOW. WARBLER. {Phylloscopus proi'i-gtthts.) j'ellow e3'ebro\v, and the under surface of the body is ashy whitish, with a few streaks of yellow on the breast, and the flanks are greenish, washed with yellow. In Siberia the present species was found by Seebohm frequenting the pine-forests, where it wa.s very common. The nest was made of dr\- grass and moss, and lined with reindeer hair, and resembled that of the British Willow-Warbler, being half domed. The eggs are white, spotted with reddish-brown, more plentifully towards the larger end. This species inhabits South-eastern Siberia as well as the Himalaya Mountains, and occurs in winter in the Burmese provinces and Southern China, visiting South- eastern Russia in the autumn migration. It resembles the preceding species, but has a yellow rump, which is in strong contrast to its greenish back. It has the same pale streak down the crown and the double wing-bar as in P. supen-'diosHS. Although its presence has twice been detected in Heligoland, it has been noticed but once in England, a specimen having been shot near Clay, in Norfolk, on the 31st of October, i8g6. Like the Yellow-browed Warbler, the present species frequents the pine-woods, and places its nest, which is slightl}- domed, on the branch of a tree near the stem of the latter, the outside of the nest being covered with moss and lichen, so as to resemble the colour of the branch on which it is placed. The eggs are five in number, white, richly spotted with dark brownish-red, the spots collecting towards the larger end. The Tree-Warblers are somewhat intermediate between the Willow-Warblers and the Reed-Warblers. They have a more flat- tened bill than the Phylloscopi, and on each side of the gape are three weak rictal bristles. The two species which concern us are clear yellow underneath, and this character, along with the shape of the bill, with its j-ellow under mandible, is sufficient to distinguish both the British Tree- Warblers from the members of the allied genus Phylloscopus, while the pattern of the eggs is quite different. The Common Tree-Warbler has been noticed in England apparently about eight times, and The Common Tree-Warbler. THE COMMON TREE-WARBLER. {Hypolnis hypolais.) Perching Birds. 6i THE WESTERN TREE-WARBLER. (Hypolais polyglottn.) nearly ahva_vs in summer. It is curious that a bird which is not rare in Holland, Belgium, and North-eastern France in the nesting-season, should not occur more fre- quently within the British Islands. The species is found throughout Northern Europe, as far as the birch-region extends, and winters in South Africa. Although spoken of in many works on British Ornithology as the' melodious ' Willow-Warbler, Seebohm and other observers have failed to find any particularlv striking melod}' in its song, which is described as partaking of imitations of the notes of other birds mixed together, from which the species has probably acquired the name of ' Mocking-bird ' in Germany. The food consists principally of insects, but it feeds on a variety of fruit in the autumn. The nest is placed in the fork of a small tree, and is made of dry grass, with wool and lichen and thistle-down intermixed, and lined with finer roots, grass-stems and horse-hair. The eggs are from four to six in number, of a characteristic pinkish stone-colour, sprinkled or spotted with black dots. Some years ago Mr. Howard Saunders assured me of his belief that the present species occasionally nested in England, as he had seen an egg obtained by a schoolboy at Lancing in Sussex, which could only have been that of H . polyglottn. The bird also had been obtained, but the specimen was spoilt in the skinning. More recently an indi\'idual has been actually procured, as recorded by Mr. N. F. Ticehurst. It was shot near Burwash, in Sussex, on the 30th of April. The species probably occurs more often than has been supposed. H. polyglottn is very similar to H. icteriun. but is smaller, and has a large bastard primary, and the second quill is shorter than the fifth. It inhabits Western Europe, being found in Spain and Portugal and Central France, and is also found in Algeria and Tunis, passing to Senegambia in winter. This species belongs to the group of Sedge and Reed- Warblers, which have the bill somewhat flattened, with well- developed rictal bristles. The bastard primary is very small and does not reach to the ends of the primary-coverts, though it is slightly longer in birds of one j-ear. The Aquatic Warbler is a small species which breeds in Central Europe, including Italy, Sicil_\- and Sardinia, and extends eastwards to the Ural mountains and Southern Rus.sia, wintering in Northern Africa. It has occurred only three times in England, as far as has been recorded hitherto, once in Leicestershire, once in Sussex, and once in Kent, Thi: Aquatic Warhler. THE AQUATIC WARBLER (AcrocephaUts aquaticus.) 62 British Birds. near Dover. In appearance the Aquatic Warbler is very like the Sedge-Warbler, but has a pale streak down the centre of the crown with a black band on either side. It is more of a reed-haunting species than the Sedge-Warblers, and it differs con- siderably from that species in its choice of a nesting-place. The nest is made of grass and lined with horse-hair. It is never suspended in reeds but is built near the ground among the sedge or stalks of water plants. The eggs exactly resemble those of the Sedge-Warbler, and are four or five in number. The present species is distinguished from the Aquatic Warbler by the absence of the pale streak along the crown of the head, this resembling the back, the whole upper surface being russet brown streaked with black, the rump and upper tail-coverts being more uniform rufous. It has a very distinct evebrow, which can alwavs be seen in the living bird. Young birds resemble the THE SEDGE-WARBLER. [Acrocephalus phyngmitis.) y^' The Sedge-Warbler. adults, but ha\-e the under surface more yellow, and shew a few triangular dusk_\- brown spots on the fore-neck. The Sedge- Warbler is a smaller bird than the Reed- Warbler or the Marsh-Warbler, which are uniform on the upper surface and therefore easily recognisable. The species winters in South Africa and apparently migrates back to Europe by the Great Lakes and the Nile V'alle}' route, arriving at its breeding quarters in April or earl}' in May. From Turkestan to Central and Northern Europe the species nests freely in the vicinity of water, but is sometimes found building at some distance from the latter. The nest is made of dry grass-stems and dead water-plants, scantily lined with hair and pieces of vegetable down ; it is placed on a platform of dead reeds or on a brancli t>verhanging the water, sometimes being on the ground itself. The eggs are from four to si.\ in number. Perching Birds. THE GREAT REED-WARBLER. [Acroci'phalns tiirdoidfs.) of an olive-brown or stone-grey tint, being entirel_v clouded witli specks of these colours, which liide the greenish-white ground-colour of the egg; there is nearly always a blackish line near the larger end of the egg. The Sedge-Warbler has a powerful but not musical song, which is heard from the depths of its retreat in the rushes or bushes, especially in the evening, and a stone thrown into its sleeping haunts, even after darkness has set in, will cause it to babble. The large size of this species easilv distinguishes it from all the other British species of river Warblers, as it is more than seven inches in length. The general colour of the plumage is brown, a little more rufescent on the lower back and rump ; the sides of the face are greyish and there is a distinct white eyebrow. The under surface is white, with a tinge of tawny-buft" on the breast and sides of the bod}', and the under wing-coverts, axillaries, and lining of the quills are of a pronounced tawny-buff colour. Young birds and adults killed in autumn and winter are decidedl}' more buff below. To Great Britain the species is only a rare and occasional visitor, but throughout the greater part of Kurope, excepting the north, the Great Reed-Warbler breeds plentifully in the marshes, as far east as Turkestan, and it winters in Africa, having been procured on the upper Congo and as far south as the Transvaal. The song is harsh but powerful, and like other species of the genus, the male bird often ascends to the top of a reed, singing lustil}' as it climbs up. The nest is a compactly made structure, suspended between reeds, and is a round and deep cup formed of dead reeds with a little moss or leaves of water-plants intermingled, and lined inside with grass-stems and the flowers of the reed. The eggs are from four to six in number, greenish-blue or greenish-white in colour, blotched and spotted with greenish or reddish- brown, generally collecting near the larger end of the egg. This Warbler, often called theReed-'VVren,' is a sober coloured little brown bird, which visits the southern and central portions of luigland in summer, -Ihk Rked-Wakhi.ek. THE RKED-WARBLER. {Acrocephahis strcpcrus. ) 64 British Birds. THE MARSH-WAKBLER. {AcYOcephalus f'lrlnsti'is.) but becomes rarer towards the south-western and northern portions of its ran,i;e, and is not 3et known to have occurred for certain in Scotland or in Ireland. Its breeding-area is spread over the greater part of Europe, below the line of the Baltic Provinces and Southern Sweden, as far east as Turkestan ; it winters along the Persian Gulf and in the Mediterranean. The Reed-Warbler builds in many of the swamps and ditches of the south of England, its nest being suspended between reeds, but it is not uncommonly found in willow-trees and bushes by the side of the ri\ers. It is a noisy little songster, its notes resembling those of the Sedge-Warbler, and the song is to be heard after darkness has set in. It is, like the rest of the Reed- Warblers, a shy and retiring bird, and is more often heard than seen, e.xcepting before the autumn migration, wlien iamily parties consisting of the old and young birds are often to be noticed on the alders and willows, b}' the river's edge, before they migrate to their southern home. The nest is cup-shaped, made of dry grass with a little wool and thistle-down, and the eggs are from four to six in number, the ground-colour being greenish or greyish- white, with pronounced mottlings and spots of greenish-brown and violet-grey, often forming a ring round the larger end of the egg. This species is very similar to the Reed-Warbler, and resembles it in form and in the proportion of the quills, the bastard-primary not exceeding the primary-coverts in length, but with the second primary longer than the fifth. The Marsh-Warbler is very difficult to tell from the Reed-Warbler, and the only characters of importance are the greenish-olive-brown colour of the back, the paler and more sulphur-coloured (less rufous) tint of the buff on the under surface ot the body, and the paler colour of the legs. Nevertheless it is advisable to submit any supposed Marsh-Warblers for the opinion of an expert, as many of the specimens certified in ornithological works to be Marsh-Warblers have turned out, after all, to be only Reed- Warblers. On the Continent the Marsh- \Varbler is a thoroughly recognised species, distinguished not only b}' its different colour and its song, but by its nesting-habits, and that the species The Marsh-W.^rbler. comes to Great Britain every summer Perching Birds. 6=; The Grasshopper-Warbler. is bej'ond doubt, the nests and eggs having been taken on several occasions. The Marsh-Warbler has almost identically the same breed- ing-range as the Reed-Warbler, and winters in Africa, going, how- ever, much further to the south than A . strcpenis, and occurring in South-eastern Africa. It is said to have a far superior song to that of the Reed -Warbler, and to frequent trees and bushes, rather than the river-side or the marshes. The nest is placed in bushes, often far away from water, and the eggs are white with greenish brown spots and blotches, with some purplish black spots always in evidence, while the underlying spots of pur- plish or violet-grey are always strongly indicated. This dull-coloured little Warbler is a summer visitor to THE GRASSHOPPER- q^^^^ Britain, but is one of the most difficult to observe, as WARBLER. ... , ,, , , . ,, . it IS an inveterate skulker, and even when its presence is {Locustt'lia ni£via.) betraj'ed by its note, the latter is so ventriloquial that the finding of the nest is not an easy problem to solve. The Grasshopper- Warbler is to be distinguished by its olive-brown upper surface, striped with blackish, and by its very graduated tail, in which the outer tail-feathers are ver\' much shorter than the centre ones, while the under tail-coverts are exceptionall}- long, buff}' white in colour, with dark centres. Its nest is always dilficult to find and is generally placed on or close to the ground, as a rule closely concealed and approached by a ' run ' or narrow passage like that of a mouse. Its song is unmistakable when once heard, and is like a long- continued note of a grasshopper, but is of course much more powerful, and has a curious ventriloquial effect, seeming to come from one point of the compass after another. The eggs are from four to seven in number, and are easily recognisable, as their general tone is pinkish, sprinkled all over with reddish-brown and grey dots. This species used to nest regular!)- in the fen districts of England, but has not been known to do so for many years past. It is of the same shape as the Grasshopper- Warbler, but is not spotted on the back, which is uniform like that of the Reed- SAVrS WARBLER. (Locnstella hiscinioides.) 66 British Birds. Savi's Warbler. Warblers. Savi's Warbler, however, is of a much darker brown colour than anv of the last-named birds, and may be dis- tinguished by the vinous brown colour of the sides of the body. It is an inhabitant of the marsh_y districts of central and southern Europe, as far east as central Asia, but is only found in certain favourite haunts, and is every- where very local. The song is described as a monotonous whirr, and is heard all day from the reed-beds frequented b)- the species, which may be seen climbing up the reeds in pursuit of its insect-food. The nest is made of dead rushes and ilags, with a little moss, but with no lining beyond a few twisted reeds : it is a well-made and rather deep cup, and is placed in a tuft of spiky grass or on a platform of broken reeds. The eggs are from four to six in number, the ground-colour being brownish-white, with numerous spots of light brown and violet-grey, generally collecting round the larger end of the egg. This family of birds is closely allied to the preceding one, but the front aspect of the tarsus is never divided by scales or cross-lines, being smooth throughout. All the Thrushes have spotted young ones, and they only moult once in the year, in the autumn, but do not have a second moult in the spring like the Warblers. This species, named in honour ot Gilbert White of Selborne, is an inhabitant of Eastern Siberia and win- ters in China and the Philippine Islands. On its migration it not unfrequenth" wanders into Europe, and has occurred in most of the countries on the Continent, and has been met with many times in Heligoland, whilst at least a dozen British captures have been recorded. It is an unmistakable species, having the upper surface profusely spangled with golden-buff spots, and black crescent-shaped spots on the fore-neck, breast and sides of the body ; on the under side of the wing there is a very conspicuous patch of white, forming a pale lining across the base of the quills. In habits, White's Thrush appears to be a shy and skulking species, feeding on the ground in damp places and among dead leaves under trees, but little has been recorded of its ways, and it is doubtful whether the nest and eggs are really authentically known. THE THRUSHES. Family TURDID^^. WHITE'S THRUSH. (Oreocichla varia.) Perching Birds. 67 THE SIBERIAN GROUND-THRUSH (Gcocichla sibirica.) As its name implies this is an mhabitant of Siberia, where it breeds in the valle3's of the Lena and Yenesei Rivers. A specimen in the British Museum was presented by Mr. Frederic Bond, and was said to have been killed in Surrey, near Guildford. A second occurrence in the Isle of Wight has also been surmised, and as the species migrates from its Siberian home as far as the Malayan countries, and has occurred in many places on the continent of Europe, there is nothing to be wondered at in its occasional capture in England. In Siberia it is a very shy bird during the breeding season, and, though not uncommon, it is a very difficult species to observe, as it keeps to the woods and searches for food upon the ground among the dead leaves. Mr. H. L. Popham noticed this Thrush, remarkable for its dark grey colour and conspicuous white eyebrow, during his expedition to the Yenesei, and sa^-s that it was often heard to make a few rich notes from the top of a tree, but was extremely wary. The s, which he found in the Yenesei valley, were pale blue, with distinct spots of reddish- brown. —White's Thrush. 2 — The Bl.^ck-throated Ouzkl (p. 6g). 3 — The Rock Thrush {/). 75.) 4— The Gold-vented Bulbul (f>. S3). 5— The Siherian Thrush. 6— The .'Nmerican Robin (f>. 72). 68 British Birds. THE BLACKBIRD. {Merula The Blackbird. The Blackbirds and Thrushes have not the large white wing-patch on the inner side of the wing which distinguishes the mem- bers of the genera Oreocichla and Geocichla. In the genus Merula the se.xes are difterent in colour, whereas in the true Thrushes the male and female are alike. The male Blackbird is distinguished h\ its bright yellow bill, this being dark brown or blackish in the female, although in very old birds it has a tendency to become j'ellow. It is a species found everywhere in the British Islands and extends throughout Europe, but does not range far north in Russia. This familiar species is too well known to require much notice of its habits. It is found inhabiting every variety of situation, and is a denizen of our parks and gardens, and is very common in the neighbourhood of London. Like other Thrushes its food consists largely of worms and insects, and it devours a great quantity of fruit, when the latter is unprotected. The nest is a large and well-built structure of twigs and moss, grass and mud, and finally lined with fine grass. The eggs are from four to six in number, and vary considerably in colour, from greenish blue thickly spotted with reddish brown to blue with only a small proportion of reddish dots. In this species the colour of the sexes does not differ to the same extent as in the Blackbird, but both male and female are black, with a broad white gorget, which is very conspicuous when the bird flies ; in the hen-bird, however, this gorget is slightly overshadowed >vith brown, and the feathers of the under parts are edged with whitish. THE RING-OUZEL. (Merula torquata.) The Ring-Ouzel. Perching Birds. 69 THE BLACK-THROATED OUZEL. [Merula atrigularh.) Otherwise the general plumage of the bird is black. The Ring-Ouzel is a summer visitor to Northern Europe, and nests in the mountainous parts of Great Britain and in Scandinavia. In habits it much resembles the Blackbird, but prefers the open moorland and the rocky districts. In Norway I have found it nesting at 3500 feet, and inhabiting the scattered birch-woods, visiting the adjacent grass-land to pick up its food. It is always very shy. The nest is similar to that of a Blackbird, but is placed on the ground or close to the latter, though it is sometimes found in the hole of a bank or wall. The eggs are generally four in number and much resemble those of the Blackbird. This species {see p. 67) is a much paler bird than the two preceeding, and is of a light olive-brown colour, with the face, throat and chest black ; the axillaries and under wing-coverts are rich chestnut, and the bill is blackish brown, not yellow. The female has the face and throat white, spotted with black on the cheeks, sides of throat and fore-neck ; the breast and the sides of the body are ashy-brown, with dusky brown streaks. The Black-throated Ouzel has only been obtained once m England, a young male having been shot near Lewes in December, 1868. It has occurred on several occasions on the continent of Europe. It breeds in Siberia, in the valley of the Yenesei, and also in central Asia, and is ver)' common in winter throughout the Himalayas, in the higher portion of which chain it is also supposed to nest. The species is said by Seebohm to be very wary in its habits, but he found it to be a noisy and active bird, frequenting the neighbourhood of villages in the Yenesei valley. The nest is not yet described, but the eggs are said to be similar to those of the Blackbird. This isone of the true Thrushes, in which the male and female are alike in plumage, and the species is easil}' recognised by its distinct white ej-e- brow, and by the vinous chestnut colour of the axillaries and under wing-coverts, a feature which is very much in evidence when the bird flies. By this red colour of the under sur- face of the wing the species is easil)' told from the Song-Thrush, which has the wing-coverts golden buff below, and so there should not be any difficulty in recognizing the two The Redwing. THE REDWING. (Turdus ilincHS.) JO ' British Birds. birds apart, though they are otherwise very much ahke in size and general appearance. The Redwing is a common winter visitor to every part of Great Britain and at that season of the year is distributed over the greater portion of Central and Southern Europe. It breeds from Iceland and Scandinavia to the valley of the Yenesei in Siberia, and is, in northern Norway at least, a difficult species to observe during the nesting-season. In 1896 I could not see anything ■ of the Redwing at 3500 feet in Sundalen, but in 1S97 the young were observed in many parts of the birch-forests, and I caught several. During the period of incubation the birds were very silent, and the song of the male was not often heard, but when the young were hatched both parents were very vociferous, when the neighbourhood of their nest was approached, and came quite close when they perceived their young ones to be in danger. The nest is like that of the Black- bird and Ring-Ouzel, but is smaller, and is neatly constructed of grass, moss, and mud, lined with finer grass. The eggs are from four to si.x in number, bluish- green with reddish spots and blotches, and are distmguished by their small size. The Redwing suffers greatly in severe winter weather, and numbers perish during a prolonged frost. The Song-Thrush [see Frontispiece) is one of the smaller " species of Tiirdidir and is the most plentiful of all the Thrushes SONG-THRUSH. . „ . tj ■. ■ 1 ■ r .• • 1 1 1 -^ ^A 1 o' • of Great Britam, bemg distmguished bv its golden-butt wing- [Turdns miisicus.) ' c & . & o lining. It breeds everywhere throughout our islands, and a considerable number migrate south in winter, when thousands are caught during passage on the continent. It nests throughout the greater part of Europe to the Yenesei, but in southern Europe is only found breeding in the mountains. The beauty of the Thrush's song renders the bird an universal favourite, excepting with those who cannot brook the inroads it makes upon fruit-gardens at certain times of the year. It nests very early in the year, if the season be mild, and the eggs are among the most beautiful of an}' of our British birds, being of a clear blue with black or purplish-brown spots. The nest is remarkable for the way in which the cavity is lined with powdered wood, said to be moulded by the bodies of the birds, until it presents a perfectly smooth surface; it thus difi'ers in plan and finish from the nest of the Blackbird. Besides devouring a great number of worms, the Song-Thrush feeds largely on snails, the debris of which can often be found in the places where the birds have broken them against a stone. This is the largest of our resident Thrushes, and is a very '^^^ handsome species, with a number of boldly marked fan-shaped MISTLE-THRUSH. r ■., , ., , r c ^u ^ a tu . . spots of black on the under surface oi the body. 1 he {Turdus viscivorus.) axillaries and under wing-coverts of the Mistle-Thrush are white, and this character will generally serve to distinguish the species on the wing. as the Song-Thrush and Redwing, which alone among the British Thrushes could be mistaken for it, always show in flight the golden-buff or chestnut colour of their Perching Birds. 7' f^A^i The Mistle-Thrush. under wing-coverts. It is somewhat remark- able that a delicate bird, like the Mistle- Thrush, for, despite its bravado, which gains for it the name of the ' Storm-cock,' it succumbs to a hard season almost as quickly as the Redwing, should be gradually extend- ing its range in Great Britain, notwithstanding the checks which some of our severe winters have imposed upon it. On the continent of Europe it is generally distributed, and it is found as far east as Lake Baikal, while it also breeds in the mountains of Central Asia and in the higher ranges of the Himala3as. Excepting in the breeding-season, when the Mistle-Thrush makes its nest very earl}' in the year and is, as a rule, easily discovered by its clamourous protest against intrusion upon its chosen domain, the bird is a shy and timid species, but in stormy weather it mounts to the top of a tree, and shouts its melody, which is vastly inferior to that of the Song-Thrush. The nest is of the usual Thrush-like type and is placed in the bough of a small elm or in an evergreen bush, but the most beautiful examples of the bird's architecture are to be seen when the nest is built in an old lichen-covered fruit-tree, when the outside of the nest is also covered with lichen so as to assimilate to its surroundings. The eggs are four or five in number, and are distinguished by the stone grey or clay ground-colour, with markings of reddish brown, and under-lying spots of light brown or dull grey. This is the handsomest of the European Thrushes, and is a winter visitor to Great Britain. It has white axillaries and under wing- coverts, like the Mistle-Thrush, but far more distinct, and this white is a con- spicuous feature as the bird sits up in the sunshine or flies through the wintrj' air. It is found breeding throughout northern Europe, and in central Russia and eastern The Fieldfare. THE FiELDF.^RE. (TjH'rfKS pilaris.) 72 British Birds. Prussia, extending to central Siberia, and wintering to the southward in the rest of Europe and North Africa, as well as in Central Asia and North-western India. The Fieldfare is a conspicuous bird with a chestnut-brown back and grey head and rump ; the throat and breast are ochreous-buff, with black streaks on the former and black spots on the latter. In Great Britain it is only found in winter, and in mild seasons is the very shyest of birds, frequenting the open country, but in severe times it has to subsist on berries and is then driven in by stress of weather to parks and gardens, where their hard lot makes the poor birds comparatively tame. In many parts of its northern breeding-range the Fieldfare is a gregarious species and nests in company, but not invariably. I have found them in colonies up to 2O00 feet in Norway, but at 3000 feet they are often found in isolated birch- woods, two and three pairs together within a small area. A few couples nest in the upper regions at about 3500 feet, generally selecting a belated pine-tree in which to build. The vociferous chatter which distinguishes the note of the Fieldfare in England in winter is also heard m the colonies which breed in Norway, and the nest can generally be discovered without difficulty from the anxious cries of the parents. Some of the situations chosen by the birds are almost absurd in their prominence, the nest being placed in an isolated tree, or on the top of a hedge, passed a dozen times a day within a yard by every inhabitant of the farm, and in 1897 I actually found a nest on the exposed window-ledge of an inhabited dairy-farm high up in the mountains. The nest resembles that of the Blackbird, and the eggs, from four to six in number, are bluish-green with rufous or chestnut markings. This species {see p. 67) often called the Migratory Thrush, and in THE the New \\'orld known as the American ' Robin ' on account AMERICAN ^.^j- j.j^g similarity of its red breast to that of our European THRUSH. , . , , . , • o . r> ■. • ,^ , Robin, has been twice procured in Great Britain, once near {Tiiraus . migratoriiis.) Dover and a second time near Dublin ; whether these individuals had escaped from confinement is uncertain, but the species is common in North America, and may occasionally wander eastward to our shores. The Nightingale is a somewhat sober-plumaged bird, but THE COMMON j^^ g^^^^g j^ ^^^ ^f jj^^ ^^pgt beautiful in the world. Thus NIGHTINGALE. ^^ proves the fact, that our little warblers excel in song iDaulias lusciiiin.) . if not in the brilliancy of their plumage, whereas- tropical species, of extreme splendour as regards their colour, are not remarkable for their voice, and generally possess no song at all. The spotted plumage of the young proves the Nightingale to be a member of the family Turdidir, and not to be a Warbler as is often suggested. It is only a summer visitor to England, and scarcely extends beyond the midland counties nor westward beyond Devonshire and the eastern counties of Wales. Its winter home appears to be in West Africa, and its summer range on the continent of Pcrchins: Birds. 73 The Common Nightingale. Europe comprises the greater part of Central and Southern Europe, but it is not found in the north. Arriving about the middle of April, the males precede the females by at least a week, and even in the early days of May the males ma}' be heard in the copses of the south of England, four or five singing at one time, showing that thus early in the 3-ear the birds have not yet separated for their breeding- quarters. When the nesting- place is selected, no bird can be more difficult of observation, for it frequents the most secluded thickets and hedge-rows, and is very seldom seen, though the liquid notes of the male may be heard throughout the daj' and often far into the night. The nest is a ragged aftair, of dead leaves, principally oak-leaves, and lined with grasses or a little horse-hair. The eggs are from four to six in number, of an olive-brown or olive-green colour, with sometimes a little clouding of olive-brown dots round the larger end. The Robin is such a familiar bird that any detailed description of its plumage or its habits seems to be unnecessary in a little treatise like the present. It is a common bird throughout the greater part of the British Islands, but a good many Robins leave us in the Autumn, when old and young birds, the latter mostly moulting from the spotted-dress into the adult red- breasted plumage, may be seen and heard among the orchards and planta- tions on our southern coasts, where The Rehhreast. THE REDBREAST. (Erithacus rubecnla.) 74 British Birds. THE RED-SPOTTED BLUE-THROAT. (Cyancciiln suecica.i the}- halt for a httle time before commencing their migrations The Robin is found everywhere throughout the British Islands, and is likewise distributed throughout Europe, migrating in autumn to the Mediterranean countries in considerable numbers, and as far east as Persia. The nest is made of dead leaves and moss lined with rootlets and hair, and is often placed on the ground in a bank, and is concealed by the surrounding herbage ; but all sorts of places are chosen by the bird, the hole of a tree or wall, the inside of a tin or kettle, or an old hat hung up as a scarecrow. The eggs are from five to eight in number, white, more or less thickly spotted with rufous, while sometimes they are spotless blue or white. This pretty species occurs with us only on migration, and is much more frequently observed m the autumn than in the spring, though it has been known to occur at the last-named season of the year ; it has chiefly been noticed on our eastern coasts. On the continent it breeds in the high north and extends to Kamtchatka and even to Alaska in North West America. It is also found in Central Asia, and its winter home is in North East Africa, India and the Burmese Provinces. In Norway I have observed this species breeding every vear at 350G feet in the birch- woods, and alwa3's in the vicinity of swampy ground, though I never could discover the actual nest. A young bird which I caught in 1897 ^^^^ ^ curiously striped little creature, unlike the young of the Robins or Redbreasts, and he carried his tail at an angle to his back, and stood very high on his legs, having the aspect more of a Chat than a Robin. In a few days he became so tame that he would fly out of his cage when called by his mistress, and sit on her finger and take meal-worms from her hand ; and this, although the room door stood open to the garden, and he could have flown away at any time. The parent birds hovered round the house for a few days, and even came down to the door of the room, calling to their youngster to accompany them, but he seemed to be quite contented with his lot. The Blue-throat is a very handsome little bird, with a chestnut tail, which is black for the terminal half. The upper surface is brown, but the principal feature of the species is the cobalt blue of the throat, which has also a conspicuous spot of chestnut. There is a black and white collar across the chest, while the breast is chestnut, the abdomen white. The female has no blue on the throat. The nest resembles that of a Robin and is placed on the ground and well-concealed. The Red-spotted Blue-throat. THE ROCK-THRUSH. {Monticoln saxatilis.) Perching Birds. 75 The eggs are olive-brown or bluish-green, clouded with reddish dots, and resemble some of the eggs of the Nightingale. The Rock-Thrush [see p. 67) has a red tail like the Redstarts, and the male and female are very different in colour, the male being slaty-black, with the centre of the back white. The head and throat are greyish-blue, with the rest of the under surface of the body orange-chestnut. The female is ashy-brown mottled with pale margins to the feathers, and the throat is white, mottled with dark brown edges ; the breast and sides of the body are golden buff with dusky brown edges to the feathers. It is a species of Central and Southern Europe, extending to Central Asia and Mongolia and wintering in East Africa and in North-western India. It has been shot once in England, m Hertford- shire, in May, 1843. It has a fine song and resembles a Redstart in its ways, the nest being placed in the hole of a rock or wall, and is like that of a Chat or Redstart. The eggs are four or five in number, of a bright blue colour, with sometimes a few brown specks. The red tail of this bird makes it rathera conspicuous species, as the bird has a way of flirting its tail up and down and spreading it out. It is a summer visitor to Great Britain, and breeds in all three kingdoms. Its breeding-range ex- tends throughout the greater part of Europe, north to the Arctic Circle, and east^to the Yenesei. It winters in West Africa as well as in North-east Africa and along the Persian Gulf. The male is recognised by its slaty grey back, white forehead, black face and throat, and orange- chestnut breast. The female is more of an ashy brown colour above, and has the sides of the face brown, the throat dull white like the abdomen, the fore-neck, breast and flanks sandy-brown, and the under wing-coverts and axillaries yellowish-buft". The winter plumage is more grey, but the summer dress can be detected below the grey margins of the winter plumage, for it is gained by the shedding of the latter, as the grey becomes abraded and the edgings disappear as spring advances. The young are spotted with ochreous-bult", and resemble the young of the Robin. The male Redstart is the first to arrive in its nesting-quarters, before the female, THE REDSTART. {Ruticilla phcvnicnrus.) The Redstart. The Black Repstakt. 76 British Birds. and is then often in evidence, but during the breeding season the bird is decidedl_v shy, and It is onI_v before the autumn migration that the species is freely noticed. Then in such places as the New Forest and other woods of our southern counties, the Redstart is often to be seen on the side of the coppices fl3'ing out into the air after some insect, after the manner of a Flycatcher, but easily recognisable by its red tail. The nest is placed in the hole of a tree or a wood stack, or in the hole of a building, the entrance to the latter being often so narrow that even a child's hand cannot be inserted. The eggs are pale blue and from five to six in number. This species visits us regularly in winter, journeying from ^^^ east to west along the south coast of England and returning BLACK REDSTART. , ^, / . i, ■ i i • » by the same route m sprmg. It is also known as a winter (Rutuilla titys.) ' > » visitor to Scotland and Ireland. On the continent it is confined to the Western and Central districts of Europe and does not extend beyond Southern Norway and Sweden. The Black Redstart is slaty grey, the rump and upper tail-coverts being orange-chestnut like the tail ; there is no white band on the crown, the forehead being black at its base, like the face. throat and breast ; the abdomen whitish, and the flanks slaty-grey, turning to cinnamon on the lower flanks and under tail-coverts. The female is slaty-brown, the under surface being also of this colour but paler than the back, and the under wing-coverts and axillaries resemble the breast in colour. Instead of being a frequenter of woods like the Common Redstart, the present species seeks the neighbourhood of houses, and resembles the Robin in its habits. The nest is built in holes of buildings, and the eggs, from four to six in number, are white, with occasionally a faint greenish tinge. This Chat is to be observed plentifulh' on our coasts THE WHEATEAR. ^ . , . . ■ • • • r •. ,„ . , during the autumn migration, when it is preparing tor its [Saxicola anmtthe.) " " . . flight towards its winter home in Africa. It is also found in the latter season from the shores of the Persian Gulf to North-western India. In summer the Wheatear is not only found throughout Northern Europe and Northern Asia, but even extends to Greenland, where it has been observed up to 80' N. Lat. The male is slaty blue, with a conspicuous white rump, the tail also is white with a broad band of black at the end ; the forehead and eyebrow are white, and the sides of the face black, the throat and breast pale tawny-buff, and the rest of the under parts creamy white ; the axillaries are white and the under wing-coverts black. The female is browner than the male, and the under surface is pale sandy-buff. In autumn the plumage of both old and young birds is like that of the female, but is rather more rufescent. The Wheatear nests in a variety of situations, on the sea-shore in the south of England, under a tussock on the downs and moors, or in the stony crevices of the mountains of Norway beyond the limits of forest-growth. The nest is very simply made of grass with some moss and rootlets, and is lined with hair or a few feathers ; Perching Birds. 77 The Wheatear. It is generally well concealed. The eggs are from four to seven in number, greenish blue or greenish white, with sometimes a few purplish-brown spots round the larger end. This is a large Chat of very pale and sombre colour, which IHE ISABELLINE might be mistaken for a female or young of the Common Wheatear, but may always be distinguished by its longer leg, the tarsus measuring i-2 inch instead of 1-05 as in the common species. The sexes are alike in colour, being of an earthy-brown, more or less ashy, and the under surface is light isabelline-rufous, becoming sandy-white on the throat and abdomen ; the axillaries and under wing-coverts are creamy-white. WHEATEAR. (Saxiculn isabcllinn. The Bi.ack-thkoatku Wheatear. The Isahelline Wheatear. 