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THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


PRESENTED  BY 

PROF.  CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 
MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


BLUE  JAY,    (h/anura  cristata.     Swainson. 


ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY 


NEW   ENGLAND: 


CONTAINING 


FULL    DESCRIPTIONS    OF    THE    BIRDS    OF    NEW    ENGLAND,    AND    ADJOINING 

STATES  AND  PROVINCES,  ARRANGED  BY  A  LONG-APPROVED 

CLASSIFICATION  AND  NOMENCLATURE; 

TOGETHER  WITH 

A  COMPLETE  HISTORY  OF  THEIR  HABITS,  TIMES  OF  ARRIVAL  AND  DEPARTURE, 

THEIR  DISTRIBUTION,   FOOD,   SONG,   TIME  OF   BREEDING,   AND 

A    CAREFUL    AND    ACCURATE    DESCRIPTION 

OF    THEIR   NESTS    AND    EGGS; 


JHlustrattons  of  mang  Species  of  tije  Biros,  ano  accurate  JFigure* 
of  tfjeir  Eggs- 


BY  EDWARD  A.   SAMUELS, 

CURATOR  OF  ZOOLOGY  IN  THE   MASSACHUSETTS  STATE  CABINET. 


BOSTON: 
NICHOLS     AND     NOTES, 

117,  WASHINGTON  STREET. 
1867. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1867,  by 

EDWARD  A.  SAMUELS, 
in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


CAMBRIDGE: 

STEREOTYPED    AND    PRINTED    BY 
JOHN  WILSON  AND  SON. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

CHARACTERISTICS  OF  ORDERS 4 


ORDER  I.— RAPTORES,  ROBBERS. 

Family  Falconidae,  Falcons '.     .     .  7 

Sub-Family  Falconinae,  Falcons  proper 7 

Accipitrinae,  Hawks 22 

Buteoninae,  Buzzard-Hawks 34 

Aquilinae,  Eagles 49 

Family  Strigidse,  Owls 60 

Sub-Family  Buboninae,  Horned  Owls 60 

Syrninae,  Gray  Owls 71 

Nycteininae,  Day  Owls 77 

ORDER  IL  — SCANSORES,   CLIMBERS. 

Family  Cuculidae,  Cuckoos 83 

Picidae,  Woodpeckers 87 

ORDER  HI.— INSESSORES,  PERCHERS. 

Sub-Order  Strisores 110 

Family  Trochilidae,  Humming-Birds 110 

Cypselidae,  Swifts 116 

CaprimulgidaB,  Goat-Suckers 119 

Sub-Order  Clamatores,  Screamers 125 

Family  Alcedinidae,  Kingfishers 125 

Colopteridse,  Flycatchers 128 

Sub-Family  Tyranninae,  Tyrant  Flycatchers 128 

Sub-Order  Oscines,  Singers    .     .     .     .' 

Family  Turdidse,  Thrushes 

Sub-Family  Miminae,  Mocking-Birds 

Family  Saxicolidae,  Rock-Inhabiters 175 

M 


fi/051888 


Vi  CONTENTS. 

PACK 

Family  Sylviidse,  Wood-Inhabiters 178 

Paridae,  Titmice 182 

Sub-Family  Sittinae,  Nuthatches 186 

Family  Certhiadae,  Creepers 190 

Troglodytidae,  Wrens 192 

Sylvicolidse,  Warblers 199 

Sub-Family  Motacillinse,  Wagtails 199 

Sylvicolinse,  Wood- Warblers 201 

Tanagrinae,  Tanagers 250 

Family  Hirundinidae,  Swallows 254 

BombycillidaB,  Chatterers 264 

Laniidae,  Shrikes 268 

Sub-Family  Laniinae,  Shrikes  proper 268 

Vireoninae,  Vireos 270 

Family  Alaudidae,  Skylarks 280 

Fringillidae,  Seed-Eaters 283 

Sub-Family  Coccothraustinae,  Finches 283 

Spizellinae,  Sparrows 301 

Passerellinae,  Buntings 325 

Family  Icteridae 335 

Sub-Family  Agelaeinae,  Starlings 335 

Icterinae,  Orioles 346 

Quiscalinae,  Blackbirds 350 

Family  Corvidae,  Crows 355 

Sub-Family  Corvinae,  Crows  proper 355 

Garrulinae,  Jays 364 


ORDER  IV.  — RASORES,   SCRATCHERS. 

Sub-Order  Columbae 373 

Family  Columbidae,  Doves 373 

Sub-Order  Gallinae,  Game-Birds 378 

Family  Tetraonidae,  Grouse 378 

Perdicidae,  Partridges 393 

ORDER  V.  — GRALLATORES,  WADERS. 

Sub-Order  Herodiones 395 

Family  Ardeidae,  Herons 393 

Sub-Order  Grallae,  Shore-Birds 412 

Family  Charadridas,  Plovers 413 

Phalaropodidae,  Phalaropes 424 

Scolopacidae,  Snipes 426 


CONTENTS.  vii 

PAGB 

Family  Haematopodidas,  Oyster-Catchers  .     .     . 432 

Recurvirostridse,  Avosets     . 436 

Tribe  Tringeae,  Sandpipers 440 

Sub-Family  Totaninse,  Stilts 451 

Family  Paludicolae.     Swamp  Inhabiters 470 

Sub-Family  Rallinas,  Rails 470 

ORDER  VI.— NATATORES,  SWIMMERS. 

Sub-Order  Anseres 480 

Family  Anatidse 480 

Sub-Family  Cygninae,  Swans 480 

Anserinae,  Geese 481 

Anatinae,  River-Ducks 487 

Fuligulinae,  Sea-Ducks 503 

Merginas,  Sheldrakes 525 

Family  Sulidae,  Gannets 532 

Graculidae,  Cormorants 534 

Laridse,  Gulls 537 

Sub-Family  Lestridinae,  Skua-Gulls 537 

Larinas,  Gulls  proper 539 

Sterninae,  Terns 545 

Sub-Order  Gavise 552 

Family  Procellaridae,  Petrels 552 

Colymbidae,  Divers 555 

Sub-Family  Colymbinae,  Loons 555 

Podicipinae,  Grebes 558 

Family  Alcidae 564 

Sub-Family  Alcinae,  Auks 56± 

Urinse,  Guillemots 567 


ORNITHOLOGY   AND    OOLOGY. 


INTRODUCTION. 

AS  I  have  generally  adopted,  in  the  present  volume,  the 
system  of  classification,  and  the  nomenclature,  <fcc., 
presented  by  Professor  Baird  in  his  report  on  the  Birds  of 
North  America,  I  will  state  here,  that  I  have  given,  so  far 
as  possible,  his  own  remarks  in  the  explanations  of  the 
characteristics  of  the  different  orders,  families,  genera,  &c., 
because  they  are  expressed  in  the  most  'concise  and  com- 
prehensive language  possible.  I  have  also  given  the  same 
descriptions  of  the  species  as  those  contained  in  the  above- 
mentioned  report,  because,  being  made  from  a  much  greater 
number  of  specimens  than  I  could  possibly  have  access 
to,  they  are  certainly  better  than  I  could  present  from 
my  own  observations.  The  descriptions  of  the  character- 
istics of  the  Raptores,  the  Grallce,  and  the  Alcidce,  are  by 
John  Cassin,  of  Philadelphia;  those  of  the  Longipennes 
Totipalmes  and  Colymbidce  were  written  by  Mr.  George  N. 
Lawrence,  of  New  York;  those  of  the  other  birds  were 
prepared  by  Professor  Spencer  P.  Baird,  of  the  Smithsonian 
Institute. 

In  order  that  the  descriptions  of  the  birds  in  the  follow- 

[1] 


INTRODUCTION. 


ing  pages  may  be  perfectly  understood,  I  give  the  subjoined 
cuts,  illustrating  and  explaining  them :  — 


H     G 


F      E   D  C  B 


A  represents  the  primary  quills,  usually  called  primaries. 

B  represents  the  secondary  quills,  usually  called  secondaries. 

C  spurious  wing. 

D  wing  coverts. 

E  tertiary  quills,  usually  called  tertiaries. 

F  represents  the  throat. 

G  is  the  upper  part  of  the  throat,  called  the  jugulum. 

H  is  the  bill  or  beak :  this  is  divided  into  two  parts,  called  the  upper 

and  lower  mandibles.' 
I  is  the  frons,  or  forehead:    feathers  at  this  point  are  called  frontal 

feathers. 

J  is  the  crown :  feathers  here  are  called  coronal  feathers,  and  occipital. 
K  represents  the  scapular  feathers. 

L  is  the  back :  feathers  here  are  sometimes  called  interscapular. 
M  represents  the  tarsus :  called  shank  or  leg  sometimes. 
N  is  the  abdomen. 
O  is  the  rump. 

P  shows  the  upper  tail  coverts. 
Q  indicates  the  position  of  the  lower  tail  coverts. 


INTRODUCTION. 

R  shows  on  the  bill  the  culmen,  or  crown,  of  the 
upper  mandible. 


S  is  the  naked  skin  at  the  base  of  the  bill, 

called  the  cere. 
T  shows  the  position  of  the  lores  between  the     V    --' 

eye  and  bill. 
U  indicates  the  gape,  the  angle  at  the  junction  of  the  upper  and  lower 

mandibles :  the  feathers  in  this  locality  are  called  rictal. 
V  is  the  commissure,  or  the  folding  edges  of  the  mandibles. 

In  addition  to  these  parts,  there  are  the  flanks  or  sides 
of  the  bird ;  the  pectus,  or  breast ;  the  flexure,  or  bend  of 
the  wing ;  the  iris,  or  irides,  the  colored  circle  which  sur- 
rounds the  pupil  of  the  eye ;  and  the  toes  and  tibia :  the 
former  are  sometimes  palmated,  as  with  the  swimmers,  or 
natatores  ;  and  the  latter  is  that  portion  next  above  the 
tarsus  on  the  leg. 


SYNOPSIS 


OF   THE 


CHARACTERISTICS  OF  NORTH-AMERICAN  BIRDS. 


THE  following  synopsis  of  the  orders  of  birds,  taken 
partly  from  Keyserling  and  Blasius,  will  serve  to  illus- 
trate the  characteristics  of  the  higher  groups  in  American 
Ornithology :  — 

A.  —  HIND  TOE  ON  THE  SAME  LEVEL  WITH  THE  ANTERIOR 

ONES. 

a.  Posterior  face  or  the  sides  of  the  tarsus  more  or  less  reticu- 
lated, granulated,  or  with  scales  more  numerous  or  smaller  than 
in  front ;  sometimes  naked.  Anterior  face  of  the  tarsus  never  in 
one  unbroken  plate.  Larynx  without  complex  vocal  muscles. 

Order  I.  RAPTORES.  —  Base  of  the  upper  mandible  with  a 
soft  skin  or  cere.  Upper  mandible  compressed ;  its  point  curving 
down  over  that  of  the  lower,  forming  a  strong,  sharp  hook.  Claws 
generally  retractile.  Toes,  never  two  behind.  Birds  usually  of 
large  size  and  of  powerful  frame,  embracing  the  so-called  birds 
of  prey. 

Order  II.  SCANSORES.  —  Toes  in  pairs  ;  two  in  front  and  two 
behind :  the  outer  anterior  being  usually  directed  backwards  ;  the 
inner,  in  Trogonida.  Tail-feathers  eight  to  twelve. 

Order  III.  STRISORES.  —  Toes  either  three  anterior  and  one 
behind  (or  lateral),  or  four  anterior :  the  hinder  one  is,  however, 
usually  versatile,  or  capable  of  direction  more  or  less  laterally  for- 
ward. Tail-feathers  never  more  than  ten.  Primaries  always  ten ; 
the  first,  long. 

w 


SYNOPSIS   OF  THE  5 

Order  IV.  CLAMATORES.  —  Toes,  three  anterior  and  one  pos- 
terior (not  versatile).  Primaries  always  ten;  the  first  nearly  as 
long  as  the  second.  Tail-feathers  usually  twelve. 

b.  Anterior  face  of  the  tarsus  in  one  continuous  plate,  or  divided 
transversely  into  large  quadrate  scales.  Plates  on  either  the  pos- 
terior surface  of  the  tarsus  or  the  sides,  without  subdivisions,  never 
both  divided  together :  when  divided,  the  divisions  correspond 
with  the  anterior  ones.  Larynx  with  peculiar  complex'  singing 
muscles. 

Order  V.  OSCINES.  —  Toes,  three  anterior,  one  posterior. 
Primaries,  either  nine  only ;  or,  if  ten,  the  first  usually  short  or 
spurious. 

B.  —  HIND  TOE  RAISED  ABOVE  THE  LEVEL  OP  THE  REST. 

Order  VI.  RASORES.  —  Nostrils  arched  over  by  an  incumbent 
thick,  fleshy  valve.  Bill  not  longer  than  the  head,  obtuse  anteri- 
orly. Nails  broad,  obtusely  rounded. 

Order  VII.  GRALLATORES.  —  Legs  lengthened,  adapted  for 
walking,  naked  above  the  knee.  Nostrils  naked.  Thighs  usually 
quite  free  from  the  body.  Toes  not  connected  by  a  membrane,  or 
for  a  short  distance  only ;  sometimes  with  a  lobed  margin. 

Order  VIII.  NATATORES.  —  Adapted  for  swimming.  Legs 
generally  short.  Toes  united  by  a  continuous  membrane.  Thighs 
mostly  buried  in  the  muscles  of  the  body. 


CHARACTERISTICS   OF  NORTH-AMERICAN   BIRDS. 


ORDER  L  —  RAPTORES.     ROBBERS. 

The  peculiarities  already  given  of  the  order  Eaptores  are 
sufficient  to  define  it  among  the  others  mentioned,  although 
many  additional  features  might  be  named.  The  order  em- 
braces three  families,  which  are  characterized  by  Keyserling 
and  Blasius  as  follows :  — 

A.  —  DIURNAL  BIRDS  OP  PREY. 

Eyes  lateral,  with  lashes,  surrounded  by  a  naked  or  woolly  orbi- 
tal circle ;  the  feathers  above,  below,  and  behind  the  eyes  directed 
backwards,  as  on  the  rest  of  the  head  ;  anterior  to  the  eye,  the  lore 
imperfectly  clothed  with  a  radiating  star  of  bristles,  or  with  scale- 
like  feathers.  The  inner  toe  without  the  nail,  shorter,  or  as  long 
as  the  outer.  Nostrils  opening  in  the  cere. 

VULTDRID^E.  —  Bill  contracted  or  indented  on  the  anterior 
border  of  the  cere,  so  that  the  culmen  is  bow-shaped,  or  ascending 
anterior  to  it.  Eyes  lying  on  a  level  with  the  sides  of  the  head. 
Head  sparsely  covered  with  downy  feathers  only,  or  partially 
naked.  Claws  weak,  rather  slender,  and  only  moderately  curved ; 
the  tarsi  and  bases  of  the  toes  reticulated. 

FALCONID^E.  —  The  bill  not  contracted,  nor  the  culmen  ascend- 
ing anterior  to  the  cere.  Eyes  sunken.  The  head  completely 
covered  with  compact,  perfect  feathers.  Claws  strong. 

B.  —  NOCTURNAL  BIRDS  OF  PREY. 

STRIGID.E.  —  Eyes  directed  forwards ;  more  or  less  completely 
surrounded  by  a  crown  of  radiating  bristly  feathers.  Lores  and 
base  of  bill  densely  covered  with  bristly  feathers  directed  forwards. 
The  nostrils  opening  on  the  anterior  edge  of  the  cere.  The  inner 
toe  without  its  claw  longer  than  the  outer,  which  is  versatile.  A 
crown  of  peculiarly  formed  feathers  on  the  side  of  the  head  and 
above  the  throat  Head  fully  feathered.  Plumage  very  soft 
and  downy. 


GREAT-FOOTED    HAWK.  7 

FAMILY  FALCONIDJE.      ' 
Sub-Family  FALCONING. —  The  Falcons. 

FALCO,  LINNJEUS. 

Fako,  LINNAEUS,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  124  (1766). 

General  form  robust  and  compact.  Bill  short,  curved  strongly  from  the  base  to 
the  point,  which  is  very  sharp,  and  near  which  is  a  distinct  and  generally  prominent 
tooth;  nostrils  circular,  with  a  central  tubercle;  wings  long,  pointed,  formed  for 
vigorous,  rapid,  and  long-continued  flight;  tail  rather  long  and  wide;  tarsi  short, 
robust,  covered  with  circular  or  hexagonal  scales;  middle  toe  long;  claws  large, 
strong,  curved,  and  very  sharp. 

FALCO  ANATUM.  —  Bonaparte. 
The  Duck  Hawk ;  Great-Footed  Hawk. 

Falco  anatum,  Bonap.     Comp.  List,  p.  4  (1838). 

"  Falco  peregrinus"  Wilson,  Audubon,  and  other  authors. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Adult.  —  Frontal  band  white ;  entire  upper  parts  bluish-cinereous,  with  trans- 
verse bands  of  brownish-black,  lighter  on  the  rump ;  under  parts  yellowish-white, 
with  cordate  and  circular  spots  of  black  on  the  breast  and  abdomen,  and  transverse 
bands  of  black  on  the  sides,  under  tail  coverts,  and  tibiae ;  quills  and  tail  brownish- 
black,  the  latter  with  transverse  bars  of  pale  cinereous;  cheeks  with  a  patch  of 
black;  bill  light-blue;  tarsi  and  toes  yellow  Sexes  alike. 

Younger. — Entire  upper  parts  brownish-black;  frontal  spot  obscure;  large 
space  on  the  cheeks  black;  under  parts  dull  yellowish -white,  darker  than  in  adult, 
and  with  longitudinal  stripes  of  brownish-black;  tarsi  and  toes  bluish-lead  color, 
iris  hazel. 

Total  length,  eighteen  to  twenty  inches;  wing,  fourteen  to  fifteen;  tail,  seven 
to  eight  inches.1 

I  REGRET  that  I  am  unable  to  add,  from  my  own  knowl- 
edge, any  facts  in  relation  to  the  habits  of  this  bird,  to 
what  we  already  possess.  It  is  nowhere  a  common  species, 
and  I  have  had  no  opportunities  of  observing  and  studying 
its  characteristics.  It  seems  to  be  a  resident  of  New  Eng- 
land throughout  the  year,  and  is  oftener  found  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  sea-coast  than  in  the  interior.  It  is  a 
powerful  bird,  of  rapid  flight  and  great  boldness  and  cour- 

1  See  Introduction. 


8  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 

age,  and  is  the  terror  of  the  water-fowl,  which  constitute  the 
greater  portion  of  its  prey.  The  breeding  season  of  this 
species  is  very  early.  It  commences  building  the  nest 
usually  on  an  inaccessible  cliff,  by  the  first  of  April.  This 
is  constructed  of  twigs,  grasses,  and  sometimes  seaweeds. 
The  eggs  are  from  two  to  four  in  number :  their  form  is 
almost  spherical,  and  their  color  is  of  a  reddish-brown, 
covered  with  numerous  minute  spots  and  blotches  of  a 
darker  shade.  The  dimensions  of  the  only  two  specimens 
accessible  to  me  at  present  are  1.90  inch  in  length  by  1.75 
in  breadth,  and  1.85  inch  in  length  by  1.72  inch  in  breadth. 
The  following  extracts  from  the  writings  of  different 
authors  comprise  the  most  interesting  observations  made 
of  this  species :  — 

"  The  flight  of  this  bird  is  of  astonishing  rapidity.  It  is  scarcely 
ever  seen  sailing,  unless  after  being  disappointed  in  its  attempt  to 
secure  the  prey  which  it  had  been  pursuing;  and  even  at  such 
times  it  merely  rises,  with  a  broad  spiral  circuit,  to  attain  a  suffi- 
cient elevation  to  enable  it  to  reconnoitre  a  certain  space  below.  It 
then  emits  a  cry  much  resembling  that  of  the  sparrow-hawk,  but 
greatly  louder,  like  that  of  the  European  kestrel,  and  flies  off 
swiftly  in  quest  of  plunder.  The  search  is  often  performed  with  a 
flight  resembling  that  of  the  tame  pigeon,  until,  perceiving  an  object, 
it  redoubles  its  flappings,  and  pursues  the  fugitive  with  a  rapidity 
scarcely  to  be  conceived.  Its  turnings,  windings,  and  cuttings 
through  the  air,  are  now  surprising.  It  follows  and  nears  the 
timorous  quarry  at  every  turn  and  back-cutting  which  the  latter 
attempts.  Arrived  within  a  few  feet  of  the  prey,  the  Falcon  is 
seen  protruding  his  powerful  legs  and  talons  to  their  full  stretch. 
His  wings  are,  for  a  moment,  almost  closed ;  the  next  instant,  he 
grapples  the  prize,  which,  if  too  weighty  to  be  carried  off  directly, 
he  forces  obliquely  toward  the  ground,  sometimes  a  hundred  yards 
from  where  it  was  seized,  to  kill  it,  and  devour  it  on  the  spot. 
Should  this  happen  over  a  large  extent  of  water,  the  Falcon  drops 
his  prey,  and  sets  off  in  quest  of  another.  On  the  contrary,  should 
it  not  prove  too  heavy,  the  exulting  bird  carries  it  off  to  a  seques- 
tered and  secure  place.  He  pursues  the  smaller  ducks,  water-hens, 


GREAT-FOOTED   HAWK.  9 

and  other  swimming  birds  ;  and,  if  they  are  not  quick  in  diving, 
seizes  them,  and  rises  with  them  from  the  water.  I  have  seen  this 
hawk  come  at  the  report  of  a  gun,  and  carry  off  a  teal,  not  thirty 
steps  distant  from  the  sportsman  who  had  killed  it,  with  a  daring 
assurance  as  surprising  as  unexpected.  This  conduct  has  been 
observed  by  many  individuals,  and  is  a  characteristic  trait  of  the 
species.  The  largest  bird  that  I  have  seen  this  hawk  attack  and 
grapple  with  on  the  wing  is  the  Mallard. 

"The  Great-footed  Hawk  does  not,  however*  content  himself 
with  waterfowl.  He  is  generally  seen  following  the  flocks  of 
pigeons,  and  even  blackbirds,  causing  great  terror  in  their  ranks, 
and  forcing  them  to  perform  aerial  evolutions  to  escape  the  grasp 
of  his  dreaded  talons.  For  several  days,  I  watched  one  of  them 
that  had  taken  a  particular  fancy  to  some  tame  pigeons,  to  secure 
which  it  went  so  far  as  to  enter  their  house  at  one  of  the  holes, 
seize  a  bird,  and  issue  by  another  hole  in  an  instant,  causing  such 
terror  among  the  rest  as  to  render  me  fearful  that  they  would 
abandon  the  place.  However,  I  fortunately  shot  the  depredator. 

"  They  occasionally  feed  on  dead  fish,  that  have  floated  to  the 
shores  or  sand-bars.  I  saw  several  of  them  thus  occupied,  while 
descending  the  Mississippi  on  a  journey  undertaken  expressly  for 
the  purpose  of  observing  and  procuring  different  specimens  of 
birds,  and  which  lasted  four  months,  as  I  followed  the  windings 
of  that  great  river,  floating  down  it  only  a  few  miles  daily.  During 
that  period,  I  and  my  companion  counted  upwards  of  fifty  of  these 
hawks,  and  killed  several ;  one  of  which  was  found  to  contain  in  its 
stomach  bones  of  birds,  a  few  downy  feathers,  the  gizzard  of  a  teal, 
and  the  eyes  and  many  scales  of  a  fish. 

"  Whilst  in  quest  of  food,  the  Great-footed  Hawk  will  frequently 
alight  on  the  highest  dead  branch  of  a  tree,  in  the  immediate  neigh- 
borhood of  such  wet  or  marshy  ground  as  the  common  snipe  resorts 
to  by  preference.  His  head  is  seen  moving  in  short  starts,  as  if  he 
were  counting  every  little  space  below ;  and,  while  so  engaged,  the 
moment  he  espies  a  snipe,  down  he  darts  like  an  arrow,  making  a 
rustling  noise  with  his  wings,  that  may  be  heard  several  hundred 
yards  off,  seizes  the  snipe,  and  flies  away  to  some  near  wood  to 
devour  it. 

"  It  is  a  cleanly  bird,  in  respect  to  feeding.  No  sooner  is  the 
prey  dead,  than  the  Falcon  turns  it  belly  upwards,  and  begins  to 


10  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 

pluck  it  with  his  bill,  which  he  does  very  expertly,  holding  it  mean- 
time quite  fast  in  his  talons ;  and,  as  soon  as  a  portion  is  cleared  of 
feathers,  tears  the  flesh  in  large  pieces,  and  swallows  it  with  great 
avidity. 

"  If  it  is  a  large  bird,  he  leaves  the  refuse  parts ;  but,  if  small, 
swallows  the  whole  in  pieces.  Should  he  be  approached  by  an 
enemy,  he  rises  with  it,  and  flies  off  into  the  interior  of  the  woods ; 
or,  if  he  happens  to  be  in  a  meadow,  to  some  considerable  distance, 
he  being  more  wary  at  such  times  than  when  he  has  alighted  on  a 
tree."  —  AUDUBON. 

The  following  very  complete  description  of  the  breeding 
habits  of  the  Great-footed  Hawk  is  from  the  pen  of  J.  A. 
Allen,  of  Springfield,  Mass.,  one  of  our  most  enthusiastic 
students,  published  in  the  "  Proceedings  of  the  Essex  Insti- 
tute," vol.  IV. :  - 

"  All  accounts  agree  that  the  nest  is  placed  on  almost  inaccessible 
cliffs ;  and  often  it  can  only  be  approached  by  a  person  being  let 
down  by  a  rope  from  above.  The  old  birds  are  represented  as  bold 
in  the  defence  of  their  nest,  approaching  so  near  as  generally  to  be 
easily  shot.  They  arrive  early  at  their  nesting-place ;  and,  though 
they  often  bestow  no  labor  in  the  construction  of  a  nest,  beyond  the 
scraping  of  a  slight  hollow  in  the  ground,  they  defend  their  chosen 
eyrie  for  weeks  before  the  eggs  are  laid,  and  are  known  to  return 
for  several  years  to  the  same  site.  Incubation  commences  very 
early,  the  young  having  been  found  in  the  nest  at  Mount  Tom,  May 
30,  nearly  fledged,1  and  on  Talcott  Mountain,  in  the  same  condi- 
tion, June  1 ;  so  that  the  laying  of  the  eggs  must  occur  by  the  last 
of  March,  or  very  early  in  April.  The  number  of  eggs  has  been 
known  in  several  instances  to  be  four. 

"  Mountains  Tom  and  Holyoke,  in  Massachusetts,  afford  several 
localities  favorable  for  the  nidification  of  the  Duck  Hawk;  and 
sometimes  several  pairs,  and  probably  usually  more  than  one,  breed 
about  these  mountains.2  About  the  last  of  May,  1863,  Mr.  Bennett 

1  According  to  R.  B.  Hildreth,  Esq.,  of  Springfield,  who  visited  this  nest  May 
80,  1861,  and  noted  the  fact.     The  nest  on  Talcott  Mountain,  Conn.,  was  found  the 
same  season,  and  first  visited  only  a  few  days  later,  — about  June  1,  1861. 

2  Since  the  above  was  written,  I  have  been  informed  by  Mr.  Bennett,  that  a 
pair  of  these  hawks  actually  raised  their  young  on  Mount  Tom  in  the  summer  of 
1864,  notwithstanding  one  pair  was  broken  up  the  same  season. 


GREAT-FOOTED   HAWK.  H 

saw  five  adult  birds  of  this  species  about  Mount  Tom.  Dr.  W. 
Wood,  of  East- Windsor  Hill,  Conn.,  informs  me,  that  two  pairs  of 
Duck  Hawks  were  evidently  breeding  on  Talcott  Mountain  in  the 
summer  of  1863. 

"  Discovery  of  the  Eggs  on  Mount  Tom.  —  Although  the  Duck 
Hawk  has  been  long  known  to  breed  at  the  localities  in  Massachu- 
setts mentioned  above,  those  conversant  with  the  fact  were  not 
aware  that  any  special  interest  was  attached  to  it,  or  that  its  eggs 
and  breeding  habits  were  but  very  little  known  to  ornithologists ; 
and  so,  until  very  recently,  no  particular  efforts  have  been  made  to 
obtain  the  eggs.  Mr.  Bennett,  becoming  aware  of  this,  resolved 
to  procure  the  eggs.  He  accordingly  visited  Mount  Tom  for  this 
purpose,  April  7,  of  the  present  year,  when  he  searched  the  whole 
ridge  of  the  mountain,  discovered  the  old  birds,  and  the  particular 
part  they  most  frequented,  and  also  the  site  of  a  nest  where  young 
had  been  raised.  The  old  birds  were  continually  near  this  spot, 
and  manifested  much  solicitude  when  it  was  approached,  often 
flying  within  six  or  eight  rods ;  and  once  the  female  came  within 
three,  screaming  and  thrusting  out  her  talons  with  an  expression  of 
great  rage  and  fierceness.  The  birds  did  not  appear  at  all  shy, 
being  easily  approached  quite  near  to ;  though,  in  walking,  the  crack- 
ing of  sticks  and  the  clinking  of  the  splinters  of  trap-rock  made  no 
little  noise.  One  of  the  birds  appeared  to  keep  close  to  the  eyrie ; 
and  both  would  approach  whenever  it  was  visited,  screaming  at  and 
menacing  the  intruder,'  notwithstanding  that  at  that  time  there  were 
no  eggs,  as  was  afterwards  proved.  Mr.  Bennett,  suspecting  that 
incubation  had  already  commenced,  visited  the  locality  again  on  the 
9th,  but  only  saw  the  old  nest ;  the  birds  behaving  as  before.  On 
April  19,  ten  days  later,  he  made  another  visit;  and  creeping 
carefully  to  the  summit  of  the  cliff,  at  a  point  near  the  eyrie 
already  spoken  of,  he  saw  the  female,  on  looking  over  the  cliff, 
sitting  on  the  nest,  and  but  five  or  six  yards  distant.  She  eyed  him 
fiercely  for  an  instant,  and  then,  scrambling  from  the  nest  to  the 
edge  of  the  narrow  shelf  supporting  it,  launched  into  the  air :  in  a 
twinkling,  Mr.  Bennett's  unerring  aim  sent  her  tumbling  dead  at 
the  foot  of  the  precipice,  several  hundred  feet  below.  The  nest 
contained  four  eggs,  which  were  soon  safely  secured,  and  the  body 
of  the  female  was  obtained  from  the  foot  of  the  cliff.  The  male, 
soon  coming  about,  was  shot  at ;  but  he  was  too  shy  to  come  within 


12  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 

range,  except  once,  while  the  gun  was  being  reloaded.  The  eggs 
were  all  laid  after  Mr.  Bennett's  visit,  April  9  ;  and  their  contents 
showed,  April  19,  that  they  had  been  incubated  but  a  day  or  two. 
Incubation  seems,  in  this  case,  to  have  commenced  several  weeks 
later  than  usual,  which  may  be  owing  to  the  late  snows  and  unusual 
coldness  of  the  weather  this  year,  during  the  first  half  of  April. 

"  Location  and  Description  of  the  Eyrie.  —  The  situation  of  the 
eyrie  was  near  the  highest  part  of  the  mountain,  about  one-third  of 
the  length  of  the  mountain  from  the  south  end,  on  a  narrow  shelf 
in  the  rock,  eight  or  ten  feet  from  the  top  of  a  nearly  perpendicular 
cliff,  one  hundred  and  fifty  or  two  hundred  feet  in  height,  and  was 
inaccessible  except  to  a  bold  climber,  and  at  one  particular  point. 
The  nest  was  merely  a  slight  excavation,  sufficient  to  contain  the 
eggs :  no  accessory  material  had  been  added.  The  site  had  been 
previously  occupied,  and  probably  for  several  years  ;  and,  for  weeks 
before  the  eggs  were  laid,  was  carefully  guarded  by  the  bold  and 
watchful  birds. 

"  Description  of  the  Eggs.  —  The  eggs,  four  in  number,  as  already 
stated,  differ  greatly  both  in  shape  and  coloring ;  the  extremes  in 
either  being  widely  diverse.  They  are  described  in  detail,  and 
probably  in  the  same  order  as  laid. 

"No.  1.  Longer  diameter,  2.18  inches;  shorter  diameter,  1.71 
inches:  the  shorter  diameter  is  .885  the  longer.  The  form  is 
somewhat  ovoid,  one  end  being  slightly  larger  than  the  other ;  but 
neither  end  is  very  pointed:  the  point  of  greatest  transverse 
diameter  is  .645  the  length  of  the  egg  from  the  smallest  end.  In 
form,  this  egg  is  very  nearly  like  the  egg  from  Greenland,  figured 
by  Dr.  Brewer  in  the  *  North- American  Oology '  (pt.  I.  plate  II. 
fig.  11).  The  general  color  is  chocolate-brown,  darker  and  more 
dense  and  uniform  about  the  ends,  the  part  about  the  middle  being 
lighter,  varied  with  small  irregular  blotches  and  specks  of  a  darker 
tint  than  the  ground-color.  The  color  of  the  smaller  end  is  nearly 
a  uniform  dull-red  ochre.  There  is  also  an  irregular  belt  of  scat- 
tered and  apparently  very  superficial  blotches  of  very  dark  brown, 
or  nearly  black.  Something  similar  is  often  noticed  on  the  eggs 
of  many  birds  that  lay  brown  or  speckled  eggs. 

"No.  2.  Longer  diameter,  2.21  inches;  shorter  diameter,  1.67 
inches  :  shorter  diameter,  .755  the  longer.  Form,  nearly  an  ellip- 
soid, the  point  of  greatest  transverse  diameter  being  scarcely  to 


GREAT-FOOTED   HAWK.  13 

one  side  of  the  middle  (.54  the  length  of  the  egg  from  the  smaller 
end)  ;  ends  very  nearly  equal,  and  not  very  pointed.  The  distri- 
bution of  the  color  in  this  is  nearest  of  any  of  the  four  eggs 
before  me  to  that  figured  by  Dr.  Brewer,  and  only  differs  from  it 
in  tint.  One  end  (the  smaller  ?)  is  very  light  reddish,  or  reddish- 
white,  becoming  lighter  from  the  middle  towards  this  end,  about 
which  it  is  the  lightest,  and  thinly  marked  with  irregular  mottlings 
of  dark  reddish  chocolate,  which  present  a  very  superficial  grayish 
tinge  that  is  very  characteristic ;  the  other  end  (the  larger  ?)  is  of 
a  uniform  dark  ferruginous-brown  or  dull-red  ochre,  varied  towards 
the  middle  by  the  appearance  of  the  light  ground-color  between 
the  there  scarcely  confluent  blotches  of  dark-brown  that  give  the 
uniform  deep  tint  towards  and  about  this  end. 

"  No.  3.  Longer  diameter,  2.32  inches  ;  shorter  diameter,  1.70 
inches :  shorter  diameter,  .733  the  longer.  Form  ovoid,  the 
smaller  end  elongated  and  much  pointed.  This  egg  is  the  longest, 
and  much  larger  in  proportion  to  its  diameter  than  either  of  the 
others.  The  point  of  greatest  diameter  is  .656  the  length  of 
the  egg  from  the  smaller  end.  In  this  specimen,  the  contrast 
between  the  ground-color  and  the  markings  becomes  very  strong : 
the  ground-color,  which  is  seen  chiefly  in  a  broad  band  about  the 
middle  of  the  egg,  being  white  or  reddish-white ;  and  the  markings 
very  dark  reddish-brown,  nearly  approaching  purple,  and  are  quite 
uniformly  distributed  in  blotches  of  various  sizes,  the  largest  being 
near  the  larger  end  of  the  egg :  the  sub-markings  are  of  a  lighter 
reddish-brown,  and  are  more  blended. 

"No.  4.  Longer  diameter,  2.16  inches;  shorter  diameter,  1.65 
inches:  shorter  diameter,  .765  the  longer.  Form  regular  ovoid, 
the  smaller  end  rather  more  pointed  than  the  same  in  No.  1 ;  point 
of  greatest  transverse  diameter  .60  the  length  of  the  egg  from  the 
smaller  end.  In  this  specimen,  the  contrast  of  the  ground-color 
with  the  markings  is  very  striking,  especially  when  compared  with 
specimens  No.  1  and  No.  2 ;  and  the  most  peculiar  part  is,  that  the 
greater  end  of  the  egg,  which  in  the  eggs  of  most  birds  is  the  end 
usually  most  subject  to  markings  and  to  the  greatest  depth  of  color, 
is  white,  sprinkled  sparingly  with  reddish  specks,  while  the  smaller 
end  is  deep,  bright  brick-red,  here  and  there  relieved  by  small 
specks  and  patches  of  white  ground-color.  About  the  middle  of 
the  egg,  the  colors  are  in  more  equal  proportions ;  the  white  patches 


14 


ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 


becoming  larger  on  the  smaller  end  towards  the  middle,  and  the 
red  patches  on  the  larger  end  increase  towards  the  same  point, 
where  the  colors  meet  and  become  mixed  in  irregular  patches  of 
various  sizes,  from  mere  dots  to  blotches.  The  smaller  end  has  a 
few  streaks  and  blotches  of  dark-purple  overlying  apparently  the 
other  colors,  as  in  specimen  No.  1. 

"  These  specimens  are  very  interesting,  as  indicating  the  great 
amount  of  variation  to  which  the  American  Peregrine's  eg2;s  are 
subject ;  and  especially  so  since  they  are  all  the  product  of  one  pair 
of  birds,  laid  in  one  set,  and  identified  as  such  beyond  question. 
In  coloration,  a  transition  can  be  traced  between  the  extreme  in  the 
order  they  are  numbered,  which  is  undoubtedly  the  order  in  which 
they  were  laid,  as  indicated  by  the  thickness  of  the  shell  as  well  as 
by  the  depth  of  color. 

TABLE  OF   COMPARATIVE  MEASUREMENTS. 

Prop,  of  breadth     Point  of  greatest  transverse 
Length. 

No.  1 2.18  in. 

No.  2 2.21  „ 

No.  3 2.32  „ 

No.  4 2.16  „ 

Average 2.22  „ 

Greater  extreme  .    .    .  2.32  „ 

Lesser  extreme     .    .    .  2.16  „ 

Amount  of  variation     .  0.16  „ 

Dr.  Brewer's  specimen  .  2.00  „ 

"  From  the  above  table,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  range  of  varia- 
tion in  the  four  specimens  in  length  is  .16  of  an  inch,  or  nearly 
seven  and  a  half  per  cent  of  the  average  length;  in  breadth,  .06 
of  an  inch,  or  about  three  and  a  half  per  cent  of  the  average 
breadth :  in  the  proportion  of  breadth  to  length,  about  fifteen  per 
cent  of  the  length,  or  nearly  twenty  per  cent  of  the  average  pro- 
portion. The  variation  in  the  position  of  the  point  of*  greatest 
transverse  diameter  is  about  eleven  and  a  half  per  cent  of  the 
whole  length  of  the  egg ;  the  form  of  the  eggs  varying  from  an 
ellipsoid  in  No.  2  to  an  ovoid,  which,  in  No.  3,  has  the  smaller  end 
considerably  elongated.  It  will  be  observed  that  the  egg  meas- 
ured by  Dr.  Brewer  is  considerably  smaller  than  my  Smallest 
^.rrimen,  and  that  the  proportion  of  breadth  to  length  scarcely 
differs  from  the  same  proportion  in  No.  1. 


Breadth. 

to  length.              diameter  from  small  end. 

1.71  in. 

0.785  in.      0.640  length  of  the  egg. 

1.67.  „ 

0.756«,        0.540      „       „     „      „ 

1.70  „ 

0.732 

,        0.656       „       „     „      „ 

1.65  „ 

0.765 

,        0.600       „       „     „      „ 

1.68  „ 

0.759 

,        0.609       „       „     „      „ 

1.71  „ 

0.785 

»        °-656       »       »     »      „ 

1.65  „ 

0.732 

0.540      „       „     „      „ 

0.06  „ 

0.053 

.        °'116       »      »     »      „ 

1.66  „ 

0.780 

, 

GREATrFOOTED    HAWK.  15 

"  In  comparing  the  eggs  of  the  American  and  the  European 
Peregrine  Falcons,  Dr.  Brewer  observes:  'It  [the  American] 
closely  resembles  a  variety  of  the  eggs  of  the  European  species, 
but  seems  to  present  differences  sufficiently  well  marked  to  be 
regarded  as  specific.  .  .  .  The  ground-colors  of  both  American  and 
European  are  a  reddish-yellow ;  and  both  are  thickly  covered  with 
fine  dottings  of  chocolate  and  ferruginous  brown,  diffused  over  the 
whole  egg  in  nearly  equal  degree,  and  to  such  an  extent  as  nearly 
to  conceal  the  ground.  The  length  of  the  American  egg  is  slightly 
less ;  but  it  is  of  equal  or  greater  capacity,  and  varies  in  its  mark- 
ings from  all  the  European  specimens  that  I  have  ever  met  with. 
These  variations,  though  readily  traceable  by  the  eye,  are  not  so 
easily  described.  The  shades  of  coloring  in  both  are  closely  alike  : 
the  variation  consists  more  in  the  distribution  of  these  markings.  In 
the  European  specimens,  the  fine  markings  of  chocolate  are  distri- 
buted with  nearly  exact  uniformity.  In  the  American,  the  secondary 
colorings  are  now  more  thickly  and  now  more  thinly  diffused,  —  here 
leaving  the  ground-color  nearly  unchanged ;  there  becoming  con- 
fluent, and  blending  into  waving  lines,  blotches,  and  bold  dashes. 
The  egg,  in  consequence,  presents  a  more  varied  appearance.  These 
markings  are  also  in  greater  proportion  around  the  larger  end  of  the 
egg,  and  the  blotches  are  of  a  deeper  shade*;  so  there  is  a  variation 
in  the  shading  between  the  smaller  and  larger  extremities  not  no- 
ticeable in  any  European  egg  that  I  have  met  with/ 

"  The  amount  of  variation  presented  by  the  eggs  of  the  Duck 
Hawk,  described  above,  shows  that  but  little  dependence  can  be 
placed  on  the  eggs  in  deciding  specific  differences.  The  eggs  men- 
tioned by  Dr.  Brewer  are  not  much  different  from  those  of  the 
true  European  Peregrine.  One  or  two  of  the  specimens  before 
me  considerably  resemble  Dr.  Brewer's,  and  likewise  eggs  of  the 
European  species,  as  figured  and  described  by  authors,  while 
the  others  are  very  different,  one  being  remarkably  so. 

"The  eggs  of  the  different  species  of  this  group  of  Falcons 
seem  to  resemble  each  other  greatly,  and  to  be  subject  to  consider- 
able variation  in  the  same  species.  In  the  manner  of  laying  the 
eggs,  there  is  also  a  similarity,  as  might  be  expected  among  closely 
allied  species ;  the  same  species  sometimes  laying  them  on  the  bare 
rocks,  and  again  in  a  bulky  nest  of  sticks  and  other  coarse  materi- 
als. The  nest  of  this  species  visited  on  Talcott  Mountain,  Conn., 


16  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

was  of  the  latter  kind ;  while  on  Mount  Holyoke  the  eggs  were 
laid  on  the  bare  earth. 

"  Audubon  thus  describes  the  nest  and  eggs  of  the  Duck  Hawk, 
as  observed  by  him  at  Labrador :  — 

'"I  have  nowhere  seen  it  so  abundant  as  along  the  high,  rocky  shores  of 
Labrador  and  Newfoundland,  where  I  procured  several  adult  individuals 
of  both  sexes,  as  well  as  some  eggs  and  young.  The  nests  were  placed  on 
the  shelves  of  rocks,  a  few  feet  from  the  top,  and  were  flat,  and  rudely  con-, 
structed  of  sticks  and  moss.  In  some  were  found  four  eggs,  in  others  only 
two,  and  in  one  five.  In  one  nest  only  a  single  young  bird  was  found.  The 
eggs  vary  considerably  in  color  and  size,  which,  I  think,  is  owing  to  a  differ- 
ence of  age  in  the  females ;  the  eggs  of  young  birds  being  smaller.  The 
average  length  of  four  was  two  inches,  their  breadth  one  and  five-eighths. 
They  are  somewhat  rounded,  though  larger  at  one  end  than  the  other ;  their 
general  and  most  common  color  is  a  reddish  or  rusty  yellowish-brown, 
spotted  and  confusedly  marked  with  darker  tints  of  the  same,  here  and  there 
intermixed  with  lighter.  The  young  are  at  first  thickly  covered  with  soft 
white  down.  ...  In  several  instances,  we  found  these  falcons  breeding  on 
the  same  ledge  with  cormorants,  Phalacrocorax  carbo.'  "  * 

"  Audubon  adds  that  he  is  perfectly  convinced  that  the  Great- 
footed  Falcon,  or  Duck  Hawk  of  the  later  ornithologists,  is  not 
different  from  the  Peregrine  Falcon  of  Europe.  *  Since  my  first 
acquaintance  with  this  species,'  he  says,  *  I  have  observed  nothing 
in  its  habits,  form,  or  marking  on  one  continent  that  is  different 
from  what  is  found  on  the  other.'  Since  the  difference  in  breeding 
habits  supposed  to  exist  when  Bonaparte  separated  them  in  1838, 
and  which  influenced  his  judgment  in  the  matter,  has  been  found 
to  be  not  real,  there  seems  to  be  nothing  whatever  in  the  breeding 
habits  or  in  the  appearance  of  the  eggs  to  indicate  specific  differ- 
ence between  the  American  and  European  birds." 

HYPOTRIORCHIS   COLUMBARIUS.  —  Gray. 

The  Pigeon  Hawk. 

Falco  columbarius,  Linnaeus.    Syst.  Nat ,  I.  128  (1766). 
Falco  intermixing,  Daudin.     Traite  d'Orn.,  II.  141  (1800). 
Falco  temerarius,  Audubon.     Orn.  Biog..  I.  381  (1831). 
Falco  Auduboni.    Blackwall,  Researches,  Zool.,  1834. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Adult  Male.  —Entire  upper  parts  bluish-slate  color,  every  feather  with  a  black 
longitudinal  line;  forehead  and  throat  white;  other  under  parts  pale  yellowish  or 

1  Orn.  Biog.,  vol.  V.  p.  366. 


THE   PIGEON   HAWK.  17 

reddish  white;  every  feather  with  a  longitudinal  line  of  brownish-black;  tibige  light 
ferruginous,  with  lines  of  black ;  quills  black,  tipped  with  ashy  white ;  tail  light-bluish 
ashy,  tipped  with  white  and  with  a  wide  subterminal  band  of  black,  and  with 
several  other  transverse  narrower  bands  of  black ;  inner  webs  nearly  white ;  cere 
and  legs  yellow;  bill  blue. 

Younger.  —  Entire  upper  plumage  dusky-brown,  quite  light  in  some  specimens, 
and  with  a  tinge  of  ashy;  head  above,  with  narrow  stripes  of  dark  brown  and  ferru- 
ginous, and  in  some  specimens  many  irregular  spots  and  edgings  of  the  latter  color 
on  the  other  upper  parts;  forehead  and  entire  under  parts  dull-white,  the  latter 
A\  ith  longitudinal  stripes  of  light-brown ;  sides  and  flanks  light-brown,  with  pairs  of 
circular  spots  of  white ;  tibiae  dull  white,  with  dashes  of  brown ;  tail  pale-brown, 
with  about  six  transverse  bands  of  white ;  cere  and  legs  greenish-yellow. 

Young  —  Upper  plumage  brownish-black,  white  of  the  forehead  and  under  parts 
more  deeply  tinged  with  reddish-yellow;  dark  stripes  wider  than  the  preceding; 
sides  and  flanks  with  wide  transverse  bands  of  brownish-black,  and  with  circular 
spots  of  yellowish-white ;  quills  black ;  tail  brownish-black,  tipped  with  white,  and 
with  about  four  bands  of  white;  cere  and  feet  greenish-yellow;  iris  dark-hazel. 

Total  length,  female  twelve  to  fourteen  inches;  wing,  eight  to  nine  inches;  tail, 
five  to  five  and  a  half  inches.  Male,  total  length,  ten  to  eleven  inches;  wing,  seven 
and  a  half  to  eight  inches ;  tail,  five  inches. 

This  species  is  a  pretty  common  spring  and  fall  visitor  in 
all  the  New-England  States,  and  is  sometimes  a  resident 
in  the  southern  sections  of  these. States  through  the  winter; 
specimens  being  occasionally  taken  as  late  as  January,  in 
mild  seasons.  This  bird  is  one  of  the  most  destructive  of 
our  rapacia :  he  kills  all  the  smaller  birds,  robins,  black- 
birds, sparrows  in  great  numbers,  and  even  attacks  the 
wild  pigeon  and  dove,  which  he  is  almost  always  able  to 
overtake  and  capture,  as  he  is  possessed  of  very  great 
rapidity  of  flight.  I  have  seen  one  of  these  hawks  make  a 
pounce  at  a  sparrow  that  was  singing  on  a  low  bush ;  and 
the  bird  happily  eluding  his  clutch,  as  quick  as  a  flash  of 
light,  he  turned,  and  pursued  and  captured  a  robin  that  had 
taken  flight  at  his  first  appearance,  and  was  already  quite  a 
considerable  distance  off:  as  the  robin  is  well  known  to 
have  great  speed  of  flight,  this  circumstance  well  illustrates 
the  velocity  of  this  hawk. 

The  flight  of  the  bird  consists  of  a  series  of  flaps  of  the 
wings,  with  but  a  very  few  intervals  of  soaring :  in  pursuing 
the  wild  pigeon,  the  strokes  of  the  wings  of  the  two  birds 
are  nearly  simultaneous.  As  he  strikes  his  prey,  he  almost 

2 


18  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

always,  instead  of  clutching  it  as  it  falls,  alights  after  it  has 
fallen,  in  the  same  manner  as  the  Great-footed  Hawk.  I 
have  noticed  the  same  fact  with  the  Red-tailed  Hawk ;  the 
victim  seems  to  fall  dead,  or,  at  any  rate,  perfectly  incapable 
of  motion :  whether  this  is  the  result  of  a  kind  of  mesmer- 
ism, as  it  were,  similar  to  the  influence  of  the  cats  on  their 
prey,  or  the  hawk  transfixes  his  quarry  through  the  vitals,  I 
am  unable  to  say. 

The  Pigeon  Hawk,  in  alighting  on  a  branch  or   other 

object,  always  descends  below  the  level  of  it,  and  rises  up ; 

and  usually  turns  abruptly  about,  and  faces  the  direction 

.    from  which  it  came,  as  soon   as   it  has  struck  its  perch. 

This  habit  is  observable  in  many  of  the  other  hawks. 

While  perching,  the  tail  is  often  flirted  up  and  down, 
and  the  wings  are  partially  opened  and  shut  in  a  nervous 
manner,  as  if  the  bird  were  anxious  to  be  off  again  in  the 
pursuit  of  game. 

It  is  not  improbable  t^at  it  breeds  in  New  England, 
although  I  do  not  remember  of  an  authenticated  instance. 
I  have  no  egg  of  this  bird  in  my  collection,  and  have  never 
met  with  its  nest.  There  seems  considerable  confusion 
regarding  this  species,  both  as  to  its  nesting-place  and  its 
eggs.  Mr.  Hutchins  says  ("  Fauna  Borcali  Americana," 
II.  36)  it  "  makes  its  nest  on  rocks  and  in  hollow  trees, 
of  sticks  and  grass,  lined  with  feathers ;  laying  from  two  to 
four  white  eggs,  marked  with  red  spots."  Audubon,  in 
describing  the  eggs,  says  ("  Birds  of  America ")  :  "  Mr. 
Hutchins's  description  of  the  eggs  of  this  bird  is  greatly 
at  variance  with  my  own  observations.  The  eggs,  in  three 
instances  which  occurred  at  Labrador,  were  five ;  they 
measured  an  inch  and  three-quarters  in  length,  an  inch  and 
a  quarter  in  breadth,  and  were  rather  elongated;  their 
ground-color  a  dull  yellowish-brown,  thickly  clouded  with 
irregular  blotches  of  dull,  dark  reddish-brown."  Dr. 
Brewer  says  ("  Synopsis  of  Birds  of  North  America,"  as 
an  appendix  to  Wilson's  u  Ornithology  ")  it  "  nests  in  low 


PLATE  I. 


Fig.  1.  Pigeon  Hawk,  Hypotriorchis  columbarius.    Gray. 

,,     2.  Sparrow  Hawk,  Tinnunculus  sparverius.     Vieillot. 

,,     3.  Sharp-shinned  Hawk,  Accipiterfuscus.    Bonaparte. 

,,     4.  Red-shouldered  Hawk,  Buteo  lineatus.    Jardine. 

.,     5.  Broad-winged  Hawk,  Buteo  Pennsylvanicus.    Bonaparte. 


THE   SPARROW   HAWK.  19 

fir-trees,  twelve  feet   from   the   ground;    eggs  three,   dull 
yellowish-brown,  with  dark  reddish-brown  blotches." 

A  single  egg  before  me,  kindly  loaned  for  descriptions 
and  figure  by  George  A.  Boardman  of  Milltown,  Me.,  is  of 
the  above  color.  It  is  admirably  figured,  fig.  1,  plate  I., 
in  this  volume.  It  is  a  trifle  more  pointed  than  the  eggs 
of  rapacious  birds  usitally  are,  and  measures  1.50  inch  in 
length,  and  1.14  inch  at  its  greatest  breadth. 

TINNUNCULUS  SPARVERIUS.—  Vieilkt. 
The  Sparrow  Hawk. 

Falco  sparverius,  Linnaeus.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  128  (1766). 

Falco  dominicenses,  Gm.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  285  (1788). 

Falco  gracilis,  cinnamoninus,  and  isabellinus.    Sw.  Cab.  Cy.,  p.  281  (1838). 

DESCRIPTION. 

Adult.  —  Frontal  band  and  space,  including  the  eyes  and  throat,  white ;  spot  on 
the  neck  behind,  two  others  on  each  side  of  the  neck,  and  line  running  downwards 
from  before  the  eye,  black ;  spot  on  the  top  of  the  head,  the  neck  behind,  back, 
rump  and  tail,  light  rufous  or  cinnamon  color;  under  parts  generally  a  paler  shade 
of  the  same  rufous  as  the  back,  frequently  nearly  white,  but  sometimes  as  dark  as 
the  upper  parts,  and  always  with  more  or  less  numerous  circular  or  oblong  spots  of 
black ;  quills  brownish-black,  w,ith  white  bars  on  their  inner  webs ;  tail  tipped  with 
white,  frequently  tinged  with  rufous,  and  with  a  broad  subterminal  band  of  black, 
outer  frequently  white,  tinged  with  ashy,  and  barred  with  black;  bill  light-blue; 
legs  yellow ;  back  generally  with  transverse  stripes  of  black,  but  frequently  with 
very  few,  or  entirely  without ;  rufous  spot  on  the  head,  variable  in  size,  and  some- 
times wanting. 

Younger  Male.  —  Upper  parts  as  above ;  wing  coverts  and  tail  ferruginous  red, 
with  numerous  transverse  bands  of  brownish-black;  under  parts  with  numerous 
longitudinal  stripes,  and  on  the  sides  with  transverse  bands  of  brownish-black; 
external  feathers  of  the  tail  palest ;  broad  subterminal  band  on  the  tail,  obscure  or 
wanting. 

Young.  —  All  the  rufous  parts  of  the  plumage  with  wider  transverse  bands  of 
brownish-black;  wing  coverts,  dark  bluish-cinereous,  with  large  circular  spots 
of  black ;  under  parts  with  longitudinal  stripes,  and  large  circular  spots  of  black ; 
iris  very  dark  hazel. 

Tofal  length,  eleven  to  twelve  inches ;  wing,  seven  to  seven  and  a  half;  tail,  five 
to  five  and  a  half  inches. 

This  beautiful  little  hawk  is  a  summer  inhabitant  of  all 
the  New-England  States,  and,  in  the  more  southern  districts, 
a  resident  throughout  the  year.  It  is  a  not  very  common 
species,  hardly  a  half-dozen  birds  being  seen  in  these  States 


20  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY, 

i 

by  a  student  through  the  year,  no  matter  how  enthusiastic 
he  may  be.  I  can  add  nothing  to  Wilson's  description  that 
will  be  of  interest :  it  is  as  follows  :  — 


"  The  habits  and  manners  of  this  bird  are  well  known.  It  flies 
rather  irregularly,  occasionally  suspending  itself  in  the  air,  hover- 
ing over  a  particular  spot  for  a  minute  or  two,  and  then  shooting 
off  in  another  direction.  It  perches  on  the  top  of  a  dead  tree  or 
pole,  in  the  middle  of  a  field  or  meadow,  and,  as  it  alights,  shuts  its 
long  wings  so  suddenly  that  they  seem  instantly  to  disappear:  it 
sits  here  in  an  almost  perpendicular  position,  sometimes  for  an  hour 
at  a  time,  frequently  jerking  its  tail,  and  reconnoitring  the  ground 
below,  in  every  direction,  for  mice,  lizards,  &c.  It  approaches  the 
farmhouse,  particularly  in  the  morning,  skulking  about  the  barn- 
yard for  mice  or  young  chickens.  It  frequently  plunges  into 
a  thicket  after  small  birds,  as  if  by  random,  but  always  with  a 
particular,  and  generally  a  fatal  aim.  One  day  I  observed  a  bird 
of  this  species  perched  on  the  highest  top  of  a  large  poplar,  on 
the  skirts  of  the  wood,  and  was  in  the  'act  of  raising  the  gun  to 
my  eye,  when  he  swept  down,  with  the  rapidity  of  an  arrow,  into  a 
thicket  of  briers,  about  thirty  yards  off,  where  I  shot  him  dead, 
and,  on  coming  up,  found  a  small  field-sparrow  quivering  in  his 
grasp.  Both  our  aims  had  been  taken  in  the  same  instant ;  and, 
unfortunately  for  him,  both  were  fatal.  It  is  particularly  fond  of 
watching  along  hedge-rows  and  in  orchards,  where  small  birds 
usually  resort.  When  grasshoppers  are  plenty,  they  form  a  con- 
siderable part  of  its  food. 


THE   SPARROW   HAWK.  21 

"  Though  small  snakes,  mice,  lizards,  &c.,  are  favorite  morsels 
with  this  active  bird,  yet  we  are  not  to  suppose  it  altogether  desti- 
tute of  delicacy  in  feeding.  It  will  seldom  or  never  eat  of  any 
thing  that  it  has  not  itself  killed ;  and  even  that,  if  not  (as  epicures 
would  term  it)  in  good  eating  order,  is  sometimes  rejected.  A  very 
respectable  friend,  through  the  medium  of  Mr.  Bartram,  informs 
me,  that  one  morning  he  observed  one  of  these  hawks  dart  down 
on  the  ground,  and  seize  a  mouse,  which  he  carried  to  a  fence-post, 
where,  after  examining  it  for  some  time,  he  left  it,  and,  a  little 
while  after,  pounced  upon  another  mouse,  which  he  instantly  car- 
ried off  to  his  nest  in  the  hollow  of  a  tree  hard  by.  The  gentle- 
man, anxious  to  know  why  the  hawk  had  rejected  the  first  mouse, 
went  up  to  it,  and  found  it  to  be  almost  covered  with  lice,  and 
greatly  emaciated.  Here  was  not  only  delicacy  of  taste,  but  sound 
and  prudent  reasoning :  "  If  I  carry  this  to  my  nest,"  thought  he, 
"  it  will  fill  it  with  vermin,  and  hardly  be  worth  eating." 

"The  Blue  Jays  have  a  particular  antipathy  to  this  bird,  and 
frequently  insult  it  by  following  and  imitating  its  notes  so  exactly 
as  to  deceive  even  those  well  acquainted  with  both.  In  return  for 
all  this  abuse,  the  Hawk  contents  himself  with  now  and  then 
feasting  on  the  plumpest  of  his  persecutors,  who  are,  therefore,  in 
perpetual  dread  of  him  ;  and  yet,  through  some  strange  infatuation, 
or  from  fear  that,  if  they  lose  sight  of  him,  he  may  attack  them 
unawares,  the  Sparrow  Hawk  no  sooner  appears  than  the  alarm  is 
given,  and  the  whole  posse  of  jays  follow." 

Although  I  have  had  quite  a  number  of  the  eggs  of  this 
bird,  I  have  been  able  to  meet  with  but  one  nest,  notwith- 
standing I  have  repeatedly  searched  for  it  in  many  localities. 
This  was  built  in  a  crow's  nest  of  the  previous  year,  in  a 
hemlock-tree,  about  thirty  feet  from  the  ground.  There 
had  been  apparently  but  few  alterations  of  the  old  nest ; 
these  consisting  principally  of  the  addition  of  a  few  loose 
sticks  and  twigs  to  the  interior  of  the  nest,  making  it 
nearly  a  flat  platform.  The  locality  was  the  valley  of  the 
Magalloway  River,  about  twenty-five  miles  north  of  Lake 
Umbagog,  Me.  The  eggs  were  four  in  number ;  and 
these,  with  several  other  specimens  collected  in  Upton,  Me., 


22  ORNITHOLOGY   AND    OOLOGY. 

Calais,  Me.,  and  Williamstown,  Mass.,  are  before  me.  I  am 
inclined  to  think,-  from  what  I  can  learn  from  collectors  and 
others,  that  four  is  the  usual  number  laid  by  this  bird,  — 
probably  seldom  more.  Their  ground-color  varies  from  a 
deep  cream  or  yellowish-buff  to  a  pale  reddish-white :  this 
is  covered,  more  or  less  thickly  in  different  specimens,  with 
spots  and  confluent  blotches  of  reddish-brown  and  Vandyke- 
brown,  or  chocolate.  Their  form  is  nearly  spherical,  being 
but  very  little  pointed  at  either  end.  Their  dimensions 
vary  from  1.40  inch  by  1.15  inch  to  1.30  inch  by  1.13  inch. 
This  species  breeds  later  than  most  of  the  other  birds 
of  prey,  as  the  eggs  which  I  found  in  Maine  on  the  llth  of 
June,  1864,  were  newly  laid. 


Sub-Family  ACCIPITRIN^E.  —  The  Hawks. 

Form  rather  long  and  slender;  tail  and  legs  long;  wings  rather  short;  bill  short, 
hooked ;  upper  mandible  lobed,  but  not  toothed.  Very  active  and  vigilant,  and  swift 
of  flight;  pursuing  their  prey,  which  consists  of  birds  and  small  quadrupeds,  into 
the  woods  and  forests. 

ASTUR,  LAC. 

Astur,  LACEPEDE,  Mem.  Inst.,  Ill:  p.  506. 

The  largest  birds  of  this  sub-family.  General  form  strong,  but  rather  long  and 
slender;  wing  rather  short;  tail  long  and  broad;  tarsi  long,  covered  in  front  with 
rather  wide  transverse  scales;  toes  and  claws  moderate,  the  latter  fully  curved, 
sharp;  bill  short,  curved;  nostrils  large,  ovate,  inserted  in  the  cere.  This  genus 
contains  about  twelve  species  of  all  countries. 

ASTUR  ATRICAPILLUS.  —  Bonaparte. 

The  Goshawk. 

Falco  atricapillus,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  VI.  80  (1812). 
Falco  regalis,  Temm.    PI.  col.  I.  (liv.  84,  about  1827). 
Dcedalion pictum,  Lesson.    Traite  d'Orn.,  I.  67  (1831). 

DESCRIPTION. 

Adult.  —  Head  above,  neck  behind,  and  stripe  from  behind  the  eye,  black, 
generally  more  or  less  tinged  with  ashy;  other  upper  parts  dark  ashy  bluish  or 
Blate  color,  with  the  shafts  of  the  feathers  black,  and  frequently  with  the  feathers 
narrowly  edged  with  black,  presenting  a  squamate  or  scale-like  appearance ;  a  con- 
spicuous stripe  over  the  eye,  and  an  obscure  and  partially  concealed  occipital  and 


THE   GOSHAWK.  23 

nuchal  band,  white ;  entire  under  parts  mottled  with  white  and  light  ashy-brown ; 
every  feather  with  a  longitudinal  line  of  dark-brown  on  its  shaft,  and  with  numerous 
irregular  and  imperfect  transverse  lines  or  narrow  stripes  of  light  ashy-brown,  more 
distinct  and  regular  on  the  abdomen  and  tibice ;  quills  brown,  with  bands  of  a  deeper 
shade  of  the  same  color,  and  of  ashy-white  on  their  inner  webs;  tail  same  color  as 
other  upper  parts ;  under  surface  very  pale,  nearly  white,  and  having  about  four 
obscure  bands  of  a  deeper  shade  of  ashy-brown,  and  narrowly  tipped  with  white; 
under  tail  coverts  white. 

Young.  —  Entire  upper  parts,  including  head,  dark-brown,  with  the  feathers, 
especially  on  the  head  and  neck  behind,  edged  and  spotted  with  light-reddish,  or 
nearly  white ;  tail  light-ashy,  with  about  five  wide  and  conspicuous  bands  of  ashy- 
brown,  and  narrowly  tipped  with  ashy-white;  quills  brown,  with  wide  bars  of  a 
darker  shade  of  the  same  color,  and  wide  bands  of  reddish-white  on  their  inner 
webs;  under  parts  white,  generally  tinged  with  yellowish,  and  frequently  with  red- 
dish ;  every  feather  with  a  longitudinal  stripe  terminating  in  an  ovate  spot  of  brown ; 
sides  and  tibiae  frequently  with  circular  and  lanceolate  spots  and  irregular  bands 
of  the  same  color,  the  tibiae  generally  very  conspicuously  marked  in  this  manner; 
under  tail  coverts  white,  with  a  few  large  lanceolate  spots  of  brown. 

" Adult. — Bill  black,  light-blue  at  the  base;  cere  greenish-yellow;  eyebrow 
greenish-blue ;  iris  reddish-orange ;  feet  yellow. 

"Young.  —  Bill   as    in  the  adult;   iris  light-yellow;  feet  greenish-yellow."  — 

AUDUBON. 

Total  length,  female,  twenty-two  to  twenty-four  inches ;  wing  about  fourteen ; 
tail,  ten  and  a  half  to  eleven  inches.  Male,  about  twenty  inches ;  wing,  twelve  and 
a  half;  tail,  nine  and  a  half  inches. 

This  handsome  hawk  is  a  not  very  common  winter  visitor 
in  the  New-England  States ;  at  least,  such  is  my  observa- 
tion, which  is  corroborated  by  many  others,  although  Mr. 
Verrill,  in  his  catalogue  of  the  birds  of  Maine,1  says  it  is 
common,  and  that  it  breeds  there.  I  have  never  met  with 
a  nest  of  this  species,  and  have  no  authentic  specimen  of 
its  egg  in  my  collection.  In  1864,  a  gentleman  brought 
me  two  eggs  that  he  found  in  a  large  hawk's  nest  in 
Woburn,  Mass.  He  described  the  hawk,  which  he  killed, 
and  which  corresponded  pretty  closely  with  that  of  this  bird. 
I  showed  him  mounted  specimens  of  the  Goshawk,  and  he 
thought  them  identical  with  his  bird.  As  there  was  still  a 
doubt  concerning  the  identity  of  the  eggs,  I  did  not  label 
them  as  of  this  species,  and  for  the  same  reason  will  not 
figure  them  in  this  work.  So  far  as  description  goes,  they 
are  almost  exactly  like  the  eggs  of  the  Red-tailed  Hawk 

1  Proceedings  Essex  Institute,  vol.  III.  p.  140. 


24  ORNITHOLOGY   AND    OOLOGY. 

(Euteo  lorealis),  but  are  a  little  more  of  a  bluish-white  in 
the  ground-color. 

For  some  reason,  this  species  was  quite  abundant  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Boston  in  the  winter  of  1859-60 : 
probably  a  dozen  or  fifteen  specimens  were  sent  to  me  in 
the  different  plumages,  and  I  have  heard  of  many  others 
being  shot  in  the  same  season. 

I  have  had  but  few  opportunities  for  studying  the  habits 
of  this  hawk,  and,  as  my  observations  have  been  very 
meagre,  I  will  give  Audubon's  description,  which,  so  far  as 
my  experience  goes,  is  very  accurate  ;  it  is  as  follows  :  — 

"  The  flight  of  the  Goshawk  is  extremely  rapid  and  protracted. 
He  sweeps  along  the  margins  of  the  fields,  through  the  woods,  and 
by  the  edges  of  ponds  and  rivers,  with  such  speed  as  to  enable  him 
to  seize  his  prey  by  merely  deviating  a  few  yards  from  his  course ; 
assisting  himself  on  such  occasions  by  his  long  tail,  which,  like  a 
rudder,  he  throws  to  the  right  or  left,  upwards  or  downwards,  to 
check  his  progress,  or  enable  him  suddenly  to  alter  his  course. 
At  times  he  passes  like  a  meteor  through  the  underwood,  where 
he  secures  squirrels  and  hares  with  ease.  Should  a  flock  of  wild 
pigeons  pass  him  when  on  these  predatory  excursions,  he  imme- 
diately gives  chase,  soon  overtakes  them,  and,  forcing  his  way  into 
the  very  centre  of  the  flock,  scatters  them  in  confusion,  when  you 
may  see  him  emerging  with  a  bird  in  his  talons,  and  diving  towards 
the  depth  of  the  forest  to  feed  upon  his  victim.  When  travelling, 
he  flies  high,  with  a  constant  beat  of  the  wings,  seldom  moving  in 
large  circles  like  other  hawks  ;  and,  when  he  does  this,  it  is  only 
a  few  times  in  a  hurried  manner,  after  which  he  continues  his 
journey. 

"Along  the  Atlantic  Coast,  this  species  follows  the  numerous 
flocks  of  ducks  that  are  found  there  during  the  autumn  and  winter ; 
and  greatly  aids  in  the  destruction  of  -mallards,  teals,  black  ducks, 
and  other  species,  in  company  with  the  Peregrine  Falcon  (Falco 
anatum).  It  is  a  restless  bird,  apparently  more  vigilant  and  indus- 
trious than  many  other  hawks,  and  it  seldom  alights  unless  to 
devour  its  prey ;  nor  can  I  recollect  ever  having  seen  one  alighted 
for  many  minutes  at  a  time,  without  having  a  bird  in  its  talons. 


THE   GOSHAWK.  25 

When  thus  engaged  with  its  prey,  it  stands  nearly  upright ;  and  in 
general,  when  perched,  it  keeps  itself  more  erect  than  most  species 
of  hawks.  It  is  extremely  expert  at  catching  snipes  on  the 
wing ;  and  so  well  do  these  birds  know  their  insecurity,  that,  on  its 
approach,  they  prefer  squatting  to  endeavoring  to  escape  by  flight. 

"  When  the  passenger  pigeons  are  abundant  in  the  western 
country,  the  Goshawk  follows  their  close  masses,  and  subsists 
upon  them.  A  single  hawk  suffices  to  spread  the  greatest  terror 
among  their  ranks ;  and  the  moment  he  sweeps  towards  a  flock, 
the  whole  immediately  dive  into  the  deepest  woods,  where,  not- 
withstanding their  great  speed,  the  marauder  succeeds  in  clutching 
the  fattest.  While  travelling  along  the  Ohio,  I  observed  several 
hawks  of  this  species  in  the  train  of  millions  of  these  pigeons. 
Towards  the  evening  of  the  same  day,  I  saw  one  abandoning  its 
course  to  give  chase  to  a  large  flock  of  Crow  Blackbirds  ( Quis- 
calus  versicolor),  then  crossing  the  river.  The  hawk  approached 
them  with  the  swiftness  of  an  arrow,  when  the  blackbirds  rushed 
together  so  closely  that  the  flock  looked  like  a  dusky  ball  passing 
through  the  air.  On  reaching  the  mass,  he,  with  the  greatest  ease, 
seized  first  one,  then  another  and  another,  giving  each  a  squeeze 
with  his  talons,  and  suffering  it  to  drop  upon  the  water.  In  this 
manner  he  had  procured  four  or  five,  before  the  poor  birds  reached 
the  woods,  into  which  they  instantly  plunged,  when  he  gave  up  the 
chase,  swept  over  the  water  in  graceful  curves,  and  picked  the  fruits 
of  his  industry,  carrying  each  bird  singly  to  the  shore.  Reader,  is 
this  instinct  or  reason  ? 

"  The  nest  of  the  Goshawk  is  placed  on  the  branches  of  a  tree, 
near  the  trunk  or  main  stem.  It  is  of  great  size,  and  resembles 
that  of  our  crow,  or  some  species  of  owl ;  being  constructed  of  with- 
ered twigs  and  coarse  grass,  with  a  lining  of  fibrous  strips  of  plants 
resembling  hemp.  It  is,  however,  much  flatter  than  that  of  the 
crow.  In  one  I  found,  in  the  month  of  April,  three  eggs  ready  to 
be  hatched :  they  were  of  a  dull  bluish-white,  sparingly  spotted 
with  light  reddish-brown.  In  another,  which  I  found  placed  on  a 
pine-tree,  growing  on  the  eastern  rocky  bank  of  the  Niagara  River, 
a  few  miles  below  the  great  cataract,  the  lining  was  formed  of 
withered  herbaceous  plants,  with  a  few  feathers :  the  eggs  were 
four  in  number,  of  a  white  color  tinged  with  greenish-blue,  large, 
much  rounded,  and  somewhat  granulated. 


26  ORNITHOLOGY   AND    OOLOGY. 

"  In  another  nest  were  four  young  birds  covered  with  buff-col- 
ored down,  their  legs  and  feet  of  a  pale  yellowish  flesh-color,  the 
bill  light-blue,  and  the  eyes  pale-gray.  They  differed  greatly  in 
size,  one  being  quite  small  compared  with  the  rest.  I  am  of 
opinion  that  few  breed  to  the  south  of  the  State  of  Maine." 

I  once  witnessed  an  attempt  of  this  bird  to  capture  a 
common  gray  squirrel,  that  was  quite  interesting  to  the 
beholder,  but  certainly  not  to  the  animal.  While  on  a  col- 
lecting excursion,  a  few  miles  from  Boston,  as  I  was  seated 
beneath  a  huge  oak,  observing  the  movements  of  some  small 
birds,  I  heard  the  barking  of  a  squirrel ;  and,  while  looking- 
for  his  whereabouts,  I  suddenly  heard  a  whistling  sound  as 
of  a  body  falling  through  the  air,  and,  as  quick  as  thought, 
a  Goshawk  struck  on  the  limb,  on  tbe  spot  where,  a  second 
before,  the  squirrel  had  been  seated :  luckily  for  the  squirrel, 
the  hawk  missed  his  aim,  the  animal  giving  a  sudden  dodge 
beneath  the  limb  the  moment  the  hawk  appeared.  All 
who  are  acquainted  with  the  habits  of  this  quadruped 
know  that  it  is  very  successful  in  dodging  behind  the  limb 
of  a  tree,  and  hugging  it  closely.  The  hawk  sat  a  few 
moments,  apparently  surprised  at  his  disappointment,  when, 
suddenly  launching  into  the  air,  he  espied  it  beneath  the 
limb,  hugging  for  dear  life.  As  soon  as  he  had  moved, 
the  squirrel  turned  adroitly  on  the  limb,  still  keeping  it 
between  itself  and  its  enemy.  After  several  trials,  the 
hawk  always  alighting  and  remaining  perched  on  the  limb  a 
few  seconds,  he  succeeded,  by  a  dexterous  feint,  in  securing 
his  prey,  when,  on  the  instant,  I  fired,  bringing  the  hawk 
and  his  victim  to  the  ground.  The  hawk  dropped  dead; 
but  the  squirrel,  after  lying  on  the  ground  a  moment,  got 
up,  and  staggered  off  beneath  a  pile  of  rocks,  and  I  neither 
saw  nor  heard  any  thing  more  of  it. 

ACCIPITER,  BRISSON. 

Accipiter,  BRISSON,  Orn.,  I.  310  (1760). 

General  form  more  slender  and  smaller  than  Astur,  but  otherwise  similar;  wings 
short,  tail  long,  tarsi  long  and  slender,  frequently  with  the  scales  in  front  nearly 


THE  COOPER'S  HAWK.  27 

obsolete.  Contains  about  twenty  species  of  all  countries,  several  of  which  intimately 
resemble  each  other.  Colors  in  North-American  species  very  similar  to  each  other, 
especially  in  adult  specimens,  though  they  differ  materially  in  size. 

ACCIPITEE  COOPERII.—  Bonaparte. 
The  Cooper's  Hawk. 

Falco  Cooperii,  Bonaparte.    Am.  Orn.,  II.  1  (1828). 
Falco  Stankii,  Audubon.    Orn.  Biog.,  I.  186  (1831). 

DESCRIPTION. 

Adult.  —  Head  above  brownish-black,  mixed  with  white  on  the  occiput,  other 
upper  parts  dark  ashy-brown,  with  the  shafts  of  the  feathers  brownish-black ;  an 
obscure  rufous  collar  on  the  neck  behind;  throat  and  under  tail  coverts  white,  the 
former  with  lines  of  dark-brown ;  other  under  parts  transversely  barred  with  light 
rufous  and  white;  quills  ashy-brown,  with  darker  bands,  and  white  irregular 
markings  on  their  inner  webs;  tail  dark  cinereous,  tipped  with  white,  and  with  four 
wide  bands  of  brownish-black. 

Young.  —  Head  and  neck  behind  yellowish-white,  tinged  with  rufous,  and  with 
longitudinal  stripes  and  oblong  spots  of  brown;  other  upper  parts  light  amber- 
brown,  with  large  partially  concealed  spots  and  bars  of  white;  upper  tail  coverts 
tipped  with  white;  under  parts  white,  with  narrow  longitudinal  stripes  of  light- 
brown;  tail  as  in  adult;  bill  bluish  horn-color;  tarsi  yellow;  iris  in  adult,  reddish- 
orange  ;  in  young,  bright  yellow. 

Total  length,  male  fifteen  to  sixteen 'inches ;  wing,  nine;  tail,  .eight  inches. 
Female,  total  length,  seventeen  to  eighteen  inches;  wing,  nine  and  a  half  to  ten; 
tail,  nine  inches. 

It  is  a  noticeable  fact  in  the  history  of  many  of  our  birds, 
that  in  different  periods,  from  some  cause  or  other,  many 
species  have  increased  in  number  to  a  remarkable  extent, 
while  others  have  diminished  in  like  proportion.  Some 
have  moved  from  sections  in  which  they  were  for  years 
common  residents,  to  others  in  which  they  were,  compara- 
tively, strangers. 

The  Cooper's  or  Stanley  Hawk  of  Audubon  has  had  one 
of  these  changes ;  and  throughout  New  England,  where  it 
was  formerly  a  comparatively  rare  species,  it  is  now  one  of 
the  most  abundant  of  our  birds  of  prey. 

The  habits  of  the  Cooper's  Hawk  are  generally  well 
known.  It  is  the  smallest  of  those  known  by  the  name  of 
"  Hen  Hawk ; "  and  the  mischief  it  does  among  domestic 
poultry  well  earns  for  it  this  title. 


28  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

Powerful,  active,  and  gifted  with  great  rapidity  of  flight, 
he  is  able  to  attack  and  conquer  birds  and  animals  greatly 
his  superior  in  size  and  weight.  The  Common  Hare  (Lepus 
Americanus)  often  falls  a  victim  to  his  voracity.  Ducks, 
grouse,  squirrels,  and  small  birds,  are  destroyed  by  him ; 
and  I  have  known  of  his  capturing  and  eating  snakes  and 
other  reptiles,  and  even  grasshoppers  and  crickets. 

In  hunting  for  prey,  he  usually  flies  just  above  the  trees 
in  the  forest,  and  quite  near  the  earth  in  the  open  country. 
His  flight  consists  of  a  rapid  succession  of  beatings  of  the 
wings,  with  intervals  of  equal  periods  of  soarings.  On 
discovering  a  bird  or  other  object  that  he  may  wish  to 
capture,  he  immediately  gives  chase.  If  the  bird  takes  to 
the  foliage  of  the  trees,  he  immediately  follows,  turning  at 
every  turn,  doubling  and  twisting  through  the  trees  with 
wonderful  speed  and  success  ;  and  the  chase  is  usually  but 
a  very  short  one  indeed  before  he  alights  to  feed  on  the 
quarry  that  he  has  secured. 

He  is  very  destructive  to  the  flocks  of  young  ducks  that 
breed  in  the  wilder  districts  of  the  country.-  I  remember 
an  instance  of  one  of  his  raids  on  these  birds  that  is  not 
without  interest. 

While  on  a  hunting  and  collecting  excursion  in  the  wilds 
of  Maine,  up  the  Magalloway  River,  —  a  beautiful  stream 
that  empties  into  the  Androscoggin,  near  Lake  Umbagog, — 
I  wandered  down  the  river  banks,  that  are,  for  nearly  the 
entire  length  of  the  stream,  fringed  with  a  thick  growth  of 
trees,  away  from  the  camp  perhaps  a  mile.  I  was  watching 
an  old  Black  Duck  (Anas  obscura)  and  her  brood  of  eight 
"  flappers  "  disporting  themselves  in  the  water,  and  impa- 
tiently waiting  for  an  opportunity  for  a  shot;  for,  kind 
reader,  I  can  assure  you  that  a  "  broiled  flapper,"  or  wild 
duck  about  half  grown,  is  a  delicacy  which,  once  enjoyed,  is 
eagerly  sought  for  by  the  frequenters  of  the  wilderness.  As 
I  was  creeping  cautiously  within  shot  of  the  birds,  I  sud- 
denly heard  a  "  quack  "  and  splash,  and  the  whole  bevy  was 


THE   COOPER'S   HAWK.  29 

gone.  At  that  instant,  a  Cooper's  Hawk,  that  had  evidently 
just  made  a  swoop  at  the  flock  and  missed  it,  alighted  on  a 
small  tree  that  hung  over  the  water,  and  remained  perfectly 
motionless.  Now,  when  man  attempts  to  secure  any  of 
these  young  ducks,  the  parent  almost  always  flies  off,  while 
the  young  dive  and  swim  under  water  to  the  banks  of  the 
stream  or  pond  where  they  may  be.  When  a  bird  of  prey 
makes  his  appearance,  the  whole  family  dives  beneath  the 
surface,  and  swims  off;  the  mother  in  one  direction,  the 
young  in  another.  I  have  noticed  the  same  fact  several 
time's,  and  conclude  that  the  parent,  who  frequently  makes 
her  appearance  above  the  surface,  does  so  because  she  is 
capable  of  enduring  submersion  better  than  her  young, 
and  shows  herself  often,  a  little  farther  from  her  offspring 
every  time,  until  she  had  led  their  pursuer  away  from 
them ;  giving  them,  in  the  mean  time,  a  chance  to  swim  off, 
and  conceal  themselves.  The  hawk,  in  this  instance,  was 
not  to  be  deceived.  He  followed  the  parent  but  once,  and 
then  immediately  returned  to  his  perch.  The  banks  of  the 
river  at  this  place  were  steep,  there  was  no  vegetation 
growing  in  the  water,  and  the  chances  for  obtaining  a  meal 
from  one  of  the  young  ducks  were  decidedly  in  the  hawk's 
favor. 

The  young  ducks  are  very  expert  divers.  They  have  the 
faculty  of  sinking  beneath  the  surface  at  any  alarm,  and 
will  remain  there  perhaps  half  a  minute.  Unfortunately 
for  them,  they  cannot  swim  beneath  the  surface  a  great 
distance,  and  generally  come  up  quite  near  the  place  where 
they  went  down.  The  hawk  sat  attentively  inspecting  the 
river  in  different  places;  and,  as  one  of  the  young  birds 
made  its  appearance,  he  marked  it  for  his  victim.  The 
moment  it  rose  to  the  surface,  he  made  a  swoop  for  it, 
when,  of  course,  it  dove.  This  was  repeated  several  times, 
the  young  duck  remaining  beneath  the  water  a  shorter 
length  of  time  at  each  dive.  Soon  it  was  manifest  that  the 
hawk  would  obtain  his  quarry,  when,  as  he  flew  for 


30  ORNITHOLOGY   AND    OOLOGY. 

the  duck  the  last  time,  I  pulled  trigger  on  him ;  for  we  are 
all  eminently  selfish,  and  when  one  of  the  lower  animals, 
as  we  regard  them,  interferes  with  us  in  our  pleasures  or 
comforts,  even  if  they  are  fulfilling  the  dictates  of  their 
natures,  we  brush  them  from  existence,  as  if  we  were  the 
only  rightful  possessors  of  this  beautiful  world.  Fortu- 
nately for  the  hawk,  unfortunately  for  the  flapper,  and 
much  to  my  chagrin,  the  cap  failed  to  explode,  and  the  poor 
duck  was  borne  off  for  food  for  the  family  of  the  hawk. 

The  Cooper's  Hawk  breeds  in  all  the  New-England  States, 
and  is  partial  to  no  particular  locality.  I  have  found  the 
nest  in  sections  not  a  mile  from  the  seacoast ;  in  the  deepest 
woods  of  Northern  Maine;  and  have  had  the  eggs  sent  me 
from  different  localities  in  Rhode  Island,  Connecticut,  and 
New  Hampshire. 

The  nest  of  this  species  is  more  often  found  than  that  of 
any  other.  In  my  collecting  trips,  my  experience  has  been 
that  I  have  found  certainly  two  nests  of  this  to  one  of  all 
others.  Audubon  says,  "  The  nest  is  usually  placed  in  the 
forks  of  the  branch  of  an  oak-tree,  towards  its  extremity. 
In  its  general  appearance,  it  resembles  that  of  the  common 
crow,  for  which  I  have  several  times  mistaken  it.  It  is  com- 
posed externally  of  numerous  crooked  sticks,  and  has  a  slight 
lining  of  grasses  and  a  few  feathers."  This  does  not  agree 
with  my  observation  ;  for,  in  great  numbers  of  nests  that  I 
have  examined,  in  which  I  have  found  no  great  variation  in 
character,  they  were  almost  invariably  in  a  fork  of  a  tall 
tree  near  the  top,  —  in  three  cases  out  of  five  in  the  differ- 
ent pines.  They  were  large,  bulky  affairs,  constructed  of 
twigs  and  sticks,  some  of  them  nearly  half  an  inch  in 
diameter:  they  were  decidedly  hollowed,  and  often  lined 
with  leaves  and  the  loose  bark  of  the  cedar.  The  eggs  of 
this  species  vary  in  number  from'  two  to  four.  I  do  not 
remember  ever  having  found  more  than  four,  which  number 
is  usually  laid.  Their  ground-color  is  a  dirty  bluish-white, 
with  often  thinly  scattered  spots  of  brown,  or  obscure 


THE   SHARP-SHINNED   HAWK.  31 

blotches  and  markings  of  a  shade  darker  than  the  ground- 
color of  the  egg.  A  great  number  of  specimens  in  my  col- 
lection exhibit  a  variation  in  dimensions  of  from  1.82  inch 
to  2  inches  in  length,  by  from  1.50  inch  to  1.62  in  breadth. 
The  average  dimensions  are  about  1.78  inch  by  1.52  inch. 
The  breeding  season  varies  considerably  with  this  species, 
even  in  the  same  latitude.  I  have  found  nests  with  eggs  as 
early  as  the  first  week  in  May,  and  as  late  as  the  first  week 
in  June.  Usually  the  eggs  are  laid  before  the  20th  of  May 
in  Massachusetts.  The  season  for  the  northern  district  of 
New  England  seems  to  be  from  one  to  two  weeks  later  than 
this ;  that  of  the  southern  district,  about  a  week  earlier. 

A  pair  of  birds  that  nested  in  Newton,  Mass.,  in  the 
summer  of  1866,  were  robbed  of  their  eggs  four  times  in 
the  season.  They  built  different  nests  in  the  same  grove, 
and  laid  in  the  four  litters  four,  four,  five,  and  three  eggs 
respectively.  The  eggs  of  the  last  litter  were  very  small ; 
but  little  larger  than  the  eggs  of  the  Sharp- shinned  Hawk. 

ACCIPITER  FUSCUS.  —  Gmelin. 
The  Sharp-shinned  Hawk. 

Falcofuscus  et  dubius,  Gm.    Syst.  Nat.,  I.  280,  281  (1788). 

Accipiter  strialus,  Vieillot.     Ois.  d'Am.  Sept.,  I.  42  (1807). 

Falco  velox  et  Pennsykanicus,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  V.  116,  and  VI.  p.  13  (1812). 

Sparvius  lineatus,  Vieillot.     Ency.  Meth.,  III.  1266  (1823). 

Nisus  Malfini,  Lesson.     Traite  d'Orn.,  I.  58  (1831). 

DESCRIPTION. 

Adult.  —  Small;  tail  rather  long;  legs  and  toes  slender;  entire  upper  parts 
brownish-black,  tinged  with  ashy;  occiput  mixed  with  white;  throat  and  under  tail 
coverts  white,  the  former  with  lines  of  black  on  the  shafts  of  the  feathers ;  other 
under  parts  fine  light  rufous,  deepest  on  the  tibia?,  and  with  transverse  bands 
of  white;  shafts  of  the  feathers  with  lines  of  dark-brown;  tail  ashy-brown  tipped 
with  white,  and  with  about  four  bands  of  brownish-black;  quills  brownish-black, 
with  bands  of  a  darker  shade,  and  of  white  on  their  inner  webs;  secondaries  and 
tertiaries  with  large  partially  concealed  spots  of  white. 

Young.  —  Entire  upper  parts  dull  umber-brown,  tinged  with  ashy ;  neck  behind 
mixed  with  white ;  greater  wing  coverts  and  shorter  quills  with  large  partially  con- 
cealed spots  of  white ;  under  parts  white,  with  longitudinal  stripes  and  circular  and 
ovate  spots  of  reddish-brown,  changing  into  transverse  bands  on  the  flanks 


32  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

and  tibia;  under  tail  coverts  white;  bill  dark  bluish  horn-color;    cere  and  tarsi 
yellow ;  iris  reddish-yellow. 

Total  length  of  female,  twelve  to  fourteen  inches;  wing,  seven  and  a  half  to 
eight;  tail,  six  and  a  half  to  seven  inches.  Male,  ten  to  eleven  inches;  wing,  six 
to  six  and  a  half;  tail,  five  to  five  and  a  half  inches. 

This  well-known  little  species  is  a  general  and  common 
summer  inhabitant  of  all  the  New-England  States:  it 
makes  its  appearance  with  the  arrival  of  the  earliest  flight 
of  the  smaller  migratory  birds  in  spring,  and  remains  until 
the  latter  part  of  autumn  ;  and,  in  the  southern  portions  of 
these  States,  even  throughout  the  winter.  The  habits  of  the 
bird  are  so  well  described  by  Audubon,  that  I  cannot  do 
better  than  include  the  description  here.  He  says  :  — 

"While  in  search  of  prey,  the  Sharp-shinned  Hawk  passes 
over  the  country,  now  at  a  moderate  height,  now  close  over  the 
land,  in  so  swift  a  manner,  that,  although  your  eye  has  marked  it, 
you  feel  surprised  that  the  very  next  moment  it  has  dashed  off,  and 
is  far  away.  In  fact,  it  is  usually  seen  when  least  expected, 
and  almost  always  but  for  a  few  moments,  unless  when  it  has 
procured  some  prey,  and  is  engaged  in  feeding  upon  it.  The  kind 
of  vacillation  or  wavering  with  which  it  moves  through  the  air 
appears  perfectly  adapted  to  its  wants  ;  for  it  undoubtedly  enables 
this  little  warrior  to  watch  and  to  see  at  a  single  quick  glance  of  its 
keen  eyes  every  object,  whether  to  the  right  or  to  the  left,  as  it  pur- 
sues its  course.  It  advances  by  sudden  dashes,  as  if  impetuosity 
of  movement  were  essential  to  its  nature,  and  pounces  upon  and 
strikes  such  objects  as  best  suit  its  appetite,  but  so  very  suddenly 
that  it  appears  quite  hopeless  for  any  of  them  to  try  to  escape. 
Many  have  been  the  times,  reader,  when  watching  this  vigilant, 
active,  and  industrious  bird,  I  have  seen  it  plunge  headlong  among 
the  briery  patches  of  one  of  our  old  fields,  in  defiance  of  all  thorny 
obstacles  ;  and,  passing  through,  emerge  on  the  other  side,  bearing 
off  with  exultation  in  its  sharp  claws  a  sparrow  or  finch,  which  it 
had  surprised  when  at  rest.  At  other  times,  I  have  seen  two  or 
three  of  these  hawks,  acting  in  concert,  fly  at  a  Golden-winged 
Woodpecker  while  alighted  against  the  bark  of  a  tree,  where  it 
thought  itself  secure,  but  was  suddenly  clutched  by  one  of  the 
hawks  throwing,  as  it  were,  its  long  legs  with  the  quickness  of 


HAWK,  Acccpiter  fuscus.     Bonaparte. 


THE   SHARP-SHINNED    HAWK.  33 

thought,  protruding  its  sharp  talons,  and  thrusting  them  into  the 
back  of  the  devoted  bird,  while  it  was  endeavoring  to  elude 
the  harassing  attacks  of  another,  by  hopping  and  twisting  around  the 
tree.  Then  down  to  the  ground  assailants  and  assailed  would 
fall,  the  woodpecker  still  offering  great  resistance,  until  a  second 
hawk  would  also  seize  upon  it,  and,  with  claws  deeply  thrust  into 
its  vitals,  put  an  end  to  its  life,  when  both  the  marauders  would 
at  once  commence  their  repast." 

Nuttall  informs  us  that  "  descending  furiously  and  blindly 
upon  its  quarry,  a  young  hawk  of  this  species  broke  through 
the  glass  of  the  greenhouse  at  the  Cambridge  Botanic 
Garden  ;  and,  fearlessly  passing  through  a  second  glass  par- 
tition, he  was  only  brought  up  by  the  third,  and  caught, 
though  little  stunned  by  the  effort.  His  wing-feathers  were 
much  torn  by  the  glass,  and  his  flight  in  this  way  so 
impeded  as  to  allow  of  his  being  approached." 

Whilst  travelling  to  some  point  at  a  considerable  distance, 
the  Sharp-shinned  Hawk  flies  high,  though  in  a  desultory 
manner,  with  irregular  quick  flappings  of  its  wings ;  and  at 
times,  as  if  to  pause  for  a  while  and  examine  the  objects 
below,  moves  in  short  and  unequal  circles,  after  which  it  is 
seen  to  descend  rapidly,  and  then  follow  its  course  at  the 
height  of  only  a  few  feet  from  the  ground,  visiting,  as  it 
were,  every  clump  of  low  bushes  or  brier  patches  likely  to 
be  inhabited  by  the  smaller  birds,  on  which  it  principally 
feeds.  Again,  after  having  satisfied  its  hunger,  it  at  times 
rises  to  a  great  height,  and  indeed  now  and  then  is  scarcely 
discernible  from  the  ground. 

Notwithstanding  the  comparative  abundance  of  this  spe- 
cies, its  nest,  until  quite  recently,  has  been  quite  rarely 
found.  Audubon  met  with  but  three,  and  neither  Wilson 
nor  Nuttall  ever  saw  one.  I  have  been  so  fortunate  as  to 
find  several,  two  of  which  had  in  each  four  eggs.  They 
were  built  in  the  forks  of  pine-trees,  about  twenty-five  feet 
from  the  ground :  they  were  loosely  constructed  of  sticks 
and  twigs,  were  not  much  hollowed,  and  were  lined  with 

3 


34  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

smaller  twigs  and  a  few  leaves.  Fourteen  eggs  in  my  col- 
lection, from  different  parts  of  New  England,  exhibit  but 
slight  variations;  they  are  of  a  bluish-white  color,  and 
covered  at  the  larger  end  with  spots  and  blotches  of 
chocolate-brown :  in  some  specimens  these  blotches  are  con- 
fluent, making  a  ring  near  the  large  end;1  others  are 
covered  nearly  over  their  entire  surface  with  these  markings. 
The  form  of  the  egg  is  nearly  spherical ;  the  length  varying 
from  1.50  inch  to  1.23  inch,  and  the  breadth  from  1.24 
inch  to  1.06  inch.  Average  dimensions  about  1.40  inch  by 
1.20  inch.  I  have  found  the  eggs  as  early  as  the  10th  of 
May ;  but  usually  they  are  not  laid  before  the  20th,  in  the 
latitude  of  Massachusetts.  The  same  nest  is  occupied  by 
the  parent  birds  for  several  years,  and  the  female  is  a  per- 
sistent layer.  A  case  came  to  my  knowledge  in  the  spring 
of  1864,  when  the  nest  was  robbed  three  times :  fourteen 
eggs  were  removed ;  and,  if  the  female  had  not  been  killed 
when  the  last  eggs  were  taken,  she  would  probably  have 
laid  another  litter,  as  there  were  several  found  in  her 
nearly  formed.  Both  sexes,  as  with  nearly  all  the  other 
birds  of  prey,  incubate. 


Sub-Family  BUTEONIN^E.  —  The  Buzzard-Hawks. 

» 

General  form  heavy ;  flight  vigorous  and  long  continued,  but  not  so  rapid  as  in 
the  preceding  sub-families.  Subsist  mainly  on  small  quadrupeds  and  reptiles. 

BUTEO,  CUVIER. 

Bttteo,  CUVIER,  Regne  Animal,  I.  323  (1817). 

Bill  short,  wide  at  base;  edges  of  upper  mandible  lobed;  nostrils  large,  ovate, 
wings  long,  wide,  fourth  and  fifth  quills  usually  longest;  tail  moderate,  rather  wide; 
tarsi  moderate,  robust,  with  transverse  scales  before  and  behind,  laterally  with  small 
circular  and  hexagonal  scales;  toes  moderate,  or  rather  short;  claws  strong.  Con- 
tains about  thirty  species,  inhabiting  all  countries. 

1  The  specimen,  fig.  3,  plate  I.,  is  marked  with  a  ring  of  confluent  blotches  at  the 
matter  end,  a  peculiarity  rarely  met  with. 


THE   RED-TAILED   HAWK.  35 

BUTEO  BOREALIS.  —  VieilloL 
The  Red-tailed  Hawk. 

Falco  borealis,  Leverianus,  and  Jamaicensis,  Gm.    Syst.  Nat.,  I.  266  (1788). 

Falco  aquilinus,  Bartram.     Trav.,  p.  290  (1791). 

Buteo  ferrugineicaudus,  Vieillot.     Ois.  d'Am.  Sept.,  I.  32  (1807). 

Accipiter  ruficaudus,  Vieillot!    Ois.  d'Am.  Sept.,  I.  43  (1807). 

Buleo  fulvous  and  Americanus,  Vieillot.    Nouv.  Diet.,  IV.  472,  477  (1816). 

DESCRIPTION. 

Adult.  —  Tail  bright  rufous,  narrowly  tipped  with  white,  and  having  a  subtermi- 
nal  band  of  black;  entire  upper  parts  dark  umber-brown,  lighter  and  with  fulvous 
edgings  on  the  head  and  neck ;  upper  tail  coverts  yellowish- white,  with  rufous  and 
brown  spots  and  bands;  throat  white,  with  narrow  longitudinal  stripes  of  brown; 
other  under  parts  pale  yellowish-white,  with  longitudinal  lines  and  spots  of  reddish- 
brown,  tinged  with  fulvous ;  most  numerous  on  the  breast,  and  forming  an  irregular 
band  across  the  abdomen ;  under  tail  coverts  and  tibiae  generally  clear  yellowish- 
white,  unspotted,  but  the  latter  frequently  spotted  and  transversely  barred  with 
light  rufous ;  under  surface  of  tail  silvery-white. 

Young.  —  Tail  usually  ashy-brown,  with  numerous  bands  of  a  darker  shade  of 
the  same  color,  and  narrowly  tipped  with  white;  upper  tail  coverts  white,  with 
bands  of  dark-brown ;  other  upper  parts  dark  umber-brown,  many  feathers  edged 
with  dull  white  and  with  partially  concealed  spots  of  white;  entire  under  parts 
white,  sides  of  the  breast  with  large  ovate  spots  of  brownish-black,  and  with  a  wide 
irregular  band  on  the  abdomen,  composed  of  spots  of  the  same  color;  under  tail 
coverts  and  tibiae  with  irregular  transverse  stripes  and  sagittate  spots  of  dark-brown ; 
bill,  blue-black;  cere  and  sides  of  the  mouth,  yellow  tinged  with  green;  legs  yellow; 
iris  pale  amber. 

Total  length  of  female,  about  twenty-three  inches;  wing,  fifteen  to  sixteen 
inches;  tail,  eight  and  a  half  inches.  Male,  nineteen  to  twenty -one  inches;  wing, 
fourteen  inches ;  tail,  seven  and  a  half  to  eight  inches. 

The  Red-tailed  Hawk  is  a  common  resident  of  all  the 
New-England  States  throughout  the  year.  Its  habits  are 
so  well  known  that  a  description  here  is  hardly  needed. 
Every  one  has  noticed  this  hawk  up  in  the  air,  at  a  consider- 
able height,  soaring  in  extended  circles,  and  uttering  the 
oft-repeated  cry,  kae,  Jcae,  kae,  as  he  examines  the  earth 
beneath  him  for  prey.  Audubon  was  of  the  opinion,  that 
the  bird  emitted  this  shriek  for  the  purpose  of  attracting  the 
notice  of  birds  and  animals  beneath,  and  causing  them  to 
fly  to  a  place  of  concealment,  thus  giving  him  a  knowledge 
of  their  whereabouts.  This  supposition  is  not  improbable ; 
for  he  is  often  observed  descending  with  great  rapidity 
towards  a  bird  that  has  taken  flight  at  his  outcries. 


36  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

This  Hawk  is  very  destructive  among  domestic  poultry, 
and  is  generally  regarded  with  dislike.  I  have  known  of 
instances  when  he  has  almost  completely  depopulated  a 
poultry-yard  before  he  could  be  captured. 

It  is  the  custom  of  the  Hawk,  wl^en  he  has  once  had  a 
taste  of  a  flock  of  fowls,  to  visit  it  regularly  every  day  at 
about  the  same  time ;  sometimes  in  the  afternoon,  oftener 
in  the  morning. 

The  moment  his  cry  is  heard,  the  shrill  alarm  of  the  cock 
is  given,  when  the  hens  run  hither  and  thither,  cackling, 
and  adding  to  their  own  affright;  the  guinea-fowls  rattle 
their  discordant  notes  ;  the  mother  with  her  chickens  becomes 
almost  frantic  in  her  efforts  to  protect  her  young  from 
the  inevitable  destroyer.  In  the  midst  of  this  clatter,  the 
pirate  who  has  been  its  sole  cause  comes  on  eager  wing, 
and,  selecting  the  fattest  of  the  flock,  pounces  upon  it,  and, 
with  scarcely  an  effort,  bears  it  off  to  feast  his  mate  and 
young.  The  Ruffed  Grouse  (Bonasa  umbellus)  and  Com- 
mon Hare  (Lepus  Americanus)  both  fall  victims;  and  the 
number  he  destroys  is  very  great. 

The  Red-Tailed  Hawk  builds  its  nest  in  a  lofty  fork  of  a 
large  tree.  The  nest  is  one  of  the  largest  of  our  rapacious 
birds,  —  in  one  case,  to  my  knowledge,  exceeding  two  feet 
in  width  and  twenty  inches  in  depth.  It  is  constructed  of 
large  sticks  and  twigs;  is  but  slightly  hollowed;  and  is 
lined  with  smaller  twigs,  leaves,  and  moss.  The  eggs  are 
generally  three  in  number,  seldom  more :  their  ground- 
color is  a  dirty  yellowish-white,  with  blotches  of  a  yellow- 
ish-brown, and  sometimes  distinct  blotches  of  a  darker 
brown.  Their  form  varies  from  nearly  spherical  to  ovoidal ; 
but  they  are,  in  general,  nearly  as  large  at  one  end  as  at  the 
other.  Dimensions  of  specimens  vary  from  2.12  to  2.25 
inches  in  length,  by  from  1.68  to  2  inches  in  breadth. 

Three  eggs  that  I  took  from  a  nest  in  the  southern  part 
of  Ohio,  early  in  the  month  of  April,  measure  2.18  by  1.62 ; 
2.14  by  1.70;  and  2.20  by  2  inches,  — -  averaging  a  little 


THE   RED-SHOULDERED   HAWK.  37 

smaller  than  specimens  collected  in  New  England.  These 
eggs  must  have  been  laid  by  the  25th  of  March.  In  New 
England,  they  are  seldom  laid  before  the  last  week  in  April 
to  the  first  week  in  May. 

BUTEO   LINEATUS.  —  Jardine. 

The  Red-shouldered  Hawk. 

Falco  lineatus  and  hyemalis,  Gm.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  268,  274  (1788). 
Fdco  buteoides,  Nuttall.    Man.,  I.  100  (1st  edition,  1832). 

DESCRIPTION. 

Adult.  —  Wing  coverts,  from  its  flexure  to  the  body,  fine  bright  rufous ;  breast 
and  other  lower  parts  of  the  body  paler  orange  rufous,  many  feathers  with  transverse 
bars  and  spots  of  white,  which  predominate  on  the  abdomen  and  under  tail  coverts; 
entire  upper  parts  brown;  on  the  head  mixed  with  rufous,  and  with  white  spots  on 
the  wing  coverts  and  shorter  quills  and  rump ;  quills  brownish-black,  with  white  spots 
on  their  outer  webs,  and  with  bars  of  a  lighter  shade  of  brown  and  of  white  on 
their  inner  webs ;  tail  brownish-black,  with  about  five  transverse  bands  of  white, 
and  tipped  with  white. 

Young.  —  Entire  upper,  parts  yellowish-white,  with  longitudinal  stripes  and 
oblong  spots  of  dark-brown;  throat  dark  brown;  upper  parts  lighter  ashy-brown, 
with  many  partially  concealed  spots  and  bars  of  white;  quills  dark-brown,  with 
wide  transverse  bars  of  rufous  and  white  on  both  webs;  tail  ashy-brown,  wijth 
numerous  bands  of  pale-brownish  and  rufous  white;  tail  beneath  silvery-white; 
bill  light-blue  at  the  base,  bluish-black  at  the  tip;  cere,  basal  margin  of  the  bill, 
edges  of  the  eyelids  and  the  feet,  bright-yellow;  iris  hazel. 

Total  length,  female,  twenty-one  to  twenty-three  inches;  wing,  fourteen;  tail, 
nine  inches.  Male,  eighteen  to  twenty  inches ;  wing,  twelve ;  tail,  eight  inches. 

This  bird  is  a  rather  common  resident  of  all  New  Eng- 
land throughout  the  year.  Its  habits  are  so  nearly  like 
those  of  the  preceding,  that  I  can  add  nothing  to  that  I 
have  already  written. 

The  best  account  of  the  bird's  habits  in  the  breeding 
season,  that  I  remember,  is  given  by  Audubon.  It  is  as 
follows :  — 

"  This  bird  is  one  of  the  most  noisy  of  its  genus,  during  spring 
especially,  when  it  would  be  difficult  to  approach  the  skirts  of  woods 
bordering  a  large  plantation  without  hearing  its  discordant  shrill 
notes,  —  ka-hee,  ka-hee,  —  as  it  is  seen  sailing  in  rapid  circles  at  a 
very  great  elevation.  Its  ordinary  flight  is  even  and  protracted, 


38  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

excepting  when  it  is  describing  the  circles  just  mentioned,  when  it 
often  dives  and  gambols.  It  is  a  more  general  inhabitant  of  the 
woods  than  most  of  our  other  species,  particularly  during  the  sum- 
mer, and  in  autumn  and  winter ;  now  and  then  only,  in  early  spring, 
showing  itself  in  the  open  grounds,  and  about  the  vicinity  of  small 
lakes,  for  the  purpose  of  securing  red- winged  starlings  and  wounded 
ducks. 

u  The  interior  of  woods  seems,  as  I  have  said,  the  fittest  haunts 
for  the  Red-shouldered  Hawk.  He  sails  through  them  a  few  yards 
above  the  ground,  and  suddenly  alights  on  the  low  branch  of  a 
tree  or  the  top  of  a  dead  stump,  from  which  he  silently  watches, 
in  an  erect  posture,  for  the  appearance  of  squirrels,  upon  which 
he  pounces  directly,  and  kills  in  an  instant,  afterwards  devour- 
ing them  on  the  ground.  If  accidentally  discovered,  he  essays  to 
remove  the  squirrel ;  but,  finding  this  difficult,  he  drags  it,  partly 
through  the  air  and  partly  along  the  ground,  to  some  short  distance, 
until  he  conceives  himself  out  of  sight  of  the  intruder,  when  he 
again  commences  feeding.  The  eating  of  a  whole  squirrel,  which 
this  bird  often  devours  at  one  meal,  so  gorges  it,  that  I  have  seen 
it  in  this  state  almost  unable  to  fly,  and  with  such  an  extraordinary 
protuberance  on  its  breast  as  seemed  very  unnatural,  and  very 
injurious  to  the  beauty  of  form  which  the  bird  usually  displays. 
On  all  occasions  such  as  I  have  described,  when  the  bird  is  so 
gorged,  it  is  approached  with  the  greatest  ease.  On  the  contrary, 
when  it  is  in  want  of  food,  it  requires  the  greatest  caution  to  get 
within  shooting  distance  of  it. 

"  At  the  approach  of  spring,  this  species  begins  to  pair ;  and  its 
flight  is  accompanied  with  many  circlings  and  zigzag  motions, 
during  which  it  emits  its  shrill  cries.  The  male  is  particularly 
noisy  at  this  time.  He  gives  chase  to  all  other  hawks,  returns  to 
the  branch  on  which  his  mate  has  chanced  to  perch,  and  caresses 
her.  This  happens  about  the  beginning  of  March.1  The  spot 
adapted  for  a  nest  is  already  fixed  upon,  and  the  fabric  is  half 
finished.  The  top  of  a  tall  tree  appears  to  be  preferred  by  this 
hawk,  as  I  have  found  its  nest  more  commonly  placed  there,  not 
far  from  the  edges  of  woods  bordering  plantations. 

"When  one  ascends  to  the  nest  (which,  by  the  way,  is  not 

1  May  in  New  England. 


THE   RED-SHOULDERED   HAWK.  39 

always  an  easy  matter,  as  our  beech-trees  are  not  only  very 
smooth,  but  frequently  without  any  boughs  to  a  considerable  dis- 
tance from  the  ground,  as  well  as  of  rather  large  size),  the  female 
bird,  if  she  happens  to  be  sitting,  flies  off  silently,  and  alights  on  a 
neighboring  tree  to  wait  the  result;  but  should  the  male,  who 
supplies  her  with  food,  and  assists  in  incubation,  be  there,  or  make 
his  appearance,  he  .immediately  sets  up  a  hue  and  cry,  and  plunges 
toward  the  assailant  with  such  violence  as  to  astonish  him. 

"  When,  on  several  occasions,  I  have  had  the  tree,  on  which  the 
nest  was  placed,  cut  down,  I  have  observed  the  same  pair,  a  few 
days  after,  build  another  nest  on  a  tree  not  far  distant  from  the 
spot  in  which  the  first  one  had  been. 

"  The  mutual  attachment  of  the  male  and  the  female  continues 
during  life.  They  usually  hunt  in  pairs  during  the  whole  year; 
and,  although  they  build  a  new  nest  every  spring,  they  are  fond  of 
resorting  to  the  same  parts  of  the  woods  for  that  purpose.1 

"  The  young  remain  in  the  nest  until  fully  fledged,  and  are  fed 
by  the  parents  for  several  weeks  after  they  have  begun  to  fly ;  but 
leave  them,  and  begin  to  shift  for  themselves,  in  about  a  month, 
when  they  disperse,  and  hunt  separately,  until  the  approach  of  the 
succeeding  spring,  at  which  time  they  pair. 

"  This  Hawk  seldom  attacks  any  kind  of  poultry,  and  yet  fre- 
quently pounces  on  partridges,  doves,  or  wild  pigeons,  as  well  as 
red-winged  blackbirds,  and  now  and  then  young  rabbits.  On  one 
or  two  occasions,  I  have  seen  them  make  their  appearance  at  the 
report  of  my  gun,  and  try  to  rob  me  of  some  blue-winged  teals, 
shot  in  small  ponds.  I  have  never  seen  them  chase  any  other 
small  birds  than  those  mentioned,  or  quadrupeds  of  smaller  size 
than  the  Cotton  Rat." 

My  experience  has  been  different  from  the  above  para- 
graph ;  for  I  have  known  of  this  Hawk  attacking  poultry, 
and,  even  several  times  in  the  same  flock,  killing  a  fowl  each 
time.  The  breeding  habits  of  this  and  the  Red-tailed  Hawk 
are  so  exactly  similar,  that  the  above  description  well 
answers  for  both. 

1  T  have  known  of  the  same  nest  being  occupied  by  a  pair  of  these  birds  for 
several  seasons.  —  E.  A.  S. 


40  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

I  have  found  several  nests  of  this  species  in  different 
localities,  all  of  which  were  placed  in  high  forks  of  trees. 
They  were  built  of  twigs  and  sticks  of  different  sizes,  and 
usually  were'of  large  size.  A  nest  that  I  found  in  Milton, 
Mass.,  was  built  in  a  fork  of  a  large  oak,  against  the  trunk, 
about  forty  feet  from  the  ground.  It  was  of  a  bulk  nearly 
sufficient  to  fill  a  basket :  it  was  considerably  hollowed,  and 
lined  with  dry  grass  and  leaves.  The  eggs,  two  in  number, 
are  in  the  cabinet  of  Dr.  Brewer,  who  describes  them  as 
follows :  — 

"  Two  others  belonging  to  this  species,  obtained  in  Milton,  Mass., 
by  Mr.  E.  A.  Samuels,  and  identified  by  securing  the  parent  birds, 
may  be  thus  described:  One  measures  2^  by  l|g  inch.  The 
ground-color  is  a  dirty-white,  and  is  marked  with  large  blotches, 
lines,  and  dottings  of  umber-brown  of  various  shades,  from  quite 
dark  to  light.  The  other  is  2  inches  by  l|g,  has  a  bluish-white 
ground,  and  is  only  marked  by  a  number  of  very  faint  blotches  of 
yellowish-brown  and  a  slate-drab.  Except  in  their  shape,  which  is 
an  oval  spheroid,  slightly  pointed  at  one  end,  these  bear  but  very 
slight  resemblance  to  each  other,  though  taken  at  the  same  time 
from  one  nest." 

A  number  of  specimens  in  my  collection  exhibit  as  great 
a  variety  as  the  above  instances ;  and  one  specimen,  obtained 
in  Connecticut,  which  measures  2.12  by  1.65  inches,  has  a 
dirty  yellowish-white  ground-color,  which  is  nearly  covered 
with  blotches  of  faint-purple ;  the  appearance  being  as  if 
the  purple  spots  were  laid  on,  and  then  a  coating  of  white- 
wash laid  over  them. 

BUTEO  PENNSYLVANICUS.— Bonaparte. 
The  Broad-winged  Hawk. 

Fako  Pennsyhanicus,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  VI.  92  (1812).    Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  T.  161. 
Falco  Wilwnii,  Bonaparte.    Jour.  Phila.  Acad.,  III.  348  (1824).' 

DESCRIPTION. 

Adult.  —  Entire  upper  parts  umber-brown;  featbers  on  the  occiput  and  back  of 
the  neck  white  at  their  bases;  throat  white,  with  longitudinal  lines  of  brown,  and 


THE   BROAD-WINGED   HAWK.  41 

with  a  patch  of  brown  on  each  side  running  from  the  base  of  the  lower  mandible ; 
breast  with  a  wide  band  composed  of  large  cordate  and  sagittate  spots  and  trans- 
verse bands  of  reddish-ferruginous  tinged  with  ashy ;  other  under  parts  white,  with 
numerous  sagittate  spots  of  reddish  on  the  flanks,  abdomen,  and  tibiae  In  some 
specimens,  the  ferruginous  color  predominates  on  all  the  under  parts,  except  the 
under  tail  coverts,  and  all  the  feathers  have  large  circular  or  ovate  spots  of  white 
on  both  edges;  under  tail  coverts  white;  quills  brownish-black,  widely  bordered 
with  white  on  their  inner  webs ;  tail  dark-brown,  narrowly  tipped  with  white,  and 
with  one  wide  band  of  white  and  several  narrower  bands  near  the  base. 

Young.  —  Upper  parts  dull  umber-brown,  many  feathers  edged  with  fulvous  and 
ashy-white;  upper  tail  coverts  spotted  with  white;  under  parts  white,  generally 
tinged  with  yellowish,  and  having  longitudinal  stripes  and  oblong  and  lanceolate 
spots  of  brownish-black ;  a  stripe  of  dark-brown  on  each  side  of  the  neck  from  the 
base  of  the  under  mandible ;  tail  brown,  with  several  bands  of  a  darker  shade  of 
the  same  color,  and  of  white  on  the  inner  webs,  and  narrowly  tipped  with  white. 
Bill  bluish-black  at  the  tip,  blue  towards  the  base;  cere  and  margin  yellow;  iris 
hazel;  feet  gamboge-yellow;  claws  brownish-black. 

Total  length,  female,  seventeen  to  eighteen  inches;  wing,  eleven;  tail,  six  and  a 
half  to  seven  inches.  Male,  total  length,  sixteen  to  sixteen  and  a  half  inches;  wing, 
ten  inches ;  tail,  six  to  six  and  a  half  inches. 

This  bird,  until  quite  recently,  has  been  regarded  as  rare 
in  all  the  New-England  States;  and  even  now  it  is  by  no 
means  common,  although  it  is  much  oftener  found  here  than 
formerly.  It  occurs  in  these  States  only  as  a  summer 
visitor,  arriving  in  the  spring  about  the  middle  of  April,  and 
departing  for  the  South  in  October.  The  flight  of  this 
Hawk  is  quite  rapid,  consisting  of  long  intervals  of  soaring, 
with  shorter  periods  of  flappings  of  the  wings.  It  seems  to 
prefer  the  wilder  districts  to  the  more  thickly  settled  ones, 
and  is  most  often  met  with  in  the  interior  of  the  country. 
I  noticed  several  individuals,  in  the  course  of  a  day's  march 
in  Northern  Maine,  soaring  above  the  hemlock  and  pine 
forests,  and  uttering  their  shrill  key,  ky-ah,  ky-ah-ke-ee, 
ke-ee,  as  they  were  searching  for  prey  beneath  them.  Small 
birds,  reptiles,  squirrels,  and  insects  constitute  the  principal 
portion  of  their  food ;  and  they  seldom  attack  a  bird  larger 
than  a  pigeon  or  quail. 

Once,  while  listening  to  the  beautiful  song  of  the  White- 
throated  Sparrow,  I  was  startled  by  the  sudden  appearance 
of  one  of  these  hawks,  which,  flying  within  a  yard  of  my 
head,  as  I  sat  in  some  bushes  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Umba- 


42  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

gog,  pounced  at  a  Red  Squirrel  (S.  Hudsonius),  that  was 
chattering  at  me  from  the  top  of  a  hollow  stump:  the 
squirrel  barely  escaped  by  diving  into  the  hollow,  when 
the  hawk,  turning  suddenly,  rushed  at  my  little  songster, 
and,  clutching  him  through  the  vitals,  bore  him  off  in 
exultation.  So  sudden  was  the  attack,  that  I  had  no  time 
to  cock  my  gun  before  he  was  half  a  dozen  rods  off,  when  I 
fired,  and  brought  him  to  the  ground :  the  sparrow  was,  of 
course,  dead.  The  hawk  was  only  wing-tipped ;  and,  throw- 
ing himself  on  his  back,  his  feet  extended,  he  awaited  my 
approach.  As  I  drew  near  him,  he  emitted  a  sort  of  hiss ; 
and,  as  he  glared  at  me  with  rage-enkindled  eye,  he  appeared 
the  very  incarnation  of  wrath.  On  killing  him,  I  found  that 
he  had  had  one  of  his  tarsi  broken  before,  apparently  by  a 
shot :  it  had  healed,  but  had  lost  none  of  its  strength  ;  for,  as 
I  touched  him  with  a  stick,  he  grasped  it  with  both  feet  so 
powerfully  that  all  his  claws  were  thrust  deep  into  the  wood. 
The  nest  is  rarely  found.  One  that  I  visited  in  West  Rox- 
bury,  Mass.,  on  the  20th  of  May,  1864,  had  four  eggs ;  it 
was  built  in  a  tall  pine-tree,  in  a  fork  near  the  top ;  it  was 
composed  of  coarse  sticks  and  twigs,  and  was  lined  with 
the  bark  of  the  red  cedar  and  a  few  leaves  and  feathers. 
The  eggs,  which  are  now  before  me,  vary  from  2  by  1.70 
inches,  to  2.15  by  1.72  inches ;  their  color  is  a  dirty  yellow- 
ish-white, covered  more  or  less  thickly  in  the  different 
specimens  with  spots  and  blotches  of  reddish-brown :  an- 
other egg,  obtained  in  Newton,  Mass.,  in  the  previous 
season,  is  somewhat  smaller,  and  the  markings  are  fainter, 
and  of  a  lighter  color.  Two  other  specimens  in  my  collec- 
tion, collected  in  New  Hampshire,  correspond  to  this 
description ;  but  the  spots  are  much  finer  and  of  a  darker 
color. 

ARCHIBUTEO,  BUEHM. 