78 British Birds. THE BLACK-THROATED WHEATEAR. (Snxicola stapazina.) THE DESERT- WHEATEAR. {Saxicola deserti.) The Isabelline Wheatear is an inhabitant of the desert countries from MongoHa to Arabia and Eastern Africa, and has once been obtained in England, near Allonby in Cumberland, in November, 1887. The bird is said by Mr. Danford to frequent barren grounds, bushy hill-sides and even fir-woods, and to rise into the air and sing. The nest is placed in burrows and resembles that of the Common Wheatear, the eggs being pale greenish blue with occasionally some faintly indicated spots of brown. This Chat, which is an inhabitant of Algeria, Spain, and the South of France, has once occurred near Bury, in Lan- cashire, in May, 1S75. It is sandy-rufous in colour, with a white rump, black wings and black under wing-coverts. The latter character will distinguish the female of the Black- throated Wheatear from the hen of Saxicola unanthe. The habits of the species are like those of the other members of the genus, excepting that it frequents rocky localities and builds its nest in the grass under the shelter of a rock or a stone. The eggs are light blue in colour, sprinkled with reddish dots. As its name portends, this little Chat comes from the Sahara and other desert countries, ranging from North Africa to Egypt and Palestine, and thence to Central Asia. It has been noticed three times in Heligoland and twice in Great Britain, viz. : — near Alloa in Scotland, in November, 1880 ; and again near Holderness on the 17th of October, 1885. It is a small species, of a bright sandy rufous colour, with the lower rump and upper tail-coverts white, and the wings black, showing a large white patch formed of the inner median and greater coverts; the tail is black, with the concealed basal third white : the head is sandy rufous like the back, but the sides of the face and throat are black, and there is a distinct white eyebrow ; the under surface of the bodv is sandy rufous, but the abdomen and centre of the breast are whiter; the under wing- coverts are white and the axillaries are black tipped with white. The female has no black on the face or throat, and the under wing-coverts and axillaries are white, with dusk}- bases. It can be told from the hens of the other Wheatears by the less extent of The Desert-VVhlatear. white on the tail, this being confined Perching Birds. 79 THE WHINCHAT. (Piatincola rubetra.) to the basal third. In habits and in the choice of a nesting-place it resembles the other species, and the eggs are greenish blue with reddish brown spots. This little bird is a summer visitor to Great Britain, arriving early in May from its winter home in West Africa and North-east Africa. It nests in all parts of Great Britain, but is more local and rarer in some counties than in others. Its nesting range e.xtends east to the Ural Mountains, and it even reaches beyond the Arctic Circle. In the South of Europe it is mostly found on migration and breeds only in the mountains. The Whinchat belongs to a little group of birds peculiar to the Old World, having broader bills and more abundant rictal bristles, in which respect they resemble the Flycatchers, and are like the latter birds in their habits. The general aspect of the male Whinchat is rufous, with a white wing-patch, formed of the white inner median and greater wing coverts ; the tail-feathers are white with a broad band of brown on their terminal third ; the sides of the face are black, surmounted by a broad white eyebrow ; the cheeks and chin are white and this e.xtends on to the side of the neck, skirting the cinnamon-rufous colour of the throat and breast, the rest of the under surface of the bod)' being sandy buff. The female is not so brightly coloured as the male, the sides of the face being browner, and the rufous on the throat and breast not so bright. The flight of the Whinchat is very rapid, as it flits from one furze bush to another, and perches invariably on the topmost bough. It frequents commons and the slopes of rough hills and downs, and the nest is well concealed, being generally placed in the grass under a bush, and approached by a run or small tunnel. In the mountains of Norwaj' it nests on the high fjelds, choosing the thickets of rough bushes and small birch-trees which may be found on the edges of some of the swamps and generally in the vicinity of the hay-fields, where there is an abundance of insect food. The hen bird is very seldom seen and it is only by driving her o!f the nest that the latter is usually discovered. The eggs are greenish-blue, with minute specks of reddish-brown. THE STONECHAT. {Prntuuolti yjibicola.) Though of similar habits to the Whin- chat, the Stonechat is a much darker bird and can be distinguished by its black head and the white patch on the Tin: Whinchat. The Stonkchat. 8o British Birds. neck, both vf which are very conspicuous as the bird sits on the top of a furze bush or low hedge. The tail, when spread in flight, does not show the amount of white which is so evident in the Whinchat. Although found in most parts of Great Britain in summer, the Stonechat is everywhere a local bird, and a few remain with us during the winter, but the greater number migrate. It is a local bird throughout Europe, as it is in Great Britain, and it does not extend nearly so far north as the Whinchat, while its eastern range is bounded by the Ural Mountains, or perhaps a little further to the eastward, its place being taken in Siberia by a different species, Prntincola iiianra. Our Stonechat is a much more plentiful species in Southern Europe than it is in the more northern parts of the continent, and breeds throughout the Mediterranean countries, wintering in North-east Africa and Senegambia. The species is very similar in its habits to the foregoing species, but frequents the more open country. Its nest is quite as hard to find, and as equally well concealed. The eggs are pale bluish-green, but the reddish-brown spots are larger and more distinct than those of the Winchat, and the spots generally form a zone round the larger end of the egg. Excepting in the extreme north of Scotland and the Orkneys, Shetlands, and the Hebrides, the Hedge- Sparrow is universally distributed throughout the British Islands, and is almost as familiar a pensioner in our gardens as the Robin. Its lively little song is heard throughout the spring and summer, and it is one of the first birds to commence to sing when winter is barely over. The nest is a beautiful structure, composed principally of moss, and the eggs are of a clear greenish-blue, with no spots of any kind. Although the Accentors have spotted young, they difi'er from the rest of the Thrushes in having scales on the tarsus, and in their general aspect they are much more like Robins. The}' are to a great extent migratory, but have a much more rounded wing than the majority of the Tiirdiclii, to which family they really belong, and the rounded wing mereh' shews that they are less migratory than their relatives with pointed wings. Nevertheless numbers of our Hedge- Sparrows leave us in the autumn and cross the channel. A\'ith the exception of Southern Europe, where the speciesonly nests in the mountains, the Hedge- Sparrow is generally distributed during the breeding season throughout Europe as far THE HEDGH-SPAKROW. (Thayi'ltnh-Hs }iioihilai-is.) The Hebge-Sparrow. Pcrchiiw Birds. 8i The Alpine Accentor. THE ALPINE ACCENTOR. {Accentor collaris.) as the Ural Mountains. The plain colouring of the species, its brown back, striped with black, and slaty ^^rey under surface have doubtless suggested its resemblance to a Sparrow, but here the resemblance ends, for the Sparrow is a Finch, and the Accentor is a sort of dwarf Thrush, with spotted young. This species is only an occasional visitor to Great Britain, but nearly a dozen authentic records of its occurrence have been published. It is a mountain- loving bird, quite different in its habits from our garden-frequenting Hedge-Sparrow, from which it differs moreover in its more pointed wing. The Alpme Accentor is an inhabitant of the mountains of Southern Europe from Spain to the Caucasus and Northern Persia, and it is also found in the mountains of other parts of Central Europe, breeding on the higher ground and wintering in the lower valleys. The nest is placed on the ground under the shelter of a bush, and the eggs are greenish blue. This interesting bird is only found in the mountainous districts of Central and South-western England, and in similiar localities in Wales and Ireland, but it is met with throughout Scotland, near rocky streams and rivers. It is an unmistakable species, appearing, at first sight, to be quite black as it stands on a stone in the middle of a torrent or perches on the banks of a brook. but its white throat and chest are soon plainly observable. Below this white chest, the breast is rufous and the sides of the body are slaty- grey. The sexes are alike, but the young birds are mottled with black edges to the grey feathers of the upper surface, and with dusky margins to the white plumage of the lower parts. The Dipper is an THE DIPPER. (Cinclus aquaticus.) The Dipper. 82 British Birds. interesting bird to watch, as it flies with rapid beats of its wings, much after the manner of a Kingfisher, and settles down on a stone, from which it dehberately walks into the water and disappears beneath the surface, seeking for its food at the bottom of the stream. It is accused of devouring trout-ova, but its principal food consists of caddis-worms, water-beetles and small shells. The nest of the Dipper is a domed structure, with the entrance-hole rather low down, made of moss which assimilates to the surroundings of the rocky-hole or bank in which the nest is placed, and hence it is never easy to find. Inside this dome of moss the real nest is placed, and this consists of grass, slender twigs and leaves, closely compacted together. The eggs are pure white, but without anj' gloss, so that they cannot be mistaken for the eggs of the Kingfisher. The Dippers of the Old World are divided into several races, which inhabit certain mountainous areas of the continents of Europe and Asia. Our Common Dipper, for instance, is only found in Great Britain, France and Germany, Holland and Belgium, and in the Alps and the Pyrenees its place is taken by a paler form, Cinclus nlbicoUis. In Scandinavia occurs the Black-bellied Dipper, which differs from our own species in having a chocolate-brown or blackish breast, instead of a rufous one. Occasionally the Scandmavian form appears to cross the sea, ao it has been met with in our eastern counties. In habits as well as in its nest and eggs there is no difference between C. cinclns and C. aqiinticus. I have found the Dipper in Norway nesting by the side of a roaring torrent, and perching on the rocks in the midst of the foam. The close-set plumage of the bird, however, seems to be imperxious to wet, as might be gathered from the way in which it is able to remain under water. The young birds on leaving the nest, keep to the rocks by the side ut the sticam and are assiduously fed by their parents. This tin^• THE BLACK-BELLIED DIPPER. {Cinclus cinclns.} THE WREN. (Anorthttra tyoglodvtcs.) little bird is found all over Great Britain, and is resident with us throughout the \ear, though our eastern coasts are visited by a considerable number of individuals during the autumn migration. It seems curious that such a small bird should brave the North Sea, but it is not more wonderful than is the The Bi.ack-Bellied Dum'EK. The Wren. Pcirliing Birds. case of the Gold-Crest. As in the Dippers, which are also allied to the true Wrens, there are no rictal bristles at the base of the bill, as in the Thrushes and Warblers. They have too a remarkably rounded wing, which fits to the form of the body, and resembles that of the Bush-babblers (Tiiiieliidce). For the size of the bird, the volume of song which the Wren pours out is e.xtraordinary. It is generally an inhabitant of dense hedges and under- growth, and is not often seen at any height in the trees. The tail is often carried at right angles to the back. The nest is a large one, composed principally of moss and leaves, and is placed in the stems of ivy against a large elm tree, or in the trellis-work of a summer-house or garden-building, and in all sorts of queer places. The eggs are four or si.x in number, sometimes nine. They are white with reddish-brown spots and tiny dots of the same colour. The Wrens which inhabit the outlying islands of Scotland appear to be somewhat larger than those of the mainland. Thus birds from the Shetlands are bigger than the ordinar}' run of British individuals, and this is especially the case with the S. Kilda Wrens, which e.xceed A. troglodytes in size and approach the larger Wren of the Faroes A . borealis). The absence of trees on S. Kilda makes this Wren an inhabitant of the rocks, and it may be this rougher mode of life which has developed its more robust form and stronger legs. It sings as vigorously as the Common Wren, and builds a similar kind of nest, which it places in the holes of walls or under the shelter of a bush. The eggs are like those of A. troglodytes, but are larger and more boldly marked. This is a tropical family of birds, plentifully represented in Africa, India and China, but not a Palasarctic group at all. In fact the only species which comes within European limits is the Dusky Bulbul {Pycnonotus barhatiis) which is found in North-western Africa (Algeria and Marocco). If any Bulbul occurred in Great Britain, it might have been e.xpected to be this species, whose habitat is the neaiest to our shores, but the so-called ' Gold-vented Thrush ' of the old British Lists is Pycnonotus capensis (see page 67), a species confined to the Cape Colony and not in any degree migratory. The specimen said to have been shot near Waterford, in January, 1848, by Dr. Burkitt must have been therefore an escaped individual. It is a brown bird with yellow under tail-coverts, and is one of the species which should be expunged from the list of British Birds. 6- THE S. KILDA WREN. [Anoythura hirtensis.) THE BULBULS. Family PYCNONOTIDM. -84 British Birds. THE FLYCATCHERS Family MUSCICAPID.E. The Flycatchers have distinctly spotted young, and hence the_v show their alliance with the Thrushes. Many of them, however, though not moulting entirely in the spring as the Warblers do, gain their summer plumage by a change of feather without moult, therein differing from the majority of the Tiirdidtt'. The Flycatchers are essentially ' snappers,' and catch their insect prey on the wing, returning to their original perch from whence they sally forth again. The bill is much flatter than in the Thrushes and is furnished with very distinct rictal bristles. This little bird arrives in Great Britain after the bulk of ' the summer migrants, as if it timed its arrival when the warm FLYCATCHER. {MriSLica/^a i^risoln. ) weather might be expected to have set in in our uncertain climate, so that it is hardl}' to be expected before the early part of May. It then spreads over the whole of Great Britam and migrates south in autumn, after the moult is completed, to Western and Southern Africa. The breeding-range of the species extends to the Yenesei valley in Siberia, and the eastern examples apparently winter in Persia and North-weslern India. The colour of the Common or ' Spotted ' Flycatcher, as it is often called, is a plam brown, with the under surface white, except for a tinge of isabelline-brown on the breast and sides of the body, which are streaked with dark brown. It frequents every kind of situation where its insect food is assured, and is to be found in parks, orchards, and gardens, even in the suburbs and parks of London, where it may be seen sitting on railings or the lower branches of trees, from which vantage it sails out after any passing insect, which it secures, and again takes up its former position. In the case of large flies, which are often captured, the hard portions of the bodies are thrown up by the birds in the shape of pellets, which form small iridescent particles on the ground near the nest. The young birds, in spotted plumage, generally take up their seats, side by side, on a rail or lawn-tennis net in the autumn, and are assiduously fed by the parent birds till the moult is complete and they are strong enough to perform their long southern journc\'. -The Common Flycatcher. ; — The Pied Flycatcher. Peixliimr Birds. 85 THE PIED FLYCATCHER. (Ficedula ntricapilla.] The nest is an artless structure of dry grass with a Uning of horse-hair, but it is skilfully decorated outside with cobwebs and lichens so as to assimilate to the surroundings of the bark of the tree, in a crevice of which it is generally placed, but, like the Robin, the Flycatcher is a confiding bird, and often builds its nest on the trellis-work against a house or conservatory. The eggs are from four to si.\ in number, and are buffy-white or greenish-white, spotted and blotched with reddish- brown, with grey underl3'ing markings. One great difference which separates the present species from the common Flycatcher is the contrast in the colour of the sexes, the male being black, with the under-surface white, a white patch on the wing, and the outer tail-feathers also white for the most part. The female is brown with the tips of the greater wing-coverts white, the upper tail-coverts and tail black, excepting the outer feathers, which are, to a great extent, white ; the sides of the face and under parts are pale ochreous brown, shading off into white on the abdomen and under tail-coverts. The breeding-range of the Pied Flycatcher extends throughout Europe, and it breeds up to 69° in Scandinavia. To Great Britain it is a visitor in summer, and is decidedly local, nesting in the northern counties of England and Wales, as well as in Scotland. In Norway it builds its nest under the eaves of the farm-houses, and in the boxes which are often put up for its accommodation ; at other times it nests in the hole of a tree or wall. It resembles our Common Flycatcher in general habits, but in some respects reminds one of a Chat in its ways ; like the last-named species it feeds principally on flies and other small insects, but also devours berries in the autumn. The nest has no pretensions to architecture and is composed of grass and leaves with a little moss and a few feathers. The eggs are quite different from the red-spotted ones of the majority of Flycatchers, being of a pale blue colour and varying from four to eight in number. They are smaller than those of the Hedge-Sparrow and more brittle, while the position of the nest should always render any doubt as to the authenticity of the eggs of the two species impossible. This is a little bird, not unlike a Robin in appearance, as it has a red breast, bordered from the forehead down the sides of the neck with light bluish grey. It can, however, be easily recognised by its ashy- brown colour and blackish tail-feathers, which have the basal two-thirds u'liite. The female is browner than the male, and does not show the grey on the forehead or sides of the neck, Thk Red-Bkkastkd Flycatcher. THE RED-BREASTED FLYCATCHER. {Sipliia parva.) 86 British Birds. THE SWALLOWS. Family HIRUNDINID.^. while the throat and chest are yellowish-buff. It is a bird of Eastern Europe, nesting in the Baltic Provinces and in Russia, and migrating to North-western India and South-eastern Europe. It has, however, been obtained on migration in many parts of Central Europe, and has been captured in Great Britain on some half dozen occasions. The nest is placed in the hole of a tree, and is made of moss, lined with hair and tine grass. The eggs are from five to seven in number, and resemble those of the Robin or Common Flycatcher, but are less strongl_v marked. In habits the species resembles M. grisola, but it also has many of the ways of a Tit, and the note resembles the ' pink ' of the Chaffinch, though it is more subdued and uttered more quickly. Because of their rapid flight and general re- semblance, the Swallows and Swifts were formerly classed together, and the wide-gaping mouths of these aerial insect-hunters makes them apparently near akin. Now, however, we know from their anatomy and osteology that the two forms are widely separate, the Swallows being Passerine Birds, highly modified Flycatchers in fact, while the Swifts are Picarian and are the allies, somewhat distant perhaps, of the Goat- suckers and the Humming-Birds. Nevertheless the Swallows, Passerine though they be, are decidedly aberrant, and not only differ from Fl3xatchers in having nine visible primaries instead of ten, but they differ from all other Perching Birds in having the spinal feather-tract not continuous from the head to the back, but forked. They are perfecth- cosmopolitan in their range, and extend even be}'ond the Arctic Circle in summer. The distinguising character of the House-Martins, which are entirely birds of the Old World, is the feathering of the feef. Our British species, which is common everj'where in summer, is easily distinguished on the wing b}- the broad white band which is conspicuous across the lower back, as the bird flies. The rest The House-Martin. The Swallow. THE HOUSE-MARTIN. [Chclidon urbica.) Perching Birds. 87 of the upper surface is blue black, and the under surface pure white, with the tail black and only slightly forked. This is the species which frequents the suburbs of our large cities, and builds a clay nest under the shelter of the eaves of our houses. The House-Martin arrives about the middle of April from its winter quarters in Africa, and is common all over Europe, nesting in colonies in the north in the scattered farm houses. The nest is composed of small nodules of sand and mud, impressed with the saliva of the birds, and forming a compact and feather- lined home, with a narrow opening at the top, through which the head of the sitting female is often seen peeping out to take food from its industrious mate, while later on the small lieads of the young ones may be observed projecting and even clamouring for the insects brought to the nest b}- the parent birds. The eggs are glossy white and from four to six in number. THE SAND-MARTIN. (CUvicnla riparia.) The httle Bank Martin is the first of the Swallows to arrive in Great Britain, making its appearance early in April. It is the smallest of the British Swallows, and is ot a plain brown colour, white underneath, with a brown collar across the fore-neck. It nests throughout Europe and Northern Asia, and is also found on the continent of North America, wintering in the Old World in Africa and India, and in Central and Southern America. It is found everywhere in summer throughout Great Britain, nesting in colonies in sand-banks and railway-cuttings, the holes in which are e.\cavated to a considerable depth by tlie birds them- selves. There, at the end of the tunnel, a scanty nest of grass is prepared witli a few feathers for the lining, and four or five pure white eggs are laid. In flight and in general habits the Sand-Martin resembles our other British Swallows, but is more frequently seen flying over water than the other two species. In the autumn vast hordes of Sand- Martins congregate to roost in the reed-bcds of our southern The Purple Martin. The Sand Martin. 88 British Birds. rivers and in the swamps near the sea-coast, and flocks of them may be seen in the autumn sunning themselves on the sand spits of our tidal harbours before commencing their migration. The Chimney-Swallow is easily recognised by its long forked tail and rufous forehead and throat, which contrast CHIMNEY-SWALLOW. . , , ,„. , ... with the purplish-blue back and light under-suriace of the bird. The Swallow moults in its winter quarters, while it is away from Europe, and on its return to this country the plumage is beautiful, and the male bird often looks quite rufous underneath as it turns in the sunlight. The old female is generally whiter below, and the young have shorter tails than the adult. They can, however, always be distinguished by their blue backs from the Sand-Martin ; and by their unfeathered toes, and by the absence of the white band on the rump from the House-Martin. Our Swallow winters in Africa and in India, and is found during the breeding- season throughout Europe and Western Siberia, even to the far north, as it has been seen on Jan Mayen, and Mr. F. G. Jackson tells me that he once saw one on Franz Josef Land. The nest is usually placed on a beam inside a shed, and is made chiefly of mud. with a little grass and straw, and is lined with feathers and dry grass. Unlike the two species of Martin, both of which lay white eggs, the Swallow's eggs are white with reddish or purplish brown spots. PiCINE AND CUCKOO-LIKE BIRDS.— OnArs FiCIFURMES and Coccyges. The characters which separate the Picifonncs from the Passcriforiiifs are anatomical and need only be referred to here, as the Woodpeckers, which are the only Picine family occurring in Great Britain, are so easii}- recognised that external characters are sufficient for the reader to determine them. First of all there is the scansorial (climbing) or zygodactyle (yoke-footed) feature of the toes, which are arranged in pairs, two turned forwards and two backwards. The tongue is extensile, and capable of being projected to a considerable distance by means of its muscles, and the hj'oid cornua are curved backwards over the skull. In this species, as in all the other members of the sub-family Pic'nur, the tail is stiffened and remarkable for its spiny shafts, WOODPECKER. , . , , ■ , ,„ . • ■,■ , which are pressed against the tree as the bird climbs or clings (uectnus virtais.) r d o to the trunk. The general colour is green, yellow below, and with the rump bright yellow, which colour shows very distinctly when the bird is flj'ing. The male has a red head and a broad red moustache, the latter being Ptci'ne and Cuckoo-like Birds. 89 replaced bv a black band in the female, which otherwise resembles the male. It is a species of the southern and midland counties of England, becoming gradually scarcer towards the north, and to Scotland and Ireland it is only a rare visitor. It is found throughout the greater part of Europe. The food of the Green Woodpecker consists largely of ants and it may often be seen digging among the ant-hills. The note is a noisy cackling laugh, which can be heard at a considerable distance. It is a shy bird, and generally commences work on the trunk of a tree opposite to the spectator and makes its way to the top, occasionally putting its head round to see I — The Green Woodpecker. 2 — The Gre.\t Black Woodpecker. 3 — The Great Spotted Woodpecker. 4 — The Hairy Woodpecker. 5 — The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. that there is no danger approaching. There is no nest, but the eggs, which are pure white and from four to seven in number, are laid on the chips of wood at the bottom of a hole which is excavated by the birds themselves. Although this large species has been recorded as having occurred \n several places m Great Britain, but one instance of its capture can be considered authentic beyond any doubt. A specimen was shot near Otley, in Yorkshire, in the presence of Colonel Dawson, on the 8th of September, 1897, THE GRE.\T BLACK WOODPECKER. I Picas martitis.) 90 British Birds. and is vouched for by the latter gentleman ; but the probability is that it was one of the individuals let loose from the Lilford Aviaries a short time previously. The Great Black Woodpecker is one of the most unlikely birds in the world to migrate from its home in the pine forests of Scandinavia. It is an unmistakable species, being black all over, with the top of the head red in the male, black in the female, which has a patch of red on the occiput. The genus Dendrocopus contains the Pied Woodpeckers, ot THE GREAT which two species are resident in the British Islands, while two are accidental visitors. D. major is the largest of the four, and WOODPECKER. ■ , ■ , ,r, , , ■ , may be recognised by having the back and rump black, with {Vtuarocoptts major.} j t^ j b r the wings and tail chequered with black and white. The crown and nape are black in the male, with a scarlet patch on the occiput, while the adult female has the head entirely black, without the red occipital patch. The young birds of both se.\es, however, have an entirely red crown. In England and Wales the present species occurs, but is alwaj's local, and in the north of England it becomes gradually rarer, and is not known to breed either in Scotland or Ireland. It is found throughout the greater part of Europe and Northern Asia, and sometimes migrates in considerable numbers, as I have myself witnessed in Heligoland. Like other \\'oodpeckers, D. major is decidedly a shy bird, and is more often heard than seen. It has a curious habit of drumming on a slender branch of a tree, the se.xes apparently using this method of signalling instead of a call-note. The food of this species consists of insects which it obtains b}' hammering on the bark and forcing pieces off, but it also feeds on nuts, fruit and berries. The eggs are white, and from five to seven or eight in number, and are deposited on the chips at the bottom of a hole hewn out by the birds in a hollow tree. The British Museum possesses a specimen of the Hairy ^ THE HAIRYJ__YVoodpecker, obtained near Whitby in 1S49, and presented by III. WOODPECKER. I , , ,, t^ , • ti , a , r ^i • m n ■■ -i — .=ii.:_ _;^.- the late Mr. Prederic Bond. Another specimen ot this ISorth {Demh-ocopusvillosHS.) American species is said to have been procured in Yorkshire about a hundred years ago. Its home is in North America, where it is found from the Eastern States to the Rocky Mountains. It is distinguished from D. major by the white stripe down its back, but, like that species, it has a black crown with a scarlet band on the occiput, the latter being absent in the female, while the young birds have all the feathers of the crown tipped with orange-red. Its habits are similar to those of its allies. This is a small American species, which is found from THE DOWNY Alaska to Florida, and has occurred in France and also once •WOODPECKER. • t^ . , •• o c t. i i ■. ^ 1 ^u in Dorsetshire m 1836. It has a white stripe down the {Dcndrocopus . , , , back like D. villosus, but is of the sue of D. minor and pubescens.) ' has a black head with a red band on the occiput, this hand being absent in the female. Pi cine and Cuckoo-likc Birds. 91 THE LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER. (Dendyoiopiis minor The present species is the smallest of our British Wood- peckers, and has the scapulars and lower back barred with black and white, the under surface being brownish with narrow streaks of black on the sides of the body. The crown is crimson, mottled with white spots and dusky bases to the feathers. The female differs in having the crown black, without an}' crimson, the forehead being of a buffy white colour. The 3'oung birds have only the centre of the crown crimson. The range of the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is nearly the same as that of D. major in the British Islands, and it extends into the South of Scotland, but it is only an occasional visitor to Ireland. It is found throughout the greater part ot Europe and ranges into Eastern Siberia. The habits of this little species more resemble those of the Nuthatch than those of its ally, the Great Spotted Woodpecker. It is found in orchards and parks, and nests in poplars as well as in fruit-trees, and can often be seen climbing on the lower branches of the larger elms, or clinging to the small twigs, looking not unlike a Tit or Nuthatch. The eggs varj' from five to eight in number, and are white ; they are deposited on the touch-wood at the bottom of the hole, but no attempt at a nest is made. The appearance of the Wrjneck is quite different from that of the other Woodpeckers found in Britain, for its plumage is a THE WRYNECK. {lynx forijuilla.) brightly mottled brown, with rufous and black vermiculations. That it is a member of the great family of Woodpeckers is seen b)' the zj'godactyle formation of the feet, and it has the same extensile tongue as the latter birds, from which, however, it differs in having a soft tail of rounded feathers, instead of the sharply pointed stiffened tail-feathers of the true Woodpeckers. The genus Ivii.v contains a few species, all confined to the Old \Vorld, the majority of the Wrj'necks being found in Africa. Our British bird has a wide range, extending in summer from Great Britain to Japan, and wintering in Northern Africa, India and China. It is often called the 'Cuckoo's Mate,' from the fact that the date of its arrival coincides with that of the Cuckoo, but in the neighbourhood of London I have generally noticed it to be a little later in coming than the last-named bird. Like the Woodpeckers, it lays perfectly white eggs, in the hole of a tree, and makes no nest. It is of a tame disposition and often takes ad\'antage of any nest-box put up 92 British Birds. THE CUCKOOS. Sub-Order CVCULI. THE COMMON CUCKOO {Cucttlns iiuionis.) for its accommodation, while I have known a \Vr3'neck to sit in the lower boughs of a poplar tree in m\' garden and answer the children imitating its call for a quarter of an hour together. The note is very peculiar and sounds like the sj'llables ' pee-tee-pec ' often reiterated. Like the preceeding birds, the Cuckoos have a zygodactyle or scansorial foot, with the toes arranged two in front and two behind, but the disposition of the tendons is different and resembles that of the Game-birds. They ha\e only ten tail feathers. The Cuckoos are the only European representatives of the Order Cocc rg'es. which contains a large number of Cuckoo-like birds, as well as the Plantain-eaters [Miisopltagi) of Africa. In a little sketch of the Birds of Great Britain, such as this book alone pretends to be, there is not space to enteral length into the history of a species like the Cuckoo, the study of which is among the most interesting problems of Bird life. In appearance the Cuckoo is very like a Sparrow-Hawk, and it has a similar flight, so that when it appears in the open, the small birds mob both the Cuckoo and the Hawk in the same manner, whether from hatred towards the former on account of its parasitic habits, or from fear of the latter as a natural enemy, it is hard to decide. Independentl}- of the grey colour of the upper surface and the barred under parts which complete the resem- blancebetween theCuckooand the Sparrow-Hawk, there isyet anotherpeculiarfeaturein common between the two, \-iz. : the lengthened thigh-feathers which are found in both, and render the Cuckoo still more remarkably like the Sparrow-Hawk in appearance. The female Cuckoo resembles the male, but is a little smaller, and has generally some rufous on the chest, and this colour is ver\- conspicuous in life, and generalh' serves to distinguish the hen bird when flying. There is also a curious rufous phase of plumage, called the ' hepatic phase,' which occurs m both se.xes, but is more commonly met with on the Continent than in the British Islands. The young birds are quite different from the adults, being dark brown or blackish, mottlctl w ith rufous and white, and with a dis- tinct white spot at the hack of the neck. The tail shows rufous bars and the under surface of the bod}- is huffy wliite, barred across with blackish-brown bars. The Common Cuckoo. As is well known, the -^'ft Picine and Cuckoo-like Birds. 93 Cuckoo does not make a nest of its own, but places its egg in those of other birds, leaving the latter to hatch it out along with their own rightful offspring. Then when all the young birds are hatched together, the 3'oung Cuckoo disposes of the occupants of the nest by tilting them over the side, so that they perish while the Cuckoo endures, and receives for the rest of the summer the unremitting care and attention of its two foster parents. The eggs of the Cuckoo vary ad Infinitum. Some are brown, others are grey, with or without darker brown mottling, some are quite pale, others whitish with dark brown spots, while some are even clear blue ; they are remarkable for their small size, considering the bulk of the bird which lays them, and this doubtless renders the deception practised on the foster- mother more easy of accomplishment, as the Cuckoo's egg so little exceeds that of the rightful owner of the nest. The food of the Cuckoo consists almost entirely of insects, and the fact that it robs other birds of their eggs has been noted by some recent observers, but when the bird has been shot with an egg in its mouth, there can be no doubt that it is often the Cuckoo's own egg which it was carrying at the time to some nest it intended to victimise. That the Cuckoo lays its egg on the ground and then carries it in its bill to the nest selected for its deposition seems to be a well-established fact. The range of the Cuckoo extends over Europe and Siberia, and it winters in Western and Southern Africa as well as the Indian Peninsula. It is a common bird in Northern Europe in the summer, and in Northern Norwa}- I have heard the birds calling abundantly in June, while doubtless the number of Meadow Pipits' nests on the moors afford ample opportunity for the exercise of its parasitic habits. The present species occasionally strays to Great Britain, having been captured on two occasions, once in Ire- land, and once in Northumberland. It has occurred in manv places in Central Europe, but its breeding-home is in the Mediterranean countries, where it nests in Southern Spain and Northern Africa. In winter it betakes itself to Western Africa and even reaches to the Cape Colony. Like our Common Cuckoo, its southern relative is parasitic in its nesting habits, and it deposits its eggs in the nests of Crows and Magpies, some- THE GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO. {CoL'cystes glandarius.) The Great Spotted Cuckoo. 94 British Birds. The Black-Billed Cuckoo. The Yellow-Billed Cuckoo. times four Cuckoo's eggs being found with si.\ of the eggs of the last named bird. Lord Lilford even gives an in- stance of his meet- ing with a nest which contained eight eggs of the Great Spotted Cuckoo and five of a Magpie. This species is easily recognised b\' its pointed crest, grey colour and buffy throat and neck, as well as by the white- tipped quills and upper tail-coverts. The young bird for the most part has the quills chestnut, the forehead blackish, and tlie throat more rufous. The two American species which have visited Europe at rare intervals are much plainer in colour than our own birds and have no bars on the plumage, which is of an olive brown colour. They both make nests of their own and lay green or bluish eggs. In the bringing-up of the young they are said to be most affectionate, and differ in this trait entirely from their European representatives. The Yellow-billed Cuckoo is distinguished by the orange-yellow colour of the lower mandible. It has been met with in Belgium and in Italy, and has occurred twice in Ireland, once in Wales, and once on Lund\- Island. Its home is in Eastern North America, and it also breeds in the West Indies. This species and C. aiiiericainis may be recognised by the white tips of the tail-feathers, preceded by a sub-terminal band of black, but the Black-billed Cuckoo is further distin- guished by the absence of the chestnut lining to the quills. It is an inhabitant of North America, and has been once observed in Ireland, near Belfast. A specimen has also been captured in Ital_\-, near Lucca. THE YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO. {Coccyziis nniei'iinnus.) THE BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO. {CoccyzHS erytlirophtlinlmus.) Picanan Birds. 