Archibuteo,  Brehm,  Isis,  1828,  p.  1269. 

Tarsi  densely  feathered  to  the  toes,  but  more  or  less  naked  behind,  and  then  cov- 
ered with  scales.  Wings  long  and  wide;  toes  short;  claws  moderate;  tail  rather 
short,  wide.  Other  characters  very  similar  to  those  of  Buteo. 


THE   ROUGH-LEGGED    HAWK.  43 

This  genus  contains  six  or  seven  species,  inhabiting  Europe,  Asia,  and  North 
America,  all  birds  of  heavy  though  robust  organization,  subsisting  mainly  on  small 
quadrupeds  and  reptiles.  The  species  of  this  genus  are  easily  recognized  by  their 
having  the  tarsi  feathered. 

ARCHIBUTEO  LAGOPUS.—  Gray. 
The  Rough-legged  Hawk. 

Falco  lagopus,  Gm.  Syst.  Nat.,  260  (1788).  Aud.  Orn.  Biog ,  II.  377,  and 
Wilson. 

Falco plumipes,  Daudin.  Traite  d'Orn.,  II.  163. 
Falco pennatus,  Cuvier.  Reg.  An.,  I.  323  (1817). 
Archibuteo  alticeps,  Brehm.  Vog.  Deutsch,  I.  40. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Tarsus  densely  feathered  in  front  to  the  toes,  naked  behind;  wing  long;  tail 
rather  short. 

Adult.  —  Head  above  yellowish-white,  with  longitudinal  stripes  of  brown  tinged 
with  reddish,  especially  on  the  occiput;  back  scapular,  and  shorter  quills  pale  cine- 
reous, with  partially  concealed  transverse  bands  of  white  and  dark -brown,  the  latter 
frequently  predominating,  and  giving  the  color  on  the  back ;  rump  dark  umber-brown  ; 
longer  quills  and  wing  coverts  umber-brown ;  primaries  edged  externally  with  ashy, 
and  with  a  large  space  on  their  inner  webs  at  their  base,  white  with  a  silky  lustre ; 
under  parts  white;  throat  with  longitudinal  stripes  of  dark-brown;  breast  with  large 
spots  and  concealed  stripes  of  reddish-brown ;  abdomen-with  numerous  transverse 
narrow  bands  of  brownish-black,  most  conspicuous  on  the  flanks,  and  tinged  with 
ashy;  tibiae  and  tarsi  barred  transversely  with  white  and  dark-brown,  and  tinged 
with  reddish;  under  tail  coverts  white;  upper  tail  coverts  white  at  base  and 
tipped  with  brownish-black;  tail  white  at  base,  with  a  wide  subterminal  band  of 
black,  and  about  two  other  bands  of  black  alternating  with  others  of  light-cinere- 
ous; cere  and  toes  yellow;  iris  hazel;  under  wing  coverts  white,  with  spots  of 
brownish-black,  and  on  the  longer  coverts  with  a  large  space  of  ashy-brown. 

Young.  — Upper  parts  light  umber-brown,  many  feathers,  especially  on  the  head 
and  neck  behind,  edged  with  yellowish-white  and  pale-reddish ;  a  wide  transverse 
band  or  belt  on  the  abdomen  brownish-black;  other  under  parts  yellowish-white, 
with  a  few  longitudinal  lines  and  spots  of  brownish-black;  quills  ashy-brown,  with 
a  large  basal  portion  of  their  inner  webs  white ;  tail  at  its  base  white,  with  a  sub- 
terminal  band  of  light  umber-brown,  tip  white ;  tibiae  and  tarsi  pale  reddish-yellow, 
with  longitudinal  stripes  and  spots  of  dark-brown;  cere  and  toes  yellow;  iris  hazel. 

Total  length,  female,  twenty-one  to  twenty -three  inches;  wing,  sixteen  to  seven- 
teen inches;  tail,  nine  inches.  Male,  total  length,  nineteen  to  twenty-one  inches; 
wing,  fifteen  to  sixteen  inches;  tail,  eight  to  eight  and  a  half  inches. 

This  Hawk  is  rarely  seen  in  New  England,  appearing  only 
in  the  late  fall  and  winter  months.  I  have  had  no  opportu- 
nities of  studying  its  habits  and  characteristics,  and  will 
give  the  short  description  by  Audubon.  He  says,  — 


44  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

"  The  Rough-legged  Hawk  seldom  goes  further  south  along  our 
Atlantic  Coast  than  the  eastern  portions  of  North  Carolina;  nor 
have  I  ever  seen  it  west  of  the  Alleghanies.  It  is  a  sluggish  bird, 
and  confines  itself  to  the  meadows  and  low  grounds  bordering  the 
rivers  and  salt  marshes  along  our  bays  and  inlets.  In  such  places, 
you  may  see  it  perched  on  a  stake,  where  it  remains  for  hours  at  a 
time,  unless  some  wounded  bird  comes  in  sight,  when  it  sails  after 
it,  and  secures  it  without  manifesting  much  swiftness  of  flight.  It 
feeds  principally  on  moles,  mice,  and  other  small  quadrupeds,  and 
never  attacks  a  duck  on  the  wing,  although  now  and  then  it  pursues 
a  wounded  one.  When  not  alarmed,  it  usually  flies  low  and 
sedately,  and  does  not  exhibit  any  of  the  courage  and  vigor  so  con- 
spicuous in  most  other  hawks,  suffering  thousands  of  birds  to  pass 
without  pursuing  them.  The  greatest  feat  I  have  seen  it  perform 
was  scrambling  at  the  edge  of  the  water  to  secure  a  lethargic 
frog. 

"  They  alight  on  trees  to  roost,  but  appear  so  hungry  or  indolent 
at  all  times,  that  they  seldom  retire  to  rest  until  after  dusk. 
Their  large  eyes,  indeed,  seem  to  indicate  their  possession  of  the 
faculty  of  seeing  at  that  late  hour.  I  have  frequently  put  up  one 
that  seemed  watching  for  food  at  the  edge  of  a  ditch,  long  after 
sunset.  Whenever  an  opportunity  offer,  they  eat  to  excess, 
and,  like  the  Turkey  Buzzards  and  Carrion  Crows,  disgorge 
their  food,  to  enable  themselves  to  fly  off.  The  species  is  more 
nocturnal  in  its  habits  than  any  other  hawk  found  in  the  United 
States." 

I  have  never  met  with  the  nest  of  this  bird,  and  know 
but  little  of  its  breeding  habits.  It  does  not  breed  in  New 
England,  or,  if  it  does,  only  very  rarely,  preferring  the  more 
northern  sections  of  the  continent.  Two  eggs  in  my  collec- 
tion, from  Canada,  are  of  the  following  description.  Their 
ground-color  is  a  dirty  bluish-white,  which  is  covered  more 
or  less  thickly  on  different  parts  of  their  surface  with 
obscure  spots  and  blotches  of  different  shades  of  brown- 
ish-ochre and  faint-umber.  They  are  broadly  ovate  in 
form,  and  are  2.87  by  1.75  inch  and  2.87  by  1.63  inch  in 
dimensions. 


THE   BLACK   HAWK.  45 

AECHIBUTEO    SANCTI-JOHANNIS.  —Gray. 
The  Black  Hawk. 

Falco  sancti-johannis,  Gm.     Syst.  Nat.,  273  (1788). 
Falco  novce-terrce,  Gm.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  274  (1788). 
Falco  niger,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  VI.  82  (1812). 

DESCRIPTION. 

Adult. — Entire  plumage  glossy  black,  in  many  specimens  with  a  brown  tinge; 
forehead,  throat^  and  large  partially  concealed  spot  on  occiput,  white;  tail  with 
one  transverse  well-defined  band  of  white,  and  irregularly  marked  towards  the  base 
with  the  same  color;  quills  with  their  inner  webs  white,  readily  seen  from  below; 
cere  and  toes  yellow ;  iris  hazel ;  tarsi  densely  feathered  in  front,  naked  behind. 
Other  specimens  are  entirely  dark  chocolate-brown,  with  the  head  more  or  less 
striped  with  yellowish-white  and  reddish-yellow;  tail  with  several  transverse 
bands  of  white,  more  or  less  imperfect  and  irregular. 

Young. — Upper  parts  light  umber-brown,  with  the  feathers  more  or  less  edged 
with  dull-white  and  reddish-yellow;  abdomen  with  a  broad  transverse  band  of 
brownish-black;  other  under  parts  pale  yellowish-white,  with  longitudinal  stripes 
of  brownish-black,  frequently  giving  the  predominating  color  on  the  breast  and 
sides;  wings  and  tail  brown,  tinged  with  cinereous,  the  former  marked  with  white 
on  their  inner  webs,  the  latter  white  at  their  base ;  tarsi  and  tibiae  pale  reddish- 
yellow,  spotted  with  brown;  cere,  feet,  and  iris  the  same  as  in  adult. 

Total  length,  female,  twenty-two  to  twenty-four  inches;  wing,  seventeen  to  seven- 
teen and  a  half;  tail,  nine  inches.  Male,  twenty  to  twenty-two  inches ;  wing,  sixteen 
to  sixteen  and  a  half;  tail,  eight  to  eight  and  a  half  inches. 

This  species,  so  often  confounded  in  the  immature  plu- 
mage with  the  preceding,  but  which  may  be  separated 
from  it  by  its  greater  size  and  more  numerous  dark  spots 
beneath,  is  a  rare  winter  visitor  in  New  England.  Like 
the  Rough-legged  Hawk,  it  prefers  the  marshes  and  low, 
swampy  woods  to  the  higher  localities,  and  preys  upon 
mice,  wounded  ducks,  and  small  birds.  I  have  known  of  it 
being  killed  while  pursuing  a  flock  of  Snow  Buntings 
(Plectrophanes  nivalis),  and  have  heard  of  its  attacking  a 
flock  of  domestic  poultry.  Its  habits,  therefore,  are  differ- 
ent from  those  of  the  A.  lagopus,  as  given  by  Audubon  ; 
but  it  lacks  the  courage  and  vigor  of  most  of  our  other 
rapacious  birds,  and  is  hardly  worthy  of  the  immortality  it 
has  received  from  the  pens  of  some  of  our  writers. 

The  distribution  of  this  species  is  limited  to  the  north- 
ern regions  of  the  continent  in  summer,  and  is  very  rarely 


48  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

found  south  of  Massachusetts  in  winter.  I  do  not  remem- 
ber of  an  instance  of  its  being  captured  far  inland,  although 
J.  A.  Allen,  before  quoted,  includes  it  in  the  catalogue  of 
the  birds  of  Springfield,  Mass. 

A  single  egg  in  my  collection,  from  Northern  America,  is 
of  the  following  dimensions :  2.1?  by  1.70  inch.  Its  form 
is  a  perfect  ovoidal.  Its  primary  color  is  a  dirty  white ; 
and  it  is  marked  with  obscure  blotches  of  lilac,  and  some 
obscure  blotches  of  brown  and  brownish-yellow.  None  of 
the  markings  are  decided  ;  and,  at  a  little  distance,  the  egg 
has  the  appearance  of  being  of  a  dirty-white  color. 


Sub-Family  MILVIN^. — The  Kites. 

Size  various,  usually  medium  or  small;  general  form  usually  rather  slender,  and 
not  strong ;  wings  and  tail  usually  long ;  bill  short,  weak,  hooked,  and  acute ;  tarsi 
and  toes  usually  slender,  and  not  strong,  sometimes  short.  The  birds  of  this  group 
habitually  feed  on  reptiles  and  other  small  animals,  and  are  deficient  in  the  strength 
and  courage  of  the  other  groups  of  the  falcons. 

CIRCUS,  LACEPEDE. 

Circus,  LACEPEDE,  Mem.  d'Inst.  Paris,  III.  CXI.  506  (1803). 

Face  partially  encircled  by  a  ring  or  ruff  of  short  projecting  feathers,  as  in  the 
owls;  head  rather  large;  bill  short,  compressed,  curved  from  the  base;  nostrils 
large;  wings  long,  pointed;  tail  rather  long,  wide;  tarsi  long  and  slender;  toes 
moderate;  claws  rather  slender  and  weak. 

CIRCUS  HUDSONIUS.  —  Vieillot. 
The  Marsh-hawk;  Harrier;  Mouse-hawk. 

FaJco  Hudsonius,  Linnaeus.    Syst.  Nat.,  I.  128  (1766). 
Falco  uliginosus,  Gm.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  278  (1788). 
Fnlco  uliginosus,  Wilson.     Am.  Orn.,  VI.  67. 
Falco  cyaneus,  Aububon.     Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  396. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Adult.  —  Form  rather  long  and  slender;  tarsi  long;  ruff  quite  distinct  on  the 
neck  in  front:  entire  upper  parts,  head,  and  breast,  pale  bluish-cinereous,  on 
the  back  of  the  head  mixed  with  dark-fulvous;  upper  tail  coverts  white;  under 
parts  white,  with  small  cordate  or  hastate  spots  of  light-ferruginous;  quills  brownish- 
black,  with  their  outer  webs  tinged  with  ashy,  and  a  large  portion  of  their  inner 


THE   MARSH-HAWK  ;.    HARRIER  ;    MOUSE-HAWK.  47 

webs  white ;  tail  light-cinereous,  nearly  white  on  the  inner  webs  of  the  feathers,  and 
with  obscure  transverse  bands  of  brown;   under  surface  silky-white;  under  wing' 
coverts  white;  bill  blue-black  at  the  extremity;  cere  and  legs  yellow,  the  former 
with  a  tinge  of  green ;  iris  hazel. 

Younger.  —  Entire  upper  parts  dull  umber-brown,  many  feathers  edged  with  dull 
rufous,  especially  on  the  neck ;  under  parts  dull  reddish-white,  with  longitudinal 
stripes  of  brown,  most  numerous  on  the  throat  and  neck  before ;  tibiae  tinged  with 
reddish;  upper  tail  coverts  white. 

Y(wng.  —  Entire  upper  parts  d:\rk  umber-brown ;  upper  tail  coverts  white ; 
under  parts  rufous,  with  longitudinal  stripes  of  brown  on  the  breast  and  sides; 
tail  reddish-brown,  with  about  three  wide  bands  of  dark-fulvous,  paler  on  the  inner 
webs;  tarsi,  cere,  and  iris  as  in  the  adult. 

Total  length,  female,  nineteen  to  twenty-one  inches;  wing,  fifteen  and  a  half; 
tail,  ten  inches.  Male,  totsil  length,  sixteen  to  eighteen  inches;  wing,  fourteen  and  a 
half;  tail,  eight  and  a  half  to  nine  inches. 

This  species  is  pretty  generally  diffused  throughout  New 
England  as  a  summer  visitor.  It  is  one  of  the  least  mis- 
chievous of  all  the  hawks,  as  it  destroys  but  few  of  the 
smaller  birds.  It  is  more  common  in  districts  that  are  low 
and  marshy  than  in  others ;  and  this  fact  gives  it  the  name, 
in  many  localities,  of  the  "  Bogtrotter." 

Its  flight  is  low  and  rapid,  consisting  of  long  intervals 
of  flappings,  with  shorter  periods  of  soaring.  I  do  not 
remember  of  ever  hearing  it  cry  out  in  the  manner  that 
other  hawks  do,  and  think  that  it  hunts  silently.  It  arrives 
from  the  South  from  about  the  middle  of  April  to  the  first 
of  May.  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  the  birds  are  generally 
mated  before  their  arrival ;  for  they  are  almost  always  seen 
in  pairs  from  their  first  appearance.  In  choosing  a  situation 
for  a  nest,  both  birds  are  remarkably  nervous  and  restless : 
they  are  almost  constantly  on  the  wing,  prying  into,  and 
apparently  taking  into  account,  every  thing  with  reference  to 
future  comfort.  The  following  circumstances  came  to  my 
observation,  and,  as  I  improved  every  opportunity  to  watch 
the  proceedings,  will  serve  to  illustrate  the  breeding  habits 
of  this  bird :  A  pair  made  their  appearance  about  the 
middle  of  April,  a  few  years  since,  in  a  large  meadow  in 
Dedham,  Mass.  They  were  apparently  mated  from  the 
first ;  and,  as  the  neighborhood  gave  promise  of  an  abun- 


48  ORNITHOLOGY   AND    OOLOGY. 

dance  of  food  (field-mice),  I  concluded  that  this  would  bo 
selected  as  a  breeding- place,  and  watched  accordingly. 
The  male  was  very  attentive  to  his  mate,  often  talking  to 
and  caressing  her.  If  she  should  alight  on  the  ground  or 
on  a  fence-rail,  he  would  alight  with  her,  and  often  fly  and 
walk  around  her,  bowing  and  chattering  in  a  ludicrous 
manner.  After  a  situation  (luckily  where  I  could  watch 
them  unobserved)  was  fixed  upon  for  a  nest,  both  birds 
were  very  active  in  its  construction.  It  was  built  on  a 
hummock,  perhaps  eighteen  inches  above  the  level  of  the 
meadow.  The  materials  used  in  its  construction  were 
dried  grasses,  which  were  woven  together  rather  neatly.  It 
was  considerably  hollowed, — perhaps  an  inch  and  a  half, — 
and  lined  with  very  soft  grass.  The  external  diameter  of 
the  nest  was  about  eighteen  inches ;  internal  diameter, 
about  eight  inches.  The  female  laid  four  eggs  of  a  dirty- 
white  color,  with  a  faint  tinge  of  blue.  In  one  specimen 
there  were  a  few  faint  spots  of  brown  ;  but  I  think  that 
generally  the  eggs  of  this  species  are  without  spots.1  I 
have  seen  a  great  many,  and  but  a  very  few  had  spots,  and 
these  not  at  all  distinct.  A  great  number  of  specimens 
exhibit  a  variation  of  from  1.62  to  1.90  inch  in  length,  and 
from  1.32  to  1.25  inch  in  breadth.  The  habits  of  this  bird 
entitle  it  to  the  protection  of  the  farmer.  It  subsists  almost 
entirely  upon  the  injurious  field-mice,  and  the  numbers  of 
these  animals  which  it  destroys  in  the  breeding  season  are 
incredible  :  from  early  dawn  to  dim  twilight  it  may  be  seen 
busily  searching  for  these  pests,  seldom  molesting  the  small 
beneficial  birds  or  poultry. 

i  Dr.  Brewer,  in  describing  the  eggs  of  this  species,  says :  "  With  but  a  single 
exception,  all  these  eggs  (six)  are  very  distinctly  blotched  and  spotted.  Their 
ground-color  is  a  dirty  bluish-white,  which  in  one  is  nearly  unspotted;  the  markings 
so  faint  as  to  be  hardly  perceptible,  and  only  upon  close  inspection.  In  all  the 
others,  spots  and  blotches  of  a  light  shade  of  purplish-brown  occur,  in  a  greater  or 
less  degree,  over  their  entire  surface.  In  two,  the  blotches  are  large  and  well 
marked ;  in  the  others,  less  strongly  tra'ced,  but  quite  distinct.  This  has  led  to  a 
closer  examination  of  eggs  from  other  parts  of  the  country,  and  nearlv  all  are  per- 
ceptibly spotted." 


THE   GOLDEN   EAGLE;    THE   RING-TAILED   EAGLE.  49 


Sub-Family  AQUILINE.  —  The  Eagles. 

Size  large,  and  all  parts  very  strongly  organized;  bill  large,  compressed,  straight 
at  base,  curved  and  acute  at  tip;  wings  long,  pointed;  tail  ample,  generally  rounded; 
tarsi  moderate,  very  strong ;  claws  curved,  very  sharp  and  strong.  There  are  about 
seventy  species  of  eagles  of  all  countries. 


AQUILA,  MOEHRING. 

Aquila,  MOEHRING,  Av.  Gen.,  49  (1752). 

General  form  large  and  very  strong,  and  adapted  to  long-continued  and  swift 
flight;  bill  large,  strong,  compressed,  and  hooked  at  the  tip;  wings  long,  pointed; 
tarsi  rather  short,  very  strong,  feathered  to  the  toes ;  claws  sharp,  strong,  curved. 
This  genus  includes  about  twenty  species,  which  are  regarded  as  the  true  eagles. 

AQUILA   CANADENSIS.  —  Cassin. 
The  Golden  Eagle ;  the  Ring-tailed  Eagle. 

Fako  Canadends,  Linnaeus.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  125  (1766). 
Falco  niger,  Gm.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  259  (1788). 
Aquila  nobilis,  Pallas.    Zoog.  Ross.  As.,  I.  338  (1811). 
Falco  chryscetos,  Wilson.     Aud.,  II.  464. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Adult.  —  Large;  tarsi  densely  feathered  to  the  toes;  head  and  neck  behind  light 
brownish-fulvous,  varying  in  shade  in  different  specimens,  frequently  light  orange- 
fulvous,  generally  darker;  tail  at  base  white,  which  color  frequently  occupies  the 
greater  part  of  the  tail;  other  terminal  portion  glossy  black;  all  other  parts  rich 
purplish-brown,  frequently  very  dark,  and  nearly  clear  black  on  the  under  parts  of 
the  body;  primaries  shining  black;  secondaries  purplish-brown;  tibiae  and  tarsi 
brownish-fulvous,  generally  mixed  with  dark-ashy;  cere  and  toes  yellow:  iris 
reddish-hazel. 

Younger.  —  Entire  plumage  lighter,  and  mixed  with  dull-fulvous;  under  parts  of 
the  body  nearly  uniform  with  the  upper  parts;  cere,  toes,  and  iris  like  adult. 

Total  length,  female,  thirty-three  to  forty  inches;  wing,  about  twenty-five;  tail, 
about  fifteen  inches.  Male,  total  length,  thirty  to  thirty-five  inches ;  wing,  twenty 
to  twenty-three:  tail,  twelve  to  fourteen  inches. 

The  above  description  is  incomplete,  so  far  as  the  markings  of  the  tail  are  men- 
tioned ;  for  in  the  adult  bird  the  tail  is  entirely  black,  and  the  young  have  more  or 
less  white  in  proportion  to  their  age,  —  the  youngest  birds  having  the  widest  white 
band  at  the  base. 

This  bird  is  so  extremely  rare  in  New  England,  that  I 
have  had  no  opportunities  for  studying  its  habits.  It  is 
occasionally  found  here  in  different  seasons  of  the  year, 

4 


,50  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

and  it  undoubtedly  breeds  in  the  wildest  districts  of  these 
States.  The  following  are  the  most  interesting  facts,  given 
by  Audubon,  in  relation  to  this  species :  — 

"The  Golden  Eagle,  although  a  permanent  resident  in  the 
United  States,  is  of  rare  occurrence  there ;  it  being  seldom  that 
one  sees  more  than  a  pair  or  two  in  the  course  of  a  year,  unless  he 
be  an  inhabitant  of  the  mountains,  or  of  the  large  plains  spread  out 
at  their  base.  I  have  seen  a  few  of  them  on  the  wing  along  the 
shores  of  the  Hudson,  others  on  the  upper  parts  of  the  Mississippi, 
some  among  the  Alleghanies,  and  a  pair  in  the  State  of  Maine. 
At  Labrador,  we  saw  an  individual  sailing,  at  the  height  of  a  few 
yards,  over  the  moss-covered  surface  of  the  dreary  rocks. 

"Although  powerful  in  flight,  it  has  not  the  speed  of  many 
hawks,  nor  even  of  the  White-headed  Eagle.  It  cannot,  like  the 
latter,  pursue  and  seize,  on  the  wing,  the  prey  it  longs  for ;  but  is 
obliged  to  glide  down  through  the  air  for  a  certain  height  to  insure 
the  success  of  its  enterprise.  The  keenness  of  its  eye,  however, 
makes  up  for  this  defect,  and  enables  it  to  spy,  at  a  great  distance, 
the  objects  on  which  it  preys ;  and  it  seldom  misses  its  aim,  as  it 
falls  with  the  swiftness  of  a  meteor  towards  the  spot  on  which  they 
are  concealed.  When  at  a  great  height  in  the  air,  its  gyrations  are 
uncommonly  beautiful,  being  slow  and  of  wide  circuit,  and  becom- 
ing the  majesty  of  the  king  of  birds.  It  often  continues  them  for 
hours  at  a  time,  with  apparently  the  greatest  ease. 

"  The  notes  of  this  species  are  sharp  and  harsh ;  resembling,  at 
times,  the  barking  of  a  dog ;  especially  about  the  breeding  season, 
when  the  birds  become  extremely  noisy  and  turbulent,  flying  more 
swiftly  than  at  other  times,  alighting  more  frequently,  and  evincing 
a  fretfulness  which  is  not  so  observable  after  their  eggs  are  laid. 

"  They  are  capable  of  remaining  without  food  for  several  days  at 
a  time,  and  eat  voraciously  whenever  they  find  an  opportunity. 

"Young  fawns,  raccoons,  hares,  wild  turkeys,  and  other  large 
birds,  are  their  usual  food ;  and  they  devour  putrid  flesh  only  when 
hard  pressed  by  hunger,  none  alighting  on  carrion  at  any  other 
time. 

I  regret  that  I  am  unable  to  add  any  thing  to  our  knowl- 
edge of  its  habits  and  breeding  peculiarities.  Dr.  Brewer 


THE   WHITE-HEADED    EAGLE,   ETC.  51 

says,  "It  breeds  in  the  mountainous  portions  of  Maine, 
New  Hampshire,  Vermont,  and  New  York."  The  Golden 
Eagle  usually  constructs  its  nest  on  the  sides  of  steep  rocky 
crags,  where  its  materials  are  coarsely  heaped  together  on 
a  projecting  shelf  of  rock.  These  consist  of  large  sticks 
loosely  arranged.  In  rare  instances,  they  are  said  to 
have  been  built  on  trees  in  the  Western  States,  where 
rocky  cliffs  are  not  to  be  met  with.  The  eggs  are  usually 
three  in  number  ;  sometimes  two,  or  only  one.  Mr.  Audu- 
bon  describes  them  as  measuring  three  and  a  half  inches  in 
length  by  two  and  a  half  in  breadth  ;  the  shell  thick  and 
smooth,  dull-white,  brushed  over  with  undefined  patches 
of  brown,  which  are  most  numerous  at  the  larger  end. 


HALLETUS,  SAVIGNY. 

Size  large;  tarsi  short,  naked,  or  feathered  for  a  short  distance  below  the  joint 
of  the  tibia  and  tarsus,  and  with  the  toes  covered  with  scales;  toes  rather  long; 
claws  very  strong,  curved,  very  sharp;  bill  large,  very  strong,  compressed;  margin 
of  upper  mandible  slightly  lobed ;  wings  long,  pointed ;  tail  moderate. 


HALI2ETUS   LEUCOCEPHALUS. 
The  White-headed  Eagle ;  the  Bald  Eagle ;  the  Gray  Eagle. 

Falco  leucocephalus,  Linnaeus.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  124  (1766). 
Falco pygaryus,  Daudin.     Traite  d'Orn.,  II.  62  (1800). 
Falco  ossifragus,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  VII.  16  (1813). 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  large,  strong,  straight  at  the  base,  rather  abruptly  hooked;  wings  long; 
tarsi  rather  short. 

Adult.  —  Head,  tail,  and  its  upper  and  under  coverts,  white;  entire  other  plumage 
brownish-black,  generally  with  the  edges  of  the  feathers  paler;  bill,  feet,  and  irides, 
or  iris,  yellow. 

Younger.  —  Entire  plumage,  including  head  and  tail,  dark-brown;  paler  on  the 
throat;  edges  of  the  feathers  paler  or  fulvous,  especially  on  the  under  parts;  tail 
more  or  less  mottled  with  white,  which  color,  in  more  advanced  age,  extends  over  a 
large  portion  of  the  tail,  especially  on  the  inner  webs ;  bill  brownish-black ;  irides 
brown. 

Total  length,  female,  about  thirty-five  to  forty  inches;  wing,  twenty-three  to 
twenty-five  inches ;  tail,  fourteen  to  fifteen  inches.  Male,  thirty  to  thirty-four  inches: 
wing,  twenty  to  twenty-two  inches ;  tail,  thirteen  to  fourteen  inches. 


52 


ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 


This  beautiful  and  well-known  bird  is  occasionally  seen  in 
different  parts  of  New  England  throughout  the  year,  most 
commonly  near  the  seacoast  or  in  the  neighborhood  of  large 


tracts  of  water.  I  have  had  several  opportunities  of  observ- 
ing and  studying  its  habits,  but  have  discovered  nothing  that 
has  not  been  already  presented  to  the  public.  Its  flight  is 


THE    WHITE-HEADED   EAGLE.  53 

rapid  and  graceful,  and  is  often  prolonged  for  hours  with 
apparent  ease.  It  feeds  upon  wild-fowl,  wild  geese,  and 
small  animals,  and  is  very  partial  to  fish,  which  it  robs  from 
the  Fish  Hawk  (P.  Carolinensis),  and  finds  cast  upon  the 
shore,  dead. 

Wilson,  in  describing  its  attacks  on  the  Fish  Hawk, 
says : — 

"  Formed  by  nature  for  braving  the  severest  cold ;  feeding 
equally  on  the  produce  of  the  sea  and  of  the  land;  possessing 
powers  of  flight  capable  of  outstripping  even  the  tempests  them- 
selves ;  unawed  by  any  thing  but  man ;  and,  from  the  ethereal 
heights  to  which  he  soars,  looking  abroad,  at  one  glance,  on  an  im- 
measurable expanse  of  forests,  fields,  lakes,  and  ocean,  deep  below 
him,  —  he  appears  indifferent  to  the  little  change  of  localities  or 
seasons ;  as,  in  a  few  minutes,  he  can  pass  from  summer  to  winter, 
from  the  lower  to  the  higher  regions  of  the  atmosphere,  the  abode 
of  eternal  cold,  and  thence  descend,  at  will,  to  the  torrid  or 
the  arctic  regions  of  the  earth.  He  is  therefore  found  at  all 
seasons  in  the  countries  he  inhabits,  but  prefers  such  places  as 
have  been  mentioned  above,  from  the  great  partiality  he  has  for 
fish. 

"  In  procuring  these,  he  displays,  in  a  very  singular  manner, 
the  genius  and  energy  of  his  character,  which  is  fierce,  contempla- 
tive, daring,  and  tyrannical,  —  attributes  not  exerted  but  on  par- 
ticular occasions,  but,  when  put  forth,  overpowering  all  opposition. 
Elevated  on  the  high  dead  limb  of  some  gigantic  tree  that  com- 
mands a  wide  view  of  the  neighboring  shores  and  ocean,  he  seems 
calmly  to  contemplate  the  motions  of  the  various  feathered  tribes 
that  pursue  their  busy  avocations  below,  —  the  snow-white  gulls 
slowly  winnowing  the  air ;  the  busy  tringce  coursing  along  the 
sands ;  trains  of  ducks  streaming  over  the  surface ;  silent  and 
watchful  cranes,  intent  and  wading ;  clamorous  crows ;  and  all  the 
winged  multitudes  that  subsist  by  the  bounty  of  this  vast  liquid 
magazine  of  nature.  High  over  all  these  hovers  one  whose  action 
instantly  arrests  his  whole  attention.  By  his  wide  curvature  of 
wing  and  sudden  suspension  in  air,  he  knows  him  to  be  the  Fish 
Hawk,  settling  over  some  devoted  victim  of  the  deep.  His  eye 
kindles  at  the  sight ;  and,  balancing  himself,  with  half-opened  wings, 


54  ORNITHOLOGY   AND    OOLOGY. 

on  the  branch,  he  watches  the  result.  Down,  rapid  as  an  arrow 
from  heaven,  descends  the  distant  object  of  his  attention ;  the  roar 
of  its  wings  reaching  the  ear  as  it  disappears  in  the  deep,  making 
the  surges  foam  around.  At  this  moment,  the  eager  looks  of  the 
Eagle  are  all  ardor;  and,  levelling  his  neck  for  flight,  he  sees 
the  Fish-hawk  once  more  emerge,  struggling  with  his  prey,  and 
mounting  in  the  air  with  screams  of  exultation.  These  are  the 
signal  for  our  hero,  who,  launching  into  the  air,  instantly  gives. 
chase,  and  soon  gains  on  the  Fish-hawk :  each  exerts  his  utmost  to 
mount  above  the  other,  displaying  in  these  rencontres  the  most 
elegant  and  sublime  aerial  evolutions.  The  unencumbered  Eagle 
rapidly  advances,  and  is  just  on  the  point  of  reaching  his  opponent, 
when,  with  a  sudden  scream,  probably  of  despair  and  honest 
execration,  the  latter  drops  his  fish :  the  Eagle,  poising  himself  for 
a  moment,  as  if  to  take  a  more  certain  aim,  descends  like  a  whirl- 
wind, snatches  it  in  his  grasp  ere  it  reaches  the  water,  and  bears 
his  ill-gotten  booty  silently  away  to  the  woods. 

"These  predatory  attacks  and  defensive  manoeuvres  of  the 
Eagle  and  the  Fish-hawk  are  matters  of  daily  observation  along 
the  whole  of  our  seaboard,  from  Georgia  to  New  England,  and 
frequently  excite  great  interest  in  the  spectators.  Sympathy, 
however,  on  this  as  on  most  other  occasions,  generally  sides  with 
the  honest  and  laborious  sufferer,  in  opposition  to  the  attacks 
of  power,  injustice,  and  rapacity  ;  qualities  for  which  our  hero  is 
so  generally  notorious,  and  which,  in  his  superior,  man,  are  cer- 
tainly detestable.  As  for  the  feelings  of  the  poor  fish,  they  seem 
altogether  out  of  the  question. 

"  When  driven,  as  he  sometimes  is,  by  the  combined  courage 
and  perseverance  of  the  fish-hawks,  from  their  neighborhood,  and 
forced  to  hunt  for  himself,  he  retires  more  inland,  in  search  of 
young  pigs,  of  which  he  destroys  great  numbers.  In  the  lower 
parts  of  Virginia  and  North  Carolina,  where  the  inhabitants  raise 
vast  herds  of  those  animals,  complaints  of  this  kind  are  very 
general  against  him.  He  also  destroys  young  lambs  in  the  early 
part  of  spring ;  and  will  sometimes  attack  old  sickly  sheep,  aiming 
furiously  at  their  eyes." 

i 

It  generally  chooses  for  a  breeding-place  a  retired  spot 
in  the  neighborhood  of  a  tract  of  water.  The  nest  is 


THE   FISH-HAWK.  55 

usually  placed  in  the  fork  of  a  large  dead  tree,  and  is 
occupied  by  the  same  pair  of  birds  for  successive  years.  I 
am  informed,  that  a  pair  of  these  birds  have,  for  a  number 
of  years  past,  made  their  eyrie  on  a  shelf  of  an  inaccessible 
cliff  on  the  side  of  what  is  called  "  Diamond  Mountain,"  a 
few  miles  south  of  the  Umbagog  lakes.  Mr.  J.  A.  Allen 
(Catalogue  of  Birds  of  Springfield,  Mass.,  in  "Proceedings 
of  Essex  Institute,"  vol.  IV.,  No.  2)  says  that  this  species 
"  sometimes  breeds  on  Mount  Tom,  about  twenty  miles 
north  of  Springfield,  Mass."  These  are  probably,  how- 
ever, exceptional  cases.  The  nest  is  constructed  of  large 
sticks,  twigs,  branches  of  seaweeds,  turf,  and  moss :  some 
of  these  sticks  are  nearly  or  quite  an  inch  in  thickness.  It 
is  a  bulky  affair ;  its  diameter  often  being  five  feet,  and  its 
thickness  from  two  to  three  feet.  It  is  not  much  hollowed, 
and  is  nearly  level  across  the  top.  Of  numbers  of  eggs  of 
this  bird,  that  I  have  examined,  I  could  see  no  material 
difference  as  to  shape  or  color ;  the  form  being  nearly 
spherical,  and  the  color  a  dirty  yellowish-white.  Length 
of  specimens  varies  from  2.93  to  3.07  inches ;  breadth, 
from  2.31  to  2.47  inches. 

PANDION,  SAVIGNY. 

Pandion,  SAVIGNY,  Hist.  Nat.  d'Egypt,  I.  96  (1809). 

Wings  very  long;  general  form  heavy,  and  not  adapted  to  vigorous  or  swift 
flight  Rke  the  preceding  eagles ;  bill  short,  curved  from  the  base,  compressed ;  tarsi 
thick  and  strong,  and  covered  with  small  circular  scales ;  claws  large,  curved,  very 
sharp ;  toes  beneath  rough ;  tail  moderate  or  rather  short. 

This  genus  contains  three  or  four  species  only,  nearly  allied  to  each  other,  and 
inhabiting  all  temperate  regions  of  the  world. 

PANDION  CAROLINENSIS.—  Bonaparte. 
The  Fish-hawk.    Osprey. 

Falco  Carolinerms,  Gm.     Syst  Nat.,  I.  263  (1788). 
Aquila  piscatrix,  Vieillot.    Ois.  d'Am.  Sept.,  I.  29  (1807). 
Pandion  Americanus,  Vieillot.     Gal.  Ois.,  I.  33  (1825). 
Falco  halicetus,  Linnaeus.    Wilson,  Am.  Orn.,  V.  14. 
Falco  halicetus,  Linnaeus.    Aud  Orn.  Biog.,  I.  415. 


56  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Wings  long;  legs,  toes,  and  claws  very  robust  and  strong. 

Adult.  —  Head  and  entire  under  parts  white ;  stripe  through  the  eye,  top  of  the 
head,  and  upper  parts  of  the  body,  wings  and  tail  deep  umber-brown,  tail  having 
about  eight  bands  of  blackish -brown ;  breast  with  numerous  cordate  and  circular 
spots  of  pale  yellowish-brown ;  bill  and  claws  bluish-black ;  tarsi  and  toes  green- 
ish-yellow ;  iris  reddish-yellow. 

Young.  —  Similar  to  the  adult,  but  with  the  upper  plumage  edged  and  tipped 
with  pale-brownish,  nearly  white ;  spots  on  the  breast  more  numerous  and  darker 
colored. 

Total  length,  female,  about  twenty-five  inches ;  wing,  twenty-one  inches ;  tail, 
ten  and  a  half  inches.  Male,  rather  smaller. 

"  Soon  as  the  sun,  great  ruler  of  the  year, 
Bends  to  our  northern  climes  his  bright  career, 
And  from  the  caves  of  Ocean  calls  from  sleep 
The  finny  shoals  and  myriads  of  the  deep  ; 
When  freezing  tempests  back  to  Greenland  ride, 
And  day  and  night  the  equal  hours  divide,  — 
True  to  the  season,  o'er  our  sea-beat  shore, 
The  sailing  Osprey  high  is  seen  to  soar 
With  broad,  unmoving  wing ;  and,  circling  slow, 
Marks  each  loose  straggler  in  the  deep  below, 
Sweeps  down  like  lightning,  plunges  with  a  roar, 
And  bears  his  struggling  victim  to  the  shore. 

The  long-housed  fisherman  beholds  with  joy 
The  well-known  signals  of  his  rough  employ ; 
And,  as  he  bears  his  nets  and  oars  along, 
Thus  hails  the  welcome  season  with  a  song  :  — 


THE  FISHERMAN'S  HYMN. 

The  Osprey  sails  above  the  sound ; 

The  geese  are  gone,  the  gulls  are  flying; 
The  herring-shoals  swarm  thick  around  ; 
The  nets  are  launched,  the  boats  are  plying. 
Yo,  ho,  my  hearts !  let's  seek  the  deep, 

Raise  high  the  song,  and  cheerly  wish  her, 
Still,  as  the  bending  net  we  sweep, 
'  God  bless  the  Fish-hawk  and  the  fisher  ! ' 

She  brings  us  fish  :  she  brings  us  spring, 

Good  times,  fair  weather,  warmth,  and  plenty  ; 

Fine  store  of  shad,  trout,  herring,  ling, 
Sheep's-head  and  drum,  and  old-wives  dainty. 


THE    FISH-HAWK.  57 

Yo,  ho,  my  hearts !  let's  seek  the  deep, 
Ply  every  oar,  and  cheerly  wish  her, 

Still  as  the  bending  net  we  sweep, 
'  God  bless  the  Fish-hawk  and  the  fisher  ! ' 

She  rears  her  young  on  yonder  tree ; 

She  leaves  her  faithful  mate  to  mind  'em ; 
Like  us,  for  fish,  she  sails  to  sea, 
And,  plunging,  shows  us  where  to  find  'em. 
Yo,  ho,  my  hearts  !  let's  seek  the  deep, 
Ply  every  oar,  and  cheerly  wish  her, 
While  the  slow-bending  net  we  sweep, 
'  God  bless  the  Fish-hawk  and  the  fisher ! ' " 

ALEXANDER  WILSON. 

The  common  and  well-known  bird  which  furnishes  the 
theme  of  the  above  beautiful  verses  is  a  summer  inhabitant 
of  New  England  along  the  whole  coast,  and  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  large  sheets  of  water.  The  males  arrive  from  the 
south  about  the  middle  of  April,  and  the  females  about  a 
week  later.  I  believe  that  the  same  pair  are  constant  to 
each  other  for  several  years :  those  that  commence  their 
matrimonial  career  in  the  spring  usually  mate  about  the 
first  week  in  May,  in  our  latitude.  The  movements  of 
the  male,  while  paying  court  to  the  female,  are  interesting; 
and,  as  Audubon  has  described  them  better  than  I  can 
myself,  I  will  give  his  description  :  — 

"  As  soon  as  the  females  make  their  appearance,  which  happens 
eight  or  ten  days  after  the  arrival  of  the  males,  the  love-season 
commences,  and,  soon  after,  incubation  takes  place.  The  loves  of 
these  birds  are  conducted  in  a  different  way  from  those  of  the 
other  falcons.  The  males  are  seen  playing  through  the  air  amongst 
themselves,  chasing  each  other  in  sport,  or  sailing  by  the  side  or 
after  the  female  which  they  have  selected,  uttering  cries  of  joy 
and  exultation,  alighting  on  the  branches  of  the  tree  on  which 
their  last  year's  nest  is  yet  seen  remaining,  and  doubtless  congratu- 
lating each  other  on  finding  their  home  again.  Their  caresses  are 
mutual.  They  begin  to  augment  their  habitation,  or  to  repair  the 
injuries  which  it  may  have  sustained  during  the  winter,  and  are 


58  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

seen  sailing  together  towards  the  shores,  to  collect  the  drifted 
seaweeds,  with  which  they  line  the  nest  anew.  They  alight  on  the 
beach,  search  for  the  dryest  and  largest  weeds,  collect  a  mass  of 
them,  clench  them  in  their  talons,  and  fly  towards  their  nest,  with 
the  materials  dangling  beneath.  They  both  alight  and  labor 
together.  In  a  fortnight,  the  nest  is  complete,  and  the  female 
deposits  her  eggs." 

The  nest  is  generally  placed  in  a  large  tree  in  the  imme- 
diate vicinity  of  the  water,  either  along  the  seashore,  on  the 
margins  of  the  inland  lakes,  or  by  some  large  river.  It  is, 
however,  sometimes  to  be  seen  in  the  interior  of  a  wood,  a 
mile  or  more  from  the  water.  I  have  concluded,  that,  in 
the  latter  case,  it  was  on  account  of  frequent  disturbance, 
or  attempts  at  destruction,  that  the  birds  had  removed  from 
their  usual  haunts.  The  nest  is  very  large,  sometimes  meas- 
uring fully  four  feet  across,  and  is  composed  of  a  quantity 
of  materials  sufficient  to  render  its  depth  equal  to  its  diam- 
eter. Large  sticks,  mixed  with  seaweeds,  tufts  of  strong 
grass,  and  other  materials,  form  its  exterior,  while  the  in- 
terior is  composed  of  seaweeds  and  finer  grasses.  I  have 
not  observed  that  any  particular  species  of  tree  is  preferred 
by  the  Fish-hawk.  It  places  its  nest  in  the  fork  of  an  oak 
or  a  pine  with  equal  pleasure.  But  I  have  observed  that 
the  tree  chosen  is  usually  of  considerable  size,  and  not  un- 
frequently  a  decayed  one. 

The  Fish-hawk  is  gregarious,  and  often  breeds  in  colonies 
of  three  or  four  nests  in  an  area  of  a  few  acres.  The  males 
assist  in  incubation. 

I  have  heard  of  instances  of  as  many  as  a  dozen  nests 
being  found  in  the  distance  of  half  a  mile  on  the  coast  of 
New  Jersey. 

In  New  England,  the  species  is  not  so  plentiful,  and  sel- 
dom more  than  one  nest  can  be  found  in  one  locality.  The 
flight  of  the  bird  is  strong,  vigorous,  and  well  sustained. 
As  he  flies  over  the  ocean,  at  a  height  of  perhaps  fifty 


THE   FISH-HAWK.  59 

feet,  his  long  wings,  as  they  beat  the  air  in  quick,  sharp 
strokes,  give  the  bird  the  appearance  of  being  much  larger 
than  he  really  is.  When  he  plunges  into  the  water,  he 
invariably  seizes  the  fish,  his  prey,  in  his  talons,  and  is 
sometimes  immersed  to  the  depth  of  a  foot  or  eighteen 
inches  in  his  efforts  to  capture  it.  He  is  of  a  peaceable 
disposition,  and  never  molests  any  of  his  feathered  neigh- 
bors. If  the  nest  is  plundered,  the  parent  attacks  the  in- 
truder, and  often  inflicts  ugly  wounds  in  its  defence. 

The  eggs  are  usually  laid  before  the  10th  of  May :  they 
are  generally  three  in  number.  They  vary  considerably, 
both  in  shape,  size,  and  markings.  In  a  majority  of  speci- 
mens in  my  collection,  the  ground-color  is  a  rich  reddish- 
cream,  and  covered  with  numerous  blotches  of  different 
shades  of  brown.  In  a  number  of  specimens,  these  blotches 
are  confluent,  and  the  primary  color  is  nearly  hidden.  Their 
form  varies  from  nearly  spherical  to  ovoidal,  and  the  dimen- 
sions from  2.28  to  2.44  inches  in  length,  and  from  1.65  to 
1.83  in  breadth. 


60  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 


FAMILY  STRIGID^E.     THE  OWLS. 

Form  usually  short  and  heavy,  with  the  head  disproportionately  large,  and  fre- 
quently furnished  with  erectile  tufts  of  feathers,  resembling  the  ears  of  quadrupeds. 
General  organization  adapted  to  vigorous  and  noiseless,  but  not  rapid,  flight,  and  to 
the  capture  of  animals  in  the  morning  and  evening  twilight. 

Eyes  usually  very  large,  directed  forwards,  and,  in  the  greater  number  of  species, 
formed  for  seeing  by  twilight  or  in  the  night ;  bill  rather  strong,  curved,  nearly 
concealed  by  projecting,  bristle-like  feathers;  wings  generally  long,  outer  edges  of 
primary  quills  fringed ;  legs  generally  rather  short,  and  in  all  species,  except  in  one 
Asiatic  genus  (Ketupa),  more  or  less  feathered,  generally  densely;  cavity  of  the  ear 
very  large ;  face  encircled  by  a  more  or  less  perfect  disc  of  short,  rigid  feathers, 
which,  with  the  large  eyes,  gives  to  those  birds  an  entirely  peculiar  and  frequently 
catlike  expression.  Female  larger  than  the  male. 


Sub-Family  BUBONIN^E. — The  Horned  Owls. 

Head  large,  with  erectile  and  prominent  ear-tufts ;   eyes  large ;  facial  disc  not 
complete  above  the  eyes  and  bill;  legs,  feet,  and  claws  usually  very  strong. 


BUBO,  CUVIER. 

Bubo,  CUVIER,  Regne  Animal,  I.  331  (1817). 

Size  large;  general  form  very  robust  and  powerful;  head  large,  with  conspicuous 
ear-tufts ;  eyes  very  large ;  wings  long ;  tail  short ;  legs  and  toes  very  strong,  densely 
feathered;  claws  very  strong;  bill  rather  short,  strong,  curved,  covered  at  base  by 
projecting  feathers. 

This  genus  includes  the  large  Horned  Owls,  or  Cat  Owls,  as  they  are  sometimes 
called.  These  birds  are  most  numerous  in  Asia  and  Africa,  and  there  are  in  all 
countries  about  fifteen  species. 


BUBO   VIEGINIANUS.  —  Bonaparte. 
The  Great  Horned  Owl. 

Strix  Virginiana,  Gm.  Syst.  Nat,  I.  287  (1788).  Bohap.  Syn.,  p.  37.  Nutt,  I. 
124.  Wilson,  Audubon,  and  others. 

Bubo  articus,  Swains.    Faun.  Bor.    Am.  Birds,  p.  86  (1831). 

DESCRIPTION. 

Adult.—  Large  and  strongly  organized;  ear-tufts  large,  erectile;  bill  strong, 
fully  curved;  wing  rather  long;  third  quill  usually  longest ;  tail  short;  legs  and 
toes  robust,  and  densely  covered  with  short,  downy  feathers ;  claws  very  strong, 
sharp,  curved;  variable  in  plumage,  from  nearly  white  to  dark-brown,  usually 
with  the  upper  parts  dark-brown,  every  feather  mottled,  and  with  irregular  trans- 
verse lines  of  pale-ashy  and  reddish-fulvous,  the  latter  being  the  color  of  all  the 
plumage  at  the  bases  of  the  feathers;  ear-tufts  dark-brown,  nearly  black,  edged  on 


THE   GREAT    HORNED    OWL.  61 

their  inner  webs  with  dark-fulvous;  a  black  spot  above  the  eye;  radiating  feathers 
behind  the  eye,  varying  in  color  from  nearly  white  to  dark  reddish-fulvous,  usually 
the  latter;  feathers  of  the  facial  disc  tipped  with  black;  throat  and  neck  before,  white; 
breast  with  wide  longitudinal  stripes  of  black;  other  under  parts  variegated  with 
white  and  fulvous,  and  every  feather  having  transverse,  narrow  lines  of  dark-brown ; 
middle  of  the  abdomen  frequently,  but  not  always,  white;  legs  and  toes  varying 
from  white  to  dark-fulvous,  usually  pale-fulvous ;  in  most  specimens  unspotted,  but 
frequently,  and  probably  always  in  fully  mature  specimens,  with  transverse,  narrow 
bars  of  dark-brown;  quills  brown,  with  wide  transverse  .bands  of  cinereous,  and 
usually  tinged  on  the  inner  webs  with  pale  fulvous;  tail  the  same,  with  the  fulvous 
predominating  on  the  outer  feathers;  iris  yellow;  bill  and  claws  bluish-black. 

Dimensions.  —  Female,  length,  twenty-one  to  twenty-five  inches ;  wing,  fourteen 
and  a  half  to  sixteen ;  tail,  ten  inches.  Male,  eighteen  to  twenty-one  inches ;  wing, 
fourteen  to  fifteen ;  tail,  nine  inches. 

THIS  well-known  bird  is  a  resident  in  all  the  New-England 
States  throughout  the  year.  It  is  not  so  common  in  Mas- 
sachusetts, Connecticut,  and  Rhode  Island  as  in  the  other 
States,  where,  in  the  vast  tracts  of  forest,  it  is  quite  abun- 
dant ;  so  much  so,  that  I  have  heard  several  of  them  at  the 
same  time  making  "  night  hideous  with  their  discordant, 
mournful  cries."  Never  shall  I  forget  a  serenade  I  once  had 
the  pleasure  of  hearing  in  the  State  of  Maine,  in  which  this 
bird  maintained  the  basso.  We  were  encamped  on  the 
shores  of  Lake  Umbagog :  our  tent  was  pitched  on  a  bluff 
overlooking  the  lake,  and  behind  us  was  the  deep,  dark 
forest  of  pines  and  hemlocks.  We  had  just  got  fairly  into 
our  first  nap,  the  sweet  follower  of  our  day's  toils,  when  we 
were  awakened  by  the  hootings  of  one  of  these  owls,  "  Waugh, 
hoo,  hoo,  hoo!"  or  "Who  cooks  for  you?"  as  the  Western 
traveller  understood  it,  which  seemed  to  fye  addressed  to  us 
from  a  tree  almost  over  our  tent.  We  listened :  presently 
another  took  up  the  theme,  and  then  both  together.  They 
had  scarcely  finished  their  duet,  when,  from  away  up  the 
lake,  came  the  shrill,  mournful  cry  or  scream  of  the  Loon : 
this  was  continued  and  answered  by  others,  until,  with  owls 
and  loons,  the  night  was  vocal  with  melodious  sounds. 
After  this  had  died  away,  and  all  was  still,  there  came  from 
a  bush  near  our  tent  the  almost  heavenly  song  of  the  White- 
throated  Sparrow,  the  "  Nightingale  of  the  North."  One 


62  ORNITHOLOGY   AND    OOLOGY. 

cannot  imagine  the  effect  produced  by  the  contrast :  he  must 
be  on  the  spot  in  the  dark  night,  and,  through  the  sighing  of 
the  winds  amid  the  grand  old  trees,  hear  the  owls  and  loons  ; 
then,  silence,  broken  by  the  beautiful  song  of  the  Nightin- 
gale. 

The  flight  of  the  Great  Horned  Owl  is  rapid,  noiseless, 
and  vigorous :  he  passes  through  the  mazes  of  the  forest 
with  great  dexterity  and  ease ;  and,  when  flying  above  the 
trees,  frequently  soars  in  the  manner  of  the  Hawks.  He  is 
very  destructive  among  domestic  poultry,  frequently  pouncing 
on  fowls  that  are  roosting  on  trees  in  the  night,  and  bearing 
them  off  in  his  powerful  grasp.  This  habit  has  rendered 
him  obnoxious  to  the  farmers,  who  lose  no  opportunity  for 
destroying  him.  Rabbits,  grouse,  and  other  birds,  fall  vic- 
tims to  his  rapacity ;  and  I  have  often  shot  individuals  of 
this  species,  whose  feathers  were  so  impregnated  with  the 
peculiar  odor  of  the  skunk  as  to  be  unbearable  at  a  near 
approach. 

When  a  flock  of  crows  discover  the  presence  of  one  of 
these  birds,  they  immediately  collect  from  all  quarters,  and 
attack  him  on  every  side,  uttering  their  harsh,  discordant 
cries  :  the  owl  is  kept  dancing  and  dodging  on  the  limb,  his 
perch,  in  a  ludicrous  manner ;  if  he  takes  to  flight,  he  is 
pursued  by  his  enemies,  and  soon  forced  to  alight.  I  have 
often  been  enabled  to  procure  a  specimen,  by  following 
a  noisy  mob  of  this  description ;  just  as  we  often  are  able 
to  secure  one  of  the  smaller  owls  by  proceeding  to  the  copse 
where  numbers  of  small  birds  —  cat-birds,  chewinks,  and 
thrushes  —  are  scolding  at  their  enemy. 

I  have  had  several  specimens  of  the  Great  Horned  Owl 
in  captivity :  they  make  amusing  pets.  When  fed  with  raw 
meat,  they  seldom  take  it  freely  from  the  hand  or  tongs ; 
and  often  can  be  made  to  swallow  it,  only  by  our  opening 
their  bills,  and  putting  in  the  meat.  They  seem  to  have 
the  power  of  seeing  by  daylight ;  for,  if  a  living  animal  is 
introduced  into  their  cage,  they  instantly  seize  it.  I  have 


GREAT  HORNED  OWL,  Bubo  Virginianus.     Bonaparte. 


THE   GREAT   HORNED   OWL.  63 

often  put  iii  a  dead  mouse,  with  a  string  attached  to  it, 
by  which  I  dragged  it  across  the  cage:  an  owl  instantly 
seized  it,  as  if  it  were  alive,  and  ate  it.  A  living  bat  (  Ves- 
pertilio  Carolimnsis) ,  on  being  introduced,  was  instantly 
seized,  but,  after  being  killed,  was  rejected.  The  strong 
musky  scent  peculiar  to  these  animals  may  have  been  the 
reason  for  the  owl's  not  eating  it :  if  not,  I  cannot  account 
for  it. 

In  eating  its  prey,  the  Owl  stands  on  it  with  both  feet,  and 
tears  it  with  its  bill :  if  the  piece  torn  off  is  large,  the  head 
is  thrown  back,  and  the  repeated  contraction  of  the  muscles 
of  the  throat  forces  it  down.  In  holding  a  mouse  or  other 
small  object,  all  the  talons  of  one  foot  are  clenched  in  it, 
while  the  other  foot  is  left  free.  On  being  approached,  this 
Owl,  as  indeed  do  almost  all  the  others,  faces  the  intruder, 
and  follows  his  motions  by  turning  his  head,  at  the  same 
time  snapping  his  bill. 

In  drinking,  the  bill  is  immersed,  and  repeated  swallows 
are  taken,  after  the  manner  of  the  pigeons. 

The  Great  Horned  Owl  chooses  for  its  breeding-places  the 
most  retired  and  inaccessible  places  in  the  deep  forests  ;  and 
the  student  might  search  for  weeks  for  its  nest,  and  not  find 
it  unless  by  accident.  It  is  usually  built  in  a  fork  of  a  tall 
tree,  but  is  sometimes  made  in  a  hollow  of  a  tree  or  in  the 
top  of  a  stub  or  stump.  Audubon  found  it  twice  in  fissures 
of  rocks.  It  is  constructed  of  sticks  and  twigs,  and  is  lined 
with  leaves,  grasses,  and  moss.  The  eggs  are  usually  three 
in  number ;  sometimes  four,  rarely  more :  they  are  of  a 
white  color,  with  a  very  faint  yellowish  tint ;  their  shape  is 
nearly  spherical,  and  they  average  in  size  2.25  inches  by 
2  inches. 

A  nest  that  I  found  a  few  miles  from  Marietta,  Ohio, 
about  the  middle  of  March,  1865,  was  built  in  e  tall,  hollow 
stub  of  a  beech,  which  was  cut  down  for  the  purpose  of 
being  examined.  It  was  built  of  twigs  and  sticks,  in  num- 
bers sufficient  to  fill  the  cavity :  in  the  middle  of  these  were 


64  ORNITHOLOGY   AND    OOLOGY. 

arranged  a  few  leaves  and  pieces  of  moss,  and  a  few  feath- 
ers from  the  body  of  the  parent ;  on  this  nest  were  found 
three  young  birds,  apparently  but  a  few  days  old,  as  they 
were  covered  with  gray  down,  and  a  few  grayish  feath- 
ers. On  being  taken  in  the  hand,  they  clutched  it  tight 
with  their  claws,  and  squatted  perfectly  still.  The  iris 
of  their  eyes  was  a  light-grayish  color :  the  inside  of  their 
mouths,  eyelids,  and  ears,  were  yellowish.  At  the  foot  of 
the  stump  were  found  small  pellets  of  feathers,  small  bones, 
and  hairs.  I  have  heard  of  the  deserted  nest  of  a  crow  or 
hawk  being  occupied  by  this  Owl ;  but  usually  it  builds  its 
own  nest. 

SCOPS,  SAVIGNY. 

SAVIGNY,  Nat.  Hist.  Egypt,  I.  105  (1809). 

Size  small;  ear-tufts  conspicuous;  head  large;  facial  disc  imperfect  in  front  and 
about  the  eyes;  bill  short,  nearly  covered  by  projecting  feathers;  wings  long;  tail 
rather  short,  and  frequently  curved  inwards;  tarsi  rather  long,  more  or  less  fully 
covered  with  short  feathers;  toes  long,  generally  partially  covered  with  hair-like 
feathers;  head  large. 

General  form  short  and  compact.  This  genus  contains  twenty-five  to  thirty 
species  of  small  owls,  inhabiting  all  parts  of  the  world  except  Australia. 

SCOPS  ASIO.  —  Bonaparte. 
The  Mottled  Owl ;  Screech  Owl ;  Red  Owl. 

Strix  Asio,  Linnaeus.    Syst.  Nat.,  I.  132  (1766).    Audubon,  Wilson,  and  others. 

Strix  ncevia,  Gm.     Syst.  Nat,  I.  289  (1788). 

Bubo  striatus,  Vieillot.    Ois.  d'Am.  Sept.,  I.  54  (1808). 

DESCRIPTION. 

"Short  and  compact;  ear-tufts  prominent;  tail  short;  tarsi  rather  long. 

"Adult.  —  Upper  parts  pale  ashy-brown,  with  longitudinal  lines  of  brownish-black, 
and  mottled  irregularly  with  the  same  and  with  cinereous ;  under  parts  ashy-white, 
with  longitudinal  stripes  of  brownish-black,  and  with  transverse  lines  of  the  same 
color;  face,  throat,  and  tarsi  ashy-white,  irregularly  lined  and  mottled  with  pale- 
brownish;  quills  brown,  with  transverse  bands,  nearly  white  on  the  outer  webs; 
tail  pale  ashy-brown,  with  about  ten  transverse  narrow  bands  of  pale-cinereous; 
under  wing  coverts  white,  the  larger  tipped  with  black ;  bill  and  claws  light  horn- 
color;  irides  yellow. 

"  Younger.  —  Entire  upper  parts  pale  brownish-red,  with  longitudinal  lines  of 
brownish-black,  especially  on  the  head  and  scapulars;  face,  throat,  under  wing 
coverts,  and  tarsi  reddish-white ;  quills  reddish-brown ;  tail  rufous,  with  bands  of 
brown,  darker  on  the  inner  webs. 


THE   MOTTLED    OWL.  65 

"  Young.  —  Entire  plumage  transversely  striped  with  ashy-white  and  pale-brown; 
wings  and  tail  pale-rufous. 

"  Total  length,  nine  and  a  half  to  ten  inches;  wing,  seven;  tail,  three  and  a  half 
inches.  Sexes  nearly  alike  in  size  and  color. 

"  The  stages  of  plumage  described  above  have  been  regarded  as  characterizing 
distinct  species ;  and  they  do  present  a  problem  scarcely  to  be  considered  as  fullv 
solved.  This  bird  pairs  and  rears  young  while  in  the  red  plumage;  and  it  is  not 
unusual  to  find  a  mottled  male  and  red  female  associated,  or  the  reverse."  —  JOHN 
CASSIN. 

As  with  many  of  the  other  birds  of  prey,  the  different 
plumages  in  which  this  owl  is  taken  have  caused  great  con- 
fusion ;  and,  as  Mr.  Cassin  truly  remarks,  the  matter  is  not 
yet  settled  beyond  doubt.  The 
observation  has  generally  been, 
that  the  young  birds  are  in  the  TV 
red  plumage ;  but  I  have  cer-  ^ 
tainly  known  of  one  instance 
when  the  young  bird  was  in 
the  gray.  A  nest  was  found 
in  a  hollow  tree  in  Milton, 
Mass.,  in  which  there  were 
three  young  birds.  They  were 
permitted  to  remain  ;  and  I  vis- 
ited the  nest  as  often  as  every 
two  days  until  they  flew  off. 
The  last  time  that  I  saw  them, 
—  the  day  before  they  left  the 
nest,  —  they  were  fully  fledged,  and  they  had  very  few  marks 
of  brownish-red  in  their  plumage.  Whether  this  was  an 
exceptional  case,  I  know  not ;  but  I  will  present  the  obser- 
vations of  different  ornithologists  which  conflict  with  my 
own.  I  will  also  quote  Audubon's  description  of  the  habits 
of  the  bird,  as  it  is  better  than  I  can  give  from  my  own 
experience,  though  it  corresponds  to  my  observations  so  far 
as  they  go.  He  says,  — 

"  The  flight  of  the  Mottled  Owl  is  smooth,  rapid,  protracted,  and 
noiseless.  It  rises  at  times  afrove  the  top  branches  of  the  highest 
of  our  forest  trees  whilst  in  pursuit  of  large  beetles  ;  and  at  other 

5 


66  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 

times  sails  low  and  swiftly  over  the  fields,  or  through  the  woods, 
in  search  of  small  birds,  field-mice,  moles,  or  wood-rats,  from  which 
it  chiefly  derives  its  subsistence.  On  alighting,  —  which  it  does 
plumply,  —  the  Mottled  Owl  immediately  bends  its  body,  turns  its 
head  to  look  behind  it,  performs  a  curious  nod,  utters  its  notes, 
then  shakes  and  plumes  itself,  and  resumes  its  flight  in  search  of 
prey.  It  now  and  then,  while  on  the  wing,  produces  a  clicking 
sound  with  its  mandibles,  but  more  frequently  when  perched  near 
its  mate  or  young.  This  I  have  thought  was  done  by  the  bird  to 
manifest  its  courage,  and  let  the  hearer  know  that  it  is  not  to  be 
meddled  with ;  although  few  birds  of  prey  are  more  gentle  when 
seized,  as  it  will  suffer  a  person  to  touch  its  feathers  and  caress  it 
without  attempting  to  bite  or  strike  with  its  talons,  unless  at  rare 
intervals. 

"  The  notes  of  this  Owl  are  uttered  in  a  tremulous,  doleful 
manner,  and  somewhat  resemble  the  chattering  of  the  teeth  of  a 
person  under  the  influence  of  extreme  cold,  although  much  louder. 
They  are  heard  at  a  distance  of  several  hundred  yards,  and  by 
some  people  are  thought  to  be  of  ominous  import." 

These  notes  almost  exactly  resemble  the  whimpering 
whine  of  a  small  dog,  for  which  I  have  mistaken  them  on 
different  occasions. 

"The  little  fellow  is  generally  found  about  farm-houses,  or- 
chards, and  gardens.  It  alights  on  the  roof,  the  fence,  or  the 
garden-gate,  and  utters  its  mournful  ditty,  at  intervals,  for  hours  at 
a  time,  as  if  it  were  in  a  state  of  great  suffering ;  although  this  is 
far  from  being  the  case,  —  the  song  of  all  birds  being  an  indication 
of  content  and  happiness.  In  a  state  of  confinement,  it  utters  its 
notes  with  as  much  satisfaction  as  if  at  liberty.  They  are  chiefly . 
heard  during  the  latter  part  of  winter,  —  that  being  the  season  of 
love,  when  the  male  bird  is  particularly  attentive  to  the  fair  one 
which  excites  his  tender  emotions,  and  around  which  he  flies  and 
struts  much  in  the  manner  of  the  common  Pigeon,  adding  numer- 
ous nods  and  bows,  the  sight  of  which  is  very  amusing. 

"  The  young  remain  in  the  nest  until  they  are  able  to  fly.  At 
first,  they  are  covered  with  a  downy  substance  of  a  dull  yellowish- 
white.  By  the  middle  of  August,  they  are  fully  feathered,  and 


THE   MOTTLED   OWL.  67 

are  then  generally  of  a  reddish-brown,  although  considerable  differ- 
ences exist  between  individuals,  as  I  have  seen  some  of  a  deep- 
chocolate  color,  and  others  nearly  black.  The  feathers  change 
their  colors  as  the  pairing  season  advances,  and  in  the  first  spring 
the  bird  is  in  the  perfect  dress." 

J.  P.  Norris,  writing  in  the  "  Country  Gentleman," 
Jan.  11,  1866,  says  that  he  secured  two  young  birds  of  this 
species  when  covered  with  down,  and  kept  them  until  they 
had  become  feathered,  when  their  plumage  was  decidedly 
red  in  color. 

J.  P.  Giraud,  in  his  "  Birds  of  Long  Island,"  gives  a 
letter  from  J.  G.  Bell,  of  New  York,  in  which  that  gentle- 
man says,  that  he  has  taken  the  young  birds  from  the  nest, 
covered  with  grayish-brown,  and  kept  them  through  their 
first  plumage,  which  was  red  in  color. 

These  and  other  writers  seem  to  agree  that  the  red  plum- 
age is  that  of  the  bird  in  the  first  year.  I  leave  it  to 
future  experimenters  to  determine  the  matter  beyond  a 
doubt. 

This  bird  feeds  largely  on  the  injurious  night-flying 
moths  and  beetles.  Numbers  of  specimens  that  I  have 
examined,  contained  in  their  stomachs  parts  of  these  in- 
sects and  small  mammals :  very  seldom  indeed  did  they 
have  feathers  or  other  parts  of  birds. 

The  Mottled  Owl  selects  for  a  nesting-place  a  hollow 
tree,  often  in  the  orchard,  and  commences  laying  at  about 
the  first  of  May,  in  the  latitude  of  the  middle  of  Massachu- 
setts. The  nest  is  made  at  the  bottom  of  the  hollow,  and 
is  constructed  of  grass,  leaves,  moss,  and  sometimes  a  few 
feathers.  It  is  not  elaborately  made,' being  nothing  more 
than  a  heap  of  soft  materials.  The  eggs  are  usually  four 
in  number :  they  are  pure-white,  smooth,  and  nearly  spher- 
ical in  form.  Their  length  varies  from  1.30  to  1.37  inch; 
breadth  from  1.18  to  1.25  inch.  Both  parents  assist  in 
incubation,  and  the  same  pair  occupy  the  nest  for  succeed- 
ing years. 


68  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 


OTUS,  CUVIER. 

Otus,  CUVIER,  Regne  Animal,  I.  327  (1817). 

General  form  longer  and  more  slender  than  in  the  preceding  genera ;  head  mod- 
erate; ear-tufts  long,  erectile;  bill  rather  short,  curved  from  the  base;  facial  disc 
more  perfect  than  in  the  preceding;  wings  long;  tail  moderate;  tarsi  and  toes  cov- 
ered with  short  feathers ;  claws  long,  curved ;  eyes  rather  small,  and  surrounded  by 
radiating  feathers. 

This  genus  contains  ten  or  twelve  species  of  various  countries,  all  of  which  are 
more  handsome  birds  than  are  usually  met  with  in  this  family. 


OTUS  WILSONIANUS.  —  Lesson. 
The  Long-eared  Owl. 

Otus  Wilsonianus,  Lesson.    Traite  d'Orn.,  I.  110  (1831). 

Otus  Americanus,  Bonaparte.    Comp.  List,  7  (1838).     Syn.,  37. 

Strix  otus,  Wilson.    Bonaparte's  edition,  449. 

Strix  otus,  Linnaeus.    Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  572.    Nuttall,  I.  130. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Ear-tufts  long  and  conspicuous;  eyes  rather  small;  wings  long;  tarsi  and  toes 
densely  feathered;  upper  parts  mottled  with  brownish-black,  fulvous,  and  ashy- 
white,  the  former  predominating;  breast  pale-fulvous,  with  longitudinal  stripes  of 
brownish-black;  abdomen  white;  every  feather  with  a  wide  longitudinal  stripe,  and 
with  transverse  stripes  of  brownish-black;  legs  and  toes  pale-fulvous,  usually 
unspotted,  but  frequently  with  irregular  narrow  transverse  stripes  of  dark-brown ; 
eye  nearly  encircled  with  black;  other  feathers  of  the  face  ashy-white,  with  minute 
lines  of  black ;  ear-tufts  brownish-black  edged  with  fulvous  and  ashy- white;  quills 
pale-fulvous  at  their  bases,  with  irregular  transverse  bands  of  brown;  inferior 
coverts  of  the  wing  pale-fulvous,  frequently  nearly  white ;  the  larger  widely  tipped 
with  black;  tail  brown,  with  several  irregular  transverse  bands  of  ashy-fulvous, 
which  are  mottled,  as  on  the  quills;  bill  and  claws  dark  horn-color;  irides  yellow. 

Total  length,  female,  about  fifteen  inches ;  wing,  eleven  to  eleven  and  a  half;  tail, 
six  inches.  Male  rather  smaller. 

This  species  is  rather  common  in  New  England,  rather 
preferring  the  less  settled  districts  to  the  others.  It  is 
eminently  nocturnal  in  its  habits,  and  has  the  power  of  see- 
ing in  the  daytime  to  a  less  degree  than  any  of  the  other 
species  with  which  I  am  acquainted. 

A  specimen  that  I  once  had,  as  a  pet,  could  not  see  my 
hand  as  it  approached  him,  and  would  permit  my  finger  to 
touch  his  eye  before  he  drew  over  it  the  thin  nictitating 
membrane  given  to  all  birds  to  protect  this  delicate  organ. 

I  do  not  remember  of  ever  hearing  this  owl  utter  a  cry 


THE   LONG-EARED   OWL.  69 

in  its  nocturnal  rambles ;  and  I  think  that  it  hunts  in 
silence,  except,  perhaps,  in  the  mating  season. 

The  specimen  in  my  possession  would  not  eat  in  the  day- 
time ;  and,  if  I  fed  it  then,  was  obliged  to  push  the  food  down 
its  throat  with  my  finger :  at  night,  it  fed  readily  on  raw 
meat,  but  was  rather  loath  to  eat  when  I  was  by,  or  when  a 
lamp  was  near  its  cage.  I  had  water  always  accessible  to 
it,  but  never  saw  it  drink,  and  think,  that,  in  the  space  of 
two  months,  it  drank  not  more  than  two  or  three  times ;  or, 
if  it  did,  the  quantity  it  took  was  so  small  as  not  to  be 
appreciable. 

Notwithstanding  the  comparative  abundance  of  this  spe- 
cies, its  breeding  habits  are  not  well  known.  I  have  been 
so  fortunate  as  to  find  several  nests,  all  of  which  were  built 
in  forks  of  tall  pines,  and  constructed  of  twigs  and  leaves. 
Audubon  says  :  — 

"  The  Long-eared  Owl  is  careless  as  to  the  situation  in  which 
its  young  are  to  be  reared,  and  generally  accommodates  itself  with 
the  abandoned  nest  of  some  other  bird  that  proves  of  sufficient 
size,  whether  it  be  high  or  low,  in  the  fissure  of  a  rock  or  on  the 
ground.  Sometimes,  however,  it  makes  a  nest  itself;  and  this  I 
found  to  be  the  case  in  one  instance  near  the  Juniata  River,  in 
Pennsylvania,  where  it  was  composed  of  green  twigs,  with  the 
leaflets  adhering,  and  lined  with  fresh  grass  and  wool,  but  without 
any  feathers." 

Wilson  describes  its  breeding  habits  as  follows  :  — 

"  About  six  or  seven  miles  below  Philadelphia,  and  not  far  from 
the  Delaware,  is  a  low  swamp,  thickly  covered  with  trees,  and 
inundated  during  a  great  part  of  the  year.  This  place  is  the  resort 
of  great  numbers  of  the  qua  bird  (Night  Heron),  where  they  build 
in  large  companies.  On  the  25th  of  April,  while  wading  through 
the  dark  recesses  of  this  place,  observing  the  habits  of  these  birds, 
I  discovered  a  Long-eared  Owl,  which  had  taken  possession  of  one 
of  their  nests,  and  was  setting.  On  mounting  to  the  nest,  I  found 
it  contained  four  eggs ;  and,  breaking  one  of  them,  the  young 
appeared  almost  ready  to  leave  the  shell.  There  were  numbers  of 


70  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

the  qua  birds'  nests   on  the  adjoining  trees  all  around,  and  one 
of  them  actually  on  the  same  tree." 

The  reader  will  perceive  from  the  above  account  of  the 
breeding  habits  of  this  bird,  that  it  is  variable  in  its  choice 
of  a  nesting-place,  although  every  nest  that  I  have  found, 
or  known  of,  was  built  in  tall  pines,  and  constructed  as 
above ;  and  I  have  known  instances  where  the  same  nest 
was  used  for  successive  breeding  seasons. 

The  eggs  are  generally  four  in  number,  seldom  more. 
They  are  nearly  spherical  in  form,  and  of  a  pure-white 
color.  Dimensions  of  specimens  in  my  collection  vary  from 
1.40  to  1.60  inch  in  length,  by  from  1.30  to  1.40  inch  in 
breadth. 

BRACHYOTUS,  GOULD. 

Bracliyotus,  GOULD,  Proc.  Zool.  Soc.,  London,  1837, 10. 

Ear-tufts  very  short  and  inconspicuous ;  general  form  rather  strong ;  wings  long ; 
tail  moderate ;  legs  rather  long,  which,  with  the  toes,  are  fully  covered  with  short 
feathers ;  claws  long,  very  sharp,  and  rather  slender ;  head  moderate ;  eyes  rather 
small,  surrounded  by  radiating  feathers;  facial  disc  imperfect  on  the  forehead  and 
above  the  eyes ;  tail  moderate. 

This  genus  contains  four  or  five  species  only,  the  two  best  known  of  which  are 
the  European. 

BRACHYOTUS  CASSINII.  —  Brewer. 
The  Short-eared  Owl. 

BracJiyotus  Cassinii,  Brewer.    Proc.  Boston  Soc.  of  Nat.  Hist. 
Strix  brachyotus,  Forster.    Phil.  Trans.,  London,  LXII.  384  (1772). 
Strix  brachyotus,  Linnaeus.    Wilson  and  others. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Ear-tufts  very  short;  entire  plumage  buff  or  pale- fulvous;  ever}' feather  on  the 
upper  parts  with  a  wide  longitudinal  stripe  of  dark-brown,  which  color  predominates 
on  the  back;  under  parts  paler,  frequently  nearly  white  on  the  abdomen,  with 
longitudinal  stripes  of  brownish-black,  most  numerous  on  the  breast,  very  narrow 
and  less  numerous  on  the  abdomen  and  flanks ;  legs  and  toes  usually  of  a  deeper 
shade  of  the  same  color  as  the  abdomen ;  quills  pale  reddish-fulvous  at  their  bases, 
brown  at  their  ends,  with  wide  irregular  bands  and  large  spots  of  reddish-fulvous ; 
tail  pale  reddish-fulvous,  with  about  five  irregular  transverse  bands  of  dark-brown, 
which  color  predominates  on  the  two  central  feathers ;  under  tail  coverts  usually 
nearly  white;  throat  white;  eyes  enclosed  by  large  spots  of  brownish-black;  ear- 
tufts  brown,  edged  with  fulvous ;  bill  and  claws  dark ;  irides  yellow. 

Total  length,  female,  about  fifteen  inches;  wing,  twelve;  tail,  six  inches.  Male 
rather  smaller. 


THE   GRAY   OWLS.  71 

I  regret  being  unable  to  add  any  thing  to  our  knowledge 
of  the  history  of  this  bird.  I  have  had  no  opportunities 
for  observing  its  habits,  and  know  of  nothing  that  has  been 
noted  recently  which  will  add  to  our  information.  It  is 
not  common  in  any  part  of  New  England,  and  is,  I  believe, 
more  often  met  with  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  seacoast 
than  elsewhere.  I  have  never  met  with  its  nest,  but  have 
no  doubt  that  it  breeds  in  these  States,  as  specimens  are 
occasionally  taken  here  in  summer. 

Richardson  says  that  its  nest  is  formed  of  withered  grass 
and  moss,  and  is  built  on  the  ground.  Dr.  Bryant  ("  Pro- 
ceedings of  Boston  Society  of  Natural  History,"  January, 
1857)  describes  a  nest  found  on  an  island  in  the  Bay  of 
Fundy  as  follows  :  — 

"  A  nest  of  this  bird  was  found  by  Mr.  Cabot  in  the  midst  of  a 
dry  peaty  bog.  It  was  built  on  the  ground,  in  a  very  slovenly 
manner,  of  small  sticks  and  a  few  feathers,  and  presented  hardly 
any  excavation.  It  contained  four  eggs  on  the  point  of  being 
hatched." 

The  eggs  of  this  species  are  of  a  pure-white^  color,  and 
vary  in  dimensions  from  1.65  inch  by  1.25  inch  to  1.50  inch 
by  1.23  inch. 


Sub-Family  SYRNINJE.  —  The  Gray  Owls. 

Head  large,  with  very  small  and  concealed  ear-tufts,  or  entirely  without.  Facial 
disc  nearly  perfect;  eyes  small  for  the  family  of  owls:  wings  rather  short,  or  not  so 
long  as  in  the  preceding ;  tarsi  and  toes  generally  fully  feathered.  This  group  con- 
tains some  of  the  largest  of  owls;  generally,  however,  the  size  is  medium,  and  fre- 
quently small. 

SYRNIUM,  SAVIGNY. 

Syrnium,  SAVIGNY,  Nat.  Hist.  Egypt,  I.  112  (1809). 

Size  usually  large ;  head  large,  without  ear-tufts ;  eyes  rather  small ;  facial  disc 
somewhat  imperfect  in  front;  bill  strong,  curved  from  its  base;  wings  moderate, 
somewhat  rounded;  fourth  and  fifth  quills  longest;  tail  rather  long,  wide,  and  usu- 
ally rounded  at  the  end ;  legs  moderate,  or  rather  long,  which,  with  the  toes,  are 
densely  covered  with  short  feathers;  claws  long,  strong,  very  sharp. 


72  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 

Species  of  this  genus  inhabit  principally  the  northern  parts  of  the  world,  and  are 
generally  characterized  by  the  prevalence  of  gray  or  cinereous,  of  various  shades,  in 
their  plumage. 

SYRNIUM   CINEEEUM.—  Auduban. 
The  Great  Gray  Owl. 

Strix  cinerea,  Gm.    Syst.  Nat,  I.  291  (1788).    Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  364. 
Strix  acclimator,  Bartram.    Travels,  289  (1790). 

DESCRIPTION. 

The  largest  Owl  of  North  America.  Head  very  large ;  eyes  small ;  tail  rather 
long;  upper  parts  smoky  or  ashy  brown,  mottled  and  transversely  barred  with 
ashy-white;  under  parts  ashy-white,  with  numerous  longitudinal  stripes  of  dark 
ashy-brown  predominating  on  the  breast,  and  with  transverse  stripes  of  the  same  on 
the  abdomen,  legs,  and  under  tail  coverts ;  quills  brown,  with  about  five  wide,  irregu- 
lar bands  of  ashy-white ;  tail  brown,  with  five  or  six  wide,  irregular  bands  of  ashy- 
white,  mottled  with  dark-brown;  feathers  of  the  disc  on  the  neck  tipped  with  white; 
eye  nearly  encircled  by  a  black  spot ;  radiating  feathers  around  the  eye,  with  regular 
transverse  narrow  bars  of  dark-brown  and  ashy-white ;  bill  pale-yellow ;  claws  pale 
yellowish-white,  darker  at  their  tips ;  iris  bright-yellow. 

Total  length,  twenty-five  to  thirty  inches ;  wing,  eighteen ;  tail,  twelve  to  fifteen 
inches. 

This  bird  is  an  extremely  rare  winter  visitor  in  New  Eng- 
land ;  appearing  only  in  the  southern  districts  of  these 
States,  in  Massachusetts  even,  in  very  severe  seasons.  I 
never  saw  one  alive ;  have,  of  course,  never  seen  its  nest, 
and  can  add  nothing  at  all  to  our  knowledge  of  its  habits. 
It  breeds  in  the  most  northern  regions ;  and,  according  to 
Dr.  Brewer,  "  nests  in  high  trees."  Its  eggs  I  have  never 
seen.  Audubon  gives  the  following  account  of  this  spe- 
cies :  — 

"The  comparatively  small  size  of  this  bird's  eyes  renders  it 
probable  that  it  hunts  by  day ;  and  the  remarkable  smallness  of  its 
feet  and  claws  induces  me  to  think  that  it  does  not  prey  on  large 
animals.  Dr.  Richardson  says,  that  '  it  is  by  no  means  a  rare  bird 
in  the  fur  countries ;  being  an  inhabitant  of  all  the  woody  districts 
lying  between  the  Lake  Superior  and  latitudes  67°  or  68°,  and 
between  Hudson's  Bay  and  the  Pacific.  It  is  common  on  the 
borders  of  Great  Bear  Lake  ;  and  there,  and  in  the  higher  parallels 
of  latitude,  it  must  pursue  its  prey,  during  the  summer  months,  by 
daylight.  It  keeps,  however,  within  the  woods,  and  does  not  fre- 
quent the  barren  grounds,  like  the  Snowy  Owl ;  nor  is  it  so  often  met 


BARRED  OWL,  Syrnium  nebulosum.     Gray. 


THE   BARRED   OWL.  73 

with  in  broad  daylight  as  the  Hawk  Owl,  but  hunts  principally  when 
the  sun  is  low :  indeed,  it  is  only  at  such  times,  when  the  recesses 
of  the  woods  are  deeply  shadowed,  that  the  American  Hare,  and  the 
murine  animals  on  which  the  Cinereous  Owl  chiefly  preys,  come 
forth  to  feed.' " 

Audubon  speaks  of  a  gentleman  in  Salem,  Mass.,  who 
kept  one  of  these  birds  alive  for  several  months :  it  was  fed 
on  fish  and  small  birds,  of  which  it  was  very  fond.  It  uttered 
at  times  a  tremulous  cry,  not  unlike  that  of  the  little  Screech- 
owl  (Scops  asio),  and  showed  a  great  antipathy  to  cats  and 
dogs. 

SYENIUM   NEBULOSUM.  —  Gray. 
The  Barred  Owl. 

Stnx  nebulosa,  Forster.     Trans.  Philosoph.  Soc.,  London,  LXII.  386,  424  (1772). 

Strix  nebulosa,  Linnaeus.  Wilson,  304.  Bonap.  Syn.,  38.  Nutt.,  I.  133.  Aud., 
I.  242. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Head  large,  without  ear-tufts;  tail  rather  long;  upper  parts  light  ashy-brown, 
frequently  tinged  with  dull-yellow,  with  transverse  narrow  bands  of  white,  most 
numerous  on  the  head  and  neck  behind,  broader  on  the  back ;  breast  with  transverse 
bands  of  brown  and  white ;  abdomen  ashy-white,  with  longitudinal  stripes  of  brown ; 
tarsi  and  toes  ashy-white,  tinged  with  fulvous,  generally  without  spots,  but  frequently 
mottled  and  banded  with  dark-brown;  quills  brown,  with  six  or  seven  transverse 
bars,  nearly  pure-white  on  the  outer  webs,  and  ashy-fulvous  on  the  inner  webs ;  tail 
light-brown,  with  about  five  bands  of  white,  generally  tinged  with  reddish-yellow; 
discal  feathers  tipped  with  white;  face  ashy-white,  with  lines  of  brown,  and  a  spot 
of  black  in  front  of  the  eye;  throat  dark-brown;  claws  horn-color;  bill  pale-yellow; 
irides  bluish-black.  Sexes  alike. 

Total  length,  about  twenty  inches;  wing,  thirteen  to  fourteen;  tail,  nine  inches. 
Sexes  nearly  of  the  same  size. 

This  Owl  is  rather  common  in  most  sections  of  New  Eng- 
land ;  is  more  often  seen  in  the  more  southern  localities, 
and  less  frequently  met  with  in  sections  where  the  Great 
Horned  Owl  is  most  abundant,  and  vice  versd.  Its  flight  is 
soft  and  rapid,  the  great  breadth  of  the  wings  and  compara- 
tive lightness  of  the  body  giving  it  remarkable  speed.  Its 
vision  is  almost  as  good  in  the  daylight  as  in  the  night,  and 
surpasses  that  of  most  of  our  other  owls.  A  specimen  that 
I  kept  alive  for  a  few  weeks,  often,  in  the  daytime,  flew  about 
the  room  in  which  his  cage  was  placed :  he  alighted  with 


74  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

ease  on  the  backs  of  chairs,  or  on  other  pieces  of  furniture ; 
seldom  miscalculating  the  distance  or  missing  a  footing,  as 
many  of  the  other  owls  would  in  the  same  circumstances. 
This  bird  soon  became  tame,  and  would  accept  food  at  almost 
any  time  in  the  day  or  night :  on  receiving  a  piece  of  meat, 
he  sometimes  attempted  to  clutch  it  with  his  foot,  and  my 
fingers  often  had  narrow  escapes  xfrom  his  sharp,  crooked 
talons.  Usually,  he  would  seize  it  with  his  mouth,  and,  if 
not  too  large,  swallow  it  without  tearing :  if  the  piece  was 
more  bulky  than  he  could  manage,  he  stood  on  it,  and  tore 
it  with  his  beak.  Fish  he  invariably  rejected,  but  greedily 
ate  mice  and  small  birds :  a  dead  pigeon,  that  I  put  in  his 
cage,  was  untouched  for  several  days.  He  died  in  conse- 
quence of  a  hurt  he  received  in  flying  against  a  window. 

The  Barred  Owl  subsists  principally  upon  small  birds, 
field-mice,  and  reptiles.  He  is  frequently  seen,  in  early 
twilight,  flying  over  the  low  meadow-lands,  searching  for  the 
mice  that  dwell  there  :  he  usually  takes  a  direct  course,  and 
sometimes  flies  so  low  that  the  tips  of  his  wings  seem  to 
touch  the  grass.  When  he  discovers  his  prey,  he  drops  on 
it  instantly,  folding  his  wings  and  protruding  his  feet,  in 
which  his  quarry  is  always  secured :  he  often  captures  frogs 
that  are  sitting  on  the  shores  of  ponds  and  rivers  ;  but  I  am 
inclined  to  think  that  the  statement,  quoted  by  Audubon, 
that  he  often  catches  fish,  is  incorrect.  The  Barred  Owl 
usually  nests  in  high  trees,  placing  the  structure  of  sticks 
and  leaves  in  a  crotch  near  the  trunk.  The  eggs  are  usually 
three  in  number.  I  have  one  only  in  my  collection  :  this  is 
pure-white,  almost  globular,  and,  except  in  shape,  hardly 
distinguishable  from  the  egg  of  the  domestic  hen.  It  is 
2  inches  in  length  by  1.68  in  breadth. 

NYCTALE,  BREHM. 

Nyctale,  BREHM,  Isis  (1828),  1271. 

Size  small ;  head  with  very  small  ear-tufts,  only  observable  when  erected ;  eyes 
small;  bill  moderate,  or  not  very  strong;  facial  disc  nearly  perfect;  wings  rather 
long;  tail  short;  legs  and  toes  densely  feathered. 


THE   SAW-WHET   OWL.  75 

Contains  five  species  of  small  and  quite  peculiar  owls,  four  of  which  are  Ameri- 
can, and  one  European. 

NYCTALE   EICHARDSONII.  —  Bonaparte. 
The  Sparrow    Owl. 

Nyctale  Richardsonii,  Bonaparte.    Comp.  List,  7  (1838). 

"•  Strix  Tengmalmi,  Gm."    Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  659,  and  other  American  authors. 

DESCRIPTION. 

The  largest  of  this  genus ;  wings  long ;  upper  parts  pale  reddish-brown,  tinged 
with  olive,  and  with  partially  concealed  spots  of  white,  most  numerous  on  the  head 
and  neck  behind,  scapulars,  and  rump ;  head  in  front  with  numerous  spots  of  white ; 
face  white,  with  a  spot  of  black  in  front  of  the  eye ;  throat  with  brown  stripes ; 
under  parts  ashy-white,  with  longitudinal  stripes  of  pale  reddish-brown ;  legs  and 
toes  pale-yellowish,  nearly  white,  sometimes  barred  and  spotted  with  brown ;  quills 
brown,  with  small  spots  of  white  on  their  outer  edges,  and  large  spots  of  the  same 
on  their  inner  webs;  tail  brown,  every  feather  with  about  ten  pairs  of  white  spots; 
bill  light-yellowish  horn-color;  irides  yellow. 

Total  length,  about  ten  and  a  half  inches ;  wing,  seven  and  a  half  inches ;  tail, 
four  and  a  half  inches. 

This  species  is  an  exceedingly  rare  winter  visitor  in  New 
England.  I  have  never  met  with  it  alive,  and  can  give 
from  my  own  observation  no  account  of  its  habits.  Dr. 
Richardson,  in  the  "  Fauna  Boreali-Americana,"  says  :  — 

"  When  it  accidentally  wanders  abroad  in  the  day,  it  is  so  much 
dazzled  by  the  light  of  the  sun  as  to  become  stupid ;  and  it  may 
then  be  easily  caught  by  the  hand.  Its  cry  hi  the  night  is  a 
single  melancholy  note,  repeated  at  intervals  of  a  minute  or  two. 
Mr.  Hutchins  says  that  it  builds  a  nest  of  grass  half-way  up  a 
pine-tree,  and  lays  two  white  eggs  in  the  month  of  May." 

NYCTALE  ACADICA.  —  Bonaparte. 
The  Saw-Whet  Owl;   Acadican  Owl. 

Strix  Acadica,  Gm.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  296  (1788).  Bonap.  Syn.,  38.  Nuttall  and 
other  authors. 

"  Strix passerina,  Linnaeus."    Wilson,  Am.  Orn.,  IV.  66. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Small;  wings  long;  tail  short;  upper  parts  reddish-brown,  tinged  with  olive; 
head  in  front  with  fine  lines  of  white,  and  on  the  neck  behind,  rump,  and  scapulars, 
with  large,  partially  concealed  spots  of  white ;  face  ashy-white ;  throat  white ;  under 
parts  ashy-white,  with  longitudinal  stripes  of  pale  reddish-brown ;  under  coverts 


76  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

of  wings  and  tail  white;  quills  brown,  with  small  spots  of  white  on  their  outer 
edges,  and  large  spots  of  the  same  on  their  inner  webs ;  tail  brown,  every  feather 
with  about  three  pairs  of  spots  of  white ;  bill  and  claws  dark ;  irides  yellow. 

Total  length,  about  seven  and  a  half  to  eight  inches;  wing,  five  and  a  half 
inches ;  tail,  two  and  three  quarters  to  three  inches.  Sexes  nearly  the  same  size, 
and  alike  in  colors. 

This  species  is  also  quite  rare  in  New  England ;  but,  as 
it  is  occasionally  found  in  the  summer  months,  is  probably 
a  resident  here  through  -the  year.  Says  Audubon,  in  his 
description  of  this  bird,  which  is  very  full  and  perfect :  — 

"  The  Little  Owl  is  known  in  Massachusetts  by  the  name  of  the 
(  Saw-whet,'  the  sound  of  its  love-notes  bearing  a  great  resemblance 
to  the  noise  produced  by  filing  the  teeth  of  a  large  saw.  These 
notes,  when  coming,  as  they  frequently  do,  from  the  interior  of  a 
deep  forest,  produce  a  very  peculiar  effect  on  the  traveller,  who, 
not  being  aware  of  their  real  nature,  expects,  as  he  advances  on  his 
route,  to  meet  with  shelter  under  a  saw-mill  at  no  great  distance. 
Until  I  shot  the  bird  in  the  act,  I  had  myself  been  more  than  once 
deceived  in  this  manner. 

"  A  nest  of  our  Little  Owl,  which  I  found  near  the  city  of  Natchez, 
was  placed  in  the  broken  stump  of  a  small  decayed  tree,  not  more 
than  four  feet  from  the  ground.  I  was  attracted  to  it  by  the  snor- 
ing notes  of  the  young,  which  sounded  as  if  at  a  considerable 
elevation;  and  I  was  so  misled  by  them,  that,  had  not  my  dog 
raised  himself  to  smell  at  the  hole  where  the  brood  lay  concealed, 
I  might  not  have  discovered  them.  In  this  instance,  the  number 
was  five.  It  was  in  the  beginning  of  June ;  and  the  little  things, 
which  were  almost  ready  to  fly,  looked  exceedingly  neat  and  beauti- 
ful. Their  parents  I  never  saw,  although  I  frequently  visited  the 
nest  before  they  left  it.  The  Little  Owl  breeds  more  abundantly 
near  the  shores  of  the  Atlantic  than  in  the  interior  of  the  country, 
and  is  frequent  in  the  swamps  of  the  States  of  Maryland  and  New 
Jersey  during  the  whole  year.  Wherever  I  have  found  the  young 
or  the  eggs  placed  in  a  hollow  tree,  they  were  merely  deposited  on 
the  rotten  particles  of  wood ;  and,  when  in  an  old  crow's  nest,  the 
latter  did  not  appear  to  have  undergone  any  repair.  Being  quite 
nocturnal,  it  shows  great  uneasiness  when  disturbed  by  day,  and 
flies  off  in  a  hurried,  uncertain  manner,  throwing  itself  into  the 


THE   SNOWY   OWL.  77 

first  covert  that  it  meets  with,  where  it  is  not  difficult  to  catch  it, 
provided  the  necessary  caution  and  silence  be  used.  Towards 
dusk,  it  becomes  full  of  animation,  flies  swiftly  —  gliding,  as  it 
were  —  over  the  low  grounds  like  a  little  spectre,  and  pounces  on 
small  quadrupeds  and  birds  with  the  quickness  of  thought." 

The  Saw-whet  Owl  nests  in  hollow  trees,  in  cavities  of 
rocks,  and  in  deserted  crows'  and  woodpeckers'  nests.  The 
eggs  are  from  three  to  five  or  six  in  number  ;  and,  according 
to  Dr.  Brewer,  are  of  a  bright,  clear  white,  and  more  like  a 
woodpecker's  than  an  owl's  in  their  crystalline  clearness. 
Dimensions,  !T2g-  by  \%  inch. 


Sub-Family  NYCTEININJE.  —  The  Day  Owls. 

General  form  compact  and  robust;  head  moderate,  withouf  ear-tufts;  wings  and 
tail  rather  long ;  tarsi  strong,  which,  with  the  toes,  are  more  densely  covered  than 
in  any  other  division  of  this  family. 

This  division  embraces  two  species  only,  which  inhabit  the  arctic  regions  of  both 
continents ;  migrating  southward  in  the  winter. 

NYCTEA,  STEPHENS. 

Nyctea,  STEPHENS,  Cont.  of  Shaw's  Zool.,  XIII.  62  (1826). 

Large ;  head  rather  large,  without  ear-tufts ;  no  facial  disc ;  legs  rather  short,  and 
with  the  toes  covered  densely  with  long  hair-like  feathers,  nearly  concealing  the 
claws;  bill  short,  nearly  concealed  by  projecting  feathers,  very  strong;  wings  long; 
tail  moderate,  or  rather  long,  wide ;  claws  strong,  fully  curved.  Contains  one  spe- 
cies only. 

NYCTEA  NIVEA.  —  Gray. 
The  Snowy  Owl. 

Strix  nivea,  Daudin.    Traite  d'Orn.,  190  (1800). 

Strix  nyctea,  Linnaeus.     Syst.  Nat.  I.  132  (1766). 

"  Strix  nyctea,  Linnams."  "  Bonap.  Syn.,  36.  Nutt.  I.  116.  Aud.  II.  135.  Wil- 
son and  others. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  nearly  concealed  by  projecting  plumes;  eyes  large;  entire  plumage  white,  fre- 
quently with  a  few  spots  or  imperfect  bands,  only  on  the  upper  parts  dark-brown,  and 
on  the  under  parts  with  a  few  irregular  and  imperfect  bars  of  the  same;  quills  and 
tail  with  a  few  spots  or  traces  of  bands  of  the  same  dark-brown ;  the  prevalence  of 


78  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

the  dark-brown  color  varies  much  in  different  specimens ;  frequently  both  upper  and 
under  parts  are  very  distinctly  banded  transversely,  and  sometimes  this  color  pre- 
dominates on  the  back ;  plumage  of  the  legs  and  toes  pure  snowy-white ;  bill  and 
claws  horn-color ;  irides  yellow. 

Total  length,  female,  about  twenty-six  inches;  wing,  seventeen  to  nineteen; 
tail,  ten  inches.  Male,  about  twenty-two  inches;  wing,  seventeen;  tail,  nine  inches. 

As  a  winter  visitor,  principally  on  the  seacoast,  this  bird 
is  a  rather  common  species.  It  is  often  taken  on  the  islands 
in  Massachusetts  Bay,  where  it  feeds  on  fish  that  have  been 
thrown  up  on  the  shore  by  the  tide,  birds,  wounded  sea- 
fowl,  and  even  dead  animals,  as  I  am  informed  by  a  reliable 
person  who  once  shot  one  while  perched  on  and  eating 
a  dead  horse  on  the  beach.  The  flight  of  this  Owl  is  rapid 
and  protracted.  I  have  seen  an  individual  chase  and  cap- 
ture a  Snow  Bunting  (J5.  nivalis)  from  a  flock;  and  once 
saw  one  make  a  swoop  at  a  flock  of  poultry  which  had  come 
out  from  their  house  on  a  fine  day,  but  which  immediately 
retreated  on  the  appearance  of  their  enemy.  The  Snowy 
Owl  hunts  both  in  the  daylight  and  twilight:  he  seems  to 
prefer  cloudy,  gloomy  days  to  bright  ones,  and  is  most 
active  just  before  a  storm.  Audubon  says  that  this  Owl 
captures  living  fish  in  the  water  by  standing  quietly  by  the 
margin,  and  seizing  its  prey  with  its  claws,  as  it  appears 
near  the  surface :  whether  this  is  a  regular  habit  or  not,  I 
cannot  say.  I  never  saw  one  do  so ;  and  I  have  conversed 
with  several  hunters  who  have  shot  numbers  of  specimens, 
and  they  all  were  ignorant  of  such  a  fact. 

Of  the  breeding  habits  of  this  Owl,  we  are  ignorant. 
The  Hudson's  Bay.  and  other  northern  countries,  are  its 
summer  homes.  Wheelwright,  in  his  "  Spring  and  Sum- 
mer in  Lapland,"  gives  the  only  description  of  its  nest  and 
eggs  accessible  to  me  at  present.  He  says :  — 

"  The  egg  of  the  Snowy  Owl  measures  2£  inches  in  length,  and 
If  inches  in  breadth:  its  color  is  pure-white.  The  nest  is  nothing 
more  than  a  large  boll  of  reindeer  moss,  placed  on  the  ledge  of  a 
bare  fell.  The  old  birds  guard  it  most  jealously  ;  in  fact,  the  Lap- 
landers often  kill  them  with  a  stick  when  they  are  robbing  the 


OWL,  Nyeiea  nivea.     Gray 


THE   HAWK   OWL.  79 

nest,  which  they  do  upon  every  occasion  that  presents  itself.  The 
Snowy  Owl  will  occasionally  make  its  nest  on  the  large  turf-hillocks 
in  some  of  the  mosses. 

STJRNIA,  DUMERIL 

Surnia,  DUMERIL,  Zoologie  Analytique,  34  (1806). 

General  form  rather  long,  but  robust;  size  medium;  head  moderate,  without  ear- 
tufts  ;  facial  disc  obsolete ;  bill  moderate,  curved  from  the  base,  covered  with  pro- 
jecting plumes;  wings  long;  tail  long,  wide,  graduated;  legs  rather  short,  and  with 
the  toes  densely  feathered;  contains  one  species  only,  which  inhabits  the  arctic 
regions  of  both  continents. 

SURNIA  ULULA.  —  Bonaparte. 
The  Hawk  Owl;  Day  Owl. 

Strix  ulula,  Linnaeus.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  133  (1766). 

"  Strix  funerea,"  Gm.  Boiiap.  Syn.  25.  Nutt.,  I.  115.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog., 
IV.  550. 

"  Strix  Hudsonica."    Wilson,  VI.  64. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Wings  rather  long;  first  three  quills  incised  on  their  inner  webs;  tail  long,  with 
its  central  feathers  about  two  inches  longer  than  the  outer;  tarsi  and  toes  densely 
feathered ;  upper  parts  fuliginous-brown,  with  numerous  partially  concealed  circular 
spots  of  white  on  the  neck  behind,  scapulars  and  wing  coverts ;  face  grayish-white ; 
throat  white,  with  longitudinal  stripes  of  dark-brown ;  a  large  brown  spot  on  each 
side  of  the  breast ;  other  under  parts  with  transverse  lines  or  stripes  of  pale  ashy- 
brown  ;  quills  and  tail  brown,  with  transverse  bands  of  white ;  bill  pale-yellowish ; 
irides  yellow ;  color  of  upper  parts  darker  on  the  head,  and  the  white  markings 
more  or  less  numerous  in  different  specimens. 

Total  length,  female,  sixteen  to  seventeen  inches;  wing,  nine;  tail,  seven  inches. 
Male  rather  smaller. 

This  bird  is  occasionally  met  with  in  different  localities  in 
New  England ;  rarely  in  the  summer,  most  often  in  the 
winter.  As  its  name  implies,  it  is  diurnal  in  its  habits, 
and  hunts  its  prey  in  the  hours  when  most  of  the  other 
owls  are  hidden  in  their  retreats.  Its  food  consists  of  small 
birds  and  mice,  which  it  seizes  in  the  manner  of  the  hawks. 
A  specimen  was  obtained  in  Yermont  on  a  wood-pile  in  a 
door-yard,  where  it  was  eating  a  woodpecker  that  it  had 
just  captured.  Dr.  Richardson,  in  his  "Fauna  Boreali- 
Americana,"  says  that,  "  when  the  hunters  are  shooting 
grouse,  this  bird  is  occasionally  attracted  by  the  report  of 


80 


ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 


the  gun,  and  is  often  bold  enough,  on  a  bird  being  killed, 
to  pounce  down  upon  it,  though  unable,  from  its  size,  to 
carry  it  off. 

The  Hawk  Owl  occasionally  breeds  in  New  England. 
My  friend,  George  A.  Boardman 
of  Milltown,  Me.,  has  been  so  for- 
tunate as  to  find  its  nest,  with 
eggs,  in  that  neighborhood.  It 
usually  builds  in  a  hollow  tree, 
but  sometimes  constructs  a  habi- 
tation in  the  crotch  of  a  tall  tree, 
of  sticks,  grass,  and  feathers. 
According  to  Richardson,  it  lays 
two  white  globular  eggs. 

Two  beautiful  specimens  in  my 
collection,  from  William  Couper, 
Esq.,  Quebec,  collected  at  North- 
ern Labrador  by  the  Moutanaz 
Indians,  are  a  trifle  more  elongated  and  pointed  than  the 
eggs  of  the  Red  Owl  (Scops  asio).  They  are  of  a  pure- 
white  color,  and  measure  1.50  by  1.25  inch  and  1.47  by 
1.22  inch. 


NOTES. 

I  append  the  following  notes,  that  have  been  kindly  fur- 
nished me  by  William  Couper,  of  Quebec,  Lower  Canada, 
for  the  purpose  of  showing  the  northern  distribution  of  the 
birds  of  prey  described  in  the  preceding  pages :  — 

HYPOTRIORCHIS  COLUMBARIUS.  —  Only  young  specimens  occur,  and 
those  rarely,  in  the  latitude  of  Quebec :  they  are  more  common  toward  the 
western  portions  of  Lower  and  Upper  Canada.  It  has  not,  to  my  knowledge, 
been  found  breeding  in  Canada. 

TINNUNCULUS  SPARVERIUS.  —  This  species  is  more  abundant  than  the 
preceding ;  but  the  majority  of  the  specimens  shot  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Quebec  are  young.  I  am  informed  that  it  breeds  in  the  vicinity  of  the  river 
St.  Maurice,  which  falls  into  the  river  St.  Lawrence,  west  of  Quebec. 


NOTES.  81 

ASTUE  ATRICAPILLUS.  —  The  adult  of  this  species  is  very  rare  in  this 
latitude,  and  it  occurs  in  this  plumage  about  midwinter.  The  young,  how- 
ever, are  sometimes  common  during  the  autumn. 

ACCIPITER  FUSCUS.  —  This  is  one  of  the  most  common  of  our  Hawks. 
It  occurs  in  young  plumage  in  the  fall  also.  I  am  told  that  it  breeds  in 
Canada ;  but  I  have  not  had  the  good  fortune  to  find  its  nest.  Sportsmen 
have  told  me  incidents  of  the  audacity  of  this  little  species.  They  say  it  is 
always  on  the  alert  for  woodcock  and  snipe,  and  knows  the  moment  that  one 
of  these  birds  is  wounded.  It  is  sometimes  so  bold,  that,  as  soon  as  the  shot 
strikes  the  intended  game,  the  Hawk  pounces  upon  it  to  carry  it  away. 

BUTEO  PENNSYLVANICUS.  —  This  species  is  very  common  here  during 
the  months  of  September  and  October.  It  is  generally  found  preying  upon 
frogs  and  a  species  of  common  field  locust.  I  have  not  learned  that  it  breeds 
in  Upper  or  Lower  Canada. 

ARCHIBUTEO  LAGOPUS.  —  Sometimes  this  species  is  very  abundant  in 
the  northern  mountains,  especially  where  there  is  a  plenty  of  hares  and 
grouse.  It  breeds  in  Labrador. 

CIRCUS  HUDSONIUS.  —  Occurs  only  in  the  fall,  and  then  in  young  plum- 
age. Breeds  in  Western  Canada.  It  has  not  been  detected  breeding  in  the 
northern  swamps  of  Lower  Canada. 

AQUILA  CANADENS1S.  —  The  adult  and  young  of  this  species  are  occa- 
sionally shot  here  during  autumn  and  winter.  I  think  it  breeds  on  some  of 
our  high  northern  mountains.  The  specimens  that  I  have  examined  had 
their  bodies  and  legs  stuck  full  of  porcupine  quills. 

PANDION  CAROLINENSIS.  —  This  is  a  very  rare  visitor  in  the  northern 
regions.  I  understand  that  a  pair  arrive  annually,  and  breed  at  Lake  St. 
Joseph,  north  of  this  city.  I  never  saw  an  adult  specimen  in  Quebec. 

BUBO  VIRGINIANUS.  —  This  Owl  occurs  here  during  summer  and  win- 
ter. I  am  almost  certain  it  breeds  in  the  mountains  behind  the  city.  I  have 
had  the  young  in  the  down  from  Bay  St.  Paul,  on  the  north  side  of  the 
river  St.  Lawrence,  below  Quebec. 

OTUS  WILSONIANUS  and  BRACHTOTU3  CASSINII  are  extremely  rare 
here,  and  I  cannot  give  any  facts  in  relation  to  them. 

SYRNIUM  NEBULOSUM.  —  This  is  the  common  Owl  of  our  forests. 

STRNIUM  CINEREUM.  —  Is  an  accidental  winter  visitor. 

SURNIA  ULULA.  —  This  bird  is  also  very  common  during  some  winters. 
It  breeds  in  the  northern  portions  of  Hudson's  Bay  and  Labrador. 

NYCTEA  NIVEA.  —  This  Owl  is  more  abundant  this  winter  (1867)  than  it 
has  been  for  years. 

NYCTALE  RICHARDSONII  and  N.  ACADICA  also  occur  here.  The  former 
is  occasional;  but  the  latter,  extremely  rare. 

6 


82  ORNITHOLOGY   AND    OOLOGY. 


ORDER  II.  — SCANSORES.     CLIMBERS. 

The  characteristics  of  this  order  are  given  on  page  4  of  this 
volume.  It  is  represented  in  the  New-England  States  by  two 
families,  —  the  Cuculidce  or  Cuckoos,  and  the  Picidce  or  Wood- 
peckers. 

These  families  have  the  arrangement  of  two  pairs  of  toes 
opposed  to  each  other  in  common ;  otherwise,  they  are  much  dif- 
ferent in  their  characteristics. 

The  Cuculidce  have  "  bill  thin,  usually  slender,  and  rather  long, 
the  tip  more  or  less  decurved,  the  base  usually  without  rictal 
bristles ;  tarsi  usually  rather  long,  clothed  with  broad  plates  ante- 
riorly ;  the  tail  feathers  usually  ten,  sometimes  eight  or  twelve, 
all  long." 

The  Picidce  have  "  bill  straight,  rigid,  and  chisel-shaped  at  the 
tip,  the  base  without  rictal  bristles ;  the  feet  are  stout,  and  clothed 
anteriorly  with  broad  plates  ;  tail  feathers  twelve,  the  exterior  very 
small  and  concealed." x 

1  See  Introduction. 


THE   YELLOW-BILLED    CUCKOO.  83 


FAMILY  CUCULID^E.     THE  CUCKOOS. 
COCCYGUS,  VIEILLOT. 

Coccyzus,  Vieillot.    Analyse  (1816). 

Erythrophrys,  Swainson.     Class.  Birds,  II.  (1837),  322. 

Head  without  crest ;  feathers  about  base  of  bill  soft ;  bill  nearly  as  long  as  the 
head,  decurved,  slender,  and  attenuated  towards  the  end;  nostrils  linear;  wings 
lengthened,  reaching  the  middle  of  the  tail ;  the  tertials  short ;  tail  of  ten  graduated 
feathers ;  feet  weak ;  tarsi  shorter  than  the  middle  toe. 

The  species  of  Coccygus  are  readily  distinguished  from  those  of  Geococcyx  by 
their  arborial  habits,  confining  themselves  mainly  to  trees,  instead  of  living  habitu- 
ally on  the  ground.  The  plumage  is  soft,  fine,  and  compact. 

The  American  cuckoos  differ  from  the  European  cuckoos  ( Cuculus)  by  having 
lengthened  naked  tarsi,  instead  of  very  short  feathered  ones ;  the  nostrils  are 
elongated,  too,  instead  of  rounded. 

COCCYGUS  AMEEICANUS.—  Bonaparte. 
The  Yellow-billed  Cuckoo. 

Cuculus  Americanus,  Linnaeus.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766). 

Coccyzus  Americanus,  Audubon.     Orn.  Biog  ,  I.  (1832).    Bonap.  Syn.,  42. 

Cuculus  Carolinensis.     Wilson,  267. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Upper  mandible,  and  tip  of  lower  black ;  rest  of  lower  mandible,  and  cutting 
edges  of  the  upper  yellow;  upper  parts  of  a  metallic  greenish-olive,  slightly  tinged 
with  ash  towards  the  bill;  beneath  white;  tail  feathers  (except  the  median,  which 
are  like  the  back)  black,  tipped  with  white  for  about  an  inch  on  the  outer  feathers, 
the  external  one  with  the  outer  edge  almost  entirely  white ;  quills  orange-cinnamon; 
the  terminal  portion  and  a  gloss  on  the  outer  webs  olive ;  iris  brown. 

Length,  twelve  inches;  wing,  five  and  ninety-five  one-hundredths;  tail,  six  and 
thirty-five  one-hundredths. 

THIS  bird  is  very  irregularly  distributed  through  New 
England  as  a  summer  visitor.  A.  E.  Verrill,  in  his 
catalogue  of  birds  found  at  Norway,  Me.,  says  that  "it 
is  not  common  as  a  summer  visitor."  George  A.  Board- 
man  writes  me,  that,  near  Calais,  Me.,  it  is  "  extremely 
rare."  J.  A.  Allen,  in  his  paper  on  Springfield  birds 
(before  referred  to),  calls  it  "  extremely  rare."  Dr.  Wood 
says  it  is  "  very  rare  "  at  East-Windsor  Hill,  Conn.,  where 


84  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

he  has  found  it  breeding.  While  I  have  noticed,  that, 
though  in  former  years  it  was  equally  abundant  with  the 
Black-billed  Cuckoo,  this  bird  is  now  growing  scarce  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Boston. 

This  species  arrives  from  the  South  from  about  the  25th 
of  April  to  the  1st  of  May.  We  are  first  notified  of  his 
arrival  by  hearing  his  harsh  notes  in  the  opening  foliage  ; 
and  presently  we  see  him  moving  about  the  twigs,  busily 
picking  off  and  swallowing  the  caterpillars  and  other  larvae 
which  are  so  destructive  to  our  fruit  and  shade  trees.  Soon 
he  passes  to  another  tree,  still  pursuing  his  profitable 
search ;  and,  when  he  has .  gleaned  to  his  heart's  —  or 
rather  stomach's  —  content,  he  launches  himself  into  the 
air,  and  takes  flight  for  another  grove  or  orchard,  perhaps 
a  half-mile  off,  or  even  farther.  His  flight  is  rapid,  con- 
sisting of  repeated  strokes  of  his  wings,  but  it  is  not 
always  direct ;  for  he  frequently  turns  from  a  straight  course 
and  flies  off  at  an  angle,  then  back  again  in  a  wavering 
manner.  Occasionally,  he  pauses  in  his  flight,  and  sud- 
denly descends  and  alights  on  a  shrub  or  low  bush,  as  if  he 
perceived  an  enemy  in  the  air  or  a  friend  in  the  bush. 
After  repeating  his  song,  —  " Krow-krow-krow-krow-krow  ;  kru- 
kra,  kru-kra,  kru-kru"  —  he  is  off  again,  and  is  soon  out 
of  sight. 

The  male  arrives  about  ten  days  before  the  female.  As 
soon  as  the  latter  makes  her  appearance,  the  male  com- 
mences his  courtship.  He  is  very  attentive  to  her,  watch- 
ing her  every  movement,  and  following  her  every  flight. 
Although  usually  very  cowardly,  he  is  at  this  period  toler- 
ably brave,  and  will  even  attempt  to  molest  any  other  bird 
that  happens  to  be  near,  but  usually  with  poor  success  ;  for, 
as  his  cowardice  is  traditional  among  the  birds,  they  will 
turn  upon  him,  and  drive  him  off  discomfited.  When  the 
couple  have  mated,  they  soon  commence  building.  The 
nest  is  placed  in  a  low  bough  of  a  tree,  or  in  a  shrub  or 
barberry  bush.  It  is  a  loose,  straggling  affair,  composed  of 


THE   BLACK-BILLED    CUCKOO.  85 

sticks  and  twigs,  and  sometimes  a  few  pieces  of  moss.  The 
eggs  are  usually  four  in  number ;  they  are  of  a  light 
greenish-blue  color,  and  almost  invariably  larger  than  those 
of  the  Black-billed  Cuckoo.  A  number  of  specimens  before 
me  vary  from  1.07  to  1.25  of  an  inch  in  length,  by  from  .84 
to  .96  inch  in  breadth.  But  one  brood  is  reared  in  the 
season. 

COCCYGUS  ERYTHROPHTHALMUS.  —  Bonaparte. 
The  Black-billed  Cuckoo. 

Cuculus  erythrophthalmus,  Wilson.     Am.  Orn.,  IV.  (1811),  16. 

Coccyzus  erythrophthalmus,  Audubon.      Orn.    Biog.,  I.   (1832),    170.     Bonap. 

Syn.,  42. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  entirely  black ;  upper  parts  generally  of  a  metallic  greenish-olive,  ashy  to- 
wards the  base  of  the  bill;  beneath  pure-white,  with  a  brownish-yellow  tinge  on  the 
throat;  inner  webs  of  the  quills  tinged  with  cinnamon;  under  surface  of  all  the  tail 
feathers  hoary  ash-gray;  all  beneath  the  central,  on  either  side,  suffused  with  darker 
to  the  short,  bluish-white, and  not  well-defined  tip;  a  naked  red  skin  round  the  eye; 
iris,  hazel.1 

Length  about  twelve  inches ;  wing,  five ;  tail,  six  and  a  half. 

This  species  is  quite  abundantly  distributed  throughout 
New  England  as  a  summer  visitor,  reaching  to  more  north- 
ern latitudes  than  the  other.  It  arrives  from  the  South 
about  the  first  week  in  May ; 
and,  like  the  Yellow-billed 
Cuckoo,  the  males  precede 
the  females.  I  have  exam- 
ined numbers  of  the  first 
birds  that  arrived  in  differ- 
ent seasons,  and  they  were 
invariably  males ;  the  females 
making  their  appearance 
about  ten  days  or  a  fortnight 
later.  The  habits  of  the  two 
species  are  very  similar,  although  the  present  bird  prefers 
the  more  cultivated  and  open  districts,  while  the  other 

1  In  succeeding  species,  when  the  color  of  the  iris  is  not  given,  it  is  understood  to 
be  dark-hazel  or  black. 


86  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

seems  to  delight  in  the  more  retired  and  wooded  locali- 
ties. 

In  flight,  the  Black-billed  Cuckoo  is  more  swift  than  the 
other ;  in  breeding  habits,  the  same ;  and  its  food  is  similar, 
consisting  principally  of  insects  and  their  larvae,  small  fruits, 
and  the  eggs  and  young  of  small  birds.  Like  the  other,  the 
Black-billed  Cuckoo  is  very  cowardly,  and  is  quickly  driven 
from  the  neighborhood  of  the  nest  of  almost  any  of  the 
other  birds.  If  a  robin,  or  other  bird  of  equal  size,  discover 
one  of  these,  to  him  pirates,  in  the  vicinity  of  his  nest,  he 
immediately  assaults  the  intruder,  with  loud  outcries,  poun- 
cing upon  him,  and  pecking  with  great  ferocity.  Others  of 
his  neighbors,  who  are  near,  join  in  the  attack :  the  Cuckoo, 
in  retreating,  dives  into  the  recesses  of  a  stone  wall,  or  the 
first  secure  retreat  available ;  very  seldom  taking  to  his 
wings,  as  another  bird  would  do.  I  have  known  of  a  cuckoo 
being  driven  into  a  barn  by  a  Blue-bird  ($.  sialis),  who  sat 
perching  on  a  fence  outside  for  several  minutes,  keeping  his 
enemy  prisoner  ;  and  the  latter,  when  pursued  and  captured 
by  myself,  preferred  being  my  prisoner  to  facing  his  enemy 
outside. 

The  nest  of  the  Black-billed  Cuckoo  is  usually  placed  in 
a  low  tree  or  barber ry4msh.  It  is  constructed  of  twigs, 
roots,  and  sometimes  a  few  leaves  and  moss.  I  have  exam- 
ined a  great  number  of  these,  from  different  sections  ;  and  I 
have  noticed  that  those  from  northern  localities  were  inva- 
riably lined  with  gray  moss,  called  Spanish  moss,  and  leaves, 
while  others,  from  more  southern  districts,  were  without 
such  linings. 

The  eggs  are  usually  four  in  number :  they  are  of  a  darker 
greenish-blue  than  those  of  the  other  bird,  and  average  a 
little  smaller ;  their  length  varying  from  1  to  1.12  inch,  by 
from  .84  to  .92  inch  in  breadth. 

The  shell  of  these  eggs  is  always  quite  thin  and  fragile, 
much  more  so  than  that  of  the  others. 


THE   HAIRY   WOODPECKER.  87 

• 

FAMILY  PICID^E.    THE  WOODPECKERS. 
Sub-Family  PICIN^E. 