95 The Picarian Birds.— o«/(r Coracuformes. THE SWIFTS. Sub-Order CYPSELI. These birds may be distinguished from the Passerine Birds by the different arrangement of the tendons of the foot. External characters are less easy to find for their separation, but, as a rule, they nest in holes, and lay white eggs, though the Goatsuckers are an e.xception, as these lay mottled eggs in the open on the ground and the 3-oung are covered with down, whereas the rest of the Picarnc have the young hatched naked. Generally these birds have been classed along with the Swallows, which they resemble only in e.xternal appearance, having the same long wings and feeding on insects in the open air. This resemblance, however, is merelv superficial, for the Swallows and Swifts belong really to different Orders of birds, the former having twelve tail- feathers, and the latter only ten, and the proportions of the wing-bones, the shape of the breast-bone, and the formation of the toes are also different in the two groups. This is a large bird, measuring eight-and-a-half inches in length, and distinguished by its white under-surface, varied only by a brown band across the chest and b}- the brown on the sides of the body. The home of the species is in Southern and Central Europe east to the Himalayas, and it winters in Northern Africa and m the Indian Peninsula. It has occurred about twenty times in Great Britain, but has not been noticed in Scotland as yet. The nest is a rough structure of earth and rubbish such as leaves, paper and feathers, gathered by the birds themselves on the wing, as their short feet and long wings prevent their rising from the ground, should they be so unfortunate as to be driven to the latter; this is sometimes the case when they first arrive and the weather happens to turn cold, so that the birds become numbed. They are, however, able to cling to rocks with the greatest ease by means of their grasping toes. The eggs are two in number, rarely more, and are pure white. THE WHITE-BELLIED SWIFT. {Apiis melbtt.) The WHiTE-BELi.n;n Swift. 96 British Birds. THE COMMON SWIFT. (Apus npiis.) The Common Swikt. Although the Swift may often be seen hawking for insects in the air or over a river, in company with Swallows or Martins, it requires but a short ac- quaintance with its appearance and mode of flight to distinguish it from the latter birds. Not only does it appear to be per- fectly black, for the white on the throat is seldom seen during flight, but its long wings and much more vigorous method ot propelling itself through the air are m con- trast to the graceful and more leisurely flight (if the Swallows. The tail is slightly forked, but this is not often observed, for the bird generally carries the tail closed as it dashes through the air. In the evening Swifts become more active, though they may often be seen flying in full sunshine, but, as night approaches, they often assemble in small parties and dash round the houses or old towers in which their nests are built. The latter are of the roughest material, composed of wool and a few straws and feathers, and cemented together by the bird's saliva. They are generally found under the roofs of houses, or in old spouts on buildings, such places being accessible to the birds by reason of the fall which is available for them to take to flight immediately they leave their nesting-place, as they are unable to rise from the ground ; the nesting-materials are therefore collected on the wing. The eggs are two or three in number, and are pure white. The Common Swift is found throughout Europe and the British Islands in summer, and winters in South Africa. For a member of the family of Swifts, which are generally black or dull-coloured, the present species is rather a handsome bird and is of large size, measuring eight inches in length. It is recognised by the spiny shafts of the tail-feathers. The Needle-Tailed Swift. which project beyond the THE needle-taili:d SWIFT. {Clurtuia inuiiniiitd.) Pic aria n Birds. 97 feather itself. The colour is brown, with a gloss of green or steel-blue on the black wings and tail, and the throat is conspicuously white. The bird breeds in Central and Eastern Siberia, and winters in Australia. It has been procured in England on two occasions, once near Colchester, and again near Ringwood in Hamp- shire. It nests in the mountains, and resembles the other Swifts in its habits, but is of course a much more powerful bird, and one of the fastest fliers in existence. It is often seen in large flocks on migration. Like the Swifts, the Nightjars have a very wide gape, but THE NIGHTJARS. jj^g latter is also equipped with some very strong bristles, the use of which is still doubtful. They have been associated by many writers with the Owls, probably on account of their soft and Owl-like plumage, and also because, like the Striges, they have the habit of coming out in the gloaming to seek for their food. There is, however, scarcely any relationship to be traced between them and the Owls, and the nearest allies of the Nightjars among our British birds are certainly the Swifts, but even here there are differences between the two groups. Between the harsh body-feathering of the Swifts and the soft mottled plumage of the Nightjars, there is a striking divergence, and the latter birds mostly lay distinctly marbled eggs on the ground, without an attempt at a nest, and have, moreover, downy young, whereas the Swifts lay white eggs under the shelter of a roof or other substantial covering and the young are hatched naked. The true Nightjars (Cupriiiiulgiiiu) are of nearly wide-world distribution, and are represented in Great Britain by a single species which visits our islands regularly in summer, while two other species are occasional visitors. The true Nightjars, or ' Goat-suckers ' as they are often familiarh' called, have a pectinated middle claw; that is to say. the edge of it is toothed like a comb. Our Nightjar is found over the greater part of Europe ' ' in summer, and e.Ktends into Western Siberia, its winter home NIGHTJAR. , .o,,r- ,j , ,it being in South Africa. Its denselv mottled plumage is iCaprtnntlgiiseiti'of^iVits.) . l . impossible to describe in detail, but it can be distinguished from the other European Goat-suckers by the absence of the rufous collar, and by having a white spot on the inner web of the three outer primary quills, and b}- the large white spot at the end of the tail-feathers. These white spots are represented in the female by spots of ochreous buff. The Nightjar is crepuscular in its habits, that is to saj', it is a bird of the twilight, and it is only when disturbed that it ventures to fly in the da3'-time. In the evening its unmistakable churring note is heard in heathy districts or near open forest-land, and this peculiar note is generally uttered when the bird is sitting lengthwise along a branch ; for, unlike most birds, the Nightjar never perches on a branch transversely, but alwa)s dlong the surface of the latter. Its food consists entirely of moths and other insects, and when rising from the ground, or when 98 British Binh. The Common Nightjar (/■. 97) The Isabelline Nightjar. sailing high in the air across a valley, it has a curious habit of striking its wings together above its back, producing quite an audible clap. No nest is made by the bird, and the e^^rs, two in number, are laid on the bare ground. They are elliptical in shape, with both ends equally rounded, and are marbled with brown and violet-grey spots and lines. This is a very pale-coloured species, and is distin- guished by the notches of white on the inner webs of the primaries, which do not have the large white spot so conspicuous in C. europcvtis. One specimen of this Nightjar has been obtained in England, viz., in Nottinghamshire, on the 23rd of June, 18S3. Its home is in the deserts of Northern Africa, whence it e.xtends into Central Asia. A single specimen of this Nightjar has been obtained at Killingworth, on the 6th of October, 1856. It is a slightly largerbirdthan the Common Nightjar, but has a large white spot on the inner web of the primaries, as in that species, from which it is dis- tinguished by the broad rufous collar on the hind neck. Another difference between the two species lies in the fact that in C. niJicoUis, the female, as well as the male, has the large white spots on the inner webs of the primaries. These spots are found only in the male of C. europdus. T h e e .\ - ternal form of the Bee-Eaters The Red-necked Nightjar. THE ISABELLINE NIGHTJAR. {Cnpriiiinlf^us isabtUiitits.) THE RED-NECKED NIGHTJAR. [Cnpriniitlgus niJicuUis.) THE BEE-EATERS. Sub-Orde,' MEROPES. Picarian Birds. 99 <^ The Bee-Eater. THE COMMON BEE-EATER. [Merops a piaster.) readily serves to distinguish them from other Picarian hirds. Their long curved bill and flat foot, with the toes joined to- gether for some distance, and their ten tail- feathers, the two central ones of which are generally elongated, are well pronounced characters, and in addition to these they have the fore part of the breast-bone per- forated, so that the feet of the coracoid bones meet together through the opening. This curious arrangement is found in Hoopoes, Hornbills and Game-birds. This brightly- plumaged bird visits Europe in summer and extends through the Mediterranean countries, eastwards to Central Asia and to Cashmere. In winter it betakes itself by the east coast of Africa down to the Cape Colony, and is said to breed a second time in its winter quarters. The food of the Bee-eater consists entirel)' of insects, and in Southern Spain the bird is said to earn the hatred of the peasantry from the slaughter it creates among the bees. There is no nest, but the birds tunnel for a long way into sandy banks, and deposit their five or si.x white eggs in a chamber at the end of this tunnel. This Indian species is said by the late John Hancock to have been shot at Seaton Carew, in Northumberland, in August, 1S62. Its home is in India and Southern China, whence it extends through the Burmese countries and the Malayan Peninsula to the Philippines, Java, Borneo, and Celebes. In habits it resembles the Common Bee-eater, and lays four or five glossy pure white eggs at the end of a hole without any nest. The species may be distinguished from M. apiaster by its green upper surface and blue tail. These are most ummistak- able birds, remarkable for their enormously developed crests, variegated wings, and desert-coloured sandy plumage; they have also a peculiarly long and curved slender bill. They have the same perforation of the fore part of the breast-bone as the Bee-eaters, but The Bluk-Taileu Bee-Eater. THE BLUE-TAILED BEE-EATER. {Merops pliilipj'inus). THE HOOPOES. Sub-order UFUl'.J^. lOO Bnlisit Birds. The Hooi'OE. the sternum can be dis- tinf^uished from that of the last-named bird by its having oniv two notches, instead of four, at the posterior end, while both aspects of the tarsus are scaled across, as in the .^^'" CAIP ^"^^-^^^ $■ Larks. ^^ * ^!^!'^~\ "^Binv The Common Hoopoe tUpnpa epops] is an in- habitant, in summer, of the whole of temperate Europe and Asia to Northern C h i n a and Japan, and it winters in vSouthern China and the Indian Peninsula, North-eastern Africa, and Senegambia. It occurs in the British Islands regularly ever_v spring, and has undoubtedly nested with us. There can indeed be no doubt that the Hoopoe would breed regularly in our southern counties, were it unmolested, but unfortunately it is such a conspicuous bird that any unfortunate individual that comes over to our shores is certain to be shot at once. In places where the Hoopoe is not interfered with it becomes wonderfuUv tame during the nesting-season, and will come down into gardens after its food, which appears to consist entirely of insects and worms. The nest is always in the hole of a tree, and the eggs are from fi\e to seven, of a stone-grey or greenish oli\e colour without an\' distinct spots. Kingfishers are found all over the world, and thev are divided into two great groups : — those which feed almost ex- clusi\'elv on fish, and tliose whose food consists mainlv of THE KINGFISHERS. Sub-Order HALCYONES. insects, Crustacea, etc., rather tlian of fish is generally- known by the long and pointed bill and shorter tail, and to this group belongs our British Bird. There are many anatomical and osteological char- acters by which Kingfishers may be distinguished from other Picarian Birds, but there is no need to enter upon them in a little book like the present, as the form and colour of the birds renders them easily recognisable. The Common Kingfisher {Alcetio ThI KiNl.nsHKR. Picanan Birds. lOl THE BELTED KINGFISHER. (Ccryle alcyon.) ispida) is certainly the most brilliant of our birds as regards plumage, and though not much can be said for the beauty of its form, there is no more charming sight on our rivers than that of a Kmgfisher speeding along with the sun shining on his plumage. The bird progresses through the air in a straight line, with the bill out- pointed and the wings vigorously beaten, so that the bright blue back is very conspicuous, while, when the bird turns in its flight, the chestnut of the under parts is also perceptible. As it flies it utters an occasional shrill and unmusical note. The food of the Kingfisher consists almost entirely offish, though small crustaceans and insects are also sometimes eaten. A hole is tunnelled out by the birds themselves in a sandy bank, and at the end of this tunnel the eggs are laid in a kind of chamber. The eggs are pure white, from five to seven in number, and are at first laid on the bare floor of the chamber, but they gradually get surrounded by the debris of fish-bones and the castings thrown up by the old birds. This North American species is said to have been shot in Ireland on two occasions, viz. : — in October and November, 1845. It differs from our Common Kingfisher in being much larger, and in having quite a long tail. Whereas in Alcedo ispida the only difterence between the male and female is in the red base to the lower mandible of the female, in the genus Cervle the males differ from the female in colour, and the former has one grey band across the breast, while the female has a grey, as well as a rufous band on the lower parts. The habits of the Belted Kingfisher do not differ from those of our own Kingfisher. Although in many characters, both osteological and external, the Rollers have strong affinities with the Kingfishers and Bee- eaters, especially in the way in whicb the toes are united together, the_v have a very peculiar and Crow-like bill, quite different from the slender and pointed bills of the other groups. The\' are an old-world group of birds and are spread over the greater part of the Eastern Hemisphere. This splendidly plumaged bird is only an occasional visitor to Britain, but it has been recorded more than a hundred times. Its bright colour renders it easily recognisable, and it has a curious habit of tumbling in the air, whence it gets its name of ' Roller.' It has a harsh note like that of a Crow, and lays its four or six white eggs in the hole of a tree or building, and sometimes e.xcavates holes for The Belted Kingfisher. THE ROLLERS. Sub-Order COR AC I.E. THE COMMON ROLLER. (Coracias garridus.) lo: Bii/ish Birds. THE ABYSSINIAN ROLLER. {Coracins abysshiiciis.) itself in a bank. There is generally no attempt at a nest, but sometimes a few twigs or stems of grass are collected as an apology for one. Tile Roller winters in Eastern and Southern Africa, and, more sparingly', in North-western India. It arrives in its breeding-home in April, and is found throughout Central and Southern Europe, nesting as far north as Southern Sweden, and as far east as Cashmere. Two specimens of this purel)' African species are said to have been shot in Scotland, in 1857. It is a most unlikely bird to occur away from its African home, and one would almost think that some mistake must have taken place in the identification. The Abvssinian Roller is an exact counterpart of Coracins ganiilns, excepting that the outer tail-feather on each side is prolonged into a long black ' streamer.' Its home is in Senegambia and Abyssinia. A single specimen was shot near Louth in Lincolnshire, on the 27th of October, 1883, and was at first supposed to be an example of the Common Roller. It has since been identified b}' Mr. Cordeaux as the Indian species, which differs from C. garnihis in the colour of the under parts, as can be seen by the figures of the two birds. The Indian Roller is, as its name implies, an inhabitant of the Indian Peninsula, but it extends westward into Asia Minor. The Common Roller. THE INDIAN ROLLER. (Coracias indiciis.) Thi: Indl^n Roller. The Anv.'-siNiAN Rollep. The Olds. The 0\VLS.-0;y/r;- Strigiformes. In the preceding pages I have discussed all the birds of the orders Passerifoniies. Pici, Coccyges, and Picaricv which are found in Great Britain. These are the Insessores of the older authors. I now come to the groups of the larger and more conspicuous birds, the British species of which I shall pass in review. The Owls are considered by some modern ornithologists not to be true Birds of Prey like Eagles and Hawks, but to constitute a totally distinct group, not very far removed from the Parrots. I cannot, however, agree to this proposition at all, for, allowing that the Owls are somewhat aberrant in structure, they so closely resemble other Birds of Prey in their habits and method of capturing their food that they must be held to be part of the great Accipitrine group, being connected with the Eagles and Falcons, etc., by the intermediate form Pandion which contains the Ospreys only. The Owls are remarkable for having a reversible outer toe, that is to say, this toe can be turned either backwards or forwards at will. As a rule the plumage is very soft and down)', and the flight noiseless, as befits a nocturnal bird setting forth to capture mice and other unwar\' animals in the gloaming. Some of the day-flying species, however, such as the Hawk-Owls and the Snowy Owls, have a more close-set and harsher plumage. The ear-openings of the Owl are always a feature in the different genera and varj' to a great extent, being sometimes shut in by an operculum, while in many cases the bony orifices are not symmetrical on both sides of the head, and differ in shape. There are two great families of Owls, the Bubonidcc and the Sfi-igidn, which are at once distinguished by the form of the ' merry-thought ' or furcula, which is free in the former, but is united to the sternum in the Stvigida, of which the Barn Owl is our only British representative, all the other species of Owls belonging to the Bubonidii . This is a magnificent bird measuring two-and-a-half or three feet in lentrth, and remarkable for its dark colour and stronglv EAGLE-OWL. " ' . . . . . ,^ /,/,!, mottled plumage. It is scarcely possible to give a description of an Owl's plumage in detail, as there are so many wavy lines and mottlings, but the Eagle-Owl is easily recognised by its large size, enormous ear-tufts of feathers, and b}' its densely feathered toes. It is only a rare and accidental visitor to Great Britain, and is more often seen here in captivity than in a wild state. Its range extends throughout liurope and Northern Asia to Eastern Siberia. As might be imagined in so powerful a bird, the Eagle-Owl is capable of I04 British Birds. THE SMALL TUFTED OWL. {Stcops scops.} destroying a considerable quantity of S'lme, as it takes not only Rabbits and Hares, but Grouse and Phea- sants, while it also captures other wild birds, such as Crows. The nest often consists of nothing more than the pellets cast up by the birds and the bones of animals. It is often placed on the ground or on a rock, more rarely in the hole of a tree. The eggs are white, rather rough in te.xture, and measure more than two inches m length. This is a Bubo in miniature, with the same elon- gated ear tufts, but only seven and a half inches in length. The general aspect of the plumage is grey, and the vermicu- lations and pencillings on the plum- age are very fine, and not coarse as is the case with the great Eagle-Owl. The Small Tufted Owl, or ■ Scops ' Owl, as it is often called, is a rare and occasional visitor to Great Britain, and has occurred in various parts of England, Scotland, and at least three times in Ireland. It often happens, however, that specimens of the ' Scops' Owl said to have been killed in Britain turn out to be examples of vSouth American species, palmed oft on the unwary purchaser. This little Owl has a wide range thoughout Europe and Northern Asia. It is a night-flying species, and makes scarcely any nest, laying its eggs in the hole of a wall or of a tree. Although the fact is not generally known, the Snowy Owl has ear-tufts, as in the Eagle-Owl. but thev are never very large, and are consequently difticult to detect in the plumage of the bird's head. The species is, however, easily- told by its snowy-white plumage, and by its densely plumed feet, the claws being almost entirely hidden bv the feathers of the toes. Thk Small Tuftkd Owl. The Eagle-Owl. THE SNOWY OWL. (Nrcti'ii iiyclcn.) WHfm The Owls. 105 The Snowy Owl. The home of the Snowy Owl is in the Arctic Regions, where it is a resi- dent, but as winter comes on a certain number appear to mif,'rate south, and it is then that the bird visits Great Britain occasionally, occur- ring \n Scotland nearly every year. The Snowy Owl is a day-flying species, and feeds principally on the hordes ot Lemmings which make their wonder- ful migrations in countless numbers in northern latitudes. It also catches Hares, Grouse and Ptarmigan, as well as Duck, and is even said to feed on fish. The nest is built on the ground in the open tundra, and consists only of a little moss or lichen with a few feathers : sometimes it is only a hollow scooped out in the moss. The eggs are six or eight in number, white, and measuring over two inches in length. The ' Hawk ' Owls are so- named on account of their barred plumage, which gives a slight similarity to a Hawk in appearance, and also probably on account of their habit of hunting in the daylight. They are smaller than the Snowy Owl, ha\c no trace of ear-tufts, and have a long and wedge-shaped tail. The European species of Hawk-Owl [S. nliilii] has certainly occurred in Great Britain, as I have seen a specimen kdled in Wiltshire, and it has also been noticed in the Shetlands ; but most of the specimens obtained have undoubtedly belonged to the American form, >>'. fiiiicrcd. . The Hawk-Owi,. THE HAWK-OWL. {Suyniti ululti.) [o6 Rntisli Birds. THE AMERICAN HAWK-OWL. iSitniid fitut-yea.) The range of the Hawk-Owl e.xtends from Northern Europe to Kamtchatka, and it occurs a little to the south of its breeding range during winter. It is a bold and fierce bird, and will attack a man who attempts to rob its nest. Its food consists of mice and lemmings, on which it preys largely, like the Snow\' Owl. The bird makes no nest, but laj'S its white eggs (five to eight) on the wood at the bottom of a hole in a tree, their length being about une-and-a-half inches. The American repre- sentative of S, alula has occurred at least four times, twice in Iingland, and twice in Scotland. It differs from its ally S. ulnla in being a darker bird, with the bars on the under parts broader and more of a vinous brown. It is found throughout the Arctic regions of North America, and its habits, nest, and eggs, do not difter iVom those of its European ally. This is a small species, measuring about eight inches in length, with no ear tufts, but having a well-pronounced facial disk, as have so many of the Owls. This facial disk gives them that curious rounded visage which is a principal characteristic of the Strigiformcs. The colour of the Little Owl is brown, with a good manv ovate white spots on the upper surface, while the under surface of the bod_v is white, with brown streaks on the breast and abdomen, and a bar of brown across the fore-neck ; the iris is bright yellow. It is a species which is by no means rarB on the con- tinent of Europe, and it has undoubtedly been met with as an occasional visitor to this countrv, but in future it will be more difficult to chronicle the Little Owl as a visitor, as several have been reared in this countr}- in captivity and have then been allowed to fly, though up to the present time, I am not aware that any nests have been discovered in a wild state. It is found generally throughout Europe. It breeds freely in captivity, and makes an interesting little pet. The food of the Little Owl consists largely of insects, but it also catches mice and small birds. "TiiE American Hawk-Owl. THE LITTLE OWL. (Cartii( iluctlia.) The Little Owl. Tlie Olds. 107 THE LOXG-EARED OWL. (Asia vtus.) The Long-Eared Owl. It makes no nest to speak of and the white eggs, four to six in number, are laid at the bottom of a hole in a tree or building. All the 'Eared' Owls, as they are called, and the ' Wood ' Owls belong to a separate S u b - f a m il y Syrniinir, which are remark- able for their complete facial disk, and for the large operculum which shuts in the ear-openings. The Long-eared Owl has ver_v distinct feather- tufts on the head, and these it is able to erect : the plumage is thickly mottled and lined with blackish. It looks like an Eagle Owl in miniature, but is not half the size, and on the under parts it has some very broad black streaks. It is found throughout the British Islands, nesting in the darkest recesses of the pine-woods, and it breeds throughout Europe and Northern Asia, as well as in the Hima- layas. It is strictly a night-flying bird, preferring to sit during the day-time in the dark shade of the woods, generally near its nest, which is usually an old one of some Crow or Hawk. Its food consists of rats, mice, and small birds. The eggs, from four to seven in number, are white, with a slight gloss. This Owl is of about the THE SHORT-EARED OWL. (Ai'w accipitrinus.) same size as the preceding species, but is rather a stouter bird, and is to be told at once by the short feather- tufts or 'ears' on the head, and by the lighter colour of the plumage, especially underneath, where the breast is broadly streaked with brown, but there are no wavy cross-lines or vermi- culations as in A. otus. It nests in the northern parts of England and in Scotland, and is found over the rest of the United Kingdom in winter and during migration. Its breeding home ex- tends from Northern Europe and Siberia to Kamtchatka. and it is also found across North America. On migration it extends occasionally The Short-Eared Owl. io8 British Birds. *'V.*»3 THE WOOD-OWL. {Svniiuiii illlico.) The VVood-Oul. as far as South Africa, and the British Museum has received a specimen from the 18^ ^P^ "^ Seychelles. The Short-eared Owl is quite at home in the daylight, and is often flushed by shooting-parties in the autumn from the turnip-fields. Its food consists almost entireh' of mice, but it is also said to prey on small birds, reptiles, insects, and e\'en fish. The eggs, from si.\ to eight in num- ber, are white, and are laid in a depression of the ground, there being seldom any attempt at a nest. The ' Tawny ' Owl, as this species is often called, is a stouter bird altogether than either the Long or Short-eared Owls, but it has the same large operculum to the ear : it is distinguished, however, at a glance by the complete absence of ear-tufts. It has two distinct phases (if plumage, a rufous one and a grey, in which the markings and mottlings are the same, but the tone of colour is quite different. Many Owls and Night-jars have this peculiar double phase of plumage, which appears not to be dependent upon age, sex, or season. Nor do I think that locality or altitude have anything to do with causing this difterence in plumage. Although not found in Ireland, the Wood-Owl is distributed over the greater part of Kngland and Scotland, and is spread also over the whole of Europe. It is a wood-loving species andonly comes forth atnight.when its hooting note is constantly to be heard. It teeds on small mammalia, and sometimes catches young game- birds as well as rabbits. The eggs are three or four in number, white, rather glossy and about one-and -three- quarter inches in length. They are laid in a hole of a tree, or building, but have also been found in a rabbit- burrow or in the old nest of a Crow or Sparrow-hawk. This is a small species, about nine-and-a-half inches in length, similar in many respects to the Wood-Owls, but having the ear- conches on each side of the skull asymmetrical, the right one being placed higher than the left, as it to enable the bird to hear towards the skv with one ear. TENGMALM'S OWL. (Nyctala teiigmcdmi.) Teno.malm's Owl. The Oivls. 109 THE BARN-OWL. {Styix Jinmmt'a.] and towards the ground with the other. The facial disk is ven- evident in Teng- mahn's Owl and is pure white : there are no ear-tufts, and the toes are much more densely clothed with feathers than in the Little Owl, which is of about the same size, and it is much more distinctly spotted with white than the latter bird. The species has occurred on some sixteen occasions in various parts of England and twice in Scotland. It is an inhabitant of the mountains of Europe and Northern Asia, as well as of North America. It feeds on Lemmings and other small rodents, as well as insects. The eggs are white and from four to seven in number, and are laid in holes of trees, an old nesting-place of the Great Black Woodpecker being often thus utili;;ed, as well as the wooden nest-boxes put up b\- the peasants for the Golden-Eye Duck to breed in. The very distinct facial <, ^ disk, the light orange buff colour of the upper plumage with its ashy-grey mottlings and black spots, the white or buff under surface, and the pectinated or comb-like margin of the claw on the middle toe, are all characters which serve to distinguish the Barn-Owl at a glance. Though found nesting in every part of the British Islands, it is b}- no means so plentiful in man)- parts of Europe, extending no further north than the south of Sweden and Central Russia, and being apparently absent in Greece and other parts of South-Eastern Europe. Barn- Owls, slightly varying in size and colour from our European bird, are found over the greater part of the tropical and temperate portions of the globe. The food of the species consists principally of mice and rats, of which it catches an immense number, going m pursuit of them in the twilight and during the night : it also eats small birds, but does little or no harm to game. The eggs are white, about one-and-a-half inches in length, and are placed at the bottom of a hole in a hollow tree or ruin : no nest is made, but there is generally an assemblage of pellets thrown up by the birds themselves. The B.m!n-Owl. I lO British Birds. The Birds of ^KYN.—Ordcr Accipitriformes. In this Order are placed all the Birds of Prey which are not Owls. The e\-es are in all cases placed sideways in the head, not directed forwards as are those of the last- named birds, and there are other well-marked anatomical and osteological differences between the two Orders. They are, however, connected together by the Ospreys, which constitute the Sub-order Pandioncs. These birds combine the aspect of Sea- Eagles with the structure of Owls, and like the latter they possess a reversible outer toe. ^mr: The Osi'Rfv. THE OSPREY. (Pandion haliiietus.) This fine bird is preserved from extinction by bemg protected in a few districts in Scotland by enlightened land-owners : other- wise there can be little doubt that it would long ago have been exterminated by the greed of collectors and egg-hunters. Young birds are frequently shot on our sea-coasts and inland waters, generally during the season of autumn migration. The species may always be distinguished by its blue feet and by the spicules which cover the soles of the feet, and these little spikes must be of great assistance to the bird in the capture of large fish, at which the Osprey is an adept. The bird loves solitude, and generally only one pair is found inhabiting a district in Scotland, but on the Contment two or three nests are sometimes met with The Birds of Prcv. 1 1 1 in close proximity, and in North America as many as three hundred pairs have been found breedin>; together. The Osprey is a bird of very fine flight, and it circles over the water in graceful curves, occasionally hovering like a Kestrel, and dropping like a stone when it perceives a fish. The nest is a huge structure of sticks, and is built on a tree or on a ruined building in an inland lake. The eggs are two or three in number and are beautifully marked with red and purple blotches on a white ground : they measure about two-and-a-half inches in length. Xone of the members of this Sub-Order, which includes the remainder of the Birds of Prey, viz., the \'ultures, the Hawks, Sub-order . FALCONES Harriers, Buzzards, Lagles, Kites, and Falcons, have a reversible outer toe, but, like the Ospreys, all these birds have the eyes placed laterally in the head and not directed forwards : in every case likewise a more or less distinct 'cere,' the bare or wax-like base to the bill, is present. The Falcones may be divided into two great F"amilies, the Vultures {Vtdturid,, j and the Falcons [Falconida). The latter are divided into several Sub-families, the Accipitriiuc (Long-legged Hawks I, the Aqiiiliiia i Buzzards, Eagles, and Kites) and the Fidconiitu (Falcons). The Egvptux Scavkngur Vui-tuke. The Griefon Viliciji:. .Altliough the Griffon is believed to have been seen on more THE GRIFFOX . ■ t- , j ^ , ■ • • r • ,,,,, „,,„,. than one occasion in bngland, the onlv authentic instance oi its VULTURE. " (Gyps fulviis) capture within the British area is that of a young bird caught by a boy on the rocks near Cork Harbour in the spring of 1843. It is a bird of the Mediterranean region and especially of Northern Africa. It makes 1 i: Bnlisli Birds. THE EGYPTIAN SCAVENGER VULTURE. [Neoptiron percnopterns.) a large nest of sticks, placed on a ledge of rock or in a ca\e, generally in an almost inaccessible position. A single egg is laid, never more than two, dull white, with occasionally some famt rufous markings, which are seldom very distinct. Two specimens of this Vulture have been killed in Britain, one in Somersetshire and one in Esse.\. It is an inhabitant of the Mediterranean countries, and extends as far as Central Asia in summer, while Africa forms its winter resort. The young birds are brown, with the bare face grey instead of yellow. As in other Vultures the food consists of carrion, and the nest is placed on the ledge of a rock : it is compiled of all sorts of rubbish and decaying filth, while the species is, according to Colonel Irby, ' probably the foulest feeding bird that lives.' The eggs are very handsomely coloured, being riclily marked with red, on a white ground. They measure about two-and-a-half or two-and-three-quarter inches in length. The Accipitrhui Hawks comprise the Harriers and Sparrow Hawks, in both of which the tibia and tarsus are about equal in length. In the Hawks the tarsus is transversely scaled behind, in the Harriers it is reticulate : and the latter birds are further distinguished by having a rufl" of feathers surrounding the face, much the same as in the Owls : this has resulted in their being associated with the latter birds in former arrangements of the Accipitiiforiiies. THE HEN-HARRIER. (Circus cyanens.) The male of this Harrier may be recognised by its b 1 u e - g r e 3' colour and pure white upper tail- coverts, as well as by the uniform white thighs and blue-gre}' throat and chest. The absence of rufous streaks on the breast and under surface of the bodv separates it from Montagus Harrier, as does also its larger size. The hen birds and young of the two species are not so easily distinguished, but the female Hen Harrier always The Hen-Harriek. Montagu's Hakkiek. The Maksh-Harrier. Bii'ds of Prey. \ 1 3 has a notch or indentation on the outer web of the lifth primary, this notch not being found in Montagu's Harrier. This species no longer nests in England, but is still found breeding in Northern Scotland and a few counties in Ireland. Its breeding-range extends throughout Central and Northern Europe across Siberia to Japan, and it winters in Southern Europe, the Indian Peninsula, and Chma. The food of the Hen-Harner is varied, and consists of small rodents, lizards, frogs, insects, and also small birds, as well as their nestlings and eggs. The nest is placed on the ground, generally in a marshy situation, and the eggs are from four to six in number, bluish white m colour, and from one and-three-quarters to two inches in length. This is a smaller and more slightly built bird than the foregoing species, and is recognised by the longitudinal rufous streaks on HARRIER. , ' , ,■ , Tu c , ■ £c . the under parts and thighs. 1 he wmg-iormula is surncient to (Circus pygargus.) ' . distinguish the females and young birds from the corresponding plumages of the Hen-Harrier (see above). The range of Montagu's Harrier is not so extensive as that of the latter species, as it does not range so far north on the Continent, nor does it extend into Eastern Siberia. It has bred in several counties of England and Wales, and scarcely a year passes without its nest being found in some part of our area, but at present it has only occurred accidentally in Ireland. In habits the present species resembles the Hen-Harrier, and like that bird it devours a number of eggs. The nest consists of a hollow in the ground, lined with dry- grass. The eggs are bluish-white, from four to six in number, and measure about one-and-three-quarter inches in length. This is the largest of the three British species of Harrier, and is of a much darker tvpe ot plumage than the Hen-Harrier M.\RSH-HARRIER. ,, . ,, • -.-'u i • u i .■ i r j i or Montagu s Harrier. 1 he male is a handsome bird oi a dark \Ctrcus uriigtnosits.) rufous brown, with a grey tail, and a considerable amount of bluish ashy on the wing-coverts and quills ; the under surface is creamy bufi", streaked with brown, and the thighs and abdomen are rufous. The female is a brown bird with a creamy buff crown, and the young birds are also brown with the head at first uniform like the back. Although the Marsh-Harrier still nests in certain districts in Ireland, it has become extinct as a breeding bird in England, where it used to be not uncommon in the fen-country. It is found thoughout Europe and as far east as Central Asia. Its food resembles that of the Harriers already mentioned, but it is a great egg-robber, and devours also numbers of chickens in the countries where it is abundant. In Southern Spain it nests in colonies, and the nest is generally placed on the ground in a reed-bed, the old nest of a Coot or Moorhen being sometimes utilized. The eggs are from three to six in number, pale bluish white, with scarcelv any markings of pale brown : the lining in the freshly blown egg is bluish. 8 114 British Birds. THE GOS HAWK. (Astur pnltimbiiriiis.) The Gos Hawk. The Gos Hawks and Sparrow Hawks differ from the Harriers in having the hinder portion of the tarsus transverselj- scaled and not reticulated, and in lacking the facial ruff. The Gos Hawks are heavily built and powerful birds, with strong feet and talons and a very stout bill, whereas the Sparrow-Hawks are of a much more slender and supple build. In both groups the wings are very short and rounded, as compared with the long and pointed wings of a Falcon, and they capture much of their prey in direct pursuit through bushes and undergrowth, as well as by pouncing down or snatching unsuspecting quarry. The Gos Hawk is believed to have bred in Scotland in former times, but is now only known as a visitor to Great Britain. Its range extends throughout Europe and Northern Asia to Japan. It feeds on hares or rabbits, which it captures with the utmost dexterit}' and swiftness, as well as on all kinds of game-birds, and it is often trained by Falconers for the pursuit of these. The swiftness with which it can follow the doublings of a rabbit in the open give the latter but little chance of escape. The nest is a large structure of sticks placed on some tall tree, and is added to year by year. Moss and roots form a scanty lining, but there is no attempt to line the interior of the nest with green leaves, as is done by some of the Accipities. The eggs are four or five in number, bluish white, with scarcely ever any brown markings, and they measure about two-and-a-quarter to two-and- a-half inches in length. This species has been noticed in Scotland, in Perthshire, and twice in Ireland. It very much re- sembles the European Gos Hawk, but has a black head, and is freckled, not barred, witli black below. It is an inhabitant of North America, and resembles A. paluiiibarius in size, "■'■'•'7'^ the male being considerabl}- smaller than the female. Its habits and The American Gos Hawk. THE AMERICAN GOS HAWK. {Aslur atricapillus.) Birds of Prey. W-}'-^\ The Sparrow-Hawk. nesting are also similar to those of the European bird. THE SPARROW-HAWK lAccipiler nistis) Differs from the Gos-Hawks in being- much smaller, and in having a smaller bill and longer toes. The adult male is rufous below, and the female is barred underneath, but has a large tuft of rufous down on the i^anks. It is found everywhere throughout Europe and Northern Asia, and inhabits the wooded districts of Great Britain, but is subject to constant persecution at the hands of game-keepers, and many are shot down. There is no doubt that the Sparrow-Hawk does considerable damage among the young game-birds during the hatchmg season, but at other times of the year it feeds on mice and rats, and also largely on small birds which it captures by surprise. It is an object of detestation to the latter, who never fail to mob one of these Hawks when it appears in the open. The nest is a somewhat bulkv structure of sticks and is constructed by the birds themselves. The eggs are often very handsome, being three or four in number, greenish-white with reddish brown or chestnut markings, and some beautiful varieties are sometimes found with the red blotches col- lected near the larger end of the egg. In Buzzards the tibia is much longer than the tarsus, not equal to the latter, as ill the Harriers and Short- winged Hawks. They have a stout and power- ful foot and have the hinder aspect of the tarsus transversely plated, not reticulated. Although resembling an Eagle in appearance, the Buzzard is alwavs a smaller bird, and is much more THE COMMON BUZZARD. {Butco biiteo.) 'y-^ ^^^ \ Tut Common Blvzakd. 8* ii6 Britisli Birds. sluggish in its ways. Our Common Buzzard nests now only in certain districts of Wales, Scotland and Ireland, and occasionally on the northern moors of England, but constant persecution has greatly cut down its numbers, and it is not so common as it used to be. It is found in Northern and Western Europe, but does not extend very far east into Russia, and is again not plentiful in the Mediterranean countries. The Buzzard is decidedly a useful bird, as it feeds largely on mice, frogs and reptiles, as well as occasionally on small birds. It generally builds its nest in a tree, or on ledges of rocks, or in small caves. The nest is rather roughly made of sticks, lined with smaller twigs, and with fresh green leaves. The eggs are two to four in number, white or greenish-white, and generally without spots, though occasionally there are mottlings of rufous brown. ^^^i/ft The Desert Buzzard. The Red-tailed Blzzard. THE DESERT BUZZARD. (Butco dcscrtorum.) This may be called a rufous form of the Common Buzzard, with more rufous on the upper tail-coverts and tail, this rufous colour being distinguishable in the _\-oung birds, as well as in the old ones. It is an inhabitant of Southern Europe and Africa and has been said to have occurred three times in England, twice in Northumberland, and once in Wiltshire. In its habits, nest, and eggs it does not difler from the Common Buzzard. A single specimen of this Buzzard is said to liave THE RED-TAILED ^^^^ obtained in Nottinghamshire. The species is an inhabitant of North America, and is a somewhat larger bird than our Common Buzzard, and it is also distinguished from BUZZARD. {Buteo borealis.) Birds of Prey. 117 that species b\' its red tail, which has one sub-terminal bar of black on it. There is nothing in its habits different from those of other species of Buzzards. THE RED-SHOULDERED BUZZARD. {Bntt'o lineatiis.) This is another North- American species which is supposed to have occurred once within our limits, a specimen having been said to have occurred in Inverness-shire in 1863. Its home is in North America, and even the single occurrence in Great Britain is considered to be doubtfullv authentic. The principal difference between a Buzzard and an Eagle exists in the different configuration of the hmder aspect of the tarsus. In a Buzzard this is transversely scaled, while in an Eagle it is reticulated or covered with a ' net '-like pattern of scales. In the case of some of the true Eagles and of the Rough-legged Buzzard-Eagle, this character is difficult to distinguish when the entire tarsus is clothed with feathers. The present species is intermediate between the true Buzzards and the true Eagles, being much smaller than any of the latter and differing from them in the shape of the nostrils. The Buzzard- The Red-shouldered Buzzard. THE ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD-EAGLE. [Archibuteo lagopus.) The RouciH-LEcnED Buzzard-Eagle. Eagle has been supposed to breed in Scotland, but no satisfactory evidence is, as yet, forthcoming, and the species is generall}' known as an autumn visitor on migration to all three Kingdoms, but especially to Scotland. On the Continent it breeds in the north, in Scandinavia and Northern Russia, as far as the valley of the Lena. In man}' of its ways the present species is said to re- semble the Eagles, frequenting the open country, and feeding on iiS British Birds. THE GOLDEN EAGLE. {Aqttila chyysaitiis.) rabbits and other small mammals, as well as reptiles and water-fowl. The nest is placed in trees, and is made of sticks. The eggs are three or four in number, white or greenish white, with rufous markings. The large size and feathered legs, in addition to the tawny colour on the hind neck will always serve to distinguish a Golden Eagle. In the old birds the ashy grey tail, mottled and tipped with brown, is a characteristic feature, and in the young birds the tail is white for its basal half. The species is now undoubtedly more plentiful m Scotland than it used to be, owing to the protection which has been afforded to it during recent years, but it has been exter- minated in the parts of England and Wales in which it used to breed for- merly. In Ireland it still breeds in a few counties. It is found throughout the mountains of Europe, Northern and Central Asia, as well as in the Hima- layas, and through- out the northern parts of North America. The Golden Eagle feeds - on hares and rab- bits, but will also eat carrion on occasion ; it is much detested by the sheep-farmers on account of the damage it causes by killing lambs and even sheep, and is often caught in traps. The nest is a large and clumsy structure of sticks and is placed on a shelf of rock or in a small natural cave. The eggs are two or three in numlier. white, nchly marked with rufous, these markings sometimes clouding the whole egg, and while in others they are absent altogether. An accidental visitor to Great Britain, where it has occurred in England and Ireland, but it has not been met with as j-et in The Golden Eagle. THE LARGER SPOTTED EAGLE. {Aqitila macitlata.) Scotland. There are two races of Spotted-Eagle in Europe, a small one and a large one, and it is the latter which has occurred Birds of Prey. 119 The Lakger Spotted Eagle. in Britain on about ten occasions. It is an inhabitant of South-eastern Europe and ex- tends to Central Asia and even to Eastern Siberia. The Lesser Spotted Eatjle iA. pamarina] is found in Central and Southern Europe, and it is this form which might have been expected to visit Great Britain, but has not been identified as yet within our limits. The present species is very little larger than some of the Buzzards, and may be recognised by its uniform brown adult plumage, and bv the tail, which is perfectly uniform underneath. Young birds are remarkable for the tawny spotting on the wings, whence the name of 'Spotted' Eagle is derived. Its food is also like that of a Buzzard, consisting of frogs, snakes, lizards, and insects. The nest is placed in trees in swampy forests. It is a large structure of sticks and is lined with green leaves or fresh green grass. The eggs are two in number, \ery rarely three, and measure about two-and-three-quarter inches in length. They are small editions of the egg of the Golden Eagle. The Sea-Eagles are to be re.cognised from the Golden and "^^^ Spotted-P'agles by their bare feet, and the absence of feather- WHITE-TAILED SEA-EAGLE. (Halia'ctus nlbicilla.) ing on the tarsus. The white tail is a distinguishing char- acter of the adult Sea-Eagle, and the young birds have a white tail mottled with brown. In most of its former breeding haunts in Great Britain, the White-tailed Eagle has become exter- minated, but a few The White-tailkd Sea-Eagi.e. I20 British Birds. THE SWALLOW- TAILED KITE. (Eltinoidfs fjircatits.) pairs still nest in the North and West of Scotland and in one or two places m Ireland. Its rans^^e extends over Northern and Central Europe in suitahle localities and throughout Northern Asia to Kamtchatka. In many parts of Europe, however, it is onl}' known as an occasional visitor, as it is in England. The food of the White-tailed Eagle consists of hares, lambs and young deer, as well as ducks, and it also eats carrion and fish. The nest is a large structure of sticks and is placed in a tree or on a rock, sometimes on the ground or in a reed-bed. The eggs are white, without markings, and are from two-and-three- quarters to three-and-a-quarter inches in length. This unmis- takable species of Kite has been sup- posed to have oc- curred on two occasions in England, but the records are by no means satis- factory. It is an inhabitant of North America and migrates in winter to Brazil. It is said by observers to be a bird of very grand flight, and catches a good deal of its insect food on the wing. The nest is made of sticks, and is built on a high tree. The eggs are two or three in number, white, boldly marked with reddish brown or chestnut. This species is recognised by its rufous colour and long red tail, which is strongly forked. Although formerly common in Great Britain, there are now only a few places in Wales and Scotland where the species still breeds. It is found throughout the greater part of Europe and breeds in the Mediterranean countries, but does not extend so far in Russia as the Ural Mountains. Like all of its kind, the Kite is a fine bird on the wing, and is capable of soaring to a great height. Its food consists of reptiles and frogs and small birds, and it is said to be very destructive to young birds, while it will also attack wounded or sickly grouse and partridges. The nest is placed in a tree, more rarely on a rock, and is built of THE COMMON KITE. [Milvus tnilvns.) The Common Kitk. The Sw.^llow-tailkd Kite. Birds of Prey. 121 Ifi '€M!li THE BLACK KITE. {Milviis migrans.) sticks, but is also remarkable for the assemblage of rubbish which the bird manages to collect. The eggs are two or three in number, greenish white, often unspotted, but on occasions blotched with reddish-brown. This is a much darker bird than M. inilvus, and is to be told by its dark brown tail, which is barred across with blackish brown. A smgle specimen has been obtained at Alnwick, in Northumberland, in Ma}-, 1866. It is found locally throughout the greater part of Europe, being more abundant in the south, and it extends eastwards into Central Asia ; its winter home is in Africa. In habits it resembles other Kites, but is more gregarious than the preceding species, and frequents the neighbourhood of towns and villages in many parts of its range, where it feeds on all kinds of garbage. The nest is built of sticks and is profusely garnished with every sort of rubbish. The eggs vary in number from two to five ; they are dull white, with red blotches, and are more strongly marked than the eggs of the Common Kite. This is a tropical species found m Africa and India, and is a rare bird in Southern Europe. It is said to have occurred on one occasion in The Black Kite. THE BLACK- SHOULDERED KITE. (Elaitus cicriilens.) Co. Meath, in Ireland. It is easily recognisable by its blue-grey colour, white tail and undcrparts, and black wing-coverts, which form the shoulder patch from which the bird derives its name. The iris is of a bright carmine colour. The food of this species consists of small mammals and insects, and it has a hal)it of hovering in the air like a Kestrel. The nest is made of sticks and is always J.s^3l The Hlack-shoui.dered Kite. 12 2 British Birds. THE HONEY-KITE. {Pt^ntis apivorus.) placed in a tree. The egg^s are from three to fne in number, buffy white with reddish brown or chestnut markings, sometimes distributed over the whole egg. at other times collected near the larger end. This bird is generalh' called the Honey ' Buzzard.' but it has no relations with the genus Buteo and is much more nearly related to the Kites and Falcons. The plumage is of a peculiar soft texture like that of the Kites, and the feathers of the face are very close-set and dense, the plumage appearing like scales. The old Honey- Kites mav be told bv their grey face, and b\' the three dark bands on the tail, while the young birds have the sides of the face brown, and as many as six or seven, more or less broken bars on the basal half of the tail. At one time the Honey-Kite used to breed in the New Forest and in other parts of England and Scotland, but it IS now seldom observed breeding m any part of Great Britain. It is found throughout the greater part of Europe in summer, and extends to Central Siberia, its winter home being in Africa. The food of the Honey- Kite consists almost entirely of insects, but it also eats small birds and mice as well as slugs and worms. The nest is generally con- structed on the old nest of some other bird, and the eggs, two or three in number, are verv handsome, the white ground-colour being usuall}- entirely hidden by the rich conglomera- tion of chestnut markings. All the Falcons are remarkable for having the bare tarsus reticulated, both in front and behind, and for having a distinct tooth in the bill. They have also a round nostril, with a little tubercle or pedestal in the centre of it. The_\- have pointed wings, indicative of powerful flight, anti very sharp curved claws or talons. The Peregrine nests in many places throughout the United Kingdom, and is found all over the northern parts of both hemispheres in localities suited to the birds habits, and where it can obtain a plentiful supply of food. The female is a much larger and more powerful bird than the male, and has alwavs been the prime favourite of Falconers for its dash and courageous bearing. There is scarcely anv bird which it cannot capture in direct flight, and it feeds on wild-fowl and all kinds of game, and in the vicinity of the sea-cliffs, which it frequents, it kills numbers of Gulls and Puftins. It also strikes down Rooks, Crows, The Honey-Kite. THE PEREGRINE FALCON. {Falco pcrLgriuns.) Birds of Prey. I 2- and Magpies, but the cunning way in which these latter birds manage to avoid the swoop of the Falcons, often leads to their ultimate escape. The Peregrine generally lays its eggs on the bare rock, or under a shelving ledge, but it occasionally adopts the old nest of some other bird on a tree ; the eggs are from two to four in number, they are generally very hand- so m el 3' clouded and blotched with shades of rufous and chestnut, and measure about two inches in length. ■ -■ - '.. J i v The Peregrine Falcon. The Greenl.\nd Gvr-Falcon. The Red-footed Kestrel. THE HOBBY. [Falco snbbutfo.) The Hobby. This is a much smaller species than the Peregrine, and is easily recognised from that species by its rufous thighs and dis- tinctly streaked throat and breast. It is a sum- mer visitor to Europe, and breeds from Northern and Central Europe throughout Northern Asia to Kamtchatka, wintering in China, India and Africa. It still nests in small numbers in Eng- land every summer, and has been known to do so also in the south of Scotland, but most of the captures are those of birds on migration. The food of the Hobby consists chiefly of insects, such as dragon-flies which it catches and devours on the wing, and it also feeds on small birds, such as Larks and Sandpipers. It generall)' appropriates the deserted nest of a Crow, which it sometimes repairs and re-lines. 124 British Birds. THE MERLIN. (Faho astilon.) The eggs are from three to five in number, closel}- mottled and sprinkled with rufous all over, so that they much resemble some eggs of the Kestrel and Merlin. They measure about an inch-and-a-half in length. The Merlin is a smaller and more thick-set little Falcon than the Hobby, from which it is distinguished by its blue-grey colour and by the colour of the under surface, which is white with a rufous tinge, and streaked with black, these black stripes extending on to the thighs which are like the breast. The female is browner than the male, and is whitish underneath, streaked with dark brown ; occasionally blue females are met with, which resemble the male in colour, so that, when fully mature, the sexes appear to be alike in plumage, as is the case with the Hobby. The principal food ot the little Merlin seems to be small birds such as Sandpipers, Larks, Wagtails, Pipits, etc., but it also feeds on insects, especially large moths. It frequents the open moors in Wales and the North of England, and breeds thoughout Scotland and the greater part of Ireland. It extends throughout Northern Europe and Siberia, and winters in China, Northern India and Northern Africa. The nest is placed on the ground or on the ledge of a rock, and is merely a hole in the ground, lined with a little grass or a few bits of heather. The eggs are four or five in number, and are of a deep red colour, resembling those of the Hobby or Kestrel, and measuring" about an inch- and-a-half in length. Three species of G3T-Falcon have occurred in Great Britain, and of these the White or Greenland Gyr-Falcon {see p. 123) is always easily recognised by its )-ellowish bill and by having only spots or streaks, not bars, on the flanks. By these features there need never be any difficulty in identifying a Greenland Falcon at any age ; and throughout all its plumages it keeps up a white appearance, which is only varied with a few black spots or streaks. This beautilul Falcon is an occasional visitor to Great Britain, and has been noticed more often in Ireland and Scotland than in England. It is generally seen in autumn and winter, and most of the individuals which visit us are young birds. The Merlin. THE GREENLAND GYR-FALCON. (Hierofalcu candicans.) Birds of Prey. 125 THE ICELAND GYR-FAI.CON. (Hierofalco islandicus.) The Iceland Gyr-Falcon. The home of the species is in Northern Greenland and Arctic America. It is a noble bird on the wing, but does not possess the fire and dash of a Peregrine, and is not so much in request with Falconers as the latter bird. In a wild state it feeds on Willow-Grouse and Ptarmigan as well as Mice and Lemmings. The eggs are laid on the bare rock, and are four in number, closely mottled and clouded with rufous or chestnut, and from two-and-a-quarter to two-and-a-half inches in length. Sometimes the bird makes use ot the de- serted nest of some other species. Both this and the next species have blue bills, and always have the flanks distincth' cross-barred. The head of the Iceland Gyr-Fal- con is white, distinctly streaked with black, and the throat and chest are also streaked with black, while the bird is always darker in appear- ance than a Greenland G\T-P"alcon. The present species is an inhabitant of Iceland, and occasionally some individuals wander south, in winter, at which season thev have been sometimes captured in Great Britain. Like the Greenland Falcon, the Iceland representative of the Gyr-Falcons feeds largely on Ptarmigan, and also captures Plovers, Guillemots and Ducks. In mediaeval times the species was highlv esteemed by Falconers, but at the present da}' it is not so much in vogue, for the same reason as the Greenland Falcon. The nest of a Raven is often chosen by the bird, and sometimes a nest is built on the ledge of a cliff. The eggs are four in number, closely clouded with rufous, and are about two-and-a- (|uarter to two-and-a-half inches in length. This species has pro- bably occurred more often in Great Britain than has been supposed, and has doubtless been mistaken for the Iceland Gyr- P^alcon. It may always be distinguished from the latter species, when adult, by its uniform The Grey Gyr-Falcon. dark head. The young of the two birds arc THE GREY GVR FALCON. {H ierofalco gyr/alcu.) 126 British Birds. THE COMMON KESTREL. {Ccrchnch tinnuiicnlus). precisely alike and possess no character b}' which the\' can be told apart. When fully adult the Grey Gyr-Falcon bears great resemblance to a Peregrine Falcon, but the latter has the tail darker towards the end. whereas in the Gyr-Falcon it is of the same grey shade throughout. The toes in the latter bird have also different propor- tions, the outer and inner toes being about equal in length, as in the Kestrels, whereas in the Peregrine the outer toe is decidedly longer than the inner one. A young bird of the Grey Gyr-Falcon was shot in Suffolk m October, 1S67, and an adult bird from Sussex is in Mr. Borrer's collection. The home of the species reaches from Scandinavia across Siberia to Arctic America. The nest is built on tcees or on ledges of rocks, and the eggs are four in number, either entirely clouded with light reddish-brown or having a reddish-white ground blotched and spotted with rutous. Like the G3T - Falcons, the Kestrels have rather weak feet, the outer and inner toes being equal in length, but tlie wings are longer and more pointed than in those birds, and resemble those of the true Falcons. The male Kestrel mav be told by its blue-grey head and tail, the lat- ter having a black band before the end. The female is entirely rufous above, banded with black, this being also the colour of the tail : the head is streaked with black. Young birds resemble the old female. The Common Kestrel, or ' W'indhover,' is found ever3'where in the British Islands, nesting in woods in the interior and in cliffs on the sea-shore. It is also found over the greater part of Europe in summer, and extends to Siberia, passing the winter months in Africa and India, but being resident in the Himalayas. As a rule the food of the Kestrel consists of mice and insects, and it is only when hard-pressed for food for its young that it resorts to the killing of small birds; it is, on the whole, a most useful species. It generally adopts the old nest of some other bird in a tree, and when breeding in cliffs appears to make no nest at all. The eggs vary from three to seven in number, and they are generally clouded with rufous and chestnut all over, though occasionally eggs are found in which the ground-colour is white and the rufous blotches are confined to the larger end. The length is about one-and-a-half inches. The Common Kestrel. Birds of Prey. 127 THE LESSER KESTREL. {Cerchneis cenchris.) 'ii The Lesser Kestrel. The male of this bird differ.s from that of the Common Kestrel not only in its smaller size, but by the absence of black spots on the back, and it may also be told by its whitish claws. This latter character also determines the female from the hen of the Common Kestrel. The present species is common in Southern Europe m summer, and extends to Southern Russia and Central Asia, wintering in South Africa, whither it goes in large flocks with other small Falcons in pursuit of the locust- swarms. It has been met with in Yorkshire, m the Scilly Islands, and near Dover, in England, and in Co. Dublin in Ireland. It is more entirely an insect-feeder than the Common Kestrel, but otherwise resembles that species in its habits. It breeds in large colonies in the South of Europe, in holes of ruins and in church - towers, or in holes in the ground. No nest is made, and the eggs, four to seven in number, resemble those of the Common Kestrel, but are smaller and paler rufous, inclining more to a cinnamon tint ; they do not exceed one-and-a-half inches in length, and are generally not more than one-and-a-quarter inches. This pretty little Kestrel has been obtained more than twenty times in Great Britain, and has occurred in various counties from Cornwall to Northumberland. Three examples have been recorded from Scotland, and one from Ireland. It is an inhabitant of South-eastern Europe, and occurs from Hungary to the Volga and thence to the Valle\' of tne Yenesei. In winter it visits Africa, passing down the Nile Valley to South-western Africa. The male of the Red-footed Kestrel is easily distinguished by its grey plumage and rufous thighs, but the female is quite different from the male, and more resembles a Hobby in appearance, being grey banded with black above, with the head rufous. The under surface of the body is also rufous. The young birds resemble the old females, but have rufous margins to the feathers of the upper surface. In habits the present species resembles the other small Kestrels, and feeds entirely on insects. It builds no nest but adapts the old nest of a Rook or some other bird to its wants, and breeds in companies. The eggs are like those of the Common Kestrel, but are more of a yellowish red colour and are smaller, tlie length being from one-and-a-quarter to one-and-a-half inches. THE RED-FOOTED KESTREL. {Cei'chneis vespi'ytina.) 128 British Birds. The Pelican-like Birds.-^O/vAv Pelecaniformes. These birds are also known as Ste!j;aiiopodi's, and are remarkable for having the hind toe joined to the others by a web. The order includes the Pelicans, Cormorants, Gannets, Frigate-Birds. and Tropic-Birds. A Wild Pelican is said to have been shot at Horsey Fen m 1663, but is believed to have been an escaped bird. In ancient times Pelicans certainly used to inhabit Kngland, as their remains have been found in the fen-lands. These birds have a sharply hooked bill, and are further THE CORMORANTS. ... ■,,,,■,,,, r , • ,,• distinguished by their black plumage from their allies, the Sub-oiil,r ^ ' -' 1 r- PHAI.ACKOCORACES. => j r o > Scotland, but is only an irregular visitor, coming to us in winter and in spring. It breeds throughout Central and Southern Europe, as far east as Central Asia and Cashmere. The White-eyed Pochard is a fresh-water Duck and resembles the Common Pochard in its habits. It feeds on all kinds of insects and grubs, as well as water-weeds, which it obtains under the water, being a most e.xpert diver. The nest is built on the ground, and is made of dry flags and rushes, and lined with down and a few feathers. The eggs are from nine to fourteen in number, and are of a creamy-brown colour ; the)' measure from two to two-and-a-quarter inches in length. In this species the back is uniform, and the head is very THE TUFTED distinctly crested, while the wing-speculum is white. It nests SCAUP DUCK. c» * ,„,.,,,.,, in several places in England, Ireland and Scotland, generally on (FuUgula fuligula.) ' a ' • o j the shores of inland lakes. It likewise breeds throughout Northern Europe and extends to the Pacific Coast of Siberia, wintering in the Mediterranean countries, the Indian Peninsula and North-eastern Africa: it is also said to nest on some of the Abyssinian lakes. It is a fresh-water Duck, though man}' occur on the sea-coasts during the winter. Sometimes at the latter season of the year tliey appear in large numbers on inland lakes in company with VVigeon, and are very shy and circumspect. They feed on frogs, water-insects and leaves and stems of water-plants, and even on small fishes. The nest is placed in a tussock, or on grass-land, near the water, and is made of grass or sedge, lined with down. The eggs are from eight to twelve in number, of a stone- colour or greenish brown, and they measure about two-and-a-quarter inches in length. In this species the back is greyish-white, vermiculated all over "^^^ with black lines. There is no crest, as in the Tufted Duck, SCAUP DUCK. . , ^ , , . , ^, ,„ ,. , ., , but, like that species, the Scaup has a white speculum. Ihe {FuUgula mania.) ' r > r r female is browner than the male, but has some giey specklings on the back. It has been said by Dr. Stark to breed on Loch Lomond, but otherwise it is only known as a winter visitor to Great Britain. It nests in the arctic regions of North America, as well as in Northern Europe and Asia, visiting India, China and the Mediterranean in the winter, when it also occurs as far south as the West Indies. The Scaup is an expert diver and obtains much of its food under water ; it is gregarious in its habits, and generally gathers together in large flocks. The nest is placed on a sloping bank, not far from water, and is well concealed, being often built under the shadow of a bush ; it is merely a hole in the ground, lined with sedge and down from the bird's body. The eggs 10* T48 British Birds. THE GOLDEN-EYED DUCK. (Clangula clangula. are from six to nine in number, but as many as twelve have been found ; they are of a pale greenish-grey or stone-colour, and measure about two-and-a-half inches in length. The Golden-eye is an unmistakable species, easily told by its black and white coloration, the white scapulars being a strongly marked feature, as also are the white wing speculum, the orange-yellow feet, and golden-yellow iris. The female may be recognised by its white speculum, and by its brown axillaries. It is a winter visitor to the British Islands, and has even been said to nest in Scotland, but this lias not yet been confirmed. It breeds in the high north of Europe and Asia, as far south as Holstein and Eastern Prussia ; it likewise occurs throughout North America. In winter it visits China, North-western India, and the Mediterranean countries, and is also found as far south as Mexico and the West Indies. The Golden-eye is a wonderful diver, and feeds on water-plants, insects, shell-fish, and even on frogs and small fish. The nest is in the hole of a tree, sometimes at a height of twelve or fifteen feet from the ground, and consists merely of the greyish-white down of the bird. The eggs are from ten to thirteen in number, of a greyish-green tint, fading to dull green or olive-green. The Buffel-head has the nostrils situated nearer to the base of the bill than in the Golden-eyes, and the style of plumage is different from that of the latter birds. The male has the feathering of the head very much de- veloped, and the sides of the face are shot with green and steel-blue, while there is a good deal of purple on the crown of the head. The iris is dark brown. The female is much duller than the male in colour, and has a broad white patch from the ear-coverts to the sides of the neck. The present species has occurred three times in England, and twice in Scotland, but its home is in North America, from Labrador to Alaska, whence it migrates south in winter. In habits it resembles the Golden-eye, and, like tiiat species, nests in the hole of a tree. The eggs also resemble those of the Golden-eye, and are from six to ten in number. THE BUFFEL- HEADED DUCK. (Charitoncttn nlbt'oln.) The BuFFEL-HEADEn DCCK. 77?^ Ducks. 149 THE LONG-TAILED DUCK. {Harelda glacialis.) This is a very handsome species of Duck, which visits us in winter, occurring most plentifully on the Scottish coasts and the Hebrides, being of less frequent occurrence in England and Ireland. It breeds throughout the arctic regions of Europe and Northern Asia, as well as in North America, coming south in winter. It is often very late in returning to its summer quarters, as I have seen a flock of birds in the Sundal Fjord, in Northern Norway, on the 13th of June. It is an extremely good diver, and the male has a remarkably musical note, which gains for it the name of the ' Organ Duck ' in Alaska. The nest is a depression of the ground, and is made of grass, plentifully lined with the bird's down. The eggs are six or seven in number, of a clay brown or dull green colour, and measure from two to tvvo-and-a-quarter inches. The long-tailed Duck needs no detailed description, as its pied appearance, long tail and drooping white scapulars easily distinguish it from all the other British species ; the bill is orange, with a black base and black nail at the tip. This Duck is well-named the' Harlequin,' for it possesses a ver}' varied combination of colour, the back being slaty- blue and the sides of the body bright chestnut, with bands of black and white on the fore-neck and breast ; there is a white patch on the face, also visible in the female, and the sides of the crown are chestnut. The female is a plain brown bird, and has a spot ot white behind the ear-coverts, in addition to the white face. The Harlequin Duck is an extremely rare visitor to our shores, and only three instances of its occurrence are considered to be genuine. It breeds in the high north of Europe, Asia, and North America, as well as in Greenland and Iceland. The nest is placed close to the water, and the bird frequents the vicinity of rushing streams. The nest is a depression in the ground, lined with the bird's down, which is large and dense. The eggs are from seven to ten in number, of a cream-colour, and rather glossy. They measure about two-and-a- quarter inches. THE HARLEQUIN DUCK. {Cosmonetta histrionica.) The Long-tailed Duck. The Harlequin Duck. ISO British Birds. STELLER'S EIDER-DUCK. (Hemcunetta stelleri.) King Eider-Duck. Steller's Eider-Duck. This beau- tiful Duck has twice been shot on the east coast of England ; once in Norfolk and once in Yorkshire. It is a maritime species, and breeds in the arctic regions from the north of Norway throughout Siberia to the Aleutian Islands. The male is a very handsome bird, with a white head, and a green patch on the lores and another on the nape. The wing-speculum is purple, and the chest and breast are chestnut, fading into cinnamon on the abdomen. The female is very different from the male, being blackish above and below, with the head and neck rufous brown and the chest chestnut, mottled with black. The wing-speculum is purple as in the male, and the fact that the hen possesses the same speculum as the male is one of the points in which Steller's Duck differs from the other Eiders. It is a shy bird and soon deserts its nest if the latter be meddled with. The nest is a depression in the moss of the tundra, which is lined with down. The eggs are from seven to nine in number, and are of a pale greenish stone-colour ; they measure about two-and-a-quarter inches in length. The Eiders have a bare space between the lores and the forehead, and, when adult, have sickle-shaped inner secondaries on each side of the back. The Common Eider is white, with a black head and belly, a beautiful tint of delicate pink on the chest and a patch of green behind the ear-coverts. The female is brown, mottled with black and rufous, and the young males are also at first brown like the females, and take nearly four years to gain the adult plumage. After the breeding-season the males moult their quills and don a dull dress like that of the hens, and as they are then unable to fly, they betake themselves to the open sea and associate in flocks. The species breeds along the shores of Scotland north from the Fame Islands in Northumberland, but is only a winter visitor to Ireland and the coasts of England. It nests in various places on the coasts of Norway, Denmark, the Faeroes, Iceland, and the shores of Greenland and North-eastern America, being protected in most places for the sake of the down, which is collected by the people who farm, the breeding-places. It is a maritime species and is gregarious both in THE COMMON EIDER-DUCK. {Sumateria mollissima.) The Ducks. I SI summer and winter. The nest is made of grass, sea-weed, and water-plants, and is ined with down. The eggs are from five to eight in number, of a greenish stone- gre\' colour, and measure from three to three-and-a-quarter inches in length. The King THE KING EIDER. (Somatcria spectabilis.) The Common Ehiek-Duck. Eider is easily di stinguished from the Com- mon Eider by the shape of the feathering on the forehead, which reaches forward as far as the hinder end of the nostrils. This will serve to distinguish the female birds, which otherwise resemble each other closely, except that the hen of the King Eider is more rufous than that of the Common Eider. The male has a V-shaped black mark on the throat, and has a cube of reddish orange on each side of the base of the upper mandible. The head and nape are ot a delicate lavender grey, with the hind neck and mantle pure white. It breeds in Arctic America, Greenland and Northern I^uropc and Asia as far as Bering Sea, and occasionally visits Great Britain in winter, a few individuals having been observed at intervals ofl" our coasts. Like the Common luder, it is entirely a maritime Duck. The nest is a depression in the ground, lined with the bird's own down, and the eggs are of a greenish-stone colour or clay-brown, measuring two-and-a-half to two-and- three-quarter inches in length. 152 British Birds. The Common Scoter. The Surf Scoter. The Velvet Scoter. THE COMMON SCOTER. {(Edemia tiigrn.) The " Black Duck," as it is generally called, is a common winter visitor to all our coasts, and is known by its entirely black coloration, the bill havmg a yellow patch and a swollen knob at the base, while the iris is white. It breeds in the North of Scotland, and is said to nest occasionally in England. It also nests throughout Northern Europe and Siberia, and is only seen inland during the breeding season, when it frequents the shores of lakes ; it is at other times essentially a maritime Duck. The nest consists of a hollow scraped out in the ground and lined with leaves and grass, and the bird's own down. The eggs are eight or nine in number, of a light cream-colour, and slightly glossy ; they measure about two-and-a-half to two-and-three-quarter inches in length. This Duck is recognised from the Common Scoter by its slightly larger si;^e, white wing-speculum, orange -yellow bill, and dull crimson or orange-red feet. It is believed that a few breed in some of the highland lochs in Scotland, but it is principally known as a winter visitor to Great Britain. Its nesting-home is from Scandinaxia throughout Northern Europe and Siberia, and it visits Southern Europe, Central Asia and China in winter. It feeds principally on molluscs, which it obtains by diving. The nest is found on the shores of inland lakes and rivers, and is a mere depression in the ground, lined with grass and down. The eggs are eight or nine in number, of a creamv stone-colour, and measure two-and-three-quarters to three inches in length. This is the largest of the three British Scoters, and has the bill reddish with a black spot on each side ; the feet are crimson with orange-chrome on both sides of the inner toes; the iris is white. There is no white speculum on the wing, but there is a white patch on the crown and another on the back of the neck. It is THE VELVET SCOTER. {(Edemin fusca.) THE SURF SCOTER. {(Kdt:mia pcrsjtiiillata ) The Ducks. 