Although  all  the  woodpeckers  have  a  certain  resemblance  to  each  other,  and 
agree  more  or  less  in  habits,  there  are  distinctions  among  them  which  serve  readily 
for  division  into  sub-genera,  genera,  or  even  higher  groups.  Thus,  the  difference 
between  the  Ivory-billed  Woodpecker  and  the  common  Flicker,  which  may  be  taken 
as  representing  the  extremes  of  the  scale  in  North-American  species,  will  be  palpable 
to  any  observer. 

In  the  woodpeckers  inhabiting  the  United  States,  there  are  three  distinct  groups, 
which  may  be  taken,  with  some  authors,  as  so  many  sub-families ;  or  if,  with  Bona- 
parte, we  unite  all  the  Piddle  with  stiffened,  acuminate,  and  pointed  tails  into  a  sub- 
family Picirue,  they  will  constitute  so  many  separate  sections.  They  may  be  severally 
characterized  as  follows:  — 

PICIN.E  or  Picece.  —  Bill  more  or  less  long ;  the  outlines  above  and  below  nearly 
straight;  the  ends  truncated;  a  prominent  ridge  on  the  side  of  the  mandible,  spring- 
ing from  the  middle  of  the  base  or  a  little  below,  and  running  out  either  on  the 
commissure,  or  extending  parallel  to  and  a  little  above  it,  to  the  end ;  sometimes 
obliterated  or  confluent  with  the  lateral  bevel  of  the  bill ;  nostrils  considerably  over- 
hung by  the  lateral  ridge,  more  or  less  linear,  and  concealed  by  thick  bushy  tufts  of 
feathers  at  the  base  of  the  bill ;  outer  posterior  toe  generally  longer  than  the  anterior. 

MELANERPIN/E  or  Centurece.  —  Bill  rather  long;  the  outlines,  that  of  the  culmen 
especially,  decidedly  curved.  The  lateral  ridge  much  nearest  the  culmen,  and, 
though  quite  distinct  at  the  base,  disappearing  before  coming  to  the  lower  edge  of 
the  mandible ;  not  overhanging  the  nostrils,  which  are  broadly  oval,  rounded  an- 
teriorly, and  not  concealed  by  the  bristly  feathers  at  the  base ;  outer  pair  of  toes 
nearly  equal,  the  anterior  rather  longer. 

COLAPTIN.E  or  Colaptece.  —  Bill  much  depressed,  and  the  upper  outline  much 
curved  to  the  acutely  pointed  (not  truncate)  tip;  the  commissure  considerably 
curved;  bill  without  any  ridges;  the  nostrils  broadly  oval,  and  much  exposed; 
anterior  outer  toe  longest. 

PICUS   VILLOSUS.  —  Linnceus.  1 

The  Hairy  Woodpecker. 
Plcus  villosus,  Linnaeus.     Syst.,  I.  175.    Bonap.  Syn.,  46,  and  others. 

DESCRIPTION. 

"The  Hairy  Woodpecker  is  nine  inches  long  and  fifteen  in  extent;  crown 
black ;  line  over  and  under  the  eye  white ;  the  eye  is  placed  in  a  black  line, 
that  widens  as  it  descends  to  the  back;  hind  head  scarlet,  sometimes  intermixed 
with  black;  nostrils  hid  under  remarkably  thick,  bushy,  recumbent  hairs,  or 
bristles;  under  the  bill  are  certain  long  hairs  thrown  forward  and  upward;  bill 

1  See  p.  84,  vol.  IX.,  Pacific  R.R.  Reports. 


88  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

a  bluish  horn-color,  grooved,  wedged  at  the  end,  straight,  and  about  an  inch  and  a 
quarter  long;  touches  of  black,  proceeding  from  the  lower  mandible,  end  in  a  broad 
black  strip  that  joins  the  black  on  the  shoulder;  back  black,  divided  by  a  broad, 
lateral  strip  of  white,  the  feathers  composing  which  are  loose  and  unwebbed,  resem- 
bling hairs,  —  whence  its  name ;  rump  and  shoulders  of  the  wing  black ;  wings  black, 
tipped  and  spotted  with  white,  three  rows  of  spots  being  visible  on  the  secondaries 
and  five  on  the  primaries ;  greater  wing  coverts  also  spotted  with  white ;  tail,  as  in 
the  others,  cuneiform,  consisting  of  ten  strong-shafted  and  pointed  feathers,  the  four 
middle  ones  black,  the  next  partially  white,  the  two  exterior  ones  white,  tinged  at 
the  tip  with  a  brownish  burnt-color;  tail  coverts  black;  whole  lower  side  pure-white; 
legs,  feet,  and  claws  light-blue,  the  latter  remarkably  large  and  strong;  inside  of  the 
mouth  flesh-colored;  tongue  pointed,  beset  with  barbs,  and  capable  of  being  pro- 
truded more  than  an  inch  and  a  half;  the  os  hyoides,  in  this  species,  passes  on  each 
side  of  the  neck,  ascends  the  skull,  passes  down  towards  the  nostril,  and  is  wound 
round  the  bone  of  the  right  eye,  which  projects  considerably  more  than  the  left  for 
its  accommodation.  The  great  mass  of  hairs  that  cover  the  nostril  appears  to  be 
designed  as  a  protection  to  the  front  of  the  head,  when  the  bird  is  engaged  in  digging 
holes  into  the  wood.  The  membrane  which  encloses  the  brain  in  this,  as  in  all  the 
other  species  of  woodpeckers,  is  also  of  extraordinary  strength ;  no  doubt,  to  prevent 
any  bad  effects  from  violent  concussion  while  the  bird  is  employed  in  digging  for 
food.  The  female  wants  the  red  on  the  hind  head,  and  the  white  below  is  tinged 
with  brownish."  —  WILSON. 


THE  above  description,  as  given  by  Wilson,  is  very  full 
and  complete.     This  Woodpecker  is  a  rather  common 
visitor  in   New  England,  in  the  spring,  fall,  and  winter 

months,  and  is,  to 
some  extent,  a  resi- 
dent through  the  year. 
Probably  the  greater 
number  retire  to  the 
North  in  the  breeding 
season  ;  and  those  that 
remain  in  the  south- 

Skull  and  tongue  of  woodpecker. 

ern  districts   of  these 

States  most  usually  seek  the  woods  for  their  summer 
homes,  and  are,  as  a  general  thing,  seldom  met  with 
in  the  thickly  settled  districts.  The  flight  is  a  waver- 
ing, undulating  one,  like  that  of  all  the  woodpeckers ; 
consisting  of  a  series  of  short  vibrations  of  the  wings, 
followed  by  a  downward,  soaring  movement,  which  is  suc- 
ceeded by  another  similar  series.  On  alighting,  the  bird 


HAIRY  WOODPECKER,  Picus  villosus.     Linnaeus. 


THE   DOWNY   WOODPECKER.  89 

strikes  its  object  with  both  feet,  and  makes  no  discrimina- 
tion between  a  horizontal  branch  or  limb  and  a  perpendicular 
one.  It  commences  its  building  operations  quite  early,  often 
by  the  20th  of  April.  The  nest  is  made  by  excavating  in 
old  trees  in  the  woods,  rarely  in  orchards :  the  hole  made  is 
often  as  much  as  eighteen  inches  in  depth,  in  some  cases 
hardly  five  inches.  A  post  in  a  fence  is  sometimes  taken 
for  a  breeding-place,  the  hole  in  which  the  rail  is  inserted 
furnishing  a  starting-place  for  the  excavation  of  the  nest. 

The  eggs  are  usually  five  in  number ;  seldom  more,  often 
less  : '  they  are  of  a  beautiful  clear-white  color,  and  the  shell 
is  very  smooth  and  rather  thin ;  and,  before  the  contents  of 
the  egg  are  removed,  they  impart  a  rosy  tint  to  it.  Speci- 
mens vary  in  size  from  .77  to  .84  inch  in  length,  by  from 
.62  to  .68  inch  in  breadth. 

The  nest  is  never  lined  with  leaves  or  other  soft  materials, 
so  far  as  my  observation  has  been ;  but  the  eggs  are  depos- 
ited on  a  small  pile  of  chips  of  the  rotten  wood,  which  seem 
to  be  left  by  the  bird  designedly  for  this  purpose. 

The  food  of  this  species  consists  principally  of  the  eggs 
and  larvas  of  injurious  insects  that  are  burrowing  in  the 
wood  of  our  fruit  and  forest  trees :  these  he  is  enabled  to 
obtain  by  chiselling  out  a  small  hole  with  his  powerful  bill, 
and  drawing  them  from  their  lurking-places  with  his  long 
barbed  tongue.  He  also  eats  some  small  fruits  and  berries, 
but  never,  so  far  as  I  am  aware,  the  buds  or  blossoms  of 
trees,  as  some  persons  assert. 

PIOUS  PUBESCENS.  —  Linnaws. 
The  Downy  Woodpecker. 

Picus  pubescens,  Linnams.    Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  15.    Vieill.  Ois.  Amt  (1807)  65. 

"Picus  pubescens,"  Linnaeus,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.  I.  (1808)  153.  Aud.  Orn. 
Biog.  II.  (1834). 

DESCRIPTION. 

A  miniature  of  P.  villosus.  Above  black,  with  a  white  band  down  the  back ;  two 
white  stripes  on  the  side  of  the  head ;  the  lower  of  opposite  sides  always  separated ; 
the  upper  sometimes  confluent  on  the  nape ;  two  stripes  of  black  on  the  side  of  the 


90  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

head,  the  lower  not  running  into  the  forehead;  beneath  white;  wing  much  spotted 
with  white;  the  larger  coverts  with  two  series  each;  tertiaries  or  inner  secondaries 
all  banded  with  white ;  two  outer  tail  feathers  white,  with  two  bands  of  black  at  the 
end,  third  white  at  tip  and  externally.  Male,  with  red  terminating  the  white  feathers 
on  the  nape ;  legs  and  feet  bluish-green ;  claws  light-blue  tipped  with  black ;  iris 
dark-hazel. 

Length,  about  six  and  a  quarter  inches;  wing,  three  and  three-quarters. 

This  little  Woodpecker — the  smallest  we  have — is  abun- 
dantly distributed  throughout  New  England,  and  is  a  resi- 
dent throughout  the  year.  The  exceedingly  interesting 
description  of  its  habits,  by  Wilson,  is  so  full  that  I  will  give 
it  entire.  He  says :  — 

"  About  the  middle  of  May,  the  male  and  female  look  out  for  a 
suitable  place  for  the  reception  of  their  eggs  and  young.  An  apple, 
pear,  or  cherry  tree  —  often  in  the  near  neighborhood  of  the  farm- 
house—is generally  fixed  upon  for  this  purpose.  The  tree  is  mi- 
nutely reconnoitred  for  several  days  previous  to  the  operation ;  and 
the  work  is  first  begun  by  the  male,  who  cuts  out  a  hole  in  the  solid 
wood  as  circular  as  if  described  with  a  pair  of  compasses.  He  is 
occasionally  relieved  by  the  female,  both  parties  working  with  the 
most  indefatigable  diligence.  The  direction  of  the  hole,  if  made  in 
the  body  of  the  tree,  is  generally  downwards,  by  an  angle  of  thirty 
or  forty  degrees,  for  the  distance  of  six  or  eight  inches,  and  then 
straight  down  for  ten  or  twelve  more :  within,  roomy,  capacious, 
and  as  smooth  as  if  polished  by  the  cabinet-maker ;  but  the  entrance 
is  judiciously  left  just  so  large  as  to  admit  the  bodies  of  the  owners. 
During  this  labor,  they  regularly  carry  out  the  chips,  often  strewing 
them  at  a  distance,  to  prevent  suspicion.  This  operation  sometimes 
occupies  the  chief  part  of  a  week.  Before  she  begins  to  lay,  the 
female  often  visits  the  place,  passes  out  and  in,  examines  every 
part  —  both  of  the  exterior  and  interior  —  with  great  attention 
(as  every  prudent  tenant  of  a  new  house  ought  to  do),  and  at 
length  takes  complete  possession.  The  eggs  are  generally  six,  — 
pure-white,  and  laid  on  the  smooth  bottom  of  the  cavity.  The 
male  occasionally  supplies  the  female  with  food  while  she  is  sitting ; 
and,  about  the  last  week  in  June,  the  young  are  perceived  making 
their  way  up  the  tree,  climbing  with  considerable  dexterity.  All 
this  goes  on  with  great  regularity  where  no  interruption  is  met 


THE   DOWNY   WOODPECKER.  91 

with  ;  but  the  House  Wren,  who  also  builds  in  the  hollow  of  a 
tree,  but  who  is  neither  furnished  with  the  necessary  tools  nor 
strength  for  excavating  such  an  apartment  for  himself,  allows  the 
woodpeckers  to  go  on  till  he  thinks  it  will  answer  his  purpose, 
then  attacks  them  with  violence,  and  generally  succeeds  in  driving 
them  off.  I  saw,  some  weeks  ago,  a  striking  example  of  this, 
where  the  Woodpeckers  we  are  now  describing,  after  commencing 
in  a  cherry-tree,  within  a  few  yards  of  the  house,  and  having  made 
considerable  progress,  were  turned  out  by  the  Wren.  The  former 
began  again  on  a  pear-tree  in  the  garden,  fifteen  or  twenty  yards 
off,  whence,  after  digging  out  a  most  complete  apartment,  and  one 
egg  being  laid,  they  were  once  more  assaulted  by  the  same  imper- 
tinent intruder,  and  finally  forced  to  abandon  the  place. 

"  The  principal  characteristics  of  this  little  bird  are  diligence, 
familiarity,  perseverance,  and  a  strength  and  energy  in  the  head 
and  muscles  of  the  neck  which  are  truly  astonishing.  Mounted  on 
the  infected  branch  of  an  old  apple-tree,  where  insects  have  lodged 
their  corroding  and  destructive  brood  in  crevices  between  the  bark 
and  wood,  he  labors  sometimes  for  half  an  hour  incessantly  at  the 
same  spot,  before  he  has  succeeded  in  dislodging  and  destroying 
them.  At  these  times,  you  may  walk  up  pretty  close  to  the  tree, 
and  even  stand  immediately  below  it,  within  five  or  six  feet  of  the 
bird,  without  in  the  least  embarrassing  him.  The  strokes  of  his 
bill  are  distinctly  heard  several  hundred  yards  off;  and  I  have 
known  him  to  be  at  work  for  two  hours  together  on  the  same  tree. 
Buffon  calls  this  '  incessant  toil  and  slavery ; '  their  attitude,  *  a 
painful  posture.;'  and  their  life,  'a  dull  and  insipid  existence,'  — 
expressions  improper  because  untrue,  and  absurd  because  con- 
tradictory. The  posture  is  that  for  which  the  whole  organization 
is  particularly  adapted;  and  though  to  a  Wren  or  a  Humming- 
bird the  labor  would  be  both  toil  and  slavery,  yet  to  him  it  is,  I 
am  convinced,  as  pleasant  and  as  amusing  as  the  sports  of  the 
chase  to  the  hunter,  or  the  sucking  of  flowers  to  the  Humming- 
bird. The  eagerness  with  which  he  traverses  the  upper  and  lower 
sides  of  the  branches,  the  cheerfulness  of  his  cry,  and  the  liveli- 
ness of  his  motions  while  digging  into  the  tree  and  dislodging  the 
vermin,  justify  this  belief.  He  has  a  single  note,  or  chink,  which, 
like  the  former  species,  he  frequently  repeats ;  and  when  he  flies 


92  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

off,  or  alights  on  another  tree,  he  utters  a  rather  shriller  cry,  com- 
posed of  nearly  the  same  kind  of  note,  quickly  reiterated.  In  fall 
and  winter,  he  associates  with  the  Titmouse,  Creeper,  &c.,  both  in 
their  wood  and  orchard  excursions,  and  usually  leads  the  van.  Of 
all  our  Woodpeckers,  none  rid  the  apple-trees  of  so  many  vermin 
as  this,  digging  off  the  moss  which  the  negligence  of  the  proprie- 
tor had  suffered  to  accumulate,  and  probing  every  crevice.  In 
fact,  the  orchard  is  his  favorite  resort  in  all  seasons ;  and  his  indus- 
try is  unequalled  and  almost  incessant,  which  is  more  than  can  be 
.  paid  of  any  other  species  we  have.  In  fall,  he  is  particularly  fond 
of  boring  the  apple-trees  for  insects,  digging  a  circular  hole  through 
the  bark,  just  sufficient  to  admit  his  bill ;  after  that,  a  second, 
third,  &c.,  in  pretty  regular  horizontal  circles  round  the  body  of 
the  tree :  these  parallel  circles  of  holes  are  often  not  more  than  an 
inch  or  an  inch  and  a  half  apart,  and  sometimes  so  close  together 
that  I  have  covered  eight  or  ten  of  them  at  once  with  a  dollar. 
From  nearly  the  surface  of  the  ground  up  to  the  first  fork,  and 
sometimes  far  beyond  it,  the  whole  bark  of  many  apple-trees  is 
perforated  in  this  manner,  so  as  to  appear  as  if  made  by  successive 
discharges  of  buck-shot ;  and  our  little  Woodpecker  —  the  subject 
of  the  present  account  —  is  the  principal  perpetrator  of  this  sup- 
posed mischief:  I  say  supposed,  for,  so  far  from  these  perforations 
of  the  bark  being  ruinous,  they  are  not  only  harmless,  but,  I  have 
good  reason  to  believe,  really  beneficial  to  the  health  and  fertility 
of  the  tree.  I  leave  it  to  the  philosophical  botanist  to  account  for 
this ;  but  the  fact  I  am  confident  of.  In  more  than  fifty  orchards 
which  I  have  myself  carefully  examined,  those  trees  which  were 
marked  by  the  Woodpecker  (for  some  trees  they  never  touch,  per- 
haps because  not  penetrated  by  insects)  were  uniformly  the  most 
thriving,  and  seemingly  the  most  productive.  Many  of  these  were 
upwards  of  sixty  years  old,  their  trunks  completely  covered  with 
holes,  while  the  branches  were  broad,  luxuriant,  and  loaded  with 
fruit.  Of  decayed  trees,  more  than  three-fourths  were  untouched 
by  the  Woodpecker.  Several  intelligent  farmers,  with  whom  I 
have  conversed,  candidly  acknowledge  the  truth  of  these  observa- 
tions, and  with  justice  look  upon  these  birds  as  beneficial :  but  the 
most  common  opinion  is,  that  they  bore  the  tree  to  suck  the  sap, 
and  so  destroy  its  vegetation :  though  pine  and  other  resinous  trees, 


THE   DOWNY   WOODPECKER.  93 

on  the  juices  of  which  it  is  not  pretended  they  feed,  are  often 
found  equally  perforated.  Were  the  sap  of  the  tree  their  object, 
the  saccharine  juice  of  the  birch,  the  sugar-maple,  and  several 
others,  would  be  much  more  inviting  (because  more  sweet  and 
nourishing)  than  that  of  either  the  pear  or  apple  tree ;  but  I  have 
not  observed  one  mark  on  the  former  for  ten  thousand  that  may  be 
seen  on  the  latter.  Besides,  the  early  part  of  spring  is  the  season 
when  the  sap  flows  most  abundantly;  whereas,  it  is  only  during 
the  months  of  September,  October,  and  November,  that  Wood- 
peckers are  seen  so  indefatigably  engaged  in  orchards,  probing 
every  crack  and  crevice,  boring  through  the  bark  —  and,  what  is 
worth  remarking,  chiefly  on  the  south  and  south-west  sides  of  the 
tree  —  for  the  eggs  and  larvae  deposited  there  by  the  countless 
swarms  of  summer  insects.  These,  if  suffered  to  remain,  would 
prey  upon  the  very  vitals  —  if  I  may  so  express  it  —  of  the  tree, 
and  in  the  succeeding  summer  give  birth  to  myriads  more  of  their 
race,  equally  destructive. 

"  Here,  then,  is  a  whole  species,  I  may  say  genus,  of  birds, 
which  Providence  seems  to  have  formed  for  the  protection  of  our 
fruit  and  forest  trees  from  the  ravages  of  vermin,  which  every  day 
destroy  millions  of  those  noxious  insects  that  would  otherwise  blast 
the  hopes  of  the  husbandman;  they  even  promote  the  fertility 
of  the  tree,  and,  in  return,  are  proscribed  by  those  who  ought  to 
have  been  their  protectors,  and  incitements  and  rewards  held  out 
for  their  destruction !  Let  us  examine  better  into  the  operations 
of  nature,  and  many  of  our  mistaken  opinions  and  groundless 
prejudices  will  be  abandoned  for  more  just,  enlarged,  and  humane 
modes  of  thinking." 

The  nest  and  eggs  are  of  the  same  description  as  the 
Hairy  Woodpecker's,  except  with  regard  to  size ;  the  eggs 
of  the  present  species  being  considerably  smaller  on  the 
average,  measuring  from  .73  to  .77  inch  in  length,  by 
from  .60  to  .53  inch  in  breadth.  I  think  that  the  nests  of 
this  species,  as  of  some  others,  are  used  for  successive 
seasons,  as  I  have  found  apparently  old  nests  occupied  by 
breeding  birds.  I  am  not  aware  that  the  Hairy  Wood- 
pecker uses  the  same  nest  several  seasons.  The  Downy 


94  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 

Woodpecker  sometimes  rears  two  broods  in  the  southern 
portion  of  New  England ;  usually,  but  one. 

PICOIDES,  LACEPEDE. 

Picoides,  LACEPEDE,  Mem.  Inst.  (1799). 

Bill  about  as  long  as  the  head,  very  much  depressed  at  the  base ;  the  outlines 
nearly  straight ;  the  lateral  ridge  at  its  base  much  nearer  the  commissure  than  the 
culmen,  so  as  to  bring  the  large  rather  linear  nostrils  close  to  the  edge  of  the  com- 
missure; the  gonys  very  long,  equal  to  the  distance  from  the  nostrils  to  the  tip  of  the 
bill ;  feet  with  only  three  toes ;  the  outer  lateral  a  little  longer  than  the  inner,  but 
slightly  exceeded  by  the  hind  toe,  which  is  about  equal  to  the  tarsus ;  wings  very 
long,  reaching  beyond  the  middle  of  the  tail ;  fourth  and  fifth  quills  longest ;  color 
black,  with  a  broad  patch  of  yellow  on  the  crown ;  transversely  banded  on  the  sides ; 
quills  with  round  spots. 

PICOIDES   AECTICUS.  —  Gray. 
The  Black-backed,  Three-toed  Woodpecker. 

Picus  (Apternus)  arcticus.     Sw.  F.  Bor.  Am.,  II.  (1831)  313. 
Picas  arcticus.     Aud.  Syn.  (1839)  182.     lb.,  Birds  Amer.,  IV.  (1842)  266.     Nut- 
tall,  Man.,  I.  (20  ed.  1840)  691. 

Picus  tridactylus,  Bonaparte.     Am.  Orn.,  II.  (1828)  14.     Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II. 

(1834). 

DESCRIPTION. 

Above  entirely  uniform  glossy  bluish-black ;  a  square  patch  on  the  middle  of  the 
crown  saffron-yellow,  and  a  few  spots  on  the  outer  edges  of  both  webs  of  the  primary 
and  secondary  quills ;  beneath  white,  on  the  sides  of  the  breast  longitudinally  striped, 
and  on  the  sides  of  the  belly  and  on  the  flanks  and  tibial  region  banded  transversely 
with  black ;  a  narrow  concealed  white  line  from  the  eye  a  short  distance  backwards, 
and  a  white  stripe  from  the  extreme  forehead  (meeting  anteriorly)  under  the  eye, 
and  down  the  sides  of  the  neck;  bristly  feathers  of  the  base  of  the  bill  brown;  ex- 
posed portion  of  the  two  outer  tail  feathers  (first  and  second)  white;  bill  bluish-black, 
the  lower  mandible  grayish-blue;  iris  bluish-black.  Female,  without  yellow  on  the 
head. 

Length,  about  nine  and  a  half  inches;  wing,  five;  tail,  three  eighty-five  one- 
hundredths. 

This  species 'is  rare  in  the  three  southern  New-England 
States,  where  it  is  found  only  as  a  winter  visitor.  In  the 
others,  it  is  not  very  abundant,  and  is  only  resident,  in 
the  most  northern  sections,  in  the  neighborhood  of,  or  in,  the 
deep  forests  and  uninhabited  districts,  through  the  year. 

Its  habits  are  similar  to  those  of  the  other  woodpeckers. 
I  have  had  abundant  opportunities  of  noticing  them,  and 
have  discovered  nothing  peculiar  in  them,  or  worthy  of  re- 


THE   BANDED   THREE-TOED   WOODPECKER.  95 

mark.  Its  breeding  habits  are  not  well  known ;  but  it 
probably  breeds  in  all  the  large  forests  of  Northern  Maine, 
New  Hampshire,  and  Vermont. 

I  was  so  fortunate  as  to  find  two  nests  in  the  month  of 
June,  1864,  in  the  valley  of  the  Magalloway  River,  about 
forty  miles  north  of  Lake  Umbagog,  Me.  The  holes  were 
both  excavated  in  hemlock  stumps,  about  ten  feet  from  the 
ground ;  they  were  not  over  an  inch  and  a  half  in  diameter, 
and  were  about  ten  inches  in  depth:  the  bottom  of  the 
hole  formed  the  nest,  which,  as  with  the  other  species,  was 
nothing  but  a  few  chips  and  bits  of  wood.  The  first  nest, 
found  on  the  15th  of  June,  had  three  young  birds,  appar- 
ently about  a  week  old.  The  second  nest  had  three  eggs : 
these  were  of  a  beautiful  clear-white  color,  and  the  shells 
remarkably  smooth  to  the  touch.  Their  dimensions  varied 
only  from  .83  to  .85  inch  in  length,  by  .75  to  .77  inch  in 
breadth. 

PICOIDES  HIRSUTUS.—  Gray. 
The  Banded  Three-toed  Woodpecker.' 

Picus  hirsutus,  Vieillot.  Ois.  Am.  Sept.,  II.  (1807)  68.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  V.  18, 
39,  184.  /£.,  Birds  Am.,  IV.  (1842),  pi.  269.  Nutt.  Man.,  I.  (2d  ed.  1840)  692. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Black  above ;  the  back  with  transverse  bands  of  white  to  the  rump ;  a  white  line 
from  behind  the  eye,  widening  on  the  nape,  and  a  broader  one  under  the  eye  from 
the  loral  region,  but  not  extending  on  the  forehead ;  occiput  and  sides  of  the  head 
uniform  black ;  quills  spotted  on  both  webs  with  white ;  under  parts  white ;  the  sides 
banded  transversely  with  black ;  top  of  the  head  spotted  with  white ;  the  crown  of 
the  male  with  a  yellow  patch ;  bill  bluish-black ;  iris  dark-hazel. 

Length,  about  nine  inches;  wing,  four  forty-five  one-hundredths ;  tail,  three 
thirty-five  one-hundredths. 

This  bird  is  rarely  found  in  New  England,  except  in  the 
midst  of  severe  winters,  and  then  it  seldom  penetrates  so 
far  south  as  Massachusetts.  I  have  known  of  but  two  or 
three  specimens  being  obtained  in  this  State,  and  never 
heard  of  any  being  shot  in  the  others  south  of  it.  Having 
had  no  opportunities  for  observing  its  habits,  I  can  add 
nothing  to  our  knowledge  of  this  species. 


96  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 


SPHYRAPICUS,  BAIRD. 

Pilumnus,  Bonaparte.  Consp.  Zygod.  Ateneo  Italiano,  May,  1854.  (P.  thy- 
roideus.) 

Bill  as  in  Picus,  but  the  lateral  ridge,  which  is  very  prominent,  running  out  dis- 
tinctly to  the  commissure  at  about  its  middle,  beyond  which  the  bill  is  rounded 
without  any  angles  at  all;  the  culmen  and  gonys  are  very  nearly  straight,  but 
slightly  convex,  the  bill  tapering  rapidly  to  a  point;  the  lateral  outline  concave  to 
very  near  the  slightly  bevelled  tip ;  outer  pair  of  toes  longest ;  the  hinder  exterior 
rather  longest ;  the  inner  posterior  toe  very  short,  less  than  the  inner  anterior  with- 
out its  claw;  wings  long  and  pointed,  the  fourth  longest;  tail  feathers  very  broad, 
abruptly  acuminate,  with  a  very  long  linear  point. 

SPHYRAPICUS   VAEIUS.—  Baird. 
The  Yellow-bellied  Woodpecker. 

Picus  varius,  Linnseus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  176.  Wilson,  Am.  On.,  I.  (1808) 
147.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  519. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Fourth  quill  longest;  third  a  little  shorter;  fourth  considerably  shorter;  general 
color  above  black,  much  variegated  with  white;  feathers  of  the  back  and  rump 
brownish-white,  spotted  with  black ;  crown  scarlet,  bordered  by  black  on  the  sides 
of  the  head  and  nape ;  a  streak  from  above  the  eye,  and  another  from  the  bristles  of 
the  bill,  passing  below  the  eye  and  into  the  yellowish  of  the  belly,  and  a  stripe  along 
the  edges  of  the  wing  coverts  white;  a  triangular  broad  patch  of  scarlet  on  the  chin, 
bordered  on  each  side  by  black  stripes  from  the  lower  mandible,  which  meet  behind, 
and  extend  into  a  large  quadrate  spot  on  the  breast ;  rest  of  under  parts  yellowish- 
white,  streaked  on  the  sides  with  black ;  inner  web  of  inner  tail-feather  white,  spotted 
with  black ;  outer  feathers  black,  edged  and  spotted  with  white.  Female,  with  the 
red  of  the  throat  replaced  by  white.  Young  male,  without  black  on  the  breast, 
or  red  on  the  top  of  the  head;  iris  dark-hazel. 

Length,  eight  and  a  quarter  inches;  wing,  about  four  and  three-quarters;  tail, 
three  thirty  one-hundredths. 

This  bird  is  very  irregularly  distributed  in  New  England 
as  a  summer  visitor.  Verrill,  in  his  Catalogue,  before  re- 
ferred to,  says  that  it  is  a  common  summer  visitor,  and 
breeds  at  Norway,  Me.  J.  A.  Allen  says,  that  near  Spring- 
field "it  is  not  common,  and  is  only  seen  in  fall  and  spring, 
when  migrating.  I  have  never  seen  this  species  here  in 
summer,  and  do  not  think  it  breeds  here ;  though  I  am 
informed  by  W.  H.  Niles  that '  they  breed  plentifully  on  the 
hills  in  Western  Massachusetts,  twenty  or  thirty  miles  west 
of  Springfield/  " 


THE   YELLOW-BELLIED    WOODPECKER.  97 

So  far  as  my  own  observation  has  been,  it  is  not  found  at 
all  abundant  in  any  part  of  these  States ;  and  I  think,  that, 
on  the  seaboard,  it  is  rare. 

It  arrives  from  the  South,  from  about  the  10th  to  the  20th 
of  April,  and  soon  commences  pairing.  I  have  never  noticed 
any  great  peculiarity  in  its  habits.  It  seems  to  prefer  the 
woods  to  the  more  open  districts,  and  very  seldom  indeed 
makes  its  appearance,  in  the  breeding  season,  in  the  orchards 
and  nurseries,  where,  as  it  is  often  said  by  persons  wjio  are 
prejudiced,  it  does  considerable  damage  in  boring  into  apple- 
trees  and  sucking  the  sap ;  hence  it  is  called  the  "  Sap- 
sucker."  I  am  not  sufficiently  acquainted  with  its  habits,  in 
the  Western  States,  to  say  positively  that  it  does  not  eat 
some  of  the  inner  bark  of  trees,  when  in  pursuit  of  its 
favorite  insect-food  ;  but  I  cannot  help  thinking  that  the 
denunciations  of  it,  so  often  seen  in  the  Western  papers, 
are  exaggerated. 

Dr.  Bryant,  who  has  paid  some  attention  to  the  examina- 
tion of  the  food  of  this  bird,  gives,  in  the  "  Proceedings  of 
the  Boston  Society  of  Natural  History,"  vol.  X.  91,  the  fol- 
lowing remarks :  — 

"  It  has  long  been  known  that  some  of  our  smaller  woodpeckers 
pick  out  portions  of  the  sound  bark  of  trees,  particularly  of  apple- 
trees,  where  there  are  no  larvas,  and  apparently  no  inducement  for 
them  to  do  so.  What  their  object  is  has  never  been  satisfactorily 
established.  In  Massachusetts,  I  am  not  aware  that  these  holes 
are  ever  sufficiently  large  or  numerous  to  cause  any  material  injury 
to  the  apple-trees :  they  are  generally  seen  in  circles  round  the 
limbs  or  trunks  of  small  irregularly  rounded  holes,  and  in  this 
vicinity  are  made  almost  exclusively  by  the  Downy  Woodpecker 
(P.  pubescens),  aided  occasionally  by  the  Hairy  Woodpecker  (P. 
villosus).  In  certain  parts  of  the  West,  however,  it  is  said  that 
great  damage  is  done  to  orchards  by  the  Yellow-bellied  Wood- 
pecker (S.  varius)  ;  and  Dr.  Hoy,  of  Racine,  Wis.,  has  advanced 
the  theory  that  the  object  of  the  bird  in  so  doing  is  to  obtain  the 
inner  bark  for  food.  A  number  of  specimens  of  this  bird,  for- 
warded by  Dr.  Hoy  to  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  have  been 

7 


98  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

placed  in  my  hands  by  Professor  Baird  for  examination :  as  the 
specimens  are  alcoholic,  the  soft  parts  are,  as  is  always  the  case, 
too  much  distorted  to  be  available  for  correct  comparisons ;  the 
gizzard,  however,  seems  smaller,  and  the  proventriculus  larger,  than 
in  other  species  of  this  family  with  which  I  have  compared  them. 
The  contents  of  the  stomach  are  berries,  small  coleoptera,  Iarva3  of 
boring  beetles,  ants,  and  fragments  of  the  inner  bark  of  the  apple- 
tree/' 

After  giving  minute  analyses  of  the  characteristics  of  the 
tongues  and  portions  of  the  skulls  of  the  different  small 
woodpeckers,  and  comparing  them  with  the  Yellow-bellied 
Woodpecker's,  showing  how  the  latter  differ  from  the  others, 
he  says : — 

"  The  general  shape  of  the  whole  tongue  is  not  much  unlike  that 
of  the  Robin ;  the  ciliated  edges  show  an  analogy  to  the  Melipha- 
gidce,  and  indicate  that  the  sap  of  the  trees  pecked  by  them  may 
form  a  portion  of  their  food.  In  the  stomachs  of  the  six  individuals 
examined  by  me,  fragments  of  the  inner  bark  were  found  in  all,  so 
that  it  can  hardly  be  presumed  to  have  been  accidentally  introduced. 
It  is  evident,  from  the  shape  of  the  tongue,  that  it  is  not  used  as  a 
dart,  in  the  manner  of  the  true  Woodpecker,  to  draw  out  insects 
from  their  lurking-places,  but  that  these  are  seized  by  the  bill,  as  in 
other  insectivorous  birds.  Insects,  however,  probably  form  their 
chief  diet,  as  all  the  stomachs  examined  also  contained  insects,  the 
quantity  of  which  was  greater  than  that  of  the  fragments  of  bark : 
in  one  bird,  there  were  two  Iarva3  of  a  boring  beetle,  so  large  that 
there  was  not  room  for  both  in  the  stomach  at  once,  and  one  re- 
mained in  the  lower  part  of  the  resophagus.  If  these  were,  as  is 
probable,  the  larvae  of  the  Saperda,  they  would  do  more  damage 
than  twenty  woodpeckers  ;  and  I  sincerely  hope  that  these  birds  are 
not  to  be  exterminated,  unless  it  is  clearly  demonstrated  that  the 
injury  caused  by  the  destruction  of  the  bark  is  not  more  than  com- 
pensated by  their  destruction  of  noxious  insects." 

About  the  1st  of  May,  the  Yellow-bellied  Woodpecker 
commences  excavating  its  hole,  which  is  usually  in  a  de- 
cayed tree  in  the  woods,  but  occasionally  in  a  sound  tree. 


THE   PILEATED   WOODPECKER.  99 

This  excavation  is  often  eighteen  or  twenty  inches  deep.  It 
is  not  lined  with  any  soft  material,  and  the  eggs  are  depos- 
ited on  chips  of  the  wood  left  in  the  bottom.  These  are 
usually  five  in  number ;  they  are  of  a  pure-white  color,  and 
small  for  the  size  of  the  bird,  measuring  from  .82  to  .86  inch 
in  length,  by  from  .74  to  .77  inch  in  breadth. 

HYLATOMUS,  BAIRD.  * 

Dryotomus,  MALHERBE,  Mem.  Ac.  Metz.  (1849)  322.    (Not  of  Swainson,  1831.) 
Dryopicus,  BONAP.    Consp.  Zygod.  in  Aten.  Ital.  (May,  1854).  (Not  of  Malherbe.) 

Bill  a  little  longer  than  the  head ;  considerably  depressed,  or  broader  than  high 
at  the  base;  shaped  much  as  in  Campephilus,  except  shorter,  and  without  the  bristly 
feathers  directed  forwards  at  the  base  of  the  lower  jaw;  gonys  about  half  the  length 
of  the  commissure;  tarsus  shorter  than  any  toe  except  the  inner  posterior;  outer 
posterior  toe  shorter  than  the  outer  anterior,  and  a  little  longer  than  the  inner 
anterior;  inner  posterior  very  short,  not  half  the  outer  anterior,  about  half  the  inner 
anterior  one. 

Tail  long,  graduated,  the  longer  feathers  much  incurved  at  the  tip ;  wing  longer 
than  the  tail,  reaching  to  the  middle  of  the  exposed  surface  of  tail,  considerably 
graduated,  though  pointed,  the  fourth  and  fifth  quills  longest. 

Color  uniform  black,  with  white  patches  on  the  side  of  the  head;  head  with 
pointed  crest. 

HYLATOMUS   PILEATUS-  —  Baird. 
The  Pileated  Woodpecker;  Log  Cock. 

Picus  pileatus,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  173.  Vieill.  Ois.  Am.  Sept.,  II. 
(1807)  58.  Wilson,  Am.  Orn.,  IV.  (1811)  27.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  74. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Fourth  and  fifth  quills  equal  and  longest,  third  intermediate  between  the  sixth 
and  seventh;  bill  blue-black;  general  color  of  body,  wings,  and  tail,  dull  greenish- 
black;  a  narrow  white  streak  from  just  above  the  eye  to  the  occiput,  a  wider  one 
from  the  nostril  feathers  (inclusive)  under  the  eye  and  along  the  side  of  the  head  and 
neck;  side  of  the  breast  (concealed  by  the  wing),  axillaries,  and  under  wing  coverts, 
and  concealed  bases  of  all  the  quills,  with  chin  and  beneath  the  head,  white,  tinged 
with  sulphur-yellow ;  entire  crown,  from  the  base  of  the  bill  to  a  well-developed 
occipital  crest,  as  also  a  patch  on  the  ramus  of  the  lower  jaw,  scarlet-red;  a  few 
white  crescents  on  the  sides  of  the  body  and  on  the  abdomen ;  iris  very  dark  hazel. 

Female  without  the  red  on  the  cheek,  and  the  anterior  half  of  that  on  the  top 
of  the  head  replaced  by  black. 

Length,  about  eighteen  inches ;  wing,  nine  and  a  half  inches. 

This  species  is  a  resident  in  the  northern  districts  of 
New  England  throughout  the  year.  It  has  been  known 


100  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

to  breed  in  Massachusetts  ;  but,  as  a  general  thing,  it  is  not 
found  south  of  the  northern  border  of  this  State.  Verrill, 
in  his  Catalogue  of  Maine  birds,  before  referred  to,  says 
"  it  is  a  common  resident,  and  breeds  :  "  he  also  says  it  is 
"  most  common  in  winter." 

The  great  size  and  strength  of  this  bird  enable  it  to 
pierce  into  and  tear  apart  the  decaying  trees  in  which  its 
food  is  burrowing,  with  wonderful  facility  and  ease.  I  have 
at  times,  in  passing  through  the  forest,  found  huge  trees 
that  had  died  and  fallen  to  the  ground,  with  their  bark 
stripped  off,  and  large  chips  torn  out,  as  if  some  animal  had 
been  at  work  on  them ;  and  I  always  supposed  that  a  bear 
had  been  amusing  himself,  as  those  animals  sometimes  do, 
in  this  employment.  One  day  I  discovered  the  author  of 
the  demolition,  and  it  proved  to  be  the  Pileated  Woodpecker. 
While  seated  in  the  woods  near  the  settlement  known  as 
Wilson's  Mills  in  Maine,  I  heard  a  large  animal,  as  I  sup- 
posed, rooting  and  tearing  into  a  dead  tree  a  few  rods  off.  I 
crept  up  near  the  sound,  hoping  to  get  a  shot  at  a  bear,  when 
I  discovered  this  bird,  which  looked  very  much  like  a  black 
hen,  busily  at  work.  He  was  searching  for  the  borers  and 
large  black  ants  that  hide  beneath  the  bark ;  and  so  earnestly 
was  he  employed,  that  he  permitted  me  to  approach  very 
near  him.  He  would  force  his  powerful  bill,  by  repeated 
strokes,  into  the  bark,  in  holes  in  a  direct  line  with  the 
grain,  until  he  had  marked  out  a  patch,  perhaps  six  or  eight 
inches  square,  and  then,  striking  into  it  diagonally,  tear  it 
off,  thus  exposing  the  living  vermin  'beneath,  which  he  lost 
no  time  in  securing.  After  clearing  that  spot,  he  moved  to 
another,  and  repeated  the  same  operation,  until,  by  a  sud- 
den movement,  I  startled  him,  when  he  flew  off,  uttering 
a  rattling  cackle  similar  to  that  of  a  garrulous  hen.  His 
flight  was  similar  to  that  of  the  other  woodpeckers  de- 
scribed in  another  place  in  this  volume.  In  addition  to 
insects,  this  Woodpecker  eats  acorns,  beech-nuts,  berries, 
and  Indian  corn,  but  is  not  at  all  troublesome  to  farmers ; 


THE   PILEATED    WOODPECKER.  101 

and  the  little  that  it  pilfers  is  much  more  than  repaid  by 
the  immense  numbers  of  injurious  larvae  that  it  destroys. 

Wilson,  in  a  very  interesting  account  of  the  general 
habits  of  this  bird,  says:  — 

"  Almost  every  trunk  in  the  forest  where  he  resides  bears  the 
marks  of  his  chisel.  Wherever  he  perceives  a  tree  beginning  to 
decay,  he  examines  it  round  and  round  with  great  skill  and  dex- 
terity, strips  off  the  bark  in  sheets  of  five  or  six  feet  in  length,  to 
get  at  the  hidden  cause  of  the  disease,  and  labors  with  a  gayety  and 
activity  really  surprising.  He  is  sometimes  observed  among  the 
hills  of  Indian  corn,  and  it  is  said  by  some  that  he  frequently  feeds 
on  it.  Complaints  of  this  kind  are,  however,  not  general ;  many 
farmers  doubting  the  fact,  and  conceiving  that  at  these  times  he  is 
in  search  of  insects  which  lie  concealed  in  the  husk.  I  will  not  be 
positive  that  they  never  occasionally  taste  maize,  yet  I  have  opened 
and  examined  great  numbers  of  these  birds,  killed  in  various  parts 
of  the  United  States,  from  Lake  Ontario  to  the  Alatamaha  River, 
but  never  found  a  grain  of  Indian  corn  in  their  stomachs." 

Of  its  breeding  habits  I  know  nothing,  and  will  give 
the  description  given  by  Rev.  John  Bachman,  in  a  letter 
to  Mr.  Audubon.  He  says,  in  describing  a  nest  that  he 
found,  — 

"  The  hole  was  about  eighteen  inches  deep,  and  I  could  touch 
the  bottom  with  my  hand.  The  eggs,  which  were  laid  on  frag- 
ments of  chips  expressly  left  by  the  birds,  were  six,  large,  white, 
and  translucent.  Before  the  woodpeckers  began  to  set,  I  robbed 
them  of  their  eggs,  to  see  if  they  would  lay  a  second  time.  They 
waited  a  few  days,  as  if  undecided,  when,  on  a  sudden,  I  heard  the 
female  at  work  again  in  the  tree.  She  once  more  deepened 
the  hole,  made  it  broader  at  the  bottom,  and  recommenced  laying. 
This  time  she  laid  five  eggs.  I  suffered  her  to  bring  out  her  young, 
both  sexes  alternately  incubating,  each  visiting  the  other  at  inter- 
vals, peeping  into  the  hole  to  see  that  all  was  right  and  well  there, 
and  flying  off  afterwards  in  search  of  food." 


102  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 


MELANERPES,  SWAINSON. 

Melanerpes,  SWAINSON,  F.  B.  A.,  II.  (1831)  (type  M.  erylhrocephalus). 

Bill  about  equal  to  the  head,  broader  than  high  at  the  base,  but  becoming  com- 
pressed immediately  anterior  to  the  commencement  of  the  gonys;  culmen  and  gonys 
with  a  moderately  decided  angular  ridge;  both  decidedly  curved  from  the  very 
base ;  a  rather  prominent  acute  ridge  commences  at  the  base  of  the  mandible,  a  little 
below  the  ridge  of  the  culmen,  and  proceeds  but  a  short  distance  anterior  to  the  nos- 
trils (about  one-third  of  the  way),  when  it  sinks  down,  and  the  bill  is  then  smooth ; 
the  lateral  outlines  are  gently  concave  from  the  basal  two-thirds,  then  gently  convex 
to  the  tip,  which  does  not  exhibit  any  abrupt  bevelling;  nostrils  open,  broadly  oval, 
not  concealed  by  the  feathers,  nor  entirely  basal ;  the  outer  pair  of  toes  equal ;  wings 
long,  broad;  third  and  fourth  quills  longest;  tail  feathers  broad. 

The  species  all  have  the  back  black,  without  any  spots  or  streaks  anywhere. 


MELANERPES   ERYTHROCEPHALUS.  —  Swainson. 
The  Red-headed  Woodpecker. 

Picas  erythrocephalus,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  174.  Wilson,  Am.  Orn., 
I.  (1810)  142.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1832). 

DESCRIPTION. 

Head  and  neck  all  round  crimson-red,  margined  by  a  narrow  crescent  of  black 
on  the  upper  part  of  the  breast;  back,  primary  quills,  and  tail,  bluish-black;  under 
parts  generally,  a  broad  band  across  the  middle  of  the  wing,  and  the  rump  white ; 
iris  hazel;  bill  and  feet  bluish-black.  The  female  is  not  different. 

Length  about  nine  and  three-quarters  inches;  wing,  five  and  a  half. 

This  handsome  Woodpecker  is  a  not  very  common  summer 
inhabitant  of  New  England.  It  makes  its  appearance  from 
the  South  about  the  10th  of  May.  Its  habits  are  similar  to 
those  of  the  other  species ;  and  I  recollect  nothing  of  any 
importance  that  is  peculiar  to  them  except,  perhaps,  that 
these  birds  seem  to  be  much  fonder  of  the  small  fruits  than 
either  of  the  others.  Wilson  says  of  this  fact :  — 

"  Wherever  there  is  a  tree,  or  trees,  of  the  wild  cherry,  covered 
with  ripe  fruit,  there  you  see  them  busy  among  the  branches ;  and, 
in  passing  orchards,  you  may  easily  know  where  to  find  the  earliest, 
sweetest  apples,  by  observing  those  trees  on  or  near  which  the 
Red-headed  Woodpecker  is  skulking :  for  he  is  so  excellent  a  con- 
noisseur in  fruit,  that,  wherever  an  apple  or  pear  is  found  broached 
by  him,  it  is  sure  to  be  among  the  ripest  and  best  flavored.  When 


RKD-HEADED  WOODPECKER,  Melanerpes  erythrocep/utlus.     Swainson. 


THE   RED-HEADED   WOODPECKER.  103 

alarmed,  he  seizes  a  capital  one  by  striking  his  open  bill  deep  into 
it,  and  bears  it  off  to  the  woods.  When  the  Indian  corn  is  in  its 
rich,  succulent,  milky  state,  he  attacks  it  with  great  eagerness, 
opening  a  passage  through  the  numerous  folds  of  the  husk,  and 
feeding  on  it  with  voracity.  The  girdled  or  deadened  timber,  so 
common  among  corn-fields  in  the  back  settlements,  are  his  favorite 
retreats,  whence  he  sallies  out  to  make  his  depredations.  He  is 
fond  of  the  ripe  berries  of  the  sour  gum,  and  pays  pretty  regular 
visits  to  the  cherry-trees,  when  loaded  with  fruit.  Towards  fall,  he 
often  approaches  the  barn  or  farm-house,  and  raps  on  the  shingles 
and  weather-boards :  he  is  of  a  gay  and  frolicsome  disposition ;  and 
half  a  dozen  of  the  fraternity  are  frequently  seen  diving  and  vocif- 
erating around  the  high,  dead  limbs  of  some  large  tree,  pursuing 
and  playing  with  each  other,  and  amusing  the  passenger  with  their 
gambols.  Their  note,  or  cry,  is  shrill  and  lively ;  and  so  much 
resembles  that  of  a  species  of  tree-frog,  which  frequents  the  same 
tree,  that  it  is  sometimes  difficult  to  distinguish  the  one  from  the 
other. 

"  Such  are  the  vicious  traits,  if  I  may  so  speak,  in  the  character 
of  the  Red-headed  Woodpecker ;  and  I  doubt  not  but,  from  what 
has  been  said  on  this  subject,  that  some  readers  would  consider  it 
meritorious  to  exterminate  the  whole  tribe  as  a  nuisance ;  and,  in 
fact,  the  legislatures  of  some  of  our  provinces,  in  former  times, 
offered  premiums  to  the  amount  of  twopence  per  head  for  their 
destruction.1  But  let  us  not  condemn  the  species  unheard:  they 
exist,  they  must  therefore  be  necessary.  If  their  merits  and 
usefulness  be  found,  on  examination,  to  preponderate  against  their 
vices,  let  us  avail  ourselves  of  the  former,  while  we  guard  as  well 
as  we  can  against  the  latter. 

"  Though  this  bird  occasionally  regales  himself  on  fruit,  yet  his 
natural  and  most  useful  food  is  insects,  particularly  those  numerous 
and  destructive  species  that  penetrate  the  bark  and  body  of  the 
tree  to  deposit  their  eggs  and  larvse,  the  latter  of  which  are  well 
known  to  make  immense  havoc.  That  insects  are  his  natural  food 
is  evident  from  the  construction  of  his  wedge-formed  bill,  the 
length,  elasticity,  and  figure  of  his  tongue,  and  the  strength  and 
position  of  his  claws,  as  well  as  from  his  usual  habits.  In  fact, 

i  KALM. 


104  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

insects  form  at  least  two-thirds  of  his  subsistence ;  and  his  stomach 
is  scarcely  ever  found  without  them.  He  searches  for  them  with  a 
dexterity  and  intelligence,  I  may  safely  say,  more  than  human :  he 
perceives,  by  the  exterior  appearance  of  the  bark,  where  they  lurk 
below;  when  he  is  dubious,  he  rattles  vehemently  on  the  outside 
with  his  bill,  and  his  acute  ear  distinguishes  the  terrified  vermin 
shrinking  within  to  their  inmost  retreats,  where  his  pointed  and 
barbed  tongue  soon  reaches  them.  The  masses  of  bugs,  cater- 
pillars, and  other  larva?,  which  I  have  taken  from  the  stomachs 
of  these  birds,  have  often  surprised  me.  These  larvae,  it  should  be 
remembered,  feed  not  only  on  the  buds,  leaves,  and  blossoms,  but 
on  the  very  vegetable  life  of  the  tree,  —  the  alburnum,  or  newly 
forming  bark  and  wood.  The  consequence  is,  that  the  whole 
branches  and  whole  trees  decay  under  the  silent  ravages  of  these 
destructive  vermin ;  witness  the  late  destruction  of  many  hundred 
acres  of  pine-trees  in  the  north-eastern  parts  of  South  Carolina, 
and  the  thousands  of  peach-trees  that  yearly  decay  from  the  same 
cause.  Will  any  one  say,  that,  taking  half  a  dozen,  or  half  a 
hundred,  apples  from  a  tree,  is  equally  ruinous  with  cutting  it 
down  ?  or  that  the  services  of  a  useful  animal  should  not  be 
rewarded  with  a  small  portion  of  that  which  it  has  contributed  to 
preserve  ?  We  are  told,  in  the  benevolent  language  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, not  to  muzzle  the  mouth  of  the  ox  that  treadeth  out  the 
corn ;  and  why  should  not  the  same  generous  liberality  be  ex- 
tended to  this  useful  family  of  birds,  which  forms  so  powerful  a 
phalanx  against  the  inroads  of  many  millions  of  destructive  ver- 
min?" 

About  the  middle  of  May,  this  species  pairs,  and  soon 
commences  excavating  a  hole  in  a  tree,  either  in  the  woods 
or  orchard,  as  he  is  not  particular  in  his  choice.  This  work 
is  done  by  both  the  birds,  who  labor  with  industry  and 
cheerfulness  until  the  excavation  is  finished ;  this  is  from 
fourteen  to  eighteen  inches  deep,  and,  like  those  of  other 
woodpeckers,  is  roomy  at  the  bottom,  and  tapering  gradually 
to  the  entrance,  which  is  only  large  enough  for  the  comfort- 
able passage  of  the  bird :  it  is  not  lined,  but  the  bottom  is 
partly  covered  with  chips  from  the  sides  of  the  hole.  The 


THE   GOLDEN-WINGED   WOODPECKER.  105 

eggs  are  generally  five  or  six  in  number,  and  of  a  beautiful 
clear-white.  Dr.  Thompson  says,  in  his  "  Birds  of  Ver- 
mont," that  "  they  are  marked  with  reddish  spots  at  the 
large  end."  This  was  a  mistake ;  for  the  eggs  of  wood- 
peckers are  always  immaculate.  The  shell  is  smoother 
than  that  of  any  other  woodpecker's  egg  of  my  acquaint- 
ance. Length  of  specimens  vary  from  1.07  to  1.12  inch, 
breadth  from  .77  to  .84  inch. 

COLAPTES,  SWAINSON. 

Colaptes,  SWAINSON,  Zool.  Jour.,  III.  (Dec.  1827)  353  (type  C.  auratus). 

Bill  slender,  depressed  at  the  base,  then  compressed;  culmen  much  curved;  gonys 
straight,  both  with  acute  ridges,  and  coming  to  quite  a  sharp  point  with  the  com- 
missure at  the  end ;  the  bill  consequently  not  truncate  at  the  end ;  no  ridges  on  the 
bill;  nostrils  basal,  median,  oval,  and  exposed;  gonys  very  short,  about  half  the 
culmen ;  feet  large,  the  anterior  outer  toe  considerably  longer  than  the  posterior;  tail 
long,  exceeding  the  secondaries,  the  feathers  suddenly  acuminate,  with  elongated 
points. 

COLAPTES  AUEATUS.  —  Swainson. 
The  Golden-winged  Woodpecker;  Flicker;  Pigeon  Woodpecker. 

Picus  auratus,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.  (1766)  174.  Wilson,  Am.  On.,  I.  (1810)  45. 
Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1832)  191. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Shafts  and  under  surfaces  of  wing  and  tail  feathers  gamboge-yellow ;  a  black 
patch  on  each  side  of  the  cheek;  a  red  crescent  on  the  nape;  throat  and  stripe 
beneath  the  eye  pale  lilac-brown ;  back  glossed  with  olivaceous-green ;  female  with- 
out the  black  cheek  patch ;  a  crescentic  patch  on  the  breast,  and  rounded  spots  on 
the  belly,  black ;  back  and  wing  coverts  with  interrupted  transverse  bands  of  black ; 
neck  above  and  sides  ashy. 

Length,  about  twelve  and  a  half  inches ;  wing,  six. 

This  is  a  very  common  summer  inhabitant  of  New  Eng- 
land. It  is  probably  the  most  abundant  of  all  the  wood- 
peckers, and  is  very  generally  known.  It  is  in  the  southern 
districts  of  these  States  a  resident  throughout  the  year; 
and  in  Massachusetts  I  have  often  met  with  it  in  midwinter, 
when  the  season  was  not  of  the  mildest  either.  They  begin 
to  arrive  from  the  south  at  about  the  second  week  in 
March. 


106  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

The  habits  of  this  bird  are  so  well  known,  that  any 
description  here  seems  to  be  a  work  of  supererogation. 
About  the  first  week  in  May,  the  males  begin  to  pay  court 
to  the  females  ;  at  this  period  their  movements  are  amusing. 

44  Their  note  is  merriment  itself,  as  it  imitates  a  prolonged  and 
jovial  laugh,  heard  at  a  considerable  distance.  Several  males  pur- 
sue a  female,  reach  her,  and,  to  prove  the  force  and  truth  of  their 
love,  bow  their  heads,  spread  their  tails,  and  move  sidewise,  back- 
wards, and  forwards,  performing  such  antics  as  might  induce  any  one 
witnessing  them,  if  not  of  a  most  morose  temper,  to  join  his  laugh 
to  theirs.  The  female  flies  to  another  tree,  where  she  is  closely  fol- 
lowed by  one,  two,  or  even  half  a  dozen  of  these  gay  suitors,  and 
where  again  the  same  ceremonies  are  gone  through.  No  fightings 
occur,  no  jealousies  seem  to  exist  among  these  beaux,  until  a  marked 
preference  is  shown  to  some  individual,  when  the  rejected  proceed 
in  search  of  another  female.  In  this  manner,  all  the  Golden- 
winged  Woodpeckers  are  soon  happily  mated.  Each  pair  imme- 
diately proceed  to  excavate  the  trunk  of  a  tree,  and  finish  a  hole  in 
it  sufficient  to  contain  themselves  and  their  young.  They  both 
work  with  great  industry  and  apparent  pleasure.  Should  the  male, 
for  instance,  be  employed,  the  female  is  close  to  him,  and  congratu- 
lates him  on  the  removal  of  every  chip  which  his  bill  sends 
through  the  air.  "While  he  rests,  he  appears  to  be  speaking  to  her 
on  the  most  tender  subjects,  and  when  fatigued  is  at  once  assisted 
by  her.  In  this  manner,  by  the  alternate  exertions  of  each,  the 
hole  is  dug  and  finished."  —  AUDUBON. 

This  is  often  as  much  as  twenty  inches  in  depth,  and  in 
a  solid  tree  very  often  at  that.  On  the  bottom  of  this  hole, 
the  female  lays  six  pure-white  eggs :  these  are  generally  of 
uniform  ovoidal  shape,  and  vary  in  size  from  1  to  1.16  inch 
in  length,  by  from  .82  to  .92  in  breadth. 

When  the  eggs  are  removed,  the  female,  after  a  couple 
of  days'  deliberation,  lays  another  litter  ;  and  I  have  known 
of  this  being  repeated  several  times  by  a  bird  that  was 
unwilling  to  leave  the  nest  which  she  and  her  mate  had 
been  at  so  much  labor  to  prepare.  Instances  have  occurred 


GOLDEN-WINGED  WOODPECKER,  Colaptes  aurutas.     Swainson. 


THE   GOLDEN-WINGED   WOODPECKER.  107 

of  this  bird's  laying  eighteen  or  twenty  eggs  in  a  few 
days,  they  being  removed  as  soon  as  laid,  and  only  two  or 
three  being  left  in  the  nest  at  a  time.  The  food  of  this  spe- 
cies consists  of  insects,  berries,  and  grains.  Ants  are 
greedily  eaten  by  it,  and  constitute  no  inconsiderable  por- 
tion of  its  diet.  On  visiting  the  nest  at  night,  I  have  very 
seldom  been  able  to  catch  the  old  bird  in  it;  she  almost 
always  heard  my  approach,  and  took  flight :  once  I  caught 
her  on  the  nest ;  but,  as  I  put  my  hand  in  to  secure  her,  she 
attacked  it  with  fierce  pecks  of  her  bill,  and  made  such  an 
onslaught  that  I  was  glad  to  permit  her  to  escape.  But 
one  brood  is  reared  in  the  season. 


108  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 


ORDER  III.  —  INSESSORES.    PERCHERS. 

In  accordance  with  the  views  of  many  systematic  writers, 
it  may  perhaps  be  as  well  to  retain  an  order  Insessores,  and  to 
place  in  it  the  Strisores,  Clamatores,  and  Oscines  as  sub-orders. 
The  characters  of  the  order  will  then  consist  chiefly  in  the  posses- 
sion of  three  toes  in  front  and  one  behind  (or,  at  least,  never  with 
two  toes  directed  backwards),  as  in  Scansores.  The  claws  are  not 
retractile,  nor  the  bill  with  a  cere,  as  in  the  Raptores  ;  nor  is  the 
hind  toe  situated  appreciably  above  the  plane  of  the  others,  as  in 
Rasores,  Grallatores,  and  Natatores. 

The  hind  toe  of  the  Insessores  corresponds  to  the  thumb  or 
inner  toe  of  the  mammals,  and  is  usually  quite  short.  The  joints 
of  the  anterior  toes  generally  follow  the  law  of  number  character- 
istic of  birds ;  namely,  two  to  the  hinder,  three  to  the  inner,  four 
to  the  middle,  and  five  to  the  outer  toes :  but  a  deviation  is  seen  in 
some  Strisores,  where  there  are  sometimes  but  three  joints  each  to 
the  anterior  toes,  and  sometimes  only  four  in  the  outer.  The  tarsi 
are  generally  covered  anteriorly  with  plates,  and  furnished  behind 
with  granulations  or  small  scales,  or  else  with  two  long  plates 
covering  the  sides,  the  latter  feature  especially  characteristic  of  the 
Oscines,  or  singing-birds  :  in  the  latter  alone  is  the  tarsus  some- 
times covered  anteriorly  with  a  single  plate.  Sometimes  the  tarsus 
is  entirely  or  partly  naked,  or  destitute  of  plates  altogether. 

The  carpal  joint  or  the  hand  part  of  the  wing  is  in  most 
Insessores  furnished  with  ten  quills  (primaries),  although  the  first 
quill  is  sometimes  very  short,  or  even  entirely  wanting,  as  in  many 
Oscines.  The  fore-arm  has  from  six  (in  the  Humming-birds)  to 
thirteen  quills,  the  average  being  eight  or  nine. 

There  are  certain  peculiarities  in  the  arrangement  of  he 
wing  coverts  of  the  different  sub-orders  of  Insessores,  constituting 
important  distinctive  features.  Some  of  these  will  be  hereafter 
referred  to. 


ORDER   III. INSESSORES.  109 

The  tail  of  the  Insessores  exhibits  considerable  differences. 
The  number  of  feathers  is  usually  twelve ;  sometimes  ten  only,  as 
in  the  Strisores. 

The  different  groups  of  the  order  Insessores  are  subject  to  con- 
siderable variations  in  respect  to  the  structure  of  the  lower  larynx 
attached  to  the  trachea  or  windpipe  just  anterior  to  its  division 
into  the  two  bronchial  tubes.  Cuvier  long  since  showed,  that  the 
true  singing-birds  had  the  larynx  provided  with  a  peculiar  appa- 
ratus for  the  purpose  of  effecting  a  modulation  of  the  voice, 
composed  of  five  pairs  of  muscles,  of  which  other  birds  were 
destitute  in  greater  part,  or  entirely.  The  characteristic  of  the 
groups  Strisores,  Clamatores,  and  Oscines,  and  of  their  subdivisions, 
as  will  be  shown  hereafter,  depend  very  much  on  these  peculiarities 
of  the  larynx. 

The  tongue  of  the  Insessores  varies  to  a  considerable  degree. 
In  the  Humming-birds,  it  is  thread-like  and  bifurcated.  In  most 
other  insessorial  or  perching  birds,  it  is  long  or  short,  flat,  and 
triangular,  the  posterior  extremity  bilobed,  the  anterior  usually 
with  the  tip  horny,  serrated,  or  with  fibres,  more  rarely  smooth. 
These  furnish  important  characteristics  for  the  division  into  families, 
and  even  genera ;  the  variations  being  quite  considerable. 

See  Introduction,  and  vol.  IX.,  Pacific  R.R.  Reports,  128. 


110  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 


SUB-ORDER   STRISORES. 


FAMILY  TROCHILIDJE.      THE  HUMMING-BIRDS. 

There  is  no  group  of  birds  so  interesting  to  the  ornithologist  or  to  the  casual 
observer  as  the  Humming-birds ;  at  once  the  smallest  in  size,  the  most  gorgeously 
beautiful  in  color,  and  almost  the  most  abundant  in  species  of  any  single  family  of 
birds.  They  are  strictly  confined  to  the  continent  and  islands  of  America,  and  are 
most  abundant  in  the  Central-American  States ;  though  single  species  range  almost 
to  the  Arctic  regions  on  the  north  and  to  Patagonia  on  the  south,  as  well  as  from 
the  seacoast  to  the  frozen  summits  of  the  Andes.  The  number  of  known  species 
considerably  exceeds  three  hundred,  and  new  ones  are  being  constantly  brought  to 
light;  so  that  an  estimate  of  four  hundred  species  is,  perhaps,  not  too  large.  Many 
are  very  limited  in  their  range ;  some  confined  to  particular  islands,  even  though  of 
small  dimensions. 

The  bill  of  the  Humming-bird  is  awl-shaped  or  subulate,  thin,  and  sharp- 
pointed,  straight  or  curved;  sometimes  as  long  as  the  head,  sometimes  much 
longer.  The  mandibles  are  excavated  to  the  tip  for  the  lodgement  of  the  tongue, 
and  form  a  tube  by  the  close  apposition  of  their  cutting  edges.  There  is  no  indica- 
tion of  stiff  bristly  feathers  at  the  base  of  the  mouth.  The  tongue  has  some  resem- 
blance to  that  of  the  Woodpeckers  in  the  elongation  of  the  cornua  backwards, 
so  as  to  pass  round  the  back  of  the  skull,  and  then  anteriorly  to  the  base  of  the 
bill.  The  tongue  itself  is  of  very  peculiar  structure,  consisting  anteriorly  of  two 
hollow  threads  closed  at  the  ends  and  united  behind.  The  food  of  the  Humming- 
bird consists  almost  entirely  of  insects,  which  are  captured  by  protruding  the  tongue 
into  flowers  of  various  shapes,  without  opening  the  bill  very  wide. 

The  wings  of  the  Humming-birds  are  long  and  falcate ;  the  shafts  very  strong ; 
the  primaries  usually  ten  in  number,  the  first  always  longest ;  there  are  six  seconda- 
ries. The  tail  has  but  ten  feathers.  The  feet  are  small ;  the  claws  very  sharp  and 
strong.1 

The  species  known  to  inhabit  the  United  States,  though  few,  are  yet  nearly  twice 
as  many  as  given  by  Mr.  Audubon.  It  is  probable  that  additional  ones  will  here- 
after be  detected,  particularly  on  our  southern  borders. 

The  different  authors  who  have  made  a  specialty  of  the  Humming-birds  have 
named  a  great  many  sub-families  and  genera ;  but  there  has  as  yet  been  no  published 
systematic  description  of  the  higher  groups.  It  is  probable  that  the  North-Ameri- 

1  Most  of  the  above  general  remarks  are  borrowed  from  Burmeister  (Thiere  Bra- 
siliens,  Vogel,  311),  to  which  I  would  refer  for  an  excellent  article  on  the  structure 
and  habits  of  Humming-birds. 


THE   RUBY-THROATED    HUMMING-BIRD.  HI 

can  species  belong  to  two  different  sub-families,  —  the  Lampornithince  and  the  Tro- 
chilince,  —  and  to  at  least  four  genera;  but  the  precise  character  and  limits' of  these  I 
am  unable  to  give.  The  following  remarks,  however,  may  serve  to  sketch  out  the 
characters  of  the  North- American  species :  — 

A.  Edges  of  mandible  serrated  near  the  end ;  throat  without  metallic,  scale-like 
feathers. 

Lampornis.  —  Bill  depressed,  slightly  curved ;  tail  broad,  slightly  emarginate,  the 
outer  feather  as  broad  as  the  rest;  wings  reaching  the  tip  of  tail;  no  metallic 
feathers  on  the  throat. 

B.  Edges  of  mandible  nearly  even  towards  the  tip,  without  distinct  serrations; 
throat  with  metallic,  scale-like  feathers. 

Trochilus.  —  Feathers  of  throat  but  little  elongated  laterally;  lateral  tail  feathers 
but  little  narrower  than  the  others,  and  lanceolate-acute ;  tail  forked. 

Selasphorus. —  Feathers  of  the  throat  much  elongated  laterally  into  a  ruff;  lateral 
tail  feathers  much  narrower  than  the  middle  ones,  and  linear  in  shape,  or  with  the 
sides  parallel  to  the  end,  which  is  rounded ;  tail  graduated  or  cuneate ;  outer  primary 
attenuated  at  the  tip ;  crown  without  metallic  scales. 

Atthis.  —  Similar  to  the  last,  but  the  top  of  the  head  with  metallic  scales  like  the 
throat ;  the  outer  primary  not  attenuated ;  tail  emarginated,  or  deeply  forked. 

TROCHILUS,  LINN^US. 

TROCHILUS  COLUBEIS.  —  Linnceus. 
The  Ruby-throated  Humming-bird. 

TrocMus  colubris,  Linnaeus.     Syst.  Nat,  I.  (1766)  191.    Wilson,  Am.  Orn.,  II. 
(1810)  26.    Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1832)  248.     76.,  Birds  Amer.,  IV.  (1842)  190. 
Ornismya  colubris,  Deville.    Rev.  et.  Mag.  Zool.  (May,  1852)  (habits). 

DESCRIPTION. 

Tail  in  the  male  deeply  forked,  the  feathers  all  narrow  lanceolate-acute ;  in  the 
females  lightly  rounded  and  emarginate;  the  feathers  broader,  though  pointed;  male, 
uniform  metallic-green  above ;  a  ruby-red  gorget  with  no  conspicuous  ruff;  a  white 
collar  on  the  throat;  sides  of  body  greenish;  tail  feathers  uniformly  brownish-violet; 
female,  without  the  red  on  the  throat ;  the  tail  is  rounded  and  emarginate,  the 
inner  feathers  shorter  than  the  outer;  the  tail  feathers  banded  with  black,  and 
the  outer  tipped  with  white;  no  rufous  or  cinnamon  on  the  tail  in  either  sex. 

Length,  three  and  twenty-five  one-hundredths  inch;  wing,  one  and  sixty  one- 
hundredths;  tail,  one  and  twenty-five  one-hundredths  inch;  bill,  sixty-five  one- 
hundredths. 

THIS  beautiful  little  winged  gem  is  distributed  through- 
out New  England  as  a  summer  visitor.     It  arrives 
from  the  south  from  about  the  15th  to  the  25th  of  May, 
according  to  latitude,  and  usually  in  pairs.    The  first  notice 
that  we  have  of  his  arrival  is  a  humming  sound,  and  now 


112  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

and  then  a  sharp  chirp,  like  that  of  a  large  beetle,  among 
the  earliest  flowers  in  the  garden.  We  look  in  the  direction 
of  the  sound,  and  perceive  our  little  stranger  darting  about, 


and  thrusting  his  bill  and  little  head  into  the  flowers, 
busily  searching  for  the  small  insects  that  inhabit  them, 
and  which  constitute  the  principal  part  of  his  food.  While 
we  are  looking  at  him,  he  suddenly  alights  on  a  twig, 
turns  his  gorgeous  throat  towards  us,  and  scans  us  with 
his  bright  little  black  eyes.  While  he  is  perched,  he  busies 
himself  in  arranging  his  plumage,  and  cleaning  from  his 
feathers  the  drops  of  dew  that  have  perhaps  fallen  upon 
him,  uttering  occasionally  his  merry  chirp ;  presently  his 
.mate  appears,  and  alights  by  his  side.  The  little  lovers  (for 
they  are  still  such)  then  indulge  in  mutual  caresses,  and 
apparently  talk  over  with  much  earnestness  their  plans  for 
future  housekeeping.  Woe  to  another  humming-bird,  if  he 
comes  in  sight!  for  our  little  friend  is  not  only  jealous 
of  his  mate,  but  is  very  quarrelsome  also,  and  protects  his 
honor  with  great  courage.  As  he  darts  off  like  a  bullet  at 
the  intruder,  his  mate  watches  with  no  little  interest  for  the 
results  of  the  battle  that  is  inevitable.  The  two  males  meet 
in  the  air,  and  fierce  is  the  contest ;  their  little  wings  beat 
the  air  with  such  force  that  their  humming  is  heard  at  the 


THE   RUBY-THROATED   HUMMING-BIRD.  113 

distance  of  several  rods ;  up  they  mount,  rushing  against 
and  striking  each  other  with  their  sharp  little  bills,  until 
they  are  both  lost  to  the  sight :  presently  our  acquaintance 
descends  to  the  twig  where  his  mate  is  seated,  and  struts 
before  her  with  a  pride  much  larger  than  his  body,  ap- 
parently anxious  for  her  approval  of  his  courage.  She 
caresses  him;  and,  after  he  has  adjusted  his  plumage,  off 
they  shoot  for  other  scenes  and  pleasures.1 

About  the  first  week  in  June,  the  Humming-bird  com- 
mences building  its  nest :  this  is  composed  of  a  soft  down, 
that  is  taken  from  the  stems  of  some  of  the  ferns ;  it  is 
covered  entirely  with  lichens,  which  are  glued  on  with  the 
saliva  of  the  bird,  giving  it  the  appearance  of  a  mossy  knot. 
It  is  usually  built  on  the  upper  side  of  a  limb ;  but  I  have 
known  of  cases  of  its  being  built  in  a  forked  twig.  The 
whole  fabric  is  about  an  inch  and  a  half  in  diameter,  and 
about  that  in  depth  externally ;  it  is  hollowed  about  half  an 
inch,  and  is  three-fourths  of  an  inch  in  diameter  internally; 
it  is  lined  with  soft,  downy  substances  detached  from  flying 
seeds.  The  eggs  are  two  in  number,  white,  and  nearly 
elliptical  in  shape,  being  of  about  equal  size  at  both  ends. 
Length  of  eggs,  about  .45  inch ;  breadth,  about  .31  inch.  I 
am  inclined  to  think,  that,  in  the  latitude  of  New  England, 
this  bird  raises  only  one  brood  in  the  season ;  but  further 
south  it  undoubtedly  rears  two.  The  period  of  incubation 
is  ten  days. 

On  approaching  the  nest,  the  parent  bird  immediately 
flies  at  the  intruder ;  and  it  was  by  this  means  that  I  have 
been  enabled  to  find  specimens  of  the  nests,  when  I  could 
not  possibly  have  done  so  if  their  locality  had  not  been 
betrayed  by  the  bird  herself.  I  have  heard  of  young  birds 
being  taken  from  the  nest  when  nearly  fledged,  kept  for 
several  weeks,  and  fed  with  nothing  but  sweetened  water ; 

1  I  had  written  this  incident  before  I  noticed  the  similar  one  given  by  Wilson.  I 
will  let  it  remain,  however,  because  it  is  an  instance  of  scenes  common  in  the  life 
of  this  bird. 

8 


114  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

but  they  always  died  after  a  short  confinement,  and  I  believe 
that  it  is  impossible  to  keep  this  bird  as  a  pet,  from  the 
fact  that  its  actual  food  is  insects,  and  it  cannot  live  on  any 
other. 

Wilson  gives  the  following  facts  in  relation  to  this.  He 
says : — 

"  The  singularity  of  this  little  bird  has  induced  many  persons  to 
attempt  to  raise  them  from  the  nest,  and  accustom  them  to  the 
cage.  Mr.  Coffer,  of  Fairfax  County,  Va.,  a  gentleman  who,  has 
paid  great  attention  to  the  manners  and  peculiarities  of  our  native 
birds,  told  me  that  he  raised  and  kept  two,  for  some  months,  in  a 
cage,  supplying  them  with  honey  dissolved  in  water,  on  which  they 
readily  fed.  As  the  sweetness  of  the  liquid  frequently  brought 
small  flies  and  gnats  about  the  cage  and  cup,  the  birds  amused 
themselves  by  snapping  at  them  on  wing,  and  swallowing  them 
with  eagerness,  so  that  these  insects  formed  no  inconsiderable  part 
of  their  food.  Mr.  Charles  Wilson  Peale,  proprietor  of  the 
Museum,  tells  me  that  he  had  two  young  Humming-birds,  which 
he  raised  from  the  nest.  They  used  to  fly  about  the  room,  and 
would  frequently  perch  on  Mrs.  Peale's  shoulder  to  be  fed.  When 
the  sun  shone  strongly  in  the  chamber  $  he  has  observed  them  dart- 
ing after  the  motes  that  floated  in  the  light,  as  Flycatchers  would 
after  flies.  In  the  summer  of  1803,  a  nest  of  young  Humming- 
birds was  brought  me,  that  were  nearly  fit  to  fly.  One  of  them 
actually  flew  out  by  the  window  the  same  evening,  and,  falling 
against  a  wall,  was  killed.  The  other  refused  food,  and  the  next 
morning  I  could  but  just  perceive  that  it  had  life.  A  lady  in  the 
house  undertook  to  be  its  nurse,  placed  it  in  her  bosom,  and,  as  it 
began  to  revive,  dissolved  a  little  sugar  in  her  mouth,  into  which 
she  thrust  its  bill,  and  it  sucked  with  great  avidity.  In  this  man- 
ner, it  was  brought  up  until  fit  for  the  cage.  I  kept  it  upwards 
of  three  months,  supplied  it  with  loaf  sugar  dissolved  in  water, 
which  it  preferred  to  honey  and  water,  gave  it  fresh  flowers  every 
morning  sprinkled  with  the  liquid,  and  surrounded  the  space  in 
which  I  kept  it  with  gauze,  that  it  might  not  injure  itself.  It 
appeared  gay,  active,  and  full  of  spirit,  hovering  from  flower  to 
flower  as  if  in  its  native  wilds ;  and  always  expressed,  by  its 
motions  and  chirping,  great  pleasure  at  seeing  fresh  flowers  intro- 


THE   RUBY-THROATED    HUMMING-BIRD.  115 

duced  to  its  cage.  Numbers  of  people  visited  it  from  motives  of 
curiosity ;  and  I  took  every  precaution  to  preserve  it,  if  possible, 
through  the  winter.  Unfortunately,  however,  by  some  means  it 
got  at  large;  and,  flying  about  the  room,  so  injured  itself  that  it 
soon  after  died. 

"  This  little  bird  is  extremely  susceptible  of  cold ;  and,  if  long 
deprived  of  the  animating  influence  of  the  sunbeams,  droops,  and 
soon  dies.  A  very  beautiful  male  was  brought  me  this  season 
(1809),  which  I  put  into  a  wire  cage,  and  placed  in  a  retired, 
shaded  part  of  the  room.  After  fluttering  about  for  some  time,  the 
weather  being  uncommonly  cool,  it  clung  by  the  wires,  and  hung  in 
a  seemingly  torpid  state  for  a  whole  forenoon.  No  motion  what- 
ever of  the  lungs  could  be  perceived,  on  the  closest  inspection, 
though,  at  other  times,  this  is  remarkably  observable ;  the  eyes 
were  shut ;  and,  when  touched  by  the  finger,  it  gave  no  signs 
of  life  or  motion.  I  carried  it  out  to  the  open  air,  and  placed  it 
directly  in  the  rays  of  the  sun,  in  a  sheltered  situation.  In  a  few 
seconds,  respiration  became  very  apparent ;  the  bird  breathed 
faster  and  faster,  opened  its  eyes,  and  began  to  look  about,  with  as 
much  seeming  vivacity  as  ever.  After  it  had  completely  recov- 
ered, I  restored  it  to  liberty ;  and  it  flew  off  to  the  withered  top 
of  a  pear-tree,  where  it  sat  for  some  time  dressing  its  disordered 
plumage,  and  then  shot  off  like  a  meteor." 

About  the  latter  part  of  August,  or  perhaps  by  the  8th  or 
10th  of  September,  the  Humming-bird  takes  his  departure 
for  the  south.  The  young  birds  travel  with  their  parents, 
or,  at  any  rate,  leave  this  section  with  them;  for  I  have 
invariably  noticed  that  these  little  groups  were  together  up 
to  the  time  when  they  left.  The  parents  return  to  the  same 
breeding-place  in  the  succeeding  year;  and  I  have  known  of 
a  pair  breeding  on  the  same  apple-tree  for  three  successive 
seasons. 


116  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 


FAMILY  CYPSELIDJE.     THE   SWIFTS. 

Bill  very  small,  without  notch,  triangular,  much  broader  than  high,  the  culmen 
not  one-sixth  the  gape;  anterior  toes  cleft  to  the  base,  each  with  three  joints  (in  the 
typical  species),  and  covered  with  skin,  the  middle  claw  without  any  serrations, 
the  lateral  toes  nearly  equal  to  the  middle;  bill  without  bristles,  but  with  minute 
feathers  extending  along  the  under  margin  of  the  nostrils ;  nostrils  elongated,  supe- 
rior, and  very  close  together;  plumage  compact;  primaries  ten,  elongated,  falcate. 

CHJETURA,  STEPHENS. 

Chcetura,  STEPHENS.  Shaw's  Gen.  Zool.  Birds,  XIII.  (1825)  76  (type  C. 
pelasgia). 

Tail  very  short,  scarcely  more  than  two-fifths  the  wings,  slightly  rounded,  the 
shafts  stiffened  and  extending  some  distance  beyond  the  feathers  in  a  rigid  spine ; 
first  primary  longest;  legs  covered  by  a  naked  skin,  without  scutellse  or  feathers; 
tarsus  longer  than  middle  toe ;  lateral  toes  equal,  nearly  as  long  as  the  middle ;  hind 
toe  scarcely  versatile,  or  quite  posterior,  with  the  claw,  less  than  the  middle  anterior 
without  it ;  toes  slender,  claws  moderate ;  feathers  of  the  base  of  the  bill  not  extend- 
ing beyond  the  beginning  of  the  nostrils. 

CHJETURA  PELASGIA.  —  Stephens. 
The  Chimney  Swallow. 

Hirundo  pelasgia,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.  I.  (1766)  345.  Wils.  Am.  Orn.  V. 
(1812)  48. 

Cypselus  pelasgia,  Audubon.  Orn.  Biog.  II.  (1834)  329;  V.  419. 

Chcetura  pelasgia,  Stephens.  Shaw's  Gen.  Zool.  Birds,  XIII.  (1825)  76. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Tail  slightly  rounded ;  of  a  sooty-brown  all  over,  except  on  the  throat,  which, 
becomes  considerably  lighter  from  the  breast  to  the  bill;  above  with  a  greenish 
tinge;  the  rump  a  little  paler. 

Length,  five  and  a  quarter  inches ;  wing,  five  ten  one-hundredths ;  tail,  two  fifteen 
one-hundredths. 

THIS  well-known  bird  is  a  common  summer  inhabitant 
of  New  England.  It  arrives  in  great  numbers  from 
the  South,  about  the  1st  to  the  10th  of  May.  Immediately 
on  arriving,  the  birds  pair,  and  commence  building.  The 
nest  is  usually  constructed  in  an  unused  flue  of  a  chimney ; 
but,  before  the  country  was  settled,  they  bred,  and  I  have  no 


THE   CHIMNEY   SWALLOW.  117 

doubt  that  great  numbers  of  them  in  thinly  settled  districts 
still  breed  in  hollow  trees.  The  nest  is  composed  of  twigs, 
which  are  glued*  together  and  to  the  side  of  the  chimney 
with  the  saliva  of  the  bird.  It  is  lined  with  a  few  feathers 
and  straws.  The  strength  of  these  structures  is  wonderful ; 
and  they  are  so  durable  that  I  have  known  of  instances 
of  their  remaining  in  the  chimney  during  three  seasons. 
'Usually,  the  bird  displays  great  sagacity  in  the  choice  of  a 
location  for  a  nest,  in  securing  protection  from  storms  and 
from  the  attacks  of  animals ;  but  occasionally  the  nest  is 
built  in  a  chimney,  open  at  the  top  sufficiently  wide  to 
permit  the  rain  to  trickle  down  the  sides :  the  result  is,  that 
the  moisture  softens  the  glue  by  which  the  nest  is  attached 
to  the  chimney,  and  it  is,  with  its  living  contents,  precipi- 
tated to  the  bottom.  Again,  if  the  nest  is  built  too  low  in 
the  chimney,  the  young  or  eggs  furnish  agreeable  food  for 
rats,  which,  unfortunately,  are  sometimes  found  in  dwelling- 
houses  in  the  country  in  uncomfortable  numbers.  The  eggs 
are  generally  four  or  five  in  number,  pure-white  in  color, 
rather  long  in  shape.  Dimensions  of  five  eggs,  in  a  nest 
collected  in  Upton,  Me. :  .84  by  .44  inch,  .81  by  .46  inch, 
.80  by  .46  inch,  .78  by  .48  inch,  .76  by  .51  inch. 

This  species  is  almost  nocturnal  in  its  habits.  From  earli- 
est dawn  until  seven  or  eight  in  the  morning,  it  is  busy  in 
the  pursuit  of  insects :  it  then  retires  to  its  roosting-places 
in  the  chimneys,  and  is  seldom  seen  until  late  in  the  after- 
noon. From  early  twilight  until  late  in  the  night,  it  is  again 
actively  employed ;  and,  having  heard  its  notes,  as  it  sped 
through  the  air,  often  as  late  as  midnight,  I  have  no  doubt 
that,  in  pleasant  weather,  it  is  busy  through  the  whole 
night. 

In  descending  the  chimneys  where  their  young  are,  the 
birds  fly  rapidly  until  they  are  immediately  over  them,  when, 
partially  closing  their  wings,  they  drop  suddenly,  and  with 
apparent  ease,  down  the  flue. 

In  ascending,  the  noise  of  their  wings  in  the  chimney  is 


118  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

like  that  of  distant  thunder.  The  flight  of  these  birds  is 
very  rapid,  surpassing,  I  think,  that  of  any  other  species : 
it  is  so  peculiar,  —  the  long  wings  vibrating  in  short,  quick, 
energetic  strokes,  —  that  it  furnishes  a  ready  means  of  dis- 
tinguishing it,  from  all  other  species,  at  a  great  height. 

About  sunset,  the  great  multitudes  of  these  birds  are  out, 
and  the  numbers  of  insects  they  destroy  must  be  immense. 
Everywhere  they  may  be  seen :  away  up  in  the  blue  sky,  as 
far  as  the  eye  can  reach,  they  are  coursing  in  wide-extended 
circles,  chasing  each  other  in  sport,  and  even  caressing  and 
feeding  their  mates  while  on  the  wing ;  a  little  lower,  they 
are  speeding  over  the  tops  of  the  trees,  gleaning  the  insects 
that  have  just  left  the  foliage ;  over  the  surface  of  the  lake 
or  river  they  fly  so  low,  in  the  pursuit  of  aquatic  insects, 
that  their  wings  often  touch  the  water ;  everywhere  they 
are  busy.  Truly,  they  are  deserving  of  much  better  treat- 
ment than  they  too  often  receive  at  the  hands  of  the  farmer, 
to  whom  they  are  his  best  friends  ;  yet  it  is  a  fact,  that,  in 
a  great  many  sections,  they  are  driven  from  the  chimneys 
of  the  farm-houses,  and  even  destroyed,  at  every  oppor- 
tunity. 

About  the  last  of  August,  the  Chimney  Swallow,  in  large 
scattered  flocks,  leaves  for  the  South,  and  spends  the  winter 
in  Honduras  and  the  West  Indies.  On  returning  in  the 
spring,  the  same  pair  occupies  the  chimney  used  in  the  pre- 
vious season,  as  has  been  proved  by  actual  observation. 


THE   WHIPPOORWILL.  119 

FAMILY  CAPRIMULGIDJE.     THE  GOAT-SUCKERS. 
Sub-Family  CAPRIMULGIN^E. 

Bill  very  short,  triangular,  the  culmen  less  than  one-sixth  the  gape ;  the  anterior 
toes  united  at  the  base  by  a  membrane;  the  inner  anterior  toe  with  three  joints,  the 
others  with  four,  all  with  distinct  scutellae  above;  the  toe  much  elongated,  its  middle 
claw  pectinated  on  the  inner  edge ;  hind  toe  directed  a  little  more  than  half  for- 
wards ;  tarsi  partly  feathered  superiorly ;  the  bill  more  or  less  bristled,  the  nostrils 
separated,  rather  nearer  the  commissure  than  the  culmen ;  plumage  soft,  lax,  and 
owl-like ;  primary  quills,  ten ;  secondaries,  eleven  or  twelve. 

ANTROSTOMUS,  GOULD. 

Antrostomus,  GOULD.    Icones  Avium  (1838),  Agassiz. 

Bill  remarkably  small,  with  tubular  nostrils,  and  the  gape  with  long,  stiff,  some- 
times pectinated,  bristles ;  wings  long,  somewhat  rounded,  second  quill  longest,  the 
primaries  emarginated ;  tail  rounded ;  plumage  loose  and  soft. 

ANTROSTOMUS  VOCIFERUS.  —  Bonaparte. 
The  Whippoorwill. 

Caprimulgus  vodferus,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  V.  (1812)  71;  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  I. 
(1832)443;  V.  405. 

Antrostomus  vociferus,  Bonaparte.    List,  1838. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bristles  without  lateral  filaments;  wing  about  six  and  a  half  inches  long;  top  of 
the  head  ashy-brown,  longitudinally  streaked  with  black;  terminal  half  of  the  tail 
feathers  (except  the  four  central)  dirty-white  on  both  outer  and  inner  webs;  iris  dark- 
hazel.  Female,  without,  white  on  the  tail. 

Length,  ten  inches;  wing,  six  and  a  half. 

THIS  familiar  species  is  a  summer  inhabitant  of  New 
England :  it  arrives  from  the  South  about  the  second 
week  in  May.  Its  habits  are  not  well  known,  as  it  is  not  a 
very  common  species,  and  it  inhabits  the  most  secluded  spots 
in  the  deep  woods ;  but  its  song  is  well  known  to  all,  as  are 
its  nocturnal  wanderings  in  search  for  insect  food.  This 
bird,  as  also  the  Night-hawk,  is,  to  the  farmer,  one  of  the 
most  valuable  among  the  feathered  tribes :  its  food  consists 
almost  entirely  of  night-flying  Lepidoptera,  and  the  number 
of  these  insects  destroyed  is  immense. 


120  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

The  peculiar  song  of  this  bird  is  heard  at  early  eve,  and 
until  late  into  the  night,  during  the  mating  and  part  of  the 
breeding  seasons.  It  is  not  uttered  in  the  depths  of  the  wil- 
derness alone ;  but  the  bird,  perching  on  the  well-sweep,  on 
the  eaves  of  a  low  shed,  or  even  on  the  door-sill  of  the  farm- 
er's house,  pours  out  its  melancholy  strain.  The  descrip- 
tion, by  Alexander  Wilson,  of  the  habits  of  this  bird,  is  so 
accurate  and  comprehensive,  that  I  will  not  presume  to 
attempt  another.  He  says:  — 

"  The  notes  seem  pretty  plainly  to  articulate  the  words  which 
have  been  generally  applied  to  them,  whip-poor-will,  the  first  and 
last  syllables  being  uttered  with  great  emphasis,  and  the  whole  in 
about  a  second  to  each  repetition ;  but,  when  two  or  more  males 
meet,  their  whip-poor-will  altercations  become  much  more  rapid 
and  incessant,  as  if  each  were  straining  to  overpower  or  silence  the 
other.  When  near,  you  often  hear  an  introductory  cluck  between 
the  notes.  At  these  times,  as  well  as  at  almost  all  others,  they  fly 
low,  not  more  than  a  few  feet  from  the  surface,  skimming  about  the 
house  and  before  the  door,  alighting  on  the  wood-pile,  or  settling  on 
the  roof.  Towards  midnight,  they  generally  become  silent,  unless 
in  clear  moonlight,  when  they  are  heard,  with  little  intermission, 
till  morning.  If  there  be  a  creek  near,  with  high,  precipitous, 
bushy  banks,  they  are  sure  to  be  found  in  such  situations.  During 
the  day,  they  sit  in  the  most  retired,  solitary,  and  deep-shaded  parts 
of  the  woods,  generally  on  high  ground,  where  they  repose  in 
silence.  When  disturbed,  they  rise  within  a  few  feet,  sail  low  and 
slowly  through  the  woods  for  thirty  or  forty  yards,  and  generally 
settle  on  a  low  branch  or  on  the  ground.  Their  sight  appears 
deficient  during  the  day,  as,  like  owls,  they  seem  then  to  want  that 
vivacity  for  which  they  are  distinguished  in  the  morning  and  even- 
ing twilight.  They  are  rarely  shot  at  or  molested ;  and,  from  being 
thus  transiently  seen  in  the  obscurity  of  dusk,  or  in  the  deep  um- 
brage of  the  woods,  no  wonder  their  particular  markings  of  plumage 
should  be  so  little  known,  or  that  they  should  be  confounded  with 
the  Night-hawk,  whom,  in  general  appearance,  they  so  much  re- 
semble. The  female  begins  to  lay  about  the  second  week  in  May, 
selecting,  for  this  purpose,  the  most  unfrequented  part  of  the  wood, 


THE  WHIPPOORWILL.  121 

often  where  some  brush,  old  logs,,  heaps  of  leaves,  &c.,  had  been 
lying,  and  always  on  a  dry  situation." 

The  Whippoorwill  constructs  no  nest,  bat  lays  its  eggs, 
which  are  two  in  number,  in  a  slight  hollow  which  it 
scratches  in  the  earth,  usually  near  a  rock,  or  fallen  trunk 
of  a  tree.  These  eggs  are  of  an  elliptical  form,  being  as 
large  at  one  end  as  at  the  other;  their  ground-color  is  a 
delicate  creamy-white,  with  blotches,  lines,  and  spots  of 
different  shades  of  light-brown  and  lavender :  taken  alto- 
gether, it  is  one  of  the  handsomest  eggs  found  in  New  Eng- 
land. The  length  of  several  specimens  before  me  varies 
from  1.21  to  2.27  inches,  breadth  from  .75  to  .79  inch.  The 
bird  commences  laying  about  the  last  week  in  May,  and  the 
period  of  incubation  is  fourteen  days. 

The  young  are  soon  able  to  walk,  and  in  a  very  few  days 
can  run  with  considerable  speed ;  and  they  hide  with  such 
adroitness  that  it  is  a  work  of  no  little  difficulty  to  capture 
them.  The  female,  when  her  young  are  discovered,  imme- 
diately throws  herself  before  the  intruder,  counterfeiting 
lameness  so  well,  that,  unless  he  is  well  acquainted  with 
the  habits  of  birds,  he  will  quickly  be  misled  into  following 
her.  As  soon  as  the  young  birds  are  able  to  shift  for  them- 
selves, they  are  turned  adrift  by  their  parents,  and  are  seen 
only  singly,  or  at  most  in  pairs,  during  the  remainder  of 
their  stay.  By  the  latter  part  of  August,  or  seldom  later 
than  the  10th  of  September,  all  of  them  depart  for  the 
South,  the  old  males  remaining  a  few  days  later ;  uttering, 
occasionally,  their  song,  but  always  in  the  woods,  or  in 
localities  far  removed  from  human  habitation. 

CHORDEILES,  SWAINSON. 

SWAINSON.    Fauna  Bor.  Amer.  (1831)  496. 

Bill  very  small,  the  gape  with  very  short,  feeble  bristles;  wings  very  long  and 
pointed,  with  the  first  quill  nearly  or  quite  equal  to  the  second,  and  the  primaries  not 
emarginated  on  the  inner  edge;  tail  long,  slightly  forked  in  the  North-American 
species;  plumage  rather  compact. 


122  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

CHORDEILES  POPETUE.  —  Baird. 
The  Night-hawk;  Bull  Bat. 

Caprimulffus  popetue,  Vieillot.    Ois.  Am.  Sept.,  I.  (1807)  56. 
Caprimulgus  Americanus,  Wilson,  V.  (1812)  65. 
Caprimulyus  Virginianus.    Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  273. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Male,  above  greenish-black,  with  but  little  mottling  on  the  head  and  back ;  wing 
coverts  varied  with  grayish;  scapulars  with  yellowish-rufous;  a  nuchal  band  of  fine 
gray  mottling,  behind  which  is  another  coarser  one  of  rufous  spots;  a  white 
V-shaped  mark  on  the  throat;  behind  this  a  collar  of  pale-rufous  blotches,  and 
another  on  the  breast  of  grayish  mottling ;  under  parts  banded  transversely  with 
dull-yellowish  or  reddish-white  and  brown ;  wing  quills  quite  uniformly  brown ;  the 
five  outer  primaries  with  a  white  blotch  midway  between  the  tip  and  carpal 
joint,  not  extending  on  the  outer  web  of  the  outer  quill;  tail  with  a  terminal  white 
patch. 

Female,  without  the  caudal  white  patch,  the  white  of  the  throat  mixed  with 
reddish. 

Length  of  male,  nine  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  eight  and  twenty 
one-hundredths  inches. 

This  bird  is  much  more  abundantly  distributed  through- 
out New  England  than  the  preceding;  and  its  habits  are, 
consequently,  better  known.  It  arrives  from  the  south 
about  the  10th  of  May.  At  this  time,  great  numbers  may 
be  observed,  at  early  twilight,  coursing  through  the  air  in 
different  directions,  sometimes  at  a  great  height,  sometimes 
just  above  the  trees  in  the  country,  or  houses  in  the  city ; 
occasionally,  very  near  the  earth  or  water,  or,  when  near 
the  seacoast,  but  just  above  the  marshes,  where  they  destroy 
great  numbers  of  insects.  Their  flight  is  very  rapid,  their 
long  wings  giving  quick,  powerful  sweeps ;  and,  as  they  dart 
about  in  many  eccentric  movements,  busily  gleaning  their 
food,  they  utter,  at  oft-repeated  intervals,  their  short  note 
or  squeak,  which  almost  exactly  resembles  that  of  the  Com- 
mon Snipe. 

About  the  middle  of  May,  or  by  the  20th  of  that  month, 
in  Maine,  the  male  commences  his  attentions  to  the  female. 
His  movements  at  this  time  are  interesting,  and,  from  their 
common  occurrence,  familiar  to  all  who  live  in  the  country. 


THE   NIGHT-HAWK.  123 

At  early  evening,  and  in  cloudy  weather  throughout  the 
greater  part  of  the  day,  he  ascends  into  the  air ;  and  when 
he  has  attained  a  considerable  height,  partially  closing  his 
wings,  he  drops  with  great  velocity  through  the  distance  of 
seventy-five  or  one  hundred  feet,  sometimes  nearly  to  the 
earth.  The  sound  made  by  the  air  passing  through  the  wing 
quills  is  so  loud  that  I  have  often  heard  it  at  certainly  the 
distance  of  half  a  mile :  it  resembles,  as  Nuttall  truly  says, 
the  sound  produced  by  blowing  into  the  bung-hole  of  an 
empty  hogshead.  This  act  is  often  repeated,  the  bird  darting 
about  at  the  same  time  in  every  direction,  and  uttering  his 
sharp  squeak.  Wilson  was  of  the  opinion,  that  this  habit  of 
the  Night-hawk  was  confined  to  the  period  of  incubation; 
the  male  acting  in  this  manner,  as  he  thought,  to  intimidate 
any  person  from  approaching  the  nest.  I  have  had  abun- 
dant opportunities  for  observing  the  bird  in  all  times  of  the 
summer,  and  during  its  stay  with  us ;  and  I  should  unhesi- 
tatingly affirm,  that,  from  the  time  of  early  courtship,  until 
the  young  are  hatched,  if  not  after,  the  male  acts  in  this 
manner. 

This  species  constructs  no  nest,  but  lays  its  eggs  on  the 
bare  ground  in  a  slight  hollow  scratched  by  the  female,  or 
often  on  a  bare  rock.  I  have  found  numbers  of  these  eggs, 
particularly  in  the  northern  parts  of  Maine,  where,  in  walk- 
ing over  a  pasture  or  rocky  field,  I  have  flushed  sometimes 
a  bird  in  every  ten  rods.  I  remember  a  ledge  of  rocks 
back  of  the  settlement  known  as  Wilson's  Mills,  which 
seemed  a  favorite  breeding-place  for  these  birds ;  and,  in  the 
space  of  every  four  or  five  rods,  a  female  was  sitting  on  her 
eggs.  The  eggs  are  two  in  number,  elliptical  in  shape,  of 
a  dirty- white  color,  which  is  covered  with  fine  dottings 
of  different  shades  of  brown,  with  obscure  markings  of 
slate-color,  and  some  spots  of  lavender.  Length  from  1.23 
to  1.25  inch  ;  breadth,  from  .82  to  .85  inch.  A  great  num- 
ber of  specimens  from  different  sections  do  not  exhibit  an 
appreciable  variation  from  these  dimensions.  In  the  south- 


124  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

ern  districts,  it  lays  about  the  20th  of  May ;  in  the  northern, 
about  the  10th  of  June. 

The  male  assists  the  female  in  incubating,  as  I  have  wit- 
nessed many  times.  When  perched  by  her  on  a  tree  or 
fence-rail,  during  the«light  of  mid-day,  he  always  sits  along 
the  limb  or  rail,  instead  of  across  it  —  a  peculiarity  which  is 
also  noticeable  in  the  Whippoorwill.  Some  authors,  in  speak- 
ing of  this  fact,  explain  it  by  noticing  the  comparatively 
small  size  of  the  feet,  and  apparent  weakness  of  the  legs. 
I  think  this  can  hardly  be  a  sufficient  cause ;  for  both  these 
birds,  while  on  the  ground,  can  run  with  considerable  speed, 
and,  if  captured,  can  not  only  perch  across  the  finger  of  a 
hand  or  the  back  of  a  chair,  as  I  have  often  proved,  but  can 
rest  on  one  foot,  drawing  the  other  up  into  the  feathers 
of  the  belly,  like  other  birds. 

About  the  20th  of  August,  after  the  young  have  become 
able  to  provide  for  themselves,  all  the  families  in  a  neigh- 
borhood assemble  in  a  large,  scattered  flock;  and,  after 
having  become  completely  recruited  from  the  labors  of  incu- 
bation, they  all  leave  for  the  south. 


THE   BELTED   KINGFISHER.  125 


SUB-ORDER  CLAMATORES.    SCREAMERS. 


FAMILY  ALCEDINIDJE.     THE  KINGFISHERS. 

Head  large ;  bill  long,  strong,  straight,  and  sub-pyramidal,  usually  longer  than 
the  head;  tongue  very  small;  wings  short;  legs  small,  the  outer  and  middle  toes 
united  to  their  middle;  toes  with  the  usual  number  of  joints  (2,  3,  4,  5). 

The  gape  of  the  bill  in  the  Kingfishers  is  large,  reaching  to  beneath  the  eyes; 
the  third  primary  is  generally  longest,  the  first  decidedly  shorter;  the  secondaries 
vary  from  twelve  to  fifteen  in  number,  all  nearly  equal;  the  secondaries  cover  at 
least  three-quarters  of  the  wing ;  the  tail  is  short,  the  feathers  twelve  in  number, 
they  are  rather  narrow,  the  outer  usually  shorter;  the  lower  part  of  the  tibia  is  bare, 
leaving  the  joint  and  the  tarsus  uncovered;  the  tarsus  is  covered  anteriorly  with 
plates,  behind,  it  is  shagreen-like  or  granulated;  the  hind  toe  is  connected  with  the 
inner,  so  as  to  form  with  it  and  the  others  a  regular  sole,  which  extends  unbroken 
beneath  the  middle  and  outer  as  far  as  the  latter  are  united;  the  inner  toe  is  much 
shorter  than  the  outer;  the  claws  are  sharp,  the  middle  expanded  on  its  inner  edge, 
but  not  pectinated. 

CERYLE,  BOIE. 

Ceryle,  BOIE,  Isis  (1828)  316  (type  C.  rudis). 

Bill  long,  straight,  and  strong,  the  culmen  slightly  advancing  on  the  forehead, 
and  sloping  to  the  acute  tip;  the  sides  much  compressed;  the  lateral  margins  rather 
dilated  at  the  base,  and  straight  to  the  tip;  the  gonys  long  and  ascending;  tail 
rather  long  and  broad ;  tarsi  short  and  stout. 

CERYLE  ALCYON.  —  Bow. 
The  Belted  Kingfisher. 

Alcedo  alcyon,  Linnaeus.      Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  180.     Wilson,  Am.  Orn.,  III. 
(1811)  59.     Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1831)  394. 
Ceryle  alcyon,  Boie.     Isis,  (1828)  316. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Head  with  a  long  crest;  above  blue,  without  metallic  lustre;  beneath,  with  a  con- 
cealed band  across  the  occiput,  and  a  spot  anterior  to  the  eye,  pure-white;  a  band 
across  the  breast,  and  the  sides  of  the  body  under  the  wings,  like  the  back ;  prima- 
ries white  on  the  basal  half,  the  terminal  unspotted;  tail  with  transverse  bands  and 
spots  of  white. 

Young,  with  the  sides  of  body  and  a  transverse  band  across  the  belly  below  the 
pectoral  one,  light-chestnut;  the  pectoral  band  more  or  less  tinged  with  the  same. 

Length  of  adult,  about  twelve  and  three-quarters  inches ;  wing,  six  or  more. 

Hob.  —  The  entire  continent  of  North  America. 


126  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

THIS  species  is  a  very  common  summer  inhabitant  of  all 
the  New-England  States.  It  arrives  from  the  south 
about  the  1st  of  April,  often  earlier,  particularly  in  early 
springs :  indeed,  Mr.  Verrill  says  they  are  sometimes  seen 
in  Maine  in  winter,  and  they  are  often  found  in  the  southern 
districts  of  these  States  in  this  season.  The  birds,  on  arriv- 
ing, commence  pairing ;  and  they  soon  begin  excavating  in  a 
sand-bank  a  long,  winding  hole  of  about  three  inches  and 
a  half  in  diameter  at  the  entrance,  and  gradually  larger  to 
the  end,  at  which  the  nest,  composed  of  grasses,  leaves,  and 
feathers,  is  built, — or  laid,  which  would  perhaps  be  the  better 
term.  This  hole  is  sometimes  as  much  as  six  or  eight  feet, 
usually,  from  four  to  six,  in  length.  The  female  deposits  in 
this  nest  six  eggs  usually :  these  are  of  a  clear-white  color, 
and  of  a  nearly  spherical  shape,  being  from  1.35  to  1.42 
inch  in  length,  by  from  1.05  to  1.08  inch  in  breadth.  I  am 
aware  that  these  measurements  exceed  any  heretofore  given  ; 
but  they  are  accurately  taken  from  a  large  number  of  speci- 
mens in  my  collection.  Dr.  Brewer  gives  the  dimensions 
as  averaging  lT5g-  in  length  by  lTag-  in  breadth.  The  period 
of  incubation  is  stated  by  Audubon  and  other  ornithologists 
to  be  sixteen  days. 

The  habits  of  this  bird  are  so  well  known  that  any 
description  here  is  almost  superfluous.  Its  food,  as  its 
name  implies,  consists  almost  entirely  of  fish,  which  he 
obtains  by  diving  into  the  water,  and  seizing  with  his  bill. 
When  passing  over  a  sheet  of  water,  he  attentively  scans 
the  surface  beneath  him:  if  he  observes  a  small  fish,  he 
pauses  in  his  flight,  and  remains  over  it  a  few  seconds, 
maintaining  his  position  by  short,  quick  vibrations  of  his 
wings.  If  the  fish  is  sufficiently  near  the  surface,  he  sud- 
denly dives  at  it,  and,  plunging  into  the  water,  seizes  it,  and 
bears  it  off  to  some  rock  or  post,  where  he  can  eat  it  at  his 
leisure.  The  note  of  the  Kingfisher  is  a  loud,  harsh  cry, 
similar  to  the  sound  of  a  watchman's  rattle :  it  is  easily 
heard  above  the  rushing  of  the  waters  at  a  dam  or  other 


THE   BELTED    KINGFISHER.  127 

waterfall,  and,  when  heard  in  such  a  locality,  is  not  disagree- 
able. When  perched  on  a  limb  overhanging  the  water,  he 
frequently  jets  his  tail  in  the  manner  of  the  Pewee,  and 
often  descends  from  such  a  perch  and  seizes  a  frog  or  a  fish ; 
and  I  once  shot  one  that  had  just  seized  a  meadow  mouse 
(arvicola)  in  this  manner.  The  young  usually  remain  in 
the  hole  in  the  bank  until  they  are  about  fledged.  I  am 
inclined  to  think,  that  usually  they  return  to  these  holes  at 
night  and  in  stormy  weather,  as  I  have  frequently  seen 
them  about  their  nests  long  after  they  were  fledged,  and 
have  even  seen  them  passing  into  them  at  the  close  of  the 
day.  In  migrating,  the  young  leave  their  parents,  and 
these  even  separate,  and  pursue  their  journey  alone ;  and  it 
is  a  case  of  rare  occurrence  that  two  are  seen  together 
after  the  latter  part  of  August. 


128  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 


FAMILY  COLOPTERIDJE.    THE  FLYCATCHERS. 
Sub-Family  TYRANNIN^:. —  Tyrant  Flycatchers. 

Bill  broader  than  high  at  the  base,  much  depressed,  more  or  less  triangular;  cul- 
men  nearly  as  long  as  the  head,  or  shorter,  straight  to  near  the  tip,  then  suddenly 
bent  down  into  a  conspicuous  hook,  with  a  notch  behind  it;  tip  of  lower  jaw  also 
notched ;  commissure  straight  to  near  the  notch ;  gonys  slightly  convex ;  nostrils 
oval  or  rounded  in  the  anterior  extremity  of  the  nasal  groove,  and  more  or  less 
concealed  by  long  bristles  which  extend  from  the  posterior  angle  of  the  jaws  along 
the  base  of  the  bill,  becoming  smaller,  but  reaching  nearly  to  the  median  line  of  the 
forehead;  these  bristles  with  lateral  branches  at  the  base;  similar  bristles  mixed  in 
the  loral  feathers  and  margining  the  chin ;  tarsi  short,  generally  less  than  the  middle 
toe,  completely  enveloped  by  a  series  of  large  scales  which  meet  near  the  posterior 
edge  of  the  inner  side,  and  are  separated  either  by  naked  skin  or  by  a  row  of  small 
scales.  Sometimes  a  second  series  of  rather  large  plates  is  seen  on  the  posterior 
face  of  the  tarsus;  these,  however,  usually  on  .the  upper  extremity  only;  basal  joint 
of  middle  toe  united  almost  throughout  to  that  of  the  outer  toe,  but  more  than  half 
free  on  the  inner  side;  outer  lateral  toe  rather  the  longer;  wings  and  tail  variable, 
first  quill  always  more  than  three-fourths  the  second ;  the  outer  primaries  sometimes 
attenuated  near  the  tip. 

TYRANNUS,  CUVIER. 

Tyrannus,  CUVIER,  Lecons  Anat.  Comp.,  1799-1800  (Agassiz). 

Tail  nearly  even,  or  moderately  forked,  rather  shorter  than  the  wings;  the 
feathers  broad,  and  widening  somewhat  at  the  ends;  wings  long  and  pointed; 
the  outer  primaries  rather  abruptly  attenuated  near  the  end,  the  attenuated  portion 
not  linear,  however;  head  with  a  concealed  patch  of  red  on  the  crown. 

TYRANNUS  CAROLINENSIS.  —  Baird. 
King-bird;  Bee  Martin. 

Lanius  tyrannus,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  136.  This  belongs  to  the  Cuban 
T.  matutinus,  according  to  Bonaparte. 

Muscicnpa  tyrannus  (Brisson?),  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  I.  (1808)  66.  Aud.  Orn. 
Biog.,  I.  (1832)  403;  V.  (1839)  420.  lb.,  Birds  Amer.,  I.  (1840)  204. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Two,  sometimes  three,  outer  primaries  abruptly  attenuated  at  the  end ;  second 
quill  longest,  third  little  shorter,  first  rather  longer  than  fourth,  or  nearly  equal; 
tail  slightly  rounded,  above  dark  bluish-ash;  the  top  and  sides  of  the  head  to 
beneath  the  eyes  bluish-black;  a  concealed  crest  on  the  crown,  vermilion  in  the 


THE    KING-BIRD.  129 

centre,  white  behind,  and  before  partially  mixed  with  orange;  lower  parts  pure- 
white,  tinged  with  pale  bluish-ash  on  the  sides  of  the  throat  and  across  the  breast; 
sides  of  the  breast  and  under  the  wings  similar  to,  but  rather  lighter  than,  the  back; 
axillaries  pale  grayish-brown  tipped  with  lighter;  the  wings  dark-brown,  darkest 
towards  the  ends  of  the  quills ;  the  greater  coverts  and  quills  edged  with  white, 
most  so  on  the  tertials;  the  lesser  coverts  edged  with  paler;  upper  tail  coverts 
and  upper  surface  of  the  tail  glossy -black,  the  latter  very  dark  brown  beneath; 
all  the  feathers  tipped,  and  the  exterior  margined  externally  with  white,  form- 
ing a  conspicuous  terminal  band  about  twenty-five  one-hundredths  of  an  inch 
broad. 

The  young  of  the  year  is  similar,  the  colors  duller,  the  concealed  colored  patch 
on  the  crown  wanting ;  the  tail  more  rounded,  the  primaries  not  attenuated. 

Specimens  vary  in  the  amount  of  white  margining  the  wing  feathers ;  the  upper 
tail  coverts  are  also  margined  sometimes  with  white. 

Length,  eight  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  four  and  sixty-five  one- 
hundredths  inches;  tail,  three  and  seventy  one-hundredths  inches ;  tarsus,  seventy- 
five  one-hundredths  inches. 

THIS  common  species  is  abundantly  distributed  through- 
out New  England  as  a  summer  resident.  It  arrives 
from  the  South  about  the  1st  to  the  10th  of  May :  the  males 
precede  the  females  in  small  parties  of  three  or  four,  the 
latter  arriving  about  a  week  or  ten  days  later. 

Soon  after  the  arrival  of  the  females,  the  males  begin 
their  attentions  to  them ;  and,  as  the  season  of  courtship  is 
comparatively  short,  the  new-made  couple  soon  begin  their 
selection  of  a  locality  for  their  nest.  This  seems  to  be  with 
them  a  rather  difficult  matter  to  settle ;  for  I  have  known  of 
a  pair  remaining  in  an  orchard  a  fortnight,  examining  every 
tree  and  its  peculiar  advantages,  before  they  made  a  selec- 
tion. 

At  last,  when  the  location  is  decided,  both  birds  com- 
mence work,  and  the  nest  is  soon  completed.  It  is  usually 
placed  on  the  branch  of  an  apple  or  pear  tree,  in  a  small 
cluster  of  twigs  or  a  crotch  of  a  limb :  it  is  constructed 
outwardly  of  coarse  grasses,  mosses,  twigs,  roots,  and 
weeds;  and  is  deeply  hollowed,  and  lined  with  fine  roots, 
horse-hairs,  and  grasses.  About  the  1st  of  June,  the  eggs 
are  laid :  these  are  usually  five  in  number ;  their  ground- 
color is  a  very  delicate  creamy- white,  with  irregular  spatters 
and  spots  of  different  shades  of  brown,  and  some  obscure 

9 


130  ORNITHOLOGY   AND    OOLOGY. 

spots  of  lavender.  Dimensions  of  a  nest  complement  of 
five  eggs:  1.06  by  .71  inch  ;  1.04  by  .70  inch ;  1.02  by  .72 
inch  ;  1  by  .74  inch  ;  and  .94  by  .75  inch. 

During  the  mating  and  breeding  season,  the  pugnacity 
and  courage  of  the  King-bird  are  proverbial:  if  any  bird 
approach  the  neighborhood  of  his  nest,  he  immediately 
attacks  it;  and,  whether  crow  (his  particular  dislike), 
hawk,  or  eagle,  the  intruder  is  obliged  to  flee,  so  fierce  an 
onslaught  does  this  little  warrior  make  on  him.  As  soon 
as  the  cry  of  a  crow  is  heard,  he  is  all  activity :  he  flies 
from  the  tree  where  he  is  perching  to  reconnoitre,  uttering 
his  shrill  twitter,  and  vibrating  his  wings  in  short,  quick, 
nervous  strokes ;  as  soon  as  the  crow  appears,  the  King- 
bird pursues  it,  his  flight  now  being  very  swift  and  powerful. 
As  soon  as  he  nears  his  foe,  he  flies  above  him,  and,  dart- 
ing down  on  his  back  and  head,  attacks  him  with  such 
vigor  that  the  crow  dives  and  dodges  to  avoid  him.  He 
repeats  his  attack,  and  follows  his  enemy,  sometimes  to  the 
distance  of  a  mile  and  more :  then,  returning  to  his  mate, 
he  perches  on  the  tree  by  her  nest,  and  twitters  a  volley  of 
courageous  songs. 

The  food  of  the  King-bird  consists  principally  of  insects, 
which  he  captures  usually  while  on  the  wing.  It  seems  a 
provision  of  nature,  that  all  the  Flycatchers  shall  only  take 
those  insects  that  have  taken  flight  from  the  foliage  of  trees 
and  shrubs,  at  the  same  time  making  the  warblers  and 
other  birds  capture  those  which  remain  concealed  in  such 
places.  The  King-bird,  in  seizing  a  flying  insect,  flies  in  a 
sort  of  half-flitting  hover,  and  seizes  it  with  a  sharp  snap 
of  the  bill.  Sometimes  he  descends  from  his  perch,  and 
captures  a  grasshopper  that  has  just  taken  a  short  flight, 
and  occasionally  seizes  one  that  is  crawling  up  some  tall 
stalk  of  grass.  Those  farmers  who  keep  bees  dislike 
this  bird  because  of  his  bad  habit  of  eating  as  many 
of  those  insects  as  show  themselves  in  the  neighborhood 
of  his  nest;  but  they  should  remember  that  the  general 


,    Tyranuus  Carolincmis.     Baird. 


THE   GREAT-CRESTED    FLYCATCHER. 

interests  of  agriculture  are  greater  than  those  of  a  hive  of 
bees. 

About  the  middle  of  September,  this  bird  with  his  family 
and  neighbors  gather  into  a  scattered  flock,  and  depart  for 
the  south,  spending  the  winter  in  Central  America  and 
Southern  Mexico. 

MYIARCHUS,  CABANIS. 

Myiarchus,  CABANIS,  Fauna  Peruana  (1844-46)  152.  Burmeister,  Thiere  Bra- 
siliens,  II.  Vogel  (1856)  469. 

Tarsus  equal  to,  or  not  longer  than,  the  middle  toe,  which  is  decidedly  longer 
than  the  hinder  one ;  bill  wider  at  base  than  half  the  culmen ;  tail  broad,  long,  even, 
or  slightly  rounded,  about  equal  to  the  wings,  which  scarcely  reach  the  middle  of 
the  tail,  the  first  primary  shorter  than  the  sixth;  head  with  elongated  lanceolate 
distinct  feathers;  above  brownish-olive;  throat  ash;  belly  yellow;  tail  and  wing 
feathers  varied  with  rufous. 

MYIARCHUS  CRINITUS.  —  Cabanis. 
The  Great-crested  Flycatcher. 

Muscicapa  crinita,  Linnaeus.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  325.    Wilson,  Am.  Orn.,  II. 
(1810)  75.     Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  176;  V.  423. 
Tyrannus  crinitus.     Nutt.  Man.,  I.  (2d  ed.,  1840)  302. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Head  with  a  depressed  crest ;  third  quill  longest,  fourth  and  second  successively 
but  little  shorter,  first  a  little  longer  than  seventh,  much  shorter  than  sixth;  tail 
decidedly  rounded  or  even  graduated,  the  lateral  feather  about  twenty-five  one- 
hundredths  of  an  inch  shorter ;  upper  parts  dull  greenish-olive,  with  the  feathers  of 
the  crown,  and  to  some  extent  of  the  back,  showing  their  brown  centres;  upper  tail 
coverts  turning  to  pale  rusty-brown;  small  feathers  at  the  base  of  the  bill,  ceres, 
sides  of  the  head  as  high  as  the  upper  eyelid,  sides  of  the  neck,  throat,  and  forepart, 
of  the  breast,  bluish-ashy ;  the  rest  of  the  lower  parts,  including  axillaries  and  lower 
wing  coverts,  bright  sulphur-yellow;  a  pale  ring  round  the  eye;  sides  of  the  breast 
and  body  tinged  with  olivaceous;  the  wings  brown,  the  first  and  second  rows  of 
coverts,  with  the  secondary  and  tertial  quills,  margined  externally  with  dull-white, 
or  on  the  latter  slightly  tinged  with  olivaceous-yellow;  primaries  margined  exter- 
nally for  more  than  half  their  length  from  the  base  with  ferruginous,  great  portion 
of  the  inner  webs  of  all  the  quills  very  pale-ferruginous;  the  two  middle  tail 
feathers  light  brown,  shafts  paler,  the  rest  have  the  outer  web  and  a  narrow  line  on 
the  inner  sides  of  the  shaft  brown,  pale  olivaceous  on  the  outer  edge,  the  remainder 
ferruginous  to  the  very  tip;  outer  web  of  exterior  feather  dull  brownish-yellow;  feet 
black;  bill  dark-brown  above  and  at  the  tip  below,  paler  towards  the  base. 

The  female  appears  to  have  no  brown  on  the  inner  web  of  the  quills  along  the 
shaft,  or  else  it  is  confined  chiefly  to  the  outer  feathers. 