153 THE SMEW. {Mergus albellus.) The Smew a North American species, and onl}' visits Great Britain in winter, when it is found on our western coasts as well as in other parts of western Europe. It sometimes assembles in enormous flocks, extending for ten miles in length. The nest i.s made of reeds, grass and water-plants, lined with down. The eggs are from five to eight in number, of a slightly greenish cream-colour, and they measure nearly two-and-a-half inches in length, Easdy recognised by its. white .plumage, varied with black mark- ings. The male has a distinct white crest. The female is a grey bird with a rufous head and neck and .white under surface. The Smew breeds in Northern Europe and Siberia and visits the Mediterranean countries in winter, as well as North- western India and China. It occurs on the coasts of Great Britain in winter, but is rarer on the western side of our islands. The nest is made in a hollow tree, and consists only of the down of the bird. The eggs are seven or eiglit in number, of a creamy white in colour, and scarcely to be distinguished from those of the Wigeon ; they measure about two inches in length. This handsome Duck is an inhabitant of North America, and has only visited Great Britain on a few occasions. It has not been observed anywhere else in Europe, It is easily recognised b\- its striking coloration and crested head. It is a shv bird during the breeding-season and collects in flocks in the winter, like the Smew. The nest is placed in the hollow of a tree or log, and IS made of dry grass, lined with grey down. The eggs are white and nearl}' round in shape. They are ol an ivory-white, and measure two or two - and - a - quarter The Hooded Merganser The Goosander. inches in length. THE HOODED MERGANSER. (Lophodytes cucullatus.) 154 Britis/i Birds. THE GOOSANI)EK5J (Merganser merganser.) The Mergansers are large birds with long bills, the edges of which are "serrated.' or ha\e saw-like margins. The Goosander, which is the larger of the two resident British species, has no dark collar across the fore-neck, and is white underneath, with a beautiful tinge of salmon pink : the head and throat are black, as well as the crest, all these parts being glossed with green. The female is sl;4^;- grey above with a rufous head and neck. The Goosander breeds in the highlands of Scotland, but is elsewhere onh- known as a winter visitor. It nests in Central and Northern Europe and throughout Siberia. Its food consists almost entirely of fish, which it catches by diving. -The nest is generally placed in the hole of a tree or cleft of a rock, while sometimes the old nest of a Crow or other bird is utilized. The nesting-place is lined with the gre}' down of the bird, and the eggs, eight to twelve in number, are of a crearijy-buff colour and measure from two-and-a-half to nearly three inches in length. The Rf.d-hreasted Merganser. THE RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. [Merganser serrntor.) This is a smaller bird than the Goosander and is distinguished from that species by the rufous band on the fore-neck, speckled with black, as well as by the wavy bars on the sides of the body. The dark brown flanks of the Red-breasted Merganser distinguish the female of this species from the female of the Goosander. It nests in Scotland and Ireland as well as throughout the northern portions of both the Old and New Worlds, migrating south in winter. Its food consists of fish, small Crustacea and shell-fish, and it is an expert diver. In winter it leaves its inland habitat, and collects in flocks. The nest is a mere hollow in the ground, lined with The Heron-like Birds. 155 grass and leaves, and sometimes consists only of the bird's grey down. The eggs are from six to nine, or more, in number ; they are of an olive stone-colour or creamy-buff, and measure from two-and-a-half to two-and-three-quarter inches in length. The Heron-like Birds.— Ora'tr Ardeiformes. THE PURPLE HERON. (Phoyx purpurea.) (See p. 156.) These birds are remarkable for their long legs, and differ from the allied families in many anatomical characters. The Order is represented in Great Britain b}' the Herons and Storks. The Herons have the hind-toe on the same level as the other toes, and the middle toe has a comb-like ridge on the claw. The Purple Herons have longer toes than the other members of the family Ardeida-, especially the middle toe, which is equal to the tarsus in length, and the hind-claw is particularly strong and nearly straight, with a very slight curve. The present species has frequently occurred in Great Britain, at least fifty times, only one of the occurrences having been recorded from Ireland. It is found nesting throughout the greater part of Central and Southern Europe, as well as in Africa and Central Asia. It is a shy bird and skulks among the reed-beds which form its home, instead of taking flight like other Herons. The nest is made of reeds, and is placed at no great height from the surface of the water in a reed-bed. The eggs are from three to five in number, and are of a greenish-blue colour, measuring about two or two-and-a- quarter inches in length. As in the genus Plioyx ,\.hc tail-feathers are twelve in number in the Common Heron ; the bill has saw-like edges or serrations. The grey colour, with the white crown and the long black central feathers of the throat and chest easily distinguish the species. The nestlings, which remain for a long The Common Heron. THE COMMON HERON. {.Ardea cinerea.) 156 British Birds. time in the nest and are fed by the parents, are bristly httle creatures, covered with greyish down, with grey filamentous plumes on the head. The Heron nests in isolated colonies all over the British Islands, generally in trees, but where these are not available, on rocks or even in scrub near the ground. It is also found nesting over the greater part of Europe and Northern Asia, as well as in Africa, India and China. The food of the Heron consists of fish and frogs. The nest is rather a large structure of sticks, brought by the male to the female, by whom the nest is built, the lining being composed of smaller twigs. The eggs are three or four m number, of a greenish-blue colour, and measure from two-and-a-quarter to two-and-a-half inches in length. The present species is pure white, but is distinguished from the Egrets by its much larger size. It differs from the Common Heron in having no crest, and in its beautiful dorsal train of ornamental plumes. The bill is black in summer and yellow in winter. The species has occurred about eight times in England and Scotland, but can only be considered a rare and accidental THE GREAT WHITE HERON. (Heyodins albci.) The Little Egret. The Pvkple Heron. The Buff-backed Egret. The Squacco Heron. The Great White Heron. The Herons. 157 THE LITTLE EGRET. {Gayzetta garzetta.) visitor. It is found in Central and Southern Europe as far east as Central Asia, and it winters in Africa and India. In its habits the present species resembles other Herons, and its food consists of fish, frogs and water-insects, as well as mice and rats. The nest is built in the swamps, and is rather a large structure of sticks, lined with smaller twigs. The eggs are four in number, of a greenish-blue colour, and measure about two-and-a-half inches in length. The Little Egret in its full plumage differs from the Great White Heron in having a crest of drooping white plumes and some very distinct elongated plumes on the chest ; tlie dorsal train consists of a dense mass of iilamentous plumes. The bill is black both in winter and summer, but the dorsal train is lost in the winter season. It is this train of beautiful feathers which is the 'Osprey' of commerce, and every spray worn by English women in their hats and bonnets represents the murder of a pair of these elegant little birds at the nest, and the subsequent starvation of the young birds. The Little Egret inhabits Central and Southern Europe, being most plentifully met with on the Lower Danube, where it nests in communities with Night-Herons and other species. It has occurred on two occasions in England, but is one of our rarest visitors. The nest is made of sticks and reeds and is placed on low trees or bushes in the swamps. The eggs are from three to six in number, of a bluish green colour, and measure about an inch-and-a-quarter in length. In the Night- Herons the bill is stouter than in the Egrets, and the colour is quite different. The ornamental plumes consist of two or three drooping white feathers on the nape. Speci- mens have been shot in England, Scotland, and Ireland. It is found throughout Central and Southern Europe, and temperate Asia, as well as in Africa, breeding in colonies in the marshes. It also occurs throughout the greater part of North America. The nest is a cradle of sticks, and the eggs are two or three in number, of a pale greenish- blue colour, and measuring from one-and- three-quarters to two inches in length. Although not unlike THE SQUACCO ^^^^^ ^^ ^^^ HERON. {Aydcola ralloidcs.) THE COMMON NIGHT-HERON. (Nycticorax nyciicorax.) some ot the smaller Bitterns in appearance, the Squaccos are true The Common Night-Heron. 158 British Birch. Herons, and have twelve tail-feathers. In the breeding plumage the upper surface is pale vinous, including the ornamental plumes of the back, and the feathers of the head and hind-neck have a black line following the margin of the feathers. At least forty occurrences of the Squacco Heron have been recorded, of which two have taken place in Scotland and three in Ireland. It is found throughout Southern Europe and Africa, breeding in company with other Herons or in colonies. The nest is built of sticks, like that of the Night-Heron, and the eggs are from four to si.\ in number, and of a greenish-blue colour ; they measure one-and-a-half to one-and-three-quarters of an inch in length. This species may be recognised by its yellow bill and by the ^"•^ vmous crest and dorsal train ; in winter the plumage is pure white. BUFF-BACKED „ , 1 ■ 1 .1 1 u * ■ i? 1 1 ■ Only one example is known to have been shot in bngland, m EGRET. J f b ,,, , , , •. > October, i8os. It inhabits the Mediterranean countries, the lower (Biibulcus lucidus.) ' -^ Danube and Southern Russia, as well as the greater part of Africa. It is generally known as the 'Cattle-Egret' from its habit of feeding round the cattle, and perching on their backs. It devours numbers of ticks which it picks oil these animals, and feeds also on frogs and insects. The species nests in colonies in low bushes in the reed-beds, and makes a nest of sticks. '1 he eggs are from three to five in number, and of a very pale greenish-blue colour; they measure about an inch-and-thrce-quarters in length. All the Bitterns may be told by their ten tail-feathers, and bv the colour ol the eggs. They are not gregarious like BITTERN. , ■ ,, T, 1 ■ 1 T ■ , TT , . ,, . , , the small Egrets, and in the Eittle bittern there is con- Ardetta mmiita.) ° siderable difference in the colour of the sexes, the male having a greenish-black head and back, whereas in the female the upper parts are chestnut-brown, with distinct streaks on the under surface oi the body. The species is believed to have bred in England in former days, but is now only- known as an occasional visitor. It is an inhabitant of Central and Southern Europe, eastwards to Central Asia, and it also breeds in Scinde and Cashmere. It is a shy and skulking bird and in many of its ways resembles the Rails, threading its way through the reeds instead of taking to flight. The birds also draw themselves up and remain motionless with their bill pointing straight up in the air, so as to resemble the surrounding rushes. The nest is of sticks and reeds, and is either placed in a reed-bed or on the head of a pollard-willow. The eggs are from five to nine in number, and are white with a scarcely perceptible greenish tinge ; they measure about an inch-and-a-half in length. The members of the genus Botaunis have ten tail-feathers THE COMMON ^^^^ saw-like edges to the bill. The large size and mottled RITTPRN ,, , . ,, ■ , plumatre of tawny-yellow and black, with the large neck frill, Botaunis sti'llarn.} f b J J o > sufficiently distinguish the Bittern from all the other British Herons. Although it used at one time to breed in our fen-lands, the Bittern TIic Bitterns. '59 The Little Bittern. The Amekican Bittern. The Common Bittern. if now only known as a winter visitor. It is found in the greater part of Europe and Northern Asia, frequenting swampy districts, and occurring in winter in North-eastern Africa, India, Burma, and China. It is seldom met with in companies, but is generall}" found solitary, or in pairs in its breeding-haunts. Its food consists of fish, small mammalia, frogs, and water insects, and it is remarkable for its booming and resonant note. The nest is made of dry rushes and is placed on the ground in the swampy habitat which it loves. The eggs are from three to five in number, of a brownish-olive colour, slightl}' tinted with green when fresh. They measure from two to two-and-a-half inches in length. This species has a plain brown head and rufous tips to tlie primary-coverts and (pulls. The rest of the plumage is waved with buff and black as in the other members of the genus Botditnis. It has been many times procured in the British Islands, and seems not unfrequently to wander on migration from its home in North America. In habits it much resembles our Common Bittern, and its home is in the swamps. The nest is made of dead rushes, either on the ground or on low trees. The eggs are from four to seven in number, and are brownish-olive, measuring from an inch-and-three-ciuarters to two inches in length. THE AMEKICAN BITTERN. {Botanrus Unli/^inosHi.) i6o British Birds. THE WHITE STORK. (Ciconia ciconia.) The Storks differ from the Herons in wanting the comb- like edge to the claw of the middle toe, and in having the hind-toe raised above the level of the others. The general colour is white, with the scapulars, greater wing-coverts and quills, black ; the bill and feet are red. Although the Stork occurs commonly and breeds in Holland, it is only a rare visitor to Great Britain. It is found throughout Central and Southern Europe, as far east as Central Asia ; it also breeds in suitable localities in Africa. The nest is generally placed on the roof of a house, except when an old cart-wheel or cradle is put up for the bird's accommodation ; it sometimes builds its own nest in The Black Stork. The White Stork. a tree. The young are scantily covered with ashy-white down. The eggs are from three to five in number, of a dull white colour ; they measure from two-and-a-half to nearly three inches in length. The Black Stork oc- casionally visits England, but does not breed with us. It nests throughout the greater part of Europe, but is only known as a passing migrant in the south ; and it is found throughout Ceritral Asia to Mongolia, wintering in India and Africa. It has a red bill and legs like the White Stork, but is other- wise quite different in colour, being black with shades of metallic purple and green, and has the breast and abdomen white. It does not THE BLACK STORK. {Ciconia nigra.) The Ibises. i6i frequent the neighbourhood of houses Hke the White Stork, but is entirely a bird of the forests. The nest is a large structure of sticks, added to year after 3'ear, and lined with moss, generally placed in trees, but sometimes on ledges of rocks or cliffs. The eggs are from three to five in number, of a dull white and coarse texture. They measure from two-and-a-half to two-and-three-quarter inches in length. The Ibises and Spoon-bills form the Sub-order Platalea , and differ from the Herons and Storks in the form of the nostrils. The Glossy Ibis is only an accidental visitor to Great Britain, occurring generally in autumn and winter, but sometimes in spring. It is a common species in Southern Europe, extending to Central Asia, India and China, as well as Africa and Australia, and it even occurs THE GLOSSY IBIS. (Plcgadis falcinellus.) The Spoon-iull. The Glossy Ibis. in the Eastern United States of North America. It is very like a Heron in habits and gathers together in companies, feeding like a Curlew on the shores of lakes and rivers, where its prey consists of frogs, worms and aquatic insects. It nests in the company of other Herons in the marshes, and builds a slight structure of sticks and reeds. The eggs are three or four in number, and are easily recognised by their dark greenish-blue colour ; they measure about two inches in length, or a trille more. This is a ciuite unmistakable bird on account of its tlat and THE spoon-shaped bill. The colour is pure white, with a tawny tinge {Platalealaiccrodia.) °^ ^^'^ °" "^'^ '^'^'"' ''"'^ n&ck, and a large crest of drooping plumen, which disappears in the winter plumage. The Spoon- bill used to breed in several places in England, but is now only an occasional visitor. II i6: Biiiish Biids. It still nests in Holland, and in many places in Central and Southern Europe to Central Asia. The species breeds in the low-land marshes near the sea, whence it sallies out to procure its food on the mud flats ; this consists of small Crustacea and insects. In certain places it breeds in trees, but in marshy places the nest is composed ot reeds. The eggs are four or five in number, chalky-white, with a few spots and streaks of reddish brown, and occasionally some underlying blotches of purplish-brown ; they measure from a little more than two-and-a-half to three inches. THE COMMON CRANE. \Grxis gnis.) Cranes d i f f e r from Herons in hav- ing what is called a schizognathous or split palate, and the nasal groove ex- tends a long way down the bill, reach- ing to more than half the length of the latter. The Com- mon Crane is a dark grey bird, with a bare red crown ; the inner secondaries are loose and ornamen- tal, and form droop- ing plumes. The Cranes also difl'er from the Herons in their nestlings, which are not hatched naked and helpless, but are covered with down, and are able to shift for themselves in a few hours. Three hundred years ago the Crane used to breed in the fen-lands of England, and its fossil remains have been found in Ireland ; now it is only an occasional visitor. It breeds, however, in the marshes of the greater part of Europe, making a nest of a large size among the rushes in the swamps. The eggs are two or three in number, brown or stone-grey, with reddish spots and blotches, relieved by underlying spots of dull purplish grey ; their length is from three-and-a-half to four- and-a-quarter inches. The note of the Crane is clear and trumpet-like, and, as in some of the Swans, the trachea enters the bony walls of the breast-bone and is convoluted. The Common Crane. The Demoiselle Crane. The Bustards. i6' THE DEMOISELLE CRANE. {Anthro/>oiites virgo. This beautiful Crane, which is an inhabitant of Southern Europe and Central Asia, has once been shot in the Orkneys, in September, 187 1. It is easily recognised by its long orna- mental plumes on the fore-neck, and the white whisker-like tufts of white feathers on the sides of the face. The Bustards, though possessing many of the osteological characters which distinguish the Cranes, are very different from the latter birds in external appearance, having a mottled plumage, thickly waved with black cross-markings. The Great Bustard THE GREAT BUSTARD. (Otis tarda.) Macqueen's Bu.stard. The Little Bustard. The Great Bustard. is the largest European species, and the male has a remarkable pouch in the throat, which is capable of being distended ; the sides of the throat are also furnished with some long bristly plumes like whiskers. Within the present century the Bustard has been e.xtirpated in England as a breeding-bird, but occasional e.xamples are obtained. It inhabits Central and Southern Europe, and is not rare in some countries, such as Poland, Hungary and Spain ; it extends into Central Asia. . The food of the Great Bustard consists of small mammals and lizards, and it also eats grass, corn and peas. In the breeding season the display which the male bird II* 164 British Birds. makes in showmt; oft its plumage is most extraordinary. The nesting-place is a mere hollow scraped in the ground. The eggs are two or three in number and are olive-brown, with light olive or brown spots and underlying ones of purplish-grey ; they measure about two-and-three-quarter to three-and-a-quarter inches in length. The small size of the Little Bustard renders it easy of recog- nition, and the black on the throat, and black and white bands on BUSTARD. , , ,••,,., o ^. X. ,_ , , , , the chest at once distmguish the male, specimens have been (Tetrnx tilrax.) '^ ' recorded, mostlj' in autumn and winter, from England, Scotland and Ireland, so that it may be considered a rare and occasional visitor. It breeds in Central and Southern Europe, as far east as Central Asia, and is sometimes seen in large flocks of a hundred birds together. The food is the same as that of the Great Bustard, and the nest is a depression m the ground, lined with a little dry grass. The eggs are three or four in number, more uniform than those of the Great Bustard, being olive-brown or olive-green, with scarcely any appearance of rufous markings or grey underl)ing spots. The length is about two or two-and-a-cjuarter inches. This species of Ruffed Bustard is distinguished by the shield MACQUEEN S ^jj- g^j-j feathery bluish-gre}' plumes on the crop, and by the crest of narrow erectile feathers. On each side of the neck is a [Honbava .. ^ .. _ , ... run of stiftened plumes, white with black tips. Macqueen s macqiieeuii.) ^ * * Bustard breeds in the neighbourhood of the Altai Mountains and Lake Baikal in Central Asia, and visits the plains of North-western India in the winter in large numbers. It has been captured on three occasions in England. It IS an inhabitant of the desert plains, where the sandy colour of its plumage affords it protection. It feeds on young corn and seeds of plants. The nest is a depression in the ground, and the eggs, two or three in number, are clay-brown or olive-brown, with faint blotches of purplish-grey and spots of dark brown. The length is about two-and-a-quarter to two-and-a-half inches. This bird holds an intermediate position between the ^ Bustards and the Plovers. Like the former birds it wants the STONE-PLOVER. , ■ , . t^, , r„.. , , , ,,■■•,• r. ,, j ■ hind-toe. i he ' 1 hick-knee, as this bird is olten called, is not (Qidicncmus ,. , likely to be confounded with any other Plover : for its large size Lvduncmui.) - - *^ and great yellow eye and sandy coloration separate it from all other British species. It inhabits the open downs of the southern and eastern counties in summer, a few remaining during the winter months. It is a shy and timid bird, and when danger approaches it drops on the ground and lies perfectly still with its neck outstretched, and the nestlings share this same instinct of protection, for when thus lying flat on the ground, the birds are almost impossible to distinguish. Theie is no nest, and the two eggs are laid on the bare ground, from the stones of which they with difficulty can be detected. The eggs are of a dark or light stone-colour with brown spots and blotches all over the surface, varied with underlying mottlings of pale grey. The Coursers. 165 THE CREAM-COLOURED COURSER. (Cursorius gallictis.) there is a curious comb-like series ot notches. The pale tavvn}' colour of the plumage, black quills, grey head and black line along the sides of the face, are sufficient cha- racters to tell the Courser bj'. It is found through- out the desert countries of Northern Africa The Stone-Plover. This rare visitor to our shores is the representative of an Old-World group of Plovers, which have a split palate and open 'schizorhinal' nostrils. The tarsus is not reticulate in front but is plated, and on the inner side of the middle claw l|%f. '/ ^^ ^ *<- .■s=^ The Cream-coloured Courser. 1 66 British Birds. and in some of the Canar}' Islands, extending to Central Asia and North- western India. The nest is a slight depression in the sand, and the two eggs are scarcely to be told from the stones which surround them. The eggs are stone-colour, thickly covered all over with blackish lines and blotches, amongst which are mingled the underl3'ing grey mott- lings ; their length is from an inch- and-a-quarter to an inch-and-a-half. T he long "^"^ wings and forked The Pratincole. PRATINCOLE. ., ,■ ■ , , tail distinguish (Glanola pratmcola.) '^ the Pratincoles from the Coursers, and they have much shorter le"-s than the last-named birds. The general colour is brown, but the throat is sandy buff followed by a collar of white and black. The Pratincole has occurred several times in England and Scotland, and once in Ireland. It nests in the countries of Southern Europe and winters in Africa. The flight is very much like that of a Swallow or a Tern, and the birds are gregarious at all times of the year, and nest in companies, sometimes of many thousands. The eggs are laid on the bare ground, and are so thickly scribbled over with black that the light ground- colour is scarcely perceptible; they measure about an inch-and-a-quarter in length. Of the THE GREY PLOVER. {Sqtiaiarola helvetica.) The Grey Plover. The Golden Plover. Plovers which put on a black breast in the summer, the Grey Plover is the largest, and it is easily distinguished by its grey plumage, mott- led with black. In winter the black breast disappears, and the under surface of the body is white ; the young birds are also white below, but are spangled with golden colour above, so that thev resemble the The Plovers. 167 THE GOLDEN PLOVER {Chnraiifius phtvinlis.) adult of the Golden Plovers. From these, however, they may be always told by their black axillaries, and by the presence of the hind toe. Although the Grey Plover arrives on our coasts in spring in full breeding dress, with its beautiful black and grey plumage fully developed, it does not nest in Great Britain, and is only known as a spring and autumn migrant, a few remaining through the winter months. It breeds in the Arctic Regions of both Hemispheres, and eggs have been obtained in Kolguev and in the Valley of the Petchora, as well as in Alaska and on the Anderson River in North America. It is a maritime Plover during the winter season, and wanders south to Africa, India and Australia, and in the New World to Brazil and Peru. The nest is simply a hollow in the moss of the tundra, and the eggs, four in number, are intermediate in colour and markings between those of the Lapwing and Golden Plover, and measure about two inches in length, or a little more. The Golden Plovers have no hind-toe, and may be easily recognised by the golden colour of the upper surface. The common Golden Plover is at once determined by its white axillaries, which distinguish it from the Grey Plover, both in summer and winter plumage. It breeds on the moorlands of the United Kingdom, being more plentiful in Scotland and Ireland, but it is also found nesting in the wilder districts of England and Wales. In winter it frequents the mud -flats on the coasts, as well as inland pastures. It inhabits the northern and central districts of Europe during the breeding-season, and winters in the Mediterranean countries and in Africa. The nest consists of a depression in the ground or tuft of grass, and is made of a few stems of dry grass with a little heather and moss. The colour of the eggs varies from a clay-brown to a light stone-grej', with lines and blotches of black, and underlying markings of reddish brown. The length is from an inch-and-three-quarters to two inches, or a little more. This is smaller than the common Golden Plover, and has much more slender legs. It goes through the same changes of plumage, but can be re- cognised at all ages by it.s smoky-brown a.xillaries. Four examples of this small Golden Plover have been obtained in Great Britain, two in England and two in Scotland It breeds in the high north of both Hemispheres, and in winter wanders to India, the Moluccas, and Australia, as well as to South America. In habits the species resembles C. pluvialis, and it makes its nest in a depression in the moss, or scantily lines The Lesser Golden Plover. THE LESSER GOLDEN PLOVER [Charadriits tioiiiinicus.) i68 British Birds. THE ASIATIC DOTTREL. {Ochthodromus nsinticus.) The Asiatic Dottrel. it with grass and leaves. The eggs are precisely similar to those of the Golden Plover, but are rather smaller, and measure about an inch-and- three-quarters to two inches. This species is distin- guished from the Sand-Plovers (^^gialitls] by its much stouter bill, and by the chestnut band across the chest in the summer plumage. In winter the chest is brown, but the young birds can always be told from our ordinary Ringed Plovers by their longer legs (tarsus 1-35 inch). A specimen in summer plumage was shot in Norfolk, in May, 1890. The home of the species is in the Kirghis Steppes and Central Asia, whence it ranges into East Africa in winter. Both in its summer and winter home, it is an inhabitant of the steppes and grass-lands. This handsome little Plover is recognised by its white THE DOTTREL. u ^ 1 j ui 1 ,. j , , , u cnest-band, black breast and abdomen, and orange-chestnut {Eiidromias morinellus I Hanks. Although not so plentiful as in former years, the Dottrel is still found breeding on the moors of Cumberland and Westmoreland, and in the highlands of Scotland. It also breeds on the mountains of Scandinavia and Central Siberia as well as on the high ground of other parts of Europe. It is a wonderfully tame bird near its nest, and last summer (1897) I captured a young nestling on one of the high mountains of the Sundal Valley in Norway. The old bird did not attempt to fly away, but ran round us within a few yards, and finally led off its youngster in triumph when I let the latter go. The eggs are deposited in a hollow in the moss, and are three in number, of a gre\nsh stone-colour, tinged with olive, and largely blotched with black, rufous, and grey ; the length is a little over one-inch-and-a- quarter. The present species belongsto a little group of Sand-Plovers, which have a long tail, measuring The Dottrel. THE KILL-DEER DOTTREL. i^Oxyeclnts vocifcrui.) Tlie Plovers. 169 The Kill-Deer Dottrel. The Sociable Lapwing. more than half the length of the wings. The Kill-Deer Dottrel, so called from its note, is an inhabitant of North America, and is said to have been twice obtained in I^ngland. It is recognised at once by the cinnamon-rufous colour of the lower back, rump and upper tail-coverts. The nest is a depression in the ground, lined with grass, and the eggs are four in number, brownish or cream-colour, with numerous spots of blackish-brown ; their length is about an inch- and-a-half. The true Sand-Plovers resemble the foregoing species, but have a shorter and less conspicuous tail. The Common Ringed Plover has a black collar across the fore-neck, brown in young birds, a white forehead, followed by a black band across the head, and black ear-coverts. It is found on all the coasts of Great Britain, and breeds everywhere, being also occasionally noticed on inland waters, though here principally on migration. It nests throughout Europe on the shores and inland lakes as far as Central Asia, and is found in the far north on Spitsbergen and Jan Mayen. The bird is very wary, and is difficult of approach in the autumn, when it consorts with Dunlins and other shore birds and leads them out of danger. Both parents sham to be wounded, when the nest is approached, in order to draw the intruder away from their eggs or young. The eggs are pear-shaped, and are laid in a little hollow in THE RINGED SAND-PLOVER. {.Egialitis hiaticula.) The Kentish Sand-Plover. The Little Ringed Sand-Plover. The Ringed Sand-Plover. 170 Britis/i Birds. the sand, and are lour in number, placed point to point, as is the mode with all Plovers and Sandpipers. They very much resemble the stonv surroundings amongst which they are placed, and are clay-coloured, with small black spots and hnes, some- times forming blotches ; they measure an inch-and-a-quarter to an inch-and-a-half. This is a smaller bird than the Ringed Plo\er and resembles the latter species very closely, but can alwa\s be told by the RINGED ... ^ ... . , ' , ,. .' „,, , f white shatt, which is only seen on the hrst primary. the shaits SAND. PLOVER. ' ■' . , X- ■ ,-,■ J J- 1 of several of the ciuills are white in .Ji. hiatlcola. In the hitter [.'hgiahtis diibia.) ' also the bill is orange with a black tip, whereas in Ai. dtibia the bill is black, with only the base of the lower mandible \ello\v. There is also a ring of yellow round the e\'e. The Little Ringed Plover has been captured in England half a dozen times, chiefly in the autumn. It is found throughout the whole of temperate Europe and Asia, and in winter visits Africa, India and the Malayan Archipelago. It is essentially an inland species, and is found on the shores of lakes and on sand-spits in the large rivers. The nest is a little cavity in the sand, and the eggs are four in number, smaller than those of the Common Ringed Plover, but similar in colour. They measure a little over an inch to an iiich-and-a-quarter. This little species can be told by its rufous head, white THE KENTISH forehead, and white collar round the hind-neck. There is no SAND-PLOVER. , , , , ■ , r , , , , , 1 u , „ .... complete black ring on the tore-neck, but a black patch on each (Mglalliis 1 h . , J ■ ^ side of the latter. Young birds may be recognised by their black legs and by the white collar round the hind-neck. The Kentish Plover nests on the sea-shores in the south-east of England, and occurs in other parts of the United Kingdom during migration. It is found through- out Central and Southern Europe in suitable localities, and extends to Eastern Asia, wintering in Africa, India and Australia. The present species always looks a whiter bird in life than either of the Ringed Plovers, and the nestlings are decidedly lighter in colour than those of the last-named birds. The species is not gregarious in summer, but collects in flocks in the autumn. The eggs are laid on the shingly beach, and are three, more rarely four, in number. They are very similar to those of the Ringed Plover, but have the markings more distributed over the egg. Their length is about an inch-and-a-quarter, or a little more. This bird is often called the ' Peewit ' from its note, or the THE LAPWING. . q^^^,^ Plover' from the colour of its plumage. It has a IVanellus vniu'lliis.) , remarkably long crest oi upturned leathers, a black throat and neck, and the upper and under tail-coverts of a light cinnamon-colour. The young birds and the adults in winter plumage have sandy-buff edgings to the feathers of the upper surface. It is found everywhere throughout the British Islands, nesting on the moors and fallow-land, and frequenting the sea-shore in large flocks in winter. It inhabits the whole of Europe and Northern Asia. The Plovers. 171 The Lapwing. THE SOCIABLE LAPWING. {CliiZ^titsia grcgaria.) (p. 169.) The food of the Lapwing consists of slugs, grubs and small insects, and on the sea-shore it feeds on minute molluscs and insects, being everywhere a most useful bird and deserving of every protection. The eggs form a much appreciated article of food in the spring, and are diligently sought after. They are four in number, pear-shaped, and are laid point to point on the ground or in a slightly-constructed nest of grass in a tussock. The colour varies from dusky-olive or greenish-brown, to light clay-brown, with very distinct black blotches or spots, and underlying spots ot purplish-grey ; they measure about an inch-and-three-quarters in length. This is a species of the steppes of South-eastern Europe, and has occurred once in Great Britain, when a specimen was pro- cured in the autumn of i860, in Lancashire. It differs from the Common Lapwing in having no crest, and is of an ashy-brown colour, with the rump and upper tail-coverts pure white, the crown black, as also the lower breast and abdomen, with a patch of chestnut on the latter. In winter it frequents the uplands in flocks, preferring dry and sandy places. The eggs are four in number, and are very like those of the Lapwing. This little Plover has no ' dertrum ' or swelling at the end of the i)i11, which is more wedge-shaped than is usual in the THE TURNSTONE. {Arcnnrin inicrpres.) The Turnstone. 172 British Birds. THE OYSTER- CATCHER. {Ha-matoptis ostralegus. I Waders, and is used b)- the bird for turning over stones in its search for food. The colour of the male is of a ' Harlequin ' pattern, and is quite unlike that of any other Plover. The dress of the young birds and of the old ones in winter is much duller and browner. It is an autumn and spring migrant in Great Britain, but a few remain throughout the winter, and it is probable that the Turnstone may breed in the North of Scotland. It nests in Northern Europe as far south as Denmark and the shores of the Baltic, and is known to occur throughout the Arctic Regions of both the Old and New Worlds. As a rule the Turnstone keeps in pairs, but a few may be found together in the autumn on the sea-shore; it is entirel}' a shore-frequenting species, and is generally not very shy. It feeds on insects which it searches for under stones. The nest is placed on the ground, and is a little hollow in the latter, lined with a few dead leaves. The eggs are four in number, of a greenish-grey or clay-brown colour, with chocolate-brown and purplish-grey markings ; their length is about an inch-and- a-half to an inch-and-three-quarters. The Oyster- Catcher has a long and nar- rowh' compres- sed bill. Its plumage consists entirely of black and white, and it has pinkish legs and a ring of vermilion round the eye. It nests in certain localities in England, but more plentifull}- in Scotland and Ireland, along the shores of some of the rivers and even on inland lochs. It is found in simi- lar localities all over Europe and as far east as the Valley of the Ob, while it winters in the Mediter- ranean and on the Caspian and Red Sea coasts. In autumn and winter it collects m large flocks, and haunts the sandy-shores left uncovered by the tide. I have kept several of these birds in confinement, but they never became very tame, and their soft toes suflered greatly when the ground became hard and frozen ; they were then nearly always lame. The nest is a small hollow, lined with pieces of shells and little stones, and when in the moss or peat, the nest is generally ornamented with limpet-shells. The eggs are three in number, clay-brown to greenish-olive in colour, and lined or blotched with blackish brown or purplish-grey; the length is from a little over two inches to two-and-a-half inches. Thi; Ovster-Catcher. Tlic Avocet. 173 The Avocet. The Black-winged Stilt. The ' Scooping ' Avocet, as this species is sometimes called, THE AVOCET. , r •, j u-ii • 1 ■ 1 • u on account 01 its upcurved bill, is now onl}' an occasional visitor {Rectirviyusti'a ,. , to British shores, but in former davs it used to breed in our nvocetta.) eastern and southern counties. It is easily told by its black and white plumage, and its slender bill. It nests in suitable places throughout Central and Southern Europe to Central Asia and Mongolia, as well as in many parts of Africa. It is still found nesting in Holland and on the shores of the Baltic. The long bill of the Avocet is not used to probe the mud or sand, but is employed b\' the bird in scraping the sand from side to side. Its food consists of aquatic insects, as well as worms and small Crustacea, and it often swims out on the water. The nest is a mere depression in the sand or short grass, with a few leaves or grass for a lining. The eggs are four in number and pear- shaped, of a clay-brown with a little tinge of olive, and scribbled or blotched all over with black and stone-grey markings; the length is from an incli-and- three-quarters to two inches. An unmistakable species is the Stilt on account of its long legs. It bears a certain amount of resemblance to the Avocet in its black and white colour, but is easily told by its straight bill. It has occurred in the southern and eastern counties of England, as well as in Ireland and Scotland, but is a very rare visitor to Great Britain. Its home is in the Mediterranean countries to Central Asia, Mongolia, and North-western India. The Stilt is not a shy bird, and THE BLACK-WINGED STILT. (Himantopus himantopus.) 174 British Birds. is gregarious in its habits, large numbers nesting in compan}- in marshes. The food consists largely of gnats and mosquitoes as well as of water-beetles and small shell- fish. The nest is made of small bents of grass or dead reeds. The eggs are three or four in number, very similar to those of the Avocets, and measure an inch-and-a- half to an inch-and-three-quarters in length. The Common Curlew. With the Curlews we commence the study of a large group THE COMMON of Wading-Birds belonging to the Sub-family 7\)/fl«/«,/. They CURLEW. '' " " , , . ,,, . , . have a long bill, often curved, and the tarsus is transversely [Numenius arquatus.) n i > ^ plated before and behind, though in the true Curlews the hinder aspect of the tarsus is reticulated. Both the outer and inner toe are joined to the middle one by a basal membrane. The Curlew nests on the moor-lands of all three kingdoms, and in the autumn and winter betakes itself to the sea-shore, where it is found either singly or in small flocks on the mud-flats of tidal rivers. The female is larger than the male and has a much longer bill. In spring the streaks on the breast become broader and blacker, and the upper plumage is also much darker. In winter the Curlew visits India and Africa, and in the breeding-season it is found in Northern and Central Europe, as far east as Lake Baikal. The nest is a depresion in the grass, with a slight lining of leaves or dead grass. The eggs are four in number and pear-shaped, olive-brown, with black spots and blotches, generally round the larger end of the egg. The length is from two-and-three-quarters to nearly three inches. The Cnrlezvs. '75 THE WHIMBREL. {Nutnfuius phiFopus.) The Whimbrel. The Whimbrel is a much smaller bird than the Curlew, and the sexes are ot about the same size, while the bill is only a little over three inches in length. In winter the lower back is pure white, but in summer plumage it is streaked with black, and the under surface is distinctly streaked with black as well. The Whimjjrel is a summer visitor to Great Britain, though some remain over the winter, and a few breed on the moors in the North of Scotland. It nests on the tundra of Northern Europe from Scandinavia to the Petchora River, and pos- sibly in Central Siberia. The Whimbrel re- sembles the Curlew in habits, and breeds on the moors, collecting in flocks in the autumn. The nest is merely a little hollow among the heather, with a lining of a few dried grasses. The eggs are like those of the Curlew, but are smaller, measuring from two to nearly two-and-a-half inches in length. The small size of this Curlew distinguishes it from the Whimbrel, like which bird it has a pale stripe down the middle of the crown, and it has plain-coloured primary quills ; the lower back and rump are like the back, and not white. It has occurred at intervals in England, Scotland and Ireland, but its native home is in North America. The nest is only a depression in the ground, with a slight lining of dry grass ; the eggs are four in number, measuring about two-and-a-half inches in length, and are olive-brown, with the usual brown and grey spots and blotches seen on all Waders' eggs. The Godwits, in- stead of a curved bill, have the latter slightly upturned, or nearl}' straight. In summer both species of Godwit are remarkable for their red breasts, which are replaced by a white breast in the winter, while the x'oung birds have a buft tinge on the under parts. THE ESKIMO CURLEW. {Nuiiunlus burealis.) THE BAR-TAILED GODWIT. {Liiiwsn lapponica.) The Eskimo Curlew. 176 British Birds. The Bar-tailed Godwit is told at all ages by the distinct bands on the upper tail- coverts and tail. The female never has quite as much rufous colour on the breast as the male. The species is only known as a migrant in Great Britain, and it breeds in the marshes of Northern Europe from Finland to the Yenesei River, in Siberia. On their way north in spring, the birds feed on the mud-flats of our tidal harbours, and when the sea covers the latter, they retire inland to rest. In the autumn they come in small flocks and frequent the mud-flats before going south. The nest is merely a depression m the moss with a few dry leaves for a lining, and the eggs are four in number, olive or olive-brown in colour, sparsely marked with light brown and purplish grey spots and blotches. Their length is from two to two-and-a-quarter inches. Thu Black-tailed Godwit. The Bar-tailed Godwit. THE BLACK-TAILED GODWIT. {Lwiosn liviosa.) This Godwit is easily to be told from the foregoing species by the black terminal band on the tail. The rufous colour on the under surface is not so universally distributed as in the Bar-tailed Godwit, especially in the female. The Black-tailed Godwit used formerly to breed in the fen-lands of the eastern counties of England, but is now only a visitor on migration. It nests still in Central Europe, and is to be found in the breeding-season in Holland and the countries of the Baltic Sea. In habits it resembles the foregoing species, and the nest is a depression in the moss, the eggs being four in number, and resembling those of the Bar- tailed Godwit, but they are occasionally darker than those of the latter species ; their length is from two to two-and-a-half inches. The Tattlers. 177 THE RED-BREASTED SNIPE-TATTLER, (Macrorhnmplnis grisens.) The Red-breasted Snii'e-Tattler. THE SPOTTED REDSHANK. {Totnnus fusnts.) This is essentially a G o d w i t in plumage, but has a different bill, somewhat widened out at the tip and pitted. The female has a slightly longer bill than the male. In winter the plumage is grey, with the under- parts white, the throat streaked, and the chest and sides of the body barred with blackish. It is a North-American species, which has occurred more than a dozen times in England, and twice in Ireland. Distinguished in summer by its sooty-black under-surface ; and in the winter plumage, which resembles that of the other Tattlers, the Spotted Redshank may always be recognised by its white rump, and by its barred secondaries. It does not nest in the British Islands, but is only a visitor on migration. Its breeding range e.xtends through Northern Europe and Northern Asia, and it migrates south in the autumn to India, Burma and China, as well as Southern Europe. It frequents inland marshes during the breeding season, and the shores of lakes, and it nests on hill-sides, often away from water. The nests are depressions in the ground with a few dry leaves. The eggs are of a rich green colour, when fresh, but fade to a light brown, with reddish-brown blotches and scribblings, generally collected near the larger end. They measure about an inch-and-three- quarters in length. The Common Red- shank is recognised by its white rump and white inner second- aries ; it has also orange legs like the vSpotted Redshank. The stripes on the breast are more distinct in summer than in winter, and the upper surface is blotched with black. It breeds in marshy places throughout England, Ireland and Scot- land, and is found in localities suited to its habits throughout Europe and Central Asia as far as Mongolia. In winter it 12 THE COMMON REDSHANK. {Totnnus calidris.) The Spotted Redshank. 1/8 British Birds. The Common Redshank. spreads along the shores and inland waters ot Africa and India, even to the Moluccas. At the nest the Redshank is one of the noisiest Ijirds imaginable, whether it be on shingl}' beach or moss-covered broad, or on the shores of a lake in the mountain. The birds protest loudly against an}- intrusion, and will ll_\' round and round, occasionally settling with upraised wings and tail on a rock or on the biiugh of a dead tree or stump. The cry is very like a shrill 'mew,' interrupted by a constant clatter of ■ Kitty, Kitty,' ' Kiup,' till it becomes distracting. In the autumn, Redshanks are found either singly or in small parties on the sea-shore, and are then equally detestable for the way in which they startle every bird within shot. The nest is a depression in the ground, or in a hummock, and is generally well concealed by the surrounding grass. The eggs are four in number, pear-shaped, and rather large, measuring an inch-and-three-quarters to nearly two inches in length. The colour is clay-brown, with blackish-brown spots and blotches. This small species, which is only about nine-and-a-half inches in length, is an in- habitant of Southern Europe, e.xtending into Central Asia and Eastern Siberia, and wintering in Africa, India and Australia. Mr. Walter Roths- child shot a bird on Tring Reservoir which he believes to have been of this species, but the specimen was unfortunately des- troyed in a lire, so that the occurrence of the species in England requires confirmation. The Maksh-Gri enshank. THE M.\RSH- GREENSHANK. {Tofaiius singnatilis.) THE YELLOWSHANK. {Totamts flavipes.) The Tattlers. This American species has oc- curred twice in England, once in Nottinghamshire and once in Corn- wall. It has the lower back and 179 THE GREEN -LEGGED TATTLER. {Helodrovias ochrcpus.) The Yellowshank. rump dusky brown, and the upper tail-coverts white, banded with brown. Its yellow legs also distinguish it from the other Tattlers. In the genus Helodroiiuis the tarsus is much shorter than in the genus Totanus, and only just exceeds the length of the middle toe and claw. The Green Sandpiper, as it is usually called, is told at once by its dark coloration, which is dark olive-brown, with a few tin}' white spots ; the rump is like the back, but the upper tail-coverts are white, as also are the tail-feathers, the latter having blackish bars ; the under surface is white, with brown streaks on the lower throat and fore-neck ; the feet are greyish-blue, tinged with green. Young birds have pale edgings of ashy-bronze to the feathers of the upper surface. The Green Sandpiper does not breed in Great Britain, but it occurs plentifully on migration on the banks of rivers and inland waters. In the autumn it frequents the muddy ditches of tidal waters, generally in small parties of si.x or eight together. It breeds in Northern Europe and Siberia, and is found in winter in Africa, India and Australia. It nests m trees, generally selecting the old nest of a Thrush or other bird, but sometimes laying its eggs on the moss of an old bough. The eggs are four in number, about one-and-a-half inches in length, greenish-white or clay-colour, with reddish-brown and purplish-grey blotches and spots. The Common Summer-Snu'e. The Wood-Tattlek. The Gree.n-legged Tattler. 12'' i8o British Birds. The Solitary Tattler. THE SOLITARY Distinguished TATTLER. ^^^^ jj^g f^^^^. {Helodromas . , , . ,., ■ > going by having solitaniis.) no white on the rump ; the white bars on the a.xillaries are much broader than in the Green Sandpiper. It is a North American species, and has occurred three times within the British area, once in Scotland, on the Clyde, once in the Scilly THE COMMON SUMMER-SNIPE. (Triiigoides hypolcitcus.) Set p. 179. Islands and once in Cornwall. This little bird differs from the Tattlers in its short bill, short legs and more pointed wings, the long secondaries being nearly equal to the primaries in length. It nests on the moors of the south-west of England and in Wales, in the north of England and Scotland, and in every county in Ireland. In other parts of Great Britain it is a common migrant. It nests throughout Northern and Central I'Airope in suitable localities, as well as in Northern Asia, and winters in Africa, India and Australia. At the nesting-place the ' Summer-Smpe ' is ver}' demonstrative, and makes a great fuss when its domain is invaded. A pair is to be found in Norway at about every quarter of a mile, nesting on the green banks by the rivers or on the sides of the lakes, but the nest is always hard to discover. The species is never found in large flocks, though small family parties may be seen during the autumn migration, frequenting the pasture lands near the shores of the ri\ers, and often feeding round the cattle, when they keep up a bobbing motion of the tail like a Wagtail. The nest is a depression in the moss, and the eggs are four in number, pear-shaped, clay-colour or greenish-white, with spots and blotches of chocolate-brown and purplish-grey. The winter plumage of this species is almost identical with that of our Summer-Snipe, but it may be recognised by the black sub-terminal bar on all the secondaries, none of which are entirely white as in the preceding species, and also by the colour of the bill, which is yellow for some distance along the under mandible. It is a North American species, which is believed to have oc- curred in Great Britain. In habits and nesting it The Spotted Summer-Snipe. THE SPOTTED SUMMER-SNIPE. (Tringoidcs viaculartus.) The Tattlcis. i8i THE GREENSHANK. (Glottis nebularius.) The Greenshank. resembles our Summer-Snipe from which it differs in its spotted under- parts in summer. This is the largest of the group of Tat- tlers, and has a slightl}' upturned bdl, while there is scarcely any web between the base of the inner and middle toes. The plumage of the Greenshank IS ashy-grey with whitish edges to the feathers ; the lower back, rump and upper tail-coverts are pure white, as also are the tail-feathers, which have broken bars of black ; the under surface of the body is pure white, with some dusky freckhngs on the side of the breast, and some streaks on the sides of the neck. Young birds are tinged with brown on the upper surface and have distinct bars across the tail. The Greenshank is chiefly known as a migrant on our coasts, but a few stay through the winter. It breeds in the north of Scotland and on the islands of the west of Scotland. It also nests throughout Northern Europe and Siberia, and migrates in winter to Africa, India and Australia. It is a shy bird at all times of the year, and makes a slight nest of grass or dead leaves in a depression of the ground. The eggs are four in number, pear-shaped, and of a creamy-buff colour, with spots and blotches of blackish-chestnut and grey ; they measure an inch-and-three-quarters to a little over two inches in length. In this species the bill is very short, and the legs rather long ; the centre tail-feathers are not produced beyond the others, as in most of the Tattlers. It has also a peculiarly spotted plumage. It is believed to have nested in Great Britain in former days, but is now only known as a visitor, occurring every autumn on our eastern coasts, but being much rarer on the west and in Ireland. Its breeding-range extends throughout Northern Europe and Siberia, and it visits Africa, India, and the Malayan Archipelago on its winter migration. The Wood-Tattler makes its nest in the neighbourhood of swamps, but often on the open grass-land surrounded by trees, on which the bird often perches. Mr. H. L. Popham has found it utilising the old nests of the Fieldfare in the Yenesei Valley, but its nest is generally a slight depression in the ground, lined with a few stalks and dry grass. The eggs are four in number, olive-grey or stone-colour, handsomely spotted and blotched with blackish or reddish-brown and purplish-grey ; they measure about an inch-and-a-(iuarter to an inch-and-a-half in length. THE WOOD- TATTLER. {Rhyafopliilus glai'tola,} Si'f p. 179. l82 British Birds. This is one of the most curious of all Wading Birds, for no THE RUFF. ^^^_^ males are exacth' alike. On the sides of the crown is a kind [PavonccUatugnax.) ^j- ^.^jy ^j. ^^^^^^^ ^^.^jig ^^ t,-,e breast is a large shield of plumes, and these may be of any colour or pattern, plain white or black, or barred with white, rufous, black, or cream-colour, in never ending variety. The female and the male in winter plumage, as well as the young birds, look like any ordinary Tattler. The male is much larger than the female, which is known as the ' Reeve.' There is no white on the quills, but the axillaries are white, so that the bird in winter plumage can be easil}' recognised. The Ruff used formerly to breed in our fen-lands, but is now only an oc- casional visitor. It nests in favoured localities in Northern Europe and Si- beria, and can still be seen breeding in the marsh-lands of Northern France, Holland and Denmark. The head- dress and the pectoral frill are orna- ments donned for the breeding-season, and the males fight for the possession of the females. The nest is a depression in a tuft of long grass, and the eggs, alwavs well-concealed, are four in number. oli\e or clay-coloured, with streaks or blotches of rufous brown or black, with underl_\-ing markings of purplish-grey. The length is from about an inch-and-a-half to an inch-and-three-quarters. The Ruff. Bartram's Tattler. The Buff-hreastkii Sandpiper. In the genus ISnrtiaiiiiu the bill is short and not B.^RTR.VM'S tattler. ^^ ,^^g ^g j^^ j^j,^ j,^g l^jjgj. being graduated, and the outer feathers much shorter than the middle ones. 1 he general colour of the bird is tawny, mottled or barred with black. It is a North Tlic Stints. [8- THE BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER. (Tringites subrujicollis.) THE SANDERLING. (Calidris arenaria.) American species, which has occurred in England and Ireland on several occasions in the autumn and winter. At this season of the year it wanders to South America, and has even been captured in Australia. With the present species commences the Sub-family Scolopachuv, or Snipes and Sandpipers. They are distinguished from the Totanimc by having the toes cleft to the base, with no web between them. In the genus Tringites the bill is short, measuring less than the length of the tarsus, and the centre tail-feathers are not produced beyond the others. The Buff- breasted Sandpiper is a North American bird, which has occurred about sixteen times in the British Islands. It is a very conspicuous species by reason of the mottling on the under side of the primary-quills. {See p. 182.) The Sanderling differs from all the other species of Sandpipers in the absence of the hind-toe. It is a very pretty bird, especially in summer, with the bright rufous colour of the upper parts, and its chestnut throat and breast ; but in autumn it looks much whiter than any of its allies, and only the Kentish Plover presents the same appearance on the shore. The Sanderling breeds in the Arctic Regions of Siberia and North America, but very few authentic eggs have as yet been taken. In autumn and winter it is a very common bird on all our coasts, and ranges to Africa, as well as India, Australia and South America. When noticed in England, it is either consorting with Dunlins and other Waders, or it goes in flocks consisting mostly of young birds of its own species. Colonel Fedden found the nest in Grinnell Land at a height of several hundred feet above the sea : it was a depression in the centre of a recumbent plant of the Arctic Willow, and had a few dead lea\es and catkins for its lining. The eggs are four in number, a little more than an inch-and-a-quarter in length, of a pale olive-brown, faintly mottled and spotted with brown and violet-grey. The Stints have a hind-toe and a very short bill, and they are all very elegant little birds, being remarkabl}' tame in their Thk Sanderling. THE LITTLE STINT. (himunites inhinia.) arctic breeding-haunts, so much so that they scarcely move from their nest when it is being rifled, and Mr. Pearson tells of one that actually sat on his gun. The Little Stint belongs to the section of the genus which has the tail-feathers smoky-brown : it has blackish legs, and is dis- tinctly of a rufous shade both in old individuals and young birds of the year, while, in winter, the old birds are ashy above and white below. To Great Britain the Little Stint is a visitor during the spring and autumn migrations, but does not breed with iS4 British Birds. us: it nests throui,'liout the tundra of Xdithern Europe and Siberia. The nest is a depression in the ground, lined with a few dead leaves. The eggs only measure a little over an inch in length ; they are four in number, uniform in shape, of an olive-grey or creamy-brown colour, with distinct chocolate-brown or blackish markings, and underlying spots of light grev. The Little Stint. The Americ.^^n Stint. Temminck's Stint. THE AMERICAN STINT. {Limonitci miiiuiilla.] TEMMINCK'S STINT. (Llmonites tcmm'inck'i.') This is a smaller species than our Little Stint, and has an ashy- brown fore-neck and chest, mottled with dark spots and shaft- streaks. It is a North American species, and has occurred but twice in England, once in Cornwall and once in Devonshire. In this little species, which is a smaller and much greyer bird than the foregoing Stints, the outer tail-feathers are pure w liite. It is a migratory visitor to Great Britain, but is a rarer bird than the Little Stint. It breeds on the tundra of Northern Europe and Asia, but does not go so far south in winter, as it does not wander beyond North-eastern Africa and Senegambia, whereas the Little Stint migrates as far as South Africa. Both species visit the Indian Peninsula in winter. Seebohm says that Temminck's Stint is not so exclusively a marine bird as the Little Stint, and the male has quite a song during the breeding-season, not unlike that of a Grasshopper- Warbler. The male is said to hatch out the eggs, which are four in number, rather -smaller than those of 7". m'lnuta, and with the markings less distinct. They measure a little more than an inch in length, but do not reach an inch-and-a-quarter. The nest is a depression in the ground, with a little dry grass for lining, and several are often seen in close proximity. In the genus Heteropygia, the general appearance of the birds is like that of the Dunlins, but the bill is shorter than the tarsus, and the latter is longer than the middle toe and claw, in which respect the}' differ from the Stints. This Sandpiper is a North American species, and on migration occurs thoughout THE PECTORAL SANDPIPER. {Hcteropygia macitlata.) TIic Sandpipers. 185 K^^F' The Pectoral Sandpiper. South America. It has heen met with in Great Britain on at least twenty-live oc- casions, and is to be told by the broad band across the breast, the brown legs and dark upper tail-coverts. During the breeding- season the male has a habit of inflating his throat till it hangs down like a kind of dew- lap. The nest is built in the grass in a high and dry situation, and the eggs are four in number, pear-shaped, stone-grey, with spots, blotches, and tiny dots of blackish brown and pale grey. THE SHARP-TAILED PECTORAL SANDPIPER. [Hetcropygia acituiinatn.) This species is very like the Pec- toral Sandpiper, but has not such a wide breast-band, which is also not so well-defined, while the flanks are plentifully streaked with dusky black. Its home is in North-eastern Siberia, and it migrates in winter to Alaska, Japan, China, and as far south as Australia. It has twice occurred in Norfolk. The Sharp-tailed Pectoral Sandpiper. BONAPARTE'S SANDPIPER. (hh'tcropyg'uT fuscicuHis.) This is very like a small Dunlin in appearance, but is ^ -i^rr=;-=.-;^,-/^- distinguished by its \ V^ '-''' shorter bill, which is not longer than the ^^ V*' tarsus. The upper tail-coverts are white, and this character suffices to separate Bonaparte's Sandpiper at all ages. It is a common North American species, but has been found accidently in Great Britain about a dozen times. It has occurred as far east as Franz Josef Land, where Mr. V. G. Jackson obtained it. The bill is longer than the tarsus in this species, and the THE PURPLE ,.^j,^^ j^ j^^j g^j^j,^, j^, j,,y ,^.„^.th of the middle toe. The thigh is feathered right down to the bend of the tarsus. The Purple Sandpiper may nest on the hills of the Shetlands and the moors Bonaparte'.s Sandpiper. SANDPIPER. (Arquatella maritima.) i86 British Birds. The Puri'le Sandpiper. of Northern Scotland, l)ut no authentic instances of its nestinp; within Britisli limits are known. It breeds, however, in the Arctic Regions of Europe and North-eastern America, and has re- cently been found nestinf^ in Franz Josef Land by the Jackson-Harms- worth Expedition. It is easily recog- nised by its black rump and upper tail- coverts, and its white inner secondaries. In the winter plumage, in which the back is sooty black, there is a distinct tinge of purple, from which the bird gets its name. The summer plumage is very dull and has an admixture of rufous on the upper parts. The present species is found on rocky coasts and on the sea-shore, but it does not frequent mud-fiats in the manner of a Dunlm. The nest is a depression in the moss, and the eggs are four in number, pear-shaped, like those of the Dunlin, but are larger, and measure about an inch-and-a-half in length. The tarsus in this species is longer, and exceeds the length of the middle toe. The bill is slightly curved downwards and is very slender. The Curlew Sandpiper is a regular autumn visitor to all our coasts, and on the return journey in spring a few red-plumaged birds also occur. Although found nearl}' all over the world in the winter season, the nesting-place of the Curlew Sandpiper remained a ni}stery until 1IS97, when Mr. H. L. Popham discovered the eggs at the mouth of the Yenesei. The nest was a depression in the ground and the eggs closel}' resembled those of the Purple Sandpiper. In its habits the present species is much like a Dunlin, from which it may be distinguished by its white rump and upper tail-coverts. Young birds, which are most frequently met with on our English coasts, have some buff-coloured edges to the feathers of the upper surface, and there is a tinge of buff on the fore-neck and breast. _ Like the foregoing species, the Knot is rufous in summer, and white underneath in winter, and the young birds are freckled with white margins to the feathers of the upper surface. The bill in the Knot is straight and somewhat widened at the end, and the middle THE CURLEW- SANDPIPER. {Ancylochilns subarquatiis.) The Curlew-Saxdph'Ef THE KNOT. (Tringa canutus.) The Sandpipers. 187 The Knot. THE DUNLIN. (Pelidna nlpina.) tail-feathers do not protrude beyond the others, so that the tail is square, not pointed as in the Dunlins. The breeding-home of the Knot is in the Arctic Regions, but, although nestlings were procured by Colonel Feilden in Grinnell Land, the eggs are still un- known, though there is one in the British Museum from Greenland, which seems to be fairly well authenticated. It is of an olive stone-colour, blotched and spotted with reddish brown, black and grey ; the length is a little over an inch-and-a-half. The Knot migrates in company, and is often associated with Dunlins on the mud- flats. It visits Africa and India, and even Australia in its winter migration, as well as South America, but many remain in more northern haunts and winter on the English coasts. In these birds the bill is longer than the tarsus, and the tail is graduated and pointed, the centre feathers exceeding the others in length. In summer the Dunlin has a black breast, this being white in winter. It nests on the moors in the South-west and North of England, as also in Scotland and Ireland. In autumn and winter it is very plentiful on the mud-flats and the shores of all our coasts. It also nests throughout Northern Europe and Northern Asia, as well as in North America, wintering as far south as the West Indies and Calilbrnia, and in the Old World visiting the Mediterranean countries, the Red Sea, and the coasts of India and China. Of all our W'ading-birds the Dunlin is the most common and easy to observe, and it may be noticed in large flocks on the mud-flats, or on the beach when the tide is full. The nest is a little depression in the ground, with a lining of grass, roots, or moss, and is generally well concealed by overhanging grass or heather. The eggs are four in number, and pear-shaped ; they vary in colour from stone-grey or greenish-grey to chocolate, with the usual blotches and spots of reddish-brown, Thk Dunlin. black and grey. 1 88 British Birds. THE BROAD-BILLED SANDPIPER. (Limicola platyrhyncha.) The Broad-billed Sandpiper. The peculiar bill o t the present species is its best character for dis- tinction, as it has the culmen broad and flat, tapering off into an awl-like tip, which is slight!}' decurved also ; the bill too is rather long (i'3-inch) and e.xceeds the tarsus (O'8-inch) con- siderably in length. It is a darker bird than a Dunlin, being mottled with rufous in summer, and having the throat and breast thickly marked with dusky blackish streaks ; in winter the under surface of the body is white, with a few dusky streaks on the breast. So far as is known the species has not been noticed in Scotland, and has occurred only once in Ireland, but nearly a dozen specimens have been procured in the eastern and southern counties of England. It breeds in Northern Europe and Siberia, and is found in winter in China, India and in the Mediterranean countries. The nest is placed on a tuft of grass in a bog. The eggs are four in number, and are dark in colour, varying from pinkish-brown to stone or olive-gre}', blotched and spotted with chocolate-brown and gre}' ; tlieir length is about an inch-and-a-quarter to nearly an inch-and-a-half. The Snipes and the Woodcocks can be told by the position of T H P the eve, which is placed so far back in the head that the opening GREAT SNIPE. . " . ■ r , „ ... . , cit the ear is lust below the hinder margin oi the e\'e. Snipes \Ualiina^n major) - , * r may be distinguished from Woodcocks b}' the markings on the head being linear, and not transverse, and there are no bars on the primary quills. The Great Snipe has the outer tail- coverts white, without bars, and the wing- coverts have con- spicuous white tips. It has also sixteen tail-feathers instead of The Common Snipe. The Great Snipe. Tlic Snipes. 189 fourteen, and has a shorter bill (two-and-a-half inches) than the Common Snipe, though it is a larger and heavier bird than the latter species. It has occurred in every part of the United Kingdom, and a few are shot every autumn. It nests in Northern Europe, as well as in Holland and Northern Germany, as far as the valley of the Yenesei in Siberia, and it winters in Africa. The males congregate in small parties during the nesting-season, like the Ruffs, and are not shy, feeding mostly in the evenings. The nest is a depression in a tuft of grass, with a little moss or dead grass for lining, and the eggs, four in number and pear-shaped, are stone-grey or clay-colour, with strong!}' marked black blotches, generally clustered round the larger end of the egg. The length varies from an inch-and-three- quarters to nearly two inches. The Common Snipe has a long bill (2-8 inches) and may be recognised b^' the blackish bars on a rufescent ground on the outer tail-feathers. It nests everywhere in Great Britain in localities suited to its habits, and large numbers visit us in the autumn and winter. It also breeds in northern and temperate Europe, east to Central Asia, and winters in the Mediterranean and Red Seas, as well as in India, Burma, and China. In autumn and winter the Snipe, without being exactly gregarious, is found in considerable numbers in the same marsh, and instances are on record of flocks having been noticed. During the breeding- season the male has a curious habit of ' drumming ' in the air, which seems to be a kind of love-song. The nest is a small depression lined with dead grass, and is placed in a tuft of grass or clump ot sedge. The eggs are four in number, and are brownish clay-colour or stone-grey with blotches and spots of black, reddish-brown and purplish-grey ; the length is about an inch-and-a-half to an inch-and-three-quarters. Sabine's Snipe is only a dark form of the Common Snipe, and occu THE COMMON SNIPE. {GalUnago gallinago.) unfrequently. THE J.^CK SNIPE (Limitocryptes gnllinuln.) occurs not This is a smaller species than the two fore- Thil Jack Snu'k. Sabine's Snipe. going ones, and has a blackish wedge- shaped tail, composed of only twelve feathers. The breast-bone is also remark- able for having two notches in Its posterior border. The IQO British Birds. THE WOODCOCK {Scolupnx t'usticiild.) colour is like that of the other Snipes, but the back is beautifulh' shot with green and purple. The Jack Snipe has never been found nesting in Great Britain, and is known only as a winter resident. It nests in the high north of Europe and Siberia, migrating to China, India and the Mediterranean countries. In habits it resembles the Com- mon Snipe, but does not utter any note on rising, from which cause it has often been called the ' Dumb ' Snipe. The nest is built in marshy bogs : the eggs are four in number, pear-shaped, marked like those of the Common Snipe, and measure from about an inch-and-three-eighths to an inch-and-three-quarters in length. As already noticed, this species may be distinguished from the .Snipes by the transverse markings on the head, and by the notches or bars on the inner web of the primary-quills, which only appear on the secondaries in the young birds. The tail- feathers have a grey band at the tip, which is silvery-whitish underneath. The Woodcock nests in most of the wooded districts of Eng- land, Scotland and Ireland, and a large migration takes place every autumn and spring. It breeds throughout Central and Northern Europe and Asia, as well as in Japan and the Himalayas. The food of the Woodcock consists of worms, for which it probes with its long bill in the ground, feeding chietly at night. Every evening in the mountains of Alfheim in Nor- way a Woodcock used to lly from the woods on one side of the lake to feed in a marsh on the other side, and he came each evening e.xactly at ten o'clock, nor during a whole month did I ever notice a couple of minutes difference in the time of his passing, so that he was as good as a clock to us on our fishing excursions on the lake. The nest is a depression in the griiund, lined with grass and dead leaves. The eggs are four in number, and are more rounded than those of the Snipes, though occasionally pear-shaped. The colour is a clay-brown with reddish-brown and purplish-grey spots. The length is from an inch-and-five-eighths to an inch-and-seven-eighths. vVf^.^ The Woodcock. Tlic Hcron-likc Birds. 191 THE GREY PHALAROPE. (Crymnpliiliis fulicarius.) The Phalaropes are peculiar little birds and are re- markable for their lobed toes, and for the serrated ridge on the hinder aspect of the tarsus, in both of which characters they resemble the Grebes. In the Grey Phalarope, which, it should be remarked, is only grey in winter and is rufous in summer, the bill is short and does not exceed the tarsus in length ; it is some- what flattened and slightly widened at the end. It is an inhabitant of the Arctic Regions of both Hemispheres, and only visits Great Britain on migration, but occurs sometimes in large numbers. In winter it has been found as far south as the coasts of Chile, the Indian Ocean, and even in the New Zealand seas. The female is a larger bird than the male and does all the courting, the male being left to hatch out the eggs. The nest is a depression in the ground, scantily lined with dr}' leaves, and the eggs are four in number, very much pointed, and of a dark cla\'-brown or chocolate, sometimes tinged with olive, and marked with dark brown or blackish spots, and grey underlying spots. They measure about one-and-three-sixteenths to one-and-three-eighths of an inch in length. The bill Thk Grey Phalarope. THE RED-NECKED PHALAROPi;. iPltalaropits hypcrboreus.) IS longer m this species, and tapers to a point, while the tarsus exceeds the length of the middle toe and claw. The colour also is difl'erent from that of the Grey Phala- rope, being slaty-grey above, includmg the head and hind- neck, with the lower throat bright rufous, as well as the sides of the neck. The Red- necked Phalarope nests in the Orkney and Shetland Tin. Red-necki.d Phai.akoi'E. 192 British Birds. Islands, as well as on the Outer Hebrides, but is diminishing in numbers. It also breeds in the north of Europe and Siberia as well as in North America, but does not extend quite so far north as the Grey Phalarope. In winter it is found along the Atlantic coast of America, and also occurs in the Indian Ocean and the Australian Seas. x\s in the latter species, the male is smaller than the female, and is not so brightly coloured as his mate, and takes her place in the incubation of the eggs and the rearing of the young. The nest is a depression in the ground, lined with fine grass, and is generally placed in the middle of a tuft of grass, close to water. The eggs are smaller than those of the Grey Phalarope and are darker, with blackish blotches all over the surface; the length is a little over an inch-and-a-quarter. Wilson's Phalarope. In this Phalarope the bill is very long and slender, and the tarsus is also long and equals the bill in length. The plumage is more variegated with grey and rufous than m the preceding species. It is an inhabitant of North America, migrating to South America in winter. A specimen is said to have been obtained m Leicestershiie. WILSON'S PHALAROPE. {Steganopus tyiculor The Gulls. 193 The Gulls.— cj;y/«- Larifuf{mes. At first sight a Gull would seem to be different from a Plover in no small degree, but anatomists have shewn that the two groups possess many characters in common, so that it is impossible to draw a wide distinction between them in the Natural System. However much they may be related, there is one character which at once distinguishes the Gulls from the Plovers and Snipes, and that is — the webbed feet of the former. The Gulls have two well-marked Families, viz., the Lni-idn or Gulls and Terns, and the Stercorariiclo' or Skuas. The former have no cere at the base of the bill, and have two notches in the hinder end of the breast-bone. The first Sub-family oi Laridii consists of the Terns or Sea-Swallows, and the latter differ in their more or less forked tail, and in the shape of the bill, which is usually slight and slender, with the two mandibles nearly equal in length. P'lrst of all we have the Marsh- Terns [Hydrochelidon], consisting of small species, of wide range in both Hemispheres. This species has the upper surface slaty-grey, and the under surface leaden-black. In winter the under surface is white, as well as the forehead, THE BL.'