Length,  eight  and  seventy-five  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  four  and  twenty- 


132  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

five  one-hundredths;   tail,  four  and  ten  one-hundredths ;   tarsus,  eighty-five  one- 
hundredths. 

Hab.  —  Eastern  North  America  to  the  Missouri,  and  south  to  Eastern  Texas  (not 
yet  observed  further  west). 

This  species  is  a  rare  summer  inhabitant  of  New  England. 
It  arrives  from  the  South  about  the  10th  of  May  in  the  lati- 
tude of  Massachusetts,  —  that  is,  so  far  as  so  irregular  a 
visitor  may  be  said  to  arrive,  —  and  spreads  throughout 
these  States.  It  is  less  rare  in  the  southern  districts  than 
in  the  middle,  and  hardly  penetrates  as  far  north  as  the 
latitude  of  the  middle  of  Maine.  It  has  been  ascertained 
to  breed  in  all  these  States ;  and  two  nests,  with  their  con- 
tents, are  before  me.  One  of  these  was  found  in  a  hollow 
tree  in  Plymouth,  Mass.,  on  the  10th  of  June ;  the  other 
was  found  in  Middleton,  Mass.,  on  the  4th  of  June.  These 
nests  are  composed  of  straws,  leaves,  feathers,  and  the  cast- 
off  skins  of  snakes ;  and  it  seems  a  distinguishing  character- 
istic of  the  nests  of  this  species  to  have  the  skins  of  one  or 
more  snakes  woven  into  the  other  materials.  The  first 
of  these  nests  had  five  eggs  ;  the  other,  three.  These  are  of 
a  beautiful  creamy-buff,  and  covered  with  irregular  scratches 
and  lines  of  different  shades  of  purple.  Wilson  says  of  these 
eggs,  "  The  female  lays  four  eggs  of  a  dull  cream-color, 
thickly  scratched  with  purple  lines  of  various  tints,  as  if 
done  with  a  pen."  Dimensions  of  eggs  vary  from  .95  by  .78 
Cinches  to  1  by  .80  inch. 

As  this  species  is  quite  rare  in  these  States,  I  have  had 
but  very  few  chances  for  observing  its  habits.  It  appears 
to  be  equally  courageous  and  quarrelsome  with  the  King- 
bird, and  has  many  of  the  peculiarities  of  that  bird.  Its 
food  consists  of  insects,  which  it  captures  while  on  the  wing, 
after  the  manner  of  the  other  species.  When  the  young 
leave  the  nest,  they  feed  on  berries  and  caterpillars,  and  are 
fond  of  crickets  and  grasshoppers.  By  the  middle  of  Sep- 
tember, the  whole  family  leave  for  the  South. 


THE   PEWEE.  133 


SAYORNIS,  BONAPARTE. 

Sayornis,  BONAPARTE?  Ateneo  Italiano  (1854).  /&.,  Comptes  Rendus  (1854) 
Notes  Orn.  Delattre. 

Head  with  a  blended  depressed  moderate  crest;  tarsus  decidedly  longer  than 
middle  toe,  which  is  scarcely  longer  than  the  hind  toe ;  bill  rather  narrow,  width  at 
base  about  half  the  culmen;  tail  broad,  long,  slightly  forked,  equal  to  the  wings, 
which  are  moderately  pointed,  and  reach  to  the  middle  of  the  tail,  first  primary- 
shorter  than  the  sixth. 


SAYORNIS  FUSCUS.  —  Baird. 
The  Pewee;  Phebe-bird. 

Muscicapafusca,  Gmelin.     Syst.  Nat,  I.  (1788)  931.    Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834) 
122;  V.  (1839)  424.     76.,  Birds  Amer.,  I.  (1840)  223. 
Tyrannm  fuscus,  Nuttall.     Man.,  I.  (2d  ed.,  1840)  312. 
Muscicapa  nitnciola,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  II.  (1810)  78;  pi.  xiii. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Sides  of  breast  and  upper  parts  dull  olive-brown,  fading  slightly  toward  the  tail; 
top  and  sides  of  head  dark-brown ;  a  few  dull-white  feathers  on  the  eyelids ;  lower 
parts  dull  yellowish-white,  mixed  with  brown  on  the  chin,  and  in  some  individuals 
across  the  breast;  quills  brown,  the  outer  primary,  secondaries,  and  tertials  edged 
with  dull-white;  in  some  individuals  the  greater  coverts  faintly  edged  with  dull- 
white  ;  tail  brown,  outer  edge  of  lateral  feather  dull-white,  outer  edges  of  the  rest 
like  the  back;  tibiae  brown;  bill  and  feet  black;  bill  slender,  edges  nearly  straight; 
tail  rather  broad,  and  slightly  forked,  third  quill  longest,  second  and  fourth  nearly 
equal,  the  first  shorter  than  sixth. 

Length,  seven  inches;  wing,  three  and  forty-two  one-hundredths;  tail,  three  and 
thirty  one-hundredths. 

Hob.  —  Eastern  North  America. 

In  autumn,  and  occasionally  in  early  spring,  the  colors  are  much  clearer  and 
brighter.  Whole  lower  parts  sometimes  bright  sulphur-yellow,  above  greenish-olive, 
top  and  sides  of  the  head  tinged  with  sooty ;  in  the  young  of  the  year,  the  colors  are 
much  duller;  all  the  wing  coverts  broadly  tipped  with  light-ferruginous,  as  also  the 
extreme  ends  of  the  wings  and  tail  feathers;  the  brown  is  prevalent  on  the  whole 
throat  and  breast;  the  hind  part  of  the  back,  rump,  and  tail,  strongly  ferruginous. 

The  tail  of  this  species  is  quite  deeply  forked,  the  external  feather  being  from 
thirty-five  one-hundredths  to  forty  one-hundredths  of  an  inch  longer  than  the 
middle  one. 

This  well-known  bird  is  a  very  common  summer  inhabi- 
tant of  all  New  England.  It  arrives  from  the  South  often 
as  early  as  the  middle  of  March,  sometimes  before  the  last 
snowstorm  of  the  season.  As  soon  as  the  birds  have 
paired,  usually  by  the  last  of  April,  they  commence  build- 


134  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

ing.  The  nest  is  usually  placed  under  a  bridge,  sometimes 
under  an  eave,  or  ledge  of  rock,  sometimes  in  a  barn 
or  other  building.  It  is  constructed  of  fine  roots,  grasses, 
fine  moss,  and  hairs,  which  are  plastered  together,  and 
to  the  object  the  nest  is  built  on,  by  pellets  of  mud:  it  is 
hollowed  about  an  inch  and  a  half,  and  lined  with  soft 
grasses,  wool,  and  feathers.  The  eggs  are  usually  five  in 
number :  their  color  is  white,  with  a  very  delicate  cream  tint. 
There  are  usually  in  each  litter  one  or  two  eggs  with  a  few 
spots  thinly  scattered  over  the  larger  end :  these  spots  are 
of  a  reddish-brown.  The  period  of  incubation  is  thirteen 
days,  and  two  broods  are  often  reared  in  the  season  in  this 
latitude.  The  length  of  eggs  varies  from  .72  to  .78  inch ; 
breadth,  from  .54  to  .56  inch. 

The  familiar  cheerful  habits  of  this  species,  and  the  fact 
that  it  is  one  of  the  first  birds  to  remind  us  of  the  return 
of  spring,  have  made  it  a  universal  favorite ;  and  many 
residents  in  the  country  are  so  attached  to  it,  that  they 
protect  it,  and  encourage  its  visits,  and  even  provide 
quarters  for  the  establishment  of  its  nest.  It  seems  to  pre- 
fer the  neighborhood  of  a  pond  or  stream  of  water  for  its 
home,  where,  perching  on  the  branch  of  an  overhanging 
tree,  or  on  the  railing  of  a  bridge,  or  darting  about  in  dif- 
ferent directions,  it  busies  itself  through  the  day  in  catching 
the  insects  that  swarm  in  myriads  in  such  localities.  When 
perching,  it  frequently  flirts  its  tail,  and  erects  the  feathers 
of  its  head,  uttering  the  notes  phebe-phelee  in  a  soft 
plaintive  key.  Sometimes,  this  note  is  more  lively,  resem- 
bling the  word  peweet,  peweet,  uttered  in  a  quick,  cheerful 
manner.  The  beautiful  description  of  the  habits  of  this 
bird,  given  by  Audubon,  is  certainly  one  of  the  best  efforts 
of  that  naturalist ;  and  I  would  advise  all  who  are  interested 
in  the  history  of  the  bird  to  read  it. 

After  the  young  have  left  the  nest,  the  parents  remain 
together  in  the  neighborhood  of  their  home  until  their 
departure,  about  the  middle  of  October.  At  this  time,  they 


THE   OLIVE-SIDED   FLYCATCHER.  135 

are  a  little  more  shy  than  they  were  during  the  season 
of  incubation,  and  their  note  is  seldom  heard  ;  and,  when  it 
is,  it  consists  of  a  melancholy  strain,  quite  different  from 
that  uttered  in  the  spring  and  early  summer. 

CONTOPUS,  CABANIS. 

Contopus,  CABANIS,  Journal  fur  Ornithologie,  III.  (Nov.,  1855)  479.  (Type 
Muscicapa  virens,  L.) 

Tarsus  very  short,  but  stout,  less  than  the  middle  toe,  and  scarcely  longer  than 
the  hinder;  bill  quite  broad  at  the  base,  wider  than  half  the  culmen;  tail  mod- 
erately forked,  much  shorter  than  the  wings  (rather  more  than  three-fourths);  wings 
very  long  and  much  pointed,  reaching  beyond  the  middle  of  the  tail,  the  first 
primary  about  equal  to  the  fourth ;  all  the  primaries  slender  and  rather  acute,  but 
not  attenuated;  head  moderately  crested ;  color,  olive  above,  pale-yellowish  beneath, 
\vith  a  darker  patch  on  the  sides  of  the  breast;  under  tail  coverts  streaked. 

CONTOPUS  BOEEALIS.  —  Baird. 
The  Olive-sided  Flycatcher. 

Tyrannus  borealis,  Sw.  and  Rich.  F.  Bor.  Am.,  II.  (1831)  141;  plate. 
Muscicapa  Cooperi,  Nuttall.    Man.,  I.  (1832)  282.     Aud.  Orn.  Biog ,  II.  (1834) 
422;  V.  (1839)  422. 

Tyrannus  Co.yeri,  Bonaparte.    List  (1838).    Nutt.  Man.,  I.  (2d  ed.,  1840)  298. 
Muscicapa  inornata,  Nuttall.    Man.  I.  (1832)  282. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Wings  long,  much  pointed,  the  second  quill  longest,  the  first  longer  than  the 
third;  tail  deeply  forked ;  tarsi  short;  the  upper  parts  ashy-brown,  showing  darker 
brown  centres  of  the  feathers,  this  is  eminently  the  case  on  the  top  of  the  head; 
the  sides  of  the  head  and  neck,  of  the  breast  and  body  resembling  the  back,  but 
with  the  edges  of  the  feathers  tinged  with  gray,  leaving  a  darker  central  streak;  the 
chin,  throat,  narrow  line  down  the  middle  of  the  breast  and  body,  abdomen,  and 
lower  tail  coverts  white,  or  sometimes  with  a  faint  tinge  of  yellow;  the  lower 
tail  coverts  somewhat  streaked  with  brown  in  the  centre;  on  each  side  of  the  rump, 
generally  concealed  by  the  wings,  is  an  elongated  bunch  of  white  silk}'-  feathers ; 
the  wings  and  tail  very  dark  brown,  the  former  with  the  edges  of  the  secondaries 
and  tertials  edged  with  dull-white;  the  lower  wing  coverts  and  axillaries  grayish- 
brown;  the  tips  of  the  primaries  and  tail  feathers  rather  paler;  feet  and  upper 
mandible  black,  lower  mandible  brown;  the  young  of  the  year  similar,  but  the 
color  duller;  feet  light-brown. 

Length,  seven  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches  ;  wing,  four  and  thirty-three  one- 
hundredths;  tail,  three  and  thirty  one-hundredths;  tarsus,  sixty  one-hundredths. 

Hob.  —  Rare  on  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  coasts  of  the  United  States.  Not 
observed  in  the  interior,  except  to  the  north.  Found  in  Greenland.  (Reinhardt.) 

This  bird  is  a  not  very  common  summer  inhabitant  of 
New  England.  It  arrives  from  the  South  about  the  20th 


136  ORNITHOLOGY   AND    OOLOGY. 

of  May,  and  is  most  frequently  observed  in  low  growths  of 
oak  and  chestnut:  it  seems  always  busily  employed  in 
catching  winged  insects,  of  which  its  food  almost  entirely 
consists;  these  it  seizes  in  the  manner  of  the  King-bird, 
which  bird  it  resembles  in  both  its  habits  and  disposition. 
I  have  sometimes  seen  two  birds  of  this  species  engaged  in 
a  fight,  which,  for  fierceness,  I  have  hardly  seen  surpassed. 
They  would  rush  together  in  mid-air,  snapping  their  bills, 
beating  with  their  wings,  and  pecking  each  other,  until  they 
both  descended  to  the  trees  beneath,  actually  exhausted  with 
their  exertions. 

Mr.  Verrill  says  that  it  breeds  quite  common  near  the 
Umbagog  Lakes,  Me. ;  but  I  have  never  been  able  to  find  its 
nest  there  or  elsewhere,  although  I  have  looked  for  it  with 
great  care. 

It  has  been  found  breeding  in  Vermont ;  and  Dr.  Thomp- 
son, in  his  work  on  the  birds  of  that  State,  gives  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  nest  and  eggs.  Three  nests  have  been  found  in 
Massachusetts  within  two  years ;  two  in  West  Roxbury,  and 
one  in  Dorchester.  These  were  all  built  in  forked  twigs 
of  apple-trees,  in  old  neglected  orchards,  facing  to  the 
southward,  and  were  constructed  of  the  same  material  that 
the  King-bird  uses  in  its  nest.  In  fact,  they  were  almost 
exactly  like  the  King-bird's  nest,  but  were  a  little  smaller. 

Two  of  the  nests  had  three  eggs  each,  and  the  other  had 
but  two.  They  were  all  found  in  the  first  week  in  June, 
and  the  eggs  were  freshly  laid :  probably,  if  they  had  been 
unmolested,  more  eggs  would  have  been  deposited.  Three 
of  these  eggs  are  in  my  cabinet.  To  compare  them  with 
the  eggs  of  any  other  bird,  I  should  say  they  seem  like 
exceedingly  large  Wood  Pe wee's  :  for  they  are  almost  exactly 
like  them  in  shape,  color,  and  markings ;  being  of  a  creamy- 
white,  with  large  blotches  and  spatters  of  lilac,  lavender, 
and  brownish-red.  Their  dimensions  are  .88  by  .68 ;  .88 
by  .66 ;  .86  by  .68  inch. 

Mr.   Nuttall,  who   found   a  nest  in   Cambridge,  Mass., 


THE   WOOD    PEWEE.  137 

describes  it  as  follows :  "It  was  built  in  the  horizontal 
branch  of  a  tall  red  cedar,  forty  or  fifty  feet  from  the 
ground.  It  was  formed  much  in  the  manner  of  the  King- 
bird's, externally  made  of  interlaced  dead  twigs  of  the 
cedar  ;  internally,  of  the  wire  stolons  of  the  common  Lichen 
or  Usnea.  It  contained  three  young,  and  had  had  probably 
four  eggs.  The  eggs  had  been  hatched  about  the  20th  of 
June,  so  that  the  pair  had  arrived  in  this  vicinity  about  the 
close  of  May."  He  also  describes  the  bird's  note  as 
follows :  "  The  female  had  a  whistling,  oft-repeated,  whin- 
ing call  of  'pit  'pit,  then  varied  to  'pu  'pip,  and  'pip  'pu,  also 
at  times  'pip  'pip  'pu,  'pip  'pip  'pip,  'pii  'pu  'pip,  or  'tu  'tu, 
'tu,  and  'tu,  'tu.  The  male,  besides  this  note,  had,  at  long 
intervals,  a  call  of  seh'  phebee  or  'h'  pheb^d,  almost  exactly 
in  the  tone  of  the  circular  tin  whistle  or  bird-call." 

By  the  second  week  in  September,  none  of  these  birds 
are  to  be  seen ;  and,  probably  before  that  time,  they  have 
all  departed  on  their  migrations. 

CONTOPUS  VIRENS.  —  Cabanis. 

The  Wood  Pewee. 

Muscicapa  virens,  Linnaeus.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  327.    Nutt.  Man.,  I.  (1832) 
285.     Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  93;  V.  (1839)  425. 
Muscicapa  rapax,  Wilson.     Am.  Orn.,  II.  (1810)  81. 
Tyrannus  virens,  Nuttall.    Man.,  I.  (2d  ed.,  1840)  316. 

DESCRIPTION. 

The  second  quill  longest,  the  third  a  little  shorter,  the  first  shorter  than  the 
fourth,  the  latter  nearly  forty  one-hundredths  longer  than  the  fifth ;  the  primaries 
more  than  an  inch  longer  than  the  secondaries ;  the  upper  parts,  sides  of  the  head, 
neck,  and  breast,  dark  olivaceous-brown,  the  latter  rather  paler,  the  head  darker;  a 
narrow  white  ring  round  the  eye ;  the  lower  parts  pale-yellowish,  deepest  on  the 
abdomen;  across  the  breast  tinged  with  ash;  this  pale  ash  sometimes  occupies 
the  whole  of  the  breast,  and  even  occasionally  extends  up  to  the  chin;  it  is  also 
sometimes  glossed  with  olivaceous;  the  wings  and  tail  dark-brown,  generally  deeper 
than  in  S.  fuscus;  two  narrow  bands  across  the  wing,  the  outer  edge  of  first 
primary  and  of  the  secondaries  and  tertials  dull-white ;  the  edges  of  the  tail  feathers 
like  the  back,  the  outer  one  scarcely  lighter;  upper  mandible  black,  the  lower  yel- 
low, but  brown  at  the  tip. 

Length,  six  and  fifteen  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  three  and  fifty  one-hun- 
dredths; tail,  three  and  five  one-hundredths. 

Hob.  —  Eastern  North  America  to  the  borders  of  the  high  central  plains,  south  to 
New  Granada. 


138  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

This  bird  is  a  common  summer  inhabitant  of  New  Eng- 
land, making  its  appearance  from  the  South  from  about  the 
10th  to  the  20th  of  May.  It  prefers  the  solitudes  of 


the  deep  forests  to  the  more  open  districts,  and  is  a  more 
retiring  species  than  any  of  its  cousins  in  these  States. 
About  the  last  of  May,  the  birds,  having  chosen  their  mates, 
commence  building.  The  nest  is  placed  usually  on  the 
horizontal  limb  of  a  tree,  generally  at  a  height  of  about 
twenty  feet  from  the  ground  :  it  is  composed  of  pine  leaves 
and  cottony  substances,  and  covered  with  lichens  and 
mosses,  which  are  fixed  on  after  the  manner  of  the  Hum- 
ming-bird. I  think  Nuttall's  description  of  the  nest  the 
best  that  I  have  seen :  it  is  as  follows :  — 

"  The  nest  is  extremely  neat  and  curious,  almost  universally 
saddled  upon  an  old  moss-grown  and  decayed  limb  in  a  horizontal 
position,  and  is  so  remarkably  shallow,  and  incorporated  upon  the 
branch,  as  to  be  easily  overlooked.  The  body  of  the  fabric  con- 
sists of  wiry  grass  and  root  fibres,  often  blended  with  small  branch- 
ing lichens,  held  together  with  cobwebs  and  caterpillars'  silk, 
moistened  with  saliva ;  externally,  it  is  so  coated  over  with  bluish, 
crustaceous  lichens  as  to  be  hardly  discernible  from  the  moss 
upon  the  tree.  It  is  lined  with  finer  root-fibres,  or  slender  grass- 
stalks." 


THE   WOOD   PEWEE.  139 

The  eggs  are  generally  four  in  number.  They  are  very 
beautiful,  being  of  a  delicate  cream-color,  with  blotches 
and  spots  of  lilac  and  brown  around  the  larger  end :  there 
are  two  shades  of  lilac,  —  one  obscure,  and  the  other 
decided,  even  a  lavender.  The  eggs  are  generally  oval  in 
shape,  and  but  little  larger  at  one  end  than  at  the  other. 
Length  from  .72  to  .78  inch ;  breadth  from  .54  to  .56  inch. 
But  one  brood  is  reared  in  the  season  in  New  England. 
The  period  of  incubation  is  fourteen  days. 

The  habits  of  this  species  are  not  generally  so  well  known 
as  those  of  the  Phebe,  which  bird  it  resembles  in  many 
respects.  Although  it  is  usually  found  in  the  wildest  and 
most  thickly  wooded  localities,  it  sometimes  frequents  the 
orchards  and  open  pastures ;  and  I  have  occasionally  seen 
individuals  on  the  trees  on  Boston  Common,  busily  engaged 
in  hunting  insects,  and  apparently  having  families  in  the 
neighborhood.  The  note  is  different  from  that  of  the  Phebe, 
being  more  plaintive  and  drawling,  sounding  like  the  syl- 
lables "pe-weeee"  "  pe-weeee"  When  the  nest  is  ap- 
proached, both  the  parents  fly  to  meet  the  intruder, 
hovering  over  his  head,  snapping  their  bills,  and  uttering 
short  notes  of  complaint  like  chip-pee,  pe-peu :  they  often 
alight  on  a  twig  near  him,  and  flirt  their  tails  and  quiver 
their  wings  in  a  nervous,  irritable  manner.  After  the 
young  have  left  the  nest,  the  old  birds  separate ;  and,  though 
still  frequenting  the  same  localities  they  inhabited  during 
the  season  of  incubation,  they  are  seldom  seen  together, 
each  seeming  to  avoid  the  other.  They  are  now  generally 
silent,  and,  when  approached,  are  quite  shy.  They  leave 
the  New-England  States  by  the  10th  of  September,  and 
probably  winter  in  South  America. 

EMPIDONAX,  CABANIS. 

Empidonax,  CABANIS,  Journal  fur  Ornithologie,  III.  (Nov.,  1855)  480  (type 
Tyrannula  pusilla. 

Tyrannula  of  most  authors. 


140  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

Tarsus  lengthened,  considerably  longer  than  the  middle  toe,  which  is  decidedly 
longer  than  the  hind  toe ;  bill  variable ;  tail  very  slightly  forked,  even,  or  rounded, 
a  little  shorter  only  than  the  wings,  which  are  considerably  rounded,  the  first  pri- 
mary much  shorter  than  the  fourth;  head  moderately  crested;  color  olivaceous 
above,  yellowish  beneath ;  throat  generally  gray. 


EMPIDONAX   TEAILLII.  —  Baird. 
The  Traill's  Flycatcher. 

Muscicapa  traittii,  Audubon.     Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1832)  236;  V.  (1839)  426. 
Tyrannus  traillii,  Nuttall.    Man.,  I.  (2d  ed.,  1840)  323. 

DESCBIPTION. 

Third  quill  longest,  second  scarcely  shorter  than  fourth,  first  shorter  than  fifth, 
about  thirty-five  one-hundredths  shorter  than  the  longest ;  primaries  about  seventy- 
five  one-hundredths  of  an  inch  longer  than  secondaries ;  tail  even ;  upper  parts  dark 
olive-green,  lighter  under  the  wings,  and  duller  and  more  tinged  with  ash  on  nape 
and  sides  of  the  neck;  centre  of  the  crown  feathers  brown;  a  pale  yellowish-white 
ring  (in  some  specimens  altogether  white)  round  the  eye;  loral  feathers  mixed 
with  white;  chin  and  throat  white;  the  breast  and  sides  of  throat  light-ash  tinged 
with  olive,  its  intensity  varying  in  individuals,  the  former  sometimes  faintly 
tinged  with  olive;  sides  of  the  breast  much  like  the  back;  middle  of  the  belly  nearly 
white;  sides  of  the  belly,  abdomen,  and  the  lower  tail  coverts  sulphur-yellow;  the 
quills  and  tail  feathers  dark-brown,  as  dark  (if  not  more  so)  as  these  parts  in 
C.  virens;  two  olivaceous  yellow-white  bands  on  the  wing,  formed  by  the  tips  of  the 
first  and  second  coverts,  succeeded  by  a  brown  one,  the  edge  of  the  first  primary 
and  of  secondaries  and  tertials  a  little  lighter  shade  of  the  same ;  the  outer  edge  of 
the  tail  feathers  like  the  back,  that  of  the  lateral  one  rather  lighter;  bill  above  dark- 
brown,  dull-brownish  beneath. 

Length,  nearly  six  inches;  wing,  two  and  ninety  one-hundredths;  tail,  two  and 
sixty  one-hundredths. 

Hob.  — Eastern  United  States,  and  south  to  Mexico. 

This  bird  is  occasionally  found  as  a  spring  and  autumn 
visitor  in  New  England,  arriving  about  the  15th  or  20th  of 
May.  In  its  habits,  it  resembles  the  Least  Flycatcher  (E. 
minimus),  as  it  does  also  in  its  plumage:  in  fact,  these. two 
birds  and  the  Green-crested  Flycatcher  have  been  so  much 
mistaken  for  each  other  by  different  naturalists,  the  confu- 
sion in  whose  descriptions  is  so  great,  that  it  requires  a  very 
careful  examination  to  identify  either  of  these  birds  per- 
fectly and  accurately.  I  have  had  no  opportunities  for 
observing  the  habits  of  the  bird  now  before  us,  and  can  add 
nothing  to  its  history.  Thompson,  in  his  "  Vermont  Birds," 


THE   LEAST   FLYCATCHER. 

gives  it  as  breeding  in  that  State ;  and  I  have  no  doubt  it 
occasionally  passes  the  summer  in  each  of  the  New-England 
States.  I  had  a  nest  and  four  eggs  brought  me  in  June, 
1864,  found  in  Eastern  Massachusetts,  that  were  almost 
exactly  like  those  of  E.  minimus;  but  the  bird  brought 
with  the  nest  was  unquestionably  of  this  species :  whether 
or  not  the  two  belonged  together  I  cannot  say,  but  think 
that  they  probably  did.  The  person  who  collected  them 
informed  me  that  the  nest  was  found  in  an  apple-tree  in  an 
old  orchard  :  it  was  built  in  a  small  fork  about  twenty  feet 
from  the  ground.  The  bird  attacked  the  person  who  found 
it,  courageously  flying  in  his  face,  and  snapping  its  bill 
with  anger,  and  uttering  a  querulous  twitter  like  that  of  the 
Phebe.  The  eggs  were  nearly  hatched ;  and,  as  they  were 
found  on  the  20th  of  June,  they  must  have  been  laid  by 
the  10th  of  that  month. 

Two  eggs  in  my  cabinet,  from  near  Quebec,  Lower  Can- 
ada, collected  by  William  Couper,  Esq.,  who  informs  me 
this  species  is  occasionally  met  with  there,  are  of  a  creamy- 
white  color,  like  that  of  the  eggs  of  E.  minimus  ;  each  egg 
having  a  very  few  pale  reddish-brown  dots.  The  form  of 
the  eggs  is  more  elongated  than  that  of  the  eggs  of  minimus, 
the  dimensions  being  .77  by  .53  inch,  and  .76  by  .55  inch. 

EMPIDONAX  MINIMUS.  —  Baird. 
The  Least  Flycatcher;  Chebec. 

Tyrannula  minima,  William  M.  and  S.  F.  Baird.  Pr.  A.  N.  Sc.  I.  (July,  1843) 
284.  /&.,  Sillim.  Am.  Jour.  Sc.  (July,  1844).  And.,  Birds  Amer.  VII.  (1844)  343, 
pi.  491. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Second  quill  longest,  third  and  fourth  but  little  shorter,  fifth  a  little  less,  first 
intermediate  between  fifth  and  sixth;  tail  even;  above  olive-brown,  darker  on  the 
head,  becoming  paler  on  the  rump  and  upper  tail  coverts;  the  middle  of  the  back 
most  strongly  olivaceous;  the  nape  (in  some  individuals)  and  sides  of  the  head 
tinged  with  ash;  a  ring  round  the  eye,  and  some  of  the  loral  feathers  white,  the  chin 
and  throat  white;  the  sides  of  the  throat  and  across  the  breast  dull-ash,  the  color  on 
the  latter  sometimes  nearly  obsolete;  sides  of  the  breast  similar  to  the  back,  but  of  a 
lighter  tint ;  middle  of  the  belly  very  pale  yellowish-white,  turning  to  pale  sulphur- 
yellow  on  the  sides  ,of  the  belly,  abdomen,  and  lower  tail  coverts;  wings  brown, 


142  ORNITHOLOGY   AND    OOLOGY. 

two  narrow  white  bands  on  wing,  formed  by  the  tips  of  the  first  and  second  cov- 
erts, succeeded  by  one  of  brown ;  the  edge  of  the  first  primary,  and  of  the  second- 
aries and  tertials,  white;  tail  rather  lighter  brown,  edged  externally  like  the  back; 
feathers  narrow,  not  acuminate,  with  the  ends  rather  blunt.  In  autumn,  the  white 
parts  are  strongly  tinged  with  yellow. 

Length,  about  five  inches;  wing,  two  and  sixty-five  one-hundredths ;  tail,  two 
and  fifty  one-hundredths. 

Hob. — Eastern  United  States  to  Missouri  plains. 

This  species  arrives  from  the  South  usually  about  the 
last  week  in  April.  The  birds  commence  building  about 
the  20th  or  25th  of  May.  The  nest  is  placed  usually  in 
a  small  fork  of  a  limb  of  an  apple-tree,  in  the  orchard,  and 
often  quite  near  the  house  :  it  is  composed  of  soft,  fine  grass, 
cobwebs,  twine,  cotton,  —  in  fact,  almost  any  thing  that  will 
help  to  make  a  smooth,  compact  fabric :  the  interior  is  lined 
with  soft  grass,  bristles,  fine  roots,  feathers,  and  wool.  The 
eggs  are  usually  four  in  number,  sometimes  three,  some- 
times five  :  they  are  of  a  beautiful  creamy-white  color ;  and 
their  form  is  nearly  pyriform,  being  abruptly  tapered  to  the 
small  end.  Dimensions  of  a  nest  complement  of  four  eggs, 
taken  at  random  from  a  large  number,  collected  in  different 
parts  of  New  England :  .63  by  .50  inch,  .64  by  .51  inch, 
.61  by  .53  inch,  .60  by  .53  inch.  This  species  often  breeds 
twice  in  the  season  in  New  England.  The  period  of  incuba- 
tion is  thirteen  days. 

This  bird,  being  very  abundantly  distributed  as  a  summer 
resident  throughout  New  England,  is  well  known,  and  its 
habits  are  familiar  to  all.  It  prefers  the  neighborhood  of 
civilization,  and  is  most  frequently  found  in  orchards  and 
gardens.  A  pair  once  built  in  an  apple-tree,  immediately 
beneath  my  chamber  window,  —  so  near  that  I  could  touch 
the  nest  with  a  rod  four  feet  in  length.  The  nest  was  com- 
menced on  the  5th  of  June,  and  was  finished  by  the  10th  ; 
both  birds  working  in  its  construction.  The  female  laid 
four  eggs  in  three  days'  time,  and  commenced  sitting  when 
the  fourth  was  laid.  Both  birds  incubated,  and  the  male 
remained  on  the  nest  nearly  as  long  as  his  mate.  When  he 


THE   SMALL   GREEN-CRESTED    FLYCATCHER.  143 

was  off  the  nest,  he  was  very  pugnacious ;  attacking  every 
bird  that  came  near,  and  even  forcing  a  robin  to  retreat,  so 
fierce  was  the  onslaught  he  made  on  it.  He  always,  in 
attacking  other  birds,  uttered  his  shrill  cry,  chebec,  chebec, 
and  snapped  his  bill  loudly  and  fiercely.  When  perching, 
lie  often  flirted  his  tail  in  the  manner  of  the  Phebe ;  and, 
every  few  seconds,  he  emitted  his  note,  —  chebec,  chebec, 
chebec;  varied  sometimes  into  chebec-trree-treo,  chebe  c-treee- 
clieu. 

The  young  were  all  hatched  by  the  fourteenth  day,  and 
left  the  nest  within  a  month  from  their  birth.  They  were  fed 
abundantly,  while  on  the  nest,  by  the  parents,  with  insects, 
which  they  caught  and  crushed  between  their  bills:  they 
were  fed  a  few  days  after  they  left  the  nest,  and  then  turned 
adrift ;  the  parents  having  begun  another  nest  on  the  same 
tree. 

The  Least  Flycatcher  has  often  been  called  the  Small 
Green-crested  or  Acadican  Flycatcher.  I  would  caution 
those  who  are  interested  in  the  history  of  these  birds  to 
observe  great  care,  and  be  certain  of  their  identity  before 
naming  them. 

By  the  second  week  in  September,  it  leaves  on  its  south- 
ern migration. 

EMPIDONAX  ACADICUS.  —  Baird. 
The  Small  Green-crested  Flycatcher. 

f  Muscicapa  acadica,  Gmelin.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1788)  947.     Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II. 
(1834)  256;  V.  (1839)  429.     Nutt.  Man.,  I.  (1832)  208. 
Muscicapa  querula,  Wilson.     Am.  Orn.,  II.  (1810)  77. 
Tyrannus  acadica,  Nuttall.     Man.  I.  (2d  ed.,  1840)  320. 

DESCRIPTION. 

The  second  and  third  quills  are  longest,  and  about  equal;  the  fourth  a  little 
shorter,  the  first  about  equal  to  the  fifth,  and  about  thirty-five  one-hundredths  less 
than  the  longest;  tail  even;  the  upper  parts,  with  sides  of  the  head  and  neck,  olive- 
green,  the  crown  very  little  if  any  darker;  a  yellowish-white  ring  round  the  eye; 
the  sides  of  the  body  under  the  wings  like  the  back,  but  fainter  olive,  a  tinge  of  the 
same  across  the  breast;  the  chin,  throat,  and  middle  of  the  belly  white;  the  abdo- 
men, lower  tail  and  wing  coverts,  and  sides  of  the  body  not  covered  by  the  wings, 
pale  greenish-yellow ;  edges  of  the  first  primary,  secondaries,  and  tertials  margined 


144  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

with  dull  yellowish- white,  most  broadly  on  the  latter;  two  transverse  bands  of  pale- 
yellowish  across  the  wings,  formed  by  the  tips  of  the  secondary  and  primary  covertsf 
succeeded  by  a  brown  one;  tail  light-brown,  margined  externally  like  the  back; 
upper  mandible  light-brown  above,  pale-yellow  beneath.  In  autumn,  the  lower 
parts  are  more  yellow. 

Length,  five  and  sixty-five  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  three ;  tail,  two  and 
seventy-five  one-hundredths  inches. 

Hob.  —  Eastern  United  States  to  the  Mississippi. 

This  bird  is  a  rare  summer  inhabitant  of  any  of  the  New- 
England  States,  seldom  coming  so  far  north.  I  have  had 
no  opportunities  of  observing  its  habits,  and  can  give  no 
description  from  my  own  observation.  Mr.  Allen  says  that 
it  breeds  in  swamps  and  low  moist  thickets,  which  are  its 
exclusive  haunts. 

Giraud,  in  his  "  Birds  of  Long  Island,"  says,  "  In  habits, 
it  is  solitary ;  generally  seen  on  the  lower  branches  of  the 
largest  trees  ;  utters  a  quick,  sharp  note  ;  arrives  among  us 
in  the  latter  part  of  May,  and  retires  southward  early  in 
September." 

I  have  no  nest,  but  understand  that  it  resembles  that  of 
the  Least  Flycatcher.  Five  eggs  before  me,  furnished  by 
J.  P.  Norris,  Esq.,  of  Philadelphia,  are  of  a  pale  creamy- 
white  color,  with  a  few  thin  spots  of  reddish-brown  scattered 
over  their  larger  end.  They  vary  in  size  from  .78  inch  in 
length  by  about  .56  inch  in  breadth,  to  .72  inch  in  length 
by  .55  inch  in  breadth.  The  form  is  like  that  of  E.  traillii  ; 
but(the  spots  are  larger  and  more  numerous. 


OSCINES.      SINGING   BIRDS.  145 


SUB-ORDER  OSCINES.     SINGING  BIRDS. 

Toes,  three  anterior,  one  behind,  all  at  the  same  level,  and  none  versatile,  the 
outer  anterior  never  entirely  free  to  the  base ;  tail  feathers  twelve;  primaries,  either 
nine  only,  or  else  the  first  is  spurious  or  much  shorter  than  the  second,  making  the 
tenth;  tail  feathers  usually  twelve;  tarsi  feathered  to  the  knee,  the  plates  on  the 
anterior  face  either  fused  into  one  or  with  distinct  divisions,  the  posterior  portion  of 
the  sides  covered  by  one  continuous  plate  on  either  side,  meeting  in  a  sharp  edge 
behind,  or  with  only  a  few  divisions  inferiorly.  Occasionally,  the  hinder  side  has 
transverse  plates,  corresponding  in  number  to  the  anterior;  but  there  are  then  usually 
none  on  the  sides.  Larynx  provided  with  a  peculiar  muscular  apparatus  for  singing, 
composed  of  five  pairs  of  muscles. 


FAMILY  TURDID^E.     THE  THRUSHES. 

The  following  characteristics  of  this  family  and  its  genera,  represented  in  New 
England,  are  given  by  Professor  Spencer  F.  Baird,  in  his  recent  "  Review  of  the 
Birds  of  Noith  America,"  published  in  the  Smithsonian  Miscellaneous  Collec- 
tions :  — 

"Primaries  ten,  the  first  of  which  is  either  spurious  or  much  shorter  than  the 
second.  The  bill  is  elongated  and  subulate,  moderately  slender,  and  usually  notched 
at  tip;  nostrils  uncovered;  the  culmen  moderately  curved  from  the  base,  and  the 
mouth  well  provided  with  bristles,  except  in  a  few  cases.  Usually,  the  scutellae 
covering  the  front  and  sides  of  the.  tarsus  are  fused  into  one  continuous  plate,  or  else 
scarcely  appreciable,  except  on  the  inner  edge  only ;  in  the  Mocking  Thrushes,  they 
are,  however,  distinctly  marked.  The  lateral  toes  are  nearly  equal,  the  outer  rather 
the  longer."  These  general  characteristics  apply  also  to  the  Saxicolidce,  more  fully 
spoken  of  in  a  succeeding  page. 

The  peculiar  characteristics  of  the  family  Turdidce  are:  "Wings  moderate,  more 
rounded,  not  reaching  beyond  middle  of  the  often  rounded  tail,  and  not  more  than 
one  and  a  third  the  latter,  usually  more  nearly  equal.  Spurious  primary  sometimes 
half  the  length  of  second  quill,  the  second  quill  shorter  than  the  fourth.  In  the 
closed  wing,  the  outer  secondary  reaches  three-fourths  or  more  the  length  of  longest 
primary." 

Professor  Baird  divides  this  family  into  the*  sub-families  Turdince,  which  have 
"tarsi  covered  anteriorly  with  a  continuous  plate;"  and  the  Mimince,  whose  tarsi 
are  scutellate  anteriorly ;  scutellae  seven. 


Sub-Family  TURDINJE. 

Nostrils  oval;  bristles  along  the  base  of  the  bill  from  gape  to  nostrils,  those  of 
rictus  not  reaching  beyond  nostrils ;  the  loral  feathers  with  bristly  points ;  second 
quill  longer  than  sixth;  outer  lateral  toes  longer;  wings  long. 

10 


146  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 


TURDUS,  LINNAEUS. 

Turdus,  LINN^US,  Syst.  Nat.  (1735).  (Type  T.  viscivorus,  fide  G.  R.  Gray.) 
Bill  rather  stout;  commissure  straight  to  near  the  tip,  which  is  quite  abruptly 
decurved,  and  usually  distinctly  notched;  culmen  gently  convex  from  base;  bill 
shorter  than  the  head,  both  outlines  curved;  tarsi  longer  than  the  middle  toe;  lateral 
toes  nearly  equal,  outer  longer;  wings  much  longer  than  the  tail,  pointed;  the  first 
quill  spurious  and  very  small,  not  one-fourth  the  length  of  longest ;  tail  short,  nearly 
even,  or  slightly  emarginate. 


TURDUS   MUSTELINUS.  —  Gmelin. 
The  Song  Thrush  ;  Wood  Thrush. 

Turdus  mustelinus,  Gmelin.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1788)  817.  Nutt.  Man.,  I.  (1832)  343. 
Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1832)  372;  V.  (1839)  446. 

Turdus  melodus,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  I.  (1808)  35,  pi  ii. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Above,  clear  cinnamon-brown,  on  the  top  of  the  head  becoming  more  rufous,  on 
the  rump  and  tail  olivaceous  ;  the  under  parts  are  clear-white,  sometimes  tinged  with 
buff  on  the  breast  or  anteriorly,  and  thickly  marked  beneath,  except  on  the  chin 
and  throat,  and  about  the  vent  and  tail  coverts,  with  sub-triangular,  sharply  defined 
spots  of  blackish;  the  sides  of  the  head  are  dark  -brown,  streaked  with  white,  and 
there  is  also  a  maxillary  series  of  streaks  on  each  side  of  the  throat,  the  central  por- 
tion of  which  sometimes  has  indications  of  small  spots. 

Length,  eight  and  ten-hundredths  inches  :  wing,  four  and  twenty-five  one-hun- 
dredths;  tail,  three  and  five  one-hundredths  ;  tarsus,  one  and  twenty-six  one- 
hundredths. 

Hob.  —  Eastern  United  States  to  Missouri  River,  south  to  Guatemala.  • 


beautiful  songster  is  a  pretty  common  summer 
JL  inhabitant  •  of  Massachusetts,  Connecticut,  and  Rhode 
Island.  In  the  other  New-England  States,  it  is  rarely  seen  ; 
and,  when  we  hear  of  a  Song  Thrush  occurring  there,  refer- 
ence is  probably  made  either  to  the  Hermit  or  Olive-backed 
Thrush.  It  arrives  from  the  South  about  the  10th  of  May, 
both  sexes  making  their  appearance  at  about  the  same  time. 
They  soon  commence  pairing,  and  frequent  the  moist  thick- 
ets and  thickly  wooded  glens,  where  their  amours  are  con- 
ducted in  privacy  and  peace. 

At  this  season,  the  beautiful  song  of  the  male  is  heard  at 
early  dawn  and  early  twilight  :  it  seldom  sings  in  the  middle 
of  the  day,  unless  the  weather  is  dark  and  cloudy.  This 
song  is  a  beautiful,  melancholy  strain,  similar  to  the  tone 


THE   SONG   THRUSH.  147 

produced  on  a  flute :  the  notes  are  difficult  of  description. 
Mr.  Nuttall,  who  was  particularly  happy  in  his  descriptions 
of  bird-songs,  speaks  of  this  as  follows :  — 

"  The  prelude  to  this  song  resembles  almost  the  double-tonguing 
of  the  flute,  blended  with  a  tinkling,  shrill,  and  solemn  warble, 
which  re-echoes  from  his  solitary  retreat  like  the  dirge  of  some  sad 
recluse,  who  shuns  the  busy  haunts  of  life.  The  whole  air  consists 
usually  of  four  parts,  or  bars,  which  succeed,  in  deliberate  time, 
and  finally  blend  together  in  impressive  and  soothing  harmony, 
becoming  more  mellow  arid  sweet  at  every  repetition.  Rival  per- 
formers seem  to  challenge  each  other  from  various  parts  of  the 
wood,  vying  for  the  favor  of  their  mates  with  sympathetic  respon- 
ses and  softer  tones.  And  some,  waging  a  jealous  strife,  terminate 
the  warm  dispute  by  an  appeal  to  combat  and  violence.  Like  the 
Robin  and  the  Thrasher,  in  dark  and  gloomy  weather,  when  other 
birds  are  sheltered  and  silent,  the  clear  notes  of  the  Wood  Thrush 
are  heard  through  the  dropping  woods,  from  dawn  to  dusk ;  so  that, 
the  sadder  the  day,  the  sweeter  and  more  constant  is  his  song.  His 
clear  and  interrupted  whistle  is  likewise  often  nearly  the  only  voice 
of  melody  heard  by  the  traveller,  to  mid-day,  in  the  heat  of  sum- 
mer, as  he  traverses  the  silent,  dark,  and  wooded  wilderness,  remote 
from  the  haunts  of  men.  It  is  nearly  impossible  by  words  to  con- 
vey any  idea  of  the  peculiar  warble  of  this  vocal  hermit;  but, 
amongst  his  phrases,  the  sound  of  'airoee,  peculiarly  liquid,  and 
followed  by  a  trill,  repeated  in  two  separate  bars,  is  readily  recog* 
nizable.  At  times,  their  notes  bear  a  considerable  resemblance  to 
those  of  Wilson's  Thrush :  such  as  eh  rhehu  'vrhehu,  then  varied 
to  'eh  villia  villia,  'eh  villia  vrhehu,  then  'eh  vein  villu,  high  and 
shrill." 

About  the  20th  of  May,  the  Song  Thrush  builds  its  nest. 
This  is  placed  usually  in  a  low  alder  or  birch  shrub,  in  a 
retired  locality,  almost  always  in  the  deep  woods.  It  is 
composed  outwardly  of  grass,  leaves,  and  weeds,  bent  and 
twined  together.  In  this  is  built  a  nest  composed  of  mud 
and  grass,  and  the  whole  is  lined  with  fibrous  roots  and  soft 
grass  and  moss.  It  is  placed  on  a  low  branch  of  a  tree,  or 
in  the  branches  of  a  shrub.  I  give  Wilson's  description  of 


148  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

the  nest,  not  because  it  is  essentially  different  from  my  own, 
but  to  confirm  my  own  observation,  and  to  help  clear  up 
the  confusion  that  exists  in  many  districts  concerning  the 
identity  of  the  thrushes.  It  is  as  follows  :  — 

"  The  favorite  haunts  of  the  Wood  Thrush  are  low,  thick-shaded 
hollows,  through  which  a  small  brook  or  rill  meanders,  overhung 
with  cedar-bushes  that  are  mantled  with  wild  vines.  Near  such  a 
scene,  he  generally  builds  his  nest  in  a  laurel  or  alder  bush.  Out- 
wardly, it  is  composed  of  withered  beech-leaves  of  the  preceding 
year,  laid  at  bottom  in  considerable  quantities,  no  doubt  to  prevent 
damp  and  moisture  from  ascending  through,  being  generally  built 
in  low,  wet  situations :  above  these  are  layers  of  knotty  stalks  or 
withered  grass,  mixed  with  mud,  and  smoothly  plastered,  above 
which  is  laid  a  slight  lining  of  fine  black  fibrous  roots  of  plants." 

The  eggs  are  usually  four  in  number ;  they  are  of  a  uni- 
form light-blue  color,  without  spots,  and  with  a  very  slight 
tint  of  green  ;  their  form  is  rather  long  and  pointed.  The 
following  are  the  dimensions  of  a  nest  complement  of  four 
eggs,  found  in  Milton,  Mass. :  1.12  by  .68  inch,  1.12  by  .69 
inch,  1.07  by  TO  inch,  1  by  .73  inch.  But  one  brood  is 
usually  reared  in  the  season  in  New  England. 

*  TUEDUS  PALL  ASH.—  Cabanis. 

The  Hermit  Thrush. 

Turdus  pallasii,  Cabanis.     Wieggman's  Archiv.  (1847),  I.  205. 

Turdtu  solitarius,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  V.  (1812)  95  (not  of  Linnaeus.  The  figure 
quoted  pi.  xliii.  fig.  2,  belongs  to  T.  Swainsonii).  Aud.  Syn.  (1839).  7£.,  Birds 
Am.,  III.  (1841)  29,  pi.  146. 

Turdus  minor,  Bonaparte.  Obs.  Wilson  (1825),  No.  72.  75.,  Syn.  (1828),  75. 
Nutt.  Man.,  I.  (1830)  346.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1831)  303;  V.  445,  pi.  58. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Fourth  quill  longest;  third  and  fourth  a  little  shorter;  second  about  equal  to  the 
sixth  (about  a  thirtieth  of  an  inch  shorter  than  the  longest);  tail  slightly  emargi- 
nate;  above  light  olive-brown,  with  a  scarcely  perceptible  shade  of  reddish,  passing, 
however,  into  decided  rufous  on  the  rump,  upper  tail  coverts,  and  tail,  and  to  a  less 
degree  on  the  outer  surface  of  the  wings;  beneath  white,  with  a  scarcely  appreciable 
shade  of  pale-buff  across  the  fore  part  of  the  breast,  and  sometimes  on  the  throat; 
the  sides  of  the  throat  and  the  fore  part  of  the  breast  with  rather  sharply  defined 


THE    HERMIT   THRUSH.  149 

eubtriangul-ir  spots  of  dark  olive-brown ;  the  sides  of  the  breast  with  paler  and  less 
distinct  spots  of  the  same ;  sides  of  the  body  under  the  wings  of  a  paler  shade  than 
the  back;  a  whitish  ring  round  the  eye;  ear  coverts  very  obscurely  streaked  with 
paler. 

Length,  seven  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  three  and  eighty-four  one- 
hundredths;  tail,  three  and  twenty-five  one-hundredths;  tarsus,  one  and  sixteen 
one-hundredths. 

Hub.  —  Eastern  North  America  to  the  Mississippi  River. 

This  bird,  although  not  so  well  known  in  Massachusetts, 
Connecticut,  and  Rhode  Island,  is  quite  familiar  to  the 
people  of  the  other  States  in  New  England.  It  arrives  from 
the  South  about  the  middle  of  April,  and  passes  leisurely 
to  the  North,  where  it  arrives  about  the  middle  of  May. 
It  very  seldom  breeds  in  any  districts  south  of  the  latitude 
of  the  middle  of  Maine ;  and  from  thence  north  it  is  quite 
abundant,  where  it  is  known  by  the  name  of  the  Swamp 
Robin.  I  have  been  so  fortunate  as  to  find  several  nests 
of  this  species  ;  and  they  were  all  built  in  very  low  scrubby 
trees  or  bushes,  quite  near  the  ground.  They  were  com- 
posed of  twigs,  grasses,  mosses,  and  leaves ;  they  were 
deeply  hollowed,  and  no  mud  was  used  in  their  composition, 
as  with  several  other  species ;  they  were  lined  with  soft 
grasses,  mosses,  and  fine  fibrous  roots.  The  eggs  were,  in 
one  nest,  three  in  number ;  and,  in  the  others,  four.  This  was 
about  the  10th  of  June.  The  localities  were  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Lake  Umbagog  and  in  the  valley  of  the  Magal- 
loway  River,  in  Maine.  The  eggs  of  this  species  are  of  a 
somewhat  elongated  oval  form,  a*nd  their  color  is  a  light- 
blue  with  a  very  faint  tint  of  green :  "  about  one  in  every 
four  has  very  thinly  scattered  spots  of  reddish-brown,  and 
occasionally  one  is  met  with  having  an  abundance  of 
coarser  spots  of  two  shades  of  brown."  Dimensions 
of  specimens  from  various  localities  vary  from  .92  by  .65 
to  .88  by  .60  inch. 

Mr.  C.  L.  Paine,  of  Randolph,  Vt.,  writes  me  that  he  has 
found  numbers  of  the  nests  of  this  bird,  and  that  they  were 
invariably  built  on  the  ground.  He  also  says  that  the  eggs 


150  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

are  always  blue  in  color,  and  he  has  never  met  with  one 
that  was  spotted  in  any  manner.  I  have  quite  a  number 
of  specimens  in  my  collection,  and  not  one  is  spotted.  I 
have  also  seen  many  others,  and  they  were  not  marked ;  and 
I  think  that  the  above  quotation  must  be  received  with  cau- 
tion. A  nest  sent  me  from  Upton,  Me.,  is  composed  almost 
entirely  of  mosses.  It  contains  five  eggs,  all  unspotted. 

Mr.  Paine  writes  me  that  the  Olive-backed  Thrush  breeds 
in  his  neighborhood,  which,  with  the  other,  are  the  only 
thrushes  breeding  there.  In  answer  to  his  remark  that 
the  Hermit  Thrush  always  builds  on  the  ground,  I  can  only 
say  that  I  found  the  nests  as  above.  I  have  noticed  that 
the  Tawny  or  Wilson's  Thrush  builds  on  the  ground  in 
some  localities  and  in  bushes  in  others,  and  conclude  that 
the  Hermit  is  also  variable  in  its  choice  of  a  nesting-place. 

The  habits,  song,  and  general  characteristics  of  this  bird 
are  almost  exactly  similar  to  those  of  the  Song  Thrush. 
Its  song  resembles  it  so  much,  that  I  always  supposed  the 
bird  was  the  same,  until  I  examined  some  of  them  that  I 
heard  singing,  when  I  found  my  mistake.  About  the 
middle  of  October,  the  last  individuals  that  are  seen  in 
Massachusetts  leave  for  the  South.  At  this  time,  as  in  the 
spring,  they  are  silent  and  shy :  their  note  is  a  faint  chirp, 
uttered  in  a  listless,  melancholy  tone ;  and  their  whole 
appearance  is  in  keeping  with  the  great  change  which  has 
come  over  the  face  of  Nature.  In  fact,  the  Hermit  Thrush 
is  always  associated  in  my  mind  with  the  falling  of  leaves, 
the  rattling  of  acorns,  and  the  whirring  of  the  Ruffed 
Grouse  through  the  birches  and  alders  of  the  swampy 
glens. 

TURDUS   FUSCESCENS.  —  Stephens. 
The  Tawny  Thrush;  Wilson's  Thrush. 

Turdus  fuscescens,  Stephens.  Shaw's  Zool.  Birds,  X.  (1817)  182.  Gray,  Genera 
(1849). 

Turdm  mwtdinus,  Wilson.     Am.  Orn.,  V.  (1812)  98  (not  of  Gm.). 

Turdus  Wilsonii,  Nuttall.  Man.,  I.  (1832)  349.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  362; 
V.  446.  /&.,  Birds  Am.,  III.  (1841)  27,  pi.  145. 


THE   TAWNY  THRUSH. 


DESCRIPTION. 

Third  quill  longest,  fourth  a  little  shorter,  second  nearly  a  quarter  of  an  inch 
longer  than  the  fifth;  above,  and  on  sides  of  head  and  neck,  nearly  uniform  light 
reddish-brown,  with  a  faint  tendency  to  orange  on  the  crown  and  tail;  beneath 
white,  the  fore  part  of  the  breast  and  throat  (paler  on  the  chin)  tinged  with  pale 
brownish-yellow,  in  decided  contrast  to  the  white  of  the  belly;  the  sides  of  the 
throat  and  the  fore  part  of  the  breast,  as  colored,  are  marked  with  small  triangular 
spots  of  light-brownish,  nearly  like  the  back,  but  not  well  defined;  there  are  a  few 
obsolete  blotches  on  the  sides  of  the  breast  (in  the  white)  of  pale-olivaceous,  the 
sides  of  the  body  tinged  with  the  same;  tibiae  white;  the  lower  mandible  is  brown- 
ish only  at  the  tip;  the  lores  are  ash-colored. 

Length,  seven  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches  ;  wing,  four  and  twenty-five  one- 
hundredths;  tail,  three  and  twenty  one-hundredths  inches  ;  tarsus,  one  and  twenty 
one-hundredths. 

Hab.  —  Eastern  North  America  to  the  Missouri,  north  to  fur  countries. 

This  species  is  well  distinguished  among  the  American  thrushes  by  the  indis- 
tinctness of  the  spots  beneath,  and  their  being  confined  mainly  to  the  fore  part  of 
the  breast.  In  some  specimens,  there  is  a  faint  tendency  to  a  more  vivid  color  on 
the  rump  ;  but  this  is  usually  like  the  back,  which  is  very  nearly  the  color  of  the 
rump  in  T.  pallasii. 

This  quite  common  species  is  a  summer  inhabitant  of 
southern  New  England.  It  is  quite  abundant  until  we  reach 
the  southern  portions  of  Maine,  New  Hampshire,  and  Ver- 
mont, when  it  begins  to  grow  less  common  until  we  reach  the 
latitude  of  the  middle  of  these  States,  where  it  begins  to  be 
replaced  by  the  Hermit  Thrush,  and  soon  ceases  to  occur  to 
the  north  of  this  latitude.  It  makes  its  appearance  from 
the  South  about  the  first  week  in  May,  often  earlier,  and 
commences  building  about  the  20th  of  May.  The  nest  is 
placed  occasionally  in  a  low  shrub,  or  tangled  clump  of 
briers,  usually  on  the  ground.  The  situation  is  retired, 
often  in  the  depths  of  the  woods.  The  nest  is  constructed 
of  grass,  leaves,  and  weeds  ;  in  some  cases,  the  outer  bark 
of  the  grape-vine  is  the  principal  material  used  :  it  is  quite 
thoroughly  made,  and  is  deeply  hollowed,  and  lined  with 
fine  roots  and  horsehair.  The  eggs  are  usually  four  in 
number,  sometimes  five  ;  their  color  is  bluish-green,  deeper 
than  that  of  the  eggs  of  the  Hermit  Thrush,  but  not  so  dark 
as  in  those  of  the  Cat  Bird  ;  their  form  is  generally  an  oval, 
sometimes  lengthened  and  sharpened  ;  their  average  size  is 


152  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

about  .90  by  .66  inch.  As  in  many  other  eggs,  the  longest 
specimens  are  not  always  the  broadest.  The  following  are 
the  dimensions  of  four  eggs,  taken  at  random  from  a  large 
number  of  this  species :  .92  by  .64  inch,  .88  by  .64  inch, 
.86  by  .66  inch,  .87  by  .67  inch. 

From  the  first  arrival  of  this  bird,  during  its  whole  stay 
here,  it  seems  to  prefer  the  neighborhood  of  a  swampy  wood 
for  its  home.  There,  during  the  mating  and  incubating 
seasons,  the  notes  of  the  male  may  be  heard  at  the  earliest 
hours  of  the  morning  and  evening ;  and,  in  cloudy  weather, 
through  the  day,  and  sometimes  in  the  night.  The  song  is 
a  peculiar  one,  with  a  singular  metallic  ring,  exceedingly 
difficult  to  describe :  it  begins  quite  loud,  the  syllables 
chefiry,  chetiry,  dreary,  cheury,  decreasing  in  tone  to  a  quito 
faint  lisp ;  then,  after  a  short  pause,  the  notes,  cheou  'twit, 
tritter,  'tritter,  are  uttered  ;  and  the  whole  is  finished  usually 
with  the  ejaculation,  chickwheu.  This  song  is  often  re- 
peated ;  and  sometimes  two  or  three  males,  perching  on  a 
low  shrub  or  tree,  emulate  each  other  in  a  musical  contest 
that  is  very  pleasing  to  hear.  This  thrush,  as  are  all  the 
others,  is  eminently  insectivorous ;  and  through  the  whole 
day  he  may  be  heard  busily  searching  among  the  fallen 
leaves  for  his  favorite  food. 

About  the  10th  of  September,  it  leaves  for  the  South :  at 
this  time,  like  most  of  the  others,  it  is  silent  and  retiring, 
and  is  found  only  in  localities  that  are  thickly  wooded  with 
a  growth  of  small  birches  and  oaks. 

TURDUS   SWAINSONII.  —  Cabanis. 
The  Olive-backed  Thrush;  Swainson's  Thrush. 

Turdus  SwainsoniL    Cab.  in  Tschudi  F.  Peruana  (1844-46)  188. 
Turdus  solitarius,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  V. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Third  quill  longest,  second  and  fourth  but  little  shorter,  and  much  longer  than 
the  fifth  (by  thirty-five  one-hundredth s  of  an  inch);  upper  parts  uniform  olivaceous, 
with  a  decided  shade  of  green;  the  fore  part  of  breast,  the  throat,  and  chin,  pale 
brownish-yellow ;  rest  of  lower  parts  white,  the  sides  washed  with  brownish-olive ; 


THE   OLIVE-BACKED   THRUSH.  153 

sides  of  the  throat  and  fore  part  of  the  breast  with  sub-rounded  spots  of  well-defined 
brown,  darker  than  the  back;  the  rest  of  the  breast  (except  medially)  with  rather 
less  distinct  spots  that  are  more  olivaceous ;  tibiae  yellowish-brown ;  broad  ring  round 
the  eye;  loral  region,  and  a  general  tinge  on  the  side  of  the  head,  clear  reddish-buff. 

Length,  seven  inches;  wing,  four  and  fifteen  one-hundredths ;  tail,  three  and 
ten  one-hundredths  inches;  tarsus,  one  and  ten  one-hundredths. 

Hob.—  Eastern  North  America  to  the  Black  Hills,  south  to  Mexico  and  Peru, 
north  to  Greenland.  Accidental  in  Europe  and  Siberia. 

This  species  is  at  once  distinguished  from  the  others  by  the  perfectly  uniform  and 
pure  dull-olivaceous  shade  of  its  upper  parts,  most  strongly  marked  and  appreciable 
on  the  rump  and  tail.  The  throat  and  breast  are  perhaps  more  reddish  than  in  any 
of  our  species,  and  the  tinge  in  the  marking  on  the  side  of  the  head  is  very  much 
more  decided  than  in  any  other.  The  spots  on  the  breast  larger  than  in  T.  ustulatus, 
and  rather  more  numerous  than  in  pallasii. 

This  species  is  the  least  common  of  all  the  New-England 
thrushes.  It  is  rarely  observed  in  its  passage  through  tlu 
southern  portions  of  these  States,  and  only  begins  to  choose 
a  home  for  the  summer  on  arriving  at  the  northern  districts. 
I  have  looked  for  it  repeatedly,  but  have  not  been  able  to 
find  it  south  of  the  latitude  of  Lake  Umbagog,  in  the  breed- 
ing season ;  and  even  there  it  is  not  often  met  with.  It 
arrives  in  the  localities  where  it  breeds  about  the  first  week 
in  June.  In  common  with  the  Hermit  Thrush,  it  is  called 
the  "  Swamp  Robin,"  and  can  hardly  be  distinguished  from 
that  bird,  either  by  its  song,  which  is  beautiful,  or  by  its 
breeding  habits  or  nests.  The  eggs  are  different,  being  of  a 
deeper  green  color :  they  are  always  (so  far  as  my  experi- 
ence goes)  thinly  spotted  with  dots  and  blotches  of  reddish 
and  brown.  The  following  are  the  dimensions  of  four  eggs 
that  I  found  in  a  nest  near  Wilson's  Mills,  Me.,  on  the  16th 
of  June,  1864 :  .93  by  .64  inch,  .93  by  .63  inch,  .92  by  .60 
inch,  .90  by  .61  inch. 

The  only  difference  in  the  habits  of  this  species  from  those 
of  the  Hermit  Thrush  is,  that,  while  the  latter  is  most  usually 
found  in  swampy  localities,  the  other  is  most  often  seen  in 
dry,  scrubby  woods,  where  it  is  almost  always  busily  engaged 
in  the  pursuit  of  its  favorite  insect  food. 

J.  A.  Allen,  in  his  paper  on  the  birds  of  Springfield, 
Mass.,  before  referred  to,  is  of  the  opinion  that  this  species 


154  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

and  the  Turdus  alicice  are  the  same.  In  a  conversation  with 
Professor  Baird,  since  the  issue  of  Allen's  paper,  I  was  in- 
formed, that,  in  a  large  suite  of  specimens  of  both  species, 
to  which  he  had  access,  he  coiild  identify  each  by  character- 
istics so  fixed  that  any  confusion  was  impossible :  he  was 
of  the  opinion  that  Mr.  Allen  had  not  seen  the  bird  he  calls 
alicice.  I  have  therefore  not  given  that  species  as  a  bird  of 
New  England,  and  think  that  it  yet  remains  to  be  proved  as 
such. 

Dr.  Bryant,  in  describing  the  habits  of  the  Olive-backed 
Thrush,  says : — 

"  Its  note  differs  entirely  from  that  of  T.  pallasii,  and  the  birds 
also  differ  very  much  in  their  habits ;  the  latter  species  being  gen- 
erally seen  on  the  ground,  while  the  Olive-backed  Thrush  prefers 
to  procure  its  food  among  the  branches.  The  one  seen  at  Big  Mud 
Lake,  Grand  Manan,  was  perched  on  the  top  of  a  small  dwarf-fir, 
and  was  hunting  the  passing  insects  with  all  the  dexterity  of  a 
typical  Flycatcher." 

TURDUS   MIGRATORIUS.  —  Linnceus. 
The  Robin. 

Turdus  migratorius,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  292.  Wilson,  Am.  Orn  ,  I. 
(1808)  35.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  190. 

Merula  migratoria,  Sw.  and  Rich.    Fauna  Bor.  Amer.,  II.  (1831)  176. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Third  and  fourth  quills  about  equal,  fifth  a  little  shorter,  second  longer  than 
sixth;  tail  slightly  rounded;  above  olive-gray,  top  and  sides  of  the  head  black; 
chin  and  throat  white,  streaked  with  black;  eyelids,  and  a  spot  above  the  eye  an- 
teriorly, white;  under  parts  and  inside  of  the  wings  chestnut-brown;  the  under  tail 
coverts  and  anal  region  with  tibiae  white,  showing  the  plumbeous  inner  portions  of 
the  feathers ;  wings  dark-brown,  the  feathers  all  edged  more  or  less  with  pale-ash ; 
tail  still  darker,  the  extreme  feathers  tipped  with  white;  bill  yellow,  dusky  along  the 
ridge  and  at  the  tip. 

Length,  nine  and  seventy-five  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  five  and  forty-three 
one-hundredths ;  tail,  four  and  seventy -five  one-hundredths  inches ;  tarsus,  one  and 
twenty-five  one-hundredths. 

Hob.  —  Continent  of  North  America  to  Mexico. 

It  is  very  seldom  that  specimens  exhibit  the  colors  exactly  as  described.  Nearly 
always  in  winter,  and  in  most  cases  at  other  times,  the  rufous  feathers  are  margined 
with  whitish,  sometimes  quite  obscuring  the  color.  The  black  feathers  of  the  head, 


THE   ROBIN.  155 

too,  have  brownish  edgings.  The  white  spot  above  the  eye  sometimes  extends  for- 
wards towards  the  nostrils,  but  is  usually  quite  restricted.  The  white  patches  on 
the  two  eyelids  are  separated  from  each  other,  anteriorly  and  posteriorly. 

Tliis  very  common  and  well-known  bird  is  a  summer  in- 
habitant of  all  New  England,  and,  in  mild  winters,  remains 
in  the  southern  districts  of  these  States  through  the  year. 
The  great  body  of  the 
birds,  however,  arrive 
from  the  South  about 
the  middle  of  March. 
They  commence  build- 
ing from  the  middle  of 
April  to  the  first  week 
in  May,  according  to  lati- 
tude. The  nest  is  built 
more  often  in  the  trees  of 
the  orchards  and  gardens,  near  houses,  than  in  the  deep 
woods.  It  is  a  large,  elaborately  built  affair,  constructed  first 
of  a  thick  layer  of  straws,  weeds,  roots,  and  mosses  :  on  this 
is  built  the  nest  proper,  which  is  made  of  straws  and  weeds, 
woven  together  in  a  circular  form,  and  plastered  together 
with  mud ;  this  is  lined  with  soft  grasses  and  moss,  the 
whole  making  a  durable  structure,  often  holding  together 
through  the  entire  year.  The  eggs  are  usually  four  in  num- 
ber :  their  color  is  a  beautiful  greenish-blue,  almost  the  same 
as  that  of  the  Wood  Thrush's  egg,  which  they  resemble  in 
shape,  except  they  are  a  trifle  broader.  Dimensions  of  a 
nest-complement  of  four  eggs  :  1.16  by  .82  inch,  1.16  by  .82 
inch,  1.10  by  .75  inch,  1.10  by  .80  inch.  Many  cases  occur, 
in  the  southern  districts  of  New  England,  of  two  broods 
being  reared  in  the  season,  and  I  have  known  of  three 
broods  being  reared  in  Massachusetts ;  but,  in  the  northern 
districts,  I  think  that  the  second  brood  is  the  exception, 
instead  of  the  rule. 

Perhaps  none  of  our  birds  are  more  unpopular  with  horti- 
culturists than  this ;  and  I  will  here  give  the  observations 


156  ORNITHOLOGY   AND    OOLOGY. 

of  different  scientific  men,  and  my  own,  to  show  that  the 
prejudice  against  the  bird  is  unjust  and  unfounded.  Mr. 
Trouvelot,  of  Medford,  Mass.,  who  is  engaged  in  rearing 
silkworms,  for  the  production  of  silk,  is  troubled  by  the 
Robin  to  a  degree  surpassing  most  other  birds.  He  has  a 
tract  of  about  seven  or  eight  acres  enclosed,  and  mostly 
covered  with  netting.  He  is  obliged,  in  self-defence,  to  kill 
the  birds  which  penetrate  into  the  enclosure  and  destroy  the 
worms.  Through  the  season,  probably  ten  robins,  for  one 
of  all  others,  thus  molest  him ;  and,  of  scores  of  these  birds 
which  he  has  opened  and  examined,  none  had  any  fruit  or 
berries  in  their  stomachs,  —  nothing  but  insects.  It  is  to 
be  understood  that  this  was  not  in  a  part  of  the  summer 
when  berries  were  unripe :  on  the  contrary,  it  was  all 
through  the  season.  His  land  is  surrounded  with  scrub- 
oaks  and  huckleberry-bushes.  These  latter  were  loaded 
with  fruit,  which  was  easier  of  access  to  the  birds  than  the 
worms  ;  but  none  were  found  in  them.  He  says  they  came 
from  all  quarters  to  destroy  his  silkworms,  and  gave  him 
more  trouble  than  all  the  other  birds  together.  He  said 
that,  in  his  opinion,  if  the  birds  were  all  killed  off,  vegeta- 
tion would  be  entirely  destroyed.  To  test  the  destructive- 
ness  of  these  marauders,  as  he  regarded  them,  he  placed  on 
a  small  scrub-oak  near  his  door  two  thousand  of  his  silk- 
worms. (These,  let  me  say,  resemble,  when  small,  the 
young  caterpillar  of  the  apple-tree  moth.)  In  a  very  few 
days  they  were  all  eaten  by  Cat-birds  and  Robins,  —  birds 
closely  allied,  and  of  the  same  habits.  This  was  in  the 
berry  season,  when  an  abundance  of  this  kind  of  food  was 
easily  accessible ;  but  they  preferred  his  worms.  Why  ? 
Because  the  young  of  these,  as  well  as  those  of  most  other 
birds,  must  be  fed  on  animal  food.  Earthworms  assist  in 
the  regimen  ;  but  how  often  can  birds  like  the  Robin,  Cat- 
bird, Thrush,  &c.,  get  these ?  Any  farmer  knows,  that,  when 
the  surface  of  the  ground  is  dry,  they  go  to  the  subsoil,  out 
of  the  reach  of  birds ;  and  it  is  not  necessary  here  to  say 


THE   ROBIN.  157 

what  proportion  of  the  time  the  ground  is  very  dry  through 
the  summer.  Caterpillars,  grubs  of  various  kinds,  and 
insects,  therefore  constitute  the  chief  food  of  these  birds; 
and  of  these,  caterpillars  and  grubs  being  the  most  abun- 
dant, and  most  easily  caught,  furnish,  of  course,  the  larger 
proportion. 

In  fact,  the  Thrushes  seem  designed  by  nature  to  rid  the 
surface  of  the  soil  of  noxious  insects  not  often  pursued  by 
most  other  birds.  The  warblers  capture  the  insects  that 
prey  on  the  foliage  of  the  trees ;  the  flycatchers  seize  these 
insects  as  they  fly  from  the  trees ;  the  swallows  capture 
those  which  have  escaped  all  these  ;  the  woodpeckers  destroy 
them  when  in  the  larva  state  in  the  wood ;  the  wrens,  nut- 
hatches, titmice,  and  creepers  eat  the  eggs  and  young  that 
live  on  and  beneath  the  bark ;  but  the  thrushes  subsist  on 
those  that  destroy  the  vegetation  on  the  surface  of  the  earth. 
They  destroy  nearly  all  kinds  of  grubs,  caterpillars,  and 
worms  that  live  upon  the  greensward  and  cultivated  soil, 
and  large  quantities  of  crickets  and  grasshoppers  before 
they  have  become  perfect  insects.  The  grubs  of  locusts, 
of  harvest-flies,  and  of  beetles,  which  are  turned  up  by  the 
plough  or  the  hoe,  and  their  pupaB  when  emerging  from  the 
soil ;  apple-worms,  when  they  leave  the  fruit  and  crawl  about 
in  quest  of  new  shelter  ;  and  those  subterranean  caterpillars, 
the  cutworms,  that  come  out  of  the  earth  to  take  their  food, — 
all  these,  and  many  others,  are  eagerly  devoured  by  the 
Robin  and  other  Thrushes.  The  cutworms  emerge  from 
the  soil  during  the  night  to  seek  for  food ;  and  the  Robin, 
which  is  one  of  the  earliest  birds  to  go  abroad  in  the  morn- 
ing, is  very  diligent  at  the  dawn  of  day  in  hunting  for  these 
vermin  before  they  have  gone  back  into  their  retreat.  The 
number  of  these  destructive  grubs  is  immense.  "  Whole 
cornfields,"  says  Dr.  Harris,  "  are  sometimes  laid  waste  by 
them.  Cabbage-plants,  till  they  are  grown  to  a  considerable 
size,  are  very  apt  to  be  cut  off  and  destroyed  by  them.  Po- 
tato-vines, beans,  beets,  and  various  other  culinary  plants, 


158  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

suffer  iii  the  same  way."  The  services  of  the  robins,  in 
destroying  these  alone,  would  more  than  pay  for  all  the  fruit 
they  devour.  Indeed,  during  the  breeding  season,  a  robin  is 
seldom  seen  without  having  in  his  mouth  one  of  these  cater- 
pillars, or  some  similar  grub,  which  he  designs  for  his  young; 
and  as  the  Robin  often  raises  three  broods  of  young  during 
the  season,  his  species  must  destroy  more  of  this  class  of 
noxious  insects  than  almost  all  other  birds  together.  In 
my  own  gardening  experiences,  I  have  had  my  full  share  of 
cutworms ;  and  1  have  always  noticed  the  Robin,  Brown 
Thrush,  and  Cat-bird  busy  early  in  the  morning, —  almost 
before  other  birds  are  out  of  their  feather-beds,  figuratively 
speaking,  —  catching  these  vermin  and  eating  them,  or 
carrying  them  for  food  to  their  young. 

To  show  further  the  food  of  this  bird,  I  present  the  follow- 
ing experiment.  At  a  meeting  of  the  Boston  Society  of 
Natural  History,  a  communication  was  read  from  Professor 
Treadwell,  of  Cambridge,  giving  a  detailed  account  of  the 
feeding  and  growth  of  this  bird  during  a  period  of  thirty- 
two  days,  commencing  with  the  5th  of  June.  The  following 
is  the  substance  of  this  report :  — 

When  caught,  the  two  were  quite  young,  their  tail  feathers 
being  less  than  an  inch  in  length,  and  the  weight  of  each 
about  twenty-five  pennyweights,  —  less  than  half  the  weight 
of  the  full-grown  birds  :  both  were  plump  and  vigorous,  and 
had  evidently  been  very  recently  turned  out  of  the  nest. 
He  began  feeding  them  with  earthworms,  giving  three  to 
each  bird  that  night.  The  second  day,  he  gave  them  ten 
worms  each,  which  they  ate  ravenously.  Thinking  this 
beyond  what  their  parents  could  naturally  supply  them  with, 
he  limited  them  to  this  allowance.  On  the  third  day,  he  gave 
them  eight  worms  each  in  the  forenoon  ;  but  in  the  afternoon 
he  found  one  becoming  feeble,  and  it  soon  lost  its  strength, 
refused  food,  and  died.  On  opening  it,  he  found  the  pro- 
ventriculus,  gizzard,  and  intestines  entirely  empty,  and  con- 
cluded therefore  that  it  died  from  want  of  sufficient  food ; 


THE   ROBIN.  159 

the  effect  of  hunger  being  increased  perhaps  by  the  cold, 
as  the  thermometer  was  about  sixty  degrees. 

The  other  ^bird,  still  vigorous,  he  put  in  a  warmer  place, 
and  increased  its  food,  giving  it  the  third  day  fifteen  worms, 
on  the  fourth  day  twenty-four,  on  the  fifth  twenty-five,  on 
the  sixtli  thirty,  and  on  the  seventh  thirty-one  worms.  They 
seemed  insufficient,  and  the  bird  appeared  to  be  losing 
plumpness  and  weight.  He  began  to  weigh  both  the  bird 
and  its  food,  and  the  results  were  given  in  a  tabular  form. 
On  the  fifteenth  day,  he  tried  a  small  quantity  of  raw  meat, 
and,  finding  it  readily  eaten,  increased  it  gradually,  to  the 
exclusion  of  worms.  With  it  the  bird  ate  a  large  quantity 
of  earth  and  gravel,  and  drank  freely  after  eating.  By  the 
table,  it  appears  that  though  the  food  was  increased  to  forty 
worms,  weighing  twenty  pennyweights,  on  the  eleventh  day 
the  weight  of  the  bird  rather  fell  off;  and  it  was  not  until 
the  fourteenth  day,  when  he  ate  sixty-eight  worms,  or  thirty- 
four  pennyweights,  that  he  began  to  increase.  On  this  day, 
the  weight  of  the  bird  was  twenty-four  pennyweights :  he 
therefore  ate  forty-one  per  cent  more  than  his  own  weight 
in  twelve  hours,  weighing  after  it  twenty-nine  pennyweights, 
or  fifteen  per  cent  less  than  the  food  he  had  eaten  in  that 
time.  The  length  of  these  worms,  if  laid  end  to  end,  would 
be  about  fourteen  feet,  or  ten  times  the  length  of  the  intes- 
tines. 

To  meet  the  objection,  that  the  earthworm  contains  but  a 
small  quantity  of  nutritious  matter,  on  the  twenty-seventh 
day  he  was  fed  exclusively  on  clear  beef,  in  quantity  twenty- 
seven  pennyweights.  At  night,  the  bird  weighed  fifty-two 
pennyweights,  but  little  more  than  twice  the  amount  of  flesh 
consumed  during  the  day,  not  taking  into  account  the  water 
and  earth  swallowed.  This  presents  a  wonderful  contrast 
with  the  amount  of  food  required  by  the  cold-blooded  ver- 
tebrates, fishes,  and  reptiles,  many  of  which  can  live  for 
months  without  food,  and  also  with  that  required  by 
mammalia.  Man,  at  this  rate,  would  eat  about  seventy 


160  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

pounds  of  flesh  a  day,  and  drink  five  or  six  gallons  of 
water. 

The  question  immediately  presents  itself,  How  can  this 
immense  amount  of  food,  required  by  the  young  birds,  be 
supplied  by  the  parents?  Suppose  a  pair  of  old  robins,  with 
the  usual  number  of  four  young  ones.  These  would  require, 
according  to  the  consumption  of  this  bird,  two  hundred  and 
fifty  worms,  or  their  equivalent  in  insect  or  other  food,  daily. 
Suppose  the  parents  to  work  ten  hours,  or  six  hundred  min- 
utes, to  procure  this  supply :  this  would  be  a  worm  to  every 
two  and  two-fifths  minutes  ;  or  each  parent  must  procure  a 
worm  or  its  equivalent  in  less  than  five  minutes  during  ten 
hours,  in  addition  to  the  food  required  for  its  own  support. 

After  the  thirty-second  day,  the  bird  had  attained  its  full 
size,  and  was  intrusted  to  the  care  of  another  person  during 
his  absence  of  eighteen  days.  At  the  end  of  that  period, 
the  bird  was  strong  and  healthy,  with  no  increase  of  weight, 
though  its  feathers  had  grown  longer  and  smoother.  Its 
food  had  been  weighed  daily,  and  averaged  fifteen  penny- 
weights of  weight,  two  or  three  earthworms,  and  a  small 
quantity  of  bread  each  day,  the  whole  being  equal  to  eigh- 
teen pennyweights  of  meat,  or  thirty-six  pennyweights  of 
earthworms ;  and  it  continued  up  to  the  time  of  the  pres- 
entation of  the  report.  The  bird  having  continued  in  con- 
finement, with  certainly  much  less  exercise  than  in  the  wild 
state,  to  eat  one-third  of  its  weight  in  clear  flesh  daily,  the 
Professor  concludes  that  the  food  it  consiimed  when  young 
was  not  much  more  than  must  always  be  provided  by  the 
parents  of  wild  birds.  The  food  was  never  passed  undi- 
gested ;  the  excretions  were  made  up  of  gravel  and  dirt, 
and  a  small  quantity  of  semi-solid  urine. 

He  thought  that  every  admirer  of  trees  may  derive  from 
these  facts  a  lesson,  showing  the  immense  power  of  birds 
to  destroy  the  insects  by  which  our  trees,  especially  our 
apple-trees,  elms,  and  lindens,  are  every  few  years  stripped 
of  their  foliage,  and  often  many  of  them  killed. 


THE   ROBIN. 

"  The  food  of  the  Robin,"  the  Professor  says,  "  while  with  us, 
consists  principally  of  worms,  various  insects,  their  larv«  and  eggs, 
and  a  few  cherries.  Of  worms  and  cherries  they  can  procure  but 
few,  and  those  during  but  a  short  period ;  and  they  are  obliged, 
therefore,  to  subsist  principally  upon  the  great  destroyers  of  leaves, 
—  canker-worms,  and  some  other  kinds  of  caterpillars  and  bugs.  If 
each  robin,  old  and  young,  requires  for  its  support  an  amount  of 
these  equal  to  the  weight  consumed  by  this  bird,  it  is  easy  to  see 
what  a  prodigious  havoc  a  few  hundred  of  these  must  make  upon 
the  insects  of  an  orchard  or  nursery." 

Wilson  Flagg,  an  acute  and  careful  observer  of  the  habits 
of  our  birds,  ( gives  some  of  his  experiences  of  the  Robin, 
as  follows.  He  says, — 

"  Before  I  had  investigated  the  habits  of  this  bird,  with  particular 
reference  to  the  service  he  renders  to  agriculture,  I  supposed  he 
was  only  of  secondary  importance,  compared  with  the  Blackbird 
and  others  that  possess  the  faculty  of  discovering  and  seizing  the 
grubs  that  lie  concealed  beneath  the  surface  of  the  ground.  Though 
the  Robin  does  not  possess  this  faculty,  he  is  pre-eminently  service- 
able in  other  ways ;  and  the  more  I  have  studied  his  habits,  the 
more  I  am  convinced  of  his  usefulness.  Indeed,  I  am  now  fully 
persuaded  that  he  is  valuable  beyond  all  other  species  of  birds,  and 
that  his  services  are  absolutely  indispensable  to  the  farmers  of  New 
England.  Some  persons  believe  that  the  Robin  is  exclusively  a 
frugivorous  bird,  and  that  for  fruit  he  will  reject  all  other  food  that 
is  within  his  reach.  Others  believe  that  his  diet  consists  about 
equally  of  fruits  and  angle-worms,  but  that  he  is  not  a  general  con- 
sumer of  insects.  The  truth  is,  the  Robin  is  almost  exclusively 
insectivorous,  and  uses  fruit,  as  we  do,  only  as  a  dessert,  and  not 
for  his  subsistence,  except  in  the  winter,  when  his  insect  food  cannot 
be  obtained.  He  is  not  omnivorous,  like  the  Crow,  the  Jay,  and  the 
Blackbird.  He  rejects  farinaceous  food  unless  it  is  artificially  pre- 
pared, derives  almost  his  entire  support  from  insects  and  grubs,  and 
consumes,  probably,  a  greater  variety  of  species  than  any  other 
bird.  I  am  entirely  at  a  loss  to  account  for  this  very  prevalent  and 
mistaken  notion  respecting  the  frugivorous  habits  of  the  Robin. 

11 


162  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

"Early  in  May,"  he  says,  "my  son  caught  and  caged  three 
young  Robins,  and  I  encouraged  him  in  the  act,  that  I  might  be 
enabled  to  study  their  habits  of  feeding.  He  commenced  by  feed- 
ing them  with  angle-worms  and  soaked  bread,  giving  them  the  latter 
very  sparingly.  They  soon  died,  evidently  from  an  excess  of  the 
farinaceous  part  of  their  diet.  He  then  took  three  others  from 
different  nests,  and  fed  them  more  exclusively  on  worms,  and  some 
fruit.  Two  of  these  also  soon  died,  and  the  remaining  one  ap- 
peared ill  and  drooping.  I  suggested  that  the  bird  probably  needed 
insects  as  well  as  worms,  which  alone  were  not  sufficient  to  supply 
all  the  wants  of  the  system ;  though  he  had  access  to  cherries  and 
soaked  bread,  of  which  he  could  eat  whenever  he  wanted  them. 
After  this,  he  was  supplied  with  all  sorts  of  grubs  and  insects  which 
my  son  was  able  to  capture.  The  robin  devoured  these  indiscrimi- 
nately and  with  great  eagerness.  He  was  never  known  to  refuse  one 
of  any  description.  All  kinds  of  beetles,  moths,  bugs,  grubs,  vine- 
worms,  chrysalids,  and  caterpillars,  which  were  presented  to  him, 
he  devoured.  After  this  improvement  of  his  diet,  the  bird  soon 
recovered  his  health ;  and  the  experiment  proved  conclusively  that 
this  variety  of  insect  food  was  necessary  to  the  life  of  the  bird,  at 
least  while  he  was  young. 

"  These  insects  were  not  put  into  his  mouth :  they  were  placed 
upon  the  floor  of  his  cage,  and  he  picked  them  up,  killing  them  in 
a  way  that  showed  that  he  knew  instinctively  how  to  manage  them. 

"  He  was  particular  in  beating  the  vine-worm  considerably  before 
he  swallowed  it ;  but  he  never  refused  one,  or  neglected  to  eat  it. 
On  one  occasion,  having  swallowed  a  hard  beetle,  and  finding  it 
incommodious,  he  threw  it  out  of  his  crop  by  a  voluntary  effort, 
beat  it  awhile  with  his  bill  against  the  floor,  and  then  swallowed  it 
again.  This  fact  also  proved  his  instinctive  knowledge  of  the  mode 
of  proceeding  in  such  emergencies. 

"  It  is  a  fact  worthy  of  notice,  that  the  Baltimore  Oriole,  or 
Golden  Robin,  which  has  the  reputation  of  performing  more  ser- 
vice than  the  common  Robin,  may,  when  confined  in  a  cage,  be  fed 
almost  entirely  on  farinaceous  food,  without  injury  to  his  health. 
This  fact  is  good  evidence  that  the  common  Robin  is  more  entirely 
insectivorous  than  the  other.  The  contrary  is  generally  believed. 
The  fondness  of  the  Robin  and  others  for  fruit  is  not  peculiar  to  his 


THE   BROWN   THRUSH.  163 

species :  it  is  equally  remarkable  in  almost  all  other  insectivorous 


birds.' 


I  have  given  these  accounts,  as  I  remarked  before,  for  the 
purpose  of  removing  a  prejudice  that  is  too  well  established 
against  this  bird.  Instances  like  the  above  might  be  pre- 
sented to  almost  any  extent ;  but  my  limits  will  not  permit 
a  further  notice  of  this  species. 


Sub-Family  MIMING.  —  Mocking  Birds. 

Tail  long,  vaulted  at  the  base,  the  feathers  more  or  less  graduated;  size  large; 
general  appearance  thrush-like;  rictus  with  distinct  bristles;  frontal  feathers  normal, 
directed  backwards ;  anterior  half  of  outer  side  of  tarsi  distinctly  scutellate. 

i  HARPORHYNCHUS,  CABANIS. 

Harporhynchus,  CABANIS,  Wiegmann's  Archiv.  (1848),  I.  98.  (Type  Harpes 
redivivus.) 

Bill  from  front  as  long  as,  or  longer  than  the  head,  nearly  straight  to  near  the  tip, 
or  bow-shaped,  without  any  notch ;  tarsus  as  long  as,  or  longer  than  the  middle  toe, 
conspicuously  scutellate ;  outer  lateral  toe  a  little  the  longer,  not  reaching  the  base  of 
the  middle  claw ;  hind  toe  longer  than  lateral,  its  claw  equal  to  its  remaining  portion ; 
wings  short,  rounded,  the  fourth  or  fifth  longest;  the  exposed  portion  of  the  first  about 
half  that  of  longest;  tail  longer  than  the  wings,  broad,  more  or  less  graduated.  ' 


HARPORHTNCHUS  RUFUS.  —  Cabanis. 
The  Brown  Thrush;  Brown  Thrasher. 

Turdus  rufus,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat,  I.  (1766)  293.  Wilson,  Am.  Orn.,  II.  (1810) 
83.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  102;  V.  (1839)  441. 

Orpheus  rufus,  Swainson.  F.  Bor.  Am.,  II.  (1831)  187.  Nuttall,  Man.  I.  (1832) 
328. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Fifth  quill  longest;  the  third,  fourth,  and  sixth  little  shorter;  second  equal  to 
ninth ;  exposed  portion  of  the  bill  shorter  than  the  head ;  outline  of  lower  mandible 
straight;  above  light  cinnamon-red,  beneath  pale  rufous-white  with  longitudinal 

1  This  genus,  together  with  the  preceding,  has  been  removed  from  its  position  in 
the  Liotrichidce,  as  given  in  vol.  IX.  Pac.  R.R.  Reports,  and  placed  in  the  Turdidce  by 
Professor  Baird,  in  his  recent  Review  of  the  Birds  of  North  America. 


164  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

streaks  of  dark-brown,  excepting  on  the  chin,  throat,  middle  of  the  belly,  and  under 
tail  coverts;  these  spots,  anteriorly,  are  reddish-brown  in  their  terminal  portion;  the 
inner  surface  of  the  wing  and  the  inner  edges  of  the  primaries  are  cinnamon ;  the  con- 
cealed portion  of  the  quills  otherwise  is  dark-brown ;  the  median  and  greater  wing 
coverts  become  blackish-brown  towards  the  end,  followed  by  white,  producing  two 
conspicuous  bands ;  the  tail  feathers  are  all  rufous,  the  external  ones  obscurely  tipped 
with  whitish ;  the  shafts  of  the  same  color  with  the  vanes. 

Length,  eleven  and  fifteen  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  four  and  fifteen  one- 
hundredths;  tail,  five  and  twenty  one-hundredths  inches;  tarsus,  one  and  thirty 
one-hundredths;  iris,  golden-yellow. 

Probably  none  of  our  summer  visitors  are  better  known, 
and  none  are  greater  favorites  than  this  bird.  Its  beautiful 
song  and  well-known  beneficial  habits  have  endeared  it  to 
the  farmer,  who  takes  it  under  his  protection,  as  he  should 
all  the  Thrushes,  and  encourages  its  approach  to  the  garden 
and  orchard.  The  Brown  Thrush  arrives  from  the  South 
about  the  middle  of  April  in  Connecticut  and  Rhode  Island, 
and  the  10th  of  May  in  Maine  and  the  other  northern  dis- 
tricts. The  birds  seem  to  be  mated  before  their  arrival 
here,  as  they  are  almost  always  observed  in  pairs  at  their 
first  appearance.  The  nest  is  built  about  the  middle  of 
May,  sooner  or  later,  according  to  latitude.  It  is  usually 
placed  in  a  bush  or  thicket  of  briers  or  vines,  sometimes  on 
the  ground  at  the  foot  of  a  clump  of  bushes.  It  is  com- 
posed first  of  a  layer  of  twigs,  then  leaves  and  strips  of 
cedar  and  grape-vine  bark,  and  the  whole  is  covered  with 
fibrous  roots :  the  nest  is  pretty  deeply  hollowed,  and  lined 
with  fine  roots  and  hairs.  The  eggs  are  from  three  to  five 
in  number.  Their  color  is  a  greenish  or  dirty  white,  over 
which  are  thickly  sprinkled  minute  dots  of  reddish-brown : 
their  shape  is  ovate,  and  their  dimensions  vary  from  1.16 
by  .80  inch  to  1.06  by  .76  inch.  A  great  number  before  me 
exhibit  these  variations,  which  probably  are  the  greatest  of 
this  species,  as  the  eggs  are  generally  nearly  of  a  size.  Four 
eggs  in  a  nest  collected  in  New  Hampshire  have  the  follow- 
ing measurements:  1.12  by  .78  inch,  1.12  by  .76  inch,  1.08 
by  .76  inch,  1.06  by  .76  inch.  But  one  brood  is  reared  in 
the  season  in  the  Northern  States. 


THE   BROWN   THRUSH.  165 

The  song  of  this  bird  is  difficult  of  description :  it  is  a 
sort  of  confused  mixture  of  the  notes  of  different  birds,  or 
rather  seems  to  be,  but  is  really  its  own  song ;  as  different 
individuals  all  sing  nearly  alike.  The  fact  that  it  resembles 
the  Mocking-bird  in  its  medley  of  notes  has  caused  it  to  be 
called,  in  some  localities,  the  Brown  Mocker ;  and  it  is  also 
sometimes  called  the  Mavis  and  Nightingale,  from  its  habit 
of  singing  in  the  night  during  the  mating  season. 

The  description  of  Wilson's,  of  the  habits  of  this  bird,  is 
pretty  comprehensive,  in  fact,  the  best  that  I  have  seen,  and 
I  give  it  almost  entire.  He  says,  — 

"  It  is  the  largest  of  all  our  Thrushes,  and  is  a  well-known  and 
very  distinguished  songster.  About  the  middle  or  20th  of  April, 
or  generally  about  the  time  the  cherry-trees  begin  to  blossom,  he 
arrives  in  Pennsylvania ;,  and,  from  the  tops  of  our  hedge-rows, 
sassafras,  apple,  or  cherry  trees,  he  salutes  the  opening  morning 
with  his  charming  song,  which  is  loud,  emphatical,  and  full  of 
variety.  At  that  serene  hour,  you  may  plainly  distinguish  his  voice 
fully  half  a  mile  off.  These  notes  are  not  imitative,  as  his  name 
would  import,  and  as  some  people  believe,  but  seem  solely  his  own, 
and  have  considerable  resemblance  to  the  notes  of  the  Song  Thrush 
(Turdus  musicus)  of  Britain.  Early  in  May  he  builds  his  nest, 
choosing  a  thorn-bush,  low  cedar,  thicket  of  briers,  dogwood-sapling, 
or  cluster  of  vines,  for  its  situation,  generally  within  a  few  feet  of 
the  ground.  Outwardly,  it  is  constructed  of  small  sticks ;  then, 
layers  of  dry  leaves ;  and,  lastly,  lined  with  fine,  fibrous  roots,  but 
without  any  plaster.  The  eggs  are  five,  thickly  sprinkled  with  fer- 
ruginous grains,  on  a  very  pale-bluish  ground.  They  generally  have 
two  broods  in  a  season.  Like  all  birds  that  build  near  the  ground, 
he  shows  great  anxiety  for  the  safety  of  his  nest  and  young,  and 
often  attacks  the  black  snake  in  their  defence ;  generally,  too,  with 
success,  his  strength  being  greater,  and  his  bill  stronger  and  more 
powerful,  than  any  other  of  his  tribe  within  the  United  States.  His 
food  consists  of  worms,  which  he  scratches  from  the  ground,  cater- 
pillars, and  many  kinds  of  berries.  Beetles,  and  the  whole  race  of 
coleopterous  insects,  wherever  he  can  meet  with  them,  are  sure  to 
suffer.  He  is  accused,  by  some  people,  of  scratching  up  the  hills 


166  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 

of  Indian  corn,  in  planting  time.  This  may  be  partly  true ;  but,  for 
every  grain  of  maize  he  pilfers,  I  am  persuaded  he  destroys  five 
hundred  insects,  particularly  a  large  dirty-colored  grub,  with  a 
black  head,  which  is  more  pernicious  to  the  corn,  and  other  grain 
and  vegetables,  than  nine-tenths  of  the  whole  feathered  race.  He 
is  an  active,  vigorous  bird,  flies  generally  low,  from  one  thicket  to 
another,  with  his  long,  broad  tail  spread  like  a  fan ;  is  often  seen 
about  brier  and  bramble  bushes,  along  fences  ;  and  has  a  single  note 
or  chuck,  when  you.  approach  his  nest.  In  Pennsylvania,  they  are 
numerous,  but  never  fly  in  flocks.  About  the  middle  of  September, 
or  as  soon  as  they  have  well  recovered  from  moulting,  in  which  they 
suffer  severely,  they  disappear  for  the  season.  In  passing  through 
the  southern  parts  of  Virginia,  and  south  as  far  as  Georgia,  in  the 
depth  of  winter,  I  found  them  lingering  in  sheltered  situations, 
particularly  on  the  border  of  swamps  and  rivers^.  On  the  1st  of 
March,  they  were  in  full  song  round  the  commons  at  Savannah, 
as  if  straining  to  outstrip  the  Mocking-bird,  that  prince  of  feathered 
musicians. 

"  The  Thrasher  is  a  welcome  visitant  in  spring,  to  every  lover  of 
rural  scenery  and  rural  song.  In  the  months  of  April  and  May, 
when  our  woods,  hedge-rows,  orchards,  and  cherry-trees,  are  one 
profusion  of  blossoms  ;  when  every  object  around  conveys  the  sweet 
sensations  of  joy,  and  Heaven's  abundance  is,  as  it  were,  showering 
around  us,  —  the  grateful  heart  beats  in  unison  with  the  varying, 
elevated  strains  of  this  excellent  bird :  we  listen  to  its  notes  with 
a  kind  of  devotional  ecstasy,  as  a  morning  hymn  to  the  great  and 
most  adorable  Creator  of  all.  The  human  being  who,  amidst  such 
scenes,  and  in  such  seasons  of  rural  serenity  and  delight,  can  pass 
them  with  cold  indifference,  and  even  contempt,  I  sincerely  pity ; 
for  abject  must  that  heart  be,  and  callous  those  feelings,  and  de- 
praved that  taste,  which  neither  the  charms  of  nature,  nor  the 
melody  of  innocence,  nor  the  voice  of  gratitude  or  devotion,  can 
reach. 

"  Concerning  the  sagacity  and  reasoning  faculty  of  this  bird,  my 
venerable  friend,  Mr.  Bartram,  writes  me  as  follows  :  '  I  remember 
to  have  reared  one  of  these  birds  from  the  nest,  which,  when  full 
grown,  became  very  tame  and  docile.  I  frequently  let  him  out  of 
his  cage,  to  give  him  a  taste  of  liberty.  After  fluttering,  and  dusting 


THE   MOCKING-BIRD.  167 

himself  in  dry  sand  and  earth,  and  bathing,  washing,  and  dressing 
himself,  he  would  proceed  to  hunt  insects,  such  as  beetles,  crickets, 
and  other  shelly  tribes ;  but,  being  very  fond  of  wasps,  after  catch- 
ing them,  and  knocking  them  about  to  break  their  wings,  he  would 
lay  them  down,  then  examine  if  they  had  a  sting,  and,  with  his 
bill,  squeeze  the  abdomen  to  clear  it  of  the  reservoir  of  poison 
before  he  would  swallow  his  prey.  When  in  his  cage,  being  very 
fond  of  dry  crusts  of  bread,  if  upon  trial  the  corners  of  the  crumbs 
were  too  hard  and  sharp  for  his  throat,  he  would  throw  them  up, 
carry  and  put  them  in  his  water-dish  to  soften,  then  take  them  out 
and  swallow  them.'  " 

By  the  first  week  in  October,  the  Brown  Thrush  departs 
on  its  southern  migration,  and  passes  the  winter  in  the 

West  Indies  and  Mexico. 

• 

MIMUS,  BOIE. 

Mimus,  BOIE,  Isis  (Oct.,  1826)  972.  (Type  Turdus  polyglottus.) 
Bill  shorter  than  the  head,  decurved  from  the  base,  distinctly  notched  at 
tip;  tarsi  longer  than  the  middle  toe;  lateral  toes  equal,  not  reaching  the  base  of 
the  middle  claw,  and  shorter  than  the  hind  toe,  the  claw  of  which  is  half  the  total 
length;  tail  variable,  equal  to  or  longer  than  the  wings,  moderately  graduated; 
wings  rounded,  the  exposed  portion  of  the  first  nearly  or  quite  half  that  of  the 
second,  which  is  considerably  shorter  than  the  third. 

MIMUS  POLYGLOTTUS.  —  Boie. 
The  Mocking-bird, 

Turdus  polyglottus,  Linnaeus.    Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  293.    Wilson,  Am.  Orn.,  II. 
(1810)  14.     Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1831)  108 ;  V.  (1839)  438. 
Mimus  polyglottus,  Boie.     Isis  (Oct.,  1826),  972. 
Orpheus  polyglottus,  Swainson.     Zool.  Jour.,  III.  (1827)  167. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Third  to  sixth  quills  nearly  equal,  second  shorter  than  seventh;  tail  considerably 
graduated,  above  ashy-brown,  the  feathers  very  obsoletely  darker  centrally,  and 
towards  the  light  plumbeous  downy  basal  portion  (scarcely  appreciable,  except  when 
the  feathers  are  lifted);  the  under  parts  are  white,  with  a  faint  brownish  tinge, 
except  on  the  chin,  and  with  a  shade  of  ash  across  the  breast;  there  is  a  pale  super- 
ciliary stripe,  but  the  lores  are  dusky;  the  wings  and  tail  are  nearly  black,  except 
the  lesser  wing  coverts,  which  are  like  the  back,  the  middle  and  greater  tipped  with 
white,  forming  two  bands,  the  basal  portion  of  the  primaries  white,  most  extended 
on  the  inner  primaries;  the  outer  tail  feather  is  white,  the  second  is  mostly  white, 


168  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

except  on  the  outer  web  and  towards  the  base,  the  third  with  a  white  spot  on  the 
end,  the  rest,  except  the  middle,  very  slightly  tipped  with  white ;  the  bill  and  legs 
are  black. 

Length,  nine  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  four  and  fifty  one-hun- 
dredths;  tail,  five  inches;  iris,  light-yellow. 

This  bird  is  so  exceedingly  rare  in  New  England,  that  it 
can  scarcely  be  regarded  otherwise  than  as  an  accidental 
visitor;  and  Massachusetts  is  certainly  its  northern  limit. 


Mr.  Allen,  before  referred  to,  says  that  it  has  been  known 
to  breed  in  Springfield  several  times  within  five  years,  and 
in  1860  two  pairs  nested  there.  In  June,  1860,  he  found 
a  nest  containing  three  freshly  laid  eggs,  incubation  not 
having  been  begun:  the  locality  was  a  sandy  field,  growing 
Tip  to  pitch-pines,  in  one  of  which  the  nest  was  placed, 
about  three  feet  from  the  ground ;  the  pair  was  secured 
with  the  nest  and  eggs. 

As  I  have  had  no  opportunities  of  observing  the  habits 
of  this  beautiful  songster,  I  will  give  the  very  interesting 
description  by  Wilson.  He  says,  — 

"  The  precise  time  at  which  the  Mocking-bird  begins  to  build 
his  nest  varies  according  to  the  latitude  in  which  he  resides.  In 
the  lower  parts  of  Georgia,  he  commences  building  early  in  April, 
but  in  Pennsylvania  rarely  before  the  10th  of  May  ;  and  in  New 


THE   MOCKING-BIRD.  169 

York,  and  the  States  of  New  England,  still  later.  There  are  par- 
ticular situations  to  which  he  gives  the  preference.  A  solitary 
thorn  bush,  an  almost  impenetrable  thicket,  an  orange-tree,  cedar, 
or  holly  bush,  are  favorite  spots,  and  frequently  selected.  It  is  no 
great  objection  with  him,  that  these  happen,  sometimes,  to  be  near 
the  farm  or  mansion-house.  Always  ready  to  defend,  but  never 
over-anxious  to  conceal,  his  nest,  he  very  often  builds  within  a 
small  distance  of  the  house,  and  not  unfrequently  in  a  pear  or 
apple  tree ;  rarely  at  a  greater  height  than  six  or  seven  feet  from 
the  ground.  The  nest  varies  a  little  in  different  individuals, 
according  to  the  conveniency  of  collecting  suitable  materials.  A 
very  complete  one  is  now  lying  before  me,  and  is  composed  of  the 
following  substances :  First,  a  quantity  of  dry  twigs  and  sticks  ; 
then,  withered  tops  of  weeds,  of  the  preceding  year,  intermixed 
with  fine  straws,  hay,  pieces  of  wool  and  tow ;  and,  lastly,  a  thick 
layer  of  fine  fibrous  roots,  of  a  light-brown  color,  lines  the  whole. 
The  eggs  are  four,  sometimes  five,  of  a  cinereous-blue,  marked  with 
large  blotches  of  brown.  The  female  sits  fourteen  days,  arid  gener- 
ally produces  two  broods  in  the  season,  unless  robbed  of  her  eggs, 
in  which  case  she  will  even  build  and  lay  the  third  time.  She  is, 
however,  extremely  jealous  of  her  nest,  and  very  apt  to  forsake  it 
if  much  disturbed.  It  is  even  asserted  by  some  of  our  bird-dealers, 
that  the  old  ones  will  actually  destroy  the  eggs,  and  poison  the 
young,  if  either  the  one  or  the  other  have  been  handled.  But  I 
cannot  give  credit  to  this  unnatural  report.  I  know,  from  my  own 
experience  at  least,  that  it  is  not  always  their  practice;  neither 
have  I  ever  witnessed  a  case  of  the  kind  above  mentioned.  During 
the  period  of  incubation,  neither  cat,  dog,  animal,  nor  man  can 
approach  the  nest  without  being  attacked.  The  cats,  in  particular, 
are  persecuted  whenever  they  make  their  appearance,  till  obliged 
to  retreat.  But  his  whole  vengeance  is  most  particularly  directed 
against  that  mortal  enemy  of  his  eggs  and  young,  the  black  snake. 
Whenever  the  insidious  approaches  of  this  reptile  are  discovered, 
the  male  darts  upon  it  with  the  rapidity  of  an  arrow,  dexterously 
eluding  its  bite,  and  striking  it  violently  and  incessantly  about  the 
head,  where  it  is  very  vulnerable.  The  snake  soon  becomes 
sensible  of  its  danger,  and  seeks  to  escape;  but  the  intrepid 
defender  of  his  young  redoubles  his  exertions,  and,  unless  his 


170  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

antagonist  be  of  great  magnitude,  often  succeeds  in  destroying  him. 
All  its  pretended  powers  of  fascination  avail  it  nothing  against 
the  vengeance  of  this  noble  bird.  As  the  snake's  strength  begins 
to  flag,  the  Mocking-bird  seizes  and  lifts  it  up  partly  from  the 
ground,  beating  it  with  his  wings  ;  and,  when  the  business  is  com- 
pleted, he  returns  to  the  repository  of  his  young,  mounts  the 
summit  of  the  bush,  and  pours  out  a  torrent  of  song  in  token  of 
victory.  . 

"  The  plumage  of  the  Mocking-bird,  though  none  of  the  home- 
liest, has  nothing  gaudy  or  brilliant  in  it,  and,  had  he  nothing  else 
to  recommend  him,  would  scarcely  entitle  him  to  notice ;  but  his 
figure  is  well  proportioned,  and  even  handsome.  The  ease,  ele- 
gance, and  rapidity  of  his  movements,  the  animation  of  his  eye, 
and  the  intelligence  he  displays  in  listening  and  laying  up  lessons 
from  almost  every  species  of  the  feathered  creation  within  his 
hearing,  are  really  surprising,  and  mark  the  peculiarity  of  his 
genius.  To  these  qualities  we  may  add  that  of  a  voice  full,  strong, 
and  musical,  and  capable  of  almost  every  modulation,  from  the 
clear,  mellow  tones  of  the  Wood  Thrush,  to  the  savage  scream  of 
the  Bald  Eagle.  In  measure  and  accent,  he  faithfully  follows  his 
originals.  In  force  and  sweetness  of  expression,  he  greatly  im- 
proves upon  them.  In  his  native  groves,  mounted  on  the  top  of  a 
tall  bush  or  half-grown  tree,  in  the  dawn  of  dewy  morning,  while  the 
woods  are  already  vocal  with  a  multitude  of  warblers,  his  admirable 
song  rises  pre-eminent  over  every  competitor.  The  ear  can  listen 
to  his  music  alone,  to  which  that  of  all  the  others  seems  a  mere 
accompaniment.  Neither  is  this  strain  altogether  imitative.  His 
own  native  notes,  which  are  easily  distinguishable  by  such  as  are 
well  acquainted  with  those  of  our  various  song-birds,  are  bold  and 
full,  and  varied  seemingly  beyond  all  limits.  They  consist  of  short 
expressions  of  two,  three,  or,  at  the  most,  five  or  six  syllables, 
generally  interspersed  with  imitations,  and  all  of  them  uttered  with 
great  emphasis  and  rapidity,  and  continued  with  undiminished 
ardor  for  half  an  hour  or  an  hour  at  a  time.  His  expanded  wings 
and  tail,  glistening  with  white,  and  the  buoyant  gayety  of  his 
action,  arresting  the  eye,  as  his  song  most  irresistibly  does  the  ear, 
he  sweeps  round  with  enthusiastic  ecstasy;  he  mounts  and  de- 
scends as  his  song  swells  or  dies  away  ;  and,  as  my  friend  Mr. 


THE   MOCKING-BIRD.  171 

Bartram  has  beautifully  expressed  it,  « He  bounds  aloft  with  the 
celerity  of  an  arrow,  as  if  to  recover  or  recall  his  very  soul, 
expired  in  the  last  elevated  strain.' l  While  thus  exerting  him- 
self, a  bystander  destitute  of  sight  would  suppose  that  the  whole 
feathered  tribes  had  assembled  together,  on  a  trial  of  skill,  each 
striving  to  produce  his  utmost  effect,  so  perfect  are  his  imita- 
tions. He  many  times  deceives  the  sportsman,  and  sends  him  in 
search  of  birds  that  perhaps  are  not  within  miles  of  him,  but 
whose  notes  he  exactly  imitates;  even  birds  themselves  are' fre- 
quently imposed  on  by  this  admirable  mimic,  and  are  decoyed  by 
the  fancied  calls  of  their  mates,  or  dive  with  precipitation  into  the 
depth  of  thickets  at  the  scream  of  what  they  suppose  to  be  the 
Sparrow-hawk. 

"  The  Mocking-bird  loses  little  of  the  power  and  energy  of  his 
song  by  confinement.  In  his  domesticated  state,  when  he  com- 
mences his  career  of  song,  it  is  impossible  to  stand  by  uninterested. 
He  whistles  for  the  dog,  —  Caesar  starts  up,  wags  his  tail,  and  runs 
to  meet  his  master.  He  squeaks  out  like  a  hurt  chicken,  —  and 
the  hen  hurries  about  with  hanging  wings  and  bristled  feathers, 
clucking  to  protect  its  injured  brood.  The  barking  of  the  dog,  the 
mewing  of  the  cat,  the  creaking  of  a  passing  wheelbarrow,  follow 
with  great  truth  and  rapidity.  He  repeats  the  tune  taught  him  by 
his  master,  though  of  considerable  length,  fully  and  faithfully.  He 
runs  over  the  quiverings  of  the  Canary,  and  the  clear  whistlings 
of  the  Virginia  Nightingale,  or  Red-bird,  with  such  superior  execu- 
tion and  effect,  that  the  mortified  songsters  feel  their  own  inferiority, 
and  become  altogether  silent,  while  he  seems  to  triumph  in  their 
defeat  by  redoubling  his  exertions. 

"  This  excessive  fondness  for  variety,  however,  in  the  opinion 
of  some,  injures  his  song.  His  elevated  imitations  of  the  Brown 
Thrush  are  frequently  interrupted  by  the  crowing  of  cocks ;  and 
the  warblings  of  the  Blue-bird,  which  he  exquisitely  manages,  are 
mingled  with  the  screaming  of  swallows,  or  the  cackling  of  hens ; 
amidst  the  simple  melody  of  the  Robin,  we  are  suddenly  surprised 
by  the  shrill  reiterations  of  the  Whippoorwill ;  while  the  notes  of 
the  Killdeer,  Blue  Jay,  Martin,  Baltimore,  and  twenty  others,  suc- 
ceed with  such  imposing  reality,  that  we  look  round  for  the  origi- 

1  Travels,  p.  32.    Introd. 


172  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

nals,  and  discover,  with  astonishment,  that  the  sole  performer  in 
this  singular  concert  is  the  admirable  bird  now  before  us.  During 
this  exhibition  of  his  powers,  he  spreads  his  wings,  expands  his  tail, 
and  throws  himself  around  the  cage  in  all  the  ecstasy  of  enthu- 
siasm, seeming  not  only  to  sing,  but  to  dance,  keeping  time  to  the 
measure  of  his  own  music.  Both  in  his  native  and  domesticated 
state,  during  the  solemn  stillness  of  night,  as  soon  as  the  moon 
rises  in  silent  majesty,  he  begins  his  delightful  solo,  and  sere- 
nades us  the  livelong  night  with  a  full  display  of  his  vocal 
powers,  making  the  whole  neighborhood  ring  with  his  inimitable 
medley." 

A  number  of  eggs  in  my  collection  average  about  .98  of 
an  inch  in  length  by  about  .70  inch  in  breadth  ;  their  form 
is  generally  ovate,  and  their  color  a  pale  emerald-green, 
with  spots  of  ferruginous  and  brown. 

GALEOSCOPTES,  CABANIS. 

Galeoscoptes,  CABANIS,  Mus.  Hein.,  I.  (1850)  82.  (Type  Muscicapa  Caroli- 
nensis.) 

Bill  shorter  than  the  head,  rather  broad  at  base ;  rictal  bristles  moderately  devel- 
oped, reaching  to  the  nostrils ;  wings  a  little  shorter  than  the  tail,  rounded ;  second- 
aries well  developed,  fourth  and  fifth  quills  longest,  third  and  sixth  little  shorter, 
first  and  ninth  about  equal,  and  about  the  length  of  secondaries,  first  quill  more 
than  half  the  second,  about  half  the  third ;  tail  graduated,  tail  feather  about  seventy 
one-hundredths  inch  shorter  than  the  middle ;  tarsi  longer  than  lateral  middle  toe 
and  claw  by  about  an  additional  half  claw,  scutellate  anteriorly,  more  or  less  dis- 
tinctly in  different  specimens;  scutellae  about  seven. 

The  conspicuous  naked  membranous  border  round  the  eye  of  some  thrushes, 
with  the  bare  space  behind  it,  not  appreciable. 

GALEOSCOPTES  CAROLINENSIS.  —  Cabanis. 
The  Cat-bird. 

Muscicapa  Carolinensis,  Linnaeus.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  328. 
Orpheus  Carolinensis,  Audubon.    Syn.  (1839),  88. 
Mimus  Carolinensis,  Gray.     Genera  (1844-49). 

Turdus  felivox,  Vieillot.  Ois.  Am.  Sept.,  II.  (1807)  10.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II. 
(1831) 171;  V.  1839,  440. 

Orpheus  felivox,  Swainson.    F.  Bor.  Am.,  II.  (1831 )  192. 
Turdus  Ikulus,  Wilson.    Am  Orn.,  II.  (1810)  90. 


THE   CAT-BIRD.  173 

DESCRIPTION. 

Third  quill  longest,  first  shorter  than  sixth;  prevailing  color  dark  plumbeous, 
more  ashy  beneath ;  crown  and  nape  dark  sooty-brown ;  wings  dark-brown,  edged 
with  plumbeous;  tail  greenish-black,  the  lateral  feathers  obscurely  tipped  with 
plumbeous ;  the  under  tail  coverts  dark-brownish  chestnut ;  female  smaller. 

Length,  eight  and  eighty-five  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  three  and  sixty-five 
one-hundredths ;  tail,  four;  tarsus,  one  and  five  one-hundredths  inch. 

This  very  common  and  well-known  species  arrives  in 
New  England  about  the  first  week  in  May,  —  in  Maine, 
perhaps  about  the  15th  of  that  month.  It  is  distributed 
abundantly  throughout  these  States,  and  its  habits  are  so 
well  known  that  a  description  here  is  hardly  necessary. 
During  the  mating  season,  and  indeed  through  the  greater 
part  of  the  summer,  the  song  of  the  male  is  heard  in  the 
woods,  pastures,  and  gardens  at  early  morning,  and  some- 
times through  the  day  ;  and,  although  most  persons  describe 
it  as  being  harsh  and  uncouth,  it  is  really  very  pleasing  and 
melodious.  It  is  a  sort  of  medley,  like  that  of  the  Brown 
Thrush,  but  not  near  so  loud :  the  bird  usually  perches  on 
a  low  tree,  where,  standing  nearly  erect,  his  wings  slightly 
expanded,  and  his  tail  spread  beneath  him,  he  pours  forth 
his  notes  sometimes  for  half  an  hour  at  a  time.  In  addition 
to  this  song,  he,  in  common  with  the  female,  has  a  plaintive 
note  almost  exactly  like  the  mewing  of  a  cat ;  and  the  spe- 
cific name  of  felivox,  given  itvby  some  authors,  is  much 
more  descriptive  and  appropriate  than  that  of  Carolinensis, 
which  is  neither  descriptive  nor  proper. 

The  alarm-note  is  a  rattling  cry,  like  the  sound  of  quick 
breaking  of  several  strong  sticks:  it  is  perhaps  well  ex- 
pressed by  the  syllables  trat-tat-tat-tat,  uttered  very  quickly. 
I  have  noticed  that  this  bird,  as  do  many  others,  prefers  the 
neighborhood  of  thickly  settled  districts,  even  a  home  in 
their  midst,  to  others  of  a  wilder  character;  and,  when1 
travelling  through  the  deep  forests,  I  have  invariably  found, 
that,  when  these  birds  became  abundant,  a  settlement  was 
near. 

Soon  after  mating,  the  birds  build :  this  is  from  about  the 


174  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

20th  of  May  to  the  first  week  in  June.  The  nest  is  usually 
placed  in  bushes  and  shrubs,  seldom  more  than  four  or  five 
feet  from  the  ground ;  the  location  as  often  in  the  deep 
woods  as  in  the  fields  or  pastures.  It  is  constructed  first 
of  a  layer  of  twigs  and  sticks,  on  which  is  built  the  body  of 
the  nest,  which  is  composed  of  strips  of  grape-vine  bark, 
fine  twigs,  leaves,  and  straws :  it  is  deeply  hollowed,  and 
lined  with  fibrous  roots  and  hairs,  and  sometimes  fine  grass. 
The  eggs  are  usually  four  in  number,  sometimes  five  :  their 
color  is  a  bright,  deep  emerald-green,  and  their  form  gener- 
ally ovate.  A  great  number  of  specimens  before  me  do  not 
exhibit  great  variations  in  measurement  from  the  dimen- 
sions of  a  nest  complement  of  four  collected  in  Thornton, 
N.H. ;  they  are  as  follows :  .95  by  .67  inch ;  .95  by  .66 
inch ;  .93  by  .67  inch ;  .93  by  .66  inch.  Two  broods  are 
reared  in  the  season,  seldom  three  in  this  latitude. 

About  the  middle  of  October,  this  species  moves  in  its 
Southern  migration. 


THE   BLUE-BIRD.  175 


FAMILY  SAXICOLIDJE.1     THE  ROCK  INHABITERS. 

Wings  very  long  and  much  pointed,  reaching  beyond  the  middle  of  the  short 
square  or  emarginated  tail,  and  one  and  a  half  times  or  more  the  length  of  the 
latter;  the  spurious  primary  very  short,  the  second  quill  longer  than  the  fourth;  in 
the  closed  wing,  the  outer  secondary  reaches  only  about  two-thirds  the  length  of  the 
longest  primary. 

SIALIA,  SWAINSON. 

Sialia,  SWAINSON,  Zool.  Jour.,  III.  (Sept.,  1827)  173.    (8.  Wilsonii.) 
Bill  short,  stout,  broader  than  high  at  the  base,  then  compressed,  slightly  notched 
at  tip;  rictus  with  short  bristles;  tarsi  not  longer  than  the  middle  toe;  claws  con- 
siderably curved ;  wings  much  longer  than  the  tail,  the  first  primary  spurious,  not 
one-fourth  the  longest ;  tail  moderate,  slightly  forked. 


SIALIA   SIALIS.  —  Baird. 
The  Blue-bird;   Red-breasted  Blue-bird. 

Motadtla  sialis,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1758)  187.  Gmelin,  Syst.  Nat,  I. 
(1788)  989. 

Sylvia  sialis,  Latham.  Index  Orn.,  II.  (1790)  522.  Wilson,  Am.  Orn.,I.  (1808)  56. 
Aud.  Orn.  Biog ,  II.  (1834)  84;  V.  (1839)  452. 

Ampelis  sialis,  Nuttall.     Man.,  I.  (1832)  444. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Entire  upper  parts,  including  wings  and  tail,  continuous  and  uniform  azure-blue, 
the  cheeks  of  a  duller  tint  of  the  same ;  beneath  reddish-brown ;  the  abdomen,  anal 
region,  and  under  tail  coverts  white ;  bill  and  feet  black ;  shafts  of  the  quills  and 
tail  feathers  black ;  female  with  the  blue  lighter,  and  tinged  with  brown  on  the  head 
and  back. 

Length,  six  and  seventy-five  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  four  inches ;  tail,  two 
and  ninety  one-hundredths  inches. 