\CK TERN. (Hydrochelidun 111 or a.) hinder the liincler crown and nape being black. It can always be distinguished from the other small Marsh-Terns which come to our shores, by the pale grey under wing-coverts, and in winter the rump and tail are grey like the back. The Black Tern formerly bred in the marshes of the eastern counties of England, but now only visits us on migration, many of the young birds being found along our rivers in autumn. It nests in the marshes of Central I-^urope, as far east as Central Asia, and winters off the coasts of Africa, resorting to the marsli-lands and nesting Thk Black Tern. The Sooty Tern. 13 194 British Birds. in colonies. The nest is made of decaying; plants and weeds, the e!,'i;s beint; only three in number, varvin.i; from deep clay-colour to greenish ,L;re>- or buff, with black confluent blotches or spots, and jjrey underlying spots. The length is about an inch-and-a-half. An accidental visitor to Great I3ritain, of which five examples have been recorded from England and one from Ireland. It is a South European species, but it also breeds in Africa and India. It is easily distinguished by its red bill, white chin and sides of face, and white under wing-coverts, as well as by the grej' upper and under tail-coverts. In the winter plumage, when it re- sembles H . nigra more closely, it may be told by the deeper incision of the web on the foot. In habits it resembles the Black Tern, and breeds in colonies. The nests float on the water, and are merely platforms of reeds and rushes. The eggs are three in number, of a greenish-grey or clay-colour, with blackish blotches and scribblings ; their length is from an inch-and-three-eighths to an inch-and-five-eighths. This species has THE WHISKERED TERN. (Hydrochelidon Jiybrida ) Sec p. 195. THE WHITE-WINGED BLACK TERN. (Hydrochelidun lettcoptern.) the under surface of the body and the under wing-coverts black, and it is easily told by the white upper tail-coverts and tail, and by the patch of white along the carpal bend of the wing. In winter the white tail still distinguishes the species, but young birds are more difficult to tell, though they always show some white on the rump. It has occurred many times on the southern and eastern coasts of I*'ngland, as well as in Ireland. It breeds throughout the marshes of Southern Europe and Central Asia, as well as in .Vtrica. In habits, nest and eggs, the species resembles the other Marsh Terns. As will be gathered from its name, this Tern has a ver}- stout bill, like that of a Gull. The tail is short, and decidedly forked, and the tarsus is long, e.xceeding the length of the middle toe and claw. The Gull-billed Tern is a common bird in Southern Europe and even nests as far north as Denmark, and it is also found breeding" in China, Australia and North America. It has been taken in England on several occasions. It feeds on small fish and frogs, as well as on grasshoppers and other insects. The nest is a hollow in the sand, lined ThK WHITE-WINGKr) Black Tekn. THE GULL-BILLED TERN. {Gclochelidon auglica.) The Tcjiis. 195 m. The Whiskered Tern. The Gull-eilled Tern. THE CASPL\N THRN. [HydropYognc cnsf'ia.) with a little sea-weed or dead grass, and the egt;s are two or three in number, pale stone-buft' with a slight olive tinge, spotted all over with blackish and grey, hut not so as to form blotches ; the length is from an inch-and-three-quarters to two-inches- and-a-half, so that there is great variation in the size of the eggs. This species measures nineteen inches in length, and is recognised by its large size and b}- its red bill. It has occurred several times off the southern and eastern coasts of England, and it breeds in the Island of Sylt and in the Mediterranean, as well as on the Indian and Australian coasts. It also nests in North America. This large species feeds almost entirely on fish, and is a bird of power- ful flight, making a great demonstration m defence of its nest. The latter is only a depression m the sand, with a few shells or bents of grass for lining. The eggs are two or three in number, greyish-buff or stone buff, with markings of chocolate-brown or blackish, not forming blotches. Their length is from two - and - a - quarter to two - and -a- half inches. Tmi: C.\siman Tern. 13* 196 British Binis. THE COMMON TERN. (Sterna fliivi(Uilis ) The members of the genus Stcnni all have a very slender and pointed bill, and a Umg and forked tail. The tarsus is short, and is less than the length of the middle toe and claw. The Common Tern is of a pearl-grey colour above, white under- neath, with a black cap; the bill is coral-red, tipped with black. In wmter the head is white with the hmder crown more or less black. Young birds may be told by a dark grey band along the wing-coverts : otherwise they resemble the winter plumage of the adults. The species breeds as far north as the Isle of Skye on the west, and the Moray Firth on the east of Scotland, its place being taken to the northward by the Arctic Tern, It is also found nesting on the islands off most ot the coasts of Ireland as well as on inland lakes in many of the counties. It nests in most parts The ARtTic Tern. The Common Tekn. of Europe, both on the coast and on inland lakes, and is also found through Central Asia to Cashmere and Thibet, It also breeds throughout temperate North America as far south as Te.xas, In winter it is found in Brazil and on the coasts ot Africa and India. The food of this species consists principally of small hsh, tor which it hunts in company, continually dipping into the water with a graceful flight, which has gained for the birds the name of ' Sea-Swallows.' They also nest in company on the shingle, making a depression in the sand. The eggs are three in number, rarely four, varying from stone-colour to ochreous-buff or rufous brown, with black spots and markings, more or less distinct according to the light or dark colour of the egg ; the length is an inch-and-a-half to an inch-and-three-quarters. The Terns. 197 THE ARCTIC TERN. ySti'rna macynra.) See p. ig6. A slii^htly smaller species than the Common Tern, and having the hill entirel)' coral-red without any hlack tip. 'Ihe tarsus is shorter than in the last-named species and does not exceed the length of the middle toe without the claw. The wings reach to the tip of the tail and the latter does not exceed them. The black cap is only assumed during summer, and the winter plumage resembles that of the Common Tern. It is a maritime species and is rather more northerly in its nesting- range than the Common Tern, and replaces that species in the north of Scotland ; it also breeds in Ireland along with S. flnviatilis. It nests in the high north of both the Old and New Worlds, and in winter occurs on the coasts of South America and Africa. In habits the Arctic Tern does not differ from its ally, and the nest is a depression in the shingle or moss, with a little dead grass for a lining in the latter situation. The eggs are very similar to those of the Common Tern, but are often more spotted ; they measure one-inch-and-three-eighths to one-inch-and-three-quarters in length. The Roseate Tern. The Sandwich Tern. THE ROSEATE TERN. {Stfrnn doni^alli.) The slender and graceful form of this Sea- Swallow, with the black bill, orange only at the base of the mandible, and the rosy blush on the breast, distinguish the species from its allies. The inner webs of the primaries are also white up to the tips. The Roseate Tern used to breed in several localities in England and Ireland, but of late years its nesting places have become more restricted, though it occasionally nests on the Fames and on the coast of Wales. It breeds in many parts of North America and in certain localities in Europe and in the Indian Ocean as well as in Northern Australia. It is also found in many of the southern seas in winter. In habits it resembles the other Terns and makes a similar depression in the sand for the 1 98 British Bii-ds. THE SANDWICH TERN. {Stt'l'tia cn)itin<'ti.) THE SMALLER SOOTY TERN. (Sterna ntucslluia.) reception of its ejjgs, which are only two in number; thev are a httle larger than those of the Commnn Tern, and measure from an inch-and-a-half to an inch- and-se\'en -eighths. The present species is larger than the cither species of Sli'nia, and is recognised by its black feet and bill, the latter having a yellow tip. The head is crested, the feathers being pointed and so forming a crest. The Sandwich Tern is a summer visitor tc' Great Britain, and still breeds in a few places where it is protected, but many of its old nesting-haunts are no longer frequented. It breeds throughout Southern Europe and the Caspian Sea, as well as in Eastern North America. In winter it is found along the African coasts and those of the Indian Ocean, as well as ofi" Central America. The nest is a depression in the sand, and is sometimes lined with bents. The eggs are two. seldom three, in number, clav-coloured. and generalK boldly blotched with black. They measure two to two-and-a-half inches in length. The upper surface in this species is sooty black, with a white lorchead and a black streak through the lores ; the mantle is somewhat more gre\' than the head or back. The young birds are quite difl'erent from those of other Terns, being of an uniform soot}' colour with white or rufous tips to the feathers. The species inhabits the seas of the Trojiics on both sides ol the Atlantic, and is found also in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. One specimen is said to have been caught at the mouth of the Thames in September, 1S75. This Tern lays its single egg in the fissure of a rock or in holes of tiie coral sandstone. This Tern is exactly like the foregoing, but is a larger bird, and has the web of the foot more fully developed and not so much excised as in that species. It is generally' distributed over the southern oceans, and has occuried in England on three occasions. It nests in enormous numbers on Ascension Island and on other islands such as Laysan and also on the islands of Torres' Straits. The single egg is laid on the sand or among the fissures of volcanic or coral rocks. The small size and the yellow bill, tipped with black, serve to distinguish the Little Tern from its allies. It nests throughout the greater part of Europe and Central Asia, and is lound along the coasts of the African and Indian Oceans in winter. It breeds in The Sm.^llkr Sootv Tern. THE SOOTY TEKN. {SIi'Hiii fnlii;inus(i.\ ScL p. 193. THE LITTLE TERN. {Sterna niiniita.) TJic Gulls. 199 scattered colonies on most of the shores of the British Islands. The hahits of the Little Tern resemble those of its larger brethren, and the nest is a depression in the sand, though in some places it is surrounded by a ring of shells. The eggs measure a little over an inch-and- a quarter, but never reach an inch-and- a-half in length. The eggs are two, si.ldoni three, in number, of a light buff or clay-brown, with the blackish markings distributed over the egg and seldom forming blotches. The Little Tern. The Noddy Tkrn. nearly flat on the top. There is only one eg guished from the egg of that bird by the green colour inside when held up to the light ; the length is from two inches to two-and -three-eighths. Sabine's (lull belongs to the group of fork-tailed Gulls. It is a beautiful little bird, of a grey colour above, which extends over the throat, and is separated from the white breast by a black THE NODDY TERN. {Anons stoliiiiis.) The u n i f o r m c h o c o 1 a t e - b r o w n colour and the grey crown render the Noddy easil}' recognisable. Two speci- mens have been obtained in Ireland, but the species inhabits the tropical seas, where it nests on many of the islands in large numbers, the nest being placed on the ground or on the top of a small bush; it is made of sea-weed and is .similar to that of the Sootv Tern, but distin- .'-..-= _.- SABINE'S GULL. (Xenia subinii.) Sabine's Gull. 200 British Birds. collar ; the bill is black with a yellow tip, and there is a ring of bright vermilion round the e\e. The specimens of Sabine's Gull which occur oft' our coasts are mostly young birds, but at least two adult ones have also been secured. Its nesting- home is in the Arctic regions, and it breeds throughout North America, from Baffin Bay to Alaska, as well as in the high north of Eastern Siberia. The habits of this species are said to be very like those of a Tern, but it also frequents the beaches, and runs with great swiftness, so that it can be easily mistaken for a Wading- bird. It nests in compan}', and the two eggs are laid on the ground or on a few blades of grass. The colour of the eggs is unmistakable among those of the Gulls, being of a very dark olive-brown with indistinct spots and blotches of reddish-brown and gre}' ; the length is from an inch-and-five-eighths to an inch -and •se\en -eighths. In breed - THE WEDGE-T.\ILED GL'LL. {Rhodostct]iia rosea.") ing plumage Ross's Gull, as this The Wedge-tailed Gi'll. species IS generally called, is of a light pearly grey, with the tail, underparts, and head and neck white, with a black collar round the latter. On the breast there is at first a lovely rosy blush, which fades in preserved specimens : it is less pronounced in winter, when the black collar is also absent. In young birds there is a black band at the end of the tail, and there is a black patch behind the eye. Ross's Gull breeds in the Arctic regions, and Ur. Nansen found its nesting-haunts on some islands in Lat. So" 38' N, Long. 63 E. It has been noticed in Green- land and many other places in the high north, and has been seen abundantly on migration at Point Barrow in the autumn. A single specimen has been said to have been procured in Yorkshire. The nest has not yet been described, but an egg ascribed to this species is in the British Museum; it resembles that of Sabine's Gull, but is a little larger: length an inch-and-seven-eighths. The small size of this pretty little Gull is the best character for its recognition, as it is only about ten-and-a- half inches in length. It has a black cap in summer, but in winter the head is white, with the hinder crown slaty-grey, and a blackish patch behind the eye. The young birds resemble the winter plumage of the adults, but have a black band at the end of the tail. The species THE LITTLE GULL. {Ltinis ntinutiis.) The Gulls. 20I occasionally visits our shores in some numbers, and occurs nearly every autumn and winter. It breeds on the lakes of Northern and Central Russia, the nest being on the marshy ground, and composed of leaves, grass and sedge. The eggs are three or four in number, and are like those of the Common Tern : they measure from an inch-and-a-half to an inch-and- three-quarters in length. This 1 a r tr e THE GREAT BLACK-HE.\DED GULL, {Lams ichtltyaetus.) See p. 202. Gull, \v h i c h measures about two - and - a - half feet in length, is e a s i 1 \' distin- guished b}- its size from all the other Hooded Gulls. It is an mhabitant of South-eastern Russia and Central Asia, and a summer-plumaged indi- vidual was shot near Exmouth in May or June, 1859. The changes of plumage are similar to those under- gone by the smaller Hooded Gulls. The bright THE MEDITERRANEAN BLACK-HEADED GULL. (Lnnis melanocephalus. See />. 202. The Little Gull. Bonap.\rte's Gull. coral-red bill of this species, contrasting with the black head, distinguishes it from the allied Hooded Gulls. The back is light pearly grey. The young birds may be told by the black on both sides of the shaft of the second and third primary. The species inhabits the countries of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, and has twice been shot in England, once on Breydon Broad, near Yarmouth, and once at Barking; both specimens occurred in winter. This North-American species has been noted about half a dozen times in Great Britain, specimens having been shot in Ireland and Scotland as well as in England. It has a black bill, and the hood is of a leaden black, and in the young birds there is no black on the inner margin of the shaft of the third primary, and very little on the inner web of the first and second. Bonaparte's Gull breeds in colonies on the lakes of the interior of North America and makes a nest of sticks in a tree. BONAPARTE'S GULL. [Larits philndelpJiin.) 202 British Binh. The eggs are three or four in number, oHve-brown or dark clay-brown, with markings of reddish brown and dusky-grey. Their length is from an inch-and-three-quarters to a little over two inches. A The Great Black-headed Gull. The Black-headed Gcll. The Mediterranean Black-headed Gcll. THE BLACK-HEADED GULL. {Lanis yidibundits.) This species has a dark brown hood in summer, but m winter the head i.s white, with the hinder crown greyish, while there is a dusky spot in front of the eve and another behind the ear-coverts. There is often a distinct rosy tmge on the white under surface of the body. The species nests m colonies in many parts cif the United Kingdom, generally in marsh}' places, or on islands in lakes, very seldom on rocks or near the sea-shore. It is found nesting in similar localities throughout temperate Europe and Asia. In the autumn and winter these Gulls are found frequenting the coasts, and often ascend rivers. They are now quite a common object on the Thames and on the waters of the London parks. It is a tame species, and ma\' often be seen, in the north of England, following the plough. The nests are built on the ground, but are often floating on the water or supported by water-plants. The eggs are two or three in number, and vary greatl}' in their colour, some being greenish-blue with scarcelv an\' spots, while others are of such a dark brown that the blackish markings can scarceh' be seen. The length is about two to two-and-a-quarter inches. I he Gulls. 20' Thk Great Bi.ack-backkd Gull. THE GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL. {Lartis iiiiirinus.) This is the largest species of British Gull, and is easily disliriijuished by its dimensions. The black back and white head, as well as the large white tip to the first primary are also characters by which it may be told, while the large size of the bill and the len,L;th of the wing (exceeding nineteen inches) will determine young birds in tlieir brown plumage from those of any other British species. The Black-backed Gull breeds in certain parts of our southern and south-western coasts, but is more common in Scotland and Ireland. It is a very powerful .bird, and a great destroyer of the eggs and young of other species. The nest is generally a rough structure of grass and Fea-weed on the summit of a bare rock on an islet, but on the SmOlen Islands in North Norway I found one in the midst of the moss and ling on the top ol a green islet, and in this case the nest was rather more elaborately made. Eggs, two or three, measuring about three inches in length, of a clay-brown or stone-colour, with spots of reddish-brown or black, and underlying grev markings. 204 British Birds. THE LESSER BLACK-BACKED GL'LL. {Lariii fiiscus.) This species has a black or i^reyish-black back, so that it resem- bles the Great Black-backed Gull in this respect, but it is a much smaller bird and has yellow, instead of flesh-coloured, feet. It is found in summer breeding locally throughout the British Islands, and at that season is also generally distributed on the coasts of Northern Europe, as far east as the Dwina and as far south as the Mediterranean, where it also breeds. In winter it visits West Africa, the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. I have seen considerable migrations of this species oft' the coast of Norway, which it passes about the end of Ma\-, proceeding northward by day in flocks of from tv.'enty to two hundred in number. The nest is like that of other Gulls, a rough structure of grass and sea-weed, and the eggs are three or four in number, of a darker tint than those of L. uuiiiuus : they measure about two-and-three-quarter inches in length. The Icela.nd Gull. The Lesser Black-isacked Gvll. THE HERRING-GULL. {Lants argt'ntatus.) This beautiful Gull is nearly as large as L. iiiavinns, but is recognised at once by its pearly-grey back. The bill is not nearly so large as that of the Great Black-backed Gull, and the dimensions will generally serve to identify the young birds in their brown plumage. It breeds in Northern Europe, west of the White Sea, and also in North America, and it is found nesting throughout Great Britain in places suited to its habits, but it is everywhere a marine species and does not nest inland. In winter it migrates south to the Mediterranean Sea and in America as far as the W'est Indies. Like the other big Gulls, the present species is a great robber of I'he Gulls. 205 The Herring Gull. THE COMMON GULL {Larui cnnus.) Other birds' eggs, but it is sometimes seen inland feeding with other Gulls on worms and gram. The nest is placed on the rocks or on the slope of a cliff, often- in company with those of L.fuscus, and the eggs are so similar to those of the latter species, as to be practically indistinguishable ; they measure from a little over two- and-a-half to three inches in length. This is a miniature of the Herring Gull, with a white head and a pearl\-grey back, but it is much smaller than the latter species. The Common Gull nests in Scot- land and Ireland, and it is found breeding in the North of Europe and Asia as far as Kamtchatka, migrating south in winter. In the islands of Northern Nor- wa)- I have found this Gull very plentiful, and it is a beautiful sight to see the islets dotted with these snow-white birds, while the clamour which they make when any one lands on their domain is indescribable. Their cries are so varied that I found The Common Gull. 206 British Bmh. it-impossible to make any attempt to express them in words. Some of the notes are quite musical, while others consist of a harsh scream. The nest is seldom placed at any height on the rocks, but j;enerally at a low level, near the shore, a scanty collection of dead grass or sea-weed forming the nests in a little patch of grass between the low-lying rocks. Sometimes the}' are found on the shores of inland fresh-water lakes, and the Common Gull has been also known to utilize the deserted nest of a Crow or other bird in a tree. The eggs are three in number and vary considerablj- in ground-colour, but the markings are like those of other Gulls. "'*" iiijs Thi; Glaucous Gull. THE GL.\UCOUS GULL. [Lanis hypcrboveiis.) This is a large species of Gull with a white head and tail, and IS especially distinguished by its white primaries. It is a winter visitor to Great Britain and occurs mostly in the northern parts of our area. It is found in the Arctic regions of both Hemis- pheres durnig the breeding season, and migrates south in winter. In habits the species resembles the Great Black-backed Gull, and like that bird is a great robber, feeding on fish, Crustacea and also on young birds, as well as on offal or anything It can pick up. The nest is a depression in the sand, lined with sea-weed, and the eggs, which are three in number, have no especial characteristic to distinguish them from the eggs of other Gulls, and they look like large editions of eggs of the Lesser Black-backed Gull. The length is about three inches. This species has white quills like the Glaucous Gull, but is smaller (wing 16-5 inches |. It visits Great Britain in the winter, but occurs principally oft" the coasts of Scotland, occasionally in some numbers. It nests in Greenland, and wanders south in winter to Great Britain and the shores of Norway and the Baltic Sea. In its habits it is more like the Herring-Gull than the Great Black-backed Gull, and is not so active a bird as the latter. The nest is a depression in the THE ICELAND GULL. (Larus Icucoptcrus.) See p. 204. The Gulls. 207 V ground or on a rock, and the eggs are two or three in num- ber, rather smaller than those of the Glaucous Gull, and measuring two inches-and-a- quarter to nearly three inches in length. THE IVORY GULL. (Pngophila cburnca.) This is a truly The Ivorv Gull. Arctic species and is clothed in snowy plumage throughout, in the adult birds, the young ones having some spots of greyish black. It usually occurs in the British Islands in winter only, and thirty specimens have been captured, the greater number of which have been taken in Scotland. The Ivory Gull nests in the Arctic regions of both Hemispheres, and wanders south in winter as tar as New Brunswick in America, and the coasts of Britain and France in Europe. Its flight is described as being more like that of a Tern than a Gull. In Franz Josef Land Mr. F. G. Jackson tells me that he found it breeding in crowds near Cape Mary Harmsworth, the nest being merely a depression in the moss. The eggs are greyish-brown with blackish spots, and do not exceed two in number. Their length is from two-and-one-fifth inches to two-and-two-fifths. It is easy to distinguish the Kittiwake from all the other T WV British Gulls bv the absence of its hind toe. It breeds in "Teat KITTIWAKE. , • " numbers {Rizsa tyidactyla.) on many of the headlands of Great Britain : it also nests in the extreme Arctic Regions, and it appears to be dis- tributed over the north of both the Old and the New Worlds. It wanders south in winter as far as the Mediterranean Sea, and down both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of America. In the cold season it is often found in large numbers off Tin; Kittiwake. 20S British Buds. the coasts of Norway, but at a considerable distance out at sea. The nest is of turf or sea-weed and generally placed on the ledge of a clift. but sometimes on the top of a rocky islet, and in America the birds are occasionally found not making any nest at all. The eggs vary considerably m ground-colour, from the ordinary Gull-like type to white or bluish, with dark spots and markings. The length is about two inches and a quarter. Richardson's Skua. The Great Skua. THE GREAT SKUA. {Mt-gahstris cntarrhiictcs.) The Skuas are Gulls of sombre coloration, and they are distinguished from the true Laridu by having a ' cere ' at the base of the bill, as in a Bird of Prey, while the claws are e.vtremely sharp and curved, and resemble those of the last-named birds. This is a larger bird than any of the other Skuas which occur in Great Britain, and has a square tail instead of prolonged central tail-feathers. Though formerly not so rare, the Great Skua has become almost extinct in Britain, and only two colonies now exist within our limits. These are in the Shetlands, where the birds are protected, so that we may hope that the species will still survive as an indigenous British bird. It also breeds on the Faeroes and in Iceland, and is occasionally found in winter as far south as the Mediterranean, but it is everywhere becoming a scarce bird, owing to the persecution which follows it on account of its predatory habits. It is very bold and fearless, defending its eggs and young with vigour. The nest is a hollow in the moss, and the eggs, which are never more than two in number, are dark chocolate or olive-brown, with reddish brown or black spots. Length from two-inches-and-a-half to nearly three inches. TJic Skuas. 209 THE POMATORHIXE SKUA. [atcrcorarius putnalorhiniis.) The Pomatorhine Skua. The only difference of importance lietween the Great Skua and the three smaller species which follow consists in the elongation of the centre tail-feathers. The Pomatorhine Skua is the largest of the three, and the middle tail feathers project for about four inches beyond the others, and are vertically twisted. It is not so active a bird as Richardson's or Buffon's Skua, and is generally said to be less brave than those two birds. The present species breeds in the tundra of the Arctic Re- gions of both Hemispheres, and only visits Great Britain in winter. The nests are simpl}- depressions in the moss, and the eggs are of the usual dark brown type of those of Skuas, being deep cla\--brown or olive-brown, with reddish or blackish- brown spots. They measure about two inches-and-a-half to two inches - and - three - quarters in length. This species has the centre tail-feathers long and tapering and projecting quite three inches beyond the others. It has two phases, which are white-breasted or sooty-breasted in colour, and the latter is generally considered to be a melanistic phase ol the white-breasted form. In the high north the dark-coloured bird is scarcely known, but in parts of Norway and in the north of Scotland, both light and dark forms occur nearly in equal numbers, and often pair together. Richardson's Skua is a very active and agile bird, and harries tlie Terns and small Gulls to make them disgorge their prey. For this reason they are not loved by their relations, and are regarded with suspicion liy other species, whose eggs they will try to carry off. I have seen the normally peaceful Oyster-catcher attack one of these Skuas and give it such a buffeting that it was glad at last to clear off. The nest is a depression in the moss on the summit of a low island, and the eggs, two in number, are dark chocolate, with brown or blackish spots, grey underlying spots being also distinct. The length is from two inches-and-a ([uarter to two inches-and-a-half. Very similar to the preceding species, but always much greyer in appearance, and further distinguished In- the length of the centre tail-feathers which sometimes attain the length of nine inches : only the two outer primary quills have white shafts, '4 RICHARDSON'S SKUA. iSt£rcorarius crcpidatus.) BUl'KON'S SKUA. [StcYcorarius parasiticus.) lO Bnlish Birds. Buffon's Skua. THE AUKS. Siih-Order ALCM. THE RAZOR-BILL. {AIca tarda:) whereas all the primaries of S. crepidatiis are white-shafted. Buffon"s Skua breeds in the Arctic Regions of both Hemi- spheres, and mij;rates south- ward in winter, when it occurs at inter\'als on the coasts of Britain. The habits, as well as the nest and eggs, do not seem to \arv from those of the preceding species. The e^'fi's measure about two inches in length. The Auks are inhabitants of the northern portions of the Old and New Worlds, but although very similar to the Gulls as regards their anatomv and osteolog^■, they are quite different in external app"?arance, as well as in their method of nidification. This species is at once told b\- the white groove which ornaments its bill, and bv its exposed nostrils. The general plumage is black in summer, and the throat is black with the rest of the under surface of the boclv white, as well as the tips of the sec Northern Diver, for it is nearlv straight from the forehead to (Colymbus atiainst.) ' ■ " the tip, whereas in C. glacialis the culniinal ridge is bent The Divers The Red-throated Diver. The White-billed Diver. The Gre.\t Northern Diver. downwards towards the tip, and there is scarce!}- any indication of an angle on the lower mandible, whereas in C. adaiiisi the angle of the genys is strongly marked. In the latter bird the colour of the throat and upper fore-neck is purplish instead of greenish-blue, and the white edgings to the feathers on the band which crosses the throat are broader and longer. In winter plumage the two species are alike, but the colour of the bill distinguishes them at this season of the year. The White-billed Diver has occurred several times on our coasts, and is perhaps more common in winter than has been supposed. Its home is in the Arctic Regions of Europe and Siberia as well as North-west America. In habits it does not differ I'rom C. glacialis, and the nest and eggs are similar. This is a smaller bird than either of the foregoing, and has the head and neck of a dove-grey colour; the fore-neck is purplish- black, with rows of white-striped feathers on either side of the neck. In winter it may be told by its smaller size, the wing being iVom eleven-and-a-half to thirteen inches in length ; the upper surface of the body is dark ashy-brown and the wing-coverts are more or less spotted with white. The Black-throated Diver is found nesting in the North of Scotland, and occurs in winter on our c(/asts. It nests in Northern Hurope and Asia .13 well as in North America, migrating southwards in winter, when it is lound THE BLACK- THROATED DIVER. {Culyinbits arcticiis.) 224 Biilis/i Bn;h The Black-throated Diver. in the Mediterranean and in the United States. It is a hird of powerful flight, and often circles round in the air with a long sweep before settling down on the water of the loch where it has placed its nest. This is always to be found close to the water, and is sometimes built of grass and weeds in the water itself, but generally the two eggs are laid on the bare ground. The eggs are like those of the other Divers, and measure from three-and-a-quartcr to three-and-a-half inches. ^.jT£ The red patch on the throat in summer plumage distinguishes RED -THROATED ''^'^ species, and in winter the upper parts are ashy-brown, with DIVER. white spots. It is a small bird, like C. arcticus, and the wing [Colyiiibus does not exceed eleven inches in length. Like the latter species scptenirwnalis.) jj ,-,g^jg j,^ Scotland, and very locally in the north of Ireland. Its breeding range extends throughout the Arctic Regions in Europe, Asia and North America, and in winter it ranges to the southward, and is not uncommon at that season on the British Coasts. In habits it does not differ from other Divers, and breeds on inland lochs, laying two eggs on the bare ground not far from water. The eggs are dark olive or chocolate-brown, with black spots and faint underlying spots of grey, and are about three inches in length or a little less. The Grebes. 225 The Grebes.— or*r Podicipedidiformes. These birds are closely related to the Divers, but can be distinguished from them by their lobed toes, and by the apparent absence of a tail, which is represented by a little tuft of feathers scarcely to be dissociated from the feathers of the rump. In this species and the succeeding one the ornamental tippets are developed in both sexes during the breedmg-sea- son, and the bill is long and pointed, e.xceeding the length of the inner toe and claw. It is the largest of the British Grebes (wing 7-2 inches I, and has a red bill and a white face. In winter plumage, when the tippets have been cast and the head is like the back, the present species may be recognised by its white lores and eyebrow. This species is found nesting in many parts of England and as far north as the Clyde, as well as in several counties of Ireland. It occurs nearly everywhere in the 15 '.26 British Birds. Old World and breeds throughout its range. In England the nest is generally found near the edges of the reeds or among the rubbish which accumulates on the side of a ' Broad ' or lake, but in some places on the Continent of Europe the species breeds in colonies in the reed-beds, and Seebohm says that he found dozens of nests on the Garda Lake, about sixty miles west of the Gulf of Danzig. The nest is made of weeds and sedges ; the three or four eggs are greenish-white, with a chalky covering, and are a little over two inches in length. The grey throat of this Grebe distinguishes it from L. cristala in summer plumage, and in winter both old and young birds want the white eyebrow which distinguishes the last-named species. The wing is over si.x inches in length, so that the Red-necked THE RED-NECKED GREBE. (Lopluctliyia griseigeua.) Grebe cannot be confounded with any of the suc- ceeding species, which it resem- bles somewhat in winter plumage. It is a rare bird in Great Britain, and only visits us in win- ter. Its breeding range extends from Southern Norway to the Baltic provinces, through Russia to Central Asia. It is very com- mon in Northern Germany, where it arrives in April, and builds a floating nest of reeds and decayed water-plants : the eggs are three or four in number, and are greenish- white, with a chalky covering. They measure about two inches in length. y^ I — The Red-necked Grebe. 2 — The Sclavonian Grebe. 3 — The Black-necked Grebe. THE SCLAVONIAN GREBE. [Dytes auyiius.) In the genus Dytcs the bill is shorter and stouter than in Lopli,ith_viii. and the form of the tippet is different, extending round the entire throat, while there is a distinct ciest of rufous plumes on each side of the head above the tippet. The present species is a regular winter visitor to Great Britain, especially to the east coast of England. It nests in Iceland, and throughout Northern Europe and Siberia to North America. In winter it is found in the Mediterranean and also extends as far as the Bermudas. The nest is built, after the manner of all Grebes, in a fresh-water lake. The eggs are four or five in number, and are greenish-white with the usual chalky coating; the length is about an inch-and-threc-quarters to nearly two inches. The Grebes. » 2 7 THE BLACK-NECKED GREBE. (Proctopus nigricollis.) The present species has a very thin bill, which is sHghtly upturned at the end and wider at the base than it is deep. In the summer plumage it is also distinguished by the black fore-neck and chest, and by the heavy tuft of ornamental plumes which spring from above the ear-coverts : these differ in character and appearance from the ornamental feathers of the Sclavonian Grebe. In winter the two birds are more alike, but the shorter wing I five inches, and the shape of the bill will serve to separate the species. The Black- Recked Grebe is an occasional visitor to Britain, generally in the sprmg and summer. It nests in Central Europe and the Mediterranean countries and throughout temperate Asia, as well as in many parts of Eastern and Southern Africa. In winter it is found (in the coasts of China and the Indian Ocean. The nest is made of moss and reeds, and the eggs are from three to five in number, of the usual greenish-white colour, and they measure from an inch-and-three-quarters to nearly two inches. The Little Grebe. THE LITTLE GREBE. (Podicipes fiuviatilii.) This is the smallest and the commonest of the British Grebes, and is familar to every one under its name of the ' Dab-chick.' In summer the upper and under surface of the bird are alike black, and the sides of the face and neck are chestnut, while the bill is black, with a yellow tip and a mark of greenish-yellow at the base. In winter the back is brown and the breast pure white. It is a resident species through- out the British Islands, and occurs also all over Europe to Northern Asia and Japan. The Little Grebe is, like the rest of its family, a very expert diver, and can swim under water for a surprising distance. The birds will also take their young under tliL-ir wing, and dive with them in this position, to escape danger. The nestlings are pretty little creatures, with the upper parts and the throat striped with black and rufous in zebra-like pattern. The nest is a mass of rotten reeds and water plants, floating on the top of the water at the edge of a lake or river, and as the bird covers her eggs on leaving the nest, the latter are generall\- quite invisible. The eggs are at first white, but gradually become discoloured to a buffer brown colour; they are five or si.x in number, and are about half-an-inch in length. 228 British Birds. THE PIED-BILLED GREBE. {Podilytnbiis poduipL's.) The PiED-r,iLLED Grehe. This is a widely distributed species in North and South America, and is said to have been captured on one occasion near Weymouth, in Januar}', iS8i. The Pied-billed Grebe has a very thick bill, of a milk-white colour, bluish at the tip, and crossed b}- a black band. The Rails.— (^;v/,r Ralliformes. The members of this Order are remarkable for their long and slender toes. The typical Rails have very slender bodies, and are inhabitants of the marshes. The Coots and Moorhens are birds of a stouter build, and are more often seen in the open water. All have black downy nestlings, very different in appearance from the old birds. Like all Kails, the present species is a bird of skulking and retiring habits and is not often seen. It has a longer bill than any of the other British species, and is of an olive-brown colour with black streaks on the head and back, while the throat and under-parts are slat}'-grey, with black flanks barred with white : the under tail- coverts are also barred with black and white, and have buff tips. Tin-. \\ater-R.\il. THE WATER-R.^IL. {Rnlliis ai]Hatit-ns.) Tlic Rails. 229 THE LAND-RAIL. [Crcx crcx.) The Water- Rail is found in marsh}- locaUties throughout the whole of Great Britain, but is somewhat rarer in Scotland. It is also an inhabitant of the rest of Europe, excepting the more northern portions, and extends to Central Asia. It is a sh)' bird, and takes to flight unwillingl}', preferring to escape by running, which it does most deftly, threading its way like a rat through the mazes of the reed-bed. The nest is rather neatly made of sedge and leaves of reeds, and lined with slender reeds : it is built in a clump of rushes about a foot above the ground, and the eggs vary from five to eleven in number. They are of a creamy stone- colour, with rufous spots and grey underlying ones, and measure about an inch-and- a-half in length. This is one of the short-billed Rails, and is generally known as the ' Corn-Crake.' It is distinguished from the Water-Rail by its shorter bill and by the colour of the plumage, which is brown, streaked with black, while the wing-coverts and primarj' quills are bright chestnut : the ear-coverts, lower throat and chest are ashy-grey. The Land-Rail is found throughout Great Britain in summer, and extends its range over the greater part of Europe to Central Asia and Siberia as far as the valley of the Lena. It occasionally straggles to Greenland and the Eastern States of North America, and visits South Africa in winter. Its nest is placed on the ground in hay-fields and corn-lands, and the eggs are from seven to ten in number, of a huffish clay-colour, with rufous and grey spots : they measure about an inch-and-a-half in length. The sexes in this species are different in colour, and the middle toe is longer than in the Land-Rail, the wing is more pointed, and the secondaries are much shorter than the primaries. The male is ochreous brown, with black streaks on the upper surface, and the lower parts of the body are ash}' grey, with a few white bars on the flanks, while the under tail-coverts are white, tinged with ochre and barred with black. The female is browner, with the chest and throat white, and the rest of the under surface pale vinaceous isabelline. The length of the species is seven inches, and the wing four inches. The Little Crake is only an occasional visitor to Great Britam in spring and autumn. It is an inhabitant of Central Europe, and is found in Russia and Central Asia. It winters in Equatorial Africa and North-western India. The habits The Land-Rail. THE LITTLE CRAKE. {Zaf'oniia farva.) 2^0 Bn'lisli Birds. Baillon's Crake. The Little Crake. The Spotted Crake. THE SPOTTED CRAKE. are similar to those of other Rails, and it makes its nest m tussocks in the marshes. The eggs are seven or eight in number, of an oval shape and olive in colour with brown markings ; they measure a little over an inch in length. In the Spotted Crake the se.xes are alike in plumage and the secondaries are as long as the primaries, so that the wing is ,D , , more rounded. It is an olive-brown bird with small white spots {Forznna porznna.) ' distributed among the black markings of the upper surface : the throat and breast are ashv, and the bill is vellow, inclining to orange-red at the base. To Great Britain the present species is a summer visitor, but is everywhere very local in its distribution. It is distributed throughout the greater part of Europe in summer, and extends to Central Asia, wintering in the Indian Peninsula and North- eastern Africa. In habits it resembles the Water-Rail, and it makes a somewhat large nest of reeds and sedge on the ground in reed-beds. The eggs are from eight to a dozen in number, of the usual double spotted Ralline type, and measure about an inch-and-a-half in length. A single specimen of this North American species has been ob- tained near New- THE CAROLINA CRAKE. [Porzann laiolinn. I bury in Berkshire. It differs from the Spotted Crake in having the cheeks and centre of the throat black. It is a plentiful species in some ot the United States, and wanders south in winter to Central and South America. In habits it resembles our Spotted Crake, but the eggs are slightly smaller. The Carolina Ckake. The Crakes. BAILLON'S CRAKE. [Poyzana intennedia.) THE MOOR-HEX. {Gallinula chloropiis.) This is a smaller species than any of the foregoing, and has the wing about three-and-a-half-inches in length. It is brown, sparsely spotted with white on the back, and has the sides of face, throat and chest grey, but it can always be distinguished by its uniform brownish-grey axillaries, these being barred with white in the Spotted Crakes. Baillon's Crake has been found in sprmg and autumn in Great Britain, but is very rare. It is, however, believed to nest occasionally in England. It is distributed over the greater part of Central and Southern Europe, and is found in winter on the Persian Gulf and in Africa. The nest is made of rushes, and the eggs, from six to eight in number, are olive brown with spots of reddish brown and dark grey : they measure a little over an inch in length. This is a well-known inhabitant of our rivers and marshes, and is a resident species in all parts of Great Britain. It is found all over Europe and Asia, and also occurs in Africa and Madagascar. The Moor-Hen is easily recognised from the other British Kails by its larger size, by the red shield on its forehead, and by the red band above the tarsal joint, both of which characters, as well as the white markings on the flanks, are plainly seen when the bird is swimming. It is much less shy than the other species of Rails and is now to be seen in many of our London parks, where it is as tame as the other water-fowl. It is said to do some damage b}' eating the eggs of game-birds and ducks, but its principal food consists of worms and insects. The nest is a com- pactl}' built round structure of flags and sedge among rushes or on a branch overhanging the water. The eggs are from seven to nine in number, and are of a stony-buff colour, with reddish brown or blackish spots and grey underlying ones. They measure from one-and-a-half to two-inches in length. Two species of these brilliantly coloured birds have been THE PURPLE J , , ■ , ,■,-,, .u u 1 ^ « T T T^TTtr T-o recorded as having been shot in England, v\z.: the Furple GALLINULES. " (-;^,„jj Gallinule {P. cccritleus) of Southern Spain and the Green- POKPHYRIO. backed Gallinule {P. porphyrio) of Africa. As, however, these The Moor-Hen. J32 British Birds. ornamental birds, remarkable for their green or blue plumage and their bright red bill and legs, are often kept in aviaries, the specimens procured ha\ e doubtless been some that had escaped from confinement. Althoughofa THE COMMON' COOT {Fulica atra.) blackish colour like the Moor-Hen, the Coot is a much larger bird, and has the webs of the toes scalloped, so as to form lobes, while the ivory-white frontal shield is also a plainlv visible character when the bird is seen swimming about. It breeds on the lakes and rivers in every part of the British Islands, and occurs in some of our southern harbours in great numbers in winter. It inhabits the whole of Europe and Asia, but does not extend to Africa, nor beyond the Indo-Malayan Islands. The Coot is a sh)' bird during the breeding-season, but at other times it ma}' often be seen swimming on any large inland water, where its white frontal shield renders it conspicuous. The nest is substantially built of flags and sedge and is generally found in shallow water among the rushes on the side of a lake. The eggs are seven or eight in number, of a pale claj'-colour dotted with tiny blackish spots and grey underlying ones: the length is about two inches. The Common Coot. The Pigeons.— ();v/rr Columbifokmes. The Pigeons are separated from the other Orders of Birds by several well-marked anatomical characters, especially in the arrangement of their plantar tendons. Their external aspect is too well-known to need further description, and in many points they resemble Game-birds, but they have a difterently shaped bill, the nostrils being pierced in a soft skin near the base. The Pigeons. 233 THE WOOD PIGEON. (Colnniba f-alumbus.) The Stock-Dove. The Wood-Pigeon. This hand- some bird is found in most parts of the British Islands, with the excep- tion of tlie north of Scotland, whither, however, it is gradually extending its range. It is lound throughout Europe, and as far east as Central Asia. In the country the Wood- Pigeon is one the shyest of birds, and it is only in the autumn and winter, when they feed on the beech-mast, that they are seen in an}' numbers together. The large size of the species and the white marks on the side of the neck and the wing easily distinguish this Pigeon in flight. The nest is a platform ot crossed sticks placed in a tree or bush. The eggs are two in number, pure white, and measure an inch- and-a-half to an inch-and-three-quarters in length. The range of the Stock-Dove is similar to that of the Wood- Pigeon, but it goes further to the eastward in Central Asia. It is found throughout the greater part of Great Britain, and is extending its range in Scotland and Ireland. The Stock-Dove differs from the Wood-Pigeon in its smaller size, and in the absence of the white patches on the neck and on the bend of the wing. It has also four spots of black on the wing, caused by the black bases to some of the inner coverts and secondary quills : these spots are absent in the Wood-Pigeon. Unlike the latter bird, the Stock-Dove nests in the hole of a tree or cliff, as well as in rabbit burrows. The nest consists of a few sticks or roots, and sometimes there is no nest at all, the two white eggs being laid at the bottom of the hole : the eggs measure about an inch-and-a-half in length. This bird is easih' recognised by its white lower back and by the black bands across the wings. It is found throughout ICurope to Central Asia and North-western India, and frequently crosses with domestic Pigeons, of which it is the parent stock. In Great Britain it is a local bird and nests in the sea-cliffs of the north of England, as well as in Scotland and Ireland. The nest is built on a shelf of rock in a cave or THE STOCK-DOVE. {Columbii ivnas.) THE ROCK-DOVE. (CoUimba livia.) 234 British Birds. on the lecli;e of a cliff, and is a flat roui;hly made structure of small sticks, sea-weed and j;rass-bents. The eggs are two in number, white, and measure about an inch- and-a-half in length. **^^V®N,H' The Rock-Dove. The Passenger Pigeon. THE PASSENGER Although this Pigeon, which is found over the greater portion PIGEON. of North America, has been said to have occurred in Britain on {Ectupistes ^^.g occasions, it is doubtful whether an}' of the birds were really Wild ones. It ma\- be recognised by its long and pointetl tail. the feathers of which are grej' with a cinnamon-coloured base and a good deal of white on all but the centre feathers, which are slaty black. The length of the bird is about sixteen inches. THE TURTLE-DOVE. {Turtny inyttii'.) A summer visitor to P^ngland, but not known to the northward of Southern Scotland, and of rare in- stance in Ireland, though Mr. Ussher believes that The Turtlk-Dovk. The Oriental Turtle-Uove. The Sand-Grouse. 235 t ma}' nest there more often than has been supposed. It is commonly distributed throughout Europe and extends, in a slightl)- paler form, to Central Asia. It is easily recognised by the black spotting of the upper surface, which is of a rudd}' brown colour, the greyish lower body and rump, the white tips to the tail- feathers, the vinous colour of the throat and breast, and the scaly patch of black and white feathers on the sides of the neck. The nest is a slight one of twigs, placed in an evergreen bush, or in a hedge, and well concealed. The eggs are two, creamy white, and measure about an inch-and-a-quarter in length. This eastern species, which inhabits the Peninsula of India and Burma, as far north as Manchuria and Japan, has been met TURTLE-DOVE. J i ■r , ■ 1 ,■ with on one occasion, when a specimen was procured near Scarborough on the 23rd of October, i88g. It is a little larger than the common Turtle Dove, and has the colours rather darker, especially on the under surface, where the vinous colour of the breast overspreads the abdomen as well ; the band at the end of the tail-feathers is bluish- gre^' instead of white. THE ORIENT.-\L The Sand-Grouse.— o/r/tr Pterocletes. These birds have many anatomical characters which ally them to the Pigeons, but in appearance they are very like Game-birds, though they differ from the latter in their short legs and in the shape of the eggs, which are oval and distinctly' double spotted. Onlv one species of S a n d - G r o u s e has occurred in Great Britain, and this is a bird whose home is the steppes of Central Asia. Periodically, Pallas' Sand-Grouse comes PALLAS' SANU-GROUSE. (Syrrhaptes paradoxus.) Pallas' Sand-Grouse. 236 British Birds. westwards in large numbers, and on these occasions it has visited Great Britain. One great irruption took place in 1863, and another in 188S, On the last occasion some of the birds lingered on till the next summer and bred here. They make no nest, but the eggs are laid in a slight hole in the ground. The eggs are three or four in number, of an olive or brownish-buff colour, spotted with brown or pale olive, with underl3'ing grey markings, and are unmistakable on account of their perfectly oval shape. The GAME-BIRDS.— 0;v/fr Galliformes. This Order of Birds is too familiar to everyone of my readers to need an elaborate description of its characteristics. Many anatomical features separate the Game- Birds from all the other Orders, but their external form is so well known that there is no need to characterize them in detail. The Grouse are distinguished from the other British Game- ^^^ birds by their feathered nostrils and feathered toes. Our Red RED GROUSE. [Lagopus scotii'iis.) Grouse is perhaps the most characteristically ' British ' species which we pos- sess, for it is found nowhere else than in Great Britain. Considerable variation in the shade of its colour- ing is met with in different localities, and the male and female do not go through the same process of change of plumage, for whereas the male moults into an autumn dress and again into a winter one, he retains the latter through the breeding sea- son until the next autumn moult supervenes. The female moults in summer and autumn only, and has no distinct winter plumage, while the male has no distinct summer plumage. Thi; Red Gkocse. Ganic-Birds. 237 THE PTARMIGAN. {Lagopns nnitus.) former bird has The Red Grouse is an inhabitant of the moors up to the Hmit of heather-^'rowth, above which the Ptarmigan takes its place, The nest is a slight hollow in the ground, lined with moss or grass and hidden by some overhanging heather or ling. The eggs are sometimes as man\' as twelve in number, and are very richly coloured, having the ground-colour creamy buff, more or less concealed by the spots and blotches of dark reddish brown, which are scribbled all over the egg : their length is about an inch-and-three-quarters. The chief difference between the Ptarmigan and the Red Grouse lies in the fact that the a snow-white winter plumage, excepting for its black outer tail- feathers. The male has a black patch in front of the eye, which is absent in the female. In summer the dress is much blacker, and in the autumn it is greyer, so that there are three distinct phases of plumage. The Ptarmigan is only found on the high mountains of Scotland, and it inhabits the same altitude in Scandinavia and the other high mountains of Europe to the Alps and the Pyrenees. Its plumage assimilates to its surroundings at the different seasons, and it turns white when the snow covers the mountains. Its nest and eggs resemble those of the Red Grouse. THE BLACK GROUSE. {Lyrurus fctrix.) The coloration of this species is so 1^%-^^ The Ptarmigan. Thi; 13LACK Grouse. ^ss British Birds. well known that no detailed description is necessary : no other British Game-bird can be mistaken for it. The Black Grouse is found throughout the pine-woods and birch-woods, especially in the mountains, of Europe and iXorthern and Central Asia, and It inhabits the north of England and Scotland in the localities suited to its habits, being also found in the wilder districts of the west and south-west of England and Wales. It is a tree-frequenting species rather than a ground bird like the Red Grouse and Ptarmigan, and further differs from those birds in being polygamous. When the breeding-season comes round the males often indulge in furious combats, and go through all sorts of dancing manoeuvres, but they disappear as soon as the females have begun to sit. The nest is a hollow in the ground, with scarcely any lining, and the eggs are from si.\ to ten in number, of a buff colour, richly spotted with brown : they are about two inches in length. The Capercailie. THE C.\PEKCAILIE. (Tctrao iirogalhis.) This, the finest of our British Game-birds, is only found in certain districts of Scotland, where it has been re-introduced after havmg been exterminated. It is also an inhabitant of the pine- forests of Scandinavia and the rest of Europe as far east as Central Asia and the Baikal region. Like the Black Grouse, the Capercaihe is polygamous, and drives away all the younger males from its district as the nesting-season approaches, fighting furiously with any other old male bird that trespasses on its particular domain. It is olten Game-birds. 239 captured while performing its love-song or ' spel,' as it is called in Scandinavia, when the bird works itself up to a great pitch of excitement and can then be approached and shot by a skilful hunter, who understands its habits during the nesting-season. The female performs all the duties of incubation, for as soon as the hens com- mence to sit, the males take themselves off, and are no more seen that summer. The nest is placed on the ground, and resembles that of the Black Grouse, and the eggs, which measure a little over two inches in length, are large editions of those of the last-named species. The Partridges differ from the Grouse in their unfeathered legs, and they are distinguished from the Pheasants by their short tail. THE RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE. (Cai'cabis rufa.) The Red-legged Partridge was introduced mto England from the Continent during the last century, and is now a common bird in oui eastern and midland counties. It is found in all the countries of western and south-western Europe, as well as Madeira, the Canaries, and the Azores. It is a beautiful bird with its white throat surrounded by a black collar, its rufous belly, and its banded flanks. It is more given to running than our Common Partridge, but when once started its flight is direct and swift : it is also a very pugnacious bird. The nest is a slight hollow in the ground under the shelter of some grass or hedge-row. The eggs are sometimes The Common Partridge. The Red-legged Partridge. THE COMMON PARTRIDGE. (Perdix perdix.) as many as eighteen in number, of a stone-colour or buft" with numerous dots and spots of reddish brown. Like the other British Game-birds our Common Partridge is so well known that a description would be superfluous, but it should be noticed that a hen bird can be told at any age by the colour of the scapulars and the lesser and median wing-coverts, which are black with broad cross-barrings of buft", as well as by the central buff stripe down the centre of the feather. This is also seen in the male, but the coverts and scapulars are not barred, being black with a marking of chestnut on the inner web. Sometimes the old female has a chestnut horse-shoe mark on the breast, but this is generally small, and is sometimes absent. Young females, however, curiously enough, have a chestnut horse-shoe on the breast, 240 British Birds. THE COMMON QUAIL. (Coturnix coturnix.) and the }-oung of both sexes can always be told b}- their pointed, instead of rounded, first primary, and bv the more j-ellowish colour of the feet. The Partridge is found throughout Europe eastwards to Persia and Central Asia, as far as the Altai mountains. The nest is placed on the ground, in a sheltered position, and the eggs are from ten to fifteen in number, of an uniform pale olive brown : the_\- are a little more than an inch-and-a-quarter in length. This is a much smaller bird than the Partridge, and is only a summer visitor to certain parts of Great Britain. It is found over the greater portion of Europe and Northern Asia, and migrates in enormous flocks to its winter home in Africa and the Indian Peninsula. The nest consists of a hollow m the ground with a scantv lining of grass. The eggs are unmistakable, being creamy buff or white, with broad and conspicuous blotches and spots of rich brown : they are from eight to twelve in number and measure nearl)- an inch-and-a-quarter in length. Pheasants difter from Partridges and (Quails in their long tails. There is no necessity to dwell upon the coloration or habits of this well-known game-bird. It is said still to exist in a wild state in Asia Minor and the Caucasus, but in most countries of Europe it has been introduced. The nest is a hollow in the ground, with a lining of dead leaves, and is well concealed. The eggs are from eight to twelve in number, of a brown or olive-brown colour, and sometimes bluish eggs are found : they measure about an inch-and-three-quarters in length. The Common Quah,. The Andalusian Hemh>ode. THE COMMON PHEASANT. PJiasiainis Loh-liicus. The Common Pheasant. GatHC-Biriis. 241 Three specimens of this bird are said to have been taken in England, but the general opinion is that these occurrences are not genuine. In appearance the species, which is an inhabitant of Southern Europe, is like a little Ouail, but it can be distinguished from the latter by the absence of the hind toe. The female is larger and more brightly coloured than the male. THE ANDALUSIAN HEMIPODE. (Turnix sylvatia.) APPENDIX. THE CHESTNUT-BELLIED WEAVER-FINCH. (Munia atricapilla.) Page 28. Add :- On October 27th, 1S98, I received from Mr. G. Hubert Woods a spe- cimen of this Asiatic species which he had shot in Suflblk on the 26th of October, out of a flock of twelve indi- viduals. JMr. Hartert has also seen a small flock of these Weaver-Finches in the reed-beds of Tring Keser\'oir. That the little birds had origmally escaped from some aviary there can be no doubt, but they would appear to have nested in England, and it will be interesting to see whether the species succeeds in establishing itself as a British bird. It is to be hoped that protection will be afforded to it, as an English winter will be quite enough to test its powers of survival. That two flocks of these birds have been seen speaks well for the endurance of our tropical visitor, which is well-known as a dominant species in its eastern home. Introduced into Borneo, it has flourished exceedingly, and in some districts has exterminated the icsident Weaver-Finch {Munia fuscans). Now it is face to face with our Sparrow and our Greenfinch, and we shall see whether it can survive the enmity of these skull-cracking Finches. 16 The Chestnut-bellied Weavek-Fi.nch. 242 British Birds. The Chestnut-bellied Weaver-Finch is an inhabitant of India, China, the Malayan Peninsula, and Indo-Mala^an Islands. It is chestnut in colour, with a black head and neck, upper breast, abdomen and under tail-coverts : the upper tail-coverts and tail-feathers have a gloss of golden straw-colour. Length four-and-a-half inches. Page 61. Add: — The Western Tree Warbler. — Hypolais pulyglottn. KADDE'S BUSH-WARBLER. (Herbivocuhi scliwarzi.) Page 61. Add: — At the meeting of the British Ornithologists' Club held on the iQth of October, iS9dicnemus, 164. oenanthe, Saxicola, 76. cenas, Columba, 233. CEstrelata brevipes, 220. CEstrelata hiesitata, 220. olor, Cygnus, 13S. Oreocichla varia, 66. Oriental Turtle-Dove, 235. orientalis, Turtur, 235. Oriole, Golden, 8. Oriolida;, 8. Oriolus galbula, 8. Orphean Warbler, 54. orpheus, Sylvia, 54. Ortolan Bunting, 26. Osprey, 1 10. ostralegus, Hsematopus, 172. Otis tarda, 163. Otocorys alpestris, 28. otus, Asio, 107. Ouzel, Black-thnrated, 69. Ouzel, Ring, 68. Ouzel, Water, 81. Owl. Barn, 109. Owl, Eagle, 103. Owl, Hawk, 105. Owl, Little, 106. Owl, Long-eared, 107. Owl, Short-eared, 107. Owl, Small Tutted, 104. Owl, Snowy, 104. Owl, Tawny, 108. Owl, Tetigmalm's, 108. Owl, Wood, 108. Oxyechus vocil'erus, 168. Oyster-Catcher, 172. Pagophila et^urnea, 207. Pallas' Great Grey Shrike, 49. Pallas' Saud-Grousc, 235. Pallas' Willow Warbler, 60. palumbarius, Astur, 1 14. palumbus, Cohuuba, 233. palustris, Acrocephalus, 64. Pandion haliaetus, 110. Panurus biarmicus, 46. Paradoxornis, 46. paradoxus, Synhaptes, 235. jiarasiticMS, .Stercorarius, 209. -0- Bntis/i Birds Parida;, 42. Parrot Crossbill, 20. Partridge, Common, 239. Partridge, Red-legged, 239. Parus britannicus, 43. parva, Siphia, 85. parv'a, Zapornia, 229. Passenger Pigeon, 234. Passer domesticus, 16. Passer italic, 17. Passer montanus, 17. Passeriformes, i. Pastor roseus, 8. Pavoncella pugnax, 1S2. Pectoral Sandpiper, 184. Pectoral Sandpiper, Sharp- tailed, 1S5. pelagica, Pmcellaria, 214. Pelecanit'ormes, 12S. Pelidna alpina, 187. Pelagodroma marina, 216. penelope, Mareca, 141. percnopterus. Neophron, 112. Perdix perdix, 239. perdix, Perdix, 239. Peregrine Falcon, 122. peregrinus, Falco, 122. Pernis apivorus, 122. perspicillata, CEdemia, 152. Petrel. Bnhver's, 215, 221. Petrel, Capped, 217, 220, Petrel, Fork-tailed Storm, 215. Petrel, Fnlmar, 216. Petrel, Leach's, 216. Petrel, Madeira Storm, 215. Petrel, Storm, 214. Petrel, White-bellied Storm, 215, 216. Petrel, White-throated Grey, 220. Petrel, Wilson's, 215. phreopns, Numenius, 175. Phalacrocoraces, 128. Phalacrocorax carbo, 128. Phalacrocorax gracnlns, 129. Phalarope, Grey, 191. Phalarope, Red-necked, 191. Phalarope, Wilson's, 192. Phalaropus hyperboreus, 191. Phasianus colchicus, 240. Pheasant, Common, 240. Philadelphia, Larns, 201. philippinns, Merops, 99. phcenicens, Agelajus, g. Phoenicopterus roseus, 131. phoenicurns, Rulicilla, 75. Phoyx purpurea, 155. phragmitis, Acrocephalus, 62. Phylloscopus minor, 58. Phylloscopus proregulus, 60. Phylloscopus sibilator, 57. Phylloscopus superciliosus, 59- Phylloscopus tristis, 58. Phylloscopus trochilus, 57. Phylloscopus viridanus, 59. Pica pica, 6. Picus martins, 89. Pied-billed Grebe, 228. Pied Flycatcher, 85. Pied Wagtail, 32. Pigeon, Passenger, 234. Pigeon, Wood, 233. pilaris, Turdus, 71. Pine Finch, 22. Pine Grosbeak, 22. Pink-footed Goose, 134. Pintail, 143. Pipit, Alpine, 38. Pipit, Meadow, 36. Pipit, Red-throated, 36. Pipit, Richard's, 37. Pipit, Rock, 38. Pipit, Scandinavian Rock, 39. Pipit, Tawny, 37. Pipit, Tree, 35. Pipit, Water, 38. Platalea leucerodia, 161. platj-rhyncha, Limicola, 188. Plautus impennis, 210. Plectrophenax nivalis, 27. Plegadis falcinellus, 161. Plotns anhinga, 243. Plover, Golden, 166. Plover, Gre)', 166. Plover, Kentish, 170. Plover, Lesser Kentisli, 167. Plover, Little Ringed, 170. Plover, Ringed Sand, 169. pluvialis, Charadrius, 167. Pochard, 146. Pochard, Red-crested, 145, Pochard, White-eyed, 147. podiceps, Podilymbus, 228. Podicipediditormcs, 225. Podicipes fluviatilis, 227. Podilymbus podiceps, 22S. polyglotta, Hypolais, 61, 241. Pomatorhine Skua, 209, pomatorhinus, Stercorarius, 209. pomeranus, Lanius, 50. Porphyrio ca;ruleus, 231. Porphyrio porphyrii>, 231. porphyrio, Porphyrio, 231. Porzana Carolina, 230. Porzana intermedia, 23T. Porzana porzana, 230. porzana, Porzana, 230. pratensis, Anthus, 36. Pratincola rubetra, 79. Pratincola rubicola, 79. pratincola, Glareola, 166. Pratincole, 165. Procellaria pelagica, 214. Proctopus nigricollis, 227. Progne purpurea, 243. proregulus, Phylloscopus, 60. E^tarmigan, 237. Pterocletes, 235. pubescens, Dendrocopus, go. Puffin, 213. Puffinus assimilis, 219. Puffinus gravis, 217. Puffinus griseus, 220. Puffinus obscurus, 219. Puffinus puffinus, 218. Puffinus yelkouanus, 219. puffinus, Puffinus, 21 8. pugnax, Pavoncella, 1S2. i^nrple Gallinule, 231. Purple Heron, 155. Purple Martin, 87. Purple Sandpiper, 1S5. purpurea, Phoyx, 1S5. purpurea, Progne, 243. pusilla, Emberiza, 23. Pycnonotus barbatus, 83. Pycnonotus capensis, 83. pygargus, Circus, 113. Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax, 6. Pyrrhula europ;ea, 21. Pyrrhula pyrrhula, 21. pyrrhula, Pyrrhula, 21. pytiopsittacus, Loxia, 20. Quail, Common, 240. Ouerquedula discors, 144. Ouerquedula querquedula, 144. t|uen|uedula, Ouerquedula, 144. Radde's Bush-Warbler, 242. Rail, Land, 229. Rail, Water, 228. Ralliformes, 22S. ralloides, Ardeola, 157. RalUis aquaticus, 228. Raven, 3. Alphabetical Index. -Dj Razor-bill, 210. Recurvirostra avocetta, 173. Redbreast, 73. Red Grouse, 236. Redpoll, Cones', 16. Redpoll, Greenland, 16. Redpoll, Holbcell's, 16. Redpoll, Large-billed Mealy, 16. Redpoll, Lesser, 14. Redpoll, Mealy, 15. Redshank, Common, 177. Redshank, Spotted, 177. Redstart, 75. Redstart, Black, 75. Redwing, 69. Red-backed Shrike, 50. Red-breasted Flycatcher, S5. Red-breasted Goose, 133. Red-breasted Jlerganser, 154. Red-breasted Snipe-Tattler, I77- Red-crested Pochard, 145. Red-footed Kestrel, 127. Red-legged Partridge, 239. Red-necked Grebe, 226. Red-necked Nightjar, 91. Red-necked Phalarope, 101. Red-shouldered Buzzard, 1 17. Red-spotted Blue-throat, 74. Red-tailed Buzzard, 116. Red-throated Diver, 223, 224. Red-throated Pipit, 36. Red-uinged Hang-nest, 9. Reed-Bunting, 22. Reed-Warbler, 63. Reed-Warbler, Great, 63. Regulida-, 47. Regulus calendula, 48. Rcgulus ignicapillus, 47. Regulus regulus, 47. relicta, Nucifraga, 5. Rhodostethia rosea, 200, Rhyacophilus glareola, 181. richardi, Anthus, 37. Richard's Pipit, 37. Richardson's Skua, 209. ridibundus, Larus, 202. Ring-Ouzel, 68. Ringed Sand-Plover, 169. ringvia, Uria, 21 1. riparia, Clivicola, 87. Rissa tridactyla, 207. Rock-Dove, 233. Rock Pipit, 38. Kock Pipit, Scandinavian. 39. Rock-Thrush, 75. Roller, Abyssinian, 102. Roller, Common, loi. Roller, Indian, 102. Rook, 2. Rose-coloured Starling, 8. rosea, Rhodostethia, 200. roseus, F'astor, 8. Roseate Tern, 197. roseus, Phaenicopterus, 131. rostrata, Cannabina, 16. Rough-legged Buzzard-Eagle, 117. rubecula, Erithacus, 73. rubetra, Pratincola, 79. rubicola, Pratmcola, 79. Ruby-crest, 48. Ruddy Shekl-Duck, 139. rufa, Caccabis, 239, rufescens, Cannabina, 14. Ruff, 182. ruficoUis, I5ernicla, 135. ruficoUis, Caprimulgus, 98. rufina, Netta, 145. Rufous Warbler, 56. Rustic Bunting, 23. rustica, Hirundo, 88. rusticula, Scolopax, 190. Rusty Black Hang-nest, 9. Ruticilla pha'uicurus, 75. Ruticilla titys, 76. Sabine's Gull, 199. sabinii, Xema, 199. S. Kilda Wren, 83. Sand-Grouse, Pallas,' 235. Sand-Martin, 87. Sand-Plover, Kentish, 170. Sand-Plover, Little-Ringed, 170. Sand-Plover, Ringed, 169. Sanderling, 183. Sandpiper, Bonaparte's, 185. Sandpiper, Broad-billed, 188. Sandpiper, Buff-breasted, 183. Sandjjiper, Curlew, 186. Sandpiper, Pectoral, 184. Sandpiper, Purple, 185. Sandpiper, Sharp-tailed Pec- toral, 185. Samhvich Tern, ig8. Savi's Warbler, 65. Sa.xicola deserti, 78. Saxicola isabellina, 77. .Saxicola a-nanthe, 76. Saxicola stapazina, 78. Scandinavian Rock I^ipit, 39. Scarlet Bulllinch, 19. Scaup Duck, 147. schoeniclus, Emberiza, 22. schwarzi, Herbivocula, 242. Sclavonian Grebe, 226. Scolecophagus carolinus, 9. Scolopa.x rusticula, 190. Scops scops, 104. Scoter, Common, 152. Scoter, Surf, 152. Scoter, 'Velvet, 152. scoticus, Lagopus, 236. Sea-I^arrot, 213. .Sedge-Warbler, 62. septentrionalis, Culymbus, 224. Serin Finch, 18. Serinus canaria, 18. Serinus serinus, 18. Serrator, Merganser, 154 Shag, 128. .Sharp-tailed Pectoral Sand- piper, 1 85. Shearwater, Allied, 219. Shearwater, Dusky, 218, 219. Shearwater, Great, 217, 21 8. Shearwater, Levantine, 218. Shearwater, Manx, 218, 219. Shearwater, Sooty, 218. 220. Sheld-Duck, 139. Sheld-Duck, Ruddy, 139. Shore-Lark, 28. Short-eared Owl, 107. Short-toed Lark, 30. Shoveler, 139. Shrike, Great Grey, 48. .Shrike, Lesser Grey, 48. Shrike, Pallas' Great Grey, 49- Shrike, Red-backed, 50. Siberian Ground-Thrush, 67. Siberian Meadow Bunting, 26. Siberian Nutcracker, 5. sibilator, Phylloscopus, 57. sibirica, Geocichia, 67. sibirica, Melanocorypha, 29. sibiricus, Lanius, 49. simplex, Sylvia. 55. Siphia parva, 85. Siskin, 12. Sitta cresia, 41. Skua, Buffon's, 209 .Skua, Great, 20S. .Skua, Pomatorhine, 209. Skua, Richardson's, 2og. .Sky-Lark, 29. 254 Small Tufted Oui, 104. Smaller Souty Tern, 19S. Smew, 153. Snipe, Common, 189. Snipe, Great, 18S. Snipe, Jack, 189. Snipe-Tattler, Red-breasted, 177- Snow-Bunting, 27. Snow-Goose, 132. Snowy Owl, 104. Sociable Lapwing, 171. solitarius, Helodromas, iSo. Solitary Tattler, 180. Somateria moUissima, 150. Somateria spectabilis, 151. Song-Thrush, 70. Sooty Shearwater, 21S, 220. Sooty Tern, 198. Sparrow-Hawk, 115. Sparrow, Hedge, 80. Sparrow, House, 16. Sparrow, Tree, 17. Spatula clypeata, 139. spectabilis, Somateria, 151. spinus, Chrysomitris, 12. spipoletta, Anthus, 38. sponsa, ^x, 13S. Spoon-bill, 161. Spotted Crake, 230. Spotted Eagle, 118. Spotted Redshank, 177. Spotted Summer Snipe, 180. Spotted Woodpecker, Great, 90. Spotted Woodpecker, Lesser, 91. Squacco Heron, 157. Squatarola helvetica. 166. stagnatilis, Totanus, 17S. stapazina, Saxicola, 78. Starling, Common, 7. Starling, Rose-coloured, 8. Starling, Siberian, S. Steganopus tricolor, 194. stellaris, Botaurus, 158. stelleri, Heniconetta, 150. Steller's Eider Duck, 150. Stercorarius crepidatus, 209, 210. Stercorarius parasiticus 209. Stercorarius pomatorhinus, 209. Sterna ana^stheta, 198. Sterna cantiaca, 198. Sterna dougalli, 197. Bnlisli Birds. Sterna fluviatilis, 196. Sterna fuliginosa, 19S. Sterna macrura, 197. Sterna minuta, 198. Stilt, Black-winged, 1 73. Stint, American, 184. Stint, Little, 183. Stint, Temminck's, 1S4. Stock-Dove, 233. stolidus, Anous, 199. Storm-petrel, 214. Storm-Petrel, Fork-tailed, 21 5. Storm-Petrel, Madeira, 215. Storm-Petrel, White-bellied, 215, 216. Stonechat, 79. Stone-Plover, 164. Stork, Black, 160. Stork, White, 160. streperus, Acrocephaliis, 63. streperus, Chaulelasmus, 141. Striges, 103. Strigida;, 103. Strix flammea, 109. Sturnella magna, 9. Sturnida;, 7. Sturnus menzbieri, 8. Sturnus vulgaris, 7. subalpina, Sylvia, 53. Sub-Alpine Warbler, 53. subanjuatus, Ancylochilus, 186. subruficollis, Tringites, 183. subbuteo, Falco, 123. suecica, Cyanecula, 74. Sula;, 130. Summer Duck, 138. Summer Snipe, Common, 180. Summer Snipe, Spotted, 180. superciliosus, Phylloscopus, 59- Surf Scoter, 152. Surnia funerea, 106. Surnia ulula, 105. Swallow, Chimney, 88. Swallow-tailed Kite, 120. Swan, Bewick's, 137. Swan, Mute, 13S. Swan, Whooper, 137. Swift, Common, 96. .Swift, Needle-tailed, 96. Swift, White-bellied, 95. sylvatica, Turnix, 241. Sylvia atricapilla, 55. Sylvia curruca, 53. Sylvia nisoria, 51. Sylvia orpheus, 54. Sylvia simplex, 55. Sylvia subalpina, 53. Sylvia sylvia, 52. Sylviidee, 51. Syrnium aluco, loS. Syrrhaptes paradoxus, 235. Tadorna tadorna, 139. tadorna, Tadorna, 139. tarda, Otis, 163. Tattler, Bartram's, 182. Tattler, Green-legged, 179. Tattler, Solitar)', iSo. Tattler, Wood, 181. Tawny Owl, 108. Tawny Pipit, 37. Teal, American, 143. Teal, Common, 142. Teal, Blue-winged, 144. temmincki, Limonites, 184. Temminck's Stint, 184. tengmalmi, Njxtala, 108. Tengmalm's Owl, 108. Tern, Arctic, 197. Tern, Black, 193. Tern, Caspian, 195. Tern, Common, 196. Tern, Gull-billed, 194. Tern, Little, 19S. Tern, Noddy, 199. Tern, Roseate, 197. Tern, Sandwich, 19S. Tern, Smaller Sooty, 198. Tern, Sooty, 19S. Tern, Whiskered, 194. Tern,White-winged Black, 194 Tetrao urogallus, 238. Tetrax tetrax, 164. tetrix, Lyrurus, 237. Tharrhaleus mndularis, 80. Thrush, American, 72. Thrush, Gold-vented, S3. Thrush, Mistle, 70. Thrush, Rock, 75. Thrush, Siberian Ground, 67. Thrush, Song, 70. Thrush, White's, 66. Tichodroma muraria, 40. tinnunculus, Cerchneis, 126. Tit, Bearded, 46. Tit, Blue, 43. Tit, British Long-tailed, 45. Tit, British Marsh, 44. Tit, Coal, 43. Tit, Continental Marsh, 44. Tit, Crested, 45. Alphabetical Index. 255 Tit, European Coal, 44. Tit, Great, 42. Tit, White-headed Loni;- tailed, 46. titys, Ruticilla, 76. torda, Alca, 210. torquata, Merula, 68. torquilla, lynx, 91. Totanus calidris, 177. Totanus flavipes, 179. Totanus fuscus, 177. Totanus stagnatilis, 178. Tree-Creeper, 40. Tree-Sparrow, 17. Tree-Warbler, Common, 60. Tree-Warbler, Western, 61. tricolor, Steganopus, 192. tridactyla, Rissa, 207. Tringa canutus, 186. Tringites subruficollis, 183. Tringoides hypoleucus, 180. Tringoides macularius, iSo. tristis, Phylloscopus, 58. trivialis, Anthus, 35. trochilus, Phylloscopus, 57. troglodytes, Anorthura, 82. troile, Uria, 211, 212. Trypanocorax frugilegus, 2. Tufted Owl, Small, 104. Tufted Scaup DucU, 147. Turdida", 65. turdoides, Acrocephalus,.6j. Turdus iliacus, 69. Turdus musicus, 70. Turdus pilaris, 71. Turdus viscivorus, 70. Turnix sylvatica, 241. Turnstone, 171. Turtle-Dove, 234. Turtle-Dove, Oriental, 235. Turtur orientalis, 235. Turtur turtur, 234. turtur, Turtur, 234. Twite, 13. Two-barred Crossbill, 20. Two-barred Crossbill, Ameri- can, 21. ulula, Surnia, 105. undatus, Melizopliilus, 55. Upupa cpops, 100. urbica, Chelidon, 86. Uria brucnniclii, 212. Uria ringvia, 211. Uria troile, 211, 212. urogallus, Tetrao, 238. vagans, /Egithalus, 45. Vanellus vanellus, 170. varia, Oreocichla, 66. Velvet Scoter, 152. vespertina, Cerchneis, 127. villosus, Dendrocopus, go. virgo, Anthropoides, 163. viridanus, Phylloscopus, 50. viridis, Gecinus, 88. viscivorus, Turdus, 70. vociferus, Oxyechus, 16S. Vulture, Egyptian, 112. Vulture, Gritfiin, in. Wagtail, }31ue-headed, 34. Wagtail, Grey, 33. Wagtail, Pied, 32. Wagtail, White, 32. Wagtail, Yellow, 33. Wall-Creeper, 40. Warbler, Aquatic, 61. Warbler, Barred, 51. Warbler, Common Tree, 60. Warbler, Dartford, 55. Warbler, Garden, 55. Warbler, Grasshopper, 65. Warbler, Great Reed, 63. Warbler, Greenish Willow,59. Warbler, Marsh, 64. Warbler, Orphean, 54. Warbler, Pallas' Willow, 60. Warbler, Radde's Bush, 242. Warbler, Reed, 63. Warbler, Rufous, 5*'. Warbler, Savi's, 65. Warbler, Sedge, 62. Warbler, Sub-Alpine, 53. Warbler, Willow, 57. Warbler, Wood, 57. Warbler, Yellow - browed Willow, 59. Water-Hen, 231. Water Pipit, 38. Water Ouzel, 81. Water-Rail, 22S. Weaver - Finch, Chestnut- bellied, 241. Wedge-tailed Gull, 200. Western Tree-Warbler, 61. Wheatear, 76. Whcatear, BlacU-throatcd, 78. Wheatear, Desert, 78. Wheatear, Isabelline, 78. Wliimbrel, 176. Whinchat, 79. Whiskered Tern, 19}. White Stork, 160. White Wagtail, 32. White's Thrush, 66. Whitethroat, 52. Whitethroat, Lesser, 53. White-bellied Storm-Petrel, 215, 216. White-bellied Swift, 95. White-billed Diver, 222, 223. White-eyed Pochard, 147. White-fronted Goose, 132. White-headed Long - tailed Tit, 46. White-tailed Eagle, 119. White-throated Grey Petrel, 220. White-winged Black Tirn, 194. White-«inged Lark, 29. Whooper Swan, 137. Wigeon, 140. Wigeon, American, 142. Willow Warbler, 57. Willow Warbler, Greenish, 59- Willow Warbler, Pallas', 60. Willow Warbler, Yellow- browed, 59. Wilson's Petrel, 215. Wilson's Phalarojie, 192. Woodchat, 50. Woodcock, 190. Wood Lark, 31. Wood Owl, 108. Woodpecker, Downy, 90. Woodpecker, Great Black, 89. Woodpecker, Great Spotted, 90. Woodpecker, Green, 88. Woodpecker, Hairy, 90. Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted, 91- Wood Pigeon, 233. Wood Tattler, 181. Wood Warbler, 57. Wren, 82. Wreii, S. Kilda, 83. Wryneck, 91. Xema sabinii, 199. yelkouanus, Puflinus, 219. Yellow Ammer, 25. Yellow Bunting, 25. Yellowshank, 179. Yellow Wagtail, 33. Yellow-billed Cuckoo, 94. Yellow - browed Willow Warbler, 59. Zapornia parva, 229. 8 2p 1*. '.) -7 ,<5 V . 05 O ^li o » Jr AMNH LIBRARY 00 05725