THIS  beautiful  bird  is  a  very  common  summer  inhabitant 
of  all  New  England.  It  is  one  of  the  earliest  in  its 
arrival  from  the  South,  often  making  its  appearance  by  the 
middle  of  March,  sometimes  even  earlier.  About  the  middle 
of  April,  immediately  after  mating,  the  birds  commence  pre- 
paring their  nest :  this  is  made  in  a  deserted  woodpecker's 

1  I  have  adopted  the  arrangement  given  by  Professor  Baird  in  his  recent  review, 
in  this  family  and  the  succeeding,  as  far  as  SYLVICOLID.E. 


176 


ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 


hole,  in  a  martin's  box,  or  in  a  knot-hole  in  a  fence-post. 
The  materials  used  in  its  construction  are  generally  soft 
grasses,  feathers,  and  wools:  these  are  thrown  together 


without  any  great  care,  the  object  being  to  get  comfort  and 
warmth  in  the  early  season  in  which  the  first  litter  of  eggs 
is  laid.  The  eggs  are  either  four  or  five  in  number :  they 
are  of  a  light-blue  color,  with  a  very  faint  greenish  tint. 
Five  specimens,  taken  at  random  from  a  great  number, 
exhibit  the  following  measurements :  .86  by  .62  inch,  .85 
by  .62  inch,  .84  by  .61  inch,  .82  by  .60  inch,  .80  by  .60 
inch.  This  species  raises  two  broods,  usually  in  the  same 
nest,  in  the  season. 

The  Blue-bird's  habits  are  pretty  well  known;  and  its 
insectivorous  character,  and  social  and  happy  disposition, 
have  established  it  as  a  great  favorite. 


THE   BLUE-BIRD.  177 

Its  song  is  a  soft  pleasing  warble,  which  is  often  repeated, 
and  is  uttered  by  the  bird  both  when  flying  and  perching. 
In  capturing  insects,  it  has  many  of  the  habits  of  the  Fly- 
catchers. It  remains  perching  on  a  post  or  twig  until  its 
prey  shows  itself,  when  it  suddenly  flies  at  it  flapping 
its  wings  rapidly,  seizes  it,  and  returns  to  its  perch  to  eat 
it.  It  often  descends  quickly,  and  seizes  a  grasshopper  that 
is  crawling  on  a  straw  or  weed ;  and,  if  it  misses  its  aim, 
even  follows  it  while  flying. 

About  the  last  week  of  October,  the  parents  and  young 
leave  in  a  detached  flock  for  the  South. 


12 


178  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 


FAMILY  SYLVIIDJE.     THE  WOOD-INHABITERS. 

"  Bill  slender,  broad,  and  depressed  at  the  base,  distinctly  notched  and  decurved 
at  the  tip ;  culmen  sharp  ridged  at  base ;  frontal  feathers  reaching  to  the  nostrils, 
which  are  oval,  with  membrane  above,  and  overhung  —  not  concealed  —  by  a  few 
bristles  or  by  a  feather ;  rictal  bristles  extending  beyond  nostrils ;  tarsi  booted  or 
scutellate;  basal  joint  of  middle  toe  attached  its  whole  length  externally,  half-way 
internally ;  primaries  ten ;  spurious  primary  about  half  the  second,  which  is  shorter 
than  the  seventh;  lateral  toes  equal."  —  BAIKD. 


KEGULUS,   CUVIEK. 

Regulus,  CUVIER,  Le?ons  d'Anat.  Comp.,  1799-1800  (Agassiz).  (Type  Motadlla 
regulus,  Linnaeus;  Regulus  cristatw,  Koch.) 

Bill  slender,  much  shorter  than  the  head,  depressed  at  base,  but  becoming  rapidly 
compressed,  moderately  notched  at  tip ;  culmen  straight  to  near  the  tip,  then  gently 
curved;  commissure  straight;  gonys  convex;  rictus  well  provided  with  bristles; 
nostril  covered  by  a  single  bristly  feather  directed  forwards;  tarsi  elongated, 
exceeding  considerably  the  middle  toe,  and  without  scutellae;  lateral  toes  about 
equal,  hind  toe  with  the  claw  longer  than  the  middle  one,  and  about  half  the  toe; 
claws  all  much  curved ;  first  primary  about  one-third  as  long  as  the  longest,  second 
equal  to  fifth  or  sixth ;  tail  shorter  than  the  wings,  moderately  forked,  the  feathers 
acuminate ;  colors  olive-green  above,  whitish  beneath ;  size  very  small. 


REGULUS   CALENDULA.  —  Licht. 
The  Ruby-crowned  Wren. 

Motadlla  calendula,  Linnaeus.    Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  337. 

Sylvia  calendida,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  I.  (1808)  83. 

Regulus  calendula,  Nuttall.    Man.,  I.  (1832)  415.    Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  546. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Above  dark  greenish-olive,  passing  into  bright  olive-green  on  the  rump  and 
outer  edges  of  the  wings  and  tail ;  crown  with  a  large  concealed  patch  of  scarlet 
feathers,  which  are  white  at  the  base;  the  under  parts  are  grayish-white  tinged 
with  pale  olive-yellow,  especially  behind ;  a  ring  round  the  eye,  two  bands  on  the 
wing  coverts,  and  the  exterior  of  the  inner  tertials  white.  Young  without  the  red 
on  the  crown.  The  female  differs  very  little  in  color.  It  is  quite  probable  that  the 
species  does  not  attain  the  red  patch  in  the  crown  until  the  second  year,  as  the 
spring  migrations  of  the  species  always  embrace  a  considerable  number  with 
the  head  perfectly  plain. 

Length,  four  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  two  and  thirty-three  one- 
hundredths ;  tail,  one  and  eighty-five  one-hundredths. 


THE   GOLDEN.-CRESTED   WREN.  179 

THIS  diminutive  species  is  a  quite  common  spring  and 
autumn  visitor  in  New  England,  arriving  from  the 
South  from  April  the  13th  to  the  20th  in  the  different  States. 
They  are  generally  first  seen  in  evergreen  woods ;  but 
later  are  found  among  the  opening  foliage  and  blossoms  of 
forest  and  orchard  trees, — particularly  the  oak,  elm,  maple, 
and  apple,  —  darting  about,  climbing  on  the  small  twigs, 
and  prying  in  all  directions  in  search  of  minute  flying 
insects,  their  eggs  and  larvae,  frequenting  the  tops  of  the 
trees  as  well  as  the  lower  branches.  By  the  12th  of  May, 
they  depart  for  the  North  to  rear  their  young,  —  breeding 
in  Canada,  Labrador,  &c.  From  about  the  1st  of  October 
to  the  last  of  that  month,  they  are  again  with  us,  and  are 
seen  diligently  engaged  in  pursuit  of  food  in  our  woods  and 
orchards. 

They  are  not  shy  in  their  habits,  and  will  permit  one  to 
approach  quite  near  them.  I  have  noticed  that  they  remain 
in  one  cluster  of  twigs  until  it  is  completely  cleared  of 
insects,  and  they  often  employ  ten  minutes  in  searching  it 
completely. 

The  Ruby  Crown  winters  in  the  more  southern  States  of 
the  Union  and  in  Mexico.  On  clear,  fine  days  in  spring,  I 
have  heard  this  bird  warble  a  beautiful  song;  and  it  has 
also  a  peculiar  guttural,  querulous  call-note,  which  often 
precedes  this  song.  I  know  nothing  of  its  breeding  habits. 

REGULUS  SATRAPA.—  Licht. 
The  Golden-crested  Wren. 

Regulus,  satrapa,  Lichtenstein.  Verzeich.  Doubl.  (1823),  No.  410  (Quotes  Partis 
satrapa,  Illiger,  —  probably  a  museum  name).  Aud.  Syn.  (1839),  82.  /ft.,  Birds 
Arner.,  II.  (1841)  165. 

Sylvia  regulus,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  I.  (1808)  126. 

Regulus  tricolor,  Nuttall.    Man.,  I.  (1832),  420.    Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  476. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Above  olive-green,  brightest  on  the  outer  edges  of  the  wing;  tail  feathers  tinged 
with  brownish-gray  towards  the  head;  forehead,  a  line  over  the  eye  and  a  space 


180  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

beneath  it,  white ;  exterior  of  the  crown  before  and  laterally  black,  embracing  a 
central  patch  of  orange-red,  encircled  by  gamboge-yellow ;  a  dusky  space  around 
the  eye;  wing  coverts  with  two  yellowish-white  bands,  the  posterior  covering,  a 
similar  band  on  the  quills,  succeeded  by  a  broad  dusky  one;  under  parts  dull 
whitish. 

The  black  of  the  head  immediately  succeeds  the  white  frontal  band  as  one  of 
about  the  same  width,  passing  behind  on  each  side.  Generally  the  white  line  over 
the  eye  is  separated  from  the  white  forehead  by  a  dusky  lore.  There  is  also  a 
dusky  space  beneath  the  whitish  under  the  eye.  The  yellow  of  the  crown 
generally  overlies  and  conceals  the  orange.  The  orange  is  wanting  in  the  fe- 
male. The  young  birds  always  appear  to  have  at  least  the  yellow  and  black  of  the 
crown. 

Length,  under  four  inches ;  wing,  two  and  twenty-five  one-hundredths  inches ; 
tail,  one  and  eighty  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  handsome  and  active  species  is  also  a  common  bird, 
coming  to  us  from  the  North  the  last  of  September,  but, 
unlike  the  preceding,  braving  the  rigors  of  our  winter; 
and  it  leaves  again  by  the  15th  of  April.  Numbers,  how- 
ever, winter  farther  south ;  and  it  is  in  spring  and  autumn 
that  the  species  is  most  abundant.  On  their  arrival  in 
autumn,  they  frequent  orchard  trees,  feeding  among  the 
leaves  of  the  apple-trees,  which,  at  this  season,  are  infested 
with  insects.  Later,  and  in  winter,  they  resort  more  often 
to  the  evergreens,  —  such  as  the  pine,  spruce,  and  cedar, 
but  rove  whereVer  they  can  find  food,  generally  in  company 
with  the  Chickadees,  and  occasionally  the  White-breasted 
Nuthatch,  Brown  Creeper,  and  Downy  Woodpecker;  the 
whole  forming  a  lively,  busy  winter  party,  as  they  perambu- 
late the  country,  intent  on  gathering  their  now  scanty  food. 
Their  call-note  at  this  season,  indeed  the  only  note  that  I 
have  heard  at  any  time,  is  a  faint  pipe  or  whistle,  sounded 
quickly  three  or  four  times.  I  have  never  heard  this  bird 
utter  the  querulous  note  assigned  to  it  by  Audubon  and 
Nuttall,  but  have  often  heard  the  Ruby  Crown  give  this 
strain.  In  spring,  having  similar  habits  and  diet  with  the 
Ruby  Crowns,  they  frequent  the  same  hunting-grounds,  and 
are  seen  hanging  to  the  extremities  of  twigs,  head  down- 
wards, and  sometimes  fluttering  in  the  air  in  front  of  them, 
seizing  small  flies,  "  and  often  exposing  the  golden  feathers 


THE   GOLDEN-CRESTED   WREN.  181 

of  their  head,  which  are  opened  and  shut  with  great  adroit- 
ness." This  species  may  possibly  breed  in  Maine,  having 
been  seen  there  in  summer ;  but  I  do  not  remember  of  its 
having  been  found  in  the  breeding  season  south  of  that 
State. 


182  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 


FAMILY  PARIDJE. 

Bill  generally  short,'  conical,  not  notched  nor  decurved  at  tip ;  culmen  broad  and 
rounded,  not  sharp-ridged  at  base ;  nostrils  rounded,  basal,  and  concealed  by  dense 
bristles  or  bristly  feathers ;  loral  feathers  rough  and  bristly,  directed  forwards ;  tarsi 
distinctly  scutellate;  basal  joints  of  anterior  toes  abbreviated,  that  of  middle  toe 
united  about  equally  for  three-fourths  its  length  to  the  lateral,  in  Parince  forming  a 
kind  of  palm  for  grasping;  outer  lateral  toe  decidedly  longer  than  the  inner;  prima- 
ries ten,  the  first  much  shorter  than  the  second ;  tail  feathers  without  soft  tips. 

The  two  sub-families  may  be  thus  distinguished :  — 

Parince.  —  Body  compressed ;  bill  shorter  than  the  head ;  wings  rounded,  equal 
to  or  shorter  than  the  rounded  tail,  second  quill  as  short  as  the  tenth ;  tarsus  longer 
than  the  middle  toe  and  claw,  which  are  about  equal  to  the  hinder;  soles  of  toes 
widened  into  a  palm ;  plumage  rather  soft  and  lax. 

Sittince.  —  Body  depressed ;  bill  about  equal  to  or  longer  than  the  head ;  wings 
much  pointed,  much  longer  than  the  nearly  even  tail ;  tarsus  shorter  than  the  mid- 
dle toe  and  claw,  which  are  about  equal  to  the  hinder;  plumage  more  compact. 

Sub-Family  PARING.  —  The  Titmice. 
PARUS,  LINNJEUS. 

Parus,  LINN^TUS,  Syst.  Nat.,  1735  (Agassiz).    (Type  P.  major.) 
Head  not  crested;   body  and  head  stout;   tail  moderately  long,  and  slightly 
rounded ;  bill  conical,  not  veiy  stout,  the  upper  and  under  outlines  very  gently  and 
slightly  convex ;  tarsus  but  little  longer  than  middle  toe ;  crown  and  throat  gener- 
ally black. 

PARUS  ATRICAPILLUS.  —  Linrums. 

The  Black-cap  Titmouse;   Chick-a-dee. 

Parus  atricapittus,  Linnaeus.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  341.     Wilson,  Am.  Orn.,  I. 
(1808)  134.    Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  (1838). 
Parus palustris,  Nuttall.    Man.,  I.  (1832)  79. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Second  quill  as  long  as  the  secondaries;  tail  very  slightly  rounded,  lateral 
feathers  about  ten  one-hundredths  shorter  than  middle ;  back  brownish-ashy ;  top  of 
head  and  throat  black,  sides  of  head  between  them  white,  beneath  whitish;  brown- 
ish-white on  the  sides ;  outer  tail  feathers,  some  of  primaries,  and  secondaries  con- 
spicuously margined  with  white. 

Length,  five  inches;  wing,  two  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches;  tail,  two  and 
fifty  one-hundredths  inches. 

THIS  well-known  little  bird  is  a  very  common  resident 
of  all  New  England  throughout  the  year.     It  is  one 
of  the  very  few  species  that  are  as  abundant  in  the  depths  of 


THE   BLACK-CAP   TITMOUSE. 


183 


Hudson's  Bay  Titmouse,  upper  flg. 
Black-cap  Titmouse,  lower  flg. 


winter  as  through  the  summer,  and  it  is  deservedly  one 
of  the  greatest  favorites.  It 
commences  building  as  early  as 
the  second  week  in  May.  The 
nest  is  placed  in  a  hole  exca- 
vated in  a  dead  tree  or  stump. 
This  hole  is,  like  that  of  the 
Woodpecker,  gradually  widened 
at  the  bottom,  and  is  about  nine 
or  ten  inches  in  depth.  The' 
nest  is  constructed  of  soft  moss 
and  the  hairs  of  different  ani- 
mals. One  beautiful  specimen 
that  I  found  in  the  northern 
part  of  Maine  is  composed  of 
the  hair  of  the  common  deer, 
moose,  and  hare,  a  few  feathers 
of  the  Ruffed  Grouse,  and  a  few  fragments  of  soft  mosses. 
They  are  woven  into  a  warm  and  comfortable  tenement. 

The  eggs  are  from  six  to  ten  in  number,  usually  about 
six.  They  are  of  a  nearly  pure-white  color,  with  a  faint 
reddish  tint,  and  are  spotted  thickly,  at  the  greater  end, 
with  markings  of  reddish-brown  :  their  form  is  nearly  spher- 
ical, and  their  dimensions  vary  from  .65  by  .52  inch  to  .60 
by  .50  inch.  Two  broods  are  often  reared  in  the  season. 

The  habits  of  this  little  bird  are  so  well  known,  and  have 
been  written  about  so  much,  that  any  description  here  is 
almost  superfluous.  It  is  eminently  kindly  and  sociable  in 
its  disposition ;  and,  although  almost  always  in  company 
with  other  birds,  —  such  as  the  Golden-crested  and  Ruby- 
crowned  Wrens,  Nuthatches,  <fcc.,  —  it  is  never  seen  quar- 
relling with  them,  but  fraternizes  with  them  in  the  most 
cordial  manner.  Often,  when  seated  in  the  woods,  have  1 
been  surrounded  by  them ;  and  their  curiosity  to  learn  the 
cause  of  my  presence  and  my  employment  was  so  great, 
that  they  would  often  perch  on  a  twig  within  two  feet  of  my 


184  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

head,  and  scrutinize  me  with  their  shining  black  eyes  in  a 
manner  amusing  to  witness. 

Ostensibly,  they  were  searching  beneath  the  bark  for  their 
food ;  but  really  they  were  watching  me.  I  once  had  one 
perch  on  my  boot,  and  look  in  my  face  with  a  perfectly  plain 
u  what-do-you-want-here "  expression  on  its  countenance. 
Always  at  short  intervals,  while  perched  in  trees,  and  some- 
times while  flying,  this  bird  utters  its  song,  which  consists 
of  several  notes,  that  may  be  described  by  the  syllables 
cheweek-a-dee-dee-dee,  cheweek-a-dee-dee-dee,  emitted  in  a 
clear,  sweet  tone,  easily  recognized,  and  not  to  be  mistaken 
for  any  other  song.  The  flight  of  this  species  is  wavering, 
and  not  protracted;  the  bird  seldom  extending  it  further 
than  from  one  tree  to  another.  When  in  the  air  at  any 
considerable  height,  it  resembles  the  flight  of  the  Wood- 
peckers, being  undulating  and  partly  gliding. 

In  some  localities,  the  Titmouse  is  regarded  as  injurious, 
from  the  fact  that  it  is  often  seen  among  the  branches  and 
leaves  of  the  fruit-trees  and  shrubs,  pecking  off  and  destroy- 
ing the  buds.  It  does  riot  do  this  to  the  bud  for  food,  but 
really  for  the  grub  contained  in  it.  t  If  these  buds  be  exam- 
ined after  the  Chick-a-dee  has  thrown  them  away,  the  bur- 
row of  a  grub  or  caterpillar  will  appear  in  the  very  heart 
of  them.  The  bird  is  able  to  discover  the  presence  of  these 
vermin  much  more  readily  than  man  could ;  and  it  is  thus 
able  to  assail  them  at  a  period  of  their  existence  when  they 
are  doing  the  most  harm.  But  it  is  not  the  insects  and 
their  larvae  alone  that  he  destroys.  His  microscopic  eyes 
enable  him  to  discover  their  eggs  deposited  on  and  in  the 
crevices  of  the  bark  and  in  the  buds,  and  in  an  instant  he 
can  destroy  the  whole  future  brood.  The  eggs  of  the  moth 
of  the  destructive  leaf-rolling  caterpillar,  those  of  the  canker- 
worm,  the  apple-tree  moth,  and  others  of  these  well-known 
plagues,  are  greedily  eaten  by  it ;  and  this  is  in  the  inclem- 
ent winter,  when  most  of  our  other  birds  have  abandoned 
us  for  a  more  genial  climate. 


THE  HUDSON'S  BAY  TITMOUSE.  185 

In  the  summer  time,  the  Chick-a-dee's  labors  are  more 
easily  noticed ;  and  as  he  raises  a  large  brood  of  young,  the 
female  laying  six  or  eight  eggs  at  a  litter,  he  is  very  busy 
through  the  whole  day  in  capturing  vast  quantities  of  cater- 
pillars, flies,  and  grubs.  It  has  been  calculated  that  a  single 
pair  of  these  birds  destroy,  on  the  average,  not  less  than  five 
hundred  of  these  pests  daily ;  a  labor  which  could  hardly  be 
surpassed  by  a  man,  even  if  he  gave  his  whole  time  to  the 
task. 

"  Moreover,  the  man  could  not  be  as  successful  at  so 
small  a  cost ;  for,  setting  aside  the  value  of  his  time  and 
the  amount  of  a  laborer's  daily  wages,  he  could  not  reach  the 
denser  and  loftier  twigs  on  which  the  caterpillars  revel,  and 
which  the  Titmouse  can  traverse  with  perfect  ease.  No 
man  can  investigate  a  tree,  and  clear  it  of  the  insect  hosts 
that  constantly  beleaguer  it,  without  doing  some  damage  to 
the  buds  and  young  leaves  by  his  rough  handling  ;  whereas 
the  Chick-a-dee  trips  along  the  branches,  peeps  under  every 
leaf,  swings  himself  round  upon  his  perch,  spies  out 
every  insect,  and  secures  it  with  a  peck  so  rapid  that  it  is 
hardly  perceptible." 

In  some  observations  made  on  the  habits  of  this  and 
some  other  birds  in  Paris,  it  was  found  that  the  Titmouse 
destroys,  at  the  lowest  computation,  over  two  hundred 
thousand  eggs  alone  of  noxious  insects  in  the  course  of  a 
year.  That  one  small  bird  is  thus  able  to  accomplish  so 
much  good  in  destroying  these  myriads  of  vermin  is  an 
appeal  to  the  good  sense  of  the  farmer,  for  the  protection  of 
the  whole  class,  that  should  not  be  slighted. 

PABUS   HUDSONICUS.  —  Forster. 

The  Hudson's  Bay  Titmouse. 

Parus  Hudsonicus,  Forster.  Philos.  Trans.,  LXII.  (1772)  383,  430.  Aud.  Orn. 
Biog.,  II.  (1834)  543.  Ib.,  Birds  Amer.,  II.  (1841)  155. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Above  yellowish  olivaceous-brown;  top  of  head  purer  brown,  not  very  different 
in  tint;  chin  and  throat  dark  sooty-brown;  sides  of  head  white;  beneath  white; 


186  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

sides  and  anal  regions  light  brownish-chestnut;  no  whitish  on  wings  or  tail;  tail 
nearly  even,  or  slightly  emarginate  and  rounded ;  lateral  feathers  about  twenty  one- 
hundredths  inch  shortest. 

Length,  about  five  inches ;  wing,  two  and  forty  one-hundredths  inches ;  tail,  two 
and  sixty-six  one-hundredths  inches. 

Hob.  —  North-eastern  portions  of  North  America  to  the  North  Atlantic  States. 

This  bird  occurs  in  New  England  only  in  the  most 
northern  parts  of  Maine,  New  Hampshire,  and  Vermont, 
where  it  is  sometimes  resident.  I  have  never  met  with  it 
alive,  and  will  be  obliged  to  avail  myself  of  Audubon's 
description  of  its  habits,  nest,  &c.  He  says,  in  describing 
the  nest:  — 

"  It  was  placed  at  the  height  of  not  more  than  three  feet  from 
the  ground,  in  the  hollow  of  a  decayed  low  stump,  scarcely  thicker 
than  a  man's  leg ;  the  whole  so  rotten  that  it  crumbled  to  pieces  on 
being  touched.  I  cautiously  removed  the  woody  enclosure,  and 
took  possession  of  the  nest,  which  I  obtained  in  perfect  order.  It 
was  shaped  like  a  purse,  eight  inches  in  depth,  two  in  diameter 
inside ;  its  sides  about  half  an  inch  thick.  It  was  entirely  com- 
posed of  the  finest  fur  of  different  quadrupeds,  but  principally  of 
the  great  northern  hare,  so  thickly  and  ingeniously  matted  through- 
out, that  it  looked  as  if  it  had  been  '  felted '  by  the  hand  of  man. 
It  was  quite  elastic  throughout,  and  rather  wider  at  the  bottom, 
probably  in  consequence  of  the  natural  growth  of  the  young." 

This  hardy  little  bird  resembles  in  its  manners  the  other 
species  of  its  interesting  and  beautiful  tribe :  its  notes 
resemble  those  of  our  southern  Black-headed  Titmouse,  but 
are  much  weaker. 


Sub-Family  SITTING.  —  The  Nuthatches. 
SITTA,  LINN^US. 

Sitta,  LINN^US,  Syst.  Nat.  1735  (Agassiz). 

Bill  subulate,  acutely  pointed,  compressed,  about  as  long  as  the  head;  culmen 
and  commissure  nearly  straight ;  gonys  convex  and  ascending ;  nostrils  covered  by  a 
tuft  of  bristles  directed  forward ;  tarsi  stout,  scutellate,  about  equal  to  the  middle 
toe,  much  shorter  than  the  hinder,  the  claw  of  which  is  half  the  total  length ;  outer 


THE   WHITE-BELLIED    NUTHATCH.  187 

lateral  toe  much  longer  than  inner,  and  nearly  equal  to  the  middle;  tail  very  short, 
broad,  and  nearly  even,  the  feathers  soft  and  truncate ;  wings  reaching  nearlv  to  the 
end  of  the  tail,  long  and  acute,  the  first  primary  one-third  of  (or  less)  the  third,  or 
longest. 

SITTA  CAROLINENSIS.  —  Gmelin. 
The  White-bellied  Nuthatch. 

Sitta  Carolinensis,  Latham.  Ind.  Orn.,  I.  (1790)  262.  Wilson,  Am.  Orn.,  I. 
(1808)  40.  Nutt.  Man.,  I.  (1832)  581.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  299;  V.  (1839)  47s! 

DESCRIPTION. 

Above  ashy-blue ;  top  of  head  and  neck  black ;  under  parts  and  sides  of  head,  to 
a  short  distance  above  the  eye,  white ;  under  tail  coverts  and  tibial  feathers  brown  ; 
concealed  primaries  white ;  bill  stout. 

Length,  about  six  inches ;  wing,  about  three  and  three-quarters  inches. 

Hpb.  —  Eastern  North  America  to  the  high  central  plains.  West  of  this,  replaced 
by  S.  aculeata. 

This  species  is  a  not  uncommon  one  in  New  England, 
where  it  is  found  through  the  winter.  In  the  more  north- 
ern districts,  it  is  a  summer  resident;  and  it  sometimes 
breeds  as  far  south  as  Massachusetts.  A  nest  was  found  in 
Cambridge,  Mass.,  in  June,  1865.  It  was  made  in  an  exca- 
vation in  a  dead  tree  (or  rather  stump),  which  was  carried 
to  the  depth  of  perhaps  eight  inches.  The  nest  was  com- 
posed of  soft  grasses,  hairs,  and  a  few  feathers:  these  were 
arranged  compactly  in  the  bottom  of  the  hole  to  the  depth 
of  perhaps  an  inch  and  a  half.  The  eggs  were  six  in  num- 
ber, four  of  them  are  now  before  me :  they  are  ovoidal  in 
shape,  of  a  beautiful  roseate- white  color,  and  covered  more 
or  less  thickly  with  fine  spots  and  dashes  of  light-reddish. 
Their  dimensions  are  .80  by  .61  inch,  .80  by  .60  inch,  .78 
by  .58  inch,  .75  by  .57  inch.  Another  specimen,  collected 
in  the  Adirondack  Mountains,  is  marked  more  sparingly 
with  coarser  and  darker  spots :  its  dimensions  are  .70  by 
.57  inch. 

The  habits  of  this  species  are  very  similar  to  those  of  the 
small  woodpeckers ;  and  they  are  equally  industrious  with 
those  birds  in  their  search  for  the  larvae  and  eggs  of  insects, 
which  they  obtain  by  boring  in  the  bark,  and  knocking  off 


188  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

the  moss  and  dead  pieces  of  trees  with  their  sharp,  powerful 
bill. 

In  traversing  the  limbs  of  trees,  they  resemble  in  their 
movements  the  Downy  Woodpecker ;  and  their  flight  is  also 
similar  to  that  bird's.  The  note  is  a  short,  harsh  call,  simi- 
lar to  the  syllables  eha-cha-cha-chd,  uttered  quickly,  and  with 
emphasis. 

SITTA   CANADENSIS.—  Linnceus. 
The  Red-bellied  Nuthatch. 

Sitla  Canadensis,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat,  I.  (1766)  177.  Nutt.  Man.,  I.  (1832)  583. 
Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  24;  V.  474. 

Sitta  varia,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  I.  (1808)  40. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Above  ashy-blue ;  top  of  head  black ;  a  white  line  above  and  a  black  one  through 
the  eye  j  chin  white ;  rest  of  under  parts  brownish-rusty. 

Length,  about  four  and  a  half  inches;  wing,  two  and  two-thirds  inches. 
Hab.  — North  America  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  probably  also  to  the  Pacific. 

The  same  remarks  as  to  distribution,  habits,  &c.,  will 
apply  to  this  species  as  to  the  preceding.  It  is  quite  abun- 
dant as  a  summer  resident  in  the  wilds  of  Maine;  and  its 
notes  are  almost  the  first  sound  heard  by  the  traveller  on 
awakening  in  the  early  morning.  I  have  sometimes  heard 
its  note  in  the  night,  while  floating  in  my  canoe  on  the 
bosom  of  some  tranquil  lake  or  between  the  banks  of  a 
sombre  river ;  and  frequently  they  seemed  to  be  high  up 
in  the  air,  as  if  the  bird  had  taken  flight.  These  notes 
are  a  sort  of  drawling  repetition  of  the  syllable  chape,  like 
perhaps  the  following :  Cheadpe,  cheadpe,  cheadpe. 

The  nest  is  built  in  a  hole  in  a  tree  or  stump,  usually 
excavated  by  the  birds  for  the  purpose :  it  is  of  the  same 
description  as  that  of  the  preceding,  as  are  also  the  eggs 
with  the  exception  of  size ;  the  present  being  considerably 
smaller,  averaging  .64  by  .53  inch. 

Audubon,  in  describing  the  nest  of  the  Red-bellied  Nut- 
hatch, says,  — 


THE   RED-BELLIED   NUTHATCH.  189 

"  I  found  it  building  its  nest  near  Eastport,  in  Maine,  on  the 
19th  of  May,  before  the  Blue-bird  had  made  its  appearance  there, 
and  while  much  ice  still  remained  on  the  northern  exposures.  The 
nest  is  dug  in  a  low,  dead  stump,  seldom  more  than  four  feet  from 
the  ground ;  both  the  male  and  the  female  working  by  turns  until 
they  have  got  to  the  depth  of  about  fourteen  inches.  The  eggs, 
four  in  number,  are  small,  and  of  a  white  color,  tinged  with  a  deep 
blush,  and  sprinkled  with  reddish  dots.  They  raise,  I  believe, 
only  one  brood  in  the  season." 

Although  I  found  a  pair  on  Nantucket  in  June,  1866, 
which  had  young  without  doubt,  the  only  other  occurrence 
of  this  bird's  breeding  in  New  England  that  has  come  to 
my  knowledge  was  in  West  Roxbury,  Mass.,  in  June,  1866, 
when  a  nest  was  found  in  an  old  stump  by  my  young  friend, 
William  Minot,  jun.  The  eggs  were  four  in  number,  and 
were  of  the  description  given  above. 


190  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 


FAMILY  CERTHIIADJE.    THE  CREEPERS. 

First  primary  very  short,  less  than  half  the  second;  outer  lateral  toe  much 
longest;  hind  toe  exceeding  both  the  middle  toe  and  the  tarsus,  which  is  scutellate 
anteriorly,  and  very  short ;  bill  slender,  as  long  as,  or  longer  than,  the  head,  much 
compressed  and  greatly  decurved ;  gonys  concave,  without  any  notch  ?  entire  basal 
joint  of  the  middle  toes  united  to  the  lateral,  the  feathers  stiffened  at  the  tips;  tail 
long,  cuneate. 

CERTHIA,  LINN^US. 

Certhia,  LINN/EUS,  Syst.  Nat.,  1735  (Gray).  (Type  C.  familiaris.) 
Bill  as  long  as  the  head,  slender,  much  compressed  and  decurved  from  the  base, 
without  notch  or  rictal  bristles;  tarsi  distinctly  scutellate,  very  short,  not  longer  than 
the  outer  lateral  toes,  which  much  exceeds  the  inner,  reaching  nearly  as  far  as  the 
middle  toe ;  hind  toe  longer  than  the  middle  one,  its  claw  more  than  half  the  total 
length ;  claws  all  very  long  and  acute ;  tail  rather  longer  than  the  wings,  arched  or 
vaulted,  graduated  or  cuneate ;  the  feathers  very  acute  at  the  tips,  the  shafts  stiff- 
ened; first  primary  rather  more  than  one-third  the  fourth  or  longest  one;  color 
above  brown,  streaked  with  white,  beneath  white. 


CERTHIA  AMERICANA.  —  Bonaparte. 
The  American  Creeper. 

Certhia  Americana,  Bonaparte.    Consp.  List  (1838). 

Certhia  familiaris,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  I.  (1808)  122.  Aud.  Orn  Biog.,  V. 
(1839)  158. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  about  the  length  of  the  head;  above  dark-brown,  with  a  slightly  rufous 
shade,  each  feather  streaked  centrally,  but  not  abruptly,  with  whitish ;  rump  rusty ; 
beneath  almost  silky-white ;  the  under  tail  coverts  with  a  faint  rusty  tinge ;  a  white 
streak  over  the  eye ;  the  ear  coverts  streaked  with  whitish ;  tail  feathers  brown  cen- 
trally, the  edges  paler  yellowish-brown ;  wings  with  a  transverse  bar  of  pale  reddish- 
white  across  both  webs. 

Length,  about  five  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  two  and  sixty  one- 
hundredths  inches;  tail,  two  and  ninety  one-hundredths  inches. 

Hob.  —  North  America  generally. 

THIS  species  is  a  resident  of  the  three  southern  New- 
England  States  through  the  year :  in  the  other  States, 
it  is  not  a  common  summer  visitor.     It  arrives  from  the 
South  about  the  middle  of  April,  and,  on  pairing,  com- 
mences building  about  the  second  week  in  May.     The  nest 


THE    AMERICAN   CREEPER.  191 

• 

is  built  in  a  hollow  limb  of  a  tree,  in  a  deserted  nest  of  a 
woodpecker  or  squirrel,  or  a  hole  in  a  fence-post.  Usually 
the  locality  is  chosen  in  the  deep  woods,  and  seldom  near 
dwellings  or  in  the  orchards.  The  materials  used  in  the 
construction  are  soft  grasses,  feathers,  and  the  bark  of 
the  cedar  and  grape-vine.  The  eggs  are  usually  about  six  in 
number :  their  color  is  a  dull-gray ;  and  they  are  marked, 
thickest  near  the  great  end,  with  small  spots  of  reddish- 
brown,  and  a  few  dabs  of  a  darker  color.  Mr.  Allen  speaks 
of  a  nest  being  found  "  in  a  large  elm  in  Court  Square, 
Springfield,  about  ten  feet  from  the  ground,  and  built  behind 
a  strip  of  thick  bark  that  projected  in  such  a  way  as  to  leave 
a  protected  cavity  behind  it."  Dimensions  of  eggs  average 
about  .70  by  .50  inch.  But  one  brood  is  reared  in  the 
season  in  New  England. 


192  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 


FAMILY  TROGLODYTIDJE.     THE  WRENS. 

"Rictal  bristles  wanting;  the  loral  feathers  with  bristly  points ;  the  fronta Weathers 
generally  not  reaching  to  nostrils;  nostrils  varied,  exposed  or  not  covered  bv 
feathers,  and  generally  overhung  by  a  scale-like  membrane;  bill  usually  without 
notch;  wings  much  rounded,  about  equal  to  tail,  which  is  graduated;  primaries  ten, 
the  first  generally  about  half  the  second;  basal  joint  of  middle  toe  usually  united  to 
half  the  basal  joint  of  inner,  and  the  whole  of  that  of  the  outer,  or  more;  lateral 
toes  about  equal,  or  the  outer  a  little  the  Longer;  tarsi  scutellate."  —  BAIRD. 


CISTOTHORUS,  CABANIS. 

Cistotkorus,  CABANIS,  Mus.  Hein.  (1850-51),  77.  (Type  Troglodytes  stellaris.) 
Bill  about  as  long  as  the  head  or  much  shorter,  much  compressed,  not  notched, 
gently  decurved  from  the  middle;  the  gonys  slightly  concave  or  straight;  toes- 
reaching  to  the  end  of  the  tail ;  tarsus  longer  than  the  middle  toe ;  hind  toe  longer 
than  the  lateral,  shorter  than  the  middle,  lateral  toes  about  equal,  hind  toe  longer 
than  or  equal  to  its  digit;  wings  rather  longer  than  the  tail,  all  the  feathers  of  which 
are  much  graduated,  the  lateral  only  two-thirds  the  middle ;  the  feathers  narrow ; 
back  black,  conspicuously  streaked  with  white. 


CISTOTHORUS   PALUSTRIS.  —  Cabanis. 
The  Long-billed  Marsh  Wren. 

Certhia  palustris,  Wilson.     Am.  Orn.,  II.  (1810)  58. 

Troglodytes  palusti-is,  Bonaparte.  Obs.  Wils.  (1824),  No.  66.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog., 
I.  (1831) 500;  V.  (1839) 467. 

Thryothorus  palustris,  Nuttall.     Man.,  I.  (1832)  439. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  about  as  long  as  head;  tail  and  wing  nearly  equal;  upper  parts  of  a  dull 
reddish-brown,  except  on  the  crown,  interscapular  region,  outer  surface  of  tertiuls, 
and  tail  feathers,  which  are  almost  black,  —  the  first  with  a  median  patch  like  the 
ground-color;  the  second  with  short  streaks  of  white,  extending  round  on  the  sides 
of  the  neck;  the  third  indented  with  brown;  the  fourth  barred  with  whitish,  de- 
creasing in  amount  from  the  outer  feather,  which  is  marked  from  the  base  to  the 
fifth,  where  it  is  confined  to  the  tips;  the  two  middle  feathers  above  like  the  back, 
and  barred  throughout  with  dusky;  beneath  rather  pure-white,  the  sides  and  under 
tail  coverts  of  a  lighter  shade  of  brown  than  the  back;  a  white  streak  over  the  eye. 

Length,  five  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  two  and  eight  one-hundredths 
inches;  tail,  two  inches. 

Hob.  —  North  America  from  Atlantic  to  Pacific,  north  to  Greenland. —  REIN- 

HARDT. 


THE   LONG-BILLED   MARSH   WREN.  193 

THIS  interesting  and  not  generally  well-known  little  bird 
is  a  summer  inhabitant  of  New  England.  Although 
not  uncommon  in  Massachusetts  and  the  other  two  southern 
States,  it  seldom  ventures  north  of  the  first  State,  where  it 
is  confined  to  the  neighborhood  of  the  salt-water  marshes. 
It  makes  its  appearance  about  the  middle  of  May ;  and  its 
presence  is  soon  made  known  by  its  lively,  chattering  song, 
and  grotesque  dodgings  among  the  reeds  and  tall  grass  in 
which  it  makes  its  home.  I  cannot  refrain  from  giving  the 
exceedingly  interesting  account  of  its  habits,  &c.,  by  Wilson. 
He  says,  — 

"  The  Marsh  Wren  arrives  in  Pennsylvania  about  the  middle  of 
May,  or  as  soon  as  the  reeds  and  a  species  of  nymphea,  usually 
called  splatter-docks,  which  grow  in  great  luxuriance  along  the  tide- 
water of  our  rivers,  are  sufficiently  high  to  shelter  it.  To  such 
places  it  almost  wholly  limits  its  excursions,  seldom  venturing  far 
from  the  river.  Its  food  consists  of  flying  insects  and  their  larvae, 
and  a  species  of  green  grasshopper  that  inhabits  the  reeds.  As  to  its 
notes,  it  would  be  mere  burlesque  to  call  them  by  the  name  of  song. 
Standing  on  the  reedy  borders  of  the  Schuylkill  or  Delaware,  in  the 
month  of  June,  you  hear  a  low  crackling  sound,  somewhat  similar 
to  that  produced  by  air-bubbles  forcing  their  way  through  mud  or 
boggy  ground  when  trod  upon.  This  is  the  song  of  the  Marsh 
Wren  :  but  as,  among  the  human  race,  it  is  not  given  to  one  man 
to  excel  in  every  thing,  and  yet  each  perhaps  has  something  pecu- 
liarly his  own  ;  so,  among  birds,  we  find  a  like  distribution  of  talents 
and  peculiarities.  The  little  bird  now  before  us,  if  deficient  and 
contemptible  in  singing,  excels  in  the  art  of  design,  and  constructs 
a  nest  which,  in  durability,  warmth,  and  convenience,  is  scarcely 
inferior  to  one,  and  far  superior  to  many,  of  its  more  musical  breth- 
ren. This  is  formed  outwardly  of  wet  rushes  mixed  with  mud, 
well  intertwined,  and  fashioned  into  the  form  of  a  cocoanut.  A 
small  hole  is  left  two-thirds  up  for  entrance,  the  upper  edge  of 
which  projects  like  a  pent-house  over  the  lower  to  prevent  the 
admission  of  rain.  The  inside  is  lined  with  fine  soft  grass,  and 
sometimes  feathers ;  and  the  outside,  when  hardened  by  the  sun, 
resists  every  kind  of  weather.  This  nest  is  generally  suspended 

13 


194  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

among  the  reeds,  above  the  reach  of  the  highest  tides,  and  is  tied 
so  fast  to  every  part  of  the  surrounding  reeds  as  to  bid  defiance  to 
the  winds  and  the  waves.  The  eggs  are  usually  six,  of  a  dark-fawn 
color,  and  very  small.  The  young  leave  the  nest  about  the  20th  of 
June,  and  they  generally  have  a  second  brood  in  the  same  season." 

I  am  unable  to  add  any  thing  of  value  to  this  description. 
Several  nests  in  my  collection,  from  various  localities  in 
New  England  and  elsewhere,  agree  with  the  above  descrip- 
tion of  nest.  They  are  formed  of  reeds  and  grasses  twined 
strongly  together  in  a  bulky  fabric ;  and  the  entrance,  a 
small  round  hole,  is  on  one  side  (facing  the  south  always, 
I  believe).  The  cavity  is  deep,  and  lined  with  soft  grasses 
and  feathers.  The  eggs  are  of  a  mahogany-color,  with  fine 
dots  covering  the  entire  surface.  These  dots  are  darker  than 
the  ground-color,  and  so  fine  as  to  be  hardly  visible.  A  great 
number  of  eggs  in  my  collection  vary  from  .60  by  .48  to  .56 
by  .42  inch  in  dimensions. 

CISTOTHORUS   STELLARIS.  —  Cabanis. 
The  Short-billed  Marsh  Wren. 

Cistothorus  stettaris,  Cabanis.    Mus.  Hein.  (1851),  77.     Type. 

Troglodytes  brevirostris,  Nuttall.  Trans.  Amer.  Acad.  Arts  and  Sc.,  New  Ser.,  I. 
(1833)  98,  with  figure  (quoted  in  Manual,  though  date  of  volume  is  subsequent  to 
1832).  Ib.,  Man.,  I.  (1832)  436.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  427;  V.  (1839)  469. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  very  short,  scarcely  half  the  length  of  the  head ;  wing  and  tail  about  equal ; 
hinder  part  of  the  crown  and  the  scapular  and  interscapular  region  of  the  back  and 
rump  almost  black,  streaked  with  white ;  tail  dusky,  the  feathers  barred  throughout 
with  brown  (the  color  grayish  on  the  under  surface);  beneath  white;  the  sides,  upper 
part  of  the  breast,  and  under  tail  coverts  reddish-brown;  upper  parts,  with  the  excep- 
tions mentioned,  reddish -brown. 

Length,  four  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  one  and  seventy-five  one- 
hundredths  inch ;  tail,  one  and  seventy-five  one-hundredths  inch. 

Hob.  —  Eastern  United  States  to  the  Loup  fork  of  Platte. 

Like  the  preceding  species,  this  bird  is  limited  to  the 
southern  districts  of  New  England  ;  Massachusetts  being  its 
northern  limit.  It  makes  its  first  appearance  about  the 
middle  of  May,  sometimes  a  little  earlier.  The  nest  is  built 


TROGLODYTES.  195 

about  the  last  week  in  May :  it  is  constructed  of  grasses  and 
sedges,  and  is  pensile,  or  rather  suspended  in  tall  grass  in 
fresh-water  meadows,  which  is  woven  into  the  body  of  the 
fabric.  I  have  never  noticed  any  mud  in  the  materials,  and 
doubt  if  any  is  used.  The  entrance  is  on  the  side ;  it  is  a 
small  hole,  just  under  the  greatest  bulge  of  the  nest :  the 
whole  fabric  is  lined  with  soft  down  from  flying-seeds,  and 
sometimes  a  few  feathers.  The  eggs  are  sometimes  eight  or 
nine  in  number,  usually  about  six :  their  color  is  pure-white, 
and  the  shell  is  extremely  thin  and  brittle.  The  dimensions 
vary  from  .57  by  .44  to  .50  by  .40  inch.  But  one  brood  is 
reared  in  New  England. 

The  habits  of  this  bird  are  not  so  well  known  as  those  of 
the  preceding,  as  it  is  a  much  more  shy  bird,  and  always 
avoids  the  presence  of  man.  When  its  nest  is  approached, 
it  hovers  near  the  intruder,  chattering  and  scolding  in  a 
violent  manner.  It  is  hardly  ever  seen  in  the  neighborhood 
of  the  salt  water,  and  seems  to  be  found  only  in  the  mead- 
ows in  the  vicinity  of  fresh  water :  its  food  consists  princi- 
pally of  small  insects,  and  spiders,  which  it  is  almost 
constantly  employed  in  capturing.  Its  song  is  short,  and 
consists  of  a  repetition  of  the  syllables,  'che,  'chet,  de-de-de- 
de-de.  This  is  uttered  when  the  bird  is  perched  on  a  low 
bush,  or  tuft  of  grass.  A  peculiarity  of  this  bird,  and  also 
of  the  preceding  species,  is  its  habit  of  building  a  number  of 
nests  in  the  same  season :  it  is  believed  by  many  persons, 
that  this  is  done  to  secure  protection ;  because,  when  a 
person  searches  for  the  nest  occupied  by  the  female,  the 
male  always  decoys  the  intruder  to  the  neighborhood  of  one 
of  these  empty  ones. 

TROGLODYTES,  VIEILLOT. 

Troglodytes,  VIEILLOT,  Ois.  Am.  Sept.,  II.  (1807)  52.    (Type  T.  cedon.) 
The  characters  of  this  section  will  be  found  sufficiently  indicated  in  the  synopsis 
of  the  genera  on  a  preceding  page.    It  comes  nearest  to  Cistoihorus,  but  is  distin- 
guished by  weaker  feet  and  much  smaller  hind  claw,  which,  instead  of  being  equal 
to  or  longer  than  the  remaining  portion  of  the  toe,  is  decidedly  shorter. 


196  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

TROGLODYTES  .EDON.—  Vieillot. 
The  House  "Wren. 

Troglodytes  cedon,  Vieillot.  Ois.  Am.  Sept.,  II.  (1807)  52.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  I. 
(1831)427;  V.  (1839)470. 

Sylvia  domestica,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  I.  (1808)  129. 
Troglodytes  fulvus,  Nuttall.    Man.,  I.  (1832)  422. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Tail  and  wings  about  equal;  bill  shorter  than  the  head;  above  reddish-brown, 
darker  towards  the  head,  brighter  on  the  rump;  the  feathers  everywhere,  except  on 
the  head  and  neck,  barred  with  dusky;  obscurely  so  on  the  back,  and  still  less 
on  the  rump;  all  the  tail  feathers  barred  from  the  base;  the  contrast  more  vivid  on 
the  exterior  ones ;  beneath  pale  fulvous-white,  tinged  with  light-brownish  across  the 
breast ;  the  posterior  parts  rather  dark-brown,  obscurely  banded ;  under  tail  coverts 
whitish,  with  dusky  bars ;  an  indistinct  line  over  the  eye,  eyelids,  and  loral  region, 
whitish;  cheeks  brown,  streaked  with  whitish. 

Length,  four  and  ninety  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  two  and  eight  one-hun- 
dredths  inches;  tail,  two  inches. 

Hob.  —  Eastern  United  States  to  the  Missouri,  or  to  the  high  central  plains. 

The  bill  of  this  species,  even  from  the  extreme  base,  is  shorter  than  the  head. 
The  wing  is  very  nearly  equal  to  the  tail,  and  reaches  over  its  basal  fourth.  The 
tail  is  moderately  graduated,  the  lateral  feather  about  .32  of  an  inch  shorter  than  the 
middle.  The  outstretched  feet  reach  about  to  the  end  of  the  tail. 

There  are  a  few  whitish  spots  on  the  wing  coverts. 

This  interesting  and  well-known  little  bird  is  very  gen- 
erally distributed  throughout  New  England.  It  arrives  from 
the  South  as  early  as  the  first  week  in  May,  and  soon  appears 

about  its  old  haunts  in  the  gar- 
den and  orchard.  The  famili- 
arity of  this  species  with  man 
is  well  known ;  and  comfortable 
quarters  are  provided  for  its 
reception,  oftentimes  in  the 
piazza  of  a  dwelling-house,  or 
in  the  casement  of  a  window. 
This  little  bird  is  rather  quar- 
relsome, and  often  drives  from 
its  home  the  Blue-bird  and  Martin,  occupying  the  prepared 
nest  for  its  own  domicile.  When  building  a  nest  of  its  own, 
it  selects  a  hole  in  a  tree,  or  post  in  a  fence,  and  fills  the 
whole  cavity  with  sticks  and  twigs :  this  mass  is  hollowed 


THE   WINTER  WREN.  197 

in  the  centre,  and  lined  with  fine  grasses,  feathers,  wool,  and 
other  soft  materials.  The  eggs  are  usually  six  in  number, 
sometimes  eight,  and  I  have  known  as  many  as  ten  being 
found  in  one  nest :  their  color  is  a  pale-reddish  flesh-color, 
covered  with  fine  dots  or  sprinkling  of  a  darker  color. 
Dimensions  vary  from  .62  by  .50  to  .59  by  .48  inch.  Occa- 
sionally, two  broods  are  reared  in  the  season;  but,  as  a 
general  thing,  one  brood  only.  The  wrens  are  extremely 
beneficial  in  the  garden  and  orchard :  they  destroy  immense 
numbers  of  insects  and  their  larva?,  and  are,  in  consequence 
of  their  sociable  habits  and  pleasant  dispositions,  great  favor- 
ites. It  is  hardly  necessary  to  say  a  good  word  in  their 
favor,  as  they  are  well  appreciated  and  protected. 

As  with  many  other  birds,  this  species,  although  very 
generally  distributed,  is  not,  by  any  means,  regularly  spread 
through  these  States.  It  may  be  quite  abundant  in  one 
town ;  and  in  another,  perhaps  five  miles  off,  not  an  indi- 
vidual is  to  be  seen.  In  Cambridge,  Mass.,  it  is  one  of  the 
most  abundant  of  birds  ;  but,  in  Newton  or  Dorchester,  it  is 
comparatively  rare.  I  cannot  account  for  this  irregularity, 
and  have  never  heard  a  plausible  or  satisfactory  reason  for 
it  given.  Some  species  of  insects,  which  are  favorites  with 
it  for  food,  may  possibly  be  found  less  abundantly  in  some 
localities  than  in  others ;  but  I  am  unable  to  say  if  this  is 
the  case,  since  I  do  not  know  of  any  particular  insect  which 
this  bird  prefers.  Numbers  that  I  have  examined,  con- 
tained in  their  stomachs  spiders  in  abundance ;  but  what 
species  they  were,  or  what  were  their  peculiar  localities,  I 
am  ignorant. 

TROGLODYTES  HYEMALIS.  —  Vieillot. 
The  Winter  Wren. 

Sylvia  troglodytes,  Wilson.     Am.  On.,  I.  (1808)  139. 

Troglodytes  hyemalis,  Vieillot.  Nouv.  Diet.,  XXXIV.  (1819)  514.  Aud.  Orn. 
Biog.,  IV.  (1838)430. 

Troglodytes  JEuropceus,  Bonaparte.  Obs.  Wils.  (1825),  No.  137.  Nutt  Man.,  I. 
(1832)  427. 


198  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  very  straight,  slender,  and  conical ;  shorter  than  the  head ;  tail  considerably 
shorter  than  the  wings,  which  reach  to  its  middle;  upper  parts  reddish-brown, 
becoming  brighter  to  the  rump  and  tail ;  everywhere,  except  on  the  head  and  upper 
part  of  the  back,  with  transverse  bars  of  dusky  and  of  lighter ;  scapulars  and  wing 
coverts  with  spots  of  white;  beneath  pale  reddish-brown,  barred  on  the  posterior 
half  of  the  body  with  dusky  and  whitish,  and  spotted  with  white  more  anteriorly; 
outer  web  of  primaries  similarly  spotted  with  pale  brownish-white;  an  indistinct 
pale  line  over  the  eye. 

Length,  about  four  inches ;  wing,  one  and  sixty-six  one-hundredths  inch ;  tail, 
one  and  twenty-six  one-hundredths  inch. 

Hob.  —  North  America  generally. 

This  bird  is  quite  abundant  in  the  three  northern  New- 
England  States,  and,  as  a  winter  visitor,  is  not  uncommon 
in  the  others.  Wilson  gives  the  following  account  of  its 
habits :  — 

"  This  little  stranger  visits  us  from  the  north  in  the  month  of 
October,  sometimes  remaining  with  us  all  the  winter,  and  is  always 
observed,  early  in  spring,  on  his  route  back  to  his  breeding-place. 
In  size,  color,  song,  and  manners,  he  approaches  nearer  to  the 
European  Wren  (M.  troglodytes)  than  any  other  species  we  have. 
During  his  residence  here,  he  frequents  the  projecting  banks  of 
creeks,  old  roots,  decayed  logs,  small  bushes,  and  rushes,  near 
watery  places :  he  even  approaches  the  farm-house,  rambles  about 
the  wood-pile,  creeping  among  the  interstices  like  a  mouse.  With 
tail  erect,  which  is  his  constant  habit,  mounted  on  some  projecting 
point  or  pinnacle,  he  sings  with  great  animation.  Even  in  the 
yards,  gardens,  and  outhouses  of  the  city,  he  appears  familiar,  and 
quite  at  home.  In  short,  he  possesses  almost  all  the  habits  of  the 
European  species.  He  is,  however,  migratory,  which  may  be 
owing  to  the  superior  coldness  of  our  continent.  Never  having 
met  with  the  nest  and  eggs,  I  am  unable  to  say  how  nearly  they 
approximate  to  those  of  the  former." 

I  know  nothing  of  the  breeding  habits,  nest,  or  eggs  of 
this  species.  It  has,  while  in  its. summer  home,  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  warbling  songs  that  I  ever  heard. 


THE   WARBLERS.  199 


FAMILY  SYLVICOLID^E.     THE  WARBLERS. 

Primaries  nine,  the  first  quill  nearly  as  long  as  the  second  or  third;  tarsi  dis- 
tinctly scutellate  the  whole  length  anteriorly ;  bill  conical,  slender,  or  depressed, 
usually  half  the  length  of  head,  more  or  less  bristled  or  notched ;  nostrils  oval  or 
rounded;  lateral  toes  nearly  or  quite  equal,  and  shorter  than  the  middle;  the  basal 
joint  of  the  middle  free  nearly  to  its  base  externally,  united  for  about  half  inter- 
nally. 

This  family  is  well  marked  by  its  scutellate  tarsi  in  front,  the  absence  of  any 
spurious  or  short  first  primary,  and  the  rather  weak,  slender,  conical,  or  depressed, 
sometimes  decurved,  bill.  The  base  of  the  bill,  with  the  nostrils,  is  not  covered  in 
any  genera  by  setae,  as  in  Parus,  Alauda,  &c.  In  many  respects,  there  is  a  close 
relationship  to  some  Fringittidce ;  and  there  are  some  forms,  such  as  the  Tanagridce, 
which  it  is  difficult  to  assign  to  the  one  family  rather  than  to  the  other.  The  chief 
difference,  however,  is  to  be  found  in  the  longer,  slenderer,  and  less  abruptly  conical 
bill  of  the  Tanagers. 

The  following  synopsis  will  serve  to  point  out  the  sub-families  of  the  Sylvi- 
colldce:  — 

MOTACILLJN^E. — Bill  slender;  culmen  slightly  concave  at  base;  legs  long; 
claws  but  little  curved ;  hind  toe  considerably  longer  than  the  middle  one ;  its  claw 
much  longer  (twice)  than  the  middle  claw;  all  the  claws  but  slightly  curved ;  ter- 
tials  elongated,  much  longer  than  the  secondaries. 

SYLVICOLIN/E.  —  Bill  rather  slender,  conical  or  depressed;  culmen  straight  or 
convex ;  hind  toe  shorter  than  the  middle ;  the  claws  all  much  curved ;  hind  claw 
not  conspicuously  longer  than  the  middle  one;  when  the  hind  toe  is  lengthened,  it 
is  usually  in  the  digit,  not  the  claw ;  tertials  generally  not  longer  than  the  second- 
aries. 

TANAGRIN^E.  —  Bill  very  stout,  conical,  as  high  as  broad,  or  considerably 
broader  than  high ;  tarsi  short,  not  exceeding  the  hind  toe ;  claws  much  curved,  the 
hinder  scarcely  larger  than  the  middle  anterior. 

Sub-Family  MOTACILLIN.E. — The  Wagtails. 
ANTHUS,  BECHSTEIN. 

Anthus,  BECHSTEIN,  Gemein.  Naturg.  Deutschl.,  1802  (Agassiz).  (Type  Alavda 
spinoletta.) 

Bill  slender,  much  attenuated,  and  distinctly  notched;  a  few  short  bristles  at  the 
base;  culmen  concave  at  the  base;  tarsi  quite  distinctly  scutellate,  longer  than 
the  middle  toe,  inner  lateral  toe  the  longer;  hind  toe  rather  shorter  than  the  tarsus, 
but  longer  than  the  middle  toe,  owing  to  the  long,  attenuated,  and  moderately 
curved  hind  claw,  which  is  considerably  more  than  half  the  total  length  of  the  toe; 
tail  rather  long,  emarginate;  wing  very  long,  considerably  longer  than  the  length- 
ened tail,  reaching  to  its  middle;  the  first  primary  nearly  equal  to  the  longest;  the 
tertials  almost  as  long  as  the  primaries. 


200  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

ANTHUS   LUDOVICIANUS.  —  Licht. 
The  Tit-lark. 

Alauda  Ludovidana,  Graelin.    Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1788)  793. 

Anthus  Ludovicianus,  Licht.    Verz.  (1823),  37,  No.  421.     Aud.  Syn.  (1839),  94. 
Alauda  rufa,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  V.  (1812)  89. 

Anthus  spinoletta,  Audubon.  Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1832)  408,  V.  (1839),  449.  Nutt. 
Man.,  I.  (1832)  450. 

Anthus pipiens,  Audubon.    Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1832)  408,  V.  (1839)  449. 

DESCRIPTION. 

(Female,  in  spring.)  Above  olive-brown,  each  feather  slightly  darker  towards 
the  central  portion;  beneath  pale  dull-buff,  or  yellowish -brown,  with  a  maxillary 
series  of  dark-brown  spots  and  streaks  across  the  breast  and  along  sides;  ring 
round  the  eye,  and  superciliary  stripe  yellowish ;  central  tail  feathers  like  the  back, 
others  dark  blackish-brown,  the  external  one  white,  except  at  the  base  within,  a 
white  spot  at  the  end  of  the  second ;  primaries  edged  with  whitish,  other  quills  with 
pale-brownish. 

Length,  six  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  three  and  forty-five  one- 
hundredths  inches ;  tail,  two  and  ninety-five  one-hundredths  inches. 

Hob. — North  America  generally.  Greenland  (Reinhardt).  Accidental  in  Eu- 
rope. 

THIS  bird  is  a  not  uncommon  fall  and  spring  visitor  in 
New  England;  and,  in  the  southern  parts  of  these 
States,  in  mild  seasons,  it  remains  through  the  entire  winter. 
It  is  most  frequently  found  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  sea- 
coast  or  its  large  marshes,  and  in  large  tracts  of  level,  dry, 
weedy  pastures  and  fields. 

While  with  us,  it  flies  in  loose,  detached  flocks,  in  a  jerk- 
ing, irregular  sort  of  flight,  uttering  occasionally  its  feeble, 
lisping  queet,  queet.  It  seems  always  busily  employed, 
either  on  the  beach,  in  gathering  the  small  shell-fish  and 
animalcules  thrown  up  by  the  tide,  or,  in  pastures  and 
stubble-fields,  in  gleaning  the  seeds  of  weeds  and  grasses : 
it  also  feeds  upon  spiders  and  such  insects  as  it  is  able  to 
find  in  the  dead  grass  and  weeds. 

As  this  species  breeds  in  the  most  northern  parts  of  the 
continent,  I  am  unable  to  give  any  account  of  its  breeding 
habits ;  and,  having  no  egg  in  my  collection,  I  can  give 
no  description  of  it  here.  Nuttall  says  the  "  nest  is  built 
in  the  fissures  of  cliffs,  is  composed  of  dry  grass  and  a 


THE  BLACK  AND  WHITE  CREEPER.          201 

little  moss,  and  lined  with  finer  blades  of  the  former  and  a 
few  long  hairs.  The  eggs  are  four  or  five  in  number,  of 
a  sullied-white  color,  and  covered  with  small  brown  spots, 
collected  chiefly  towards  the  larger  end." 


Sub-Family  SYLVICOLIN^E.  —  The  Wood-warblers. 
MNIOTILTA,  VIEILLOT. 

Mniotilta,  VIEILLOT,  Analyse,  1816  (Agassiz). 

General  form  sylvicoline;  bill  rather  long,  compressed,  shorter  than  the  head, 
with  very  short  rictal  bristles  and  a  shallow  notch;  wings  considerably  longer  than 
the  tail,  which  is  slightly  rounded;  first  quill  shorter  than  second  and  third;  tarsi 
rather  short ;  toes  long,  middle  one  equal  to  the  tarsus ;  hind  toe  nearly  as  long,  the 
claw  considerably  shorter  than  its  digit.  Color  white  streaked  with  black. 

This  genus  differs  from  other  Sylvicolines  in  the  elongation  of  the  toes,  especially 
the  hinder  one,  by  means  of  which  the  species  is  enabl-ed  to  move  up  and  down  the 
trunks  of  trees,  like  the  true  Creepers.  But  one  species  is  recognized  as  North 
American,  although  Nuttall  describes  a  second. 

MNIOTILTA  VARIA.  —  Vieittot. 
The  Black  and  White  Creeper, 

Motacilla  varia,  Linnaeus.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  333. 

Mniotilta  varia.  Vieillot.  Analyse  (1016).  lb.,  Galerie  Ois.,  I.  (1834)  276.  Aud. 
Syn.  (1839),  71.  Ib  ,  Birds  Am.,  II.  (1841)  105. 

Sylvia  varia,  Bonaparte.     Syn.  (1828),  81.     Nutt.  Man  ,  I.  (1832)  384. 
Certhia  maculata,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  III.  (1811)  22. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  with  the  upper  mandible  considerably  decurved,  the  lower  straight ;  general 
color  of  the  male  black,  the  feathers  broadly  edged  with  white ;  the  head  all  round 
black,  with  a  median  stripe  in  the  crown  and  neck  above,  a  superciliary  and  a  max- 
illary one  of  white;  middle  of  belly,  two  conspicuous  bands  on  the  wings,  outer 
edsres  of  tertials  and  inner  of  all  the  wing  and  tail  feathers,  and  a  spot  on  the  inner 
webs  of  the  outer  two  tail  feathers,  white;  rump  and  upper  tail  coverts  black, 
edged  externally  with  white;  female  similar;  the  under  parts  white,  obsoletely 
streaked  with  black  on  the  sides  and  under  tail  coverts. 

Length,  five  inches;  wing,  two  and  eighty-five  one-hundredths  inches;  tail,  two 
and  twenty-five  one-hundredths  inches. 

Hab.  —  Eastern  North  America  to  Missouri  River,  south  to  Guatemala. 

This  is  a  rather  common  summer  inhabitant  of  all  New 
England.  It  arrives  from  the  South  before  the  20th  of 


202  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

April,  and  sometimes  is  seen  by  the  first  week  in  that 
month.  In  its  habits,  it  resembles  both  the  Creepers  and 
Warblers ;  moving  about  the  bodies  and  limbs  of  trees  with 
the  ease  of  the  former,  and  gleaning  amongst  the  foliage  the 
insect  hosts  like  the  latter.  I  have  sometimes  seen  it  seize 
a  flying  insect  while  on  the  wing,  although  this  must  have 
been  a  departure  from  its  general  habits. 

The  song  of  the  male  during  the  mating  season  is  a  sort 
of  lisping  rendition  of  the  syllables  wMchee,  whechee, 
whechee,  whechee,  uttered  at  first  loud,  and  gradually  weak- 
ening to  a  subdued  note,  like  cheet.  At  other  times,  it  has 
only  a  faint  chirp  or  chink,  which  is  uttered  by  both  sexes. 
About  the  10th  of  May,  after  the  birds  have  paired,  they 
commence  building  the  nest :  this,  Audubon  says,  in  Louis- 
iana "  is  usually  placed  in  some  small  hole  in  a  tree,  and 
is  composed  of  mosses  in  a  dry  state,  and  lined  with  cottony 
substances."  In  New  England,  it  is  almost  always  built,  or 
rather  placed,  on  the  ground  ;  the  situation  is  chosen  usually 
beneath  an  overhanging  point  of  rock,  or  beneath  a  fallen 
trunk  of  a  tree :  it  is  made  of  mosses,  straw,  leaves,  and 
other  soft  materials,  and  is  lined  with  cotton  from  ferns, 
soft  grass,  or  hair.  The  eggs  are  laid  by  the  middle  of 
May.  They  are  usually  four  or  five  in  number :  their  color 
is  white,  with  a  slight  cream  tinge ;  and  they  are  spotted 
irregularly  with  fine  dots  and  confluent  blotches  of  reddish- 
brown,  thickest  near  the  largest  end  of  the  egg.  Dimen- 
sions of  four  eggs  found  in  a  nest  in  Reading,  Mass. :  .66 
by  .54  inch,  .66  by  .54  inch,  .65  by  .54  inch,  .65  by  .54 
inch.  Two  broods  are  occasionally  reared  by  this  species  in 
southern  New  England. 

Probably  the  greater  number  breed  in  more  northern 
localities ;  for  it  is  much  more  common  in  the  spring  and 
fall  than  in  summer.  By  the  10th  of  September,  they  move 
on  their  southern  migration ;  and,  after  the  15th  or  20th  of 
that  month,  none  are  to  be  seen  in  New  England. 


THE   BLUE   YELLOW-BACKED   WARBLER.  203 

PARULA,  BONAPARTE. 

Panda,  BONAPARTE,  Geog.  and  Comp.  List,  1838.  (Type  Parus  Americans.) 
In  the  species  of  this  genus,  the  bill  is  conical  and  acute ;  the  culmen  very  gently 
curved  from  the  base ;  the  commissure  slightly  concave,  the  notch  when  visible  is 
further  from  the  tip  than  in  Dendroica,  but  usually  is  either  obsolete  or  entirely 
wanting;  bristles  very  short;  the  tarsi  are  longer  than  the  middle  toe;  the  tail  is 
nearly  even,  and  considerably  shorter  than  the  wing. 

PARULA  AMERICANA.  —  Bonaparte. 
The  Blue  Yellow-backed  Warbler. 

Parus  Americanus,  Linnaeus.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1758)  190. 

Sylvia  Americana.    Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1832)  78. 

Parula  Americana,  Bonaparte.     List  (1838).     Tb.,  Consp.  (1850),  310. 

Sylvia  pusilla,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  IV.  (1811)  17. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Above  blue,  the  middle  of  the  back  with  a  patch  of  yellowish-green ;  beneath 
yellow  anteriorly,  white  behind;  a  reddish-brown  tinge  across  the  breast;  lores  and 
space  round  the  eye  dusky;  a  small  white  spot  on  either  eyelid;  sides  of.  head 
and  neck  like  the  crown;  two  conspicuous  white  bands  on  the  wings;  outer  two  tail 
feathers  with  a  conspicuous  spot  of  white ;  female  similar,  with  less  brown  on  the 
breast. 

Length,  four  and  seventy-five  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  two  and  thirty-four 
one-hundredths  inches;  tail,  one  and  ninety  one-hundredths  inch. 

Hob.  —  Eastern  North  America  to  the  Missouri,  south  to  Guatemala. 

This  species,  I  am  inclined  to  think,  is  rather  common 
in  all  of  New  England  ;  and  it  undoubtedly  breeds  more 
or  less  abundantly  in  each  of  these  States.  It  arrives  from 
the  South  about  the  middle  of  May,  sometimes  a  little  ear- 
lier. The  birds,  on  their  arrival,  seem  to  be  mated;  for 
they  are  almost  always  seen  in  pairs,  often  two  males  with 
one  female.  Their  habits  are  very  similar  to  those  of  the 
Titmice,  and  they  are  equally  at  home  in  the  high  foliage  of 
trees  and  in  the  low  thickets  and  shrubbery.  When  travel- 
ling through  the  trees,  they  run  nimbly  both  across  and 
along  the  branches,  sometimes  hanging  head  downwards, 
sometimes  fluttering  at  the  extremity  of  a  small  twig:  they 
are  very  nervous  and  active,  and  are  almost  continually 
employed  in  catching  caterpillars  and  insects,  of  which 
their  food  consists.  While  thus  engaged,  they  emit,  occa- 


204  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

sionally,  a  feeble  note  like  the  syllables  cheweech,  cheweech, 
cheweech,  uttered  at  first  low,  and  rapidly  increasing  in 
volume.  When  passing  through  the  forests  of  Maine  and 
New  Hampshire,  I  have  seen  numbers  of  these  birds,  par- 
ticularly in  the  neighborhood  of  swamps,  flying  from  the 
tops  of  the  huge  hemlocks,  and  seizing  the  small  lace- 
winged  flies  (ephemerides)  that  are  abundant  in  those 
regions  in  May  and  June.  I  also  noticed  that  they  fed 
largely  upon  the  small  caterpillars  (geometridce)  ;  and  I  saw 
them  occasionally  descend  to  the  surface  of  a  lake  or  river, 
and  seize  small  spiders  that  were  struggling  in  the  water. 
The  habits  of  this  bird  have  caused  it  to  be  classed  in  many 
different  ways.  Linna3us  and  others  placed  it  in  the  genus 
Parus,  Latham  and  many  others  called  it  Sylvia,  some 
have  named  it  Motacilla,  and  Stephens  named  it  Thryo- 
thorus.  It,  however,  belongs  properly  among  the  Warblers  ; 
and  the  position  given  it  as  above  seems'  its  most  natural 
one.  About  the  first  of  June,  the  birds  commence  build- 
ing their  nest :  this  is  placed  in  a  fork  near  the  end  of  a 
branch  of  a  tree,  about  twenty  feet  from  the  ground.  It  is 
usually  constructed  of  the  long,  gray  Spanish  moss  that 
is  so  plentiful  in  the  States  of  Maine,  New  Hampshire,  and 
Vermont.  A  beautiful  specimen  in  my  collection,  found  in 
Maine  by  John  Krider  of  Philadelphia,  who  kindly  pre- 
sented it  to  me,  is  of  this  description,  and  one  of  the  most 
curious  specimens  of  bird  architecture :  the  long  hairs  of 
the  moss  a*re  woven  and  twined  together  in  a  large  mass,  on 
one  side  of  which  is  the  entrance  to  the  nest,  a  mere  hole 
left  in  the  moss  ;  the  lining  is  nothing  but  the  same  mate- 
rial, only  of  a  finer  quality.  There  is  another  nest  of  this 
description  in  the  collection  of  the  Museum  of  Comparative 
Zoology  in  Cambridge,  which  was  also  found  in  Maine.  The 
eggs  are  usually  four  in  number,  and  they  are  laid  about 
the  first  week  in  June.  Their  color  is  white,  with  a  very 
slight  creamy  tint,  and  covered  more  or  less  thickly  with 
spots  and  confluent  blotches  of  brownish-red  and  obscure- 


THE   MARYLAND   YELLOW-THROAT.  205 

lilac,  thickest  at  the  large  end.  Two  eggs  in  my  collection 
are  of  the  following  measurements :  .62  by  .48  inch,  and  .63 
by  .46  inch. 

GEOTHLYPIS,  CABANIS. 

Geothlypis,  CABANIS,  Wiegmann's  Archiv.  (1847),  I.  316,  349.  lb.,  Schomburgk'a 
Reise  Guiana  (1848). 

Bill  sylvicoline,  rather  depressed,  and  distinctly  notched;  rictal  bristles  very- 
short  or  wanting;  wings  short,  rounded,  scarcely  longer  than  the  tail;  the  first  quill 
shorter  than  the  fourth;  tail  long,  much  rounded  or  graduated;  legs  stout;  tarsi 
elongated  as  the  head;  olive-green  above,  belly  yellow;  tail  feathers  immaculate; 
legs  yellow. 

GEOTHLTPIS  TEICHAS.  —  Cabanis. 
The  Maryland  Yellow-throat. 

Turdus  trichas,  Linnaeus.    Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  293. 

Sylvia  trichas,  Audubon.     Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1832)  120;  V.  (1838)  463. 

Geothlypis  trichas,  Cabanis.     Mus.  Hein.  (1850),  16. 

Sylvia  Marilandica,  Wilson.     Am.  Orn.,  I.  (1808)  88. 

Trichas  roscoe,  Nuttall.    Man.,  I.  (2d  ed.,  1840)  457. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Upper  parts  olive-green,  tinged  with  brown  towards  the  middle  of  the  crown ; 
chin,  throat,  and  breast  as  far  as  the  middle  of  the  body,  with  the  under  tail  coverts, 
bright-yellow;  belly  dull  whitish-buff;  sides  of  body  strongly  tinged  with  light 
olive-brown ;  under  coverts  glossed  with  the  same ;  a  band  of  black  on  the  fore- 
head (about  twenty  one-hundredths  of  an  inch  wide  in  the  middle),  passing  back- 
ward so  as  to  cover  the  cheek  and  ear  coverts,  and  extending  a  little  above  the  eye ; 
this  band  bordered  behind  by  a  suffusion  of  hoary-ash,  forming  a  distinct  line  above 
the  eye,  and  widening  behind  the  ear  coverts  into  a  larger  patch,  with  a  yellow 
tinge.  In  winter  dress,  and  in  the  female,  without  the  black  mask,  the  forehead 
tinged  with  brown,  the  yellow  of  the  throat  less  extended,  the  eyelids  whitish,  and 
an  indistinct  superciliary  line  yellowish. 

Length  of  male,  five  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  two  and  forty  one- 
hundredths  inches;  tail,  two  and  twenty  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  bird  is  a  common  inhabitant  of  all  the  New-England 
States.  It  arrives  from  the  South  about  the  second  week  in 
May,  sometimes  earlier,  and  soon  commences  building. 
The  nest  is  usually  placed  on  the  ground,  although  often  in 
thickets  of  briers  and  bushes.  It  is  constructed  of  leaves 
and  grasses,  and  is  lined  with  fine  grasses  and  hairs.  It  is 
often  built  over  at  the  top,  with  the  entrance  through  a  hole 
in  the  side.  The  whole  makes  a  bulky  affair,  almost  imper- 


206  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

vious  to  water.1  The  eggs  are  laid  about  the  last  week  in 
May  or  first  week  in  June.  They  are  variable  in  size  and 
markings,  but  are  usually  five  in  number.  To  illustrate 
the  difference  in  size  and  markings,  I  will  describe  five  eggs 
found  in  a  nest  in  Milton,  Mass. :  No.  1  is  creamy-white  in 
color,  with  numerous  spots  of  dark-brown  and  obscure  spots 
of  lilac  ;  these  markings  are  thinly  scattered  over  the  eggs, 
but  are  quite  thick  at  the  larger  end :  dimensions,  .70  by 
.52  inch.  No.  2  has  the  same  ground-color,  but  the  mark- 
ings consist  of  numerous  spots  and  confluent  blotches 
of  light-brown  and  lilac  at  the  large  end  of  the  egg  :  dimen- 
sions, .70  by  .56  inch.  No.  3  is  pure-white,  with  thinly 
scattered  spots  of  brown  and  black  running  like  a  ring, 
around  the  larger  end  of  the  egg ;  dimensions,  .74  by  .50 
inch.  No.  4  is  of  a  pure-white  color,  with  thinly  scattered 
spots  of  light-brown  around  the  larger  end :  dimensions, 
.66  by  .52  inch.  No.  5  of  the  same  color,  size,  and  mark- 
ings as  No.  4.  Other  eggs  of  this  species  in  my  collection 
exhibit  other  markings  from  spots  and  blotches  of  lilac  and 
brown  at  the  larger  end  to  thinly  scattered  dots  of  reddish 
over  the  entire  surface  ;  and  one  specimen  has  numerous 
irregular  lines  in  a  circle  around  the  larger  end  of  the  egg. 
This  species  rears  two  broods  in  the  season  in  southern 
New  England.  I  have  found  nests  often  as  late  as  the 
middle  of  July.  The  habits  of  the  Maryland  Yellow-throat 
are  well  known.  He  is  first  noticed  in  the  swampy  thickets, 
darting  in  and  out  through  the  tangled  shrubbery.  Soon 
he  makes  his  appearance  in  the  flower-garden  and  orchard, 
where  he  may  be  seen  at  almost  all  times  through  the  breed- 
ing season,  busily  engaged  searching  for  his  insect  food  ; 
occasionally  pausing  to  carol  his  pretty  song,  whe-tit-te-tee, 
whe-tit-te-tee,  then  darting  away  for  a  discovered  insect,  then 
caressing  his  mate,  or  flying  to  his  nest  with  food  for  their 
young. 

1  A  nest  sent  me  from  Delaware  is  constructed  of  grasses,  which  are  woven  into 
a  loose  fabric,  quite  different  from  northern  specimens. 


THE  MOURNING  WARBLER.  207 

Iii  the  woods,  this  species  is  more  often  found  in  low 
thickets  in  or  near  wet,  swampy  localities,  and  is  very  sel- 
dom seen  in  high,  dry,  heavily  wooded  countries.  It  seems 
to  prefer  the  neighborhood  of  human  habitations  for  its 
home,  and  its  genial  disposition  and  beneficial  habits  have 
established  it  as  a  great  favorite  with  the  farmers. 

As  soon  as  the  last  brood  of  young  leaves  the  nest,  the 
old  birds  become  silent ;  and,  by  the  middle  of  September, 
the  whole  family  leave  for  the  South. 

GEOTHLTPIS   PHILADELPHIA.  —  Baird. 
The  Mourning  "Warbler. 

Sylvia  Philadelphia,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  II.  (1810)  101.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  V. 
(1839)  78.  Nutt.  Man.,  I.  (1832)  404. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Wings  but  little  longer  than  the  tail,  reaching  but  little  beyond  its  base ;  head 
and  neck  all  round,  with  throat  and  fore  part  of  breast,  ash-gray,  paler  beneath;  the 
feathers  of  the  chin,  throat,  and  fore  breast  in  reality  black,  but  with  narrow  ashy 
margins,  more  or  less  concealing  the  black,  except  on  the  breast;  lores  and  region 
round  the  eye  dusky,  without  any  trace  of  a  pale  ring ;  upper  parts  and  sides  of  the 
body  clear  olive-green ;  the  under  parts  bright-yellow ;  tail  feathers  uniform  olive ; 
first  primary,  witli  the  outer  half  of  the  outer  web,  nearly  white.  Female,  with  the 
gray  of  the  crown  glossed  with  olive ;  the  chin  and  throat  paler  centrally,  and  tinged 
with  fulvous;  a  dull  whitish  ring  round  the  eye. 

Length,  five  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  two  and  forty-five  one-hun- 
dredths  inches ;  tail,  two  and  twenty-five  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  bird  is  very  rarely  found  in  New  England.  It  has 
been  taken  in  all  these  States,  but  in  such  small  numbers 
that  it  can  hardly  be  called  one  of  our  birds.  Mr.  Allen 
shot  two  ;  I  have  taken  but  one  ;  and  Mr.  Verrill  gives  one 
or  two  instances  of  its  being  taken  in  Maine.  The  specimen 
that  I  captured  had  all  the  motions  and  habits  of  the  Mary- 
land Yellow-throat;  and  I  neglected  to  shoot  it  for  some 
time,  supposing  it  to  be  the  female  of  that  bird.  Its  note 
was  a  simple  chirp,  with  a  warbling  termination  like  the 
syllables  chirpchreee,  chirpchreee,  uttered  in  a  soft,  pensive 
tone.  Of  its  breeding  habits,  nest,  and  eggs,  I  am  ignorant. 


208  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 


OPORORNIS,  BAIRD. 

Bill  sylvicoline,  rather  compressed ;  distinctly  notched  at  tip ;  rictal  bristles  very 
much  reduced ;  wings  elongated,  pointed,  much  longer  than  the  tail ;  the  first  quill 
nearly  or  quite  the  longest;  tail  very  slightly  rounded;  tail  feathers  acuminate, 
pointed ;  the  under  coverts  reaching  to  within  less  than  half  an  inch  of  their  tip ; 
tarsi  elongated,  longer  than  the  head;  claws  large,  the  hinder  one  as  long  as  its  digit, 
and  longer  than  the  lateral  toes;  above  olive-green,  beneath  yellow;  tail  and  wings 
immaculate ;  legs  yellow. 

OPORORNIS  AGILIS.—  Baird. 
The  Connecticut  Warbler. 

Sylvia  agllis,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  V.  (1812)  64.    Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  227. 

Sylvicola  agilis,  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1841)  71. 

Trichas  agilis,  Nuttall.    Man.,  I.  (2d  ed.,  1840)  403. 

Trichas  tephrocotis,  Nuttall.    Man.,  I.  (2d  ed.,  1840)  462. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Upper  parts  and  sides  of  the  body  uniform  olive-green,  very  slightly  tinged  with 
ash  on  the  crown;  sides  of  the  head  ash.  tinged  with  dusky  beneath  the  eye  (entire 
head  sometimes  ash);  chin  and  throat  grayish-ash,  gradually  becoming  darker  to 
the  upper  part  ot  the  breast,  where  it  becomes  tinged  with  dark -ash ;  sides  of  the 
neck,  breast,  and  body  olive,  like  the  back;  rest  of  under  parts  light-yellow;  a 
broad,  continuous  white  ring  round  the  eye;  wings  and  tail  feathers  olive  (especially 
the  latter),  without  any  trace  of  bars  or  spots ;  bill  brown  above ;  feet  vellow. 

Length,  six  inches ;  wing,  three ;  tail,  two  and  twenty-five  one-hundredths. 

This  is  another  very  rare  bird  in  New  England,  and  I 
have  never  met  with  a  specimen  that  was  taken  north  of 
Massachusetts.  In  West  Roxbury,  of  this  State,  in  a  large 
tract  of  pine  forest,  two  or  three  specimens  have  been  taken 
within  as  many  years.  So  far  as  I  can  learn,  this  species 
has  all  the  habits  and  motions  of  the  two  preceding.  It 
has  no  song,  but  utters  the  note  queet  often,  and  in  a 
sprightly  tone,  as  it  searches  among  the  shrubbery  for  its 
favorite  food  of  spiders  and  small  caterpillars. 

ICTERIA,  VIEILLOT. 

Icteria,  VIEILLOT,  Ois.  Am.  Sept.  I.,  (1790)  85. 

Bill  shorter  than  the  head ;  broad  at  the  base,  but  rapidly  becoming  compressed 
or  much  higher  than  broad,  with  the  ridge  elevated  and  sharp  from  the  very  base 
of  the  bill;  the  upper  outline  much  curved  throughout;  the  commissure  less  curved, 


THE   YELLOW-BREASTED   CHAT.  209 

but  strongly  concave;  the  gonys  nearly  straight,  the  upper  edge  of  the  lower  jaw  as 
convex  as  the  commissure  is  concave;  no  notch  in  the  bill,  and  the  rictal  bristles 
small ;  tarsi  longer  than  the  toes,  without  scutellae,  except  faint  indications  on  the 
inner  side;  lateral  toes  about  equal,  shorter  than  the  hinder;  wings  about  equal  to 
the  tail,  rounded;  the  first  quill  longer  than  the  secondaries;  tail  graduated,  above 
olive,  beneath  yellow;  abdomen,  eyelids,  maxillary  patch,  and  line  to  the  bill, 
white. 

ICTEEIA  VIRIDIS.  —  Bonaparte. 
The  Yellow-breasted  Chat. 

Mmdcapa  viridis,  Gmelin.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1788)  936. 

Jcteria  tiridis,  Bonaparte.  Obs.  Wilson  (1826),  No.  163.  Nutt.  Man.,  I.  (1832) 
289.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  223;  V.  433. 

Pipra  polyglotta,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  I.  (1808)  90. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Third  and  fourth  quills  longest,  second  and  fifth  little  shorter,  first  nearly  equal 
to  the  sixth;  tail  graduated;  upper  parts  uniform  olive-green;  under  parts,  including 
the  inside  of  wing,  gamboge-yellow  as  far  as  nearly  half-way  from  the  point  of  the 
bill  to  the  tip  of  the  tail ;  rest  of  under  parts  white,  tinged  with  brown  on  the  sides  ; 
the  outer  side  of  the  tibia  plumbeous;  a  slight  tinge  of  orange  across  rtie  breast; 
forehead  and  sides  of  the  head  ash,  the  lores  and  region  below  the  eye  blackish ; 
a  white  stripe  from  the  nostrils  over  the  eye  and  involving  the  upper  eyelid;  a  patch 
on  the  lower  lid,  and  a  short  stripe  from  the  side  of  the  lower  mandible,  and  running 
to  a  point  opposite  the  hinder  border  of  the  eye,  white;  bill  black;  feet  brown. 
Female  like  the  male,  but  smaller;  the  markings- indistinct ;  the  lower  mandible  not 
pure-black. 

Length,  seven  and  forty  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  three  and  twenty-five 
one-hundredths ;  tail,  three  and  thirty  one-hundredths  inches. 

Massachusetts  seems  to  be  the  northern  limit  of  this 
bird's  habitat  in  New  England  ;  and,  even  in  this  State,  it  is 
a  very  rare  species.  Every  season,  for  the  last  three  years,  a ' 
pair  has  nested  near  Lynn,  in  this  State ;  and  Mr.  Allen 
says,  that  they  are  sometimes  seen,  in  the  breeding  season, 
near  Springfield.  I  have  never  met  with  the  bird  alive,  and 
can  give  no  account  of  its  habits  from  my  own  observation. 
Nuttall's  description  is  as  follows  :  — 

"  The  males,  as  in  many  other  migrating  birds,  who  are  not 
continually  paired,  arrive  several  days  before  the  females.  As 
soon  as  our  bird  has  chosen  his  retreat,  which  is  commonly  in  some 
thorny  or  viny  thicket,  where  he  can  obtain  concealment,  he  becomes 
jealous  of  his  assumed  rights,  and  resents  the  least  intrusion,  scold- 
ing all  who  approach  in  a  variety  of  odd  and  uncouth  tones,  very 

14 


210  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

difficult  to  describe  or  imitate,  except  by  a  whistling ;  in  which  case 
the  bird  may  be  made  to  approach,  but  seldom  within  sight.  His 
responses  on  such  occasions  are  constant  and  rapid,  expressive  of 
anger  and  anxiety  ;  and,  still  unseen,  his  voice  shifts  from  place  to 
place  amidst  the  thicket,  like  the  haunting  of  a  fairy.  Some  of 
these  notes  resemble  the  whistling  of  the  wings  of  a  flying  duck, 
at  first  loud  and  rapid,  then  sinking  till  they  seem  to  end  in  single 
notes.  A  succession  of  other  tones  are  now  heard,  some  like  the 
barking  of  young  puppies,  with  a  variety  of  hollow,  guttural,  un- 
common sounds,  frequently  repeated,  and  terminated  occasionally 
by  something  like  the  mewing  of  a  cat,  but  hoarser ;  a  tone,  to 
which  all  our  Vireos,  particularly  the  young,  have  frequent  recur- 
rence. All  these  notes  are  uttered  with  vehemence,  and  with  such 
strange  and  various  modulations  as  to  appear  near  or  distant,  like 
the  manoeuvres  of  ventriloquism.  In  mild  weather  also,  when  the 
moon  shines,  this  gabbling,  with  exuberance  of  life  and  emotion,  is 
heard  nearly  throughout  the  night,  as  if  the  performer  were  dis- 
puting with  the  echoes  of  his  own  voice. 

"  About  the  middle  of  May,  soon  after  their  arrival,  the  icterias 
begin  to  build,  fixing  the  nest  commonly  in  a  bramble-bush,  in  an 
interlaced  thicket,  a  vine,  or  small  cedar,  four  or  five  feet  from  the 
ground.  The  outside  is  usually  composed  of  dry  leaves,  or  thin 
strips  of  grape-vine  bark,  and  with  root-fibres  and  dry,  slender 
blades  of  grass.  The  eggs  are  about  four,  pale  flesh-colored,  spotted 
all  over  with  brown  or  dull-red.  The  young  are  hatched  in  the 
short  period  of  twelve  days,  and  leave  the  nest  about  the  second 
week  in  June." 

Four  eggs  in  my  collection  exhibit  the  following  dimen- 
sions :  .71  by  .60  inch,  .70  by  .60  inch,  .68  by  .59  inch,  .67 
by  .58  inch. 

The  food  of  this  bird  consists  of  those  small  insects  and 
spiders  that  are  found  in  the  thick  shrubbery  of  brier  patches, 
and  on  the  ground  among  the  fallen  leaves.  It  also  occa- 
sionally captures  flying  insects  in  the  manner  of  the  Vireos ; 
and  this  fact  has  caused  it,  more  than  its  peculiarities  of 
form,  to  be  classed  by  some  authors  with  those  birds. 

By  the  first  week  in  September,  none  are  seen  in  New 


THE   WORM-EATING   WARBLER.  211 

England  ;  they  having  left  for  the  tropical  countries  of  South 
America,  where  they  spend  the  winter. 

HELMITHERUS,  RAFINESQUE. 

Helmitherus,  RAFINESQUE,  Journal  de  Physique,  LXXXVIII.  (1819)  417.  (Type 
Motacilla  vermivora. ) 

Bill  large  and  stout,  compressed,  almost  tanagrine ;  nearly  or  quite  as  long  as  the 
head;  culmen  very  slightly  curved;  gonys  straight;  no  notch  in  the  bill;  rictal 
bristles  wanting;  tarsi  short,  —  but  little  longer,  if  any,  than  the  middle  toe;  tail 
considerably  shorter  than  the  wings,  rather  rounded;  wings  rather  long,  the  first 
quill  a  little  shorter  than  the  second  and  third. 

HELMITHERUS   VEBMIVORUS.  —  Bonaparte. 
The  Worm-eating  Warbler. 

f  Motacilla  vermivora,  Gmelin.    Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1788)  951. 

Sylvia  vermivora,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  III.  (1811)  74.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1832) 
177. 

Sylvia  (Dacnis)  vermivora,  Nuttall.    Man.,  I.  (1832)  409. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  nearly  as  long  as  the  head ;  upper  parts  generally  rather  clear  olive-green ; 
head  with  four  black  stripes  and  three  brownish-yellow  ones,  namely,  a  black  one 
on  each  side  of  the  crown,  and  one  from  behind  the  eye  (extending,  in  fact,  a  little 
anterior  to  it),  a  broader  median  yellow  one  on  the  crown,  and  a  superciliary  from 
the  bill;  under  parts  pale  brownish-yellow,  tfnged  with  buff  across  the  breast,  and 
with  olivaceous  on  the  sides ;  tail  unspotted.  Female  nearly  similar. 

Length,  five  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  three ;  tail,  two  and  thirty- 
five  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  species  is  so  rarely  seen  in  New  England,  that  it  can 
be  regarded  only  as  a  straggler.  I  have  never  met  with  a 
specimen  alive,  although  it  has  been  taken  in  all  these 
States.  Audubon  describes  its  habits  as  follows :  — 

"It  is  an  inhabitant  of  the  interior  of  the  forests,  and  is  seldom 
found  on  the  borders  of  roads  or  in  the  fields.  In  spring,  they 
move  in  pairs ;  and,  during  their  retrograde  marches,  in  little 
groups,  consisting  each  of  a  family,  seven  or  eight  in  number: 
on  which  account  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  they  raise  only  a 
single  brood  in  the  year.  They  are  ever  amongst  the  decayed 
branches  of  trees  or  other  plants,  such  as  are  accidentally  broken 
off  by  the  wind,  and  are  there  seen  searching  for  insects  or  cater- 


212  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

pillars.  They  also  resort  to  the  ground,  and  turn  over  the  dried 
leaves  in  quest  of  the  same  kind  of  food.  They  are  unsuspecting, 
and  will  suffer  a  person  to  approach  within  a  few  paces.  When 
disturbed,  they  fly  off  to  some  place  where  withered  leaves  are 
seen.  They  have  only  a  few  weak  notes,  which  do  not  deserve 
the  name  of  song.  Their  industry,  however,  atones  for  this  defect, 
as  they  are  seen  continually  moving  about,  rustling  among  the 
leaves,  and  scarcely  ever  removing  from  one  situation  to  another, 
until  after  they  have  made  a  full  inspection  of  the  part  in  which 
they  have  been  employed." 

The  nest  of  this  active  little  bird  is  formed  of  singular 
materials,  being  composed  externally  of  dried  mosses  and 
the  green  blossoms  of  hickories  and  chestmit-trees,  while 
the  interior  is  prettily  lined  with  fine  fibrous  roots,  the 
whole  apparently  rather  small  for  the  size  of  the  occupants. 
About  the  middle  of  May,  the  female  lays  four  or  five  eggs, 
which  are  cream-colored,  with  a  few  dark-red  spots  near  the 
larger  end,  leaving  a  circular  unspotted  part  at  the  ex- 
tremity. The  nest  is  usually  placed  between  two  small 
twigs  of  a  bush,  not  more  than  eight  or  nine  feet  from  the 
ground,  and  sometimes  only  four  or  five. 

HELMINTHOPHAGA,   CABANIS. 

Helminthophaga,  CABANIS,  Mus.  Hein.  (1850-51)  20.     (Type  Sylvia  rufaapilla.) 
Bill  elongated,  conical,  very  acute ;  the  outlines  very  nearly  straight,  sometimes 
slightly  decurved;  no  trace  of  notch  at  the  tip;  wings  long  and  pointed;  the  first 
quill  nearly  or  quite  the  longest;  tail  nearly  even  or  slightly  emarginate;  short  and 
rather  slender;  tarsi  longer  than  the  middle  toe. 

HELMINTHOPHAGA  PINUS.— Baird. 
The  Blue-winged  Yellow  Warbler. 

Certhia pinus,  Linnaeus.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  187.    Gm.,  I.  (1788)  478. 

Sylvia  solitaria,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  II.  (1810)  109.    Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1832)  102. 

Sylvia  (Dacnis)  solitaria,  Nuttall.    Man.,  I.  (1832)  410. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Upper  parts  and  cheeks  olive-green,  brightest  on  the  rump ;  the  wings,  tail,  and 
upper  tail  coverts,  in  part,  bluish-gray;  an  intensely  black  patch  from  the  blue- 


THE   BLUE-WINGED   YELLOW   WARBLER.  213 

black  bill  to  the  eye,  continued  a  short  distance  behind  it;  crown,  except  behind, 
and  the  under  parts  generally,  rich  orange-yellow ;  the  inner  wing  and  under  tail 
coverts  white;  eyelids,  and  a  short  line  above  and  behind  the  eye,  brighter  yellow; 
wing  with  two  white  bands;  two  outer  tail  feathers  with  most  of  the  inner  web] 
third  one  with  a  spot  at  the  end  white.  Female  and  young  similar,  duller,  with 
more  olivaceous  on  the  crown. 

Length,  four  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  two  and  forty  one-hirn- 
dredths  inches ;  tail,  two  and  ten  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  species  is  also  very  rare  in  New  England.  In  1857, 
in  the  month  of  May,  about  the  12th  or  15th,  I  found  a 
small  flock  in  a  swamp  in  Dedham,  Mass.  They  were 
actively  employed  in  catching  flying  insects,  and  were  so 
little  mistrustful,  that  they  permitted  me  to  approach  quite 
near,  and  observe  their  motions.  I  noticed  nothing  pecu- 
liar in  them  ;  but  they  had  all  the  activity  and  industry  of 
the  true  arboreal  Warblers.  I  know  nothing  of  their  breed- 
ing habits,  and  will  give  the  description  by  Wilson  of  the 
nest  and  eggs.  He  says, — 

"  This  bird  has  been  mistaken  for  the  Pine  Creeper  of  Catesby. 
It  is  a  very  different  species.  It  comes  to  us  early  in  May  from 
the  South  ;  haunts  thickets  and  shrubberies,  searching  the  branches 
for  insects  ;  is  fond  of  visiting  gardens,  orchards,  and  willow-trees, 
of  gleaning  among  blossoms  and  currant-bushes  ;  and  is  frequently 
found  in  very  sequestered  woods,  where  it  generally  builds  its  nest. 
Tliis  is  fixed  in  a  thick  bunch  or  tussock  of  long  grass,  sometimes 
sheltered  by  a  brier  bush.  It  is  built  in  the  form  of  an  inverted 
cone  or  funnel,  the  bottom  thickly  bedded  with  dry  beech-leaves, 
the  sides  formed  of  the  dry  bark  of  strong  weeds  lined  within  with 
fine,  dry  grass.  These  materials  are  not  placed  in  the  usual 
manner,  circularly,  but  shelving  downwards  on  all  sides  from  the 
top ;  the  mouth  being  wide,  the  bottom  very  narrow,  filled  with 
leaves,  and  the  eggs  or  young  occupying  the  middle.  The  female 
lays  five  eggs,  pure-white,  with  a  few  very  faint  dots  of  reddish 
near  the  great  end ;  the  young  appear  the  first  week  in  June.  I 
am  not  certain  whether  they  raise  a  second  brood  in  the  same 
season. 

"  I  have  met  with  several  of  these  nests,  always  in  a  retired 
though  open  part  of  the  woods,  and  very  similar  to  each  other." 


214  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

HELMINTHOPHAGA  CHRYSOPTERA.  —  Cabanis. 
The  Golden-winged  Warbler. 

Motadlla  chryscptera,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  333.  Gm.  Syst.  Nat., 
I.  (1788)  971. 

Sylvia  ch^ysqpterat  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  II.  (1810)  113. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Upper  parts  uniform  bluish-gray ;  the  head  above  and  a  large  patch  on  the  wings 
vellow;  a  broad  streak  from  the  bill  through  and  behind  the  eye,  with  the  chin, 
throat,  and  forepart  of  the  breast,  black ;  the  external  edge  of  the  yellow  crown  con- 
tinuous with  a  broad  patch  on  the  side  of  the  occiput  above  the  auriculars,  a  broad 
maxillary  stripe  widening  on  the  side  of  the  neck,  the  under  parts  generally,  with 
most  of  the  inner  webs  of  the  outer  three  tail  feathers  white;  the  sides  of  the  body 
pale  ash-color.  Female  similar,  but  duller. 

Length,  about  five  inches ;  wing,  two  and  sixty-five  one-hundredths  inches ;  tail, 
two  and  twenty-five  one-hundredths  inches. 

"  This  handsomely  marked  species  has  hitherto  been  con- 
sidered a  very  rare  bird  in  New  England  ;  but  it  is  less 
uncommon  than  it  is  supposed  to  be.  The  first  one  I  saw 
was  caught  by  a  cat  in  a  garden  in  West  Newton,  Mass. 
This  was  on  May  16,  1861.  That  year,  and  since,  I  have 
found  it  occurring,  in  small  numbers,  from  the  14th  to  the 
30th  of  May.  The  higher  branches  of  trees,  in  the  vicinity 
of  swampy  land,  appear  to  be  its  favorite  hunting-places.  It 
may  be  seen  seeking  its  food  quite  diligently  along  the 
branches  and  among  the  twigs,  moving  by  short  leaps,  and 
stopping  often  to  utter  its  drawling  note,  '  zee-zee-zee-zee '  or 
6  dee-dee-dee-dee.' 

"  I  once  saw  one,  who,  having  seemingly  finished  his 
morning  meal,  was  perched  on  the  topmost  twig  of  a  tree, 
quite  motionless,  occasionally  uttering  the  above  song, 
which  is  easily  recognized  from  that  of  any  of  our  other 
Warblers.  On  my  alarming  him,  he  flew  down  among  the 
undergrowth  of  young  birches,  and  permitted  me  to  approach 
quite  near  him  :  while  watching  his  movements,  I  observed 
a  Nashville  Warbler  alight  on  the  same  bush  in  which  he 
was  moving,  when  the  Golden-wing  immediately  gave  fight, 
and  chased  the  intruder  away.  I  have  never  observed  the 


THE   NASHVILLE   WARBLER.  215 

species  in  autumn,  and  all  the  specimens  that  I  have  met 
with  were  males.  It  rears  its  young  in  the  more  northern 
regions  probably ;  and  winters  beyond  the  southern  limits 
of  the  Union,  in  the  West  Indies,  Central  America,  and 
even  as  far  south  as  Bogota,  S.A.  This  Warbler  is  not 
given  in  any  of  the  lists  of  the  birds  of  Maine  or  Vermont 
that  I  have  seen  ;  but,  as  it  occurs  in  such  small  numbers,  it 
may  have  been  overlooked,  or  perhaps  is  now  becoming  a 
regular  visitor,  during  the  spring  migrations,  in  New  Eng- 
land." —  Letter  from  Henry  A.  Purdie. 

HELMINTHOPHAGA  RUFICAPILLA. — Baird. 
The  Nashville  Warbler. 

Sylvia  rujicfipilla,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  III.  (1811)  120.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  I. 
(1832)  450. 

Sylvia  rubricapilla,  Wilson.     Am.  Orn.,  VI.  (1812)  15. 
Sylvia  (Dacnis)  rubricapilla,  Nuttall.    Man.,  I.  (1832)  412. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Head  and  neck  above  and  on  sides  ash-gray,  the  crown  with  a  patch  of  con- 
cealed dark  brownish-orange  hidden  by  ashy  tips  to  the  feathers;  upper  parts 
olive-green,  brightest  on  the  rump ;  under  parts  generally,  with  the  edge  of  the 
wing  deep  yellow ;  the  anal  region  paler;  the  sides  tinged  with  olive ;  a  broad  yel- 
lowish-white ring  round  the  eye;  the  lores  yellowish;  no  superciliary  stripe;  the 
inner  edges  of  the  tail  feathers  margined  with  dull-white.  Female  similar,  but 
duller;  the  under  parts  paler;  but  little  trace  of  the  red  of  the  crown. 

The  bill  is  very  acute;  the  wings  long  and  pointed;  the  tail  emarginate,  not 
rounded. 

In  autumn,  the  entire  upper  parts  are  olive-green,  tinged  with  yellowish  on  the 
rump,  sometimes  with  brownish  on  the  head ;  the  patch  on  the  crown  more  or  less 
concealed ;  the  female  has  the  white  on  the  middle  of  the  belly  more  extended. 

Length,  four  and  sixty-five  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  two  and  forty-two 
one-hundredths  inches;  tail,  two  and  five  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  species  is  quite  common  in  the  spring  migrations, 
arriving  about  the  first  week  in  May ;  but  few  breed  in  the 
southern  districts  of  New  England.  Like  some  other  spe- 
cies, it  has  grown  much  more  abundant  than  it  was  a  few 
years  since,  and  is  now  quite  common  in  localities  where  it 
was  once  a  stranger.  Its  habits  are  like  those  of  the  other 
Warblers,  eminently  active  and  industrious:  it  seems  always 


216  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

moving  through  the  foliage,  gleaning  its  insect  food.  Its 
note  is  a  peculiar  one,  and  easily  recognized  :  it  is  best 
described  or  illustrated  by  the  sound  produced  by  striking 
two  pebbles  together  with  some  force. 

About  the  20th  of  June,  after  the  birds  have  paired,  they 
commence  building  the  nest :  this  is  usually  placed  on  the 
ground,  in  a  slight  depression  usually  made  by  the  birds 
themselves.  A  specimen  before  me  containing  three  eggs, 
collected  in  Maiden,  Mass.,  by  Mr.  H.  A.  Purdie,  is  con- 
structed of  the  leaves  of  the  pine,  which  are  very  neatly 
woven  into  a  compact,  circular  fabric,  deeply  hollowed,  and 
lined  with  horsehair  and  fine  leaves  of  the  pine  :  the  eggs 
are  of  a  white  color,  with  a  very  faint  rosy  tint,  and  covered 
irregularly  with  dots  of  reddish-brown  and  obscure  lilac. 
Dimensions  of  the  three  specimens :  .61  by  .50  inch,  .60  by 
•48  inch,  .58  by  .48  inch.  J.  A.  Allen,  in  his  "  Catalogue 
of  the  Birds  of  Springfield,  Mass.,"  gives  the  folio  wing- 
exceedingly  interesting  description  of  the  nest  and  eggs 
of  this  bird  :  — 

"  I  have  found  the  nest  of  this  species  for  two  successive 
seasons  as  follows :  May  31,  1862,  containing  four  freshly  laid  eggs. 
The  nest  was  placed  on  the  ground,  and  sunken  so  that  the  top  of 
the  nest  was  level  with  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  protected 
and  completely  concealed  above  by  the  dead  grass  and  weeds  of 
the  previous  year.  It  was  composed  of  fine  rootlets  and  dry  grass, 
lined  with  fine,  dry  grass  -and  a  few  horsehairs,  and  covered 
exteriorly  with  a  species  of  fine,  green  moss.  The  eggs  were 
white,  sprinkled  with  light  reddish-brown  specks,  most  thickly 
near  the  larger  end.  Longer  diameter  sixty,  and  the  shorter  fifty 
one-hundredths  inch.  The  following  year,  June  5,  1863,  I  found 
another  nest  of  this  species,  within  three  or  four  feet  of  where 
the  one  was  discovered  the  previous  year,  and  containing  three 
eggs  of  this  species,  and  one  of  the  Cow  Bunting,  in  all  of  which 
the  embryos  were  far  advanced.  The  nest,  in  every  particular, 
was  built  and  arranged  like  the  one  above  described ;  and  the  eggs 
must  have  been  laid  at  just  about  the  same  season.  In  both  cases, 
the  female  bird  was  secured,  and  the  identity  ascertained  beyond 


THE   TENNESSEE   WARBLER.  217 

question.  The  locality  of  the  nests  was  a  mossy  bank,  at  the  edge 
of  young  woods,  sloping  southward,  and  covered  with  bushes  and 
coarser  plants." 

HELMINTHOPHAGA  PEREGRINA.  —  Cabanis. 
The  Tennessee  Warbler. 

Sylvia,  peregrina,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  III.  (1811)  83.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II. 
(1834)  307. 

Sylvia  (Dacnis)  peregrina,  Nuttall.    Man.,  I.  (1832)  412. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Top  and  sides,  of  the  head  and  neck  ash-gray ;  rest  of  upper  parts  olive-green, 
brightest  on  the  rump ;  beneath  dull-white,  faintly  tinged  in  places,  especially  on  the 
sides,  with  yellowish-olive ;  eyelids  and  a  stripe  over  the  eye  whitish ;  a  dusky  line 
from  the  eye  to  the  bill ;  outer  tail  feather  with  a  white  spot  along  the  inner  edge, 
near  the  tip.  Female,  with  the  ash  of  the  head  less  conspicuous;  the  under  parts 
more  tinged  with  olive-yellow. 

Length,  four  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  two  and  seventy-five  one- 
hundredths ;  tail,  one  and  eighty -five  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  bird  is  an  extremely  rare  summer  visitor  in  New 
England.  Mr.  Allen  says  he  lias  taken  it  on  Sept.  19  and 
May  29 :  this  shows  that  it  passes  north  to  breed,  but  where 
it  passes  the  season  of  incubation  we  are  ignorant.  The 
species  itself  seems  to  be  a  very  small  one  ;  and,  as  the  mem- 
bers are  so  few,  they  may  be  easily  overlooked  in  the 
forest  through  the  whole  season,  particularly  as  they  are 
quiet  and  retiring  in  habits.  I  think  that,  perhaps,  the 
wilder  sections  of  Maine  and  New  Hampshire  may  give  it  a 
summer  home,  but  of  course  can  only  judge  from  the  above 
reasons. 

Of  its  nest  and  eggs  I  am  ignorant ;  and,  as  I  have  seen 
no  description  of  them,  I  can  give  none  here. 

SEIURUS,  SWAINSON. 

Seiurus,  SWAINSON,  Zool.  Jour.,  III.  (1827)  171.  (Sufficiently  distinct  from 
Sciurus.  Type  Motodlla  aurocapilla,  L.) 

Bill  rather  sylvicoline,  compressed,  with  a  distinct  notch;  gonys  ascending;  rictal 
bristles  very  short;  wings  moderate,  about  three-quarters  of  an  inch  longer  than  the 
tail;  first  quill  scarcely  shorter  than  the  second;  tail  slightly  rounded;  feathers  acu- 


218  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

minate;  tarsi  about  as  long  as  the  skull,  considerably  exceeding  the  middle  toe; 
under  tail  coverts  reaching  within  about  half  an  inch  of  the  end  of  the  tail ;  color 
above  olivaceous;  beneath  whitish,  thickly  streaked  on  the  breast  and  sides:  wings 
and  tail  immaculate. 


SEIURUS  AUROCAPILLUS.  —  Swainsm. 
The  Oven-bird;   Golden-crowned  Thrush. 

Motadlla  aurocapilla,  Linnaeus.    Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  334.     Gm.,  I.  (1788)  982. 
Turdus  aurocapillus,  Wilson.     Am.  Orn.,  II.  (1810)  88.     Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II. 
(1834)253;  V.  (1839)447. 

Turdus  (Seiurus)  aurocapillus,  Nuttall.    Man.,  I.  (1832)  355. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Above  uniform  olive-green,  with  a  tinge  of  yellow;  crown  with  two  narrow 
streaks  of  black  from  the  bill,  enclosing  a  median  and  much  broader  one  of  brownish- 
orange;  beneath  white;  the  breast,  sides  of  the  body,  and  a  maxillary  line  streaked 
with  black.  The  female,  and  young  of  the  year,  are  not  appreciably  different. 

Length,  six  inches;  wing,  three  inches;  tail,  two  and  forty  one-hundredths 
inches. 

This  beautiful  and  well-known  bird  is  a  common  summer 
inhabitant  of  New  England,  breeding  abundantly  in  all  the 
States.  It  arrives  from  the  South  about  the  last  week  in 
April  or  first  in  May,  and  soon  commences  building.  The 
birds  are  not  often  paired  on  their  arrival,  and  many  are 
the  little  quarrels  and  battles  that  occur  between  two  or 
three  males  for  the  possession  of  one  of  the  opposite  sex. 
The  birds  both  work  diligently  in  the  construction  of  the 
nest,  which  is  a  model  of  neatness  and  ingenuity.  It  is 
built  on  the  ground  in  the  woods,  usually  in  a  dry  situation. 
The  materials  used  are  dry  leaves  and  grasses :  these  are 
arranged  compactly  together,  and  built  over  at  the  top,  the 
entrance  being  on  the  side,  like  an  old-fashioned  oven ; 
hence  the  familiar  name  of  the  "  Oven-bird."  The  nest  is 
usually  placed  in  a  slight  hollow  in  the  earth,  scratched  by 
the  birds,  and  is  lined  with  soft  grasses  and  hairs.  The 
eggs  are  from  three  to  five  in  number,  usually  four.  They 
are  of  a  delicate  creamy-white  color,  and  spotted  irregularly 
with  different  shades  of  reddish-brown  ;  and  some  specimens 
have  a  number  of  spots  of  obscure  lilac-color.  The  mark- 


THE   OVEN-BIRD.  219 

ings  are  usually  thickest  at  the  larger  end  of  the  egg,  where 
they  are  often  confluent,  and  cover  the  primary  color. 
Dimensions  of  four  specimens  collected  in  a  nest  in  West 
Roxbury,  Mass. :  .80  by  .64  inch,  .79  by  .64  inch,  .79  by 
.62  inch,  .78  by  .62  inch.  A  great  number  of  specimens, 
collected  in  different  localities  of  New  England,  show  no 
great  variations  from  these  measurements. 

The  habits  of  this  bird  are  so  well  known  that  an  ex- 
tended description  here  is  scarcely  needed.  It  is  seldom 
found  in  any  but  the  most  retired  and  thickly  wooded  local- 
ities, and  it  generally  prefers  the  neighborhood  of  a  swamp 
for  its  home.  Its  song  is  a  peculiar  one,  and  easily  recog- 
nized :  it  consists  of  the  repeated  utterance  of  the  syllables, 
quicha,  qmcha,  qmcha,  quicha^  qmcha,  begun  at  first  very 
low,  and  rapidly  increasing  in  volume.  I  have  heard  this 
song,  in  the  mating  and  incubating  seasons,  at  all  hours  of 
the  night :  the  bird  seems,  at  that  time,  to  ascend  into  the 
air  to  a  considerable  height,  and  utters  its  notes  while  hover- 
ing and  slowly  descending.  I  have  noticed  the  same  habit 
in  the  Maryland  Yellow-throat  and  some  other  birds ;  and 
suppose  that  it  is  owing  to,  and  to  show,  his  great  affection 
for  his  mate,  and  to  anxiety  for  the  success  of  her  labors. 

When  on  the  ground,  the  Oven-bird  runs  with  great 
rapidity,  frequently  jetting  its  tail  and  uttering  its  sharp 
alarm-note :  if  the  nest  is  approached,  the  male  throws 
himself  in  the  way  of  the  intruder,  and  endeavors  to  draw 
him  from  its  vicinity,  scolding  all  the  time  with  the  greatest 
vehemence.  If  the  female  is  driven  from  her  domicile,  she 
suddenly  flutters  along  the  ground,  her  wings  extended, 
counterfeiting  lameness  in  a  very  natural  and  generally 
effective  manner. 

This  species,  in  consequence  of  its  eminently  terrestrial 
habits,  often  falls  a  victim  to  snakes  and  skunks.  I  have 
repeatedly  found  nests,  and  left  them,  in  order  that  I  might 
acquaint  myself  with  the  breeding  peculiarities  of  the  bird ; 
and  in  a  day  or  two,  on  paying  it  a  second  visit,  found 


220  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

that  a  skunk  or  other  depredator  had  destroyed  the  whole 
family. 

The  Oven-bird  feeds  principally  upon  small  insects  and 
smooth  caterpillars,  which  it  obtains  usually  on  the  ground, 
among  the  fallen  leaves  :  whan  berries  are  in  season,  it  feeds 
occasionally  upon  them ;  and  it  seems  particularly  fond  of 
small  spiders,  with  which  I  have  sometimes  found  its  stom- 
ach filled.  About  the  12th  or  15th  of  September,  after  the 
young  birds  have  become  capable  of  providing  for  them- 
selves, the  whole  family  leave  for  the  South. 

SEI CJRUS   NOVEBORACENSIS.  —  Nuttall. 
The  Water  Thrush ;  Water  Wagtail. 

Motadlla  Nmeboracemis,  Gmelin.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1788)  958. 

Turdus  (Seiurus)  Noveboracensis,  Nuttall.    Man.,  I.  (1832)  353. 

Turdus  aquations,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  III.  (1811)  66.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  V.  (1839) 
284. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill,  from  rictus,  about  the  length  of  the  skull ;  above  olive-brown,  with  a  shade 
of  green;  beneath  pale  sulphur-yellow,  brightest  on  the  abdomen;  region  about  the 
base  of  the  lower  mandible,  and  a  superciliary  line  from  the  base  of  the  bill  to  the 
nape,  brownish-yellow;  a  dusky  line  from  the  bill  through  the  eye;  chin  and  throat 
finely  spotted;  all  the  remaining  under  parts  and  sides  of  the  body,  except  the 
abdomen,  and  including  the  under  tail  coverts,  conspicuously  and  thickly  streaked 
with  olivaceous-brown,  almost  black  on  the  breast. 

Length,  six  and  fifteen  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  three  and  twelve  one-hun- 
dredths  inches ;  tail,  two  and  forty  one-hundredths  inches ;  bill,  from  rictus,  sixty- 
four  one-hundredths  of  an  inch. 

This  bird  is  not  very  uncommon  in  New  England  in  the 
spring  and  fall  migrations  (arriving  about  the  1st  of  May, 
and  departing  about  the  last  week  in  September)  ;  and  I 
have  sometimes  seen  it  in  summer  in  Massachusetts.  It 
undoubtedly  breeds  in  the  three  northern  of  these  States, 
and  probably  in  them  all.  In  its  habits,  it  much  resembles 
the  preceding  species ;  but  it  is  seldom  found  in  any  but  a 
wet  locality. 

Wilson  says,  "  This  bird  is  remarkable  for  its  partiality 
to  brooks,  rivers,  shores,  ponds,  and  streams  of  water ; 


THE   WATER-THRUSH.  221 

wading  in  the  shallows  in  search  of  aquatic  insects,  wag- 
ging the  tail  almost  continually,  chattering  as  it  flies  ;  and, 
in  short,  possesses  many  strong  traits  and  habits  of  the 
Water  Wagtail.  It  is  also  exceedingly  shy,  darting  away 
on  the  least  attempt  to  approach  it,  and  uttering  a  sharp 
chip  repeatedly,  as  if  greatly  alarmed." 

Although  I  have  met  with  quite  a  number  of  these  birds 
in  their  sylvan  haunts,  I  have  never  heard  them  sing,  and 
suspect  that  the  following  description  of  its  song  must 
belong  to  some  other  species :  "  They  are  eminently  distin- 
guished by  the  loudness,  sweetness,  and  expressive  vivacity 
of  their  notes,  which  begin  very  high  and  clear,  falling  with 
an  almost  imperceptible  gradation  till  they  are  scarcely 
articulated.  At  these  times,  the  musician  is  perched  on 
the  middle  branches  of  a  tree  over  the  brook  or  river  bank, 
pouring  out  his  charming  melody,  that  may  be  distinctly 
heard  for  nearly  half  a  mile.  The  voice  of  this  little  bird 
appeared  to  me  so  exquisitely  sweet  and  expressive,  that  I 
was  never  tired  of  listening  to  it,  while  traversing  the  deep- 
shaded  hollows  of  those  cane-brakes  where  it  usually 
resorts." 

Although  I  have  looked  repeatedly  for  the  nest  of  this 
species,  I  have  never  been  able  to  find  one,  and  will  be 
obliged  to  use  the  description  of  others.  Mr.  Yerrill  says, 
in  his  paper  on  Maine  birds,  before  referred  to :  — 

"A  nest  found,  June  8,  1861,  in  a  dense  cedar  swamp,  was  built 
in  an  excavation  in  the  side  of  a  decayed,  moss-covered  log,  so  that 
the  excavation  itself  formed  an  arch  over  the  nest,  instead  of  one 
made  by  the  bird,  as  in  the  preceding  species.  The  nest  was  con- 
structed of  moss,  and  lined  with  fine  roots.  The  five  eggs  were  of 
a  delicate  flesh-color,  spotted  with  light  reddish-brown." 

Nuttall  says  of  the  nest :  — 

"  It  is  placed  usually  at  the  foot  of  a  tree,  or  by  the  side  of  a 
decayed  log,  and  is  formed  of  dry  leaves,  moss,  and  fine  grass  ; 
being  lined  with  hair  or  the  similar  fibres  of  the  Spanish  moss 


222  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

(Tilandsid).     The  eggs  are  four  or  five,  flesh-colored,  with  dark 
spots  at  the  greater  end." 

Several  eggs  in  my  collection  agree  with  the  above  descrip- 
tion :  they  exhibit  an  average  of  .81  by  .63  inch  in  dimen- 
sions. 

DENDROICA,  GRAY. 

SyMcola,  GRAY,  Genera  Birds  (2d  ed.,  1841),  32.  (Not  of  Humphreys  or  Swain- 
son.) 

Dendroica,  GRAY,  Genera  Birds,  Appendix  (1842)  8. 

Bill  conical,  attenuated,  depressed  at  the  base,  where  it  is,  however,  scarcely 
broader  than  high,  compressed  from  the  middle ;  culmen  straight  for  the  basal  half, 
then  rather  rapidly  curving,  the  lower  edge  of  upper  mandible  also  concave ;  gonys 
slightly  convex  and  ascending;  a  distinct  notch  near  the  end  of  the  bill;  bristles, 
though  short,  generally  quite  distinct  at  the  base  of  the  bill ;  tarsi  long,  decidedly 
longer  than  middle  toe,  which  is  longer  than  the  hinder  one;  the  claws  rather  small 
and  much  curved,  the  hind  claw  nearly  as  long  as  its  digit ;  the  wings  long  and 
pointed;  the  second  quill  usually  a  very  little  longer  than  the  first;  the  tail  slightly 
rounded  and  emarginate. 

Colors.  —  Tail  always  with  a  white  spot;  its  ground-color  never  clear  olive-green. 

DENDROICA  VIRENS.— Baird. 
The  Black-throated  Green  Warbler. 

Motadlla  virens,  Gmelin.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1788)  985. 

Sylvia  virens,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  II.  (1810)  127.     Nutt.  Man.,  I.  (1832)  376. 
And.  Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  (1838)  70. 
Sylcicola  virens. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Male,  upper  parts,  exclusive  of  wing  and  tail,  clear  yellow  olive-green,  the 
feathers  of  the  back  with  hidden  streaks  of  black ;  forehead  and  sides  of  head  and 
neck,  including  a  superciliary  stripe,  bright  yellow;  a  dusky-olive  line  from  the  bill 
through  the  eye,  and  another  below  it ;  chin,  throat,  and  fore  part  of  breast,  extend- 
ing some  distance  along  on  the  sides,  continuous  black ;  rest  of  under  parts  white, 
tinged  with  yellow  on  the  breast  and  flanks ;  wings  and  tail  feathers  dark-brown, 
edged  with  bluish-gray;  two  white  bands  on  the  wing;  the  greater  part  of  the  three 
outer  tail  feathers  white.  Female,  similar,  but  duller;  the  throat  yellow;  the  black 
on  breast  much  concealed  by  white  edges ;  the  sides  streaked  with  black. 

Length,  five  inches;  wing,  two  and  fifty-eight  one-hundredths ;  tail,  two  and 
thirty  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  beautiful  bird  is  a  quite  common  species  in  Rhode 
Island,  Connecticut,  and  Massachusetts,  and  is  not  rare  in 
the  other  New-England  States,  in  which,  I  have  no  doubt,  it 


THE   BLACK-THROATED   GREEN   WARBLER.  223 

breeds,  though  not  nearly  so  abundantly  as  in  those  first 
mentioned.  It  arrives  from  the  South  from  about  the  25th 
of  April  to  the  1st  of  May,  in  Massachusetts.  I  have  often 
seen  this  species,  as  late  as  the  last  week  in  May,  busily 
engaged  in  destroying  insects  (of  which  its  food,  as  also  that 
of  the  other  Warblers,  consists),  apparently  without  being 
mated,  as  several  individuals  of  both  sexes  were  together, 
seemingly  in  harmony,  but  without  those  little  fondlings 
and  attentions  peculiar  to  mated  birds.  The  nest  is  seldom 
built  before  the  10th  of  June  in  this  latitude.  It  is  con- 
structed of  fine  grasses,  fibrous  roots,  fine  strips  of  bark  from 
the  cedar,  and  the  leaves  of  the  pine :  these  are  entwined 
together  strongly  and  neatly,  and  the  interior  of  the  nest  is 
lined  with  horsehair  and  fine  moss.  Nuttall,  in  describing 
the  only  nest  of  ijiis  bird  that  he  ever  saw,  says,  — 

"  On  the  8th  of  June,  I  was  so  fortunate  as  to  find  a  nest  of  this 
species  in  a  perfectly  solitary  situation,  on  the  Blue  Hills  of  Milton, 
Mass.  The  female  was  now  sitting,  and  about  to  hatch.  The  nest 
was  in  a  low,  thick,  and  stunted  Virginia  juniper.  When  I  ap- 
proached near  the  nest,  the  female  stood  motionless  on  its  edge,  and 
peeped  down  in  such  a  manner  that  I  imagined  her  to  be  a  young 
bird:  she  then  darted  directly  to  the  earth,  and  ran;  but  when, 
deceived,  I  sought  her  on  the  ground,  she  had  very  expertly  disap- 
peared, and  I  now  found  the  nest  to  contain  four  roundish  eggs, 
white,  inclining  to  flesh-color,  variegated,  more  particularly  at  the 
great  end,  with  pale,  purplish  points  of  various  sizes,  interspersed 
with  other  large  spots  of  brown  and  blackish.  The  nest  was  formed 
of  circularly  entwined  fine  strips  of  the  inner  bark  of  the  juniper, 
and  the  tough,  fibrous  bark  of  some  other  plant,  then  bedded  with 
soft  feathers  of  the  Robin,  and  lined  with  a  few  horsehairs,  and 
some  slender  tops  of  bent  grass  (Agrostis)." 

Early  in  June,  1863,  a  nest  of  this  species  was  discovered 
in  a  grove  of  pines  in  West  Roxbury :  it  was  built  in  a 
small  fork  of  a  pine,  about  ten  feet  from  the  ground.  The 
nest  and  its  contents,  four  eggs,  were  removed ;  but  the 
birds  remained  in  the  neighborhood,  and  soon  commenced 


224  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

building  another  nest  in  the  same  tree,  but  a  few  feet  higher. 
In  it  the  female  laid  three  eggs,  after  which  this  nest  and 
eggs  were  removed ;  but  soon  after  they  built  another  nest 
in  another  pine,  near  the  first :  this  nest  was  perhaps  twenty- 
five  feet  from  the  ground  ;  in  this,  two  eggs  were  laid,  which 
were  allowed  to  be  hatched.  One  of  these  nests,  with  four 
eggs,  is  in  my  collection,  and  is  already  described  above. 
The  eggs  are  a  pale,  creamy-white  color,  with  a  very  faint 
roseate  tint,  and  one  marked  with  coarse  and  fine  spots  of 
brown  of  different  shades,  and  obscure  spots  of  lilac.  These 
markings  are  quite  thick  at  the  large  end  of  the  egg,  —  in 
fact,  are  almost  confluent  into  a  sort  of  girdle.  Their 
dimensions  are  .66  by  .53  inch,  .66  by  .52  inch,  .64  by  .52 
inch,  and  .62  by  .51  inch. 

This  bird  prefers  the  foliage  of  high  trees  to  the  lower 
shrubbery,  and  I  have  noticed  that  it  is  most  usually  found 
in  or  near  the  different  pines.  Its  song  is  heard  through 
the  mating  and  breeding  seasons,  as  the  bird  is  actively 
moving  about  the  trees  searching  for  its  food. 

This  song  is  something  like  the  syllables,  ta-te-te-it-ta-tee, 
uttered  in  a  plaintive  tone  ;  the  first  syllable  low,  the  second 
higher,  the  third  and  fourth  quickly  together  and  high,  and 
the  fifth  and  sixth  a  little  slower  and  lower.  Its  song  is 
peculiar,  and  cannot  be  confounded  with  that  of  any  other 
Warbler  in  New  England. 

By  the  10th  of  September,  none  are  to  be  found  in  Massa- 
chusetts ;  and,  by  the  12th  of  that  month,  they  have  all  left 
New  England. 

DENDROICA   CANADENSIS.  —  Baird. 
The  Black-throated  Blue  Warbler. 

Motadlla  Canadensis,  Linnaeus.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  336.     Gm.,  I.  (1788)  991. 
Sylvia  Canadensis,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  II.  (1810)  115.    Nutt.  Man.,  I.  (1832)  398. 
Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  309. 

Sylvia  pusilla,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn  ,  V.  (1812)  100. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Above  uniform  continuous  grayish-blue,  including  the  outer  edges  of  the  quill 
and  tail  feathers ;  a  narrow  frontal  line,  the  entire  sides  of  head  and  neck,  chin  and 


THE   BLACK-THROATED   BLUE   WARBLER.  225 

throat,  lustrous  black,  this  color  extending  in  a  broad  lateral  stripe  to  the  tail;  rest 
of  under  parts,  including  the  axillary  region,  white;  wings  and  tail  black  above,  the 
former  with  a  conspicuous  white  patch  formed  by  the  bases  of  all  the  primaries 
(except  the  first);  the  inner  webs  of  the  secondaries  and  tertials  with  similar  patches 
towards  the  base  and  along  the  inner  margin;  all  the  tail  feathers,  except  the  inner- 
most, with  a  white  patch  on  the  inner  web,  near  the  end. 

Female,  olive-green  above  and  dull-yellow  beneath ;  sides  of  head  dusky-olive, 
the  eyelids  and  a  superciliary  stripe  whitish ;  traces  of  the  white  spot  at  the  base  of 
the  primaries  and  of  the  tail. 

Length,  five  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  two  and  sixty  one-hun- 
dredths;  tail,  two  and  twenty-five  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  Warbler  is  not  uncommon  in  the  mountainous  dis- 
tricts of  Massachusetts,  from  the  middle  to  the  end  of  May ; 
and  I  found  several  specimens  in  the  Green-Mountain  coun- 
try as  late  as  the  10th  of  June.  This  occurrence,  together 
with  the  fact  that  it  has  been  found,  in  the  breeding  season, 
on  Mount  Holyoke,  in  Mass.,  and  along  the  ridges  in  the 
western  part  of  this  State,  shows  that  it  probably  breeds, 
sometimes  at  least,  in  New  England. 

The  individuals  that  I  saw  were  in  tall  oaks  and  chest- 
nuts, actively  moving  about  through  the  foliage,  snapping  at 
flies  and  other  insects :  they  often  uttered  a  faint,  drawling 
weesy,  weesy,  and  occasionally  a  louder  chirp  or  chink,  like 
that  of  the  Nashville  Warbler. 

Being  unacquainted  with  the  nest  and  eggs,  I  give  Audu- 
bon's  description  of  them :  — 

"  The  nest  is  usually  placed  on  the  horizontal  branch  of  a  fir-tree, 
at  a  height  of  seven  or  eight  feet  from  the  ground.  It  is  composed 
of  slips  of  bark,  mosses,  and  fibrous  roots,  and  is  lined  with  fine 
grass,  on  which  is  laid  a  warm  bed  of  feathers. 

"  The  eggs,  four  or  five  in  number,  are  of  a  rosy  tint,  and,  like 
those  of  most  other  Sylvia,  scantily  sprinkled  with  reddish-brown 
at  the  larger  end.  Only  one  brood  is  raised  in  a  season." 

About  the  first  week  in  September,  this  species  leaves 
New  England  on  its  southern  migration. 

15 


226  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 


DENDROICA   CORONATA.  —  Gray. 
The  Yellow-rumped  Warbler. 

MotadUa  coronata,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  333.  Gm.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1788) 
974. 

Sylvia  coronata,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  II.  (1810)  138.  Nutt.  Man.,  I.  (1832)  361. 
Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  303. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Above  bluish-ash,  streaked  with  black ;  under  parts  white ;  the  fore  part  of  breast 
and  the  sides  black,  the  feathers  mostly  edged  with  white;  crown,  rump,  and  sides 
of  breast  yellow;  cheeks  and  lores  black;  the  eyelids  and  a  superciliary  stripe,  two 
bands  on  the  wing,  and  spots  on  the  outer  three  tail  feathers,  white.  Female,  of 
duller  plumage,  and  browner  above. 

Length,  five  and  sixty-five  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  three  inches ;  tail,  two 
and  fifty  one-hundreths  inches. 

The  Yellow-rumped  or  Golden-crowned  Warbler  is  very 
abundant  in  all  parts  of  New  England  as  a  spring  and  fall 
visitor.  It  arrives  from  the  South  about  the  10th  of  May, 
and  passes  quickly  northward.  But  few  breed  south  of 

the  northern  parts  of  Maine, 
and  probably  not  a  great  many 
pass  the  season  of  incubation 
there.  When  with  us  in  the 
spring,  they  are  found  in  the 
pastures,  woods,  orchards,  and 
swamps,  equally  distributed, 
and  evincing  no  partiality  for 
any  particular  locality.  They 
are  then  very  active,  and  are  constantly  engaged  in  their 
search  for  insects. 

Their  note  is  nothing  but  a  kind  of  tchip  and  a  tinkling 
tweeter,  which  they  utter  occasionally,  both  while  on  the 
wing  and  while  perching. 

I  have  heard  of  no  nest  being  found  in  either  of  the 
southern  New-England  States,  —  have  met  with  but  one  in 
Massachusetts,  and  have  heard  of  but  two  or  three  others. 


THE   BLACKBUBNIAN   WARBLER.  227 

This  nest  was  built  in  a  low  barbeny-bush  in  Waltliam :  it 
was  constructed  of  fine  grasses  and  the  down  from  ferns. 
These  materials  were  carefully  woven  together  into  a  neat 
fabric,  which  was  lined  with  cottony  substances  and  a  few 
horsehairs.  The  eggs  were  three  in  number:  these  were 
of  a  creamy-white  color,  covered  sparsely  with  spots  and 
blotches  of  different  shades  of  reddish-brown,  thickest  at 
the  large  end  of  the  egg.  Dimensions  of  the  eggs :  .68  by 
.50  inch,  .6?  by  .50  inch,  .66  by  .49  inch.  Audubon 
describes  a  nest  and  eggs  sent  him  from  Nova  Scotia  as 
follows :  — 

"  It  resembles  that  of  the  Sylvia  cestiva  of  Latham,  being  firm, 
compact,  the  outer  parts  formed  of  silky  fibres  from  different  plants, 
attached  to  the  twigs  near  it  by  means  of  glutinous  matter,  mixed 
with  the  inner  bark  of  some  tree  unknown  to  me.  Within  this  is 
a  deep  and  warm  bed  of  thistle-down,  and  the  inner  layer  consists 
of  feathers  and  the  fine  hair  of  small  quadrupeds. 

"  The  eggs  are  rather  large,  of  a  light  rosy  tint,  the  shell  thin 
and  transparent :  they  are  sparingly  dotted  with  reddish-brown  near 
the  larger  end,  but  in  a  circular  manner,  so  that  the  extremity  is 
unspotted." 

From  the  last  of  September  until  the  middle  of  October, 
they  become  very  plentiful  again,  and  may  be  seen  in  large 
detached  flocks  in  all  the  fields,  orchards,  and  woods  of  the 
country :  they  are  very  abundant  in  stubble-fields ;  and  I 
have  seen  as  many  as  fifty  in  a  flock  start  at  the  report  of 
my  gun,  when  I  have  been  quail-shooting. 


DENDEOICA  BLACKBUENIJE — Baird. 
The  Blackburnian  Warbler. 

Motadlla  Bladclurnice,  Gmelin.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1788)  977. 
Sylvia  Elackburnice,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  III.  (1811)  67.    Nutt.  Man.,  I.  (1832)  379. 
Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  208;  V.  73. 

Sylvia parus,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  V.  (1812)  114. 
Hemlock  Warbler,  Authors. 


228  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Upper  parts  nearly  uniform  black,  with  a  whitish  scapular  stripe  and  a  large 
white  patch  in  the  middle  of  the  wing  coverts ;  an  oblong  patch  in  the  middle  of 
the  crown,  and  the  entire  side  of  the  head  and  neck  (including  a  superciliary  stripe 
from  the  nostrils),  the  chin,  throat,  and  forepart  of  the  breast,  bright  orange-red; 
a  black  stripe  from  the  commissure  passing  over  the  lower  half  of  the  eve,  and 
including  the  ear  coverts,  with,  however,  an  orange  crescent  in  it,  just  below 
the  eye,  the  extreme  lid  being  black;  rest  of  under  parts  white,  strongly  tinged 
with  yellowish-orange  on  the  breast  and  belly,  and  streaked  with  black  on  the  sides; 
outer  three  tail  feathers  white,  the  shafts  and  tips  dark-brown,  the  fourth  and  fifth 
spotted  much  with  white,  the  other  tail  feathers  and  quills  almost  black.  Female 
similar;  the  colors  duller;  the  feathers  of  the  upper  parts  with  olivaceous  edges. 

Length,  five  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  two  and  eighty -three  one- 
hundredths  inches;  tail,  two  and  twenty-five  one-hundredths  inches. 

This,  the  most  beautiful  of  all  our  Warblers,  is  a  rare 
summer  inhabitant  of  all  New  England.  Dr.  Brewer  found 
it  breeding  in  the  eastern  part  of  Massachusetts.  Verrill 
says  it  breeds  in  Maine ;  Dr.  Thompson  says  it  breeds  in 
Vermont;  and  I  have  seen  it  in  New  Hampshire  in  the 
season  of  incubation.  It  is  a  shy  and  mistrustful  species, 
and  is  found  only  in  the  deepest  woods,  where  it  keeps  in 
the  thickest  foliage  of  tall  trees.  Its  nest  and  eggs  I  have 
not  seen,  and  I  am  obliged  to  give  the  description  by 
Audubon :  "  It  [the  nest]  is  composed  externally  of  dif- 
ferent textures,  and  lined  with  silky  fibres  and  thin  delicate 
strips  of  fine  bark,  over  which  lay  a  thick  bed  of  feathers 
and  horsehair.  The  eggs  are  small,  very  conical  towards 
the  smaller  end,  pure- white,  with  a  few  spots  of  light-red 
towards  the  larger  end.  It  was  found  in  a  small  fork  of  a 
tree,  five  or  six  feet  from  the  ground,  near  a  brook." 

DENDROICA   CASTANEA.  —  Baird. 
The  Bay-breasted  Warbler. 

Sylvia  castanea,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  II.  (1810)  97.  Nutt.  Man.,  I.  (1832)  382. 
Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  I.  858. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Male.  —  Crown  dark  reddish-chestnut ;  forehead  and  cheeks,  including  a  space 
above  the  eye,  black;  a  patch  of  buff-yellow  behind  the  cheeks;  rest  of  upper  parts 
bluish-gray,  streaked  with  black;  the  edges  of  the  interscapulars  tinged  with 
yellowish,  of  the  scapulars  with  olivaceous ;  primaries  and  tail  feathers  edged  ex- 


THE    PINE-CREEPING   WARBLER.  229 

ternally  with  bluish-gray,  the  extreme  outer  ones  with  white;  the  secondaries  edged 
with  olivaceous;  two  bands  on  the  wing  and  the  edges  of  the  tertials  white ;  the 
under  parts  are  whitish  with  a  tinge  of  buff;  the  chin,  throat,  forepart  of  breast,  and 
the  sides,  chestnut-brown,  lighter  than  the  crown;  two  outer  tail  feathers  with  a 
patch  of  white  on  the  inner  web  near  the  end;  the  others  edged  internally  with 
the  same. 

Female  with  the  upper  parts  olive,  streaked  throughout  with  black,  and  an  oc- 
casional tinge  of  chestnut  on  the  crown ;  lower  parts  with  traces  of  chestnut,  but 
no  stripes. 

Length  of  male,  five  inches;  wing,  three  and  five  one-hundredths  inches;  tail, 
two  and  forty  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  bird  is  extremely  rare  in  New  England.  It  has  been 
taken  in  all  these  States,  but  not  in  any  numbers.  Mr. 
Allen  took  one  on  May  20  and  May  25 ;  and  another  was 
taken  in  July,  1862,  by  Mr.  B.  Horsford  of  Springfield.  I 
have  never  seen  one  alive,  and  I  can  give  no  account  of  its 
habits  from  my  own  observation.  Nuttall  says,  — 

"  It  is  an  active  insect-hunter,  and  keeps  much  towards  the  tops 
of  the  highest  trees,  where  it  darts  about  with  great  activity,  and 
hangs  from  the  twigs  with  fluttering  wings." 

The  species  is  a  rare  one  in  all  parts  of  the  New-England 
States,  and  very  little  is  known  regarding  its  habits. 


DENDROICA  PINUS.  —  Baird. 
The  Pine-creeping  Warbler. 

Sylvia  pinus,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  III.  (1811)  25.  Nutt.  Man.,  I.  (1832)  387. 
Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  232. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Upper  parts  nearly  uniform  and  clear  olive-green,  the  feathers  of  the  crown  with 
rather  darker  shafts ;  under  parts  generally,  except  the  middle  of  the  belly  behind, 
and  under  tail  coverts  (which  are  white),  bright  gamboge-yellow,  with  obsolete 
streaks  of  dusky  on  the  sides  of  the  breast  and  body ;  sides  of  head  and  neck  olive- 
green  like  the  back,  with  a  broad  superciliary  stripe;  the  eyelids  and  a  spot  beneath 
the  eve  very  obscurely  yellow ;  wings  and  tail  brown ;  the  feathers  edged  with  dirty 
white,  and  two  bands  of  the  same  across  the  .coverts ;  inner  web  of  the  first  tail 
feather  with  nearly  the  terminal  half,  of  the  second  with  nearly  the  terminal  third, 
dull  inconspicuous  white. 

Length,  five  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  three  inches ;  tail,  two  and 
forty  one-hundredths  inches. 


230  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

This  species  arrives  from  the  South  very  early,  often 
before  the  last  snow-storm  of  the  season,  and  remains  in 
the  deep  swamps  of  hemlocks  or  pines  until  the  weather 
opens.  About  the  first  week  in  May,  the  birds  become 
scarce,  and  soon  but  very  few  can  be  found.  A  nest  with 
two  eggs,  found  in  Woburn,  Mass. ;  and  another  nest  with 
three  eggs,  from  West  Roxbury,  in  the  same  State,  —  are  all 
the  specimens  accessible  to  me  at  the  present  time.  These 
nests  were  built  in  forks  of  pine-trees,  about  twenty  feet 
from  the  ground.  They  are  constructed  of  the  bark  of  the 
cedar  and  leaves  of  the  pine:  these  materials  are  intwined 
into  a  neat  structure,  which  is  warmly  lined  with  mosses, 
and  hairs  of  different  animals.  The  eggs  are  of  a  bluish- 
white,  with  a  slight  roseate  tint:  this  primary  color  is  dotted 
with  spots  of  two  shades  of  brown  and  reddish,  and  some 
spots  of  purple.  Dimensions  vary  from  .69  by  .50  inch  to 
.67  by  .51  inch. 

In  the  migrations,  these  birds  associate  in  detached  flocks  : 
in  the  spring  they  are  in  company  with  the  Red-poll 
Warblers ;  and,  in  the  fall,  with  the  Yellow-rumps. 

They  are,  in  the  summer,  almost  always  observed  in  the 
pine-groves,  actively  traversing  the  limbs  and  branches, 
sometimes  with  the  movements  of  the  Creepers  and  Titmice, 
sometimes  with  those  of  the  Warblers,  and ,  often  flying 
from  the  foliage  and  seizing  an  insect,  on  the  wing,  like  the 
Flycatchers. 

Their  song  is  now  somewhat  similar  to  that  of  the  Field 
Sparrow,  or  perhaps  more  like  a  mixture  of  that  and  the 
song  of  the  Indigo-bird,  if  such  can  be  imagined.  It  con- 
sists of  the  syllables  tweet  'weet  'weet  'weet  'weet  'iveet,  uttered 
at  first  slow  and  faint,  but  rapidly  increasing  in  utterance 
and  volume.  Besides  this,  it  has  a  sort  of  trilling  note, 
like  fre  're  're  're  're  're,  uttered  softly  and  listlessly. 

In  the  autumn,  they  add  to  their  usual  insect-food  small 
berries  and  seeds :  they  are  now  nearly  silent,  having  only 
a  quick,  sharp  chirp.  They  are  scattered  through  the  fields 


THE    CHESTNUT-SIDED   WAKBLER.  231 

and  woods,  and  seem  to  be  as  much  on  the  ground  as  in 
the  trees.  They  depart  for  the  South  by  the  10th  or 
15th  of  October. 


DENDROICA  PENNSTLVANICA.  —  Baird. 
The  Chestnut-sided  Warbler. 

Motacilla  Pennsylvania,  Linnaeus.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  333. 

Sylvia  Pennsylvania,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  I.  (1808)  99. 

Sylvia  icterocephala,  Audubon.  Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1832)  506.  Nutt.  Man.,  I. 
(1832) 380. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Male.  —  Upper  parts  streaked  with  black  and  pale  bluish-gray,  which  becomes 
nearly  white  on  the  forepart  of  the  back;  the  middle  of  the  back  glossed  with 
greenish-yellow;  the  crown  is  continuous  yellow,  bordered  by  a  frontal  and  super- 
ciliary band,  and  behind  by  a  square  spot  of  white;  loral  region  black,  sending  off 
a  line  over  the  eye,  and  another  below  it;  ear  coverts  and  lower  eyelid  and  entire 
under  parts  pure-white,  a  purplish-chestnut  stripe  starting  on  each  side  in  a  line 
with  the  black  moustache,  and  extending  back  to  the  thighs ;  wing  and  tail  feathers 
dark-brown,  edged  with  bluish-gray,  except  the  secondaries  and  tertials,  which  are 
bordered  with  light  yellowish-green;  the  shoulders  with  two  greenish- white  bands; 
three  outer  tail  feathers  with  white  patches  near  the  end  of  the  inner  webs. 

Female  like  the  male,  except  that  the  upper  parts  are  yellowish-green,  streaked 
with  black ;  the  black  moustache  scarcely  appreciable. 

Length,  five  inches;  wing,  two  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches;  tail,  two  and 
twenty  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  bird  is  a  rather  common  summer  inhabitant  of  all 
New  England,  being  most  plentiful  in  Massachusetts  and 
the  States  south,  and  gradually  growing  more  rare  as  we 
advance  north.  It  makes  its  appearance  from  the  South 
about  the  first  to  the  middle  of  May,  according  to  latitude, 
and  commences  to  build  about  the  last  week  in  this  month 
or  the  first  in  June.  The  nest  is  usually  built  in  a  small 
fork  of  a  low  tree,  often  in  bushes,  but  a  few  feet  from  the 
ground.  It  is  constructed  of  thin  strips  of  pliable  bark  and 
fine  grasses :  these  materials  are  bent  and  intwined  together, 
and  over  the  .outside  are  pieces  of  caterpillar  silk  and  cob- 
webs, which  are  plastered  on,  seemingly  to  give  the  fabric 
compactness  and  consistency.  The  nest  is  deeply  hollowed, 
and  lined  with  horsehairs  and  slender  strips  of  the  bark  of 


232  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

the  grape-vine.     Nuttall  describes  a  nest  found  in  Acton, 
Mass.,  as  follows :  — 

"It  is  fixed  in  the  forked  twigs  of  a  hazel,  about  breast-high. 
The  fabric  is  rather  light  and  airy,  being  made  externally  of  a  few 
coarse  blades  and  stalks  of  dead  grass,  then  filled  in  with  fine 
blades  of  the  same ;  the  whole  matted  and  tied  with  caterpillars' 
silk,  and  lined  with  very  slender  strips  of  brown  bark  and  similar 
white-pine  leaves." 

The  nests  which  I  have  collected,  and  some  I  have  before 
me,  are  of  a  different  character  from  his  description,  being 
compactly  and  neatly  made  of  bark  from  the  cedar,  and 
grasses,  and  lined  with  horsehair ;  but  I  have  no  doubt  that 
this  species,  like  many  others,  varies  in  breeding  habits  in 
different  localities.  The  eggs  are  three  or  four  in  number, 
and  are  laid  about  tbe  first  week  in  June.  They  are  of  a 
delicate  creamy-white  color,  and  marked  at  the  great  end 
with  spots  of  brown,  which  are  often  confluent:  tbe  spots 
are  of  two  colors,  a  reddish-brown  and  purplish-brown. 
The  dimensions  vary  from  .70  by  .51  inch  to  .63  by  .50  inch. 
But  one  brood  is  raised  in  the  season  in  this  latitude. 

This  is  another  of  those  birds  which  seem  to  have  become 
quite  abundant  within  a  few  years.  Wilson,  Nuttall,  and 
others  speak  of  it  as  being  a  very  rare  species ;  and  it  is  now 
one  of  the  most  common  of  birds  in  localities  where  it  was, 
a  few  years  since,  quite  rare.  It  prefers  a  growth  of  low 
shrubs  and  scrub-oaks  and  birches  to  a  forest  of  tall  trees, 
and  is  seldom  seen  in  the  latter. 

Its  note  consists  of  the  syllables  'che  'che  ^ch  ''cheea, 
repeated  at  short  intervals :  it  has  also,  at  times,  a  rattling 
cry  something  like  the  alarm-note  of  the  Maryland  Yellow- 
throat. 

The  female  has  nothing  but  a  sharp  chirp,  which  she 
often  emits  in  answer  to  the  song  of  the  male.  When 
approached  while  on  tbe  nest,  she  sits  quietly  until  tbe 
intruder  is  quite  near.  I  once  had  a  dog  make  a  point 


PLATE  II. 


/.v 


Fig.  1.  Great-crested  Flycatcher,  Myiarchus  crinitus.     Cabanis. 

,,  2.  Blue  Yellow-backed  VVarb'er,  Panda  Americana.     Bonaparte. 

,,  3.  Water  Thrush,  Seiurus  Noveboracensis.     Nuttall. 

,,  4.  Black-throated  Green  Warbler,  Denc/roira  virens.     Baird. 

,,  5.  White-bellied  Nuthatch.  Sitta  Carolmensis.     Gmelin. 

,,  6.  Red-bellied  Nuthatch,  Sitta  Canar/ensis.     Linnaeus. 

,,  7.  White-throated  Sparrow,  Zonotrichia  albicollis.     Bonaparte. 

,,  8.  Snow-bird,  Junco  liyemalis.     Sclater. 

,,  9.  Tree  Sparrow,  Spizellq  monticola.     Baird. 

,,  10.  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak,  Guiraca  ludoviciana.     Swainson. 

,,  11.  Orchard  Oriole.  Icterus  spurius.     Bonaparte. 

,,  12.  Rusty  Blackbird,  Scolecophagusferrugineus.    Swainson. 


THE   BLACK-POLL   WARBLER.  233 

at  one  while  she  was  sitting  on  her  nest,  and  she  almost 
permitted  me  to  touch  her  before  she  flew  off. 

By  the  first  week  in  September,  the  old  birds  and  young, 
apparently  in  a  group  by  themselves,  leave  for  the  South, 
and  winter  in  Panama  and  the  Bahamas. 


DENDROICA   STRIATA.  —  Saird. 
The  Black-poll  Warbler. 

Muscicapa  striata,  Forster.  Philos.  Trans.,  LXII.  (1772)  383,  428.  Gm.  Syst. 
Nat.,  I.  (1788)  930. 

Sylvia  striata,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  IV.  (1811)  40.  Nutt.  Man.,  I.  (1832)  383. 
Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  201. 

Sylvia  autumnalis,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  III.  (1811)  65.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1832) 
447.  Nutt.  Man.,  I.  (1832),  390.  (Female  or  young  in  autumn.) 

DESCRIPTION. 

Male.  —  Crown,  nape,  and  upper  half  of  the  head  black ;  the  lower  half,  including 
the  ear  coverts,  white,  the  separating  line  passing  through  the  middle  of  the  eye ; 
rest  of  upper  parts  grayish-ash,  tinged  with  brown,  and  conspicuously  streaked  with 
black;  wing  and  tail  feathers  brown,  edged  externally  (except  the  inner  tail  feathers) 
with  dull  olive-green;  two  conspicuous  bars  of  white  on  the  wing  coverts,  the  ter- 
tials  edged  with  the  same ;  under  parts  white,  with  a  narrow  line  on  each  side  the 
throat  from  the  chin  to  the  sides  of  the  neck,  where  it  runs  into  a  close  patch  of 
black  streaks  continued  along  the  breast  and  sides  to  the  root  of  the  tail ;  outer  two 
tail  feathers  with  an  oblique  patch  on  the  inner  web  near  the  end,  the  others  edged 
internally  with  white. 

Female  similar,  except  that  the  upper  parts  are  olivaceous,  and,  even  on  the 
crown,  streaked  with  black;  the  white  on  the  sides  and  across  the  breast  tinged 
with  yellowish ;  a  ring  of  the  same  round  the  eye,  cut  by  a  dusky  line  through  it. 

Length  of  male,  five  and  seventy-five  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  three  inches ; 
tail,  two  and  twenty-five  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  bird,  although  very  abundant  in  all  parts  of  New 
England  in  the  spring  migrations,  passes  far  to  the  north 
to  breed ;  but  few  remain  in  the  States  through  the  breed- 
ing season,  and  these  in  the  most  northern  districts.  It 
arrives  from  the  South  about  the  last  week  in  May,  and  pro- 
ceeds leisurely  on  its  journey,  arriving  at  its  destination 
about  the  second  week  in  June.  I  have  two  nests  in  my 
collection,  both  found  in  the  northern  part  of  Maine: 
they  were  placed  in  low  trees  or  saplings,  and  are  con- 
structed of  first  a  layer  of  twigs  and  grass,  then  the 


234  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

leaves  of  -the  pine,  and  moss ;  these  materials  are  twined 
into  a  compact  structure,  somewhat  bulky,  and  deeply 
hollowed,  and  lined  with  feathers  of  wild  birds  and  hairs 
of  different  animals.  A  nest  complement  of  four  eggs  in  my 
collection,  furnished  by  my  friend,  George  A.  Boardman, 
are  of  a  grayish-white  color,  thickly  marked  with  spots  and 
blotches  of  two  or  three  shades  of  brown  and  purple. 
Dimensions  vary  from  .71  by  .54  inch,  to  .66  by  .50  inch. 
Audubon  describes  the  only  nest  of  this  bird  that  he 
ever  met  with  as  follows :  — 

"  It  was  placed  about  three  feet  from  the  ground,  in  the  fork  of 
a  small  branch,  close  to  the  main  stem  of  a  fir-tree.  Its  diameter 
internally  was  two  inches,  the  depth  one  and  a  half:  externally,  it 
resembled  the  nest  of  a  white-crowned  sparrow,  'being  formed  of 
green  and  white  moss  and  lichens,  intermixed  with  coarse  dried 
grass ;  within  this  was  a  layer  of  bent  grass,  and  the  lining  was  of 
very  dark-colored,  dry  moss,  looking  precisely  like  horsehair, 
arranged  in  a  circular  direction  with  great  care.  Lastly,  there  was 
a  thick  bed  of  large,  soft  feathers,  some  of  which  were  from  ducks, 
but  most  of  them  from  willow-grouse." 

The  same  author  describes  the  habits  of  this  bird  as 
follows :  — 

"  You  see  it  darting  in  all  directions  after  insects,  chasing  them 
on  the  wing,  and  not  unfrequently  snapping,  so  as  to  emit  the  click- 
ing sound  characteristic  of  the  true  Flycatcher.  Its  activity  is 
pleasing ;  but  its  notes  have  no  title  to  be  called  a  song.  They  are 
shrill,  and  resemble  the  noise  made  by  striking  two  small  pebbles 
together,  more  than  any  other  sound  I  know." 

I  cannot  agree  with  Professor  Baird,  that  the  Autumnal 
Warbler  of  authors,  and  the  young  of  the  Bay-breasted, 
are  identical,  at  least  in  New  England ;  but  I  am  persuaded 
that  the  young  of  the  present  species  is  the  Sylvia  autumnalis. 
And  it  seems  to  me,  that  no  other  argument  is  needed  to 
establish  this  beyond  a  doubt,  than  the  fact,  that  the  Bay- 
breasted  Warbler  is  very  rare,  in  all  this  section  of  the  coun- 


THE   BLACK-POLL   WARBLER.  235 

try,  in  spring  and  summer;  and  that  it  should  become 
exceedingly  abundant  in  autumn  is  inconsistent  with  reason 
and  nature.  The  description  of  the  young  of  the  Black-poll 
also  agrees  with  that  of  the  Autumnal  Warbler,  as  do  also 
its  habits  and  characteristics. 

I  will  append  Wilson's  description  of  the  habits  of  the 
Black-poll  and  Autumnal  Warbler,  and  also  their  general 
description.  He  says  of  the  Autumnal  Warbler, — 

"  This  plain  little  species  regularly  visits  Pennsylvania  .from  the 
North,  in  the  month  of  October,  gleaning  among  the  willow-leaves, 
but,  what  is  singular,  is  rarely  seen  in  spring.  From  the  1st  to  the 
loth  of  October,  they  may  be  seen  in  considerable  numbers,  almost 
every  day,  in  gardens,  particularly  among  the  branches  of  the 
weeping-willow,  and  seem  exceedingly  industrious.  They  have 
some  resemblance,  in  color,  to  the  Pine-creeping  Warbler,  but  do 
not  run  along  the  trunk  like  that  bird,  neither  do  they  give  a 
preference  to  the  pines.  They  are  also  less.  After  the  1st  of 
November,  they  are  no  longer  to  be  found,  unless  the  season  be 
uncommonly  mild.  These  birds  doubtless  pass  through  Pennsyl- 
vania, in  spring,  on  their  way  to  the  North ;  but  either  make' a  very 
hasty  journey,  or  frequent  the  tops  of  the  tallest  trees :  for  I  have 
never  yet  met  with  one  of  them  in  that  season,  though  in  October 
I  have  seen  more  than  a  hundred  in  an  afternoon's  excursion. 

"  Length,  four  inches  and  three-quarters ;  breadth,  eight  inches  ; 
whole  upper  parts  olive-green,  streaked  on  the  back  with  dusky 
stripes ;  tail  coverts  ash,  tipped  with  olive ;  tail  black,  edged  with 
dull-white ;  the  three  exterior  feathers  marked  near  the  tip  with 
white ;  wings  deep-dusky,  edged  with  olive,  and  crossed  with  two 
bars  of  white ;  primaries  also  tipped,  and  three  secondaries  next 
the  body  edged  with  white  ;  upper  mandible  dusky-brown ;  lower,  as 
well  as  the  chin  and  breast,  dull-yellow  ;  belly  and  vent  white ;  legs 
dusky-brown ;  feet  and  claws  yellow  ;  a  pale-yellow  ring  surrounds 
the  eye.  The  males  of  these  birds  often  warble  out  some  low  but 
very  sweet  notes,  while  searching  among  the  leaves  in  autumn." 

He  says  of  the  Black-poll  Warbler,  — 
"  This  species  has  considerable  affinity  to  the  Flycatchers  in  its 
habits.     It  is  chiefly  confined  to  the  woods,  and,  even  there,  to  the 


236  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

tops  of  the  tallest  trees,  where  it  is  descried  skipping  from  branch 
to  branch  in  pursuit  of  winged  insects.  Its  note  is  a  single  screep, 
scarcely  audible  from  below.  It  arrives  in  Pennsylvania  about  the 
20th  of  April,  and  is  first  seen  on  the  tops  of  the  highest  maples, 
darting  about  among  the  blossoms.  As  the  woods  thicken  with 
leaves,  it  may  be  found  pretty  generally,  being  none  'of  the  least 
numerous  of  our  summer  birds.  It  is,  however,  most  partial  to 
woods  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  creeks,  swamps,  or  mo- 
rasses, probably  from  the  greater  number  of  its  favorite  insects 
frequenting  such  places.  It  is  also  pretty  generally  diffused  over 
the  United  States,  having  myself  met  with  it  in  most  quarters 
of  the  Union,  though  its  nest  has  hitherto  defied  all  my  researches." 

He  then  says  of  the  female  Black-poll,  — 

"  From  its  habit  of  keeping  on  the  highest  branches  of  trees,  it 
probably  builds  in  such  situations,  and  its  nest  may  long  remain 
unknown  to  us. 

"  Pennant,  who  describes  this  species,  says  that  it  inhabits,  during 
summer,  Newfoundland  and  New  York,  and  is  called  in  the  last 
Sailor.  This  name,  for  which,  however,  no  reason  is  given,  must 
be  very  local ;  as  the  bird  itself  is  one  of  those  silent,  shy,  and  soli- 
tary individuals  that  seek  the  deep  retreat  of  the  forest,  and  are 
known  to  few  or  none  but  the  naturalist. 

"  Length  of  the  female  Black-cap  five  inches  and  a  quarter, 
extent  eight  and  a  quarter;  bill  brownish-black;  crown  yellow- 
olive,  streaked  with  black ;  back  the  same,  mixed  with  some  pale- 
slate  ;  wings  dusky-brown,  edged  with  olive ;  first  and  second  wing 
coverts  tipped  with  white ;  tertials  edged  with  yellowish-white ; 
tail  coverts  pale-gray ;  tail  dusky,  forked,  the  two  exterior  feathers 
marked  on  their  inner  vanes  with  a  spot  of  white ;  round  the  eye 
is  a  whitish  ring ;  cheeks  and  sides  of  the  breast  tinged  with  yellow, 
and  slightly  spotted  with  black ;  chin  white,  as  are  also  the  belly 
and  vent ;  legs  and  feet  dirty-orange. 

"  The  young  bird  of  the  first  season,  and  the  female,  as  is  usually 
the  case,  are  very  much  alike  in  plumage.  On  their  arrival,  early 
in  April,  the  black  feathers  on  the  crown  are  frequently  seen  coming 
out,  intermixed  with  the  former  ash-colored  ones. 

"  This  species  has  all  the  agility  and  many  of  the  habits  of  the 
Flycatcher." 


THE    YELLOW   WARBLER.  237 

About  the  middle  of  October,  sometimes  not  before  the 
last  of  that  month,  the  Black-poll  Warbler  leaves  on  its 
southern  migration :  at  that  time,  it  has,  in  New  England 
certainly,  all  the  characteristics  and  habits  of  the  Autumnal 
Warbler  described  above;  and,  having  examined  numbers 
of  specimens,  I  conclude,  from  the  reasons  expressed  above, 
that  the  species  are  identical. 

DENDROICA  .ESTIVA.  —  Baird. 
The  Yellow  Warbler. 

Motacitta  cestiva,  Gmelin.    Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1788)  996. 
Sylvia  citrinella,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  II.  (1810)  111. 
Sylvia  childreni,  Audubon.    Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1831)  180. 
Motacilla  petechia,  Linnaeus.    Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  334. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  lead-color;  head  all  round,  and  under  parts  generally,  bright-yellow;  rest  of 
upper  parts  yellow-olivaceous,  brightest  on  the  rump;  back  with  obsolete  streaks 
of  dusky  reddish-brown ;  fore  breast  and  sides  of  the  body  streaked  with  brownish- 
red  ;  tail  feathers  bright-yellow ;  the  outer  webs  and  tips,  with  the  whole  upper  sur- 
faces of  the  innermost  one,  brown ;  extreme  outer  edges  of  wing  and  tail  feathers 
olivaceous,  like  the  back;  the  middle  and  greater  coverts  and  tertials  edged  with 
yellow,  forming  two  bands  on  the  wings.  Female  similar,  with  the  crown  olivaceous, 
like  the  back,  and  the  streaks  wanting  on  the  back,  and  much  restricted  on  the  under 
parts ;  tail  with  more  brown. 

Length  of  male,  five  and  twenty -five  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  two  and  sixty- 
six  one-hundredths ;  tail,  two  and  twenty-five  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  exceedingly  abundant  species  is  a  summer  resident, 
and  breeds  in  all  the  New-England  States.  It  arrives  from 
the  South  about  the  last  of  April  or  first  of  May,  and  com- 
mences building  about  the  15th  of  the  latter  month.  The 
nest  is  usually  placed  in  a  low  bush,  frequently  the  bar- 
berry. Occasionally,  it  is  built  in  an  alder  or  maple  tree, 
seldom  more  than  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  from  the  ground, 
although  Mr.  Nuttall  gives  instances  of  its  being  built  in  the 
forks  of  a  sugar-maple-tree,  fifty  feet  from  the  ground :  this, 
however,  is  a  very  rare  case.  Nuttall's  description  of  the 
nest  is  the  best  I  have  seen,  and  I  give  it  entire:  — 

"  The  nest  is  extremely  neat  and  durable ;  the  exterior  is  formed 
of  layers  of  asclepias,  or  silk-weed  lint,  glutinously  though  slightly 


238  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

attached  to  the  supporting  twigs,  mixed  with  some  slender  strips  of 
fine  bark  and  pine-leaves,  and  thickly  bedded  with  the  down  of  wil- 
lows, the  nankeen  wool  of  the  Virginia  cotton-grass  (Eriophorum 
Virginicum),  the  down  of  fine  stalks,  the  hair  of  the  downy  seeds 
of  the  button-wood  (Platanus),  or  the  papus  of  compound  flowers, 
and  then  lined  either  with  fine  bent  grass  (Agrostis),  or  down,  and 
horsehair,  and  rarely  with  a  few  accidental  feathers." 

The  eggs  are  usually  four  in  number,  sometimes  five: 
they  vary  in  color  from  creamy-white,  with  numerous  spots 
and  blotches  of  different  shades  of  brown,  to  a  grayish-white 
with  a  greenish  tint,  and  marked  with  the  same  spots  and 
blotches ;  these  markings  are  thickest  at  the  larger  end  of 
the  egg,  where  they  are  often  confluent.  Dimensions  vary 
from  .67  by  .50  inch  to  .64  by  .50  inch.  The  habits  of  tins 
bird  are  well  known ;  and  its  genial  nature  and  confid- 
ing disposition  have  rendered  it  a  great  favorite  with  the 
farmer. 

DENDROICA  MACULOSA.  —  Baird, 
The  Black  and  Yellow  Warbler ;  Magnolia  Warbler. 

Motacilla  maculosa,  Gmelin.     Syst.,  I.  (1788)  984. 

Sylvia  maculosa,  Nuttall.  Man.,  I.  (1832)  370.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1831)  260; 
II. (1834)  145;  V.  (1839) 458. 

Sylvia  magnolia,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  III.  (1811)  63. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Male,  in  spring.  —  Bill  dark  bluish-black,  rather  lighter  beneath;  tail  dusky; 
top  of  head  light  grayish-blue ;  front,  lore,  cheek,  and  a  stripe  under  the  eye,  black, 
running  into  a  large  triangular  patch  on  the  back,  between  the  wings,  which  is  also 
black ;  eyelids  and  a  stripe  from  the  eye  along  the  head  white ;  upper  tail  coverts 
black,  some  of  the  feathers  tipped  with  grayish;  abdomen  and  lower  tail  coverts 
white ;  rump  and  under  parts,  except  as  described,  yellow ;  lower  throat,  breast,  and 
sides  streaked  with  black,  the  streaks  closer  on  the  lower  throat  and  fore  breast; 
lesser  wing  coverts,  and  edges  of  the  wing  and  tail,  bluish-gray,  the  former  spotted 
with  black ;  quills  and  tail  almost  black,  the  latter  with  a  square  patch  of  white  on 
the  inner  webs  of  all  the  tail  feathers  (but  the  two  inner),  beyond  the  middle  of  the 
tail;  two  white  bands  across  the  wings  (sometimes  coalesced  into  one),  formed  by 
the  small  coverts  and  secondaries;  part  of  the  edge  of  the  inner  webs  of  the  quills 
white;  feathers  margining  the  black  patch  on  the  back  behind  and  on  the  sides 
tinged  with  greenish. 

Second  and  third  quills  longest,  first  shorter  than  fourth ;  tail  rounded,  emarginate. 

Female,  in  spring.  —  In  general  appearance  like  the  male,  but  with  the  corre- 
sponding colors  much  duller;  the  black  on  the  back  reduced  to  a  few  large  proxi- 


THE   BLACK   AND    YELLOW   WARBLER. 


239 


mate  spots;  the  spots  on  the  under  parts  much  fewer;  upper  parts  dirty-ash,  tinged 
with  greenish  on  the  lower  back;  on  the  rump  dull-yellow. 

Male,  in  autumn.  —  Bill  brown,  lighter  along  the  edges  and  base  of  lower  man- 
dible; head  and  hind  neck  dirty-ash,  tinged  above  with  green;  back  greenish- 
yellow,  obsoletely  spotted  with  black;  rump  yellow;  throat  and  breast  yellow, 
obsoletely  spotted  with  black,  strongly  tinged  with  light-ash  on  the  lower  throat ; 
eyelids  dirty-white ;  differs  from  the  spring  plumage  in  being  without  the  black  on 
the  back,  front,  sides  of  the  head  and  cheeks,  and  in  a  great  degree  on  the  under 
parts;  much  less  white  on  the  wing  and  side  of  the  head;  the  colors  generally 
also  are  duller. 

Female,  in  autumn.  —  Similar,  generally,  to  the  male  in  fall.  Back  greenish- 
yellow,  brighter  on  the  rump;  rest  of  upper  parts  deep-ash;  lower  parts  yellow, 
obsoletely  streaked  with  black,  the  light-ash  on  the  lower  throat  decided;  the 
white  on  the  wings  reduced  to  two  narrow  bands.  There  is  a  continuous  white  ring 
round  the  eye;  bill  light  brown;  basal  part  of  lower  mandible  dirty-white;  feet 
lighter  brown. 

Specimens  vary  somewhat  in  the  amount  of  black  on  the  under  parts. 

Length,  five  inches;  wing,  two  and  fifty  one-hundredths ;  tail,  two  and  twenty-five 
one-hundredths  inches. 

This  beautiful  bird  is  not  uncommon  in  the  migrations 
in  the  three  southern  New-England  States,  and  is  a  summer 
resident  in  the  others.  It  does  not  make  its  appearance 
before  the  20th  of  May,  and 
proceeds  slowly  in  its  travels. 
I  found  numbers  in  Northern 
Maine  and  New  Hampshire  as 
late  as  the  17th  of  June.  They 
were  industrious,  and  seemed  to 
be,  at  that  late  date,  but  just 
mating.  Hence  I  infer  that  they 
rear  but  one  brood,  and  not  until 
late  in  the  season. 

The  note  of  the  male  is  very 
similar  to  that  of  the  Chestnut 
sided  Warbler ;  and  I  was  de- 
ceived by  it  into  mistaking  this 
for  that  species.  It  had  the  hab-  upper  flg  yeilow  WarWor_ 

itS  Of  that   bird   also,  and  Seemed     Lower  fig.,  Black  and  Yellow  Warbler 

to  prefer  the  low,  swampy  woods  to  the  higher  ones. 

Although  I  looked  very  carefully  and  diligently  for  the 
nest,  I  could  not  find  it.  From  the  fact  that  the  birds  were 


240  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

almost  always  in  or  near  clearings  or  young  growth,  I  judge 
that  they  nest  in  such  localities.  Mr.  Hutchins  informs  us, 
that,  in  the  Hudson's  Bay  country,  the  nest  is  built  in  wil- 
lows, and  that  it  is  constructed  of  grass  and  feathers :  he 
also  says  that  the  female  lays  four  eggs.  I  can  find  no 
other  description  of  the  nest  or  eggs. 

After  the  25th  of  September,  none  are  to  be  found  in 
New  England. 

DENDEOICA  TIGRINA.  —  Baird. 
The  Cape-May  Warbler. 

Mutadtta  tigrina,  Gmelin.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1788)  985. 

Sylvia  maritima,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  VI.  (1812)  99.  Nutt.  Man.,  I.  (1832)  156. 
Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  V.  (1839)  156. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  very  acute,  conical,  and  decidedly  curved ;  bill  and  feet  black ;  upper  part  of 
head  dull-black,  some  of  the  feathers  faintly  margined  with  light  yellowish-brown; 
collar  scarcely  meeting  behind ;  rump  and  under  parts  generally  rich-yellow ;  throat, 
fore  part  of  breast,  and  sides,  streaked  with  black ;  abdomen  and  lower  tail  coverts 
pale-yellow,  brighter  about  the  vent;  ear  coverts  light  reddish-chestnut ;  back  part  of 
a  yellow  line  from  nostrils  over  the  eye,  of  this  same  color ;  chin  and  throat  tinged 
also  with  it;  a  black  line  from  commissure  through  the  eye,  and  running  into  the 
chestnut  of  the  ear  coverts ;  back,  shoulder,  edges  of  the  wing  and  tail,  yellowish- 
olive,  the  former  spotted  with  dusky ;  one  row  of  small  coverts,  and  outer  bases  of 
the  secondary  coverts,  form  a  large  patch  of  white,  tinged  with  pale-yellow;  tertials 
rather  broadly  edged  with  brownish-white ;  quills  and  tail  dark-brown,  the  three 
outer  feathers  of  the  latter  largely  marked  with  white  on  the  inner  web;  edge  of  the 
outer  web  of  the  outer  feathers  white,  more  perceptible  towards  the  base. 

Length,  five  and  twenty-five  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  two  and  eighty-four 
one-hundredths ;  tail,  two  and  fifteen  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  bird  is  so  exceedingly  rare  in  New  England,  that  it 
can  be  regarded  as  a  straggler  only.  Of  its  habits  I  know 
nothing,  and  I  can  give  no  description  of  its  nest  or  eggs. 


DENDROICA  PALMAEUM.  —  Baird. 
The  Yellow  Red-poll  Warbler. 

Motacilla  palmarum,  Gmelin.    Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1788)  951. 

Sylvia  petechia,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  VI.  (1812)  19.    Nutt.  Man.,  I.  (1832)  364. 
Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  259,  360. 


THE   PRAIRIE   WARBLER.  241 

DESCRIPTION. 

Head  above  chestnut-red;  rest  of  upper  parts  brownish  olive-gray;  the  feathers 
with  darker  centres,  the  color  brightening  on  the  rump,  upper  tail  coverts,  and  outer 
margins  of  wing  and  tail  feathers,  to  greenish-yellow ;  a  streak  from  nostrils  over  the 
eye,  and  under  parts  generally,  including  the  tail  coverts,  bright-yellow;  paler  on 
the  body;  a  maxillary  line;  breast  and  sides  finely  but  rather  obsoletely  streaked 
with  reddish-brown;  cheeks  brownish  (in  highest  spring  plumage,  chestnut  like  the 
head);  the  eyelids  and  a  spot  under  the  eye  olive-brown;  lores  dusky;  a  white  spot 
on  the  inner  web  of  the  outer  two  tail  feathers  at  the  end. 

Length,  five  inches;  wing,  two  and  forty-two  one-hundredths ;  tail,  two  and 
twenty-five  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  is  one  of  the  earliest  of  our  spring  visitors,  arriving 
sometimes  as  early  as  the  first  week  in  April :  it  is  quite 
abundant  until  the  25th  of  that  month,  when  it  moves  on 
to  its  northern  breeding-homes.  While  here,  it  prefers  the 
neighborhood  of  a  swampy  thicket,  and  is  seldom  seen  in 
high  dry  woods.  It  is,  like  the  other  Warblers,  always 
actively  employed  in  searching  for  insects,  which  it  captures 
as  often  while  on  the  wing  as  otherwise.  Its  note  is  a  faint 
tinkle  like  that  of  the  Golden-crested  Wren.  There  are  only 
a  few  that  breed  in  New  England.  I  have  in  my  collection  a 
nest  and  eggs  collected  in  Northern  Maine  by  Mr.  George 
A.  Boardman,  of  Calais.  The  nest  was  placed  on  the 
ground.  It  is  constructed  loosely,  first  of  stalks  of  weeds 
and  grasses :  above  these  is  placed  a  layer  of  fine  roots  and 
grass ;  then  are  laid  pieces  of  moss,  caterpillars'  silk,  fine 
grasses,  and  hairs ;  and  the  whole  is  deeply  hollowed,  and 
lined  with  fine  roots  and  pine-leaves.  Two  eggs  in  the  nest 
are  of  a  delicate  white,  with  a  faint  roseate  tint :  they  are 
marked  at  the  larger  end  with  fine  spots  and  blotches  of 
reddish  and  brown.  They  are  about  the  size  of  the  eggs 
of  the  Blue  Yellow-backed  Warbler,  being  .61  by  .50  inch 
and  .62  by  .51  inch. 

DENDROICA    DISCOLOR.  —  Baird. 
The  Prairie  Warbler. 

Sylvia  discolor,  Vieillot.  Ois.  Am.  Sept.,  II.  (1807)  37.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  I. 
(1831)  76.  Nutt.  Man.,  I.  (1832)  294. 

Sylvia  minuta,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  III.  (1811)  87. 

16 


242  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Above  uniform  olive-green;  the  middle  of  the  back  streaked  with  brownish-red. 
Under  parts  and  sides  of  the  head,  including  a  broad  superciliary  line  from  the  nos- 
trils to  a  little  behind  the  eye,  bright-yellow,  brightest  anteriorly;  a  well-defined 
narrow  stripe  from  the  commissure  of  the  mouth  through  the  eye,  and  another  from 
the  same  point  curving  gently  below  it,  also  a  series  of  streaks  on  each  side  of  the 
body,  extending  from  the  throat  to  the  flanks,  black;  quills  and  tail  feathers  brown, 
edged  with  white;  the  terminal  half  of  the  inner  web  of  the  first  and  second  tail 
feathers  white;  two  yellowish  bands  on  the  wings.  Female  similar,  but  duller; 
the  dorsal  streaks  indistinct. 

Length,  four  and  eighty-six  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  two  and  twenty-five 
one-hundredths ;  tail,  two  and  ten  one-hundredths  inches. 


This  beautiful  bird  is  not  very  common  in  any  part  of 
New  England ;  and  it  appears  to  be  a  rather  rare  species 
north  of  Massachusetts,  which  State  seems  to  be  its  northern 
breeding  limit.  It  makes  its  appearance  about  the  first 
week  in  May,  and  commences  building  about  the  20th  of 
that  month.  I  have  been  so  fortunate  as  to  find  two  nests 
in  Norfolk  County,  and  have  had  another  nest  and  eggs  sent 
me  from  Belmont,  in  this  State :  I  have  also  known  of  sev- 
eral other  nests  being  found,  and  judge  that  the  species 
breeds  not  uncommonly  in  Massachusetts  and  the  other  two 
southern  New-England  States.  These  nests  were  all  placed 
in  low  barberry  bushes,  in  rocky  localities.  They  are  ex- 
ceedingly neat  structures,  the  most  so  of  any  of  our  New- 
England  Warblers'  nests :  they  are  constructed  of  various 
soft  cottony  substances,  after  the  manner  of  the  nest  of  the 
Yellow  Warbler,  and  are  lined  with  soft  feathers  and  wool. 
The  eggs  are  usually  three  in  number.  These  are  of  a  beau- 
tiful pearly-white  color,  with  a  slight  roseate  tint,  and  cov- 
ered irregularly  with  small  spots  of  different  shades  of 
brown  and  lilac,  thickest  at  the  large  end.  Dimensions  of 
three  eggs  collected  in  Belmont,  Mass. :  .64  by  .52  inch,  .63 
by  .52  inch,  .60  by  .50  inch.  The  above-described  nests 
were  invariably  placed  in  the  fork  of  the  bush  in  which 
they  were  built :  the  materials  were  the  same,  consisting  of 
the  down  from  different  plants,  cotton,  wool,  and  other  like 
substances.  I  find,  on  referring  to  Audubon,  Wilson,  and 


THE   PRAIRIE   WARBLER.  243 

others,  considerable  differences  in  the  description  of  the 
nest,  &c.     Wilson's  description  is  as  follows  :  — 

"  The  nest  of  this  species  is  of  very  neat  and  delicate  workman- 
ship, being  pensile,  and  generally  hung  on  the  fork  of  a  low  bush 
or  thicket.  It  is  formed  outwardly  of  green  moss,  intermixed  with 
rotten  bits  of  wood  and  caterpillars'  silk :  the  inside  is  lined  with 
extremely  fine  fibres  of  grape-vine  bark ;  and  the  whole  would 
scarcely  weigh  a  quarter  of  an  ounce." 

Audubon  says,  — 

"  Its  nest,  which  forms  by  far  the  most  interesting  part  of  its  his- 
tory, is  uncommonly  small  and  delicate.  Its  eggs  I  have  uniformly 
found  to  be  four  in  number,  and  of  a  white  color,  with  a  few  brown- 
ish spots  near  the  larger  end.  The  nest  is  sometimes  attached  to 
three  or  four  blades  of  tall  grass,  or  hangs  between  two  small  sprigs 
of  a  slender  twig.  At  first  sight,  it  seems  to  be  formed  like  that  of 
the  Humming-bird;  the  external  parts  being  composed  of  deli- 
cate gray  lichens  and  other  substances,  and  skins  of  black  cater- 
pillars, and  the  interior  finished  with  the  finest  fibres  of  dried 
vines." 

Nuttall  says,  in  contradiction  to  these  descriptions,  — 

"  The  nest  was  hardly  distinguishable  from  that  of  the  Summer 
Yellow-bird  (Yellow  Warbler),  being  fixed  in  a  trifid  branch  (not 
pensile),  and  formed  of  strips  of  inner  red-cedar  bark  and  asclepias 
fibres,  also  with  some  caterpillar  silk,  and  thickly  lined  with  cud- 
weed down  (Gnaphalium plantagineum),  and  slender  tops  of  bent 
grass  (Agrostis).  The  eggs,  four  or  five,  were  white,  rather  sharp 
at  the  lesser  end,  marked  with  spots  of  lilac-purple,  and  others  of 
two  different  shades  of  brown,  rather  numerous  at  the  great  end, 
where  they  appear  most  collated  together  in  a  circle." 

NuttalPs  description  of  the  nest  is  certainly  the  most 
correct,  so  far  as  shown  in  all  the  specimens  that  I  have  : 
probably,  in  different  sections,  the  breeding  habits  of  this 
bird  are,  like  those  of  some  others,  subject  to  great  varia- 
tions. 


244  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

Wilson  says,  in  his  description  of  the  habits  of  these 
birds, — 

"They  seem  to  prefer  these  open  plains  and  thinly  wooded 
tracts,  and  have  this  singularity  in  their  manners,  that  they  are 
not  easily  alarmed,  and  search  among  the  leaves  the  most  leisurely 
of  any  of  the  tribe  I  have  yet  met  with ;  seeming  to  examine  every 
blade  of  grass  and  every  leaf ;  uttering,  at  short  intervals,  a  feeble 
chirr.  I  have  observed  one  of  these  birds  to  sit  on  the  lower 
branch  of  a  tree  for  half  an  hour  at  a  time,  and  allow  me  to  come 
up  nearly  to  the  foot  of  the  tree,  without  seeming  to  be  in  the  least 
disturbed,  or  to  discontinue  the  regularity  of  its  occasional  note. 
In  activity,  it  is  the  reverse  of  the  preceding  species  ;  and  is  rather 
a  scarce  bird  in  the  countries  where  I  found  it.  Its  food  consists 
principally  of  small  caterpillars  and  winged  insects." 

In  closing  with  the  genus  Dendroica,  I  give  the  remarks 
of  J.  A.  Allen  concerning  the  distribution  of  the  different 
species  at  Springfield,  Mass. :  — 

"  Of  the  twenty-two  species  of  Dendroica  inhabiting  the  United 
States,  thirteen  have  been  found  at  Springfield,  and  one  other 
(D.  ccerulea)  may  occur  as  accidental  or  extremely  rare.  Four  of 
them  (D.  virens,  pinus,  Pennsylvania,  (Estiva)  are  known  to  breed 
here,  and  two  others  (D.  Blackburnice,  castanea)  have  been  taken 
in  the  breeding  season.  None  are  permanent  residents,  and  none 
are  seen  in  the  winter.  The  remaining  five  {D.  coronata,  striata, 
maculosa,  tigrina,  palmarum)  are  at  present  known  merely  as 
spring  and  autumn  visitants.  D.  coronata  is  most  abundant; 
striata  nex^  so ;  virens,  Canadensis,  maculosa,  cestiva,  and  palma- 
rum are  but  little  less  common  ;  Blackburnia  is  more  rare  ;  casta- 
nea and  discolor  are  quite  rare,  while  tigrina  is  extremely  rare. 
The  earliest  to  arrive  are  pinus  and  palmarum,  commonly  appearing 
early  in  April ;  striata  is  rarely  seen  before  May  30 :  the  others 
commonly  arrive  from  May  5th  to  May  12th,  and  stragglers  remain 
till  June.  D.  coronata  is  decidedly  gregarious  in  its  migrations, 
and  is  everywhere  about  equally  abundant.  The  others  are  usually 
seen  in  small  parties,  and  keep  pretty  closely  to  the  woods,  except 
D.  cestiva  and  palmarum,  cestiva,  being  never  found  in  the  deep 
woods." 


THE    HOODED    WARBLER.  245 


MYIODIOCTES,  AUDUBON. 

Myiodioctes,  AUDUBON,  Syn.  (1839),  48.  (Type  Motacilla  mitrata.) 
Bill  depressed,  Flycatcher  like;  broader  than  high  at  the  base;  gape  with  bristles 
nearly  as  long  as  the  bill,  which  is  distinctly  notched  at  tip ;  both  outlines  gently 
convex ;  tarsi  longer  than  the  head,  considerably  exceeding  the  middle  toe ;  claws 
all  considerably  curved ;  tail  decidedly  rounded  or  slightly  graduated;  the  lateral 
feathers  one-fifth  of  an  inch  shorter;  wing  very  little  longer  than  the  tail;  the  first 
quill  decidedly  shorter  than  the  fourth ;  colors  yellow. 


MYIODIOCTES  MITRATUS.  —  Audubon. 
The  Hooded  Warbler. 

Motacilla  mitrata,  Gmelin.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1788)  977. 

Sylvia  mitrata,  Nuttall.     Man.,  I.  (1832)  373.     Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  68. 

Sylvania  mitrata,  Nuttall.     Man.,  I.  (2d  ed.,  1840)  333. 

Muscicapa  cucullata,  Wilson.     Am.  Orn.,  III.  (1811)  101. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Male.  —  Bill  black ;  feet  pale-yellow ;  head  and  neck  all  round,  and  fore  part  of 
the  breast,  black ;  a  broad  patch  on  the  forehead  extending  round  on  the  entire 
cheeks  and  ear  coverts,  with  the  under  parts,  bright-yellow;  upper  parts  and  sides 
of  the  body  olive-green ;  greater  portion  of  inner  web  of  three  outer  tail  feathers 
white. 

Female  similar;  the  crown  like  the  back;  the  forehead  yellowish;  the  sides  of 
the  head  yellow,  tinged  with  olive  on  the  lores  and  ear  coverts. 

Length,  five  inches;  wing,  two  and  seventy-five  one-hundredths ;  tail,  two  and 
fifty-five  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  bird  is  so  extremely  rare  in  New  England,  that  it 
can  be  regarded  only  as  a  straggler.  I  have  never  seen 
one  alive,  and  will  have  to  give,  from  Audubon,  a  short 
description  of  its  habits.  He  says, — 

"  The  Hooded  Flycatcher  is  one  of  the  liveliest  of  its  tribe,  and 
is  almost  continually  in  motion.  Fond  of  secluded  places,  it  is 
equally  to  be  met  with  in  the  thick  cane-brakes  of  the  high  or  low 
lands,  or  amid  the  rank  weeds  and  tangled  rushes  of  the  lowest 
and  most  impenetrable  swamps.  You  recognize  it  instantly,  on 
seeing  it ;  for  the  peculiar  graceful  opening  and  closing  of  its  broad 
tail  distinguishes  it  at  once,  as  it  goes  on  gambolling  from  bush  to 
bush,  now  in  sight,  now  hidden  from  your  eye,  but  constantly 
within  hearing. 


246  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

"  The  nest  of  this  species  is  always  placed  low,  and  is  generally 
attached  to  the  forks  of  small  twigs.  It  is  neatly  and  compactly 
formed  of  mosses,  dried  grasses,  and  fibrous  roots,  and  is  carefully 
lined  with  hair,  and,  not  unfrequently,  a  few  large  feathers.  The 
eggs  are  from  four  to  six,  of  a  dull-white,  spotted  with  reddish- 
brown  towards  the  larger  end.  The  male  and  female  sit  by  turns, 
and  show  extreme  anxiety  for  the  safety  of  their  eggs  or  young." 


MYIODIOCTES   PUSILLUS.  —  Bonaparte. 
The  Green  Black-cap  Flycatcher ;    Wilson's  Black-cap. 

Mitscicapa  pusilla,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  III.  (1811)  103. 
Sylvania pusilla,  Nuttall.     Man.,  I.  (2d  ed.,  1840)  335. 
Sylvia  Wilsonii,  Nuttall.     Man.,  I.  (1832)  408. 
Muscicapa  Wilsonii,  Audubon.    Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  148. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Forehead,  line  over  and  around  the  eye  and  under  parts  generally  bright-yellow ; 
upper  part  olive-green ;  a  square  patch  on  the  crown  lustrous-black  ;  sides  of  body 
and  cheeks  tinged  with  olive;  no  white  on  wings  or  tail.  Female  similar;  the 
black  of  the  crown  obscured  by  olive-green. 

Length,  four  and  seventy-five  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  two  and  twenty- 
five  one-hundredths  ;  tail,  two  and  thirty  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  bird  is  another  rare  species  in  New  England.  I 
have  never  seen  one  alive,  and  know  nothing  of  its  habits. 
Aububon,  who  met  with  a  number  of  individuals,  says  of 
its  habits :  — 

"  It  has  all  the  habits  of  a  true  Flycatcher,  feeding  on  small 
insects,  which  it  catches  entirely  on  the  wing,  snapping  its  bill  with 
a  smart  clicking  sound.  It  frequents  the  borders  of  the  lakes,  and 
such  streams  as  are  fringed  with  low  bushes,  from  which  it  is  seen 
every  moment  sallying  forth,  pursuing  its  insect  prey  for  many 
yards  at  a  time,  and  again  throwing  itself  into  its  favorite  thickets. 

"  The  nest  is  placed  on  the  extremity  of  a  small  horizontal 
branch,  among  the  thick  foliage  of  dwarf  firs,  not  more  than  from 
three  to  five  feet  from  the  ground,  and  in  the  centre  of  the  thickets 
of  these  trees  so  common  in  Labrador.  The  materials  of  which  it 
is  composed  are  bits  of  dry  moss  and  delicate  pine  twigs,  aggluti- 
nated together  and  to  the  branches  or  leaves  around  it,  and  beneath 


THE    CANADA   FLYCATCHER.  247 

which  it  is  suspended,  with  a  lining  of  extremely  fine  and  trans- 
parent fibres.  The  greatest  diameter  does  not  exceed  three  and  a 
half  inches,  and  the  depth  is  not  more  than  one  and  a  half.  The 
eggs  are  four,  dull-white,  sprinkled  with  reddish  and  brown  dots 
towards  the  larger  end,  where  the  marks  form  a  circle,  leaving 
the  extremity  plain.  The  parents  show  much  uneasiness  at  the 
approach  of  any  intruder,  skipping  about  and  around  among  the 
twigs  and  in  the  air,  snapping  their  bill,  and  uttering  a  plaintive 
note.  They  raise  only  one  brood  in  the  season.  The  young 
males  show  their  black  cap  as  soon  as  they  are  fully  fledged,  and 
before  their  departure  to  the  South." 

This  bird,  according  to  Audubon,  is  not  very  rare  in 
Maine,  and  it  becomes  more  abundant  the  farther  north  we 
proceed.  He  found  it  in  Labrador  and  all  the  immediate 
districts ;  it  reaching  that  country  early  in  June,  and  re- 
turning southward  by  the  middle  of  August. 


MYIODIOCTES   CANADENSIS.  —  Audubon. 
The  Canada  Flycatcher. 

Muscicapa  Canadensis,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  327.  Wil.  Am.  Orn., 
III.  (1811)  100.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  17. 

Sylvia  pardalina,  Bonaparte.     Nutt.  Man.,  I.  (1832)  372. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Upper  parts  bluish-ash ;  a  ring  round  the  eye,  with  a  line  running  to  the  nos- 
trils, and  the  whole  under  part  (except  the  tail  coverts,  which  are  white),  bright- 
yellow  ;  centres  of  the  feathers  in  the  anterior  half  of  the  crown,  the  cheeks,  con- 
tinuous with  a  line  on  the  side  of  the  neck  to  the  breast,  and  a  series  of  spots  across 
the  fore  part  of  the  breast,  black;  tail  feathers  unspotted.  Female  similar,  with  the 
black  of  the  head  and  breast  less  distinct.  In  the  young  obsolete. 

Length,  five  and  thirty-four  one  hundredths  inches ;  wing,  two  and  sixty-seven 
one-hundredths ;  tail,  two  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  beautiful  species  is  a  rather  common  spring  and 
autumn  visitor  in  all  New  England,  and,  in  the  northern 
sections  of  these  States,  is  an  inhabitant  through  the  whole 
summer.  It  sometimes  breeds  in  Massachusetts ;  and  I 
have  no  doubt,  that,  in  a  few  years,  it  will  be  found  to 
breed  abundantly  in  this  State,  as  it  has  increased  in  num- 


248  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

bers  greatly  within  four  or  five  years.  It  arrives  from  the 
South  from  about  the  10th  to  the  25th  of  May.  The  birds 
seem  to  be  mated  on  their  arrival ;  for  I  have  noticed,  that, 
if  a  male  is  seen,  a  female  is  almost  always  to  be  found  in 
his  immediate  vicinity. 

About  the  first  week  in  June,  the  nest  is  built.  This  is 
fixed  in  a  fork  of  a  low  cedar  or  pine  bush,  very  near  the 
ground,  and  is  constructed  of  pine  leaves,  fine  roots  and 
grasses,  and  a  few  hairs :  it  is  loosely  put  together,  and  is 
lined  with  fine  pieces  of  the  same  materials  and  lichens. 

The  eggs  are  four  in  number.  They  are  small  and 
abruptly  pointed :  they  are  of  a  grayish- white  color,  with  a 
slight  roseate  tint,  and  are  marked  with  spots  and  fine 
blotches  of  lilac  and  brown,  usually  thickest  near  the  larger 
end.  The  only  nest  and  eggs  that  I  have  seen  were  of  this 
description:  they  were  found  in  Quincy,  Mass.,  in  an  old 
pasture,  partly  grown  up  with  bushes. 

The  eggs  were  nearly  of  a  uniform  size  and  shape,  and 
measured  about  .65  by  .48  inch  in  dimensions. 

The  habits  of  this  species  are  so  much  like  those  of  the 
preceding,  that,  if  the  Wilson's  Black-cap  were  more  com- 
mon, the  two  birds  might  be  easily  confounded.  The  flight 
of  the  present  is  rapid  ;  and  all  the  motions  of  the  bird,  when 
it  is  pursuing  insects,  are  those  of  the  true  Flycatchers.  Its 
note  is  a  shrill  weechy,  weechy,  which  is  uttered  at  short 
intervals  by  the  bird,  both  while  on  the  wing  and  when 
perching.  About  the  first  week  in  September,  it  begins  to 
grow  abundant;  and,  by  the  15th  of  that  month,  it  has 
departed  on  its  southern  migration. 

SETOPHAGA,  SWAINSON. 

Setophaga,  SWAINSON,  Zool.  Jour.,  III.  (Dec.,  1827)  360.  (Type  Muscicapa  ruti- 
cilla,  Linnajus.) 

Bill  depressed,  broader  than  high;  rictus  with  long  bristles;  wings  rounded, 
equal  to  or  shorter  than  the  tail ;  first  quill  shorter  than  the  fourth ;  tail  long,  some- 
what graduated,  the  outer  feathers  about  twenty  one-hundredths  of  an  inch  or  more 
shorter;  all  the  feathers  unusually  broad,  and  widened  at  the  end;  feet  short;  tarsus 


THE   BED    START. 


249 


shorter  than  the  head;  hind  toe  equal  to  the  lateral;  coloration  embracing  more  or 
less  of  red  in  northern  species. 

This  genus  differs  from  Myiodioctes  chiefly  in  the  longer,  broader  tail,  and  rather 
shorter  tarsi  and  toes,  the  hinder  especially;  the  bill  is  more  muscicapine;  the 
culmen  nearly  straight  to  the  abruptly  decurved  and  much  notched  tip;  the  gonys 
straight;  in  Myiodioctes  the  verticnl  outlines  are  more  convex;  the  gonys  more 
ascending;  the  tip  gently  and  but  slightly  decurved. 


SETOPHAGA  EUTICILLA.  —  Swainson. 
The  Red  Start. 

Muscicapa  ruticilla,  Linnaeus.     Syst.  Nat,  I.  (1766)  326.     Wil.  Am.  Orn.,  I. 
(1808)  103.     Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1831)  202;  V.  (1839)  428. 
Sylvania  ruticilla,  Nuttall.     Man.,  I.  (1832)  291. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Male.  —  Prevailing  color  black ;  a  central  line  on  the  breast,  the  abdomen,  and 
under  tail  coverts,  white;  some  feathers  in  the  latter  strongly  tinged  with  dark- 
brown  ;  bases  of  all  the  quills,  except  the  inner  and  outer,  and  basal  half  of  all 
the  tail  feathers,  except  the  middle  one,  a  patch  on  each  side  of  the  breast,  and  the 
axillary  region  orange-red,  of  a  vermilion  shade  on  the  breast.  Female  with  the 
black  replaced  by  olive-green  above,  by  brownish-white  beneath;  the  head  tinged 
with  ash;  a  grayish-white  lore  and  ring  round  the  eye;  the  red  of  the  male 
replaced  by  yellow. 

Length,  five  and  twenty-five  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  two  and  fifty  one- 
hundredths  inches;  tail,  two  and  forty-five  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  quite  common  species  is  a  summer  resident,  and 
breeds  in  all  the  New-England  States.  It  arrives  from  the 
South  from  about  the  first  to  the  middle  of  May,  accord- 
ing to  latitude,  and  commences 
building  about  the  first  week 
in  June.  The  nest  is  usually 
placed  on  a  low  limb  of  a 
small  tree,  often  in  a  hori- 
zontal fork,  seldom  more  than 
ten  feet  from  the  ground.  It 
is  constructed  of  strips  of 
cedar  bark,  grape-vine  bark, 
grasses,  and  fine  weeds :  these 
materials  are  adjusted  neatly,  and  agglutinated  by  the  bird's 
saliva  into  a  compact  structure,  to  the  exterior  of  which 
are  attached,  or  plastered  on  by  the  bird's  saliva,  fragments 


250  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

of  soft  lichens,  caterpillars'  silk,  and  down  from  the  ferns. 
It  is  deeply  hollowed,  and  lined  with  thin  strips  of  grape-vine 
bark  and  cottony  substances,  and  sometimes  a  few  hairs  or 
fibrous  roots.  Nuttall,  in  describing  the  nest,  says  "  the 
lining  is  neither  soft  nor  downy;"  but  Wilson  and  Audubon 
both  assert  to  the  contrary.  I  have  examined  a  great  num- 
ber of  the  nests,  and  have  found  them  to  agree  with  the 
foregoing  description.  The  eggs  are  usually  four  in  number. 
Their  color  is  a  beautiful  creamy-white,  which  is  covered, 
more  or  less  thickly,  with  spots  of  reddish-brown  and  lilac. 
Average  dimensions  of  eggs,  about  .63  by  .50  inch. 

Perhaps  the  best  description  I  can  give  of  the  habits  of 
this  bird  is  to  say  that  they  are  a  combination  of  those 
of  the  Flycatchers  and  Warblers ;  for,  like  the  former,  it 
pursues  flying  insects  in  the  air,  and  seizes  them  with  a 
loud  snapping  of  the  bill,  and,  like  the  latter,  gleans  indus- 
triously for  them  among  the  foliage  and  branches  of  trees. 
The  note  of  the  Red  Start  is  a  shrill  cheweea,  which  is 
uttered  at  intervals  of  perhaps  a  half  or  whole  minute. 

I  have  not  noticed  that  it  prefers  any  particular  locality ; 
but  it  seems  to  frequent  the  woods,  pastures,  and  orchards 
in  equal  abundance :  and  I  have  known  of  a  pair  building, 
and  rearing  a  brood,  in  a  garden,  within  five  rods  of  a  house. 

About  the  15th  of  September,  the  Red  Start  leaves  for 
the  South ;  and,  after  the  20th  of  that  month,  none  are  to 
be  seen  in  New  England. 


Sub-Family  TANAGRIN^E. —  The  Tanagers. 
PYRANGA,  VIEILLOT. 

Pyranga,  VIEILLOT,  Ois.  Am.  Sept.,  I.  (1807)  IV.  /&.,  Analyse  (1816),  32. 
Sclater,  Pr.  Zool.  Soc.  (1856),  123. 

Bill  somewhat  straight;  sub-conical,  cj'lindrical,  notched  at  tip;  culmen  moder- 
ately curved;  commissure  with  a  median  acute  lobe;  wings  elongated;  the  four  first 
primaries  about  equal ;  tail  moderate,  slightly  forked.  Colors  of  the  male  chiefly 
scarlet,  of  the  female  yellowish. 


THE  SCARLET  TANAGER.  251 

PYRANGA  RUBRA.  —  VieiUot. 
The  Scarlet  Tanager. 

Tanagra  rubra.  Linn.,  I.  (1766)  314.  Wil.  Am.  Orn.,  II.  (1810)  42.  Aud.  Orn. 
Biog.,  IV.  (1838)  388. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  shorter  than  the  head ;  second  quill  longest ;  first  and  third  a  little  shorter ; 
tail  moderately  forked ;  general  color  of  male  bright-carmine ;  wings  and  tail  velvet- 
black,  the  quills  internally  edged  with  white  towards  the  base.  Female  olive-green 
above,  yellowish  beneath;  wing  and  tail  feathers  brown,  edged  with  olivaceous. 

The  young  nv.iles  are  colored  like  the  females,  but  generally  exhibit  more  or  less 
of  red  feathers  among  the  greenish  ones.  Sometimes  the  full  plumage  is  varied  by 
a  few  yellow  feathers,  or  by  olivaceous  edges  to  the  wings ;  not  unfrequently  there 
is  a  partly  concealed  bar  of  red  or  yellow  on  the  wing,  across  the  median  coverts. 
Young  niiiles  are  sometimes  seen  with  the  body  like  the  female,  the  wings  and  tail 
like  the  male. 

Length,  seven  and  forty  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  four  inches;  tail,  three 
inches. 

This  gaudy  summer  visitor  breeds  in  all  the  New-England 
States ;  less  plentifully,  however,  in  the  northern  than  in  the 
southern  districts.  It  arrives  from  the  South  about  the  first 
week  in  May,  and  commences  building  about  the  20th  of 
that  month.  The  favorite  localities  of  this  bird  seem  to  be 
oak-groves,  situated  near  swamps :  here  I  have  often  heard 
several  males  singing  at  the  same  time,  and  have  watched 
them  in  their  active  movements  in  their  pursuit  of  insects, 
of  which  this  species  destroys  great  numbers.  The  nest  is 
placed  on  a  horizontal  limb  of  a  tree,  usually  from  fifteen 
to  twenty  feet  from  the  ground,  in  the  deep  woods.  It  is 
constructed  of  slender  twigs  of  the  oak,  huckleberry  or 
whortleberry  bush,  and  weeds:  these  are  loosely  put  to- 
gether ;  so  much  so,  that,  were  it  not  for  the  interlacing  of 
the  small  joints  of  the  twigs,  it  would  soon  fall  apart.  It  is 
not  deeply  hollowed,  and  is  lined  with  thread-like  fibrous 
roots  and  the  leaves  of  the  various  pines.  The  whole 
structure  is  so  thinly  made  as  almost  to  fall  to  pieces  on 
removal  from  the  tree.  The  eggs  are  usually  four  in  num- 
ber, sometimes  three,  seldom  five.  They  are  of  a  dull  light 
greenish-blue  color,  of  different  shades,  and  spattered  with 


252  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

purplish-brown,  in  some  specimens  quite  thickly,  in  others 
less  so.  The  ground-color  is  the  most  prominent ;  the  mark- 
ings never  completely  hiding  it,  or  sufficiently  confluent  to 


be  called  blotches.  A  nest  complement  of  four  eggs,  in  a 
nest  collected  in  Milton,  Mass.,  exhibit  the  following  meas- 
urements: .97  by  .66  inch,  .93  by  .65  inch,  .90  by  .62  inch, 
.88  by  .64  inch.  Other  specimens  show  no  great  variations 
from  these  dimensions. 

The  Scarlet  Tanager  thrives  well  in  confinement,  and 
makes  a  beautiful  and  interesting  pet.  I  once  kept  one 
caged  for  over  six  months.  He  eat  seeds  and  small  fruits, 
and,  within  a  week  after  his  capture,  chanted  his  warbling 
song  with  perfect  freedom.  He  had,  and  I  have  also  noted 
that  all  of  this  species  have,  a  sort  of  ventriloquism  in  his 
song:  it  at  times  sounded  as  if  at  quite  a  distance;  and  I 
have  been  deceived  in  this  manner,  by  birds  that  were  almost 
over  my  head,  into  supposing  that  they  were  far  away. 


THE  SCARLET  TANAGEE.  253 

The  song  is  almost  exactly  like  that  of  the  Robin,  but  is 
often  broken  with  a  pensive  call-note,  sounding  like  the 
syllables  chip  churr. 

Early  in  September,  the  Tanagers  leave  for  their  Southern 
homes ;  from  which  they  seem,  while  here,  hardly  more  than 
wanderers,  so  commonly  do  we  associate  gaudy  plumages 
with  tropical  climes.  They  winter,  probably,  in  Central 
America  and  the  Bahamas. 


254  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 


FAMILY  HIRUNDINID^E.     THE  SWALLOWS. 
Sub-Family  HIRUNDININ^E. 

Bill  triangular,  very  short  and  broad,  much  depressed ;  the  ridge  much  less  than 
half  the  head ;  the  gonys  two-thirds  this  length ;  the  gape  extending  to  below  the 
eye;  primaries  nine;  the  first  longest,  and,  with  the  second,  considerably  longer 
than  the  others ;  the  secondaries  and  tertials  not  reaching  the  middle  of  the  prima- 
ries; the  secondaries  deeply  emarginate;  wings  very  long,  reaching  beyond  the 
commencement  of  the  fork  of  the  tail,  which  is  generally  more  or  less  deep;  tarsi 
scutellate,  very  short,  less  than  the  lateral  toes,  the  inner  of  which  is  more  deeply 
cleft  than  the  outer. 

HIRUNDO,  LINN^US. 

Hirundo,  LINN.EUS,  Syst.  Nat.  (1735).    Gray,  Genera,  I.  (1845). 

Nostrils  basal,  small,  oblong,  and  covered  partly  by  a  membrane;  tail  more  or 
less  forked;  the  outer  lateral  feather  sometimes  greatly  lengthened;  tarsi  shorter 
than  the  middle  toe,  and  scutellated ;  tarsi  naked ;  toes  long,  slender,  the  lateral  ones 
unequal ;  claws  moderate,  curved,  acute. 

HIEUNDO  HORREORUM.  —  Barton. 
The  Barn  Swallow. 

Hirundo  horreorum,  Barton.    Fragments  N.  H.  Penna.  (1799)  17. 
Hirundo  Americana,  Wilson.     Am.  Orn.,  V.  (1812)  34. 
Hirundo  rustica,  Audubou.    Orn.  Biog.,  II.  ( 1834)  413. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Tail  very  deeply  forked ;  outer  feathers  several  inches  longer  than  the  inner,  very 
narrow  towards  the  end ;  above  glossy-blue,  with  concealed  white  in  the  middle  of 
the  back ;  throat  chestnut ;  rest  of  lower  part  reddish-white,  not  conspicuously  dif- 
ferent; a  steel-blue  collar  on  the  upper  part  of  the  breast,  interrupted  in  the  middle; 
tail  feathers  with  a  white  spot  near  the  middle,  on  the  inner  web.  Female  with  the 
outer  tail  feather  not  quite  so  long. 

Length,  six  and  ninety  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  five  inches;  tail,  four  and 
fifty  one  hundredths  inches. 

THIS  beautiful   and   well-known   bird   arrives   in   New 
England  from  about  the  10th  of  April  to  the  25th  of 
that  month,  according  to  latitude  :  it  is  quickly  dispersed  in 
great  numbers  through  these  States,  and  soon  commences 
mating.     Its  habits  are  so  well  known  that  any  description 


THE   BARN    SWALLOW. 


255 


This  nest  is  built  out 


here  is  hardly  needed.  About  the  10th  of  May,  after  the 
birds  have  paired,  they  commence  building;  or  sometimes 
the  same  couple  begin  repairing  the  nest  of  the  preceding 
year  or  years,  as  the  same  nest 
is  occupied  several  seasons.  It  is 
built  in  the  eaves  of  houses  or 
barns,  or  on  rafters  of  barns  and 
other  buildings.  It  is  constructed 
outwardly  of  a  strong  shell  of 
pellets  of  mud,  which  are  plas- 
tered together,  and,  as  Nuttall 
says,  "tempered  with  fine  hay, 
and  rendered  more  adhesive  by 
the  glutinous  saliva  of  the  bird." 
and  up  until  the  top  is  about  horizontal,  and  then  lined  with 
a  layer  of  fine  grass  or  hay,  which  is  covered  with  loose 
feathers.  This  bird  is  fond  of  society,  often  as  many  as 
twenty  nests  being  in  the  same  eaves.  The  eggs  are 
usually  four  in  number,  sometimes  five:  they  are  of  a 
nearly  pure-white  color,  with  a  slight  roseate  tint ;  and  are 
spotted  more  or  less  thickly  with  fine  dots  of  two  shades  of 
brown,  reddish,  and  purplish.  The  dimensions  of  four  eggs, 
collected  in  Upton,  Me.,  are  .76  by  .56  inch,  .70  by  .52 
inch,  .76  by  .52  inch,  .69  by  .53  inch.  The  largest  speci- 
men, in  a  great  number,  is  .78  by  .57  inch ;  the  smallest. 
.67  by  .50  inch.  Two  broods,  and  sometimes  three,  are 
reared  in  the  season.  The  period  of  incubation  is  thirteen 
days. 

About  the  first  week  in  September,  the  old  and  young 
birds  of  different  families  gather  in  immense  flocks  ;  and, 
after  remaining  about  the  marshes  near  the  seacoast  for  a 
few  days,  they  leave  for  their  winter  homes.  It  is  seldom 
that  any  are  seen  after  Sept.  15th  in  New  England. 


256  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 


HIRUNDO   LUNIFRONS.  —  Say. 
The  Cliff  Swallow ;  Eave  Swallow. 

ffirundo  lunifrons,  Say.    Long's  Exped.  R.  Mts.,  II.  (1823)  47. 
Hirundo  respublicana,  Audubon.    Ann.  N.Y.  Lye.,  I.  (1824)  164. 
Hirundo  fulva,  Audubon.     Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1831)  353. 
Hii-undo  melanogaster,  Swainson.     Philos.  Mag.,  I.  (1827)  366. 
Petrochelidon  melanogastra,  Cabanis.    Mus.  Hein.,  47. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Crown  and  back  steel-blue;  the  upper  part  of  the  latter  with  concealed  pale 
edges  to  the  feathers;  chin,  throat,  and  sides  of  the  head  dark-chestnut;  breast 
fuscous;  belly  white;  a  steel-blue  spot  on  throat;  rump  light-chestnut;  forehead 
brownish-white;  a  pale  nuchal  band;  tail  slightly  emarginate. 

Length,  about  five  inches ;  wing,  four  and  forty  one-hundredths ;  tail,  two  and 
twenty  one-hundredths. 

Hob.  —North  America  from  Atlantic  to  Pacific. 

The  Cliff  Swallow  is  very  generally  distributed  as  a  sum- 
mer inhabitant  of  New  England.  It  arrives  from  the  South 
from  about  the  25th  of  April  to  the  1st  of  May.  It  has  all 
the  habits  and  characteristics  of  the  preceding  species,  and 
is  probably  as  well  known  throughout  New  England  as  that 
bird.  About  the  10th  of  May  (sometimes  earlier,  sometimes 
later,  according  to  latitude),  it  pairs,  and  commences  build- 
ing. The  nest  is  usually  fixed  beneath  eaves  or  cornices, 
or  other  jutting  portions  of  buildings,  or  on  cliffs,  beneath 
overhanging  portions  of  rock :  it  is  constructed  externally 
of  pellets  of  mud  and  earth,  which  are  gradually  plastered 
together  into  a  large  gourd-shaped  structure ;  the  larger  part 
attached  to  the  building  or  cliff,  and  the  neck  curving  out- 
ward and  downward.  At  the  part  of  the  nest  resembling 
the  neck  of  the  gourd  is  the  entrance.  The  whole  fabric  is 
much  more  brittle  than  the  nest  of  the  Barn  Swallow,  for  the 
reason  that  no  grass  or  hay  is  worked  into  the  mud  to  give 
it  strength.  A  lining  of  fine  grass  and  feathers  is  fixed  in 
this,  and  the  whole  makes  a  very  neat  and  comfortable 
structure.  The  eggs  are  usually  five  in  number.  They 
can  hardly  be  distinguished  from  those  of  the  preceding 


THE   WHITE-BELLIED   SWALLOW.  257 

species;  and,  in  fact,  identification  is  next  to  impossible. 
In  a  majority  of  the  present  species,  the  spots  are  somewhat 
coarser,  and  the  eggs  are  generally  longer.  Four  eggs, 
collected  in  Dorchester,  Mass.,  are  of  the  average  dimen- 
sions of  .84  by  .54  inch ;  other  specimens,  from  various 
localities,  are  about  this  size. 

Like  the  Barn  Swallow,  this  species  gathers  into  large 
flocks  at  the  end  of  the  summer,  and  frequents  the  same 
localities,  but  not  at  the  same  time ;  as  it  leaves  usually  a 
week  or  ten  days  before  the  other  bird. 

HIRUNDO  BICOLOR.  —  VieMot. 
The  White-bellied  Swallow ;  Blue-backed  Swallow. 

Hirundo  bicolor,  Vieillot.  Ois.  Am.  Sept.,  I.  (1807)  61.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.  (1831), 
491. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Glossy  metallic-green  above;  entirely  white  beneath.  Female  much  duller  in 
color. 

Length,  six  and  twenty-five  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  five  inches ;  tail,  two 
and  sixty-five  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  very  common  and  well-known  species  is  a  summer 
inhabitant  of  all  New  England ;  being  most  abundant  in 
localities  near  sheets  of  water,  and  less  common  in  high, 
dry  districts.  Its  habits  are  well  known ;  and  arriving,  as 
it  does,  early  in  the  season,  and  fraternizing  with  man,  it  is 
a  great  favorite.  It  makes  its  appearance  as  early  as  the 
first  week  in  April,  but  does  not  commence  building  before 
the  middle  of  May.  Near  cities  and  towns,  the  nest  is 
built  in  martin-boxes  provided  for  its  reception:  but,  in 
less  thickly  settled  districts,  it  is  built  in  holes  in  stumps 
and  trees ;  and  cases  are  on  record  of  its  being  built  in  a 
deserted  nest  of  the  common  Barn  Swallow.  When  passing 
through  the  chain  of  the  Umbagog  lakes,  in  Maine,  I 
observed  great  numbers  of  these  birds  whose  nests  were 
built  in  holes  in  dead  trees  standing  in  the  lake  near  the 
shores.  These  nests  were  so  plenty,  that,  in  the  area  of 

17 


258  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

about  ten  rods  square,  I  counted  over  fifty.  Of  course,  the 
birds  were  in  myriads,  and  the  species  constitutes  the  com- 
mon Swallow  of  the  districts  in  that  latitude.  The  materials 
used  in  the  construction  of  the  nest  are  fine  grasses,  hay, 
and  feathers :  these  are  adjusted  loosely  in  the  cavity  of  the 
tree,  and  without  any  form.  The  eggs  are,  most  commonly, 
five  in  number.  Their  color  is  a  beautiful  clear-white,  with 
a  roseate  tint  before  their  contents  are  removed :  they  are 
extremely  thin  and  fragile,  much  more  so  than  most  of  the 
other  species ;  and  their  form  is  a  slender  oval.  Of  a  great 
number  of  specimens,  collected  in  various  localities,  the 
largest  is  .79  by  .56  inch ;  the  smallest,  .69  by  .51  inch. 
Two  broods  are  generally  reared  in  the  season,  and  the 
period  of  incubation  is  fourteen  days. 

This  species  leaves  New  England  in  the  fall  migration 
about  the  10th  of  September. 


COTYLE,  BOIE. 

Cotyle,  BOIE,  Isis  (1822),  550.     (Type  H.  riparia.) 

Bill  very  flat,  extremely  broad  at  the  base,  and  gradually  narrowed  towards 
the  tip ;  nostrils  prominent  and  rounded ;  tail  moderate,  nearly  straight,  or  some- 
what emarginated ;  tarsi  rather  shorter  than  the  middle  toe,  slender  and  scutellated ; 
toes  very  slender,  the  claws  slightly  curved;  colors  generally  dull  brown  above, 
without  gloss. 

COTYLE  RIPARIA.—  Boie. 
The  Bank  Swallow. 

Hirundo  riparia,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  344.  Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  V.  46. 
Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  (1838)  584. 

Cotyle  riparia,  Boie.    Isis  (1822),  550. 

DESCRIPTION. 

The  smallest  of  American  swallows ;  tail  slightly  emarginate ;  outer  web  of  first 
primary  soft,  without  hooks ;  lower  part  of  the  tarsus  with  a  few  scattered  feathers ; 
above  grayish-brown,  somewhat  fuliginous,  with  a  tendency  to  paler  margins  to  the 
feathers;  beneath  pure-white,  with  a  band  across  the  breast  and  sides  of  the  body 
like  the  back. 

Length,  four  and  seventy-five  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  four;  tail,  two 
inches. 


THE   BANK   SWALLOW.  .         259 

Unlike  all  our  other  swallows,  this  species  avoids  the 
neighborhood  of  man  in  selecting  its  breeding-place  ;  and  it 
is  abundant  only  in  the  neighborhood  of  streams  or  other 
sheets  of  water.  It  is  distributed,  as  a  summer  resident, 
in  all  the  New-England  States,  and  in  many  localities  is 
very  abundant.  It  arrives  the  first  week  in  May,  often 
earlier ;  and  soon  pairs,  and  commences  building,  or  rather 
excavating,  for  the  nest.  The  excavations  are  made  in 
sand-banks,  in  the  same  manner  as  those  of  the  Kingfisher, 
and  are  often  three  or  four  feet  in  depth,  usually  about 
eighteen  inches.  At  the  end  of  this  burrow,  which  is 
widened  and  enlarged,  is  placed  the  nest,  composed  of 
dried  grasses,  hay,  feathers,  and  other  like  soft  materials. 
The  birds  are  sociable  in  their  habits,  as  are  all  the  other 
species  ;  and  often  as  many  as  twenty  and  thirty  holes 
may  be  seen  in  the  same  bank.  The  number  of  eggs  is 
either  five  or  four.  These  are  of  a  pure-white  color,  and 
vary  but  little  in  size  or  shape ;  the  latter  being  almost 
always  oval,  and  the  size  ranging  from  .72  by  .52  inch  to 
.68  by  .49  inch.  Usually  two  broods  are  reared  in  the 
season,  but  often  only  one. 

In  habits,  this  bird  resembles  the  other  swallows,  but  is 
not  so  quarrelsome  as  they,  and  I  never  noticed  two  of  this 
species  fighting:  its  note  is  not,  like  theirs,  shrill  and  oft 
repeated,  but  is  only  a  seldom-uttered  lisping  chatter.  It 
leaves  New  England  by  the  last  week  in  August. 

PROGNE,  BOIE. 

Progne,  BIOE,  Isis  (1826),  971.    (Type  Hirundo  purpurea,  L.) 

Bill,  strong,  short;   the  gape  very  wide;   the  sides  gradually  compressed,  the 

culmen  and  lateral  margins  arched  to  the  tip,  the  latter  inflected;   the  nostrils 

basal,  lateral,  open,  and  rounded ;  tail  considerably  forked ;  tarsi  shorter  than  the 

middle  toe  and  claw,  about  equal  to  the  toe  alone;  toes  long,  strong;  lateral  ones 


The  large  size,  very  stout  bill  and  feet  (for  this  family),  with  the  usually  uni- 
form black  glossy  plumage,  readily  distinguish  this  genus  among  the  swallows. 
But  one  species  is  well  established  as  North  American. 


260  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 


PROGNE  PURPUREA.  —  Boie. 
The  Purple  Martin. 

Hirundo  purpurea,  Linnteus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  344.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  I. 
(1831) 115. 

Progne purpurea,  Boie.    Isis  (1826),  971. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Largest  of  North-American  Swallows;  closed  wings  rather  longer  than  the 
deeply  forked  tail ;  tarsi  and  toes  naked ;  color,  in  the  old  male,  everywhere  glossy 
steel-blue,  with  purple  and  violet  reflections.  Female  and  immature  male  less 
brilliant  above,  pale-brownish  beneath,  blotched  with  darker  or  with  bluish. 

Length,  seven  and  thirty  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  five  and  eighty-five 
one-hundredths ;  tail,  three  and  forty  one-hundredths  inches. 

The  Purple  Martin  is  the  least  abundant  of  all  our 
Swallows,  and,  indeed,  in  some  localities  is  quite  rare. 
It  arrives  from  the  South  about  the  first  week  in  May, 
and  is  distributed  in  single  pairs  through  all  New  Eng- 
land. 

The  description,  by  Wilson,  of  the  habits  of  the  bird,  is 
so  well  written  that  1  present  quite  a  liberal  extract  from  it. 
He  says,  — 

"  The  summer  residence  of  this  agreeable  bird  is  universally 
among  the  habitations  of  man,  who,  having  no  interest  in  his 
destruction,  and  deriving  considerable  advantage  as  well  as  amuse- 
ment from  his  company,  is  generally  his  friend  and  protector. 
Wherever  he  comes,  he  finds  some  hospitable  retreat  fitted  up  for 
his  accommodation  and  that  of  his  young,  either  in  the  projecting 
wooden  cornice,  on  the  top  of  the  roof  or  sign-post,  in  the  box 
appropriated  to  the  Blue-bird,  or,  if  all  these  be  wanting,  in  the 
dove-house  among  the  pigeons.  In  this  last  case,  he  sometimes 
takes  possession  of  one  quarter  or  tier  of  the  premises,  in  which 
not  a  pigeon  dare  for  a  moment  set  its  foot.  Some  people  have 
large  conveniences  formed  for  the  Martins,  with  many  apartments, 
which  are  usually  full  tenanted,  and  occupied  regularly  every 
spring ;  and,  in  such  places,  particular  individuals  have  been  noted 
to  return  to  the  same  box  for  several  successive  years.  Even  the 
solitary  Indian  seems  to  have  a  particular  respect  for  this  bird. 


THE   PURPLE   MARTIN.  261 

The  Choctaws  and  Chickasaws  cut  off  all  the  top  branches  from  a 
sapling  near  their  cabins,  leaving  the  prongs  a  foot  or  two  in 
length,  on  each  of  which  they  hang  a  gourd  or  calabash,  properly 
hollowed  out,  for  their  convenience.  On  the  banks  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, the  negroes  stick  up  long  canes,  with  the  same  species  of 
apartment  fixed  to  their  tops,  in  which  the  Martins  regularly 
breed.  Wherever  I  have  travelled  in  this  country,  I  have 
seen  with  pleasure  the  hospitality  of  the  inhabitants  to  this  favor- 
ite bird. 

"About  the  middle  or  20th  of  April,  the  Martins  first  begin  to 
prepare  their  nest.  The  last  of  these  which  I  examined  was 
formed  of  dry  leaves  of  the  weeping  willow,  slender  straws,  hay, 
and  feathers  in  considerable  quantity.  The  eggs  were  four,  very 
small  for  the  size  of  the  bird,  and  pure-white,  without  any  spots. 
The  first  brood  appears  in  May,  the  second  late  in  July.  During 
the  period  in  which  the  female  is  laying,  and  before  she  commences 
incubation,  they  are  both  from  home  the  greater  part  of  the  day. 
When  the  female  is  sitting,  she  is  frequently  visited  by  the  male, 
who  also  occupies  her  place  while  she  takes  a  short  recreation 
abroad.  He  also  often  passes  a  quarter  of  an  hour  in  the  apart- 
ment beside  her,  and  has  become  quite  domesticated  since  her  con- 
finement. He  sits  on  the  outside,  dressing  and  arranging  his 
plumage,  occasionally  passing  to  the  door  of  the  apartment,  as  if 
to  inquire  how  she  does.  His  notes,  at  this  time,  seem  to  have 
assumed  a  peculiar  softness  ;  and  his  gratulations  are  expressive  of 
much  tenderness.  Conjugal  fidelity,  even  where  there  is  a  num- 
ber together,  seems  to  be  faithfully  preserved  by  these  birds.  On 
the  25th  of  May,  a  male  and  female  Martin  took  possession  of  a 
box  in  Mr.  Bartram's  garden.  A  day  or  two  after,  a  second 
female  made  her  appearance,  and  stayed  for  several  days  ;  but  from 
the  cold  reception  she  met  with,  being  frequently  beat  off  by  the 
male,  she  finally  abandoned  the  place,  and  set  off,  no  doubt,  to  seek 
for  a  more  sociable  companion. 

"  The  Purple  Martin,  like  his  half-cousin  the  King-bird,  is  the 
terror  of  crows,  hawks,  and  eagles.  These  he  attacks  whenever 
they  make  their  appearance,  and  with  such  vigor  and  rapidity  that 
they  instantly  have  recourse  to  flight.  So  well  known  is  this  to 
the  lesser  birds,  and  to  the  domestic  poultry,  that,  as  soon  as  they 


ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 

hear  the  Martin's  voice  engaged  in  fight,  all  is  alarm  and  conster- 
nation. To  observe  with  what  spirit  and  audacity  this  bird  dives 
and  sweeps  upon  and  around  the  Hawk  or  the  Eagle  is  astonish- 
ing. He  also  bestows  an  occasional  bastinading  on  the  King-bird 
when  he  finds  him  too  near  his  premises ;  though  he  will,  at  any 
time,  instantly  co-operate  with  him  in  attacking  the  common 
enemy. 

"  The  Martin  differs  from  all  the  rest  of  our  Swallows  in  the 
particular  prey  which  he  selects.  Wasps,  bees,  large  beetles,  par- 
ticularly those  called  by  the  boys  goldsmiths,  seem  his  favorite 
game.  I  have  taken  four  of  these  large  beetles  from  the  stomach 
of  a  Purple  Martin,  each  of  which  seemed  entire,  and  even 
unbruised. 

"  The  flight  of  the  Purple  Martin  unites  in  it  all  the  swiftness, 
ease,  rapidity  of  turning,  and  gracefulness  of  motion  of  its  tribe. 
Like  the  Swift  of  Europe,  he  sails  much  with  little  action  of  the 
wings.  He  passes  through  the  most  crowded  parts  of  our  streets, 
eluding  the  passengers  with  the  quickness  of  thought ;  or  plays 
among  the  clouds,  gliding  about  at  a  vast  height,  like  an  aerial 
being.  His  usual  note,  peuo,  peuo,  peuo,  is  loud  and  musical ; 
but  is  frequently  succeeded  by  others  more  low  and  guttural. 
Soon  after  the  20th  of  August,  he  leaves  Pennsylvania  for  the 
South." 

In  New  England,  this  species  begins  to  prepare  its  nest 
about  the  10th  of  May :  this  is  composed  of  dried  grasses, 
leaves,  and  feathers,  and  is  deposited  usually  in  a  box  pre- 
pared for  this  purpose.  The  eggs  are  from  four  to  six  in 
number,  of  a  pure-white  color,  and  vary  but  little  in  form 
from  exactly  oval.  Four  specimens,  collected  in  Connecti- 
cut, exhibit  the  following  measurements :  1.04  by  .70  inch, 
1  by  .70  inch,  1  by  .68  inch,  .97  by  .68  inch.  Other  speci- 
mens vary  but  little  from  these  dimensions.  Two  broods 
are  often  reared  in  the  season,  and  the  period  of  incubation 
is  fourteen  days. 

In  dismissing  this  family,  it  is  hardly  necessary,  at  this 
late  day,  to  say  a  word  in  favor  of  their  beneficial  habits ; 


THE   PURPLE   MARTIN.  263 

for  every  farmer  has  recognized  them,  and  encouraged 
the  presence  of  the  birds,  and  protected  them  for  years ; 
but  the  immense  amount  of  injurious  and  noxious  insects 
they  destroy  is  astonishing,  and  hardly  realized ;  amount- 
ing probably  to  several  hundreds  by  every  bird  in  the 
day. 


264  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 


FAMILY  BOMBYCILLID^.    THE  CHATTERERS. 

Primaries  ten,  the  first  very  short  or  moderate,  always  less  than  half  the  second ; 
bill  short,  broad,  triangular,  much  depressed;  gape  opening  nearly  to  the  eyes, 
twice  the  length  of  the  cultnen;  both  mandibles  notched,  the  upper  with  a  tooth 
behind  the  notch ;  tarsi  scutellate  anteriorly,  with  indications  also  of  scales  inferiorly 
on  the  sides  (except  in  Myiadestes  ?),  shorter  than  the  middle  toe ;  outer  lateral  toe 
longest;  toes  unequally  cleft ;  head  generally  crested. 


Sub-Family  BOMBYCILLIN^E. — The  Wax  Wings. 

AMPELIS,  LINNAEUS. 

Ampelis,  LINN^US,  Syst.  Nat.  (1735).    (Type  A.  garrulus.) 

Head  with  a  broad,  depressed  crest;  bill  very  broad,  opening  nearly  to  the  eye; 
a  series  of  short,  velvety  feathers  at  the  base  of  the  bill,  with  bristles  directed  for- 
wards and  covering  the  nostrils,  but  none  along  the  rictus ;  commissure  straight ; 
culmen  and  gonys  curved,  convex;  both  mandibles  notched  at  tip;  legs  stout;  tarsi 
shorter  than  the  middle  toe,  scutellate  anteriorly,  and  slightly  on  the  lower  half  on 
the  sides  behind,  slightly  feathered  above ;  hind  toe  shorter  than  the  lateral,  which 
are  equal;  wings  very  long,  pointed,  reaching  almost  to  the  tip  of  the  nearly  even 
tail;  first  primary  so  short  as  to  be  with  difficulty  discernible,  the  second  quill 
longest;  tips  of  secondary  quills  with  horny  appendages,  like  sealing-wax. 

AMPELIS   GARRULUS.—  Linnaeus. 
The  Wax-wing ;  Bohemian  Chatterer. 

"  Lanius  garrulus,  Linnaeus.    Fauna  Suecica,  II.  No.  82." 
Ampelis  garrulus,  Linnaeus.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  297. 
B&mbydtta  garrula.    Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  (1838)  462. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Highly  crested;  general  color  brownish-ash,  with  a  faint  shade  of  reddish, 
especially  anteriorly ;  the  forehead,  sides  of  the  head,  and  under  tail  coverts,  brown- 
ish-orange ;  the  hinder  parts  purer  ash ;  the  region  about  the  vent  white ;  primaries 
and  tail  feathers  plumbeous  black,  especially  towards  the  tips ;  the  tail  with  a  ter- 
minal band  of  yellow;  a  narrow  frontal  line  passing  backward  and  involving  the 
eye,  and  extending  above  and  behind  it;  chin  and  upper  part  of  throat  black;  tips 
of  the  secondary  coverts,  and  a  spot  on  the  end  of  the  outer  webs  of  all  the  quills, 
white;  those  on  the  inner  primaries  glossed  with  yellow;  secondaries  with  red,  horny 
tips,  like  sealing-wax;  side  of  the  lower  jaw  whitish. 

Length,  seven  and  forty  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  four  and  fifty  one-hun- 
dredths  inches;  tail,  three  inches. 


THE   CEDAR-BIRD.  265 

This  species,  with  the  general  appearance  of  the  Cedar-bird,  is  readily  distin- 
guished by  its  superior  size,  much  larger  crest,  black  chin  and  throat,  instead  of 
chin  alone,  brownish-chestnut  under  tail  coverts,  instead  of  white,  and  the  white 
marks  on  the  wing  not  found  at  all  in  the  other.  In  the  closed  wing,  the  white  on 
the  ends  of  the  primaries  forms  a  continuous  narrow  stripe  nearly  parallel  with  the 
outer  edge  of  the  wing. 

FT1HIS  bird  is  an  extremely  rare  winter  visitor  in  New 
JL  England,  appearing  only  in  severe  seasons.  It  is  seen 
in  small  flocks  of  perhaps  six  or  eight  individuals,  usually 
in  groves  of  cedars  or  Virginia  junipers,  where  it  feeds  on 
the  small  blue  berries  or  seeds  that  are  found  on  those  trees. 
This  species  breeds  in  the  most  northern  portions  of  the 
continent.  I  am  unacquainted  with  its  habits,  nest,  or 
eggs. 

AMPELIS   CEDRORUM.  —  Baird. 
The  Cedar-bird;  Cherry-bird. 

Ampelis  garrulus,  Linnaeus.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  297. 

Bombycilla  Carolinensis,  Audubon.     Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1831)  227;  V.  494. 

Ampelis  Americana,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  I.  (1808)  107. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Head  crested ;  general  color  reddish-olive,  passing  anteriorly  on  the  neck,  head, 
and  breast  into  purplish-cinnamon,  posteriorly  on  the  upper  parts  into  ash,  on  the 
lower  into  yellow;  under  tail  coverts  white;  chin  dark  sooty-black,  fading  insensibly 
into  the  ground-color  on  the  throat ;  forehead,  loral  region,  space  below  the  eye,  and 
a  line  above  it  on  the  side  of  the  head,  intense  black ;  quills  and  tail  dark-plumbeous, 
passing  behind  into  dusky;  the  tail  tipped  with  yellow;  the  primaries,  except  the 
first,  margined  with  hoary;  a  short  maxillary  stripe,  a  narrow  crescent  on  the  inferb- 
posterior  quarter  of  the  eye,  white ;  secondaries  with  horny  tips,  like  red  sealing-wax. 

Length,  seven  and  twenty-five  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  four  and  five  one- 
hundredths;  tail,  two  and  sixty  one-hundredths  inches. 

Hob.  —  North  America  generally,  south  to  Guatemala. 

This  very  common  and  well-known  bird  is  a  summer 
inhabitant  of  all  New  England.  It  remains  in  the  southern 
districts  through  the  winter,  but  usually  arrives,  in  flocks 
of  twenty  or  thirty,  as  early  as  the  first  or  second  week  in 
March.  About  the  middle  of  May,  these  flocks  are  divided 
into  smaller  ones,  and  these  soon  into  pairs,  which  com- 
mence building  about  the  last  week  in  May  or  first  in  June. 
The  nest  is  placed  in  the  midst  of  twigs  on  a  horizontal 


266  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

branch,  generally  of  a  tree  in  the  orchard ;  sometimes  in  a 
cedar  or  other  tree  in  a  pasture  or  wood.  It  is  con- 
structed of  stalks  of  weeds,  long  fine  roots,  grass,  grape- 
vine bark,  and  leaves :  it  is 
deeply  hollowed,  and  lined  with 
fine  roots,  horsehairs,  and  fine 
grass.  One  specimen  in  my  col- 
lection is  partly  composed  of 
strips  of  twine  and  thread, 
which  are  woven  together  in  a 
very  neat  and  compact  man- 
ner, and  interlaced  with  nu- 
merous fine  roots  and  weeds. 
The  eggs  are  usually  four  or 
five  in  number:  they  are  laid 
about  the  first  week  in  June, 

Lower  fig.,  Cedar-bird.  and  a  SeC01ld  Utt6r  °ftei1  in  AU~ 

upper  flg.,  Bed-eyed  vireo.  gust.    They  are  of  a  light-bluish 

or  clay-white  color,  with  a  slight  purple  tint,  and  are  marked, 
more  or  less  thickly,  with  distinct  spots  of  black,  and  more 
obscure  spots  of  purplish-brown :  the  appearance  of  these 
latter  spots  is  as  if  they  were  "  beneath  the  surface  of 
the  shell."  Dimensions  of  five  eggs  collected  in  New 
Hampshire :  .86  by  .64  inch,  .86  by  .63  inch,  .86  by  .60 
inch,  .80  by  .62  inch,  .80  by  .60  inch.  A  great  number  of 
specimens  from  different  localities  do  not  exhibit  any  great 
variations  from  these  measurements. 

There  is  a  great  deal  of  ill  feeling  manifested  towards 
this  well-known  bird  by  the  farmers,  on  account  of  its  occa- 
sionally helping  itself  to  a  few  cherries  or  other  small  fruits. 
Its  valuable  services  in  the  orchard  and  nursery  seem  to  be 
overlooked,  and  its  life  is  often  forfeited  for  this  little  weak- 
ness. But  if  the  farmer  will  observe  it  in  its  insect-destroy- 
ing labors,  watch  it  as  it  devours  caterpillar  after  caterpillar, 
or  draws  from  its  lurking-place  the  larva  of  some  injurious 
insect,  he  will  come  to  the  conclusion,  as  many  have  already 


THE   CEDAR-BIRD.  267 

done,  that  this  bird  is  worthy  his  protection,  instead  of 
deserving  his  anger. 

Says  Nuttall,  in  speaking  of  this  fact,  — 

"At  this  season  (April),  to  repay  the  gardener  for  the  tithe 
of  his  crop,  their  natural  due,  they  fail  not  to  assist  in  ridding  his 
trees  of  more  deadly  enemies  which  infest  them,  and  the  small 
caterpillars,  beetles,  and  various  insects  now  constitute  their  only 
food ;  and  for  hours  at  a  time  they  may  be  seen  feeding  on  the  all- 
despoiling  canker-worms,  which  infest  our  apple-trees  and  elms. 
On  these  occasions,  silent  and  sedate,  after  plentifully  feeding,  they 
sit  dressing  their  feathers,  in  near  contact  on  the  same  branch,  to 
the  number  of  five  or  six ;  and,  as  the  season  of  selective  attach- 
ment approaches,  they  may  be  observed  pluming  each  other,  and 
caressing  with  the  most  gentle  fondness.  This  friendly  trait  is 
carried  so  far,  that  an  eye-witness  assures  me  he  has  seen  one 
among  a  row  of  these  birds  seated  upon  a  branch  dart  after  an 
insect,  and  offer  it  to  his  associate  when  caught,  who  very  disin- 
terestedly passed  it  to  the  next ;  and,  each  delicately  declining  the 
offer,  the  morsel  has  proceeded  backwards  and  forwards  before  it 
was  appropriated." 

The  note  of  the  Cedar-bird,  like  that  of  the  Wax-wing,  is 
a  feeble,  plaintive  tw£e,  twee,  uttered  often,  and  by  both 
sexes. 


268  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 


FAMILY  LANIID^. 

Bill  strong  and  compressed,  the  tip  abruptly  hooked ;  both  mandibles  distinctly 
notched,  the  upper  with  a  distinct  tooth  behind,  the  lower  with  the  point  bent  up; 
tarsi  longer  than  the  middle  toe,  strongly  scutel late;  primaries  ten;  first  primary 
half  the  second,  or  shorter  (occasionally  wanting). 

The  sub-families  of  Laniidce  belonging  to  the  United  States  are  as  follows :  — 

LANIIN.E.  —  Bill  very  powerful,  much  compressed,  and  abruptly  hooked,  with  a 
very  prominent  tooth  behind  the  notch;  wings  considerably  rounded;  tail  rather 
long  and  graduated ;  sides  of  the  tarsi  scutellate  behind. 

VIREONINJE.  —  Bill  moderate,  cylindrical,  somewhat  compressed;  wings  long,  the 
first  primary  sometimes  wanting;  tail  short  and  nearly  even;  sides  of  the  tarsi  behind 
not  scutellate. 

Sub-Family  LANIIN^E.  —  The  Shrikes. 
COLLYRIO,  MOEHRING. 

Collyrio,  MOEHRING,  Genera  Avium  (1752),  28.    (Type  Lanius  excubitor,  L.) 
Lanius,  of  AUTHORS. 

Feathers  of  forehead  stiffened ;  base  of  bill,  including  nostrils,  covered  by  bristly 
feathers  directed  forward;  bill  shorter  than  the  head,  much  compressed,  and  very 
powerful ;  culmen  decurved  from  base,  the  mandible  abruptly  bent  down  in  a  power- 
ful hook,  what  in  acute  lobe  near  the  tip;  tip  of  lower  mandible  bent  upwards  in  a 
hook;  the  gonys  very  convex;  rictus  with  long  bristles;  legs  stout;  the  tarsi  are 
rather  short,  longer  than  the  middle  toe ;  the  lateral  equal ;  the  claws  all  very  sharp 
and  much  curved ;  wings  rounded ;  the  first  primary  about  half  the  second,  which  is 
equal  to  the  sixth  or  seventh;  tail  longer  than  the  wings,  much  graduated,  the 
feathers  broad. 

COLLYEIO  BOREALIS.  —  Baird. 
The  Great  Northern  Shrike ;  Butcher-bird. 

Lanius  septentrionalis,  Bonaparte.  Syn.  (1828),  72.  Bon.  List  (1838).  Nutt. 
Man.,  L  (1832)258. 

Lanius  borealls,  Audubon.     Syn.  (1839),  157. 

Lanius  excubitor.     Wils.,  I.  (1808)  74.     Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  534. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Above  light  bluish-ash,  obscurely  soiled  with  reddish-brown ;  forehead,  sides  of 
the  crown,  scapulars,  and  upper  tail  coverts  hoary-white ;  beneath  white,  the  breast 
with  fine  transverse  lines;  wings  and  tail  black,  the  former  with  a  white  patch  at 
base  of  primaries  and  tips  of  small  quills,  the  latter  with  the  lateral  feathers  tipped 
with  white;  bill  blackish-brown,  considerably  lighter  at  the  base;  black  stripe  from 
the  bill  through  and  behind  the  eye,  but  beneath  the  latter  interrupted  by  a  whitish 
crescent.  Female  and  young  with  the  gray  soiled  with  brownish. 


GREAT  NORTHERN  SHRIKE,  Butcher-bird,  CoUyrio  borealis.     Baird. 


THE   GREAT   NORTHERN   SHRIKE.  269 

Length,  nine  and  eighty-five  one-hundredths  inches;  wings,  four  and  fifty  one- 
hundredths  inches;  tail,  four  and  eighty  one-hundredths  inches;  its  graduation, 
ninety  one-hundredths  inches. 

THIS  species,  although  not  uncommon  as  a  winter  visitor 
in  New  England,  is  seldom  seen  here  during  the  sum- 
mer months ;  and  I  think  that  it  very  rarely  breeds  in  these 
States,  and  then  only  in  the  most  northern  and  retired 
sections. 

It  makes  its  appearance  about  the  last  week  in  October, 
jyid  is  seen  until  the  last  week  in  May.  During  this  period, 
it  preys  upon  small  birds,  mice,  and  such  insects  and  Iarva3 
as  it  finds  in  exposed  situations,  such  as  fences,  piles  of 
stones,  &c. 

In  watching  for  its  prey,  it  usually  remains  perched  on  a 
stake  or  small  tree,  in  a  field  or  meadow,  carefully  scanning 
the  surrounding  neighborhood.  When  a  mouse  or  other 
small  mammal  presents  itself  in  the  grass,  the  bird  folds 
its  wings,  drops  on  it  with  an  unerring  aim,  and  seizes  it 
with  its  bill.  If  a  flock  of  small  birds,  such  as  Pine-finches 
or  Red-polls,  appear  in  sight,  he  immediately  pursues  them, 
and  generally  secures  one  or  two  before  they  are  dispersed. 
I  have  seen  an  individual  dart  into  a  flock  of  Tree  Sparrows, 
and  kill  three  of  them  before  they  could  escape ;  and  it 
seems  a  characteristic  of  this  bird  to  secure  more  than 
enough  food  for  its  present  wants.  Its  habit  of  suspending 
small  birds,  mice,  and  insects  on  thorns  and  small  twigs, 
is  well  known.  This  is  done,  I  am  inclined  to  think,  not 
because,  as  many  writers  assert,  that  it  will  not  eat  its  food 
when  freshly  killed,  and  it  thus  suspends  it  in  order  that 
it  may  become  tainted,  but  rather  to  have  this  food  stored 
for  future  need.  We  see  many  other  birds  with  this  same 
habit  of  providing  for  future  wants ;  particularly  the  Blue 
Jay,  and  some  of  the  Woodpeckers. 

I  have  never  met  with  the  nest  of  this  species,  and  will 
borrow  the  description  by  Audubon :  — 

"About  the   20th  of  April,  the  male  and  his  mate  are  seen 


270  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 

engaged  in  building  their  nest  in  the  covered  and  secluded  parts  of 
the  forests.  I  found  several  of  their  nests  placed  on  bushes  not 
above  ten  feet  from  the  ground,  without  any  appearance  of  choice 
as  to  the  tree,  but  generally  towards  the  top,  and  placed  in  a  fork. 
The  nest  is  as  large  as  that  of  the  Robin,  and  is  composed  exter- 
nally of  coarse  grasses,  leaves,  and  naoss  ;  internally  of  fibrous  roots, 
over  which  is  a  bed  of  the  feathers  of  the  wild  turkey  and  pheas- 
ant (Tetrao  umbellus)" 

Nuttall,  in  describing  the  nest,  says  that  it  is  "  large  and 
compact,  in  the  fork  of  a  small  tree,  and  sometimes  in  an 
apple-tree,  composed  externally  of  dried  grass,  with  whitish 
moss,  and  well  lined  with  feathers." 

The  eggs  are  from  four  to  six  in  number,  of  a  dirty  lead- 
colored  white,  and  marked  more  or  less  thickly,  around  the 
greater  end,  with  dashes  and  spots  of  brown  of  different 
shades.  Dimensions  of  four  eggs :  1.12  by  .80  inch,  1.12 
by  .78  inch,  1.08  by  .78  inch,  1.04  by  .77  inch. 


Sub-Family  VIREONIN^E.  —  The    Vireos. 

VIREO,  VIEILLOT. 

Vireo,  VIEILLOT,  Ois.  Am.  Sept.,  I.  (1807)  83.  (Type  Muscicapa  Noveloracensis, 
Gm.) 

Bill  short,  strong,  straight ;  the  culmen  slightly  curved,  the  sides  much  compressed 
to  the  tip,  which  is  rapidly  curved  and  deflected;  the  gonys  long  and  ascending;  the 
gape  with  short,  weak  bristles;  the  nostrils  basal,  rounded,  and  exposed,  the  feathers 
of  the  head  advancing  forward  on  the  bill  to  the  nostril ;  wings  variable,  rather  long. 
and  pointed;  the  first  quill  sometimes  spurious,  the  larger  outer  one  always  gradu- 
ated a  little;  tail  nearly  even  and  rather  short;  tarsi  longer  than  the  middle  toe; 
outer  toe  a  little  longer  than  the  inner;  hind  toe  rather  shorter  than  the  middle  one. 

VIREO   OLIVACEUS.  —  Vieillot. 
The  Red-eyed  Vireo. 

Muscicapa  olivacea,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  327.  Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  II. 
(1810)  65. 

Vireo  olivaceus,  Nuttall.  Man.,  I.  (1832)  312.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1831)  287; 
V.  430. 


THE   BED-EYED   VIREO.  271 

DESCRIPTION. 

Second  and  third  quills  about  equal,  and  longest;  first  a  little  shorter  than  the 
fourth,  but  considerably  longer  than  the  fifth ;  back,  rump,  and  edges  of  wing  and 
tail  feathers  bright  olivaceous-green ;  side  of  head  and  neck  paler ;  crown  dark-ash, 
sharply  defined ;  a  well-defined  whitish  line  from  the  bill,  over  the  eye,  nearly  to  the 
occiput;  a  dark  line  separating  it  above  from  the  ashy  crown;  a  dusky  line  through 
the  eye;  beneath  white;  under  tail  coverts  pale  sulphur-yellow;  iris,  red. 

Length,  about  six  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  three  and  fifty  one- 
hundredths.  » 

I  feel  that  no  description  of  mine  can  begin  to  do  justice 
to  the  genial,  happy,  industrious  disposition  of  this  one  of 
our  most  common,  and  perhaps  best-loved  birds.  From  the 
time  of  its  arrival,  about  the  first  week  in  May,  until  its 
departure,  about  the  first  week  in  October,  it  is  seen  in  the 
foliage  of  elms  and  other  shade-trees  in  the  midst  of  our 
cities  and  villages,  in  the  apple-trees  near  the  farm-houses, 
and  in  the  tall  oaks  and  chestnuts  in  the  deep  forests. 
Everywhere  in  these  States,  at  all  hours  of  the  day,  from 
early  dawn  until  evening  twilight,  his  sweet,  half-plaintive, 
half-meditative  carol  is  heard.  I  know  that  I  am  not  singu- 
lar in  my  preference,  when  I  say,  that,  of  all  my  feathered 
acquaintances,  this  is  the  greatest  favorite  I  have.  I  always 
loved  it ;  and  I  can  never  look  upon  one,  after  it  is  killed, 
no  matter  how  naturally  it  is  preserved,  without  a  sad  feel- 
ing, as  if  it  were  one  of  my  own  most  dear  friends  dead 
before  me. 

The  Red-eyed  Yireo  is  one  of  the  most  industrious  of 
our  birds.  Whenever  we  see  him,  we  notice  that  he  is 
busily  searching  in  the  foliage  of  trees  for  caterpillars  and 
noxious  larvae,  or  pursuing  winged  insects  that  have  taken 
flight  from  the  trees.  While  thus  engaged,  he  utters  at 
short  intervals  his  warbling  song.  This  consists  some- 
times of  a  few  syllables  like  *w$e  cheweo  turruttit  cheiveeo, 
given  in  a  singularly  sweet  tone.  This  is  only  a  part  of  its 
song ;  and  the  whole  is  so  difficult  of  description  that  I  can- 
not put  it  on  paper. 

SaysNuttall,— 


272  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

"  The  whole  is  delivered  almost  without  any  sensible  interval, 
with  earnest  animation,  in  a  pathetic,  tender,  and  pleasing  strain, 
well  calculated  to  produce  calm  and  thoughtful  reflection  in  the 
sensitive  mind.  Yet,  while  this  heavenly  reverie  strikes  on 
the  human  ear  with  such  peculiar  effect,  the  humble  musician 
himself  seems  but  little  concerned :  for  all  the  while,  perhaps,  that 
this  flowing  chorus  enchants  the  hearer,  he  is  casually  hopping 
Vrom  spray  to  spray  in  quest  of  his  active  or  crawling  prey ;  and, 
if  a  cessation  occurs  in  his  almost  untiring  lay,  it  is  occasioned  by 
the  caterpillar  or  fly  he  has  fortunately  just  captured.  So  unaf- 
fected are  these  delightful  efforts  of  instinct,  and  so  unconscious  is 
the  performer,  apparently,  of  this  pleasing  faculty  bestowed  upon 
him  by  nature,  that  he  may  truly  be  considered  as  a  messenger  of 
harmony  to  man  alone,  appointed  by  the  fiat  of  the  Creative 
power.  Wantonly  to  destroy  these  delightful  aids  to  sentimental 
happiness  ought  therefore  to  be  viewed,  not  only  as  an  act  of  bar- 
barity, but  almost  as  a  sacrilege." 

The  Red-eyed  Yireo  commences  building  about  the  first 
week  in  June,  frequenting  the  woods  rather  more  commonly 
than  the  pastures  and  orchards,  although  it  often  breeds  in 
these  places.  The  nest  is  pensile,  and  is  hung  from  the 
fork  of  a  small  limb  of  a  tree,  seldom  more  than  fifteen  or 
twenty  feet  from  the  ground :  it  is  constructed  of  thin  strips 
of  cedar  bark,  pieces  of  wasps'  nests,  spiders'  nests,  pieces  of 
caterpillars'  silk,  and  other  pliable  materials.  These  are 
woven  together  neatly  and  compactly,  and  agglutinated 
together  by  the  bird's  saliva.  It  is  suspended  in  the  form 
of  a  basket  from  the  forked  twig  to  which  it  is  attached,  or 
rather  sewed  firmly.  It  is  lined  with  narrow  strips  of 
grape-vine  bark,  pine  leaves,  and  sometimes  fine  grass.  On 
the  outside  are  often  visible  bits  of  rotten  wood,  fragments 
of  newspapers,  and  hornet's  nests.  One  specimen  in  my  col- 
lection, obtained  in  Maine,  is  constructed  almost  entirely  of 
pieces  of  the  bark  of  the  white  birch:  it  is  a  very  netit 
fabric.  The  eggs  are  four  in  number,  pure-white  in  color, 
and  thinly  spotted,  chiefly  at  the  great  end,  with  dots  of 


THE   WARBLING   VIREO.  273 

brownish-black.  The  measurement  of  four  eggs  in  a  nest 
collected  in  Milton,  Mass.,  are  .84  by  .60  inch,  .80  by  .60 
inch,  .80  by  .59  inch,  .78  by  .59  inch.  Other  specimens 
vary  but  little  from  these  dimensions.  Two  broods  are 
often  reared  in  the  season. ,  The  period  of  incubation  is 
twelve  days. 

VIREO    GILVUS.—  Bonaparte. 
The  Warbling  Vireo. 

Muscicapa  gilva,  Vieillot.    Ois.,  I.  (1807)  65. 

Vireo  yikus,  Nuttall.  I.  (1832)  309.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  114;  V.  (1839) 
433. 

Muscicapa  melodia,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  V.  (1812)  85. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Third,  fourth,  and  fifth  quills  nearly  equal;  second  and  sixth  usually  about  equal, 
and  about  twenty-five  one-hundredths  of  an  inch  shorter  than  third ;  the  exposed 
portion  of  spurious  quill  about  one-fourth  the  third;  above  greenish-olive;  the 
head  and  hind  neck  ashy,  the  back  slightly  tinged  with  the  same ;  lores  dusky ;  a 
white  streak  from  the  base  of  the  upper  mandible  above  and  a  little  behind  the  eye ; 
beneath  the  eye  whitish ;  sides  of  the  head  pale  yellowish-brown ;  beneath  white, 
tinged  with  very  pale  yellow  on  the  breast  and  sides ;  no  light  margins  whatever  on 
the  outer  webs  of  the  wings  or  tail. 

Length,  about  five  and  a  half  inches;  wings  nearly  three.  Spurious  primary, 
one-fourth  the  length  of  second. 

This  species  is  a  not  very  common  summer  inhabitant  of 
New  England,  arriving  and  departing  at  about  the  same 
time  as  the  preceding  species.  It  is  seldom  seen  in  the 
deep  forests ;  and,  while  usually  found  about  farm-houses 
and  villages,  is  most  commonly  seen  in  localities  where  there 
are  numbers  of  the  trees  of  the  poplar  and  ash.  In  these 
trees,  it  inhabits  the  higher  branches  ;  and  is,  with  the  Red- 
eyed  Vireo,  equally  industrious  in  its  search  for  insects.  Its 
song  is  difficult  of  description  :  it  is,  unlike  that  of  our  other 
Yireos,  a  long-continued,  cheerful  warble ;  and  is  perhaps 
best  described  by  saying  that  it  almost  exactly  resembles 
the  love-song  of  the  Purple  Finch.  In  fact,  I  have  some- 
times mistaken  the  song  of  this  bird  for  that  of  the  other, 
and  only  discovered  my  error  after  carefully  watching  the 
bird  in  his  movements  in  the  tree-tops. 

18 


274  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

The  Warbling  Vireo  seems  to  arrive  here  in  pairs  ;  for  they 
seem  to  be  mated  when  we  first  discover  them.  Whether 
their  attachment  continues  through  several  seasons,  I  am 
ignorant. 

About  the  middle  of  May,  the  pair  commence  building. 
The  nest  is  pensile,  and  usually  built  in  tall  trees  (usually 
poplars),  often  fifty  feet  from  the  ground.  It  is  constructed 
of  strips  of  grape-vine  bark,  grass,  leaves,  or  bass-wood 
bark ;  and  sometimes  bunches  of  caterpillars'  silk  are  left  on 
the  outside,  as  if  for  ornament.  The  following  very  inter- 
esting account  of  the  breeding  habits  of  this  bird  is  given 
by  Audubon,  who  watched  a  pair  building  in  a  Lombardy 
poplar :  — 

"One  morning,  I  observed  both  of  them  at  work:  they  had 
already  attached  some  slender  blades  of  grass  to  the  knots  of  the 
branch  and  the  bark  of  the  trunk,  and  had  given  them  a  circular 
disposition.  They  continued  working  downwards  and  outwards 
until  the  structure  exhibited  the  form  of  their  delicate  tenement. 
Before  the  end  of  the  second  day,  bits  of  hornets'  nests  and  particles 
of  corn  husks  had  been  attached  to  it  by  pushing  them  between  the 
rows  of  grass,  and  fixing  them  with  silky  substances.  On  the  third 
day,  the  birds  were  absent,  nor  could  I  hear  them  anywhere  in  the 
neighborhood ;  and,  thinking  that  a  cat  might  have  caught  them  from 
the  edge  of  the  roof,  I  despaired  of  seeing  them  again.  On  the 
fourth  morning,  however,  their  notes  attracted  my  attention  before 
I  arose ;  and  I  had  the  pleasure  of  finding  them  at  their  labors. 
The  materials  which  they  now  used  consisted  chiefly  of  extremely 
slender  grasses,  which  the  birds  worked  in  a  circular  form  within 
the  frame  which  they  had  previously  made.  The  little  creatures 
were  absent  nearly  an  hour  at  a  time,  and  returned  together,  bring- 
ing the  grass,  which,  I  concluded,  they  found  at  a  considerable 
distance.  Going  into  the  street  to  see  in  what  direction  they  went, 
I  watched  them  for  some  time,  and  followed  them  as  they  flew  from 
tree  to  tree  towards  the  river.  There  they  stopped,  and  looked  as 
if  carefully  watching  me,  when  they  resumed  their  journey,  and 
led  me  quite  out  of  the  village  to  a  large  meadow,  where  stood  an 
old  hay-stack.  They  alighted  on  it,  and,  in  a  few  minutes,  each  had 


THE   WHITE-EYED    VIREO.  275 

selected  a  blade  of  grass.  Returning  by  the  same  route,  they 
moved  so  slowly  from  one  tree  to  another,  that  my  patience  was 
severely  tried.  Two  other  days  were  consumed  in  travelling  for 
the  same  kind  of  grass.  On  the  seventh,  I  saw  only  the  female  at 
work,  using  wood  and  horsehair :  the  eighth  was  almost  entirely 
spent  by  both  in  smoothing  the  inside.  They  would  enter  the  nest, 
sit  in  it,  turn  round,  and  press  the  lining.  In  the  course  of  five 
days,  an  equal  number  of  eggs  were  laid:  they  were'  small,  of  a 
rather  narrow  oval  form,  white,  thinly  spotted  with  reddish-black 
at  the  larger  end.  The  birds  sat  alternately,  though  not  with  regu- 
larity as  to  time ;  and,  on  the  twelfth  day  of  incubation,  the  young 
came  out.  I  observed  that  the  male  would  bring  insects  to  the 
female,  and  that,  after  chopping  and  macerating  them  with  her 
beak,  she  placed  them  in  the  mouth  of  her  young  with  a  care 
and  delicacy  which  were  not  less  curious  than  pleasing  to  me." 

This  account  is  so  full  and  complete  that  I  can  add  noth- 
ing to  the  history  of  the  breeding  habits  of  this  bird.  But 
one  brood  is  reared  in  the  season  in  this  latitude.  The 
dimensions  of  four  eggs  in  my  collection  from  different 
localities  are  .83  by  .56  inch,  .80  by  .56  inch,  .78  by  .54 
inch,  .78  by  .53  inch.  These  will  be  found  to  be  the  aver- 
age size  of  this  species.  The  nest  is  about  three  inches  in 
exterior  diameter,  and  about  two  and  a  half  in  depth. 

VIREO    NOVEBORACENSIS.  —  Bonaparte. 
The  White-eyed  Vireo. 

Muscicapa  Noveboracensis,  Gmelin.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1788)  947. 
Vireo  Noveboracensis,  Bonaparte.    Obs.  Wils.  (1825),  No.  122.    Aud.  Orn.  Biog., 
I.  (1831)  328;  V.  431,  433;  Birds  Am.,  IV.  (1842)  146;  Nutt.  Man.,  I.  (1832)  306. 
Muscicapa  cantatrix,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  II.  (1810)  266. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Spurious  primary  about  half  the  second,  which  is  about  equal  to  the  eighth  quill ; 
entire  upper  parts  bright  olivaceous-green;  space  around  the  eyes  and  extending 
to  the  bill  greenish-yellow,  interrupted  by  a  dusky  spot  from  the  anterior  canthus  to 
the  base  of  the  gape ;  beneath  white ;  the  sides  of  the  breast  and  body  well  denned, 
almost  gamboge-yellow;  edges  of  greater  and  middle  wing  coverts  (forming  two 
bands)  and  of  inner  tertiaries  greenish-yellow  white;  iris  white. 

Length,  five  inches;  wing,  two  and  fifty  one-hundredths. 


276  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

This  species  is  very  irregularly  distributed  in  New  Eng- 
land as  a  summer  inhabitant.  In  Maine,  New  Hampshire, 
and  Vermont  it  is  rare ;  and,  while  it  is  quite  abundant  in 
the  eastern  parts  of  Massachusetts,  it  is  rare  in  the  western. 
Says  J.  A.  Allen  of  it,  at  Springfield, — 

"  I  have  never  known  the  White-eyed  Vireo  taken  here ;  and  if 
occurring,  as  it  very  probably  does,  being  not  very  uncommon  in 
the  eastern  parts  of  the  State,  it  must  be  excessively  rare.  In 
about  a  thousand  specimens  of  the  smaller  land  birds  taken  at 
Springfield  during  the  last  three  years  by  different  collectors,  not 
a  single  White-eyed  Vireo  has  been  found." 

This  species  arrives  from  the  South,  usually  in  pairs,  from 
about  the  10th  of  April  to  the  1st  of  May.  It  generally 
frequents  low  thickets  and  swamps.  I  do  not  remember  of 
ever  meeting  with  one  in  deep,  high  woods  ;  but  have  often 
found  a  pair  in  a  brier-patch  in  the  middle  of  an  old  field  or 
pasture.  In  such  localities,  its  peculiar  note  'chip  cheweeo, 
''chip  ''chip  cheweeo,  is  often  heard ;  together  with  another 
rattling,  scolding  note,  difficult  of  description.  When  the 
bird  is  approached,  it  meets  the  intruder  with  this  scolding 
rattle  ;  and,  if  the  nest  is  approached,  the  Vireo  becomes 
almost  outrageous  in  its  remonstrances.  The  nest  is  usually 
placed  in  a  thicket  of  briers  or  vines,  often  in  the  gardens 
and  fields.  It  is  constructed  of  fibres  of  the  inner  bark  of 
trees,  fine  twigs,  grasses,  pieces  of  hornets'  nests,  and  frag- 
ments of  paper.  These  are  built  in  a  pensile  form,  sus- 
pended by  the  upper  edge,  and  lined  with  slender  strips  of 
grape-vine  bark  and  roots.  The  eggs  are  usually  four  in 
number,  and  can  hardly  be  distinguished  from  those  of  the 
Red-eyed  Vireo  in  shape  or  color;  the  average  dimensions 
being  a  trifle  smaller.  Several  eggs  collected  in  different 
localities  exhibit,  as  an  average  measurement,  .82  by  .59 
inch.  A  nest  complement  of  four  eggs,  collected  in  Milton, 
Mass.,  vary  but  a  trifle  from  this  size ;  their  measurement 
being  .83  by  .59  inch,  .82  by  .59  inch,  .82  by  .58  inch,  .80 


THE   SOLITARY   VIREO.  277 

by  .58  inch.  But  one  brood  is  usually  reared  in  New  Eng; 
land  in  the  season,  and  the  period  of  incubation  is  twelve 
days. 

VIEEO    SOLITARIUS.—  VieiUot. 
The  Solitary  Vireo;  Blue-headed  Vireo. 

Muscicapa  solitaria,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  II.  (1810)  143. 

Vireo  solitarius,  Vieillot.  Nouv.  Diet.  (1817).  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1831),  147;  V. 
(1839)  432.  Nutt.  Man.,  I.  (1832)  305. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Spurious  primary  very  small,  not  one-fourth  the  second,  which  is  longer  than 
the  sixth ;  top  and  sides  of  the  head  and  upper  part  of  the  neck  dark  bluish-ash ; 
rest  of  upper  parts  clear  olive-green ;  a  white  ring  round  the  eye,  interrupted  in  the 
anterior  canthus  by  a  dusky  lore,  but  the  white  color  extending  above  this  spot  to 
the  base  of  the  bill;  under  parts  white;  the  sides  under  the  wings  greenish- vellow ; 
two  bands  on  the  wing  coverts,  with  the  edges  of  the  secondaries,  greenish-white ; 
outer  tail  feather  with  its  edge  all  round,  including  the  whole  outer  web,  whitish. 

Length,  about  five  and  a  half  inches ;  wing,  two  and  forty  one-hundredths. 

This  bird  is  a  rare  summer  resident  in  New  England.  It 
has  been  taken  in  all  these  States,  but  not  in  any  numbers. 

It  makes  its  appearance  about  the  first  or  second  week  in 
May,  usually  in  pairs,  and  commences  building  its  nest 
about  the  last  week  in  that  month.  I  have  never  met  with 
its  nest ;  and  Audubon's  description,  though  meagre,  is  the 
best  available.*  It  is  as  follows  :  — 

"  The  nest  is  prettily  constructed,  and  fixed,  in  a  partially  pensile 
manner,  between  two  twigs  of  a  low  bush  on  a  branch  running 
horizontally  from  the  main  stem.  It  is  formed  externally  of  gray 
lichens  slightly  put  together,  and  lined  with  hair,  chiefly  from  the 
deer  and  raccoon.  The  female  lays  four  or  five  eggs,  which  are 
white,  with  a  strong  tinge  of  flesh-color,  and  sprinkled  with  brown- 
ish-red dots  at  the  larger  end." 

A  number  of  eggs  in  my  collection  correspond  in  color 
and  markings  to  the  above  description,  and  measure  on 
the  average  .81  by  .59  inch.  But  one  brood  is  reared  in  the 
season,  although  there  have  been  specimens  taken  as  late  as 


278  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

October.  But  little  is  known  of  the  habits  of  this  bird,  as 
it  prefers  the  deep  woods  and  swamps  to  the  more  open  dis- 
tricts. 

VIEEO    FLAVIFRONS.  —  Vieittot. 
The  Yellow-throated  Vireo. 

Tireo  jlavifrons,  Vieillot.    Ois.  Am.,  I.  (1807)  85.    Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834) 
119;  V.  428.     lb.,  Syn.     /&.,  Birds  Am.,  IV.  (1842)  141. 
Muscicapa  sylvicola,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  II.  (1810)  117. 

DESCRIPTION. 

No  spurious  quill;  the  first  and  fourth  equal;  from  bill  to  middle  of  back,  sides 
of  head,  neck,  and  fore  part  of  breast  olive-green;  beneath,  from  bill  to  middle  of 
belly,  with  a  ring  round  the  eyes,  sulphur-yellow;  lores  dusky;  rest  of  under  parts 
white;  of  upper,  ashy-blue,  tinged  with  green;  two  white  bands  on  the  wing;  ter- 
tiaries  edged  with  white,  other  quills  with  greenish ;  outer  tail  feathers  edged  with 
vellowish-white ;  the  outer  web  of  first  feather  entirely  of  this  color,  except  near 
the  end. 

Length,  nearly  six  inches ;  wing,  three  and  twenty  one-hundredths. 

This  beautiful  Yireo  is  not  very  common  in  New  England, 
although  it  is  found  in  all  these  States  as  a  summer  visitor. 
It  arrives  from  the  South  about  the  middle  of  April,  some- 
times not  before  the  first  of  May,  and  commences  building 
about  the  middle  of  the  latter  month.  The  nest  is  placed 
in  a  small  fork  of  a  tree,  usually  the  apple-tree,  at  a  height 
of  about  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  from  the  ground.  It  is  the 
most  beautiful  nest  made  by  birds  of  this  genus :  it  is  built 
of  nearly  the  same  materials  as  the  others,  but  is  covered  in 
the  most  tasty  manner  with  pieces  of  lichens  and  caterpil- 
lars' silk  and  spiders'  webs,  which  are  plastered  or  aggluti- 
nated on  over  the  entire  surface,  giving  the  nest  the 
appearance  of  a  large  bunch  of  moss  hanging  from  a  forked 
twig.  Several  of  these  nests,  collected  in  different  locali- 
ties, are  in  my  collection.  They  are  invariably  of  this 
description,  and  are  all  lined  with  pieces  of  paper,  wasps' 
nest,  and  fine  grasses.  With  the  exception  of  the  nest  of  the 
Humming-bird,  and  perhaps  two  or  three  of  the  Warblers, 
the  nest  of  this  species  is  the  most  beautiful  specimen  of 


THE   YELLOW-THROATED    VIREO.  279 

bird  architecture  that  I  am  acquainted  with.  The  eggs  are 
usually  four  in  number.  They  are  of  a  pure-white  color, 
with  thinly  scattered  spots  of  two  shades  of  reddish-brown 
and  black.  The  dimensions  of  four  eggs  collected  in  Con- 
necticut are  .83  by  .61  inch,  .82  by  .60  inch,  .82  by  .60  inch, 
and  .80  by  .59  inch.  But  one  brood  is  reared  in  the  season 
in  New  England. 

Wilson,  in  describing  the  habits  of  this  bird,  says, — 

"  This  summer  species  is  found  chiefly  in  the  woods,  hunting 
among  the  high  branches ;  and  has  an  indolent  and  plaintive  note, 
which  it  repeats,  with  some  little  variation,  every  ten  or  twelve 
seconds,  like  preeb,  preea,  &c.  It  is  often  heard  in  company  with 
the  Red-eyed  Flycatcher  (Muscicapa  olivacea)  ;  the  loud,  energetic 
notes  of  the  latter,  mingling  with  the  soft,  languid  warble  of  the 
former,  producing  an  agreeable  effect,  particularly  during  the  burn- 
ing heat  of  noon,  when  almost  every  other  songster  but  these  two 
is  silent.  Those  who  loiter  through  the  shades  of  our  magnificent 
forests  at  that  hour  will  easily  recognize  both  species.  It  arrives 
from  the  south  early  in  May,  and  returns  again  with  its  young 
about  the  middle  of  September.  Its  nest,  which  is  sometimes  fixed 
on  the  upper  side  of  a  limb,  sometimes  on  a  horizontal  branch 
among  the  twigs,  generally  on  a  tree,  is  composed  outwardly  of 
thin  strips  of  the  bark  of  grape-vines,  moss,  lichens,  &c.,  and  lined 
with  fine  fibres  of  such  like  substances :  the  eggs,  usually  four,  are 
white,  thinly  dotted  with  black,  chiefly  near  the  great  end.  Winged 
insects  are  its  principal  food." 

In  dismissing  this  beautiful  and  favorite  family  of  our 
birds,  I  feel  that  it  is  impossible  to  say  too  much  in  their 
favor :  their  neat  and  delicate  plumage  and  sweet  song,  their 
engaging  and  interesting  habits,  and  their  well-known  insect- 
destroying  proclivities,  have  justly  rendered  them  great 
favorites ;  and  the  farmer,  in  protecting  them,  and  encour- 
ing  them  to  take  up  homes  near  his  orchards  and  gardens, 
but  extends  a  care  and  welcome  for  his  best  friends. 


280  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 


FAMILY  ALAUDIDJE.     THE  SKYLARKS. 

First  primary  very  short  or  wanting;  tarsi  scutellate  anteriorly  and  posteriorly, 
with  the  plates  nearly  of  corresponding  position  and  number;  hind  claw  very  long 
and  nearly  straight;  bill  short,  conical,  frontal  feathers  extending  along  the  side  of 
the  bill ;  the  nostrils  usually  concealed  by  a  tuft  of  bristly  feathers  directed  forwards ; 
tertials  greatly  elongated  beyond  the  secondaries. 


EREMOPHILA,  BOIE. 

EremophQa,  BOIE,  Isis  (1828),  322.  (Type  Alauda  alpeslris.)  Sufficiently  distinct 
from  Eremophilus,  Humboldt  (Fishes,  1805). 

First  primary  wanting;  bill  scarcely  higher  than  broad;  nostrils  circular,  con- 
cealed by  a  dense  tuft,  of  feathers ;  the  nasal  fossae  oblique ;  a  pectoral  crescent  and 
cheek  patches  of  black. 

EREMOPHILA  CORNUTA.  —  Sole. 
The  Skylark;  Shore-lark. 

Eastern  and  Northern  variety. 
Alauda  cornuta,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  I.  (1808)  85. 
Eremophila  cornuta,  Boie.    Isis  (1828),  322. 

Alauda  alpeslris,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  I.  (1808)  85.  Nutt.  Man.,  I.  (1832)  455. 
Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  570;  V.  448. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Above  pinkish-brown,  the  feathers  of  the  back  streaked  with  dusky;  a  broad 
band  across  the  crown,  extending  backwards  along  the  lateral  tufts;  a  cre?centic 
patch  from  the  bill  below  the  eye  and  along  the  side  of  the  head:  a  jugular  crescent, 
and  the  tail  feathers,  black ;  the  innermost  of  the  latter  like  the  back ;  a  frontal  band 
extending  backwards  over  the  eye,  and  under  parts,  with  outer  edge  of  wings  and 
tail,  white;  chin  and  throat  yellow. 

Length  of  Pennsylvania  specimens,  seven  and  seventy-five  one-hundredths 
inches;  wing,  four  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches;  tail,  three  and  twenty-five  one- 
hundredths  inches;  bill,  above,  fifty-two  one-hundredths  of  an  inch. 

THIS  bird  is  found  in  New  England  only  as  a  winter 
visitor.  It  makes  its  appearance  by  the  latter  part  of 
November,  in  flocks  of  thirty  or  forty,  which  repair  to  the 
salt-marshes,  and  low  pastures  and  fields,  where  they  remain 
during  their  stay  with  us.  Here  they  feed  on  the  seeds  of 
various  grasses  and  weeds,  and  such  insects  as  they  may  be 


THE   SKYLARK.  281 

able  to  obtain  at  that  inclement  season.  They  often  associate 
with  the  Snow  Buntings,  and  sometimes  make  short  excur- 
sions inland.  I  have  seen  them  on  the  beach  busily  search- 
ing among  the  seaweed  for  small  shell-fish  and  animalcules ; 
and,  in  country  roads,  have  observed  that  they  visit  the  drop- 
pings of  horses  and  cattle  for  the  seeds  contained  in  them. 

By  the  middle  of  March,  the  Shore-larks  leave  New  Eng- 
land for  the  North,  where  they  breed,  and  spend  the  summer. 
Auduboii  says,  of  their  breeding  habits,  — 

"  The  Shore-lark  breeds  on  the  high  and  desolate  tracts  of 
Labrador,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  sea.  The  face  of  the  country 
appears  as  if  formed  of  one  undulated  expanse  of  dark  granite, 
covered  with  mosses  and  lichens,  varying  in  size  and  color ;  some 
green,  others  as  white  as  snow,  and  others  again  of  every  tint,  and 
disposed  in  large  patches  or  tufts.  It  is  on  the  latter  that  the  Lark 
places  her  nest,  which  is  disposed  with  so  much  care,  while  the  moss 
so  resembles  the  bird  in  hue,  that,  unless  you  almost  tread  upon  her 
as  she  sits,  she  seems  to  feel  secure,  and  remains  unmoved.  Should 
you,  however,  approach  so  near,  she  flutters  away,  feigning  lameness 
so  cunningly  that  none  but  one  accustomed  to  the  sight  can  refrain 
from  pursuing  her.  The  male  immediately  joins  her  in  mimic 
wretchedness,  uttering  a  note  so  soft  and  plaintive  that  it  requires 
a  strong  stimulation  to  force  the  naturalist  to  rob  the  poor  birds  of 
their  treasure. 

"  The  nest,  which  is  embedded  in  the  moss  to  its  edges,  is  com- 
posed of  fine  grasses,  circularly  disposed,  and  forming  a  bed  about 
two  inches  thick,  with  a  lining  of  grouse-feathers  and  those  of  other 
birds.  In  the  beginning  of  July,  the  eggs  are  deposited.  They 
are  four  or  five  in  number,  large,  grayish,  and  covered  with  numer- 
ous pale-blue  and  brown  spots.  The  young  leave  the  nest  be- 
fore they  are  able  to  fly,  and  follow  their  parents  over  the  moss, 
where  they  are  fed  about  a  week.  They  run  nimbly,  emit  a  soft 
prep,  and  squat  closely  at  the  first  appearance  of  danger.  If  ob- 
served and  pursued,  they  open  their  wings  to  aid  them  in  their 
escape,  and,  separating,  make  off  with  great  celerity.  On  such 
occasions,  it  is  difficult  to  secure  more  than  one  of  them,  unless 
several  persons  be  present,  when  each  can  pursue  a  bird.  The 


282  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

parents,  all  this  time,  are  following  the  enemy  overhead,  lamenting 
the  danger  to  which  their  young  are  exposed.  In  several  instances, 
the  old  bird  followed  us  almost  to  our  boat,  alighting  occasionally 
on  a  projecting  crag  before  us,  and  entreating  us,  as  it  were,  to 
restore  its  offspring.  By  the  first  of  August,  many  of  the  young 
are  fully  fledged,  and  the  different  broods  are  seen  associating 
together  to  the  number  of  forty,  fifty,  or  more.  They  now  gradu- 
ally remove  to  the  islands  of  the  coast,  where  they  remain  until 
their  departure,  which  takes  place  in  the  beginning  of  September. 
They  start  at  the  dawn  of  day,  proceed  on  their  way  south  at  a 
small  elevation  above  the  water,  and  fly  in  so  straggling  a  manner 
that  they  can  scarcely  be  said  to  move  in  flocks." 

A  number  of  eggs  in  my  collection,  from  Wisconsin  and 
Illinois,  where  these  birds  breed  in  considerable  numbers, 
are  of  a  faint  grayish-brown  color,  and  marked  with  numer- 
ous dots  and  spots  of  umber,  of  different  shades,  over  the 
entire  surface  of  the  egg.  On  one  or  two  specimens,  these 
markings  are  confluent  into  coarser  blotches  of  the  two 
shades  of  umber  and  lilac.  The  greatest  dimensions  of  my 
specimens  are  .93  by  .65  inch ;  the  least  dimensions,  .85 
by  .63  inch. 


THE   PINE   GROSBEAK.  283 


FAMILY  FRINGILLIDJE.     THE  SEED-EATERS. 

Primaries  nine ;  bill  very  short,  abruptly  conical  and  robust ;  commissure  strongly 
angulated  at  base  of  bill ;  tarsi  sctitellate  anteriorly,  but  the  sides  with  two  undivided 
plates  meeting  behind  along  the  median  line,  as  a  sharp  posterior  ridge.  * 

Sub-Family  COCCOTHRAUSTIN^E. —  The  Finches. 

Wings  very  long  and  much  pointed,  generally  one-third  longer  than  the  more  or 
less  forked  tail;  first  quill  usually  nearly  as  long  or  longer  than  the  second;  ter- 
tiaries  but  little  longer,  or  equal  to  the  secondaries,  and  always  much  exceeded  by 
the  primaries;  bill  very  variable  in  shape  and  size,  the  upper  mandible,  however,  as 
broad  as  the  lower;  nostrils  rather  more  lateral  than  usual,  and  always  more  or  less 
concealed  by  a  series  of  small  bristly  feathers  applied  along  the  base  of  the  upper 
mandible;  no  bristles  at  the  base  of  the  bill;  feet  short  and  rather  weak;  hind  claw 
usually  longer  than  the  middle  anterior  one,  sometimes  nearly  the  same  size. 

PINICOLA,  VIEILLOT. 

Pinicola,  VIEILLOT,  Ois.  Am.  Sept.,  I.  (1807). 

Bill  short,  nearly  as  high  as  long,  upper  outline  much  curved  from  the  base;  the 
margins  of  the  mandibles  rounded;  the  commissure  gently  concave,  and  abruptly 
deflexed  at  the  tip;  base  of  the  upper  mandible  much  concealed  by  the  bristly  feath- 
ers covering  the  basal  third ;  tarsus  rather  shorter  than  the  middle  toe ;  lateral  toe 
short,  but  their  long  claws  reach  the  base  of  the  middle  one,  which  is  longer  than 
the  hind  claw;  wings  moderate,  the  first  quill  rather  shorter  than  the  second,  third, 
and  fourth  ;  tail  rather  shorter  than  the  wings,  nearly  even. 

But  one  species  of  this  genus  belongs  to  the  American  fauna,  and  is  closely  allied 
to,  if  not  identical  with,  that  belonging  to  the  northern  portions  of  the  Old  World. 

PINICOLA   CANADENSIS — Cabanis. 
The  Pine  Grosbeak. 

Pinicola  Canadensis,  Cabanis.    Mus.  Hein.  (1851),  167. 
Loxia  enucleator,  Wilson.     Am.  Orn.,  I.  (1808)  80. 
Pyrrhula  enucleatvr,  Audubon.     Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  (1838)  414. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  and  legs  black;  general  color  carmine-red,  not  continuous  above,  however, 
except  on  the  head ;  the  feathers  showing  brownish  centres  on  the  back,  where,  too, 
the  red  is  darker;  loral  region,  base  of  lower  jaw  all  round,  sides  and  posterior  part 
of  body,  with  under  tail  coverts,  ashy,  whitest  behind ;  wing  with  two  white  bands 

1  See  Introduction,  and  vol.  IX.  Pacific  R.R.  Reports. 


284  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

across  the  tips  of  the  greater  and  middle  coverts ;  the  outer  edges  of  the  quills  also 
white,  broadest  on  the  tertiaries. 

Female,  ashy ;  brownish  above,  tinged  with  greenish-yellow  beneath ;  top  of  head, 
rump,  and  upper  tail  coverts  brownish  gamboge-yellow;  wings  as  in  the  male. 

Length,  about  eight  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  four  and  fifty  one- 
hundredths;  tail,  four  inches. 

A  LTHOUGH  we  find  in  Yen-ill's  list  of  birds  found  at 
*L\-  Norway,  Me.,  that  this  species  is  there  a  very  common 
winter  visitor,  my  experience  has  been,  that  it  is  an  ex- 
tremely rare  one  in  Massachusetts,  and  is  only  found  with 
us  in  very  severe  seasons. 

This  winter  (1866-67),  they  have  been  very  abundant, 
and  good  opportunities  have  been  obtained  for  studying 
their  habits. 

Like  other  northern  species,  the  Pine  Grosbeak  is  very 
tame  and  familiar  while  here  in  winter.  Mr.  Maynard,  of 
Newtonville,  Mass.,  informs  me,  that  he  has  repeatedly, 
during  this  season,  captured  specimens  in  his  hands,  and 
has  had  no  difficulty  in  slipping  a  noose  over  their  heads,  as 
the  birds  were  employed  in  opening  the  pine  seeds,  or  eating 
the  berries  of  the  cedar ;  and  he  has  now  in  captivity  a 
number  of  specimens  that  are  exceedingly  tame  and  inter- 
esting, feeding  readily  on  various  seeds  and  fruits.  A  pair 
that  I  have  in  my  possession,  which  he  captured,  are  so 
tame  that  they  take  food  from  my  hand,  and  even  perch 
upon  my  finger.  Their  song  is  a  soft,  pleasing  warble,  not 
unlike  that  of  the  canary. 

Both  sexes  have  a  number  of  call-notes,  and  they  keep  up 
a  continuous  twitter  through  the  day  :  they  are  always  lively 
and  good-tempered,  and  are  really  entertaining  pets. 

Mr.  Wheelwright,  in  his  valuable  and  exceedingly  inter- 
esting book,  "  A  Spring  and  Summer  in  Lapland,"  gives 
the  following  account  of  the  habits  of  the  European  Pine 
Grosbeak,  a  bird  nearly  allied  to,  if  not  identical  with,  our 
own :  "  By  the  first  week  in  May,  they  had  paired ;  and  we 
took  our  first  nest  on  June  4,  with  three  eggs,  in  a  small  fir, 
about  ten  feet  from  the  ground,  on  the  side  of  a  small  fell, 


THE   PURPLE    FINCH.  285 

in  by  no  means  a  large  wood :  and  I  may  observe,  that  all 
the  nests  we  took  were  built  in  small  firs,  never  high  from  the 
ground,  or  in  deep  woods,  and  generally  in  conspicuous  situa- 
tions. The  nest  is  neither  large  nor  deep,  but  very  com- 
pactly and  cleanly  built,  like  basket-work,  the  outside  walling 
of  very  fine  fir  branches  and  thin  cranberry  fibres  tightly 
interlaced,  and  lined  with  fine  stiff  grass  and  a  little  hair. 
The  eggs  vary  much,  both  in  size  and  coloring ;  but  are 
usually  of  a  pale  blue-green  ground-color,  blotched  and  lined 
with  light-purple  and  dark  burnt-umber  spots  and  pricks, 
always  thickest  towards  the  large  end.  Average  size,  1  inch 
by  .75  inch." 

The  food  of  the  Grosbeak  is  not,  as  in  the  Crossbills,  from 
the  seed  of  the  fir  cones,  but  the  small  buds  or  embryo  of  the 
young  branches  which  shoot  out  from  the  lateral  branches 
of  the  fir ;  but  they  can  pick  out  the  seeds  from  the  cones, 
both  of  the  pine  and  fir,  quite  as  cleverly  as  the  Crossbills. 

For  a  very  full  and  interesting  description  of  the  habits 
of  this  species,  I  will  refer  the  reader  to  vol.  IV.  Audubon's 
Am.  Orn.  Biog.,  p.  414. 

CARPODACUS,  KAUP. 

Carpodacus,  KAUP,  "  Entw.  Europ.  Thierw.,  1829."  ( Type  Loxia  erythrina,  Pall. ) 
Bill  short,  stout,  vaulted ;  the  culmen  decurved  towards  the  end ;  the  commis- 
sure nearly  straight  to  the  slightly  decurved  end;  a  slight  development  of  bristly 
feathers  along  the  sides  of  the  bill,  concealing  the  nostrils ;  tarsus  shorter  than  the 
middle  toe;  lateral  claws  reaching  to  the  base  of  the  middle  one;  claw  of  hind  toe 
much  curved,  smaller  than  the  middle  one,  and  rather  less  than  the  digital  portion ; 
wings  long  and  pointed,  reaching  to  the  middle  of  the  tail,  which  is  considerably 
shorter  than  the  wing,  and  moderately  forked ;  colors  red,  or  red  and  brown. 

CARPODACUS  PURPUREUS.—  Gray. 
The  Purple  Finch. 

Fringilla  purpurea,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  I.  (1808)  119.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1831) 
24;  V.  200. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Second  quill  longest ;  first  shorter  than  third,  considerably  longer  than  the  fourth ; 
body  crimson,  palest  on  the  rump  and  breast,  darkest  across  the  middle  of  back  and 
wing  coverts,  where  the  feathers  have  dusky  centres ;  the  red  extends  below  continu- 


286  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

ously  to  the  lower  part  of  the  breast,  and  in  spots  to  the  tibiae ;  the  belly  and  under  tail 
cove'rts  white,  streaked  faintly  with  brown,  except  in  the  very  middle ;  edges  of  wings 
and  tail  featliers  brownish-red;  lesser  coverts  like  the  back;  two  reddish  bands  across 
the  wings  (over  the  ends  "of  the  middle  and  greater  coverts);  lores  dull-grayish. 

Female  olivaceous-brown,  brighter  on  the  rump;  beneath  white;  all  the  feathers 
everywhere  streaked  with  brown,  except,  on  the  middle  of  the  belly  and  under  coverts, 
a  superciliary  light  stripe. 

Length,  six  and  twenty-five  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  three  and  thirty-four 
one-hundredths;  tail,  two  and  fifty  one-hundredths;  bill,  above,  forty-six  one-hun- 
dredths of  an  inch. 

This  species,  although  quite  common  in  many  localities 
of  New  England,  is  very  irregularly  distributed.  For  in- 
stance, it  breeds  abundantly  in  and  near  Cambridge,  Mass., 
but  is  not  found  in  any  other  part  of  the  State  in  any  thing 
like  the  abundance  that  it  is  there.  In  that  locality,  it  is 
one  of  the  most  common  birds  breeding ;  in  other  localities,  it 
is  occasionally  found  in  only  detached  pairs.  So,  in  Maine, 
it  is  common  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Umbagog  lakes ;  but 
elsewhere  it  is  not  often  seen.  There  seems  to  be,  as  Mr. 
Allen  justly  remarks,  a  great  increase  of  this  species  within 
the  last  few  years ;  and  it  is  beginning  to  be  one  of  our  most 
common  species.  The  birds  separate  into  pairs  soon  after 
their  arrival,  about  the  middle  of  April,  but  do  not  com- 
mence building  before  the  middle  of  May.  They  are  occa- 
sionally resident  here  through  the  mild  winter ;  but,  as  a 
general  thing,  they  arrive  in  New  England  in  flocks  of  ten 
or  a  dozen  about  the  last  of  March.  The  nest  is  usually 
built  in  a  pine  or  cedar  tree,  and  is  sometimes  thirty  or  even 
forty  feet  from  the  ground, — oftener  about  fifteen  or  twenty. 
It  is  constructed  of  fine  roots  and  grasses,  and  is  lined  with 
horsehair  and  hogs'  bristles.  One  specimen  in  my  collection 
has  the  cast-off  skin  of  a  snake  woven  in  the  rest  of  the 
fabric ;  and  I  have  seen  nests  lined  with  mosses.  Generally, 
hairs  of  different  animals  form  the  lining,  and  roots  and 
grass  the  main  structure. 

The  eggs  are  of  a  beautiful  bluish-green  color,  and  marked 
with  spots  and  streaks  of  black :  their  form  is  a  sharply 
pointed  oval,  and  their  dimensions  vary  from  .94  by  .64  inch 


THE   PURPLE    FINCH.  287 

to  .88  by  .60  inch.     Two  broods  are  often  reared  in  the 
season. 

This  species  is  one  of  the  few  injurious  birds  that  we  have  ; 
and,  although  it  has  a  beautiful  warbling  song,  and  is  alto- 
gether a  fine-looking  bird,  it  is  much  disliked  in  the  country 
in  consequence  of  its  bad  habit  of  cutting  off  and  eating 
the  buds  and  blossoms  of  fruit-trees.  Wilson  says  of  this 
habit, - 

"  This  is  a  winter  bird  of  passage,  coining  to  us  in  large  flocks 
from  the  North,  in  September  and  October  ;  great  numbers  remain- 
ing with  us  in  Pennsylvania  during  the  whole  winter,  feeding  on 
the  seeds  of  the  poplar,  button-wood,  juniper,  cedar,  and  on  those 
of  many  rank  weeds  that  flourish  in  rich  bottoms  and  along  the 
margin  of  creeks.  When  the  season  is  very  severe,  they  proceed 
to  the  South,  as  far  at  least  as  Georgia,  returning  North  early  in 
April.  They  now  frequent  the  elm-trees,  feeding  on  the  slender 
but  sweet  covering  of  the  flowers ;  and,  as  soon  as  the  cherries  put 
out  their  blossoms,  feed  almost  exclusively  on  the  stamina  of  the 
flowers :  afterwards,  the  apple-blossoms  are  attacked  in  the  same 
manner ;  and  their  depredations  on  these  continue  till  they  disap- 
pear, which  is  usually  about  the  10th  or  middle  of  May.  I  have 
been  told  that  they  sometimes  breed  in  the  northern  parts  of  New 
York,  but  have  never  met  with  their  nests.  About  the  middle  of 
September,  I  found  these  birds  numerous  on  Long  Island,  and 
around  Newark  in  New  Jersey.  They  fly  at  a  considerable  height 
in  the  air ;  and  their  note  is  a  single  chink,  like  that  of  the  Rice- 
bird.  They  possess  great  boldness  and  spirit,  and,  when  caught, 
bite  violently,  and  hang  by  the  bill  from  your  hand,  striking  with 
great  fury ;  but  they  are  soon  reconciled  to  confinement,  and  in  a 
day  or  two  are  quite  at  home.  I  have  kept  a  pair  of  these  birds 
upwards  of  nine  months  to  observe  their  manners.  One  was  caught 
in  a  trap,  the  other  was  winged  with  the  gun :  both  are  now  as 
familiar  as  if  brought  up  from  the  nest  by  the  hand,  and  seem  to 
prefer  hemp-seed  and  cherry-blossoms  to  all  other  kinds  of  food. 
Both  male  and  female,  though  not  crested,  are  almost  constantly 
in  the  habit  of  erecting  the  feathers  of  the  crown.  They  appear  to 
be  of  a  tyrannical  and  domineering  disposition:  for  they  nearly 


288  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

killed  an  Indigo-bird,  and  two  or  three  others,  that  were  occasion- 
ally placed  with  them,  driving  them  into  a  corner  of  the  cage, 
standing  on  them,  and  tearing  out  their  feathers,  striking  them  on 
the  head,  munching  their  wings,  &c.,  till  I  was  obliged  to  interfere ; 
and,  even  if  called  to,  the  aggressor  would  only  turn  up  a  malicious 
eye  to  me  for  a  moment,  and  renew  his  outrage  as  before.  They  are 
a  hardy,  vigorous  bird.  In  the  month  of  October,  about  the  time 
of  their  first  arrival,  I  shot  a  male,  rich  in  plumage,  and  plump  in 
flesh,  but  which  wanted  one  leg,  that  had  been  taken  off  a  little 
above  the  knee:  the  wound  had  healed  so  completely,  and  was 
covered  with  so  thick  a  skin,  that  it  seemed  as  though  it  had  been 
so  for  years.  Whether  this  mutilation  was  occasioned  by  a  shot,  or 
in  party  quarrels  of  its  own,  I  could  not  determine :  but  our  invalid 
seemed  to  have  used  his  stump  either  in  hopping  or  resting ;  for  it 
had  all  the  appearance  of  having  been  brought  in  frequent  contact 
with  bodies  harder  than  itself." 


CHRYSOMITRIS,  BOIE. 

Chrysomitris,  BOIE,  Isis  (1828),  322.  (Type  Fringitta  spinus,  Linnaeus.) 
Bill  rather  acutely  conic,  the  tip  not  very  sharp;  the  culmen  slightly  convex  at 
the  tip;  the  commissure  gently  curved;  nostrils  concealed;  obsolete  ridges  on  the 
upper  mandible;  tarsi  shorter  than  the  middle  toe;  outer  toe  rather  the  longer, 
reaching  to  the  base  of  the  middle  one ;  claw  of  hind  toe  shorter  than  the  digital 
portion;  wings  and  tail  as  in  Aegiothus. 

The  colors  are  generally  yellow,  with  black  on  the  crown,  throat,  back,  wings, 
and  tail,  varied  sometimes  with  white. 


CHRYSOMITRIS    TRISTIS.  —  Bonaparte. 
The  Yellow-bird;  Thistle-bird. 

Fringilla  tristls,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  320.  Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  I.  (1808)  20. 
Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1831)  172;  V.  510. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bright  gamboge-yellow;  crown,  wings,  and  tail,  black;  lesser  wing  coverts, 
band  across  the  end  of  greater  ones,  ends  of  secondaries  and  tertiaries,  inner  mar- 
gins of  tail  feathers,  upper  and  under  tail  coverts,  and  tibia,  white.  Female  re- 
placing the  yellow  of  the  male  by  a  greenish-olive  color. 

Length,  five  and  twenty-five  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  three  inches. 

This  well-known  bird  is  a  very  common  summer  inhab- 
itant of  all  New  England,  and  in  the  southern  districts 


THE   YELLOW-BIRD.  289 

remains  through  the  year.  Notwithstanding  its  being  here 
through  the  early  spring,  it  does  not  begin  to  build  before 
the  middle  of  June.  The  earliest  nest  that  I  ever  heard  of 
was  found  June  the  10th,  and  very  few  are  found  as  early 
as  the  middle  of  that  month.  The  nest  is  usually  placed  in 
a  forked  branch  in  an  apple-tree  in  the  orchard,  sometimes 
in  a  maple  or  birch  tree  near  the  roadside.  It  is  constructed 
of  soft  strips  of  the  cedar  and  grape-vine  bark:  these  are 
very  neatly  woven  together  into  a  compact  structure,  which 
is  deeply  hollowed,  and  lined  with  soft  down  from  the 
thistle,  and  sometimes  a  few  feathers.  The  eggs  are 
usually  four  in  number :  their  form  is  generally  oval, 
and  their  color  a  bluish-white.  Dimensions  vary  from  .68 
by  .53  inch  to  .62  by  .50  inch.  But  one  brood  is  reared  in 
the  summer. 

The  habits  of  this  bird  are  so  well  known  that  I  will  not 
give  them  an  extended  notice  here.  It  seems  to  be  a  per- 
sistently gregarious  species :  for,  even  in  the  breeding 
season,  several  families  are  usually  found  in  one  neighbor- 
hood ;  and  the  males  often  assemble  together,  and  pass  the 
time  in  collecting  food,  trimming  their  feathers,  and  bath- 
ing. In  fact,  this  bird  seems  to  be  more  of  a  dandy,  and 
consequently  less  of  a  family  man,  than  most  of  our  other 
species ;  and  I  have  noticed  that  he  leaves  the  greater  part 
of  the  burden  of  the  family  cares  upon  the  shoulders  of  his 
attentive  mate. 

When  the  season  of  incubation  has  passed,  the  birds 
assemble  in  flocks  of  from  ten  to  twenty  or  thirty  in  num- 
ber, and  frequent  the  gardens  and  stubble-fields,  where  they 
subsist  upon  the  seeds  of  various  weeds  and  grasses.  They 
have  a  short  note  like  che  w£ee,  which  is  uttered  often, 
sometimes  in  a  drawling,  plaintive  key,  and  at  other  times 
in  a  brisk,  cheerful  tone.  Their  flight  is  undulating  and 
irregular,  and  resembles  very  much  that  of  the  Wood- 
peckers. When  on  the  wing,  they  have  a  short,  simple 
chatter,  like  'che  'chS  'che  'che,  uttered  rapidly,  and  with 

19 


290  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

emphasis  on  the  second  syllable.  Occasionally,  the  male 
emits  a  continued  warbling  song,  very  similar  to  that  of  the 
Canary-bird ;  and  I  have  heard  one  of  this  species  sing  in 
confinement  almost  as  sweetly  and  often  as  its  more  familiar 
and  domesticated  relative. 

CHRYSOMITKIS  PINUS,—  Bonaparte. 
The  Pine  Finch. 

Fringillapims,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  II.  (1810)  133.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834) 
455;  V.  509. 

Chrysomitris pinus,  Bonaparte.    Consp.  (1850),  515. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Tail  deeply  forked;  above  brownish-olive;  beneath  whitish,  every  feather 
streaked  distinctly  with  dusky ;  concealed  bases  of  tail  feathers  and  quills,  together 
with  their  inner  edges,  sulphur-yellow ;  outer  edges  of  quills  and  tail  feathers  yel- 
lowish-green ;  two  brownish- white  bands  on  the  wing. 

Length,  four  and  seventy-five  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  three  inches ;  tail, 
two  and  twenty  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  bird  is  found  in  New  England,  usually  as  a  winter 
visitor.  While  here,  it  has  all  the  habits  of  the  preceding 
species,  and  might,  at  a  little  distance,  be  mistaken  for  that 
bird.  The  Pine  Finch,  as  its  name  implies,  prefers  the 
groves  and  forests  of  pines  to  other  trees ;  and  it  is  found  in 
all  our  pine  woods  in  flocks  of  twenty  or  thirty,  where  it 
feeds  on  the  seeds  contained  in  the  cones  on  these  trees. 
It  has  been  known  to  breed  in  Cambridge,  in  this  State ;  but 
I  know  nothing  of  its  breeding  habits. 

CURVTROSTRA,  SCOPOLI. 

Loxia,  LINNJSUS,  Syst.  Nat.,  1758.  (Type  Loxia  curvirostra,  L.  Not  of  1735, 
which  has  for  type  Loxia  coccolkraustes,  L.) 

Curvirostra,  SCOPOLI,  1777.    (Type  L.  curvirostra.) 

Mandibles  much  elongated,  compressed,  and  attenuated;  greatly  curved  or 
falcate,  the  points  crossing  or  overlapping  to  a  greater  or  less  degree ;  tarsi  very 
short;  claws  all  very  long,  the  lateral  extending  beyond  the  middle  of  the  central; 
hind  claw  longer  than  its  digit;  wings  very  long  and  pointed,  reaching  beyond  the 
middle  of  the  narrow,  forked  tail. 

Colors  reddish  in  the  male. 


THE   BED   CROSSBILL.  291 

The  elongated,  compressed,  fklcate-curved,  and  overlapping  mandibles  readily 
characterize  this  genus  among  birds. 

The  United-States  species  of  Curvirostra  are  readily  distinguished  by  the  pres- 
ence of  white  bands  on  the  wing  in  Leucoptera  and  their  absence  in  Americana. 


CURVIROSTRA  AMERICANA.  —  Wilson. 
The  Red  Crossbill. 

Curvirostra  Americana,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  IV.  (1811)  44. 
Loxia  curvirostra.    Aud.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  559;  V.  511. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Male  dull-red ;  darkest  across  the  back ;  wings  and  tail  dark  blackish-brown. 

Female  dull  greenish-olive  above,  each  feather  with  a  dusky  centre ;  rump  and 
crown  bright  greenish-yellow ;  beneath  grayish ;  tinged,  especially  on  the  sides  of 
the  body,  with  greenish-yellow;  young  entirely  brown;  paler  beneath. 

The  immature  and  young  birds  exhibit  all  imaginable  combinations  of  the  colors 
of  the  male  and  female.  They  all  agree  in  the  entire  absence  of  white  bands  on 
the  wings. 

Male  about  six  inches ;  wing,  three  and  thirty  one-hundredths  inches ;  tail,  two 
and  twenty-five  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  bird  is  very  irregularly  distributed  in  New  Eng- 
land, usually  as  a  winter  visitor.  Sometimes  it  is  quite 
rare  at  that  season  in  all  sections ;  and  occasionally  it 
is  very  abundant.  It  also  occurs  here  during  the  sum- 
mer ;  and,  according  to  both  Mr.  Allen  and  Mr.  Yerrill,  it 
sometimes  breeds  here.  Wilson  says  of  the  habits  of  this 
bird,  — 

"  On  first  glancing  at  the  bill  of  this  extraordinary  bird,  one  is 
apt  to  pronounce  it  deformed  and  monstrous :  but  on  attentively 
observing  the  use  to  which  it  is  applied  by  the  owner,  and  the  dex- 
terity with  which  he  detaches  the  seeds  of  the  pine-tree  from  the 
cone,  and  from  the  husks  that  enclose  them,  we  are  obliged  to  con- 
fess, on  this,  as  on  many  other  occasions  where  we  have  judged 
too  hastily  of  the  operations  of  nature,  that  no  other  conformation 
could  have  been  so  excellently  adapted  to  the  purpose ;  and  that 
its  deviation  from  the  common  form,  instead  of  being  a  defect  or 
monstrosity,  as  the  celebrated  French  naturalist  insinuates,  is  a 
striking  proof  of  the  wisdom  and  kind  superintending  care  of  the 
great  Creator. 


292  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

"This  species  is  a  regular  inhabitant  of  almost  all  our  pine 
forests  situated  north  of  40°,  from  the  beginning  of  September  to 
the  middle  of  April.  It  is  not  improbable  that  some  of  them  re- 
main during  the  summer  within  the  territory  of  the  United  States 
to  breed.  Their  numbers  must,  however,  be  comparatively  few,  as 
I  have  never  yet  met  with  any  of  them  in  summer,  though  lately 
I  took  a  journey  to  the  Great  Pine  Swamp  beyond  Pocano  Moun- 
tain, in  Northampton  County,  Pa.,  in  the  month  of  May,  expressly 
for  that  purpose;  and  ransacked,  for  six  or  seven  days,  the 
gloomy  recesses  of  that  extensive  and  desolate  morass,  without 
being  able  to  discover  a  single  Crossbill.  In  fall,  however,  as 
well  as  in  winter  and  spring,  this  tract  appears  to  be  their  favorite 
rendezvous ;  particularly  about  the  head  waters  of  the  Lehigh,  the 
banks  of  the  Tobyhanna,  Tunkhannock,  and  Bear  Creek,  where  I 
have  myself  killed  them  at  these  seasons.  They  then  appear  in 
large  flocks,  feeding  on  the  seeds  of  the  hemlock  and  white-pine ; 
have  a  loud,  sharp,  and  not  unmusical  note ;  chatter  as  they  fly ; 
alight,  during  the  prevalence  of  deep  snows,  before  the  door  of  the 
hunter,  and  around  the  house,  picking  off  the  clay  with  which 
the  logs  are  plastered,  and  searching  in  corners  where  urine,  or  any 
substance  of  a  saline  quality,  had  been  thrown.  At  such  times, 
they  are  so  tame  as  only  to  settle  on  the  roof  of  the  cabin  when 
disturbed,  and,  a  moment  after,  descend  to  feed  as  before.  They 
are  then  easily  caught  in  traps,  and  will  frequently  permit  one  to 
approach  so  near  as  to  knock  them  down  with  a  stick.  Those 
killed  and  opened  at  such  times  are  generally  found  to  have  the 
stomach  filled  with  a  soft,  greasy  kind  of  earth  or  clay.  When 
kept  in  a  cage,  they  have  many  of  the  habits  of  the  Parrot ;  often 
climbing  along  the  wires,  and  using  their  feet  to  grasp  the  cones  in, 
while  taking  out  the  seeds." 

Of  its  breeding  habits  I  know  nothing.     Nuttall  says,  — 

"  They  often  breed  in  winter  in  more  temperate  countries,  as  in 
January  and  February ;  and  the  young  fly  in  March.  The  nest 
is  said  to  be  fixed  in  the  forks  of  fir-trees ;  and  the  eggs,  four  or 
five,  are  of  a  greenish-gray,  with  a  circle  of  reddish-brown  spots, 
points,  and  lines,  disposed  chiefly  at  the  larger  end :  the  lines  also 
often  extend  over  the  whole  surface  of  the  egg." 


THE   WHITE-WINGED   CROSSBILL. 


293 


CURVIROSTRA  LEUCOPTERA.—  Wilson. 
The  White-winged  Crossbill. 

Loxia  leueqptera,  Audubon.     Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  (1838)  467. 
Curvirostra  leucqptera,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  IV.  (1811)  48. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  greatly  compressed,  and  acute  towards  the  point;  male  carmine-red,  tinged 
with  dusky  across  the  back;  the  sides  of  body  under  the  wings  streaked  with 
brown;  from  the  middle  of  belly  to  the  tail  coverts  whitish,  the  latter  streaked 
with  brown;  scapulars,  wings,  and  tail,  black;  the  broad  bands  on  the  wings 
across  the  ends  of  greater  and  median  coverts ;  white  spots  on  the  end  of  the  inner 
tertiaries. 

Female  brownish,  tinged  with  olive-green  in  places ;  feathers  of  the  back  and 
crown  with  dusky  centres;  rump  bright  brownish-yellow. 

Length,  about  six  and  twenty-five  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  three  and  fifty 
one-hundredths  inches ;  tail,  two  and  sixty  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  beautiful  bird  seems  to 
be  much  less  frequent  in  its 
winter  visits  to  New  England 
than  the  preceding.  It  has  all 
the  general  characteristics  of 
that  bird.  In  May,  in  the  Hud- 
son's Bay  country,  according 
to  Mr.  Hutchins,  it  builds  its 
nest  in  a  pine-tree.  This  is 
constructed  of  grass,  mud,  and 
feathers,  and  is  lined  with  moss 
and  other  soft  materials.  The 
female  lays  five  white  eggs, 
marked  with  yellowish  spots. 


^EGIOTHUS,  CABANIS. 

^Egiothus,  CABANIS,  Mus.  Hein.,  1851,  161.  (Type  Fringilla  linaria,  Linn.) 
Bill  very  short,  conical,  and  acutely  pointed,  the  outlines  even  concave;  the 
commissure  straight ;  the  base  of  the  upper  mandible  and  the  nostrils  concealed  by 
stiff,  appressed  bristly  feathers;  middle  of  the  mandible  having  several  ridges 
parallel  with  the  culmen ;  inner  lateral  toe  rather  the  longer,  its  claw  reaching  the 
middle  of  the  middle  claw ;  the  hind  toe  rather  longer,  its  claw  longer  than  the  digi- 
tal portion ;  wings  very  long,  reaching  the  middle  of  the  tail ;  second  quill  a  little 
longer  than  the  first  and  third;  tail  deeply  forked. 


294  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

JEGIOTHUS  LINAEIA.  —  Cabanis. 

The  Lesser  Redpoll. 

Fringilla  linaria,  Linnzeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  322.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  IV. 
(1838)  533. 

JSgiothus  linaria,  Cabanis.    Mus.  Hein.  (1851),  161. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Above  light-yellowish,  each  feather  streaked  with  dark-brown;  crown  dark- 
crimson  ;  upper  part  of  breast  and  sides  of  the  body  tinged  with  a  lighter  tint  of  the 
same ;  the  rump  and  under  tail  coverts  also  similar,  but  still  less  vivid,  and  with 
dusky  streaks ;  rest  of  under  parts  white,  streaked  on  the  sides  with  brown ;  loral 
region  and  chin  dusky;  cheeks  (brightest  over  the  eye),  and  a  narrow  front, 
whitish ;  wing  feathers  edged  externally,  and  tail  feathers  all  round  with  white ;  two 
vellowish-white  bands  across  the  wing  coverts;  secondaries  and  tertiaries  edged 
broadly  with  the  same;  bill  yellowish,  tinged  with  brown  on  the  culmen  and 
gonys;  the  basal  bristles  brown,  reaching  over  half  the  bill. 

The  specimen  described  above  is  a  male  in  winter  dress.  The  spring  plumage 
has  much  more  of  the  red.  The  female  winter  specimens  lack  the  rose  of  the 
under  parts  and  rump;  the  breast  is  streaked  across  with  dusky. 

Length,  five  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  three  and  ten  one-hundredths 
inches ;  tail,  two  and  seventy  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  species  is  a  pretty  common  winter  visitor  in  all  parts 
of  New  England.  It  congregates  in  large  flocks,  which 
frequent  old  fields  and  pastures  and  stubble-fields,  and  feed 
on  the  seeds  of  weeds  and  grasses.  It  has,  while  with  us, 
the  note  and  general  habits  of  the  Goldfinch  and  Pine 
Finch,  and  might'easily,  at  a  little  distance,  be  mistaken  for 
those  birds.  They  seem  fond  of  the  seeds  of  the  white 
birch ;  and  they  cluster  so  thick  on  a  branch  of  this  tree, 
while  securing  the  seeds,  that  I  have  killed  as  many  as  a 
dozen  at  a  shot.  Mr.  Selby's  account  of  the  nest  and  eggs 
is  as  follows  :  — 

"  It  is  only  known  in  the  southern  parts  of  Britain  as  a  winter 
visitant ;  and  is  at  that  period  gregarious,  and  frequently  taken,  in 
company  with  the  other  species,  by  the  bird-catchers,  by  whom  it  is 
called  the  Stone  Redpoll.  In  the  northern  counties  of  England, 
and  in  Scotland  and  its  isles,  it  is  resident  through  the  year.  It 
retires,  during  the  summer,  to  the  underwood  that  covers  the  bases 
of  many  of  our  mountains  and  hills,  and  that  often  fringes  the 


THE  MEALY  REDPOLL.  295 

banks  of  their  precipitous  streams ;  in  which  sequestered  situa- 
tions it  breeds.  The  nest  is  built  in  a  bush  or  low  tree  (such  as 
willow,  alder,  or  hazel),  of  moss  and  the  stalks  of  dry  grass,  inter- 
mixed with  down  from  the  catkin  of  the  willow,  which  also  forms 
the  lining,  and  renders  it  a  particularly  soft  and  warm  receptacle 
for  the  eggs  and  young.  From  this  substance  being  a  constant 
material  of  the  nest,  it  follows  that  the  young  are  produced  late 
in  the  season,  and  are  seldom  able  to  fly  before  the  end  of  June  or 
the  beginning  of  July.  The  eggs  are  four  or  five  in  number  :  their 
color  pale  bluish-green,  spotted  with  orange-brown,  principally 
towards  the  larger  end.  In  winter,  the  Lesser  Redpoll  descends  to 
the  lower  grounds  in  considerable  flocks ;  frequenting  woods  and 
plantations,  more  especially  such  as  abound  in  birch  or  alder  trees, 
the  catkins  of  which  yield  it  a  plentiful  supply  of  food.  When 
feeding,  its  motion  affords  both  interest  and  amusement ;  since,  in 
order  to  reach  the  catkins,  which  generally  grow  near  the  extremi- 
ties of  the  smaller  branches,  it  is  obliged,  like  the  Titmouse,  to 
hang  with  its  back  downwards,  and  assume  a  variety  of  constrained 
attitudes :  and,  when  thus  engaged,  it  is  so  intent  upon  its  work,  as 
frequently  to  allow  itself  to  be  taken  by  a  long  stick  smeared  with 
bird-lime ;  in  which  way  I  have  occasionally  captured  it  when  hi 
want  of  specimens  for  examination.  It  also  eats  the  buds  of  trees, 
and  (when  in  flocks)  proves  in  this  way  seriously  injurious  to 
young  plantations.  Its  call-note  is  very  frequently  repeated  when 
on  wing,  and  by  .this  it  may  be  always  distinguished  from  the  other 
species.  The  notes  it  produces  during  the  pairing  season,  although 
few,  and  not  delivered  in  continuous  song,  are  sweet  and  pleasing." 

JEGIOTHUS  CANESCENS.—  Cabanis. 
The  Mealy  Redpoll. 

jEgiothus  canescens,  Cabanis.    Mus.  Hem.  (1851),  161. 
IFringilla  borealis,  Audubon.    On.  Biog.,  V.  (1839)  87. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Size  large ;  bill  short ;  claws  elongated ;  rump  white  (in  the  spring,  male  tinged 
with  rose),  never  streaked ;  the  quills  broadly  margined  with  white. 
Length,  six  inches ;  tail,  three  and  seventeen  one-hundredths. 

This  bird  occurs  only  as  an  exceedingly  rare  winter  visi- 
tor in  New  England.     I  have  never  met  with  it  myself,  but 


296  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

Mr.  Yerrill  says  that  it  is  found  rarely  in  Maine.     I  know 
nothing  of  its  habits,  nest,  or  eggs. 

PLECTROPHANES,  MEYER. 

Plectropkanes,  MEYER,  Taschenbuch  (1810).  Agassiz.  (Type  Emberiza  nivalis.) 
Bill  variable,  conical,  the  lower  mandible  higher  than  the  upper;  the  sides  of 
both  mandibles  (in  the  typical  species)  guarded  by  a  closely  applied  brush  of  stiffened 
bristly  feathers  directed  forwards,  and  in  the  upper  jaw  concealing  the  nostrils;  the 
outlines  of  the  bill  nearly  straight,  or  slightly  curved;  the  lower  jaw  considerably 
broader  at  the  base  than  the  upper,  and  wider  than  the  gonys  is  long ;  tarsi  consid- 
ably  longer  than  the  middle  toe;  the  lateral  toes  nearly  equal  (the  inner  claw 
largest),  and  reaching  to  the  base  of  the  middle  claw ;  the  hinder  claw  very  long ; 
moderately  curved  and  acute ;  considerably  longer  than  its  toe ;  the  toe  and  claw 
together  reaching  to  the  middle  of  the  middle  claw,  or  beyond  its  tip ;  wings  very 
long  and  much  pointed,  reaching  nearly  to  the  end  of  the  tail ;  the  first  quill  longest, 
the  others  rapidly  graduated ;  the  tertiaries  a  little  longer  than  the  secondaries ;  tail 
moderate,  about  two-thirds  as  long  as  the  wings ;  nearly  even,  or  slightly  emargi- 
nated. 

PLECTROPHANES  NIVALIS.  —  Meyer. 
The  Snow  Bunting. 

Emberiza  nivalis,  Linnaeus.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  308.    Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  III. 
(1811)  86;  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  515;  V.  (1839)  496. 
"Plectrophanes  nivalis,  Meyer."    Bon.  List  (1838). 

DESCRIPTION. 

Colors,  in  full  plumage,  entirely  black  and  white ;  middle  of  back  between  scapu- 
lars, terminal  half  of  primaries  and  tertiaries,  and  two  innermost  tail  feathers,  black ; 
elsewhere  pure-white;  legs  black  at  all  seasons.  In  winter  dress  white  beneath; 
the  head  and  rump  yellowish-brown,  as  also  some  blotches  on  the  side  of  the  breast; 
middle  of  back  brown,  streaked  with  black ;  white  on  wings  and  tail  much  more 
restricted. 

This  species  varies  much  in  color;  and  the  male  in  full  plumage  is  seldom,  if  ever, 
seen  within  the  limits  of  the  United  States. 

Length,  about  six  and  seventy-five  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  four  and  thirty- 
five  one-hundredths ;  tail,  three  and  five  one-hundredths  inches ;  first  quill  longest. 

This  is  a  very  common  winter  visitor  in  all  parts  of  New 
England,  but  is  most  abundant  in  localities  near  the  sea- 
coast.  I  have  seen  flocks  of  hundreds  of  individuals  in  the 
marshes  in  Plymouth  County,  Mass.,  and  have  almost 
always  noticed  that  they  were  accompanied  by  Shore-larks 
and  Redpolls.  They  feed  on  seeds  of  various  wild  plants 


THE   SNOW   BUNTING. 


297 


and  small  shell-fish,  and  become,  during  their  stay  here, 
very  fat,  and  are  accounted  as  delicate  eating  by  epicures, 
for  whose  tables  they  are  killed  in  great  numbers. 

The  following  interesting  account  of  the  habits  of  this 
species  is  by  Wilson.  It  is  partly  compiled  from  the  observa- 
tions of  Mr.  Pennant :  — 

"  These  birds,"  says  Mr.  Pennant,  "  inhabit,  not  only  .Greenland, 
but  even  the  dreadful  climate  of  Spitzbergen,  where  vegetation  is 
nearly  extinct,  and  scarcely  any  but 
cryptogamous  plants  are  found.  It 
therefore  excites  wonder,  how  birds 
which  are  graminivorous  in  every 
other  than  those  frost-bound  regions 
subsist,  yet  are  there  found  in  great 
flocks,  both  on  the  land  and  ice  of 
Spitzbergen.  They  annually  pass 
to  this  country  by  way  of  Norway ; 
for,  in  the  spring,  flocks  innumer- 
able appear,  especially  on  the  Nor- 
wegian isles,  continue  only  three 
weeks,  and  then  at  once  disappear. 
As  they  do  not  breed  in  Hudson's 
Bay,  it  is  certain  that  many  retreat 
to  this  last  of  lands,  and  totally  uninhabited,  to  perform,  in  full 
security,  the  duties  of  love,  incubation,  and  nutrition.  That  they 
breed  in  Spitzbergen  is  very  probable;  but  we  are  assured  that 
they  do  so  in  Greenland.  They  arrive  there  in  April,  and  make 
their  nests  in  the  fissures  of  the  rocks  on  the  mountains  in  May : 
the  outside  of  their  nest  is  grass,  the  middle  of  feathers,  and  the 
lining  the  down  of  the  arctic  fox.  They  lay  five  eggs,  —  white, 
spotted  with  brown :  they  sing  finely  near  their  nest. 

"  They  are  caught  by  the  boys  in  autumn,  when  they  collect 
near  the  shores  in  great  flocks,  in  order  to  migrate,  and  are  eaten 
dried. 

"  In  Europe,  they  inhabit,  during  summer,  the  most  naked  Lap- 
land alps  ;  and  descend  in  rigorous  seasons  into  Sweden,  and  fill  the 
roads  and  fields,  —  on  which  account  the  Dalecarlians  call  them 


298  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

Mlwarsfogel,  or  bad-weather  birds;  the  Uplanders,  Hardwars- 
fogel,  expressive  of  the  same.  The  Laplanders  style  them  Alaipg. 
Leems  remarks,  I  know  not  with  what  foundation,  that  they  fatten 
on  the  flowing  of  the  tides  in  Finmark,  and  grow  lean  on  the  ebb. 
The  Laplanders  take  them  in  great  numbers  in  hair  springs,  for  the 
tables  ;  their  flesh  being  very  delicate. 

"  They  seem  to  make  the  countries  within  the  whole  arctic  circle 
their  summer  residence,  from  whence  they  overflow  the  more  south- 
ern countries  in  amazing  multitudes  at  the  setting-in  of  winter  in 
the  frigid  zone.  In  the  winter  of  1778-79,  they  came  in  such  mul- 
titudes into  Birsa,  one  of  the  Orkney  Islands,  as  to  cover  the  whole 
barony ;  yet,  of  all  the  numbers,  hardly  two  agreed  in  colors. 

"  Lapland,  and  perhaps  Iceland,  furnishes  the  north  of  Britain 
with  the  swarms  that  frequent  these  parts  during  winter,  as  low 
as  the  Cheviot  Hills,  in  latitude  52°  32';  their  resting-places,  the 
Feroe  Isles,  Shetland,  and  the  Orkneys.  The  Highlands  of  Scot- 
land, in  particular,  abound  with  them.  Their  flights  are  immense ; 
and  they  mingle  so  closely  together  in  form  of  a  ball,  that  the 
fowlers  make  great  havoc  among  them.  They  arrive  lean,  soon 
become  very  fat,  and  are  delicious  food.  They  either  arrive  in  the 
Highlands  very  early,  or  a  few  breed  there ;  for  I  had  one  shot  for 
me,  at  Invercauld,  the  4th  of  August.  But  there  is  a  certainty  of 
their  migration;  for  multitudes  of  them  fall,  wearied  with  their 
passage,  on  the  vessels  that  are  sailing  through  the  Pentland 
Firth. 

"  In  their  summer  dress,  they  are  sometimes  seen  in  the  south  of 
England,  the  climate  not  having  severity  sufficient  to  affect  the 
colors;  yet  now  and  then  a  milk-white  one  appears,  which  is 
usually  mistaken  for  a  white  Lark. 

"  Russia  and  Siberia  receive  them  in  their  severe  seasons 
annually,  in  amazing  flocks,  overflowing  almost  all  Russia.  They 
frequent  the  villages,  and  yield  a  most  luxurious  repast.  They  vary 
there  infinitely  in  their  winter  colors,  are  pure-white,  speckled,  and 
even  quite  brown.  This  seems  to  be  the  influence  of  difference  of 
age,  more  than  of  season.  Germany  has  also  its  share  of  them. 
In  Austria,  they  are  caught  and  fed  with  millet,  and  afford  the 
epicure  a  treat  equal  to  that  of  the  Ortolan. 

"  These  birds  appear  in  the  northern  districts  of  the  United  States 


THE   SNOW   BUNTING.  299 

early  in  December,  or  with  the  first  heavy  snow,  particularly  if 
drifted  by  high  winds.  They  are  usually  called  the  White  Snowbird, 
to  distinguish  them  from  the  small  dark-bluish  Snowbird  already 
described.  Their  numbers  increase  with  the  increasing  severity  of 
weather,  and  depth  of  snow.  Flocks  of  them  sometimes  reach  as 
far  south  as  the  borders  of  Maryland ;  and  the  whiteness  of  their 
plumage  is  observed  to  be  greatest  towards  the  depth  of  winter. 
They  spread  over  the  Genesee  country  and  the  interior  of  the 
District  of  Maine,  flying  in  close,  compact  bodies,  driving  about 
most  in  a  high  wind ;  sometimes  alighting  near  the  doors,  but  sel- 
dom sitting  long,  being  a  roving,  restless  bird.  In  these  plentiful 
regions,  where  more  valuable  game  is  abundant,  they  hold  out  no 
temptation  to  the  sportsman  or  hunter ;  and,  except  the  few  caught 
by  boys  in  snares,  no  other  attention  is  paid  to  them.  They  are, 
however,  universally  considered  as  the  harbingers  of  severe  cold 
weather.  How  far  westward  they  extend  I  am  unable  to  say. 
One  of  the  most  intelligent  and  expert  hunters,  who  accompanied 
Captains  Lewis  and  Clark  on  their  expedition  to  the  Pacific  Ocean, 
informs  me  that  he  has  no  recollection  of  seeing  these  birds  in  any 
part  of  their  tour,  not  even  among  the  bleak  and  snowy  regions  of 
the  Stony  Mountains ;  though  the  little  blue  one  was  in  abundance. 
"  The  Snow  Bunting  derives  a  considerable  part  of  its  food  from 
the  seeds  of  certain  aquatic  plants,  which  may  be  one  reason  for  its 
preferring  these  remote  northern  countries,  so  generally  intersected 
with  streams,  ponds,  lakes,  and  shallow  arms  of  the  sea,  that  proba- 
bly abound  with  such  plants.  In  passing  down  the  Seneca  River 
towards  Lake  Ontario,  late  in  the  month  of  October,  I  was  sur- 
prised by  the  appearance  of  a  large  flock  of  these  birds,  feeding  on 
the  surface  of  the  water,  supported  on  the  tops  of  a  growth  of 
weeds  that  rose  from  the  bottom,  growing  so  close  together  that  our 
boat  could  with  great  difficulty  make  its  way  through  them.  They 
were  running  about  with  great  activity ;  and  those  I  shot  and  ex- 
amined were  filled,  not  only  with  the  seeds  of  this  plant,  but  with  a 
minute  kind  of  shell-fish  that  adheres  to  the  leaves.  In  this  kind 
of  aquatic  excursions,  they  are  doubtless  greatly  assisted  by  the 
length  of  their  hind  heel  and  claws.  I  also  observed  a  few  on 
Table  Rock,  above  the  Falls  of  Niagara,  seemingly  in  search  of  the 
same  kind  of  food. 


300  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 

According  to  the  statements  of  those  traders  who  have  resided 
near  Hudson's  Bay,  the  Snow  Buntings  are  the  earliest  of  their 
migratory  birds;  appearing  there  about  the  llth  of  April,  staying 
about  a  month  or  five  weeks,  and  proceeding  farther  north  to  breed. 
They  return  again  in  September,  stay  till  November,  when  the 
severe  frosts  drive  them  southward." 

PLECTROPHANES   LAPPONICUS.  —  Selby. 
The  Lapland  Longspur. 

Erriberiza  lapponica,  Audubon.    Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  (1838)  472. 
Plectrophanes  lappvnicus,  "  Selby."    Bon.  List  (1838). 

DESCRIPTION. 

First  quill  longest;  legs  black;  head  all  round  black,  this  extending  as  a  semi- 
circular patch  to  the  upper  part  of  breast;  sides  of  lower  neck  and  under  parts 
white,  with  black  streaks  on  the  sides,  and  spots  -on  the  side  of  the  breast ;  a  short 
brownish-white  streak  back  of  the  eye ;  a  broad  chestnut  collar  on  the  back  of  the 
neck;  rest  of  upper  parts  brownish-yellow,  streaked  with  dark-brown;  outer  tail 
feathers  white,  except  on  the  basal  portion  of  the  inner  web. 

This  species  is  very  seldom  seen  in  full  spring  plumage  in  the  United  States.  In 
perfect  dress,  the  black  of  the  throat  probably  extends  further  down  over  the  breast. 
In  winter,  the  black  is  more  or  less  concealed  by  whitish  tips  to  the  feathers  beneath, 
and  by  yellowish-brown  on  the  crown.  Some  fall  specimens,  apparently  females, 
show  no  black  whatever  on  the  throat,  which,  with  the  under  parts  generally,  are 
dull-white,  with  a  short  black  streak  on  each  side  of  the  throat. 

Length,  about  six  and  twenty-five  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  three  and 
ninety  one-hundredths;  tail,  two  and  eight  one-hundredths. 

This  bird  is  found  only  as  an  extremely  rare  winter 
visitor  in  New  England.  I  have  never  known  of  more  than 
a  dozen  being  taken  here,  and  those  were  in  scattered  par- 
ties of  two  or  three  in  the  winter  of  1857.  I  know  nothing 
whatever  of  its  habits,  and  can  give  no  description,  from  my 
own  observation,  of  its  nests  and  eggs.  We  are  informed 
by  Dr.  Richardson,  that  it  breeds  in  the  moist  meadows  on 
the  shores  of  the  Arctic  Sea.  The  nest  is  placed  on  a  small 
hillock,  among  moss  and  stones  ;  is  composed  externally 
of  the  dry  stems  of  grass,  interwoven  to  a  considerable 
thickness  ;  and  lined,  very  neatly  and  compactly,  with  deer's 
hair.  The  eggs,  usually  seven,  are  pale  ochre-yellow, 
spotted  with  brown. 


THE    SAVANNAH   SPARROW.  301 


Sub-Family  SPIZELLIN^E. —  The  Sparrows. 

Bill  variable,  usually  almost  straight ;  sometimes  curved ;  commissure  generally 
nearly  straight,  or  slightly  concave;  upper  mandible  wider  than  lower;  nostrils 
exposed;  wings  moderate;  the  outer  primaries  not  much  rounded;  tail  variable; 
feet  large;  tarsi  mostly  longer  than  the  middle  toe. 

The  species  are  usually  small,  and  of  dull  color.  Nearly  all  are  streaked  on  the 
back  and  crown ;  often  on  the  belly.  None  of  the  United-States  species  have  any 
red,  blue,  or  orange ;  and  the  yellow,  when  present,  is  as  a  superciliary  streak,  or  on 
the  elbow  edge  of  the  wing. 


PASSERCULUS,  BONAPARTE. 

Passerculus,  BONAPARTE,  Comp.  List  Birds  (1838).  (Type  Fringilla  Savanna.) 
Bill  moderately  conical;  the  lower  mandible  smaller;  both  outlines  nearly 
straight;  tarsus  about  equal  to  the'middle  toe;  lateral  toes  about  equal,  their  claws 
falling  far  short  of  the  middle  one ;  hind  toe  much  longer  than  the  lateral  ones, 
reaching  as  far  as  the  middle  of  the  middle  claw ;  its  claws  moderately  curved ; 
wings  unusually  long,  reaching  to  the  middle  of  the  tail,  and  almost  to  the  end  of  the 
upper  coverts ;  the  tertials  nearly  or  quite  as  long  as  the  primaries ;  the  first  primary 
longest;  the  tail  is  quite  short,  considerably  shorter  than  the  wings,  as  long  as 
from  the  carpal  joint  to  the  end  of  the  secondaries;  it  is  emarginate,  and  slightly 
rounded;  the  feathers  pointed  and  narrow. 

Entire  plumage  above,  head,  neck,  back,  and  rump,  streaked;  thickly  streaked 
beneath. 

PASSERCULUS   SAVANNA.  —  Bonaparte. 
The  Savannah  Sparrow. 

Fringilla  Savanna,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  III.  (1811)  55.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II. 
(1834)63;  V.  (1839),  516. 

Passerculus  Savanna,  Bonaparte.    List  (1838). 

DESCRIPTION. 

Feathers  of  the  upper  parts  generally  with  a  central  streak  of  blackish-brown ; 
the  streaks  of  the  back  with  a  slight  rufous  suffusion  laterally ;  the  feathers  edged 
with  gray,  which  is  lightest  on  the  scapulars;  crown  with  a  broad  median  stripe  of 
yellowish-gray ;  a  superciliary  streak  from  the  bill  to  the  back  of  the  head,  eyelids, 
and  edge  of  the  elbow,  yellow ;  a  yellowish-white  maxillary  stripe  curving  behind 
the  ear  coverts,  and  margined  above  and  below  by  brown;  the  lower  margin  is  a 
series  of  thickly  crowded  spots  on  the  sides  of  the  throat,  which  are  also  found  on 
the  sides  of  the  neck,  across  the  upper  part  of  the  breast,  and  on  the  sides  of  the 
body ;  a  few  spots  on  the  throat  and  chin ;  rest  of  under  parts  white ;  outer  tail 
feather  and  primary  edged  with  white. 

Length,  five  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  two  and  seventy  one-hun- 
dredths  inches;  tail,  two  and  ten  one-hundredths  inches. 


302  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

This  bird  seems  to  be  rather  irregularly  distributed 
throughout  New  England  in  the  summer  season.  In  the 
eastern  part  o'f  Massachusetts,  it  is  quite  common ;  in 
the  western  part,  "chiefly  a  spring  and  summer  visitant," 
but  "not  common."  Mr.  Allen  has  never  found  it  breed- 
ing in  the  neighborhood  of  Springfield ;  but,  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  the  seacoast  in  the  same  State,  it  is  abundant  in 
the  breeding  season.  On  the  contrary,  in  Maine,  it  is  not 
at  all  common  near  the  seacoast ;  but  in  the  interior,  even 
as  far  as  the  western  borders,  it  is  one  of  the  most  plentiful 
of  Sparrows.  It  arrives  in  Massachusetts  as  early  as  the 
first  week  in  April ;  in  Maine,  seldom  before  the  middle  of 
that  month.  About  the  first  week  in  May  in  Massachusetts, 
and  later  as  we  advance  north,  the  birds  commence  build- 
ing. The  nest  is  placed  on  the  ground,  usually  under  a 
tussock  of  grass :  it  is  constructed  of  fine  grasses  and 
roots,  which  are  bent  and  twined  together  rather  neatly; 
and  the  whole  is  lined  with  hairlike  roots  and  fine  grass. 
The  eggs  are  usually  four  in  number,  grayish-white  in  color, 
and  covered  irregularly  with  spots  of  umber-brown  and  lilac. 
Their  form  varies  from  long  and  slender  to  quite  short 
and  thick :  their  dimensions  vary  from  .76  by  .60  to  .72  by 
.58  inch.  Two  broods  are  often  reared  in  the  season.  This 
species  rather  prefers  pastures  and  fields  at  a  distance  from 
houses  for  a  home  to  their  more  immediate  neighborhood. 

On  the  seaboard,  this  species  is  most  often  found  on  or 
near  the  sandy  beaches,  where  it  is  observed  busily  glean- 
ing, in  the  seaweed  and  little  bunches  of  beach-grass,  the 
insects  and  mollusks  that  are  found  there.  In  the  interior, 
it  prefers  the  dry,  sandy  fields  and  pastures,  where,  running 
about  with  great  rapidity,  its  white  outer  tail  feathers  spread, 
it  is  always  industrious  in  its  search  for  coleopterous  insects 
and  seeds. 

The  female,  when  the  nest  is  approached,  leaves  it,  and 
runs  limping  off,  her  wings  extended,  uttering  the  chatter- 
ing cry  peculiar  to  the  Sparrows. 


THE   GRASS   FINCH.  303 

The  male,  during  the  mating  and  the  early  part  of  the 
breeding  season,  has  a  very  sweet  and  pretty  song  which  he 
chants  most  often  at  morning  and  early  evening,  and  during 
dark  and  cloudy  weather. 

This  song  is  difficult  of  description :  it  resembles  nearly 
the  syllables  'chewee  'chewitt  'chewitt  'chewitt  'cheweet  'chewee, 
uttered  slowly  and  plaintively.  It  has  also  a  short  chirp, 
quite  faint,  yet  shrill,  which,  as  Mr.  Nuttall  truly  remarks, 
almost  exactly  resembles  the  chirping  of  a  cricket. 

About  the  first  week  in  October,  this  species  gathers  in 
small,  detached  flocks ;  and,  after  frequenting  the  stubble- 
fields  and  gardens  a  week  or  two,  the  whole  leave  for  the 
South. 

POOCLETES,  BAIRD. 

Bill  rather  large ;  upper  outline  slightly  decurved  towards  the  end,  lower  straight ; 
commissure  slightly 'concave;  tarsus  about  equal  to  the  middle  toe;  outer  toe  a 
little  longer  than  the  inner,  its  claw  reaching  to  the  concealed  base  of  the  middle 
claw ;  hind  toe  reaching  to  the  middle  of  the  middle  claw ;  wings  unusually  long, 
reaching  to  the  middle  of  the  tail,  as  far  as  the  coverts,  and  pointed,  the  primaries 
considerably  longer  than  the  secondaries,  which  are  not  much  surpassed  by  the 
tertiaries;  second  and  third  quills  longest;  first  little  shorter,  about  equal  to  the 
fourth,  shorter  than  the  tail;  the  outer  feathers  scarcely  shorter;  the  feathers  rather 
stiff,  each  one  acuminate  and  sharply  pointed ;  the  feathers  broad  nearly  to  the  end, 
when  they  are  obliquely  truncate;  streaked  with  brown  above  everywhere;  beneath, 
on  the  breast  and  sides ;  the  lateral  tail  feather  is  white. 

POOCJETES   GRAMINEUS.  —  Baird. 
The  Grass  Finch;  Bay-winged  Bunting. 

Fringilla  graminea,  Gmelin.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1788)  922.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  I. 
(1831)  473;  V.  502. 

Emberiza  graminea,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  IV.  (1811)  51. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Tail  feathers  rather  acute ;  above  light  yellowish-brown ;  the  feathers  everywhere 
streaked  abruptly  with  dark-brown,  even  on  the  sides  of  the  neck,  which  are  paler; 
beneath  yellowish-white ;  on  the  breast  and  sides  of  neck  and  body  streaked  with 
brown ;  a  faint  light  superciliary  and  maxillary  stripe ;  the  latter  margined  above 
and  below  with  dark-brown;  the  upper  stripe  continued  around  the  ear  coverts, 
which  are  darker  than  the  brown  color  elsewhere;  wings  with  the  shoulder  light 
chestnut-brown,  and  with  two  dull-whitish  bands  along  the  ends  of  the  coverts;  the 
outer  edge  of  the  secondaries  also  is  white ;  outer  tail  feather,  and  edge  and  tip 
of  the  second,  white. 


304  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

Length,  about  six  and  twenty-five  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  three  and  ten 
one-hundredths  inches. 

Hub.  —  United  States  from  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific;  or  else  one  species  to  the  high 
central  plains,  and  another  from  this  to  the  Pacific. 

This  Sparrow  is  abundantly  distributed  throughout  New 
England  in  the  breeding  season.  It  arrives  about  the  first 
week  in  April,  and  commences  building  about  the  last  of 
that  month  in  Massachusetts ;  in  Maine,  about  the  first 
of  June.  The  nest,  like  that  of  the  preceding  species,  is 
built  in  open,  dry  pastures  and  fields,  at  the  foot  of  a  tuft 
of  grass,  and  is  composed  of  the  same  materials  and  con- 
structed in  the  same  form  as  the  others ;  and  I  would  here 
remark,  that,  of  our  New-England  sparrows,  it  is  impossible 
to  distinguish  most  species,  either  in  manner  and  material 
of  nest,  and  form  and  color  of  eggs,  in  the  great  variations 
which  exist  in  them.  The  descriptions  already  given,  and 
those  which  follow,  are  made  from  the  average  specimens, 
or  in  the  forms  in  which  they  are  most  often  met.  The 
eggs  of  the  Grass  Finch  are  usually  about  four  in  number  : 
they  are  of  a  grayish,  livid-white  color,  and  marked  irregu- 
larly with  spots  of  obscure  brown,  over  which  are  blotches 
of  black.  Dimensions  of  specimens  from  various  localities 
vary  from  .88  by  .60  to  .76  by  .58  inch.  Two  broods,  and 
sometimes  three,  are  reared  in  the  season. 

The  habits  of  this  and  the  succeeding  species  so  much 
resemble  those  of  the  preceding,  that  it  is  difficult  to 
describe  either  so  that  they  may  be  readily  recognized. 
The  present  bird  is  more  civilized  in  its  habits,  and  usually 
resides  much  nearer  the  habitations  of  man  than  the  others  ; 
but  in  other  respects  it  resembles  them  in  all  their  charac- 
teristics. 

COTURNICULUS,  BONAPARTE. 

Coterniculus,  BONAPARTE,  Geog.  List  (1838).    (Type  Fringilla passerina,  Wils.) 
Bill  very  large  and  stout;  the  under  mandible  broader,  but  lower  than  the  upper, 
which  is  considerably  convex  at  the  basal  portion  of  its  upper  outline ;  legs  mod- 
erate, apparently  not  reaching  to  the  end  of  the  tail;  the  tarsus  appreciably  longer 


THE   YELLOW-WINGED    SPARROW.  305 

than  ijie  middle^toe ;  the  lateral  toes  equal,  and  with  their  claws  falling  decidedly 
short  of  the  middle  claw ;  the  hind  toe  intermediate  between  the  two ;  the  wings  are 
short  and  rounded,  reaching  to  the  base  of  the  tail ;  the  tertiaries  almost  as  long  as 
the  primaries;  not  much  difference  in  the  lengths  of  the  primaries,  although  the 
outer  three  or  four  are  slightly  graduated ;  the  tail  is  short  and  narrow,  decidedly 
shorter  than  the  wing,  graduated  laterally,  but  slightly  emarginate;  the  feathers  all 
lanceolate  and  acute,  but  not  stiffened,  as  in  Ammodromus. 

The  upper  parts  generally  are  streaked ;  the  blotches  on  the  interscapular  region 
very  wide ;  the  breast  and  sides  are  generally  streaked  more  or  less  distinctly ;  the 
edge  of  the  wing  is  yellow. 


COTURNICULUS  PASSERINUS.  —  Bonaparte. 
The  Yellow-winged  Sparrow. 

Fringilla  passerina,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  III.  (1811)  76.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II. 
(1834) 180;  V.  497. 

Coturniculus  passerina,  Bonaparte.    List  (1838). 

Fringilla  Savanarum  (Gmelin),  Nuttall.  Man.,  I.  (1832)  494.  Ib.  (2d  ed., 
1840),  570. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Feathers  of  the  upper  parts  brownish-rufous,  margined  narrowly  and  abruptly 
with  ash-color;  reddest  on  the  lower  part  of  the  back  and  rump;  the  feathers  all 
abruptly  black  in  the  central  portion ;  this  color  visible  on  the  interscapular  region, 
where  the  rufous  is  more  restricted;  crown  blackish,  with  a  central  and  superciliary 
stripe  of  yellowish  tinged  with  brown,  brightest  in  front  of  the  eye ;  bend  of  the 
wing  bright-yellow;  lesser  coverts  tinged  with  greenish-yellow;  quills  and  tail 
feathers  edged  with  whitish;  tertiaries  much  variegated;  lower  parts  brownish- 
yellow,  nearly  white  on  the  middle  of  the  belly;  the  feathers  of  the  upper  breast 
and  sides  of  the  body  with  obsoletely  darker  centres. 

Length,  about  five  inches;  wing,  two  and  forty  one-hundredths  inches;  tail,  two 
inches. 

The  young  of  this  species  has  the  upper  part  of  the  breast  streaked  with  black, 
much  more  distinct  than  in  the  adult,  and  exhibiting  a  close  resemblance  to  C.  Hens- 
lorn. 

Specimens  from  the  Far  West  have  the  reddish  of  the  back  considerably  paler ; 
the  light  stripe  on  the  head,  with  scarcely  any  yellow;  a  decided  spot  in  front 
of  the  eye  quite  yellow. 

This  bird  is  irregularly  distributed.  In  Massachusetts  it 
is  rare  near  the  seacoast,  but  in  the  western  part  is  an 
"  abundant  summer  visitant ;  arrives  about  the  first  week 
in  May,  and  leaves  in  autumn  the  earliest  of  the  Sparrows." 
—  ALLEN.  It  is  not  included  in  Mr.  Yen-ill's  list  of  Maine 
birds ;  and  I  have  never  met  with  it  in  that  State  or  the 
other  two  northern  ones,  although  it  probably  occurs  there, 

20 


306  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

but  not  abundantly.  The  nest  is  built,  like  the  two  preced- 
ing species,  on  the  ground,  in  the  same  localities,  and  of  the 
same  materials  ;  but  the  eggs  are  different,  being  pure-white 
in  color,  with  thinly  scattered  spots  of  reddish-brown :  they 
are  usually  five  in  number,  and  their  dimensions  vary  from 
.78  by  .60  to  .74  by  .58  inch.  Two  broods  are  often  reared 
in  the  same  season.  Its  habits  are  similar  to  those  of  the 
Savannah  Sparrow. 

COTURNICULUS  HENSLOWI.  —  Bonaparte. 
Henslow's  Bunting. 

Emberiza  Henslowi,  Audubon.  Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1831)  360.  Nutt.  Man.,  I.  (1832) 
App. 

Coturniculus  Hensloivi,  Bonaparte.    List  (1838).    Ib.,  Consp.  (1850),  481. 
FringiUa  Henslowi,  Nuttall.     Man.,  I.  (2d  ed.,  1840)  571. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Upper  parts  yellowish-brown ;  the  head,  neck,  and  upper  parts  of  back  tinged 
with  greenish-yellow ;  interscapular  feathers  dark-brown,  suffused  externally  with 
bright  brownish-red ;  each  feather  with  grayish  borders ;  tertiaries,  rump,  and  tail 
feathers  abruptly  dark-brown  centrally,  the  color  obscurely  margined  with  dark-red ; 
crown  with  a  broad  black  spotted  stripe  on  each  side,  these  spots  continued  down 
to  the  back;  two  narrow  black  maxillary  stripes  on  each  side  the  head,  and  an 
obscure  black  crescent  behind  the  auriculars;  under  parts  light  brownish-yellow, 
paler  on  the  throat  and  abdomen ;  the  upper  part  of  the  breast,  and  the  sides  of  the 
body,  conspicuously  streaked  with  black;  edge  of  wing  yellow;  a  strong  tinge  of 
pale-chestnut  on  the  wings  and  tail. 

Length,  five  and  twenty-five  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  two  and  fifteen  one- 
hundredths  inches ;  tail,  two  and  fifteen  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  bird  is  an  extremely  rare  summer  resident  in  New 
England.  It  can  hardly  be  called  any  thing  but  a  strag- 
gler, and  Massachusetts  seems  to  be  its  extreme  northern 
limit. 

It  has  been  found  breeding  near  Lynn  in  this  State,  and 
at  Berlin  (Proc.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  VII.  p.  137). 
Allen  captured  a  male  at  Springfield  on  May  18, 1863,  and 
heard  another  at  the  same  place  in  June.  These  few 
instances  are  all  that  I  have  heard  of  its  occurrence  here. 
Of  its  habits  I  know  nothing. 


THE   SHARP-TAILED    FINCH.  307 


AMMODROMUS,  SWAINSON. 

Ammodromus,  SWAINSON,  Zool.  Jour.,  III.  1827.  (Type  Oriolus  caudacutus, 
Gmelin.) 

Bill  very  long,  slender,  and  attenuated,  considerably  curved  towards  the  tip  above ; 
the  gonys  straight;  the  legs  and  toes  are  very  long,  and  reach  considerably  beyond 
the  tip  of  the  short  tail ;  the  tarsus  is  about  equal  to  the  elongated  middle  toe ;  the 
lateral  toes  equal,  their  claws  falling  considerably  short  of  the  base  of  the  middle 
one ;  the  hind  claw  equal  to  the  lateral  one ;  wings  short,  reaching  only  to  the  base 
of  the  tail ;  much  rounded ;  the  secondaries  and  tertials  equal,  and  not  much  shorter 
than  the  primaries;  the  tail  is  short,  and  graduated  laterally,  each  feather  stiffened, 
lanceolate,  and  acute. 

Color.  —  Streaked  above  and  across  the  breast;  very  faintly  on  the  sides. 


AMMODROMUS   CAUDACUTUS.  —  Swainson. 
The  Sharp-tailed  Finch. 

Oriolus  caudacutus.     Gm.,  I.  (1788)  394. 

Fringilla  caudacuta,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  IV.  (1811)  70.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II. 
(1834)  281;  V.  499. 

Ammodromus  caudacutus,  Swainson.     Birds,  II.  (1837)  289. 
Fringilla  littoralis,  Nuttall.    Man.,  I.  (1832)  504  (2d  ed.,  1840,  590). 

DESCRIPTION. 

Upper  parts  brownish-olivaceous;  head  brownish,  streaked  with  black  on  the 
sides,  and  a  broad  central  stripe  of  ashy;  back  blotched  with  darker;  a  broad 
superciliary  and  maxillary  stripe,  and  a  band  across  the  upper  breast  buff-yellow; 
the  sides  of  the  throat  with  a  brown  stripe ;  the  upper  part  of  the  breast  and  the 
sides  of  the  body  streaked  with  black ;  rest  of  under  parts  white ;  edge  of  wing 
yellowish-Avhite. 

The  young  is  of  a  more  yellowish  tinge  above  and  below;  the  streaks  on  the 
back  more  conspicuous;  the  scapular  feathers  without  the  whitish  edging. 

Length,  five  inches ;  wing,  two  and  thirty  one-hundredths  inches. 

Hob.  —  Atlantic  Coast  of  the  United  States. 

Massachusetts  seems  to  be  the  northern  limit  of  this  spe- 
cies. In  this  State  and  those  south,  it  is  not  uncommon  ; 
but  it  is  confined  to  the  districts  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
coast,  and  is  never  found  more  than  a  mile  or  two  from 
those  localities  in  the  breeding  season.  About  the  last 
week  in  May,  the  nest  is  built :  this  is  placed  in  a  tussock 
of  grass  above  the  tide-marks,  and  is  constructed  of  coarse 
grasses,  which  are  woven  into  a  strong  fabric,  and  lined  with 
finer  grasses  and  seaweed.  The  eggs  are  generally  five  in 


308  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

number.  Their  color  is  a  bluish-white,  which  is  covered 
with  fine  brown  dots :  these  dots  are  coarser  in  some  speci- 
mens, and  almost  confluent  near  the  greater  end.  Dimen- 
sions vary  from  .80  by  .64  inch  to  .76  by  .60  inch.  But  one 
brood  is  generally  reared  in  the  season  in  this  latitude. 

The  description,  by  Wilson,  of  the  habits  of  the  Seaside 
Finch  is  so  applicable  to  this  species,  that  I  give  it  here : 
"It  inhabits  the  low,  rush-covered  sea  islands  along  our 
Atlantic  Coast,  where  I  first  found  it ;  keeping  almost  con- 
tinually within  the  boundaries  of  tide-water,  except  when 
long  and  violent  east  and  north-easterly  storms,  with  high 
tides,  compel  it  to  seek  the  shore.  On  these  occasions,  it 
courses  along  the  margin,  and  among  the  holes  and  inter- 
stices of  the  weeds  and  sea-wrack,  with  a  rapidity  equalled 
only  by  the  nimblest  of  our  Sand-pipers,  and  very  much  in 
their  manner.  At  these  times,  also,  it  roosts  on  the  ground, 
and  runs  about  after  dusk. 

"  This  species  derives  its  whole  subsistence  from  the  sea. 
I  examined  a  great  number  of  individuals  by  dissection, 
and  found  their  stomachs  universally  filled  with  fragments 
of  shrimps,  minute  shell-fish,  and  broken  limbs  of  small 
sea-crabs.  Its  flesh,  also,  as  was  to  be  expected,  tasted  of 
fish,  or  what  is  usually  termed  sedgy.  Amidst  the  re- 
cesses of  these  wet  sea-marshes,  it  seeks  the  rankest  growth 
of  grass  and  seaweed,  and  climbs  along  the  stalks  of  the 
rushes  with  as  much  dexterity  as  it  runs  along  the  ground, 
which  is  rather  a  singular  circumstance,  most  of  our 
climbers  being  rather  awkward  at  running." 

AMMODROMUS  MARITIMUS.  —  Summon. 
The  Seaside  Finch. 

FringiUa  maritima,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  IV.  (1811)  68.    Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1831). 
Ammodromus  maritimus,  Swainson.     Zool.  Jour.,  III.  (1827)  328. 
Fringilla  (Ammodromus)  maritima,  Nuttall.     Man.,  I.  (2d  ed.,  1840)  592. 
Fringilla  MacgiUivrayi,  Audubon.     Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  285;  IV.  (1838)  394; 
V. (1839) 499. 

Fringilla  (Ammodromus)  MacgiUivrayi,  Nuttall.    Man.,  I.  (2d  ed.,  1840)  593. 


THE   WHITE-CROWNED   SPARROW.  309 

DESCRIPTION. 

Above  olivaceous-brown ;  beneath  white ;  the  breast  and  sides  of  body  yellowish- 
brown,  obsoletely  streaked  with  plumbeous;  sides  of  head  and  body,  a  central  stripe 
on  the  head  above,  a  maxillary  stripe,  and  indistinct  longitudinal  streaks  on  the 
breast,  ashy-brown ;  the  sides  and  the  breast  tinged  with  yellowish;  the  maxillary 
stripe  cuts  off  a  white  one  above  it ;  a  superciliary  stripe  is  bright-yellow  anterior  to 
the  eye,  and  plumbeous  above  and  behind  it;  edge  of  wing  yellow;  bill  blue. 

Length,  about  six  inches ;  wing,  two  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  bird's  habits  and  distribution  are  the  same  as  those 
of  the  preceding  species,  as  also  are  the  nests  and  eggs, 
which  are  impossible  of  identification  when  placed  side  by 
side. 

ZONOTRICHIA,  SWAINSON. 

Zonotrichia,  SWAINSON,  Fauna  Bor.  Am.,  II.  (1831).  (Type  Emberiza  leucophrys.) 
Body  rather  stout;  bill  conical,  slightly  notched,  somewhat  compressed,  excavated 
inside ;  the  lower  mandible  rather  lower  than  the  upper ;  gonys  slightly  convex ; 
commissure  nearly  straight;  feet  stout;  tarsus  rather  longer  than  middle  toe;  the 
lateral  toes  very  nearly  equal;  hind  toe  longer  than  the  lateral  ones,  their  claws  just 
reaching  to  base  of  middle  one ;  inner  claw  contained  twice  in  its  toe  proper ;  claws 
all  slender  and  considerably  curved;  wings  moderate,  not  reaching  to  the  middle  of 
the  tail,  but  beyond  the  rump ;  secondaries  and  tertials  equal  and  considerably  less 
than  longest  primaries;  second  and  third  quills  longest;  first  about  equal  to  the  fifth, 
much  longer  than  tertials;  tail  rather  long,  moderately  rounded;  the  feathers  not 
very  broad ;  back  streaked ;  rump  and  under  parts  immaculate ;  head  black,  or  with 
white  streaks,  entirely  different  from  the  back. 


ZONOTRICHIA  LEUCOPHRYS.  —  Swainson. 
The  White-crowned  Sparrow. 

Emberiza  leucophrys,  Forster.  Philos.  Trans.,  LXII.  (1772)  382,  426.  Wils.  Am. 
Orn.,  IV.  (1811)  49. 

Fringitta  (Zonotrichia)  leucophrys,  Swainson.     F.  B.  Am.,  II.  (1831)  255. 
Frinyilla  leucophrys,  Audubon.     Orn*  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  88;  V.  515. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Head  above,  upper  half  of  loral  region  from  the  bill,  and  a  narrow  line  through 
and  behind  the  eye  to  the  occiput,  black ;  a  longitudinal  patch  in  the  middle  of  the 
crown,  and  a  short  line  from  above  the  anterior  corner  of  the  eye,  the  two  confluent 
on  the  occiput,  white;  sides  of  the  head,  fore  part  of  breast,  and  lower  neck  all 
round,  pale-ash,  lightest  beneath  and  shading  insensibly  into  the  whitish  of  the  belly 
and  chin;  sides  of  belly  and  under  tail  coverts  tinged  with  yellowish-brown;  inter- 
scapular  region  streaked  broadly  with  dark  chestnut-brownish ;  edges  of  the  tertiariee 
brownish-chestnut ;  two  white  bands  on  the  wing. 


310  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

Female  similar,  but  smaller;  immature  male  with  the  black  of  the  head  replaced 
by  dark  chestnut-brown,  the  white  tinged  with  brownish-yellow. 

The  white  of  the  crown  separates  two  black  lines  on  either  sides,  rather  narrower 
than  itself;  the  black  line  behind  the  eye  is  continued  anterior  to  it  into  the  black 
at  the  base  of  the  bill;  the  lower  eyelid  is  white;  there  are  some  obscure  cloudings 
of  darker  on  the  neck  above ;  the  rump  is  immaculate ;  no  white  on  the  tail,  except 
very  obscure  tips ;  the  white  crosses  the  ends  of  the  middle  and  greater  coverts. 

Length,  seven  and  ten  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  three  and  twenty-five  one- 
hundredths. 

This  beautiful  bird  is  a  rare  spring  and  autumn  visitor 
in  New  England.  It  arrives  about  the  first  week  in  May, 
sometimes  as  late  as  the  20th  of  that  month,  and  returns 
from  the  North  about  the  10th  of  October.  While  with 
us,  it  has  all  the  habits  of  the  succeeding  species,  with 
which  it  usually  associates. 

The  following  description  of  its  breeding  habits,  nest,  and 
eggs,  is  given  by  Audubon :  — 

"  One  day,  while  near  American  Harbor,  in  Labrador,  I  observed 
a  pair  of  these  birds  resorting  to  a  small  'hummock'  of  firs,  where 
I  concluded  they  must  have  had  a  nest.  After  searching  in  vain,  I 
intimated  my  suspicion  to  my  young  friends,  when  we  all  crept 
through  the  tangled  branches,  and  examined  the  place  without  suc- 
cess. .  .  .  Our  disappointment  was  the  greater,  that  we  saw  the 
male  bird  frequently  flying  about  with  food  in  his  bill,  no  doubt 
intended  for  his  mate.  In  a  short  while,  the  pair  came  near  us, 
and  both  were  shot.  In  the  female  we  found  an  egg,  which  was 
pure-white,  but  with  the  shell  yet  soft  and  thin.  On  the  6th  of 
July,  while  my  son  was  creeping  among  some  low  bushes  to  get  a 
shot  at  some  Red-throated  Divers,  he  accidentally  started  a  female 
from  her  nest.  It  made  much  complaint.  The  nest  was  placed  in 
the  moss,  near  the  foot  of  a  low  fir,  and  was  formed  externally  of 
beautiful  dry  green  moss,  matted  in  bunches,  like  the  coarse  hair 
of  some  quadruped;  internally  of  very  fine  dry  grass,  arranged 
with  great  neatness  to  the  thickness  of  nearly  half  an  inch,  with  a 
full  lining  of  delicate  fibrous  roots  of  a  rich  transparent  yellow. 
It  was  five  inches  in  diameter  externally,  two  in  depth ;  two  and  a 
quarter  in  diameter  within,  although  rather  oblong,  and  one  and 
three-quarters  deep.  In  one  nest,  we  found  a  single  feather  of  the 
Willow  Grouse.  The  eggs,  five  in  number,  average  seven-eighths 


THE   WHITE-THROATED    SPARROW.  311 

of  an  inch  in  length,  are  proportionally  broad,  of  a  light  sea-green 
color,  mottled  toward  the  larger  end  with  brownish  spots  and 
blotches ;  a  few  spots  of  a  lighter  tint  being  dispersed  over  the 
whole.  .  .  .  We  found  many  nests,  which  were  all  placed  on  the 
ground  or  among  the  moss,  and  were  all  constructed  alike.  This 
species  deposit  their  eggs  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  June. 
In  the  beginning  of  August,  I  saw  many  young  that  were  able  to 
fly ;  and,  by  the  twelfth  of  that  month,  the  birds  had  already  com- 
menced their  southward  migration.  The  young  follow  their  parents 
until  nearly  full  grown. 

"  The  food  of  this  species,  while  in  Labrador,  consists  of  small 
coleopterous  insects,  grass  seeds,  and  a  variety  of  berries,  as  well 
as  some  minute  shell-fish,  for  which  they  frequently  search  the  mar- 
gins of  ponds  or  the  seashore.  At  the  approach  of  autumn,  they 
pursue  insects  on  the  wing  to  a  short  distance,  and  doubtless  secure 
some  in  that  manner." 

The  song  of  the  White-crowned  Sparrow  consists  of  six 
or  seven  notes,  the  first  of  which  is  loud,  clear,  and  musi- 
cal, although  of  a  plaintive  nature ;  the  next  broader,  less 
firm,  and  seeming  merely  a  second  to  the  first;  the  rest 
form  a  cadence,  diminishing  in  power  to  the  last  note,  which 
sounds  as  if  the  final  effort  of  the  musician.  These  notes 
are  repeated  at  short  intervals  during  the  whole  day,  —  even 
on  those  dismal  days  produced  by  the  thick  fogs  of  the 
country  where  it  breeds,  and  where  this  species  is,  of  all, 
the  most  abundant. 

ZONOTRICHIA  ALBICOLLIS.  —  Bonaparte. 
The  White-throated  Sparrow ;  Peabody  Bird. 

Fringilla  albicollis,  Gmelin.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1788)  926.  Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  III. 
(1811)  61. 

Zonotrichia  albicollis^  Bonap.     Consp.  (1850),  478. 

Fringilla  Pennsylvania,  Audubon.     Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1831)  42;  V.  497. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Two  black  stripes  on  the  crown  separated  by  a  median  one  of  white ;  a  broad 
superciliary  stripe  from  the  base  of  the  mandible  to  the  occiput,  yellow  as  far  as 
the  middle  of  the  eye  and  white  behind  this ;  a  broad  black  streak  on  the  side  of  the 


312 


ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 


head  from  behind  the  eye;  chin  white,  abruptly  defined  against  the  dark-ash  of 
the  sides  of  the  head  and  upper  part  of  the  breast,  fading  into  white  on  the  belly, 
and  margined  by  a  narrow  black  maxillary  line ;  edge  of  wing  and  axillaries  yellow ; 
back  and  edges  of  secondaries  rufous-brown,  the  former  streaked  with  dark-brown; 
two  narrow  white  bands  across  the  wing  coverts. 

Female  smaller,  and  the  colors  rather  duller.  Immature  and  winter  specimens 
have  the  white  chin-patch  less  abruptly  denned;  the  white  markings  on  the  top  and 
sides  of  the  head  tinged  with  brown.  Some  specimens,  apparently  mature,  show- 
quite  distinct  streaks  on  the  breast,  and  sides  of  throat  and  body. 

Length,  seven  inches;  wing,  three  and  ten  one-hundredths ;  tail,  three  and  twenty 
one-hundredths  inches. 

This  beautiful  Sparrow  arrives  in  Massachusetts  by  the 
last  week  in  April.  It  does  not  tarry  long,  but  passes 
north,  and  breeds  abundantly  in  the  northern  districts  of 

New  England.  I  have 
found  the  nests  as  early 
as  the  last  week  in  May ; 
but  generally  they  are 
not  built  before  the  10th 
of  June.  They  are 
placed  under  a  low  bush 
on  the  ground,  some- 
times in  swamps  and 
pastures,  sometimes  in 
high  woods  and  ledges. 

They  are  constructed  of 
.  -, 

kfine  grasses,  twigs,  and 

mosses,  and  lined  with 
finer  grasses,  and  sometimes  a  few  hair-like  roots.  Some 
specimens  that  I  have  collected  in  Northern  Maine  were 
placed  in  a  hollow  in  a  mossy  knoll,  which  was  scratched 
by  the  birds  to  the  depth  of  the  whole  nest.  The  eggs  are 
usually  four  in  number :  their  color  is  a  grayish-white,  and 
marked  with  spots  and  confluent  blotches  of  brown  and 
obscure  lilac.  A  number  of  specimens,  collected  in  differ- 
ent localities  in  Maine,  exhibit  the  following  variations  in 
size :  .92  by  .64  inch,  .92  by  .60  inch,  .90  by  .62  inch,  .86 
by  .62  inch.  But  one  brood  is  reared  in  the  season.  This 


JUNCO.  313 

bird  is  a  great  favorite  in  the  North,  and  justly  so.  It  is 
one  of  the  sweetest  songsters  of  the  localities  where  it 
is  found  ;  and,  having  no  bad  precedents  with  the  farmer, 
and  being  of  a  sociable,  lively  disposition,  it  is  no  wonder 
that  it  meets  with  great  favor. 

The  song  of  this  species  is  very  beautiful.  It  is  difficult  of 
description,  but  resembles  nearly  the  syllables  'cliea  dee  de; 
de-d-de,-de-d-de,  de-d-de,  de-d-de,  uttered  at  first  loud  and 
clear,  and  rapidly  falling  in  tone  and  decreasing  in  volume. 

This  is  chanted  during  the  morning  and  the  latter  part  of 
the  day,  and,  in  cloudy  weather,  through  the  whole  day.  I 
have  often  heard  it  at  different  hours  of  the  night,  when 
I  have  been  encamped  in  the  deep  forests  ;  and  the  effect,  at 
that  time,  was  indescribably  sweet  and  plaintive.  The  fact 
that  the  bird  often  sings  in  the  night  has  given  it  the  name 
of  the  "  Nightingale  "  in  many  localities ;  and  the  title  is 
well  earned. 

While  in  its  spring  and  autumn  migrations,  this  Sparrow 
prefers  low  moist  thickets  and  young  woods  ;  but,  in  its  sum- 
mer home,  it  is  found  equally  abundant  in  fields,  pastures, 
swamps,  and  forests. 

It  feeds  on  insects,  various  seeds,  and  berries,  and  some- 
times pursues  flying  insects  in  the  manner  of  the  preceding 
species. 

About  the  last  week  in  October,  the  birds,  after  congre- 
gating in  loose  flocks  of  a  dozen  or  fifteen,  leave  New  Eng- 
land for  their  winter  homes. 

JUNCO,  WAGLER. 

Junco,  WAGLER,  Isis  (1831).  (Type  Fringilla  cinerea,  Sw.) 
Bill  small,  conical;  culmen  curved  at  the  tip;  the  lower  jaw  quite  as  high  as  the 
upper;  tarsus  longer  than  the  middle  toe;  outer  toe  longer  than  the  inner,  barely 
reaching  to  the  base  of  the  middle  claw ;  hind  toe  reaching  as  far  as  the  middle  of 
the  latter;  extended  toes  reaching  about  to  the  middle  of  the  tail;  wings  rather 
short,  reaching  over  the  basal  fourth  of  the  exposed  surface  of  the  tail ;  primaries, 
however,  considerably  longer  than  the  nearly  equal  secondaries  and  tertials;  the 
second  quill  longest,  the  third  to  fifth  successively  but  little  shorter;  first  longer  than 
sixth,  much  exceeding  secondaries ;  tail  moderate,  a  little  shorter  than  the  wings ; 


314 


ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 


slightly  emarginate  and  rounded ;  feathers  rather  narrow,  oval  at  the  end ;  no  streaks 
on  the  head  or  body ;  color  above  uniform  on  the  head,  back,  or  rump,  separately  or 
on  all  together ;  belly  white ;  outer  tail  feathers  white. 

The  essential  characters  of  this  genus  are,  the  middle  toe  rather  shorter  than  the 
short  tarsus;  the  lateral  toes  slightly  unequal,  the  outer  reaching  the  base  of 
the  middle  claw;  the  tail  a  little  shorter  than  the  wings,  slightly  emarginate.  In 
Junco  cinereus  the  claws  are  longer;  the  lower  mandible  a  little  lower  than  the 
upper;  the  species  have  the  upper  parts  ashy  or  plumbeous,  the  belly  and  lateral 
tail  feathers  white. 

JUNCO  HYEMALIS.  —  Sclater. 
The  Snowbird. 

Fringilla  hyemalis,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (10th  ed.,  1758)  183.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog., 
I.  (1831)  72;  V.  505.' 

Junco  hyemalis,  Sclater.    Pr.  Zool.  Soc.  (1857),  7. 
Fringilla  nivalis.    Wils.,  II.  (1810)  129. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Everywhere  of  a  grayish  or  dark  ashy-black,  deepest  anteriorly ;  the  middle  of 
the  breast  behind  and  of  the  belly,  the  under  tail  coverts,  and  first  and  second  exter- 
nal tail  feathers,  white ;  the  third  tail  feather  white,  margined  with  black. 

Length,  six  and  twenty-five  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  about  three  inches. 

This  interesting  and  well-known  little  species  is  an  abun- 
dant inhabitant  of  New  Eng- 
land. In  the  spring  it  migrates 
from  the  southern  districts, 
where  it  spends  the  winter,  to 
the  northern  sections,  and  late 
in  fall  returns  to  its  winter 
home.  A  few  pairs  breed  in 
Massachusetts  on  the  Holyoke 
Mountains,  and  in  New  Hamp- 
shire on  the  White  Mountains  : 
but  the  great  numbers  pass  to 
the  northern  districts  to  spend 
the  summer ;  and  near  the  Um- 
bagog  lakes,  and  north  to  the 
Canada  frontier,  it  is  the  most 
common  species.  I  have  been 
so  fortunate  as  to  find  a  number  of  the  nests:  some  had  eggs 
as  early  as  the  last  week  in  May,  and  others  as  late  as  the 


Snowbird,  upper  i 
Song  Sparrow,  lower  fig. 


THE   SNOWBIRD.  315 

middle  of  July ;  therefore  two  broods  are  probably  reared. 
The  nests  are  constructed  of  fine  grasses  and  leaves,  and 
are  placed  sometimes  in  a  slight  hole  scratched  in  a  mossy 
knoll,  sometimes  in  an  old  stump  of  a  tree  or  in  a  tuft  of 
grass  in  a  thicket  of  bushes.  The  eggs  are  usually  four  in 
number :  they  vary  in  color  from  nearly  pure-white  with 
reddish  spots,  to  grayish-white  with  reddish-brown  spots,  and 
bluish-white  with  a  roseate  tint  and  spots  of  umber,  reddish- 
brown,  and  lilac.  Dimensions  vary  from  .76  by  .60  inch  to 
.70  by  .56  inch. 

The  description  by  Wilson  of  the  habits  of  this  species  is 
so  full  and  accurate  that  I  can  do  no  better  than  give  it 
here :  — 

"  This  well-known  species,  small  and  insignificant  as  it  may 
appear,  is  by  far  the  most  numerous,  as  well  as  the  most  extensively 
disseminated,  of  all  the  feathered  tribes  that  visit  us  from  the  frozen 
regions  of  the  North, : —  their  migrations  extending  from  the  arctic 
circle,  and  probably  beyond  it,  to  the  shores  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
spreading  over  the  whole  breadth  of  the  United  States,  from  the 
Atlantic  Ocean  to  Louisiana ;  how  much  farther  westward.  I  am 
unable  to  say.  About  the  20th  of  October,  they  make  their  first 
appearance  in  those  parts  of  Pennsylvania  east  of  the  Alleghany 
Mountains.  At  first  they  are  most  generally  seen  on  the  borders 
of  woods  among  the  falling  and  decayed  leaves,  in  loose  flocks  of 
thirty  or  forty  together,  always  taking  to  the  trees  when  disturbed. 
As  the  weather  sets  in  colder,  they  approach  nearer  the  farm-house 
and  villages ;  and,  on  the  appearance  of  what  is  usually  called  fall- 
ing weather,  assemble  in  larger  flocks,  and  seem  doubly  diligent  in 
searching  for  food.  This  increased  activity  is  generally  a  sure  prog- 
nostic of  a  storm.  When  deep  snows  cover  the  ground,  they 
become  almost  half  domesticated.  They  collect  about  the  barn, 
stables,  and  other  out-houses,  spread  over  the  yard,  and  even  round 
the  steps  of  the  door,  not  only  in  the  country  and  villages,  but 
in  the  heart  of  our  large  cities ;  crowding  around  the  threshold 
early  in  the  morning,  gleaning  up  the  crumbs  ;  appearing  very  lively 
and  familiar.  They  have  also  recourse,  at  this  severe  season,  when 
the  face  of  the  earth  is  shut  up  from  them,  to  the  seeds  of  many 


316  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

kinds  of  weeds  that  still  rise  above  the  snow  in  corners  of  fields, 
and  low,  sheltered  situations,  along  the  borders  of  creeks  and  fences, 
where  they  associate  with  several  other  species  of  Sparrows.  They 
are,  at  this  time,  easily  caught  with  almost  any  kind  of  trap ;  are 
generally  fat,  and,  it  is  said,  are  excellent  eating. 

"I  cannot  but  consider  this  bird  as  the  most  .numerous  of  its 
tribe  of  any  within  the  United  States.  From  the  northern  parts 
of  the  District1  of  Maine  to  the  Ogeechee  River  in  Georgia,  —  a 
distance,  by  the  circuitous  route  in  which  I  travelled,  of  more  than 
eighteen  hundred  miles,  —  I  never  passed  a  day,  and  scarcely  a 
mile,  without  seeing  numbers  of  these  birds,  arid  frequently  large 
flocks  of  several  thousands.  Other  travellers  with  whom  I  con- 
versed, who  had  come  from  Lexington,  in  Kentucky,  through  Vir- 
ginia, also  declared  that  they  found  these  birds  numerous  along  the 
whole  road.  It  should  be  observed,  that  the  roadsides  are  their 
favorite  haunts,  where  many  rank  weeds  that  grow  along  the 
fences  furnish  them  with  food,  and  the  road  with  gravel.  In 
the  vicinity  of  places  where  they  were  most  numerous,  I  observed 
a  Small  Hawk,  and  several  others  of  his  tribe,  watching  their 
opportunity,  or  hovering  cautiously  around,  making  an  occasional 
sweep  among  them,  and  retiring  to  the  bare  branches  of  an  old 
cypress  to  feed  on  their  victims.  In  the  month  of  April,  when  the 
weather  begins  to  be  warm,  they  are  observed  to  retreat  to 
the  woods,  and  to  prefer  the  shaded  sides  of  hills  and  thickets ;  at 
which  time,  the  males  warble  out  a  few  very  low,  sweet  notes,  and 
are  almost  perpetually  pursuing  and  fighting  with  each  other. 
About  the  20th  of  April,  they  take  their  leave  of  our  humble 
regions,  and  retire  to  the  North  and  to  the  high  ranges  of  the  Alle- 
ghany  to  build  their  nests  and  rear  their  young.  In  some  of  those 
ranges,  in  the  interior  of  Virginia,  and  northward,  about  the  wa- 
ters of  the  west  branch  of  the  Susquehanna,  they  breed  in  great 
numbers.  The  nest  is  fixed  in  the  ground,  or  among  the  grass ; 
sometimes  several  being  within  a  small  distance  of  each  other. 
According  to  the  observations  of  the  gentlemen  residing  at  Hudson- 
Bay  Factory,  they  arrive  there  about  the  beginning  of  June,  stay 
a  week  or  two,  and  proceed  farther  north  to  breed.  They  return 
to  that  settlement  in  the  autumn,  on  their  way  to  the  South. 

i  Now  State. 


THE   TREE   SPARROW.  317 

"In  some  parts  of  New  England,  I  found  the  opinion  pretty 
general,  that  the  Snowbird,  in  summer,  is  transformed  into  the 
Small  Chipping  Sparrow,  which  we  find  so  common  in  that  season. 
I  had  convinced  a  gentleman  of  New  York  of  his  mistake  in  this 
matter,  by  taking  him  to  the  house  of  a  Mr.  Gautier  there,  who 
amuses  himself  by  keeping  a  great  number  of  native  as  well  as 
foreign  birds.  This  was  in  the  month  of  July ;  and  the  Snow- 
bird appeared  then  in  the  same  colored  plumage  he  usually  has. 
Several  individuals  of  the  Chipping  Sparrow  were  also  in  the  same 
apartment.  The  evidence  was,  therefore,  irresistible ;  but,  as  I 
had  not  the  same  proofs  to  offer  to  the  eye  in  New  England,  I  had 
not  the  same  success. 

"  There  must  be  something  in  the  temperature  of  the  blood  or 
constitution  of  this  bird,  which  unfits  it  for  residing,  during  sum- 
mer, in  the  lower  parts  of  the  United  States,  as  the  country  here 
abounds  with  a  great  variety  of  food,  of  which,  during  its  stay,  it 
appears  to  be  remarkably  fond.  Or  perhaps  its  habit  of  associating 
in  such  numbers  to  breed,  and  building  its  nest  with  so  little  pre- 
caution, may,  to  insure  its  safety,  require  a  solitary  region,  far  from 
the  intruding  footsteps  of  man." 

SPIZELLA,  BONAPARTE. 

Spizella,  BONAPARTE,  Geog.  and  Comp.  List  (1838).  (Type  Fringilla  Canaden- 
sis,  Lath.) 

Bill  conical,  the  outlines  slightly  curved ;  the  lower  mandible  decided!}'  lower 
than  the  upper;  the  commissure  gently  sinuated;  the  roof  of  the  mouth  not 
knobbed;  feet  slender;  tarsus  rather  longer  than  the  middle  toe;  the  hinder  toe  a 
little  longer  than  the  outer  lateral,  which  slightly  exceeds  the  inner;  the  outer  claw 
reaching  the  base  of  the  middle  one,  and  half  as  long  as  its  toe ;  claws  moderately 
curved ;  tertiaries  and  secondaries  nearly  equal ;  wing  somewhat  pointed,  reaching 
not  quite  to  the  middle  of  the  tail ;  first  quill  a  little  shorter  than  the  second  and 
equal  to  the  fifth,  third  longest;  tail  rather  long,  moderately  forked,  and  divaricated 
at  the  tip;  the  feathers  rather  narrow;  back  streaked;  rump  and  beneath  immacu- 
late ;  hood  generally  uniform. 

The  genus  differs  from  Zonotrichia  in  the  smaller  size,  and  longer  and  forked 
instead  of  rounded  tail. 

SPIZELLA    MONTICOLA.  —  Baird. 
The  Tree  Sparrow. 

Fringitta  monticola,  Gmelin.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1788)  912. 

Fringilla  Canadensis,  Audubon.    Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  511;  V.  504. 

Fringilla  arborea,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  II.  (1810)  12. 


318  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Middle  of  back  with  the  feathers  dark-brown  centrally,  then  rufous,  and  edged 
with  pale-fulvous  (sometimes  with  whitish).  Hood  and  upper  part  of  nape  continu- 
ous chestnut ;  a  line  of  the  same  from  behind  the  eye ;  sides  of  head  and  neck  ashy ; 
a  broad  light  superciliary  band ;  beneath  whitish,  with  a  small  circular  blotch  of 
brownish  in  the  middle  of  the  upper  part  of  the  breast ;  edges  of  tail  feathers,  pri- 
mary quills,  and  two  bands  across  the  tips  of  the  secondaries,  white ;  tertiaries  nearly 
black;  edged  externally  with  rufous,  turning  to  white  near  the  tips;  lower  jaw  yel- 
lo  vv ;  upper  black. 

This  species  varies  in  the  amount  of  whitish  edging  to  the  quills  and  tail. 

Length,  six  and  twenty-five  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  three  inches. 

Hab.  —  Eastern  North  America  to  the  Missouri;  also  on  Pole  Creek  and  Little 
Colerado  River,  New  Mexico. 

This  species  occurs  in  New  England  only  as  a  winter 
visitor.  It  arrives  from  the  North  about  the  last  of  October, 
and  remains  in  swamps  and  sheltered  thickets  through  the 
winter,  and  until  the  first  week  in  May.  While  with  us,  it 
is  gregarious,  and  often  visits  stubble-fields  and  gardens, 
where  it  feeds  upon  the  seeds  of  grasses  and  various  weeds. 
It  has,  at  this  season,  a  persistent  twitter,  which  is  uttered 
by  all  the  members  of  the  flock  at  short  intervals.  Whether 
it  has  any  song  in  the  breeding  season  or  not,  I  am  ignorant, 
but  judge  that  it  has  not. 

It  is  not  impossible  that  this  bird  sometimes  breeds  in 
the  most  northern  sections  of  these  States ;  but  there  is  no 
authenticated  instance  on  record  of  its  doing  so.  The  bird 
alluded  to  in  the  "  Proceedings  of  the  Boston  Society  of 
Natural  History"  (vol.  Y.  p.  213)  was  undoubtedly  the 
Chipping  Sparrow. 

The  Tree  Sparrow  breeds,  according  to  Mr.  Hutchins, 
around  the  Hudson's  Bay  settlements.  "  Its  nest  is  placed 
in  the  herbage,  is  formed  externally  of  mud  and  dry 
grass,  and  lined  with  soft  hair  or  down,  —  probably  from 
plants, — in  the  manner  of  the  Yellow-bird."  The  eggs 
are  about  five  in  number:  they  are  of  a  light  grayish-blue 
color,  and  are  marked  with  spots  and  blotches  of  two  shades 
of  brown  and  red.  To  compare  them  with  another  species, 
I  would  say  that  they  almost  exactly  resemble  small  speci- 
mens of  the  eggs  of  the  common  Song  Sparrow.  They  are 


THE    FIELD    SPARROW.  319 

ovate  or  ovoidal  in  form,  and  average  about  .73  by  .56  inch 
in  dimensions. 

SPIZELLA    PUSILLA.  —  Bonaparte. 
The  Field   Sparrow. 

Fringilla pusilla,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  II.  (1810)  121;  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834) 
299. 

Spizella pusilla,  Bonaparte.    List  (1838). 

Frinyilla  juncwum,  Nuttafl.    Man.,  I.  (1832)  499.      II.  (2d  ed.,  1840),  577. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  red;  crown  continuous  rufous-red;  back  somewhat  similar,  streaked  with 
blackish;  sides  of  head  and  neck  (including  a  superciliary  stripe)  ashy;  ear  coverts 
rufous;  beneath  white,  tinged  with  yellowish  anteriorly;  tail  feathers  and  quills 
faintly  edged  with  white ;  two  white  bands  across  the  wing  coverts. 

This  species  is  about  the  size  of  S.  socialis,  but  is  more  rufous  above;  lacks  the 
black  forehead  and  eye-stripe ;  has  chestnut  ears  instead  of  ash ;  has  the  bill  red 
instead  of  black;  lacks  the  clear  ash  of  the  rump;  has  a  longer  tail,  &c.  It  is 
more  like  Monticola,  but  is  much  smaller;  lacks  the  spot  on  the  breast  and  the 
predominance  of  white  on  the  wings,  &c.  The  young  have  the  breast  and  sides 
streaked. 

Length,  about  five  and  seventy-five  one  hundredths  inches;  wing,  two  and  thirty- 
four  one  hundredths  inches. 

Hab.  —  Eastern  North  America  to  the  Missouri  River. 

This  bird  makes  its  appearance  about  the  first  week  in 
April,  in  Massachusetts,  and  soon  scatters  throughout  New 
England.  It  prefers  dry  bushy  pastures  and  low  open 
woods,  and  is  seldom  found  in  the  near  vicinage  of  human 
habitations. 

The  male  sings  during  the  season  of  incubation,  and, 
indeed,  through  nearly  all  the  summer :  mounted  on  a  low 
tree  or  fence-rail,  he  utters  his  pleasing  yet  plaintive  ditty 
at  early  morning  and  evening,  and,  in  dark  and  cloudy 
weather,  through  the  whole  day.  The  song  is  a  tinkling 
warble,  something  like  the  syllables,  'te  'de  'de  'de  'de  'de  'de 
'd  'd  'd  dr,  uttered  at  first  low,  and  rapidly  increasing,  and 
then  decreasing  in  tone  to  a  faint  chatter,  something  like  the 
twitter  of  the  Chipping  Sparrow. 

About  the  middle  of  May,  the  first  nest  is  built.  It  is  con- 
structed of  stalks  of  dried  grass  and  fine  twigs,  is  loosely 
put  together,  and  placed  usually  on  the  ground  beneath  a 


320  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

bush,  sometimes  in  a  bush :  it  is  lined  with  fine  grass  and 
horsehairs.  The  eggs  are  usually  four  in  number :  they  are 
of  a  grayish-white  color,  with  thinly  scattered  spots  and 
blotches  of  reddish-brown  and  lavender ;  and  their  dimen- 
sions vary  from  .72  by  .52  to  .70  by  .50  inch.  Two  broods 
are  reared  in  the  season. 

Early  in  September,  these  birds  collect  in  loose  flocks, 
when,  they  have  all  the  habits  and  notes  of  the  Tree  Spar- 
row. In  October,  they  all  leave  New  England  for  the 
South. 

SPIZELLA   SOCIALIS.  —  Bonaparte. 
The  Chipping  Sparrow;  Hair-bird. 

Fringilla  socially  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  II.  (1810)  127;  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834) 
21;  V.  517. 

Spinites  socialis,  Cabanis.    Mus.  Hein.  (1851),  133. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Rump,  back  of  neck,  and  sides  of  neck  and  head,  ashy ;  interscapular  region  with 
black  streaks,  margined  with  pale-rufous ;  crown  continuous  and  uniform  chestnut ; 
forehead  black,  separated  in  the  middle  by  white ;  a  white  streak  over  the  eye,  and 
a  black  one  from  the  base  of  the  bill  through  and  behind  the  eye ;  under  parts  un- 
spotted whitish,  tinged  with  ashy,  especially  across  the  upper  breast;  tail  feathers 
and  primaries  edged  with  paler,  not  white ;  two  narrow  white  bands  across  the  wing 
coverts;  bill  black. 

Length,  five  and  seventy-five  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  nearly  three  inches. 

Hob.  —  North  America,  from  Atlantic  to  Pacific. 

This  very  common  and  well-known  little  species  makes  its 
appearance  in  Massachusetts  sometimes  as  early  as  the  15th 
of  March,1  usually  about  the  1st  of  April,  and  spreads 
throughout  New  England.  The  habits  are  so  well  known 
that  any  description  here  is  superfluous. 

About  the  first  week  in  May,  the  nest  is  built.  It  is 
placed  in  an  apple-tree  in  the  orchard,  or  in  a  lilac-bush 
under  the  windows  of  a  dwelling-house ;  and  I  found  nests 
in  low  juniper  bushes  in  the  deep  woods  in  Maine.  It  is 

1  I  am  indebted  for  the  time  of  the  arrival  of  this  and  of  many  other  birds  to 
Mr.  H.  A.  Purdie,  of  Boston,  who  has  kindly  furnished  me  with  full  and  copious 
notes  and  memoranda  on  the  arrival  of  species,  which  are  of  value,  having  been  con- 
ducted for  several  years. 


THE   SONG    SPARROW.  321 

constructed  of  fine  twigs  and  roots  and  grasses,  and  is  almost 
invariably  lined  with  horsehairs ;  hence  its  name,  in  some 
localities,  of  "  Hair-bird,"  "  Hair  Sparrow."  The  eggs  are 
usually  five  in  number.  Their  color  is  a  bluish-green  ;  and 
they  are  marked  with  spots  and  lines  of  black  and  obscure- 
brown,  which  are  thickest  at  the  great  end :  some  specimens 
have  these  spots  confluent  into  a  sort  of  ring.  The  dimen- 
sions vary  from  .74  by  .50  to  .70  by  .48  inch.  This  species 
is  the  most  often  chosen  by  the  parasitic  Cow-bird  as  a  parent 
for  its  young ;  and  many  ornithologists  account  by  this  fact 
for  its  persistent  familiarity  with  man. 

About  the  middle  of  October,  the  old  and  young  birds 
gather  into  small  flocks,  and  proceed  leisurely  on  the  south- 
ern migration. 

MELOSPIZA,  BAIRD. 

Body  stout;  bill  conical,  very  obsoletely  notched  or  smooth,  somewhat  com- 
pressed ;  lower  mandible  not  so  deep  as  the  upper ;  commissure  nearly  straight ;  gonys 
a  little  curved;  feet  stout,  not  stretching  beyond  the  tail;  tarsus  a  little  longer 
than  the  middle  toe;  outer  toe  a  little  longer  than  the  inner,  its  claw  not  quite 
reaching  to  the  base  of  the  middle  one;  hind  toe  appreciably  longer  than  the  middle 
one;  wings  quite  short  and  rounded,  scarcely  reaching  beyond  the  base  of  the  tail; 
the  tertials  considerably  longer  than  the  secondaries;  the  quills  considerably  gradu- 
ated ;  the  fourth  longest ;  the  first  not  longer  than  the  tertials,  and  almost  the  short- 
est of  the  primaries;  tail  moderately  long,  and  considerably  graduated;  the  feathers 
oval  at  the  tips ;  crown  and  back  similar  in  color  and  streaked ;  beneath  thickly 
streaked;  tail  immaculate. 

This  genus  differs  from  Zonotrickia  in  shorter,  more  graduated  tail,  rather  longer 
hind  toe,  much  more  rounded  wing,  which  is  shorter;  the  tertiaries  longer;  the  first 
quill  almost  the  shortest,  and  not  longer  than  the  tertials.  The  under  parts  are 
spotted ;  the  crown  streaked  and  like  the  back. 

MELOSPIZA    MELODIA.—  Baird. 
The  Song  Sparrow. 

Fringilla  melodia,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  II.  (1810)  125;  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1832) 
126;  V.  507. 

DESCRIPTION. 

General  tint  of  upper  parts  rufous-brown,  streaked  with  dark-brown  and  ashy- 
gray  ;  the  crown  is  rufous,  with  a  superciliary  and  median  stripe  of  dull-gray,  the 
former  lighter;  nearly  white  anteriorly,  where  it  has  a  faint  shade  of  yellow;  each 
feather  of  the  crown  with  a  narrow  streak  of  dark-brown;  interscapulars  dark- 
brown  in  the  centre,  then  rufous,  then  grayish  on  the  margin ;  rump  grayer  than 

21 


322  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

upper  tail  coverts,  both  with  obsolete  dark  streaks;  there  is  a  whitish  maxillary 
'stripe,  bordered  above  and  below  by  one  of  dark  rufous-brown,  with  a  similar  one 
from  behind  the  eye;  the  under  parts  are  white;  the  breast  and  sides  of  body  and 
throat  streaked  with  dark-rufous,  with  a  still  darker  central  line ;  on  the  middle  of 
the  breast,  these  marks  are  rather  aggregated  so  as  to  form  a  spot;  no  distinct  white 
on  tail  or  wings. 

Specimens  vary  somewhat  in  having  the  streaks  across  the  breast  more  or  less 
sparse;  the  spot  more  or  less  distinct.  In  autumn,  the  colors  are  more  blended,  the 
light  maxillary  stripe  tinged  with  yellowish,  the  edges  of  the  dusk}'  streaks  suffused 
witli  brownish-rufous. 

The  voung  bird  has  the  upper  parts  paler,  the  streaks  more  distinct,  the  lines  on 
the  head  scarcely  appreciable.  The  under  parts  are  yellowish ;  the  streaks  narrower 
and  more  sharply  defined  dark-brown. 

Length  of  male,  six  and  fifty  one-hundredth s  inches;  wing,  two  and  fifty-eight 
one-hundredths ;  tail,  three  inches. 

Hab.  —  Eastern  United  States  to  the  high  central  plains. 

This  beautiful  songster  is  one  of  the  most  common  and 
well-known  of  our  summer  visitors.  It  arrives  from  about 
the  first  week  in  March  to  the  middle  of  that  month.  On 
its  first  appearance,  it  prefers  the  low  thickets  and  bushy 
woods,  where,  at  all  hours  of  the  day,  it  chants  its  beautiful 
song.  It  is  somewhat  gregarious  at  this  time,  and  is 
usually  found  in  flocks  of  half  a  dozen  individuals.  It  soon 
commences  mating ;  and,  after  a  short  season  of  courtship, 
both  birds  begin  building  their  first  nest.  This  is  about  the 
middle  of  April,  sometimes  earlier ;  and  I  have  found  the 
nest  with  eggs  when  there  was  an  inch  or  two  of  snow  on 
the  ground.  The  nest  is  usually  built  on  the  ground,  some- 
times in  a  low  bush,  and  occasionally  in  low  trees :  it  is 
constructed  of  stalks  and  leaves,  of  grasses  and  weeds,  and 
is  lined  with  softer  grasses  and  fine  weeds.  The  eggs  are 
four  or  five  in  number,  and  they  are  subject  to  great  varia- 
tions in  form  and  markings :  they  exhibit  all  the  changes 
from  grayish  to  bluish-white,  with  spots,  thinly  scattered, 
of  reddish-brown,  to  confluent  blotches  of  umber-brown, 
thickest  at  the  greater  end.  Their  dimensions  vary  from 
.94  by  .64  to  .78  by.  .62  inch.  Four  eggs  in  one  nest 
measure  .94  by  .64,  .84  by  .66,  .80  by  .58,  .78  by  .62. 
inch.  Two  broods,  and  sometimes  three,  are  reared  in  the 
season. 


THE   SWAMP   SPARROW.  323 

There  lias  been  considerable  discussion  among  ornitholo- 
gists regarding  this  bird ;  and  many  are  of  the  belief,  that, 
from  its  irregular  habits,  there  are  two  species  found  in 
New  England.  I  have  examined  with  great  care  many 
specimens,  and  have  attentively  observed  their  habits,  and 
think  that  it  yet  remains  to  be  proved  that  we  have  more 
than  one  species.  Late  in  October,  this  species  assembles  in 
small  detached  flocks,  and  leaves  New  England  for  its 
southern  home. 

MELOSPIZA  PALUSTRIS.—  Baird, 
The  Swamp  Sparrow. 

Fringilla  palustris,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  III.  (1811)  49.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog ,  I. 
(1831)  331;  V.  508. 

Fringilla  (Ammodromus)  Georgiana,  Nuttall.    Man.,  I.  (2d  ed.,  1840)  588. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Middle  of  the  crown  uniform  chestnut;  forehead  black;  superciliary  streak, 
sides  of  head  and  back  and  sides  of  neck,  ash ;  a  brown  stripe  behind  the  eye ;  back 
broadly  streaked  with  black;  beneath  whitish,  tinged  with  ashy  anteriorly,  espe- 
cially across  the  breast,  and  washed  with  yellowish-brown  on  the  sides;  a  few  obso- 
lete streaks  across  the  breast,  which  become  distinct  on  its  sides;  wings  and  tail 
strongly  tinged  with  rufous;  the  tertials  black,  the  rufous  edgings  changing 
abruptly  to  white  towards  the  end. 

Female  with  the  crown  scarcely  reddish  streaked  with  black,  and  divided  by  a 
light  line. 

In  autumn  the  male  of  this  species  has  the  feathers  of  the  crown  each  with  a 
black  streak ;  and  the  centre  of  the  crown  with  an  indistinct  light  stripe,  materially 
changing  its  appearance. 

The  forehead  is  usually  more  or  less  streaked  with  black. 

Length,  five  and  seventy-five  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  two  and  forty  one- 
hundredths  inches. 

Hob.  —  Eastern  United  States  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Missouri. 

This  bird,  although  not  rare,  is  not  so  common  as  the 
preceding.  It  is  about  equally  distributed  throughout  New 
England,  and  breeds  in  all  these  States.  It  arrives  from 
the  South  about  the  first  week  in  April  in  Massachusetts ; 
in  Maine,  about  a  fortnight  later.  It  prefers  the  swampy 
localities  to  all  others,  and  is  seldom  found  at  any  distance 
from  such  places.  The  nest  is  built  about  the  10th  of  May. 
It  is  constructed  of  leaves  of  grass  and  fine  hair-like  roots, 


324  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

and  lined  with  finer  of  the  same :  these  are  adjusted  into  a 
loose  fabric,  and  placed  in  or  beneath  a  tussock  of  grass  in 
a  swamp.  I  have  known  of  instances  of  its  being  found 
in  a  low  barberry-bush ;  but  such  cases  are  extremely  rare, 
and  form  exceptions  to  the  rule.  The  eggs  are  four  or  five 
in  number :  their  color  is  a  grayish-white,  with  sometimes  a 
bluish  tint,  and  marked  with  thinly  scattered  spots  of  brown 
over  the  entire  surface,  except  a  circle  around  the  greater 
end,  where  they  are  confluent,  and  hide  the  primary  color. 
Dimensions  of  a  number  in  my  cabinet  vary  from  .80 
by  .58  to  .76  by  .54  inch.  Two  broods  are  reared  in  the 
season. 

Wilson,  in  describing  the  general  habits  of  this  species, 
says,  — 

"It  is  one  of  our  summer  visitants,  arriving  in  Pennsylvania 
early  in  April ;  frequenting  low  grounds  and  river  courses ;  rearing 
two,  and  sometimes  three,  broods  in  a  season ;  and  returning  to  the 
South  as  soon  as  the  cold  weather  commences.  The  immense 
cypress  swamps  and  extensive  grassy  flats  of  the  Southern  States, 
that  border  their  numerous  rivers,  and  the  rich  rice  plantations, 
abounding  with  their  favorite  seeds  and  sustenance,  —  appear  to 
be  the  general  winter  resort  and  grand  annual  rendezvous  of  this 
and  all  the  other  species  of  Sparrow  that  remain  with  us  during 
summer.  From  the  river  Trent  in  North  Carolina  to  that  of 
Savannah,  and  still  farther  south,  I  found  this  species  very  numer- 
ous ;  not  flying  in  flocks,  but  skulking  among  the  canes,  reeds,  and 
grass,  seeming  shy  and  timorous,  and  more  attached  to  the  water 
than  any  other  of  their  tribe.  In  the  month  of  April,  numbers 
pass  through  Pennsylvania  to  the  northward ;  which  I  conjecture 
from  the  circumstance  of  finding  them  at  that  season  in  particular 
parts  of  the  woods,  where,  during  the  rest  of  the  year,  they  are 
not  to  be  seen.  The  few  that  remain  frequent  the  swamps  and 
reedy  borders  of  our  creeks  and  rivers.  They  form  their  nest  in 
the  ground,  sometimes  in  a  tussock  of  rank  grass  surrounded  by 
water,  and  lay  four  eggs,  of  a  dirty- white,  spotted  with  rufous.  So 
late  as  the  15th  of  August,  I  have  seen  them  feeding  their  young 
that  were  scarcely  able  to  fly.  Their  principal  food  is  grass  seeds, 


THE    FOX-COLORED   SPARROW.  325 

wild  oats,  and  insects.  They  have  no  song ;  are  distinguished  by  a 
single  chip  or  cheep,  uttered  in  a  rather  hoarser  tone  than  that  of 
the  Song  Sparrow ;  flirt  the  tail  as  they  fly  ;  seldom  or  never  take 
to  the  trees,  but  skulk  from  one  low  bush  or  swampy  thicket  to 
another." 


Sub-Family  PASSERELLINJE. — The  Buntings. 

Toes  and  claws  very  stout;  the  lateral  claws  reaching  beyond  the  middle  of  the 
middle  one;  all  very  slightly  curved. 

Bill  conical,  the  outlines  straight;  both  mandibles  equal;  wings  long,  longer 
than  the  even  tail,  reachjng  nearly  to  the  middle  of  its  exposed  portion;  hind  claw 
longer  than  its  digit;  its  toe  nearly  as  long  as  the  middle  toe;  tarsus  longer  than 
the  middle  toe ;  brown  above,  either  uniformly  so  or  faintly  streaked ;  triangular 
spots  below. 

PASSERELLA,  SWAINSON. 

Passerella,  SWAINSON,  Class.  Birds,  II.  (1837)  288.  (Type  Fringilla  iliaca, 
Merrem.) 

Body  stout;  bill  conical,  not  notched,  the  outlines  straight;  the  two  jaws  of 
equal  depth ;  roof  of  upper  mandible  deeply  excavated,  and  vaulted,  not  knobbed ; 
tarsus  scarcely  longer  than  the  middle  toe ;  outer  toe  little  longer  than  the  inner,  its 
claw  reaching  to  the  middle  of  the  central  one;  hind  toe  about  equal  to  the  inner 
lateral ;  the  claws  all  long,  and  moderately  curved  only ;  the  posterior  rather  longer 
than  the  middle,  and  equal  to  its  toe;  wings  long,  pointed,  reaching  to  the  middle 
of  the  tail;  the  tertials  not  longer  than  secondaries;  second  and  third  quills  longest; 
first  equal  to  the  fifth;  tail  very  nearly  even,  scarcely  longer  than  the  wing;  inner 
claw  contained  scarcely  one  and  a  half  times  in  its  toe  proper. 

Color.  —  Rufous  or  slaty ;  obsoletely  streaked  or  uniform  above ;  thickly  spotted 
with  triangular  blotches  beneath. 

PASSEEELLA   ILIACA.  —  Swainson. 
The  Fox-colored  Sparrow. 

Fringilla  iliaca,  Audubon.    Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  58;  V.  512. 
Passerella  iliaca,  Swainson.     Birds,  II.  (1837)  288. 
Fringilla  rufa,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  III.  (1811)  53. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Middle  of  the  back  dull-ash,  each  feather  with  a  large  blotch  of  brownish-red ; 
top  of  head  and  neck,  with  rump,  similar,  but  with  smaller  and  more  obsolete 
blotches ;  upper  tail  coverts,  with  exposed  surface  of  wings  and  tail,  bright-rufous ; 
beneath  white,  with  the  upper  part  of  the  breast  and  sides  of  throat  and  body  with 
triangular  spots  of  rufous,  and  a  few  smaller  ones  of  blackish  on  the  middle  of  the 


326  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

breast;  inner  edges  of  quills  and  tail  feathers  tinged  with  rufous-pink;  no  light  lines 
on  the  head,  but  a  patch  of  rufous  on  the  cheeks ;  first  quill  rather  less  than  the 
fifth;  hind  toe  about  equal  to  its  claw;  sometimes  the  entire  head  above  is  reddish, 
like  the  back. 

Length,  about  seven  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  three  and  fifty  one- 
hundredths  inches. 

Hob.  —Eastern  United  States  to  the  Mississippi. 

This  beautiful  Sparrow  is  very  abundant  in  spring  and 
autumn  in  New  England,  arriving  in  spring  early  in  March, 
and  departing  for  the  North  by  the  first  week  in  April ;  and 
arriving  in  autumn  from  the  North  about  the  10th  of  Octo- 
ber, and  departing  for  the  South  late  in  November.  While 
with  us,  it  remains  in  low,  moist  thickets  and  woody  pas- 
tures ;  and  occasionally  visits  the  stubble-fields  and  gardens, 
where  it  busies  itself  in  searching  among  the  dead  leaves 
and  weeds  for  its  food  of  seeds  and  insects.  It  generally 
has,  while  in  New  England,  only  a  short,  lisping  note,  occa- 
sionally a  pretty  warble  ;  but  it  is  said  to  have  in  its  northern 
home  a  beautiful  song,  that  is  excelled  by  that  of  hardly 
any  other  species.  Audubon,  in  describing  the  nest  and 
eggs,  says,  "  The  nest  of  the  Fox-colored  Sparrow,  which 
is  large  for  the  size  of  the  bird,  is  usually  placed  on  the 
ground,  among  moss  or  tall  grass,  near  the  stem  of  a  creep- 
ing fir,  the  branches  of  which  completely  conceal  it  from 
view.  Its  outside  is  loosely  formed  of  dry  grass  and  moss, 
with  a  carefully  disposed  inner  layer  of  finer  grasses,  circu- 
larly arranged;  and  the  lining  consists  of  very  delicate 
fibrous  roots,  together  with  some  feathers  from  different 
species  of  water-fowls.  The  period  at  which  the  eggs  are 
laid  is  from  the  middle  of  June  to  the  5th  of  July.  They 
are  proportionally  large,  four  or  five  in  number,  rather 
sharp  at  the  smaller  end,  of  a  dull-greenish  tint,  sprinkled 
with  irregular  small  blotches  of  brown."  Their  dimensions 
average  about  .86  by  .62  inch. 


THE   BLACK-THROATED   BUNTING.  327 


Sub-Family  SPIZIN^E. 

Bill  variable,  always  large,  much  arched,  and  with  the  culmen  considerably 
curved ;  sometimes  of  enormous  size,  and  with  a  great  development  backwards  of 
the  lower  jaw,  which  is  always  appreciably,  sometimes  considerably,  broader  behind 
than  the  upper  jaw  at  its  base;  nostrils  exposed;  tail  rather  variable;  bill  generally 
black  or  red ;  wings  shorter  than  in  the  first  group ;  gape  almost  always  much  more 
strongly  bristled ;  few  of  the  species  sparrow-like  or  plain  in  appearance ;  usually 
blue,  red,  or  black  and  white;  seldom  (or  never?)  streaked  beneath. 


EUSPIZA,  BONAPARTE. 

Euspiza,  BONAPARTE,  List  (1838).  (Type  Emberiza  Americana,  Gm.) 
Bill  large  and  strong,  swollen,  and  without  any  ridges;  the  lower  mandible 
nearly  as  high  as  the  upper;  as  broad  at  the  base  as  the  length  of  the  gonys,  and 
considerably  broader  than  the  upper  mandible ;  the  edges  much  inflexed,  and  shut- 
ting much  within  the  upper  mandible;  the  commissure  considerably  angulated  at 
the  base,  then  decidedly  sinuated ;  the  tarsus  barely  equal  to  the  middle  toe ;  the 
lateral  toes  nearly  equal,  not  reaching  to  the  base  of  the  middle  claw;  the  hind  toe 
about  equal  to  the  middle  one  without  its  claw ;  the  wings  long  and  acute,  reaching 
nearly  to  the  middle  of  the  tail ;  the  tertials  decidedly  longer  than  the  secondaries, 
but  much  shorter  than  the  primaries ;  first  quill  longest,  the  others  regularly  gradu- 
ated; tail  considerably  shorter  than  the  wings,  though  moderately  long,  nearly  even, 
although  slightly  emarginate;  the  outer  feathers  scarcely  shorter;  middle  of  back 
only  striped;  beneath  without  streaks. 

EUSPIZA   AMERICANA.  —  Bonaparte. 
The  Black-throated  Bunting. 

Emberiza  Americana,  Gmelin.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1788)  872.  Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  III. 
(1811)  86.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  (1838)  579. 

Euspiza  Americana,  Bonaparte.     List  (1838).     (Type.)     Jb.,  Consp.  (1850),  469. 
Euspina  Americana,  Cabanis.     Mus.  Hein.  (1851),  133.     (Type.) 

DESCRIPTION. 

Male.  —  Sides  of  the  head,  and  sides  and  back  of  the  neck,  ash ;  crown  tinged  with 
yellowish-green  and  faintly  streaked  with  dusky;  a  superciliary  and  short  maxillary 
line,  middle  of  the  breast,  axillaries,  and  edge  of  the  wing,  yellow;  chin,  loral 
region,  spots  on  sides  of  throat,  belly,  and  under  tail  coverts  white;  a  black  patch 
on  the  throat  diminishing  to  the  breast,  and  a  spot  on  the  upper  part  of  the  belly; 
wing  coverts  chestnut;  interscapular  region  streaked  with  black;  rest  of  back 
immaculate. 

Female  with  the  markings  less  distinctly  indicated;  the  black  of  the  breast 
replaced  by  a  black  maxillary  line  and  a  streaked  collar  in  the  yellow  of  the  upper 
part  of  the  breast. 

Length,  about  six  and  seventjr  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  three  and  fifty  one- 
hundredths  inches. 

Hob.  —  United  States  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  border  of  the  high  central  plains. 


328  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

This  bird  can  be  regarded  only  as  an  extremely  rare 
summer  visitor  in  New  England,  Massachusetts  apparently 
being  its  extreme  northern  limit.  I  have  heard  of  two 
specimens  being  found  in  this  State,  and  it  is  possible  that 
others  may  have  occurred  here. 

The  nest  of  this  species  is  placed  on  the  ground,  usually 
in  a  dry  pasture  or  field,  and  most  generally  beneath  a  tuft 
of  grass  or  a  small  bush.  It  is  loosely  constructed  of  grass 
and  fine  roots  arranged  circularly,  and  with  a  finer  lining. 
The  eggs  are  four  in  number :  they  are  of  an  ovoidal  shape, 
and  are  but  little  pointed.  Their  dimensions  vary  from  .82 
by  .60  inch  to  .79  by  .58  inch :  their  color  is  a  delicate 
greenish-blue,  without  spots  or  markings. 

I  have  had  no  opportunities  for  observing  the  habits  of 
this  bird,  and  can  present  nothing  of  value  with  relation  to 
them. 

GUIRACA,  SWAINSON. 

Guiraca,  SWAINSON,  Zool.  Jour.,  III.  (Nov.,  1827)  350.  (Type  Loxia  ccerulea,  L.) 
Bill  very  large,  nearly  as  high  as  long ;  the  culmen  curved,  with  a  rather  sharp 
ridge;  the  commissure  conspicuously  angulated  just  below  the  nostril,  the  posterior 
leg  of  the  angle  nearly  as  long  as  the  anterior,  both  nearly  straight;  lower  jaw 
deeper  than  the  upper,  and  extending  much  behind  the  forehead;  the  width  greater 
than  the  length  of  the  gonys,  considerably  wider  than  the  upper  jaw;  a  prominent 
knob  in  the  roof  of  the  mouth;  tarsi  shorter  than  the  middle  toe;  the  outer  toe  a 
little  longer,  reaching  not  quite  to  the  base  of  the  middle  claw;  hind  toe  rather 
longer  than  to  this  base;  wings  long,  reaching  the  middle  of  the  tail;  the  seconda- 
ries and  tertials  nearly  equal;  the  second  quill  longest;  the  first  less  than  the  fourth; 
tail  very  nearly  even,  shorter  than  the  wings. 

GUIRACA  LUDOVICIANA.  —  Swainson. 
The  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak. 

Loxia  Ludwidana,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  306.  Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  II. 
(1810)  135. 

Guiraca  Ludoviciana,  Swainson.     Phil.  Mag.,  I.  (1827)  438. 
Fringilla  Ludovidana,  Audubon.     Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  166;  V.  513. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Upper  parts  generally,  with  head  and  neck  all  round,  glossy  black;  a  broad 
crescent  across  the  upper  part  of  the  breast,  extending  narrowly  down  to  the  belly, 
axillaries,  and  under  wing  coverts,  carmine;  rest  of  under  parts,  rump,  and  upper  tail 
coverts,  middle  wing  coverts,  spots  on  the  tertiaries  and  inner  great  wing  coverts, 


GuosBKAK,    Gufraca  Iwloviciana.     Swainson. 


THE   ROSE-BREASTED   GROSBEAK.  329 

basal  half  of  primaries  and  secondaries,  and  a  large  patch  on  the  ends  of  the  inner 
webs  of  the  outer  three  tail  feathers,  pure-white. 

Female,  without  the  white  of  quills,  tail,  and  rump,  and  without  any  black  or 
red;  above  yellowish-brown  streaked  with  darker;  head  with  a  central  stripe  above, 
and  a  superciliary  on  each  side,  white;  beneath  dirty-white,  streaked  with  brown  on 
the  breast  and  sides ;  under  wing  coverts  and  axillaries  saffron- vel low. 

In  the  male,  the  black  feathers  of  the  back  and  sides  of  the  neck  have  a  subter- 
minal  white  bar:  there  are  a  few  black  spots  on  the  sides  of  the  breast  just  below 
the  red. 

The  young  male  of  the  year  is  like  the  female,  except  in  having  the  axillaries, 
under  wing  coverts,  and  a  trace  of  a  patch  on  the  breast,  light  rose-red. 

Th*e  tint  of  carmin-  on  the  under  parts  varies  a  good  deal  in  different  specimens. 

Length,  eight  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  four  and  fifteen  one-hun- 
dredths  inches. 

Hob. — Eastern  United  States  to  the  Missouri  plains,  south  to  Guatemala. 

This  beautiful  bird  is  a  not  very  common  summer  inhabi- 
tant of  New  England.  It  seems  to  be  pretty  generally  dis- 
tributed, but  is  in  no  locality  plenty.  It  arrives  about  the 
first  week  in  May  in  the  southern  districts  of  these  States, 
and  a  fortnight  later  in  the  northern  sections.  It  prefers 
the  neighborhood  of  a  swamp,  and  is  most  often  found  in 
low  growths  of  birches  and  alders.  The  nest  is  placed 
in  low  shrubs  and  trees,  often  in  the  barberry-bush  and 
alder,  usually  in  the  deep  woods,  sometimes  in  a  pasture. 
It  is  loosely  constructed  of  twigs  and  roots,  and  lined  with 
grass  and  hair-like  roots,  and  sometimes  a  few  leaves.  The 
eggs  are  usually  four  in  number,  more  often  less  than 
more.  Their  ground-color  is  a  greenish-blue  :  this  is  irregu- 
larly covered  with  fine  spots  and  dashes  of  umber-brown, 
thickest  at  the  greater  end  of  the  egg.  Dimensions  vary 
from  1  by  .74  to  .90  by  .70  inch.  One  brood  only  is  reared 
in  the  season  in  New  England.  I  am  aware  that  this 
description  differs  from  those  which  have  been  written  of  the 
nest  and  eggs  of  this  bird  ; 1  but  it  is  correct.  I  have  had  a 
number  of  the  eggs,  and  have  seen  several  of  the  nests  : 
these  were  invariably  of  the  above  description,  and  differed 
in  no  essential  particular,  though  from  various  localities. 

1  According  to  Bonaparte,  its  nest  is  concealed  amidst  the  thick  foliage  of  the 
shady  forest ;  externally,  it  is  composed  of  twigs,  and  lined  with  slender  grass ;  and 
the  eggs  are  four  or  five,  white,  spotted  with  brown.  —  NUTTALL. 


330  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

The  habits  of  this  bird  are  pretty  well  known.  It  is  a 
very  fine  songster,  and  is  hardly  excelled  by  any  of  our 
other  species ;  its  notes  being  uttered,  not  only  through  the 
day,  but  also  during  the  night,  as  I  have  heard  on  several 
occasions.  The  song  is  difficult  of  description:  it  is  a 
sweet  warble,  with  various  emphatic  passages,  and  some- 
times a  plaintive  strain,  exceedingly  tender  and  affecting. 

The  Grosbeak  feeds  upon  the  seeds  of  the  birches  and 
alders,  which  it  obtains  very  expertly.  It  also  is  very  fond 
of  various  berries  and  buds,  and  it  occasionally  searches 
among  the  fallen  leaves  for  insects  and  worms. 

After  the  young  birds  have  become  capable  of  providing 
for  themselves,  the  whole  family  sometimes  visit  the  orchards 
and  gardens,  where  they  eat  a  few  berries  and  currants. 
By  the  middle  of  September,  they  proceed  leisurely  on  their 
southern  migration. 

CYANOSPIZA,  BAIKD. 

Passerina,  VIEILLOT,  Analyse  (1816).    Not  of  Linnseus;  used  in  Botany. 

Cyanospiza,  BAIRD.     (Type  Tanagra  cyanea,  L.) 

Bill  deep  at  the  base,  compressed ;  the  upper  outline  considerably  curved ;  the 
commissure  rather  concave,  with  an  obtuse,  shallow  lobe  in  the  middle;  gonys 
slightly  curved;  feet  moderate ;  tarsus  about  equal  to  middle  toe;  the  outer  lateral 
toe  barely  longer  than  the  inner,  its  claw  falling  short  of  the  base  of  the  middle ; 
hind  toe  about  equal  to  the  middle  without  claw;  claws  all  much  curved,  acute; 
wings  long  and  pointed,  reaching  nearly  to  the  middle  of  the  tail ;  the  second  and 
third  quills  longest ;  tail  appreciably  shorter  than  the  wings,  rather  narrow,  very 
nearly  even. 

The  species  of  this  genus  are  all  of  very  small  size  and  of  showy  plumage, 
usually  blue,  red,  or  green,  in  well-defined  areas. 

CYANOSPIZA    CYANEA.  —  Baird. 
The  Indigo-bird. 

Tanagra  cyanea,  Linnaeus.    Syst.  Nat,  I.  (1766)  315. 

Frinyilla  cyanea.    Wils.,  I.  (1810)  100;  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1832)  377;  V.  503. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Male.  —  Blue,  tinged  with  ultramarine  on  the  head,  throat,  and  middle  of  breast; 
elsewhere  with  verdigris-green ;  lores  and  anterior  angle  of  chin  velvet-black ;  wing 
feathers  brown,  edged  externally  with  dull  bluish-brown. 


THE   INDIGO-BIRD.  331 

Female.  —  Brown  above ;  whitish,  obscurely  streaked  or  blotched  with  brownish- 
yellow  beneath ;  immature  males  similar,  variously  blotched  with  blue. 

Length,  about  five  and  seventy-five  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  nearly  three 
inches. 

Hob.  —  Eastern  United  States  to  the  Missouri,  south  to  Guatemala. 

This  beautiful  species  is  pretty  generally  distributed 
throughout  New  England  as  a  summer  visitor,  and  is  rather 
common  in  thickly  settled  districts.  It  arrives  from  the 
south  about  the  10th  of  May,  and  soon  mates  and  selects  its 
home  for  the  ensuing  summer.  Says  Nuttall,  — 

"  Though  naturally  shy,  active,  and  suspicious,  they  still,  at  this 
interesting  period  of  procreation,  resort  chiefly  to  the  precincts  of 
habitations,  around  which  they  are  far  more  common  than  in  the 
solitary  woods,  seeking  their  borders,  or  the  thickets  by  the  sides  of 
the  road ;  but  their  favorite  resort  is  the  garden,  where,  from  the 
topmost  bough  of  some  tall  tree,  which  commands  the  whole  wide 
landscape,  the  male  regularly  pours  out  his  lively  chant,  and 
continues  it  for  a  considerable  length  of  time.  Nor  is  this  song 
confined  to  the  cool  and  animating  dawn  of  morning;  but  it  is 
renewed  and  still  more  vigorous  during  the  noonday  heat  of  sum- 
mer. This  lively  strain  seems  composed  of  a  repetition  of  short 
notes,  commencing  loud  and  rapid,  and  then,  slowly  falling,  they 
descend  almost  to  a  whisper,  succeeded  by  a  silent  interval  of  about 
half  a  minute,  when  the  song  is  again  continued  as  before.  The 
most  common  of  these  vocal  expressions  sounds  like,  tshe  tshe 
tshe —  tshe  tshee  tshee —  tshe  tshe  tshe.  The  middle  syllables  are 
uttered  lispingly  in  a  very  peculiar  manner,  and  the  three  last 
gradually  fall:  sometimes  it  is  varied  and  shortened  into  tshea 
tshea  tshea  tshreh,  the  last  sound  being  sometimes  doubled.  This 
shorter  song  is  usually  uttered  at  the  time  that  the  female  is 
engaged  in  the  cares  of  incubation,  or  as  the  brood  already  appear, 
and  when  too  great  a  display  of  his  music  might  endanger  the 
retiring  security  of  his  family." 

The  Indigo-bird  commences  building  about  the  last  of 
May.  The  nest  is  usually  placed  in  low  bushes,  often 
bramble  and  brier  bushes,  usually  near  houses  and  gar- 
dens :  it  is  constructed  of  coarse  sedge  grass,  some  withered 


332  ORNITHOLOGY  AND    OOLOGY. 

leaves,  and  lined  with  fine  stalks  of  the  same  and  the  slen- 
der hair-like  tops  of  the  bent  grass  (agrostis),  with  a  very 
few  cow-hairs,  though  sometimes  they  make  a  substantial 
lining  of  hair.  The  eggs  are  four  or  five  in  number ;  and 
their  color  is  a  nearly  pure  white,  sometimes  with  a  bluish 
tint.  In  a  large  number  in  my  collection  from  L.  E.  Rick- 
seeker,  of  Pennsylvania,  a  few  have  scattered  blotches  of 
reddish-brown.  Their  size  varies  from  .80  by  .60  to  .70  by 
.52  inch.  But  one  brood  is  reared  in  the  season  in  New 
England. 

About  the  middle  of  September,  the  whole  family  leaves 
New  England,  and  winters  in  tropical  America. 

PIPILO,   VlEILLOT. 

Pipilo,  VIEILLOT,  Analyse  (1816)  Agassiz.  (Type  Fringilla  erythrqphthalma, 
Linn.) 

Bill  rather  stout;  the  culmen  gently  curved,  the  gonys  nearly  straight;  the  com- 
missure gently  concave  with  a  decided  notch  near  the  end;  the  lower  jaw  not  so 
deep  as  the  upper,  not  as  wide  as  the  gonys  is  long,  but  wider  than  the  base  of  the 
upper  mandible ;  feet  large,  the  tarsus  as  long  or  a  little  longer  than  the  middle 
toe ;  the  outer  lateral  toe  a  little  the  longer,  and  reaching  a  little  beyond  the  base 
of  the  middle  claw ;  the  hind  claw  about  equal  to  its  toe ;  the  two  together  about 
equal  to  the  outer  toe;  claws  all  stout,  compressed,  and  moderately  curved;  wings 
reaching  about  to  the  end  of  the  upper  tail  coverts ;  short  and  rounded,  though  the 
primaries  are  considerably  longer  than  the  nearly  equal  secondaries  and  tertials ; 
the  outer  four  quills  are  graduated ;  the  first  considerably  shorter  than  the  second, 
and  about  as  long  as  the  secondaries;  tail  considerably  longer  than  the  wings; 
moderately  graduated  externally ;  the  feathers  rather  broad ;  most  rounded  off  on 
the  inner  webs  at  the  end. 

The  colors  vary;  the  upper  parts  are  generally  uniform  black  or  brown;  the 
under  white  or  brown;  no  central  streaks  on  the  feathers.  The  hood  sometimes 
differently  colored. 

The  essential  characters  of  the  genus  are  in  the  curved  culmen  and  commissure ; 
the  strong  feet ;  the  outer  toe  rather  longer  than  the  inner ;  the  wings  rounded,  but 
the  primaries  decidedly  longer  than  the  others ;  the  outer  four  quills  considerably 
graduated,  but  the  first  usually  not  shorter  than  the  secondaries.  The  graduated 
tail  longer  than  the  wings. 

PIPILO    ERYTHROPHTHALMUS.—  Vieillot. 
The  Ground  Robin ;  Towhee ;  Chewink. 

Fringilla  erythrophthalma,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  318;  Aud.  Orn.  Biog., 
I.  (1832)  151;  V.  511. 


THE   GROUND   ROBIN.  333 

Emberiza  erythrophthalma,  Gmelin.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1788)  874;  Wils.  Am.  Orn., 
VI.  (1812)  90. 

Pipillo  eryihrophthalmus,  Vieillot.     Gal.  Ois.,  I.  (1824)  109. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Upper  parts  generally,  head  and  neck  all  round,  and  upper  part  of  the  breast, 
glossy  black,  abruptly  defined  against  the  pure  white  which  extends  to  the  anus, 
but  is  bounded  on  the  sides  and  under  the  wings  by  light-chestnut;  under  coverts 
similar  to  sides,  but  paler;  edges  of  outer  six  primaries  with  white  at  the  base  and 
on  the  middle  of  the  outer  web;  inner  two  tertiaries  also  edged  externally  with 
white;  tail  feathers  black;  outer  web  of  the  first,  with  the  ends  of  the  first  to  the 
third  white,  decreasing  from  the  exterior  one.  Female  with  the  black  replaced  by 
brown ;  iris  red. 

Length,  eight  and  seventy-five  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  three  and  seventy- 
five  one -huti dredths;  tail,  four  and  ten  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  beautiful  and  well-known  species,  although  common 
in  "Massachusetts  and  the  other  southern  New-England 
States,  is  rare  in  the  three  northern.  It  begins  to  grow 
scarce  in  the  northern  districts  of  Massachusetts ;  and,  before 
we  have  passed  twenty  miles  beyond  its  northern  limits,  it  is 
very  rarely  seen.  It  makes  its  appearance  about  the  20th 
of  April,  the  males  preceding  the  females  by  a  week  or  ten 
days.  As  soon  as  the  females  arrive,  the  pairing  season 
commences.  The  male,  perched  on  a  low  limb  of  a  tree  or 
high  bush,  chants  his  pleasing  song,  sometimes  for  half  an 
hour  at  a  time :  this  song  resembles  the  syllables,  tow-hSe 
'die  'de  'de  'de  'de,  uttered  at  first  slowly  and  plaintively,  and 
quickly  increased  in  volume  and  rapidity  of  utterance.  He 
has  also  a  sort  of  quavering  warble  difficult  of  description. 
If  he  is  approached,  he  watches  the  intruder,  and,  after 
ascertaining  his  business,  utters  his  note  tow-hSe,  and  pro- 
ceeds his  search  among  the  fallen  leaves  for  his  favorite  food 
of  worms,  insects,  and  seeds,  which  he  is  almost  continually 
scratching  for  among  the  dead  vegetation. 

About  the  second  week  in  May,  the  birds  commence  build- 
ing. The  locality  usually  chosen  is  in  low,  thick  woods, 
or  in  thickets  of  briers  and  bushes  near  streams  of  water, 
in  which  places  this  species  is  most  often  found.  The  nest 
is  placed  on  the  ground,  usually  beneath  a  bunch  of  grass, 


334  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

or  in  a  pile  of  old  brush  and  fagots :  it  is  constructed  of 
fine  twigs,  leaves,  and  grasses,  and  is  lined  with  fine  leaves 
of  grasses,  and  sometimes  a  few  hair-like  roots. 

The  eggs  are  usually  four  in  number.  Their  ground  color 
varies  from  grayish  to  reddish-white:  this  is  covered,  over 
the  entire  surface,  with  fine  dots  and  points  of  reddish- 
brown  :  in  some  specimens  these  dots  run  into  each  other, 
and  from  small  blotches.  The  average  dimensions  of  a 
great  number  of  specimens  in  my  collection  is  about  .94  by 
.76  inch.  When  placed  in  a  tray  beside  an  equal  number 
of  the  eggs  of  the  Brown  Thrush,  the  eggs  of  this  species 
appear  much  paler,  and  with  a  more  roseate  tint ;  otherwise, 
except  with  regard  to  size,  the  two  species  resemble  each 
other  much. 

In  New  England,  but  one  brood  is  usually  reared  in  the 
season.  I  have  found  nests  with  young  in  June  and 
August,  but  generally  the  first  brood  leaves  the  nest  too  late 
for  another  to  be  brought  out  before  the  early  frosts. 

About  the  middle  of  October,  the  old  birds  and  their 
young,  in  small  detached  flocks,  leave  New  England  on 
their  southern  migration. 


THE   BOBOLINK.  335 


FAMILY  ICTERID^. 

Primaries  nine;  tarsi  scutellate  anteriorly;  plated  behind;  bill  long,  generally 
equal  to  the  head  or  longer,  straight  or  gently  curved,  conical,  without  any  notch, 
the  commissure  bending  downwards  at  an  obtuse  angle  at  the  base ;  gonys  generally 
more  than  half  the  culmen;  basal  joint  of  the  middle  toe  free  on  the  inner  side, 
united  half-way  on  the  outer ;  tail  rather  long,  rounded ;  legs  stout. 


Sub-Family  AGELAEINJE.  —  The  Starlings. 

Bill  stout,  conical,  and  acutely  pointed,  not  longer  than  the  head ;  the  outlines 
nearly  straight,  the  tip  not  decurved;  legs  adapted  for  walking,  longer  than  the 
head ;  claws  not  much  curved ;  tail  moderate,  shorter  than  the  wings ;  nearly  even.  . 

DOLICHONYX,  SWAINSON. 

Dotichonyx,  SWAINSON,  Zool.  Jour.,  III.  (1827)  351.  (Type  Emberlza  oryzivo- 
ra,  L.) 

Bill  short,  stout,  conical,  little  more  than  half  the  head ;  the  commissure  slightly 
sinuated;  the  culmen  nearly  straight;  middle  toe  considerably  longer  than  the  tar- 
sus (whicli  is  about  as  long  as  the  head);  the  inner  lateral  toe  longest,  but  not  reach- 
ing the  base  of  the  middle  claw;  wings  long,  first  quill  longest;  tail  feathers 
acuminately  pointed  at  the  tip,  with  the  shafts  stiffened  and  rigid,  as  in  the  Wood- 
peckers. 

The  peculiar  characteristic  of  this  species  is  found  in  the  rigid  scansorial  tail  and 
the  very  long  middle  toe,  by  means  of  which  it  is  enabled  to  grasp  the  vertical  stems 
of  reeds  or  other  slender  plants.  The  color  of  the  known  species  is  black,  varied 
with  whitish  patches  on  the  upper  parts. 

DOLICHONYX    ORYZIVOEUS.  —  Swainson. 
The  Bobolink;  Reed-bird;  Bice-bird. 

Emberiza  oryzivora,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  311.  Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  II. 
(1810)  48. 

Dolichonyx  oryzivora,  Swainson.    Zool.  Jour.,  III.  (1827)  351. 

Icterus  agripennis,  Bonaparte.  Obs.  Wils.  (1824),  No.  87.  And.  Orn.  Biog.,  I. 
(1831)  283;  V.  (1839)  486.  Nutt.  Man.,  I.  (1832)  185. 

DESCRIPTION. 

General  color  of  male  in  spring  black;  the  nape  brownish-cream  color;  a  patch 
on  the  side  of  the  breast,  the  scapulars  and  rump  white,  shading  into  light  ash  on 
the  upper  tail  covers  and  the  back  below  the  interscapular  region ;  the  outer  prima- 
ries sharply  margined  with  yellowish-white,  the  tertials  less  abruptly;  the  tail 
feathers  margined  at  the  tips  with  pale  brownish-ash.  In  autumn  similar  to  the 
female. 


336  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

\Female,  yellowish  beneath;  two  stripes  on  the  top  of  the  head,  and  the  upper 
parts  throughout,  except  the  back  of  the  neck  and  rump,  and  including  all  the  wing 
feathers  generally,  dark-brown,  all  edged  with  brownish-yellow;  which  becomes 
whiter  nearer  the  tips  of  the  quills;  the  sides  sparsely  streaked  with  dark-brown, 
and  a  similar  stripe  behind  the  eye;  there  is  a  superciliary  and  a  median  band  of 
yellow  on  the  head. 

Length  of  male,  seven  and  seventy  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  three  and 
eighty-three  one-hundredths;  tail,  three  and  fifteen  one-hundredths  inches. 

Hob,  —  Eastern  United  States  to  the  high  central  plains.  Seen  fifty  miles  east 
of  Laramie. 

THIS  very  common  and  well-known  bird  is  abundantly 
scattered  throughout  southern  New  England  as  a  sum- 
mer visitor  j  and  is  not  rare  in  most  of  the  northern  sections. 
It  seldom  arrives  before  the  10th  of  May,  when  the  males 
precede  the  females  about  a  week,  and  the  nest  is  not  built 
before  the  last  of  that  month.  It  is  placed  on  the  ground, 
usually  beneath  a  tussock  of  grass  in  a  field  or  meadow, 
and  is  very  ingeniously  and  most  often  successfully  con- 
cealed :  it  is  constructed  of  grasses,  which  are  so  loosely 
arranged  as  to  be  hardly  worth  the  dignity  of  the  name  of 
nest.  The  eggs  are  usually  four  in  number :  they  vary  in 
color  from  a  light-brown  with  obscure  spots  of  darker 
brown,  to  a  dirty-gray  color  with  bold  blotches  of  brownish- 
black.  Dimensions  vary  from  .90  by  .65  to  .86  by  .62  inch. 
But  one  brood  is  reared  in  the  season.  This  bird  is  no 
great  favorite  in  the  southern  portions  of  the  United  States, 
because  of  its  habit  of  visiting  the  rice-fields  in  immense 
numbers,  and  devouring  and  destroying  great  quantities  of 
that  grain  ;  but  in  New  England  it  is  a  general  favorite.  Its 
food  while  here  consists  of  "  all  kinds  of  insects  and  worms," 
u  the  various  kinds  of  grass  seeds,"  "  crickets  and  grass- 
hoppers, as  well  as  beetles  and  spiders." 

The  following  interesting  description  of  the  general 
habits  of  this  species  is  given  by  Alexander  Wilson :  — 

"The  winter  residence  of  this  species  I  suppose  to  be  from 
Mexico  to  the  mouth  of  the  Amazon,  from  whence,  in  hosts  innu- 
merable, they  regularly  issue  every  spring,  perhaps  to  both  hemi- 
spheres ;  extending  their  migrations  northerly  as  far  as  the  banks  of 


BOBOLINK,   Reed-bird,  Dolichonyjr  oryzivorus.     Swainson. 


THE   BOBOLINK.  337 

the  Illinois  and  the  shores  of  the  St.  Lawrence.  Could  the  fact 
be  ascertained,  which  has  been  asserted  by  some  writers,  that  the 
emigration  of  these  birds  was  altogether  unknown  in  this  part  of 
the  continent,  previous  to  the  introduction  of  rice  plantations,  it 
would  certainly  be  interesting.  Yet  why  should  these  migrations 
reach  at  least  a  thousand  miles  beyond  those  places  where  rice  is 
now  planted ;  and  this,  not  in  occasional  excursions,  but  regularly 
to  breed,  and  rear  their  young,  where  rice  never  was,  and  probably 
never  will  be,  cultivated  ?  Their  so-recent  arrival  on  this  part  of 
the  continent,  I  believe  to  be  altogether  imaginary ;  because,  though 
there  were  not  a  single  grain  of  rice  cultivated  within  the  United 
States,  the  country  produces  an  exuberance  of  food  of  which  they 
are  no  less  fond.  Insects  of  various  kinds,  grubs,  May-flies,  and 
caterpillars ;  the  young  ears  of  Indian  corn  and  the  seed  of  the 
wild  oats,  or,  as  it  is  called  in  Pennsylvania,  reeds  (the  Zizania 
aquatica  of  Linnaeus),  which  grows  in  prodigious  abundance  along 
the  marshy  shores  of  our  large  rivers,  —  furnish,  not  only  them,  but 
millions  of  Rail,  with  a  delicious  subsistence  for  several  weeks.  I 
do  not  doubt,  however,  that  the  introduction  of  rice,  but  more  par- 
ticularly the  progress  of  agriculture,  in  this  part  of  America,  has 
greatly  increased  their  numbers,  by  multiplying  their  sources  of 
subsistence  fifty-fold  within  the  same  extent  of  country. 

"  In  the  month  of  April,  or  very  early  in  May,  the  Rice  Bunt- 
ings, male  and  female,  arrive  within  the  southern  boundaries  of  the 
United  States ;  and  are  seen  around  the  town  of  Savannah,  in 
Georgia,  about  the  4th  of  May,  sometimes  in  separate  parties  of 
males  and  females,  but  more  generally  promiscuously.  They 
remain  there  but  a  short  time;  and,  about  the  12th  of  May,  make 
their  appearance  in  the  lower  parts  of  Pennsylvania,  as  they  did  at 
Savannah.  While  here,  the  males  are  extremely  gay  and  full  of 
song,  frequenting  meadows,  newly  ploughed  fields,  sides  of  creeks, 
rivers,  and  watery  places  ;  feeding  on  May-flies  and  caterpillars,  of 
which  they  destroy  great  quantities.  In  their  passage,  however, 
through  Virginia  at  this  season,  they  do  great  damage  to  the  early 
wheat  and  barley,  while  in  its  milky  state.  About  the  20th  of 
May,  they  disappear,  on  their  way  to  the  North.  Nearly  at  the 
same  time,  they  arrive  in  the  State  of  New  York,  spread  over 
the  whole  New-England  States,  as  far  as  the  River  St.  Lawrence, 

•      22 


338  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

from  Lake  Ontario  to  the  sea ;  in  all  of  which  places,  north  of 
Pennsylvania,  they  remain  during  the  summer,  building,  and  rear- 
ing their  young.  The  nest  is  fixed  in  the  ground,  generally  in  a 
field  of  grass :  the  outside  is  composed  of  dry  leaves  and  coarse 
grass ;  the  inside  is  lined  with  fine  stalks  of  the  same,  laid  in  con- 
siderable quantity.  The  female  lays  five  eggs  of  a  bluish-white, 
marked  with  numerous  irregular  spots  of  blackish-brown.  The 
song  of  the  male,  while  the  female  is  sitting,  is  singular,  and  very 
agreeable.  Mounting  and  hovering  on  wing  at  a  small  height 
above  the  field,  he  chants  out  such  a  jingling  medley  of  short, 
variable  notes,  uttered  with  such  seeming  confusion  and  rapidity, 
and  continued  for  a  considerable  time,  that  it  appears  as  if  half  a 
dozen  birds  of  different  kinds  were  all  singing  together.  Some 
idea  may  be  formed  of  this  song  by  striking  the  high  keys  of  a 
piano-forte  at  random  singly  and  quickly,  making  as  many  sudden 
contrasts  of  high  and  low  notes  as  possible.  Many  of  the  tones 
are,  in  themselves,  charming ;  but  they  succeed  each  other  so  rap- 
idly that  the  ear  can  hardly  separate  them.  Nevertheless,  the 
general  effect  is  good ;  and,  when  ten  or  twelve  are  all  singing  on 
the  same  tree,  the  concert  is  singularly  pleasing.  I  kept  one  of 
these  birds  for  a  long  time,  to  observe  its  change  of  color.  •  During 
the  whole  of  April,  May,  and  June,  it  sang  almost  continually. 
In  the  month  of  June,  the  color  of  the  male  begins  to  change, 
gradually  assimilating  to  that  of  the  female ;  and,  before  the 
beginning  of  August,  it  is  difficult  to  distinguish  the  one  from 
the  other.  At  this  time,  also,  the  young  birds  are  so  much  like 
the  female,  or  rather  like  both  parents,  and  the  mates  so  different 
in  appearance  from  what  they  were  in  spring,  that  thousands  of 
people  in  Pennsylvania,  to  this  day,  persist  in  believing  them  to 
be  a  different  species  altogether ;  while  others  allow  them,  indeed, 
to  be  the  same,  but  confidently  assert  that  they  are  all  females,  — 
none  but  females,  according  to  them,  returning  in  the  fall :  what 
becomes  of  the  males  they  are  totally  at  a  loss  to  conceive.  Even 
Mr.  Mark  Catesby,  who  resided  for  years  in  the  country  they 
inhabit,  and  who,  as  he  himself  informs  us,  examined,  by  dissec- 
tion, great  numbers  of  them  in  the  fall,  and  repeated  his  experi- 
ment the  succeeding  year,  lest  he  should  have  been  mistaken, 
declares  that  he  uniformly  found  them  to  be  females.  These 


THE    COW   BLACKBIRD.  339 

assertions  must  appear  odd  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  Eastern 
States,  to  whom  the  change  of  plumage  in  these  birds  is  familiar, 
as  it  passes  immediately  under  their  eye ;  and  also  to  those  who, 
like  myself,  have  kept  them  in  cages,  and  witnessed  their  gradual 
change  of  color." 

About  the  first  week  in  August,  the  old  and  young  birds 
collect  in  large  flocks ;  and,  early  in  September,  they  all 
depart  for  the  South. 

MOLOTHRUS,  SWAINSON. 

Molothrus,  SWAINSON,  F.  Bor.  Am.,  II.  (1831)  277.  (Type  Fringitta pecoris,  Gm.) 
Bill  short,  stout,  about  two-thirds  the  length  of  head;  the  commissure  straight; 
ctilmen  and  gonys  slightly  curved,  convex,  the  former  broad,  rounded,  convex,  and 
running  back  on  the  head  in  a  point ;  lateral  toes  nearly  equal,  reaching  the  base  of 
the  middle  one,  which  is  shorter  than  the  tarsus;  claws  rather  small;  tail  nearly 
even;  wings  long,  pointed,  the  first  quill  longest. 

MOLOTHRUS  PECORIS.  —  Swainson. 
The  Cow  Blackbird;  Cowbird. 

Fringitta pecoris,  Gmelin.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1788)  910. 
Emberiza  pecoris,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  II.  (1810)  145. 

Icterus pecoris,  Bonaparte.  Obs.  Wils.  (1824),  No.  88.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1831) 
493;  V.  (1839)  233,  490. 

Icterus  (emberizoides]  pecoris,  Nuttall.    Man.,  I.  (1832)  178;  2d  ed.,  190. 
Molothrus  pecoris,  Swainson.    F.  Bor.  Am.,  II.  (1831)  277. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Second  quill  longest;  first  scarcely  shorter;  tail  nearly  even,  or  very  slightly 
rounded;  male  with  the  head,  neck,  and  anterior  half  of  the  breast,  light  chocolate- 
brown,  rather  lighter  above;  rest  of  body  lustrous-black,  with  a  violet-purple  gloss, 
next  to  the  brown,  of  steel-blue  on  the  back,  and  of  green  elsewhere.  Female,  light 
olivaceous-brown  all  over,  lighter  on  the  head  and  beneath ;  bill  and  feet  black. 

The  young  bird  of  the  year  is  brown  above,  brownish- white  beneath;  the  throat 
immaculate;  a  maxillary  stripe  and  obscure  streaks  thickl}"  crowded  across  the 
whole  breast  and  sides ;  there  is  a  faint  indication  of  a  pale  superciliary  stripe ; 
the  feathers  of  the  upper  parts  are  all  margined  with  paler ;  there  are  also  indications 
of  the  light  bands  on  the  wings;  these  markings  are  all  obscure,  but  perfectly  appre- 
ciable, and  their  existence  in  adult  birds  may  be  considered  as  embryonic,  and  show- 
ing an  inferiority  in  degree  to  the  species  with  the  under  parts  perfectly  plain. 

Length,  eight  inches ;  wing,  four  and  forty-two  one-hundredths  inches ;  tail,  three 
and  forty  one-hundredths  inches. 

Hob.  —  United  States  from  the  Atlantic  to  California :  not  found  immediately  on 
the  coast  of  the  Pacific. 


340  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

Tliis  common  and  well-known  bird  is  abundantly  dis- 
tributed throughout  New  England  as  a  summer  visi- 
tor. It  makes  its  first  appearance  about  the  middle  of 
March  in  Massachusetts,  and,  instead  of  mating  and  sep- 
arating into  pairs,  remains  in  small  flocks  through  the 
summer. 

At  all  times,  the  males  and  females  congregate  together 
and  visit  the  fields  and  pastures,  (where  they  destroy  num- 
bers of  insects,  principally  Orthoptera),  and  are  usually  in 
greatest  numbers  where  droves  of  cattle  are  assembled. 
The  male,  in  spring  and  early  summer,  has  a  guttural  song, 
which  he  utters  from  a  tall  tree,  sometimes  an  hour  at  a 
time.  This  song  resembles  the  syllables  ^cluk  'seee.  When 
he  emits  this  note,  he  bristles  out  the  feathers  of  his  neck, 
and  spreads  his  tail,  and  seems  to  swell  out  his  body  with 
the  effort  to  produce  an  agreeable  tone. 

When  the  desire  for  laying  is  awakened  in  the  female, 
instead  of  building  a  nest  of  her  own,  she  seeks  the  tene- 
ment of  some  other  bird,  usually  a  smaller  species  than 
herself;  and,  watching  an  opportunity  when  the  other  bird 
has  left  it,  she  drops  an  egg  in  it,  and  leaves  it  to  the  tender 
mercies  of  the  owner  of  the  nest.  The  birds  most  often 
chosen  for  this  purpose  are  the  Vireos,  Warblers,  and  Spar- 
rows :  sometimes  the  Small  Thrushes  are  thus  imposed  upon, 
and  rarely  the  Wrens. 

Some  birds  build  over  the  stranger  egg  a  new  nest.  I 
have  in  my  collection  a  nest  of  the  Yellow  Warbler  thus 
doubled,  and  another  of  the  Goldfinch.  Sometimes  the 
nest  is  abandoned,  particularly  if  the  owner  has  no  eggs  of 
her  own ;  but  usually  the  intruding  egg  is  hatched,  and  the 
young  bird  attended  with  all  the  care  given  to  the  legitimate 
young.  The  eggs  of  this  species  are  of  a  grayish-white, 
with  fine  spots  of  brown  over  the  entire  surface.  Their 
dimensions  vary  from  .96  by  .70  to  .80  by  .62  inch :  some 
specimens  are  marked  with  very  minute  reddish  dots,  which 
are  scattered  over  the  entire  surface ;  others  have  bold 


RED-WINGED  BLACKBIRD,  Agelaius  phceniceus.     Vieillot. 


THE   SWAMP   BLACKBIRD.  341 

dashes  and  confluent  blotches  of  brown,  thickest  at  the 
greater  end.1 

By  the  last  week  in  October,  the  young  and  old  birds 
assemble  in  large  flocks,  and  leave  for  -the  South. 

AGELAIUS,  VIEILLOT. 

Agelaius,  VIEILLOT,  "Analyse,  1816."  (Type  Oriolus  Phoeniceus,  L.) 
First  quill  shorter  than  second ;  claws  short ;  the  outer  lateral  scarcely  reaching 
the  base  of  the  middle;  culmen  depressed  at  base,  parting  the  frontal  feathers; 
length  equal  to  that  of  the  head,  shorter  than  tarsus ;  both  mandibles  of  equal  thick- 
ness and  acute  at  tip,  the  edges  much  curved,  the  culmen,  gonys,  and  commissure 
nearly  straight  or  slightly  sinuated;  the  length  of  bill  about  twice  its  height;  tail 
moderately  rounded,  or  very  slightly  graduated ;  wings  pointed,  reaching  to  end  of 
lower  tail  coverts ;  colors  black,  with  red  shoulders  in  North-American  species. 

The  nostrils  are  small,  oblong,  overhung  by  a  membranous  scale ;  the  bill  is 
higher  than  broad  at  the  base;  there  is  no  division  between  the  anterior  tarsal 
scutellae  and  the  single  plate  on  the  outside  of  the  tarsus. 

AGELAIUS   PHCENICEUS.  —  Vidllot. 
The  Swamp  Blackbird;   Red-wing  Blackbird. 

Oriolus  Phoeniceus,  Linnaeus.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  161. 
Agelaius  Phoeniceus,  Vieillot.     Anal.  (1816). 

Icterus  Phoeniceus,  Audubon.     Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1831)  348;  V.  (1839)  487. 
Icterus  (Xanthornus  Phoeniceus),  Bonaparte.     Syn.  (1828),  52.     Nutt.  Man.,  I. 
(1832)  167. 

Sturnus  prcedatorius,  Wilson.     Am.  Orn.,  IV.  (1811)  30. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Tail  much  rounded ;  the  lateral  feathers  about  half  an  inch  shorter ;  fourth  quill 
longest;  first  about  as  long  as  the  fifth;  bill  large,  stout;  half  as  high,  or  more  than 
half  as  high  as  long. 

Male.  —  General  color  uniform  lustrous  velvet-black,  with  a  greenish  reflection ; 
shoulders  and  lesser  wing  coverts  of  a  bright-crimson  or  vermilion-red ;  middle 
coverts  brownish-yellow,  and  usually  paler  towards  the  tips. 

1  By  an  amusing  yet  incomprehensible  mistake  of  the  printer,  the  subjoined 
description  of  eggs,  &c.,  was  annexed  to  this  species,  in  an  article  published  in  the 
"  Report  of  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture  for  1864,"  p.  426.  It  belongs  to 
the  Chewink  or  Ground  Robin,  page  425  of  that  volume:  "Their  form  varies  from 
elongated  oval  to  nearly  spherical.  The  dimensions  of  a  nest  complement  of  four 
eggs,  collected  in  Quincy,  Mass.,  are  1  by  .74  inch,  .96  by  .72  inch,  .90  by  .70  inch, 
.90  by  .68  inch :  other  specimens  do  not  vary  materially  from  these  measurements. 
But  one  brood  is  usually  reared  in  the  season.  This  bird,  although  subsisting  prin- 
cipally on  various  seeds  and  small  fruits,  destroys  great  numbers  of  insects,  particu- 
larly in  the  breeding  season :  in  fact,  its  young  are  fed  entirely  on  insects  and  their 
larvae,  and  the  well-known  wire- worms." 


342  ORNITHOLOGY   AND    OOLOGY. 

Female.  —  Brown  above,  the  feathers  edged  or  streaked  with  rufous-brown  and 
yellowish ;  beneath  white,  streaked  with  brown ;  forepart  of  throat,  superciliary,  and 
median  stripe  strongly  tinged  with  brownish-yellow. 

The  female  differs  greatly  in  appearance ;  the  prevailing  color  above  is  brownish- 
black,  all  the  feathers  margined  with  reddish-brown;  some  of  those  on  the  back 
with  brownish-yellow,  which,  on  the  median  and  greater  wing  coverts,  forms  two 
bands;  the  under  parts  are  dull-whitish,  each  feather  broadly  streaked  centrally  with 
dark-brown ;  the  chin  and  throat  yellowish,  and  but  little  streaked ;  there  is  a  dis- 
tinct whitish  superciliary  streak  alongside  the  head,  tinged  anteriorly  with  brownish- 
yellow,  and  another  less  distinct  in  the  median  line  of  the  crown ;  there  is  usually 
no  indication  of  any  red  on  th«  wing ;  the  immature  males  exhibit  every  possible 
condition  of  coloration  between  that  of  the  old  male  and  of  the  female. 

Length  of  male,  nine  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  five  inches ;  tail, 
four  and  fifteen  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  common  and  well-known  species  makes  its  appear- 
ance about  the  middle  of  March.  It  arrives  in  small  flocks, 
the  males  preceding  the  females  a  week  or  ten  days.  On 
its  arrival,  it  frequents  the  meadows  and  swamps,  where, 
from  early  dawn  to  twilight,  its  song  of  quonk  a  ree  is 
heard,  sometimes  uttered  by  a  half-dozen  birds  at  a  time. 
As  soon  as  the  females  arrive,  the  birds  mate,  and  disperse 
through  these  States,  but  not  so  abundantly  in  the  northern 
as  in  the  southern  districts.  It  commences  building  about 
the  first  week  in  May.  The  nest  is  usually  placed  in  a 
tussock  of  grass  or  low  bush  in  a  meadow  and  swamp :  it 
is  constructed  of  coarse  grasses,  which  are  woven  and 
intwined  into  a  strong  fabric,  into  which  are  incorporated 
the  grass  to  which  it  is  suspended,  or  the  twigs  of  the  bush 
in  which  it  is  built.  It  is  deeply  hollowed,  and  lined  with 
fine  grasses,  and  sometimes  a  few  hair-like  roots.  The  eggs 
are  four  or  five  in  number  ;  and  they  vary,  in  color,  two  or 
three  shades  of  light-blue :  they  are  marked  with  spots  and 
streaks  of  vandyke-brown  and  black,  generally  distributed 
thickest  at  the  greater  end.  Their  dimensions  vary  from 
1.05  by  .75  inch  to  .90  by  .66  inch.  Average  size  about 
.97  by  .70  inch. 

Sometimes  several  pairs  breed  in  the  same  swamp  or 
meadow :  they  always  fly  to  meet  an  intruder  in  their 
haunts,  and  hover  over  him,  uttering  their  cries  of  anger 


THE   MEADOW-LARK.  343 

and  complaint ;  and,  as  the  alarm  passes  along  the  country, 
sometimes  as  many  as  a  dozen  or  twenty  birds  are  hovering 
over  him,  scolding  vociferously. 

Two  broods  are  usually  reared  in  the  season  :  as  soon  as 
the  last  brood  leaves  the  nest,  the  whole  family  joins  with 
its  neighbors  into  a  flock  of  sometimes  a  hundred  or  hun- 
dred and  fifty  or  more.  They  then  visit  the  grain-fields,  and 
inflict  considerable  damage  by  eating  and  destroying  the 
grain.  In  many  localities,  they  are  so  numerous  at  this 
season,  that  they  are  a  serious  nuisance  ;  and  the  farmers 
destroy  great  numbers  of  them  with  poison  and  with  the 
gun. 

Localities  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  seaboard  are  thus 
afflicted  more  than  others ;  and  I  have  seen  flocks  of  these 
birds  in  Plymouth  County,  Mass.,  containing  as  many  as  a 
thousand  individuals. 

About  the  last  of  October,  they  depart  on  their  southern 
migration. 

STURNELLA,  VIEILLOT 

Sturnella,  VIEILLOT,  Analyse  (1816).  (Type  Alauda  magna,  L.) 
Body  thick,  stout;  legs  large,  toes  reaching  beyond  the  tail;  tail  short,  even, 
with  narrow  acuminate  feathers ;  bill  slender,  elongated ;  length  about  three  times 
the  height;  commissure  straight  from  the  basal  angle;  culmen  flattened  basally, 
extending  backwards,  and  parting  the  frontal  feathers;  longer  than  the  head,  but 
shorter  than  tarsus;  nostrils  linear,  covered  by  an  incumbent  membranous  sca.le; 
inner  lateral  toe  longer  than  the  outer,  but  not  reaching  to  basal  joint  of  middle: 
hind  toe  a  little  shorter  than  the  middle,  which  is  equal  to  the  tarsus;  hind  claw- 
nearly  twice  as  long  as  the  middle;  feathers  of  head  stiffened  and  bristly;  the 
shafts  of  those  above  extended  into  a  black  seta;  tertiaries  nearly  equal  to  the 
primaries;  feathers  above  all  transversely  banded;  beneath  yellow,  with  a  black 
pectoral  crescent. 

STUENELLA    MAGNA.  —  Swainson. 
The  Meadow-lark;   Old  Field-lark. 

Alauda  magna,  Linnaeus.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1758)  167,  10th  ed.  (based  on  Alauda 
magna,  Catesby,  tab.  33).     Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  III.  (1811)  20. 
Sturnella  magna,  Swainson.     Phil.  Mag.,  I.  (1827)  438. 
Sturnus  Ludovicianus,  Audubon.     Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  216;  V.  (1839)  492. 
Sturnella  Ludoviciana,  Nuttall.     Man.,  I.  (1832)  147. 


344  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

DESCRIPTION. 

The  feathers  above  dark-brown,  margined  with  brownish-white,  and  with  a  ter- 
minal blotch  of  pale  reddish-brown ;  exposed  portions  of  wings  and  tail  with  trans- 
verse dark-brown  bars,  which  on  the  middle  tail  feathers  are  confluent  along  the 
shaft;  beneath  yellow,  with  a  black  pectoral  crescent,  the  yellow  not  extending  on 
the  side  of  the  maxilla ;  sides,  crissum,  and  tibiae  pale  reddish-brown,  streaked  with 
blackish ;  a  light  median  and  superciliary  stripe,  the  latter  yellow  anterior  to  the 
eye;  a  black  line  behind. 

Length,  ten  and  sixty  one-hundredth s  inches;  wing,  five;  tail,  three  and  seventy 
one-hundredths  inches ;  bill  above,  one  and  thirty-five  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  beautiful  and  well-known  bird  is  a  common  summer 
inhabitant  of  the  three  southern  New-England  States,  and 
is  not  rare  in  the  others.  In  mild  winter,  it  remains  through 


the  year ;  but  generally  leaves  for  the  South  late  in  the 
fall,  and  returns  about  the  "  second  or  third  week  in 
March."  It  commences  building  about  the  second  week 
in  May,  sometimes  earlier:  the  locality  is  generally  in  a 
meadow  or  low  field.  The  nest  is  usually  built  in  a  tussock 
of  grass :  it  "  is  pretty  compact,  made  of  dry,  wiry  grass, 
to  which  a  hidden  and  almost  winding  path  is  made,  and 
generally  so  well  concealed  that  the  nest  is  only  to  be  found 
when  the  bird  is  flushed."  —  NUTTALL. 

A  number  of  nests  that  I  have  examined  agree  with  this 
description :  all  were  beneath  bunches  of  grass ;  and,  though 


THE   MEADOW-LARK.  345 

some  were  only  partly  covered,  still  there  was  a  decided 
roof  to  all.  The  eggs  are  usually  four  in  number:  their 
color  is  generally  nearly  pure-white,  sometimes  reddish- 
white,  with  fine  spots  of  reddish-brown  diffused  over  the 
entire  surface  of  some  specimens ;  on  others,  thinly  scat- 
tered spots,  blotches  of  two  or  three  shades  of  brown  and 
lilac.  Their  dimensions  vary  from  1.10  by  .85  to  1  by  .78 
inch.  Their  form  is  usually  a  rounded  oval. 

A  rather  peculiar  specimen,  kindly  presented  me  by 
Mr.  J.  P.  Norris,  of  Philadelphia,  is  nearly  spherical  in 
form,  rosy-white  in  color,  with  exceedingly  minute  dots  of 
reddish.  Size,  1.05  by  .90  inch.  Nuttall  says  of  the  food 
of  this  species, — 

"  Their  food  consists  of  the  larvae  of  various  insects,  as  well  as 
worms,  beetles,  and  grass  seeds,  to  assist  the  digestion  of  which 
they  swallow  a  considerable  portion  of  gravel.  It  does  not  appear 
that  this  species  ever  adds  berries  or  fruits  of  any  kind  to  his  fare, 
like  the  Starling,  but  usually  remains  the  whole  summer  in  moist 
meadows ;  and  in  winter  retires  to  the  open,  grassy  woods,  having 
no  inclination  to  rob  the  orchard  or  garden ;  and,  except  in  winter, 
is  of  a  shy,  timid,  and  retiring  disposition." 

But  one  brood  is  reared  in  the  season. 

In  the  autumn,  the  Larks  collect  in  small  flocks  of  ten  or 
a  dozen,  which  visit  the  marshes  and  stubble-fields  in  their 
neighborhood.  Their  note  at  this  season,  as  in  other  periods 
of  the  year,  is  nothing  but  a  shrill,  prolonged,  plaintive 
whistle.  Usually  one  bird  of  a  flock  is  perched  on  a  tree 
or  fence-post  as  a  sentinel ;  and,  the  moment  a  gunner 
approaches,  the  bird  gives  his  alarm,  and  the  flock  is  011  the 
qui  vive.  They  are  so  shy  that  it  is  extremely  difficult  to 
approach  them ;  and,  when  shot  at,  they  are  secured  only  by 
guns  of  long  range.  Their  flight  is  a  peculiar  hovering 
one,  —  the  wings  moving  in  short,  almost  imperceptible, 
vibrations. 


346  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 


Sub-Family  ICTERIN^E.  —  The  Opioles. 

Bill  slender,  elongated,  as  long  as  the  head,  generally  a  little  decurved,  and  very 
acute;  tarsi  not  longer  than  the  middle  toe,  nor  than  the  head;  claws  short,  much 
curved ;  outer  lateral  toe  a  little  longer  than  the  inner,  reaching  a  little  beyond  base 
of  middle  toe;  feet  adapted  for  perching;  tail  rounded  or  graduated;  prevailing 
colors  yellow  or  orange,  and  black. 


ICTERUS   SPURIUS.  —  Bonaparte. 
The  Orchard  Oriole. 

Oridus  spurius,  Linnaeus.    Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  162. 

Icterus  spurius,  Bonaparte.  Obs.  on  Norn.  Wils.  (1825),  No.  44.  Aud.  Orn. 
Biog.,  I.  (1831;  221;  V.  485. 

Oriolus  mutatus,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  I.  (1808)  64. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  slender,  attenuated,  considerably  decurved ;  tail  moderately  graduated. 

Male.  —  Head  and  neck  all  round,  wings,  and  interscapular  region  of  back,  with 
tail  feathers,  black;  rest  of  under  parts,  lower  part  of  back  to  tail,  and  lesser  upper 
wing  coverts,  with  ^ie  lower  one,  brownish-chestnut;  a  narrow  line  across  the  wing, 
and  the  extreme  outer  edges  of  quills,  white. 

Female.  —  Uniform  greenish-yellow  beneath,  olivaceous  above,  and  browner  in 
the  middle  of  the  back;  two  white  bands  on  the  wings.  Young  male  like  the  female, 
with  a  broad  black  patch  from  the  bill  to  the  upper  part  of  the  breast;  this  color 
extending  along  the  base  of  the  bill  so  as  to  involve  the  eye  and  all  anterior  to  it  to 
the  base  of  the  bill. 

In  this  species  the  bill  is  slender,  attenuated,  and  a  good  deal  decurved  to  the 
tip.  The  second  and  third  quills  are  longest;  the  first  intermediate  between 
the  fourth  and  fifth.  The  tail  is  rather  long ;  the  feathers  moderately  graduated,  the 
greatest  difference  in  length  amounting  to  half  an  inch. 

The  black  of  the  throat  extends  backwards  as  far  as  the  bend  of  the  wing,  and 
ends  as  an  obtuse  angle.  The  tail  feathers  are  entirely  black,  with  dull  whitish  tips 
when  not  fully  mature. 

Specimens  are  found  in  all  stages  between  the  characters  given  above.  When 
nearly  mature,  some  yellowish  feathers  are  found  mixed  in  with  the  chestnut  ones. 

Length  of  specimens,  seven  and  twenty-five  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  three 
and  twenty-five  one-huudredths  inches. 

This  bird  is  racier  rare  in  New  England,  and  is  confined 
to  the  southern  districts  as  a  summer  visitor.  It  arrives 
about  the  second  week  in  May,  and  commences  building 
about  the  first  week  in  June.  The  nest  is  usually  placed  in 
a  forked  branch  of  a  tree  in  the  orchard,  seldom  more  than 
twenty  feet  from  the  ground.  It  is  constructed  of  different 


ORCHARD  ORIOLE,  Icterus  spurius.     Bonaparte. 


THE   ORCHARD   ORIOLE.  347 

grasses,  which  are  woven  together  very  neatly  and  com- 
pactly :  the  whole  is  lined  with  fine  grass,  and  sometimes  a 
few  horsehairs.  It  is  not  pensile,  but  is  built  on  the  branch. 
The  eggs  are  four  or  five  in  number :  their  color  varies  from 
a  light-blue  to  a  fleshy  tint,  which  is  marked  with  irregu- 
lar spots  and  lines  of  obscure  lavender,  over  which  are  bold 
spots  and  blotches  of  black  and  brown.  The  dimensions 
vary  from  .86  to  .56  by  .54  inch.  But  one  brood  is  reared 
in  the  season. 

Nuttall,  in  describing  the  habits  of  this  species,  says,  — 

"  The  Orchard  Oriole  is  an  exceedingly  active,  sprightly,  and 
restless  bird :  in-  the  same  instant  almost,  he  is  on  the  ground  after 
some  fallen  insect ;  fluttering  amidst  the  foliage  of  the  trees,  prying 
and  springing  after  his  lurking  prey  ;  or  flying,  and  tuning  his  lively 
notes  in  a  manner  so  hurried,  rapid,  and  seemingly  confused,  that 
the  ear  is  scarce  able  to  thread  out  the  shrill  and  lively  syllables 
of  his  agitated  ditty.  Between  these  hurried  attempts,  he  also 
gives  others,  which  are  distinct  and  agreeable ;  but  still  his  tones 
are  neither  so  full  nor  so  mellow  as  those  of  the  brilliant  and  gay 
Baltimore." 

After  a  description  of  the  nest  and  eggs,  he  continues  :  — 

"The  female  sits  about  fourteen  days,  and  the  young  continue 
in  the  nest  ten  (?)  days  before  they  become  qualified  to  flit  along 
with  their  parents ;  but  they  are  generally  seen  abroad  about  the 
middle  of  June.  Previously  to  their  departure,  the  young,  leaving 
the  care  of  their  parents,  become  gregarious,  and  assemble  some- 
times in  flocks  of  separate  sexes,  from  thirty  to  forty  upwards ;  in 
the  South,  frequenting  the  savannahs,  feeding  much  on  crickets, 
grasshoppers,  and  spiders.  According  to  Audubon,  they  sing  with 
great  liveliness  in  cages,  being  fed  on  rice  and  dry  fruits,  when 
fresh  cannot  be  procured.  Their  ordinary  diet,  it  appears,  is  cater- 
pillars and  insects,  of  which  they  destroy  great  quantities.  In  the 
course  of  the  season,  they  likewise  feed  on  various  kinds  of  juicy 
fruits  and  berries ;  but  their  depredations  on  the  fruits  of  the  orchard 
are  very  unimportant." 


348 


ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 


None  of  this  species  are  to  be  found  in  New  England  after 
the  1st  of  September :  they  leave  in  small,  scattered  flocks, 
consisting  of  the  old  and  young  birds  of  a  family. 


ICTERUS   BALTIMORE.  —  Daudin. 
The  Baltimore  Oriole;  Golden  Robin;  Hang-nest. 

Oriolus  Baltimore,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  162.  Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  I. 
(1808)  23. 

"  Icterus  Baltimore,  Daudin."    Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1831)  66;  V.  (1839)  278. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Tail  nearly  even ;  head  all  round  and  to  middle  of  back,  scapulars,  wings,  and 
upper  surface  of  tail,  black ;  rest  of  under  parts,  rump,  upper  tail  coverts,  and  lesser 
wing  coverts,  with  terminal  portion  of  tail  feathers  (except  two  innermost),  orange- 
red;  edges  of  wing  quills,  with  a  band  across  the  tips  of  the  greater  coverts, 
white. 

The  female  is  much  less  brilliant  in  color;  the  black  of  the  head  and  back  gene- 
rally replaced  by  brownish-yellow,  purer  on  the  throat;  each  feather  with  a  black 
spot. 

Length,  seven  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  three  and  seventy-five 
one-hundredths  inches. 

This  wellrknown  species  is  abundantly  distributed  through- 
out New  England  as  a  summer  visitor.  It  makes  its  appear- 
ance about  the  1st  of  May  in  Massachusetts,  and  about  the 

middle  of  that  month 
in  Maine,  in  the  north- 
ern districts.  It  com- 
mences building  about 
the  20th  of  May.  The 
nest  is  usually  fixed 
in  an  elm-tree  near 
houses,  or  in  an  apple 
or  pear  tree  in  the  or- 
chard. Nuttall's  de- 
scription of  the  nest 
is  the  best  that  I  have  ever  seen,  and  much  better  than 
any  I  could  make :  although  somewhat  lengthy,  I  give  it 
entire :  — 


THE   BALTIMORE   ORIOLE.  349 

• 

"  There  is  nothing  more  remarkable  in  the  whole  instinct  of  our 
Golden  Robin  than  the  ingenuity  displayed  in  the  fabrication  of  its 
nest,  which  is,  in  fact,  a  pendulous,  cylindric  pouch  of  five  to  seven 
inches  in  depth,  usually  suspended  from  near  the  extremities  of  the 
high  drooping  branches  of  trees  (such  as  the  elm,  the  pear,  or  apple 
tree,  wild  cherry,  weeping  willow,  tulip-tree,  or  buttonwood).  It 
is  begun  by  firmly  fastening  natural  strings  of  the  flax  of  the  silk- 
weed,  or  swamp  hollyhock,  or  stout  artificial  threads,  around  two  or 
more  forked  twigs,  corresponding  to  the  intended  width  and  depth 
of  the  nest.  With  the  same  materials,  willow-down,  or  any  acci- 
dental ravellings,  strings,  thread,  sewing-silk,  tow,  or  wool,  that  may 
be  lying  near  the  neighboring  houses,  or  around  grafts  of  trees,  they 
interweave  and  fabricate  a  sort  of  coarse  cloth  into  the  form  in- 
tended, towards  the  bottom  of  which  they  place  the  real  nest,  made 
chiefly  of  lint,  wiry  grass,  horse  and  cow  hair :  sometimes,  in  defect 
of  hair,  lining  the  interior  with  a  mixture  of  slender  strips  of 
smooth  vine-bark,  and  rarely  with  a  few  feathers ;  the  whole  being 
of  a  considerable  thickness,  and  more  or  less  attached  to  the  exter- 
nal pouch.  Over  the  top,  the  leaves,  as  they  grow  out,  form  a 
verdant  and  agreeable  canopy,  defending  the  young  from  the  sun 
and  rain.  There  is  sometimes  a  considerable  difference  in  the 
manufacture  of  these  nests,  as  well  as  in  the  materials  which  enter 
into  their  composition.  Both  sexes  seem  to  be  equally  adepts  at 
this  sort  of  labor;  and  I  have  seen  the  female  alone  perform  the 
whole  without  any  assistance,  and  the  male  also  complete  this 
laborious  task  nearly  without  the  aid  of  his  consort,  who,  however, 
in  general,  is  the  principal  worker." 

The  eggs  are  four  or  five  in  number.  They  are  of  a  flesh- 
color,  with  sometimes  a  bluish  tint :  they  are  marked  with 
obscure  lines  of  lavender,  over  which  are  irregular  scratches 
and  lines,  as  if  done  with  a  pen,  of  van  dyke-brown  and 
black.  Their  dimensions  vary  from  1  by  .72  to  .88  by  .66 
inch.  The  food  of  this  bird,  and  also  of  the  preceding 
species,  consists  of  caterpillars  and  other  injurious  insects : 
great  numbers  of  the  hairy  caterpillars  are  destroyed ;  and 
sometimes  a  large  nest  of  the  apple-tree  caterpillars  is  de- 
populated in  a  few  days.  The  Orioles  are  certainly,  there- 


350  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

fore,  worthy  the  highest  consideration  and  protection  from 
the  farmer. 

The  familiarity  of  this  bird  with  man,  and  its  sociable  and 
genial  disposition,  are  so  well  known  that  any  description 
of  its  habits  here  is  unnecessary.  About  the  middle  of 
September,  after  forming  into  small  detached  flocks,  this 
species  leaves  New  England  on  its  southern  migration. 


Sub-Family  QUISCALIN^E.  —  The  Blackbirds. 

Bill  rather  attenuated,  as  long  or  longer  than  the  head ;  the  culmen  curved,  the 
tip  much  bent  down ;  the  cutting  edges  inflected,  so  as  to  impart  a  somewhat  tubular 
appearance  to  each  mandible1;  the  commissure  sinuated;  tail  longer  than  the  wings, 
usually  much  graduated;  legs  longer  than  the  head,  fitted  for  walking. 

The  bill  of  the  Quiscalince  is  very  different  from  that  of  the  other  Icteridx,  and  is 
readily  recognized  by  the  tendency  to  a  rounding  inward  along  the  cutting  edges, 
rendering  the  width  in  a  cross  section  of  the  bill  considerably  less  along  the  commis- 
sure than  above  or  below.  The  culmen  is  more  curved  than  in  the  Agelairue. 

The  only  genera  in  the  United  States  are  as  follows:  — 

SCOLECOPHAGUS.  —  Tail  shorter  than  the  wings,  nearly  even ;  bill  shorter  than 
the  head. 

QUISCALUS.  —  Tail  longer  than  the  wings,  much  graduated;  bill  as  long  as  or 
longer  than  the  head. 

SCOLECOPHAGUS,  SWAIKSON. 

Scolecophagus,  SWAINSON,  F.  Bor.  Am..  II.  (1831).  (Type  Oriolus  ferrugineus, 
Gmelin.) 

Bill  shorter  than  the  head,  rather  slender,  the  edges  inflexed  as  in  Quiscalus,  which 
it  otherwise  greatly  resembles ;  the  commissure  sinuated ;  culmen  rounded,  but  not 
flattened;  tarsi  longer  than  the  middle  toe;  tail  even,  or  slightly  rounded. 


SCOLECOPHAGUS   FERRUGINEUS.  —  Swainson. 
The  Rusty  Blackbird. 

Cracula  ferruginea,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  III.  (1811)  41. 

Quiscalus  ferrugineus,  Nuttall.  Man.,  I.  (1832)  199.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834) 
315;  V.  (1839)483. 

Scolecophagus  ferrugineus,  Swainson.    F.  Bor.  Am.,  II.  (1831)  286. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  slender,  shorter  than  the  head,  about  equal  to  the  hind  toe ;  its  height  not 
quite  two-fifths  the  total  length ;  wing  nearly  an  inch  longer  than  the  tail ;  second 
quill  longest;  first  a  little  shorter  than  the  fourth ;  tail  slightly  graduated ;  the  lateral 


THE   RUSTY   BLACKBIRD.  351 

feathers  about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  shortest ;  general  color  black,  with  purple  reflec- 
tions; the  wings,  under  tail  coverts,  and  hinder  part  of  the  belly,  glossed  with 
green.  Female,  dull-brown.  Iris,  pale-straw  color. 

Length,  nine  and  fifty  one-hundredth s  inches;  wing,  four  and  seventy-five  one- 
hundredths ;  tail,  four  inches. 

This  bird  is  not  uncommon  in  the  New-England  States  in 
the  spring  and  fall  migrations,  but  is  never  plenty,  and 
retires  to  high  latitudes  to  breed.  A  few  remain  in  the 
northern  districts  of  Maine  and  New  Hampshire  through 
the  breeding  season ;  but  their  nests  are  seldom  found. 
While  in  the  valley  of  the  Magalloway  River,  in  Maine,  in 
June,  1864,  I  found  several ;  and  two  of  them  contained 
three  eggs  in  each.  These  nests  were  all  built  in  low  alders 
overhanging  the  water:  they  were  constructed  of,  first,  a 
layer  of  twigs  and  brier-stalks  ;  on  this  was  built  the  nest 
proper,  which  was  composed  of  stalks  and  leaves  of  grass, 
which  were  mixed  with  mud,  and  moulded  into  a  firm,  cir- 
cular structure,  and  lined  with  fine  leaves  of  grass  and  a  few 
hair-like  roots.  The  whole  formed  a  large  structure,  easily 
seen  at  the  distance  of  a  few  rods  through  the  foliage. 

The  eggs  are  of  a  bluish-white  color,  of  oval  form,  and 
covered  with  fine  scratches  and  spots  of  light-brown.  These 
markings  are  almost  exactly  similar  to  those  on  the  egg  of 
the  Great-crested  Flycatcher :  they  appear  as  if  done  with 
a  pen,  which,  as  soon  as  it  is  pressed  forcibly  on  the  object, 
is  suddenly  withdrawn,  making  a  mark  wide  at  one  end, 
and  sharply  pointed  at  the  other. 

The  dimensions  of  three  eggs  in  my  collection  are  1.04 
by  .76  inch,  1.05  by  .75  inch,  1  by  .70  inch. 

The  habits  of  this  species  are  less  known  than  those  of 
any  of  our  other  Blackbirds.  This  is  owing  as  much  to 
its  unsociable,  retiring  disposition  as  to  the  scarcity  of  its 
numbers.  When  it  arrives  in  spring,  —  sometimes  as  early 
as  the  third  week  in  March,  —  it  frequents  the  low,  swampy 
thickets,  where,  in  companies  of  three  or  four,  it  employs  it- 
self in  searching  for  seeds  of  various  aquatic  grasses,  insects, 
worms,  and  the  small  crustacae  found  in  such  localities. 


352  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

If  approached,  it  flies  a  short  distance  into  a  low  tree,  and 
watches  the  intruder,  uttering  its  alarm-note  check,  —  some- 
times, cheek-die  wdech  or  check  die  weecha.  This  note  is 
uttered  by  both  sexes,  and  seems  to  be  the  only  song  pos- 
sessed by  either.  I  have  observed  them  carefully,  not  only 
in  the  spring,  biit  during  the  breeding  season  and  in  the 
autumn,  and  I  never  heard  them  emit  any  other.  Both 
sexes  incubate,  and  manifest  great  anxiety  when  the  nest  is 
approached ;  the  males  flying  and  scolding  over  the  head 
of  the  intruder,  in  the  manner  of  the  Red-winged  Blackbird. 
As  I  paddled  my  canoe  up  beneath  one  of  the  nests  de- 
scribed above,  the  parent  bird  remained  sitting,  almost  until 
my  hand  touched  the  limb  on  which  the  structure  was 
placed.  On  flying  off,  she  uttered  a  chattering  cry,  almost 
exactly  like  that  of  the  female  Redwing  when  disturbed 
in  a  similar  manner. 

Early  in  September,  the  old  and  young  birds  collect  in 
small  detached  flocks, "and  frequent  the  same  localities  that 
they  haunt  in  spring,  from  which  they  occasionally  visit  old 
cornfields  and  stubble-fields,  where  they  catch  grasshoppers 
and  other  insects,  and  eat  the  seed  of  weeds  and  such  grains 
as  are  left  by  the  farmer  after  harvesting. 

They  remain  in  southern  New  England  until  early  in 
November. 

QUISCALUS,  VIEILLOT. 

Quiscalus,  VIKILLOT,  Analyse  (1816).  (Gray.)  (Type  Gracula  quiscala,  L.) 
Bill  as  long  as  the  head,  the  culmen  slightly  curved,  the  gonys  almost  straight; 
the  edges  of  the  bill  inflected  and  rounded;  the  commissure  quite  strongly  sinuated; 
outlines  of  tarsal  scutellae  well  defined  on  the  sides;  wings  shorter  than  the  tail, 
sometimes  much  more  so;  tail  long,  the  feathers  conspicuously  and  decidedly  gradu- 
ated. Colors  black. 

QUISCALUS    VEESICOLOR — Vieillot. 
The  Crow  Blackbird ;  Purple  Grakle. 

Gracula  quiscala,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  165.  Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  III. 
(1811)44. 

Quiscalus  versicobr,  Vieillot.  Analyse?  (1816).  Jb.,  Nouv.  Diet.,  XXVIII. 
(1819)  488.  Nutt.  Man.,  I.  (1832)  194.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1831)  35;  V.  (1838)  481. 


CROW  BLACKBIRD,  Quiscalus  versicolor.     Vieillot. 


THE   CROW   BLACKBIRD.  353 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  above,  about  as  long  as  the  head,  more  than  twice  as  long  as  high ;  the  com- 
missure moderately  sinuated  and  considerably  decurved  at  tip ;  tail  a  little  shorter 
than  the  wing,  much  graduated,  the  lateral  feathers  one  and  ten  one-hundredths 
inches  shorter;  third  quill  longest,  first  between  fourth  and  fifth;  head  and  neck  all 
well  defined  steel-blue;  the  rest  of  the  body  with  varied  reflections  of  bronze, 
golden,  green,  copper,  and  purple,  the  latter  most  conspicuous  on  the  tail,  the  tail 
coverts,  and  wings;  the  edges  of  primaries  and  of  tail  greenish.  Female  similar, 
but  smaller  and  duller,  with  perhaps  more  green  on  the  head.  Iris,  yellow. 

Length,  three  inches;  wings,  six;  tail,  five  and  eighty  one-hundredths;  bill 
above,  one  and  twenty-five  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  very  common  and  well-known  bird  is  distributed 
throughout  New  England  in  the  summer  season ;  arriving 
about  the  first  week  in  April.  It  is  a  social  species ;  and, 
instead  of  breaking  up  into  scattered  pairs,  the  birds 
remain  in  flocks,  and  breed  in  communities,  sometimes 
several  pairs  on  one  tree.  The  nest  is  composed  of  mud, 
in  which  grass,  seaweed,  fine  roots,  and  other  like  mate- 
rials, are  mixed  and  woven  into  a  large,  compact  structure, 
which  is  lined  with  fine  grass,  seaweeds,  and  sometimes 
a  few  horsehairs. 

The  eggs  are  four  or  five  in  number.  They  vary  in  color 
from  light-blue  to  light-brown,  and  are  marked  with  obscure 
spots  of  light-brown,  over  which  are  laid  blotches  and  lines 
of  black  and  umber-brown.  They  vary  in  dimensions  from 
1.30  by  .88  to  1.18  by  .84  inch.  Usually,  but  one  brood  is 
reared  in  the  season ;  and  in  September  the  birds  collect 
into  immense  flocks,  and  do  considerable  mischief  in  the 
cornfields :  in  other  seasons,  their  food  consists  of  "  Iarva3, 
caterpillars,  moths,  and  beetles,  of  which  they  devour  such 
numbers,  that,  but  for  this  providential  economy,  the  whole 
crop  of  grain  in  many  places  would  probably  be  destroyed 
by  the  time  it  began  to  germinate." 

Wilson,  in  describing  the  habits  of  this  species,  says,  — 

"  The  trees  where  these  birds  build  are  often  at  no  great  distance 
from  the  farm-house,  and  overlook  the  plantations.  From  thence 
they  issue  in  all  directions,  and  with  as  much  confidence,  to  make 
their  daily  depredations  among  the  surrounding  fields,  as  if  tho 

23 


354  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 

whole  were  intended  for  their  use  alone.  Their  chief  attention, 
however,  is  directed  to  the  Indian  corn  in  all  its  progressive  stages. 
As  soon  as  the  infant  blade  of  this  grain  begins  to  make  its  appear- 
ance above  ground,  the  Grakles  hail  the  welcome  signal  with 
screams  of  peculiar  satisfaction ;  and,  without  waiting  for  a  formal 
invitation  from  the  proprietor,  descend  on  the  fields,  and  begin  to 
pull  up  and  regale  themselves  on  the  seed,  scattering  the  green 
blades  around.  While  thus  eagerly  employed,  the  vengeance  of  the 
gun  sometimes  overtakes  them ;  but  these  disasters  are  soon  forgot- 
ten, and  those  — 

*  Who  live  to  get  away, 
Return  to  steal,  another  day/ 

About  the  beginning  of  August,  when  the  young  ears  are  in  their 
milky  state,  they  are  attacked  with  redoubled  eagerness  by  the 
Grakles  and  Redwings,  in  formidable  and  combined  bodies.  They 
descend  like  a  blackening,  sweeping  tempest  on  the  corn,  dig  off 
the  external  covering  of  twelve  or  fifteen  coats  of  leaves  as  dex- 
terously as  if  done  by  the  hand  of  man,  and,  having  laid  bare  the 
ear,  leave  little  behind  to  the  farmer  but  the  cobs  and  shrivelled 
skins  that  contained  their  favorite  fare.  I  have  seen  fields  of  corn 
of  many  acres,  where  more  than  one-half  was  thus  ruined." 

About  the  last  week  in  September,  these  birds,  in  im- 
mense flocks,  depart  on  their  southern  migration :  so  abun- 
dant are  they  at  that  time,  and  so  closely  do  they  fly 
together  in  a  flock,  that  I  have  killed,  at  one  discharge  of 
my  gun,  over  a  dozen  birds.  They  visit  the  beech  woods, 
and  also  the  oak  groves,  and  feed  upon  the  nuts  found 
on  and  beneath  those  trees.  They  also  eat  the  seeds  of 
weeds  and  various  wild  plants,  as  I  have  proved  by  examin- 
ing the  stomachs  of  different  specimens. 


THE   AMERICAN   EAVEN.  355 


FAMILY   CORVID.E. 

Primaries  ten;  the  first  short,  generally  about  half  as  long  as  the  second  (or  a 
little  more),  the  outer  four  sinuated  on  the  inner  edge;  the  nasal  fossae  and  nostrils 
usually  more  or  less  concealed  by  narrow  stiffened  bristles  (or  bristly  feathers),  with 
short  appressed  lateral  branches  extending  to  the  very  tip,  all  directed  forwards ; 
tarsi  scutellate  anteriorly,  the  sides  undivided  (except  sometimes  below)  and  separa- 
ted from  the  anterior  plates  by  a  narrow,  naked  strip,  sometimes  filled  up  with  small 
scales;  basal  joint  of  middle  toe  united  about  equally  to  the  lateral,  generally  for 
about  half  the  length ;  bill  generally  notched. 


Sub-Family   CORVIN^E. —  The  Grows. 

Wings  long  and  pointed ;  longer  than  the  tail,  and,  when  closed,  reaching  nearly 
ft        to  its  tip,  extending  far  beyond  the  under  tail  coverts ;  the  third,  fourth,  and  fifth 
quills  forming  the  tip  of  the  wing. 

CORVUS,  LINNAEUS. 

Corvus,  LINNAEUS,  Syst.  Nat.  (1735).  (Type  Corous  corax,  L.) 
The  nasal  feathers  lengthened,  reaching  to  or  beyond  the  middle  of  the  bill ; 
nostrils  large,  circular,  overhung  behind  by  membrane,  the  edges  rounded  else- 
where ;  rictus  without  bristles ;  bill  nearly  as  long  as  the  tarsus,  very  stout ;  much 
higher  than  broad  at  the  base ;  culmen  much  arched ;  wings  reaching  to  or  nearly  to 
the  tip  of  the  tail ;  tarsi  longer  than  the  middle  toe,  with  a  series  of  small  scales  on 
the  middle  of  each  side  separating  the  anterior  scutellate  portion  from  the  posterior 
continuous  plates;  side  of  the  head  occasionally  with  nearly  naked  patches;  tail 
graduated  or  rounded ;  the  outer  four  primaries  sinuated  internally. 

CORVUS    CARNIVORUS.  —  Bartram. 
The  American  Raven. 

Corvus  carnivorus,  Bartram.     Travels  in  E.  Florida  (1793),  290. 

Corvus  coroo:,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  IX.  (1825)  136.  Nutt.  Man.,  I.  (1832)  202. 
Aud.  Birds  Am.,  IV.  (1842)  78. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Fourth  quill  longest ;  third  and  fifth  about  equal ;  second  between  fifth  and  sixth ; 
first  nearly  equal  to  the  eighth;  entirely  glossy  black,  with  violet  reflections. 

In  this  species,  the  feathers  of  the  head  above  and  body  are  compact  and  blended ; 
those  of  the  back  of  the  neck  are  very  smooth  and  even,  but  do  not  show  the  out- 
lines of  each  separately  as  elsewhere;  on  the  chin  and  throat,  the  feathers  are 
elongated  and  lanceolate,  each  one  more  or  less  pendent  or  free,  with  the  outlines 
distinct  to  near  the  base;  the  bill  is  very  long  (three  inches),  and  considerably 
curved,  the  upper  mandible  extending  considerably  over  the  upper  at  the  end. 


356 


ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 


The  feet  appear  very  short  and  stout;  the  tarsi  with  but  seven  scutellae,  rather 
longer  than  the  middle  toe  and  claw;  the  lateral  claws  about  equal,  and  extending 
to  a  little  beyond  the  base  of  the  middle  claw;  the  fourth  quill  is  longest,  the 
third  about,  equal  the  fifth,  the  second  considerably  longer  than  the  sixth,  the  first 
about  equal  to  the  eighth  primary. 

Length,  about  twenty-four  or  twenty-five  inches ;  extent,  fifty  to  fifty-one ;  wing, 
about  seventeen ;  tail,  ten.  Tail  moderately  graduated;  the  outer  about  one  and 
sixty  one-hundredths  to  one  and  ninety  one-hundredths  of  an  inch  less  than  the 
middle. 

THIS  bird  is  an  extremely  rare  resident  in  New  England. 
I  have  never  heard  of  its  breeding  here  ;  but  it  occa- 
sionally rears  its  young  on  the  island  of  Grand  Menan, 

off  the  north-east  coast  of 
Maine.  There,  on  the  steep 
and  almost  inaccessible  cliffs, 
its  nest  is  built.  This  is  com- 
posed of  twigs,  sticks,  seaweed, 
and  pieces  of  turf,  and  is  lined 
with  the  finer  seaweeds  and 
algae  found  on  the  seacoast. 

A  nest  that  I  found  in  Ohio 
was  built  on  a  jutting  rock  in 
a  large  cave.  On  ascending 
to  it,  I  found  that  it  was  built 
of  coarse  sticks  and  twigs,  and 
was  lined  with  leaves,  strips 
of  bark,  and  pieces  of  moss. 
This  nest  had  been  occupied  —  so  a  settler  told  me  —  for  a 
number  of  years,  by  the  same  pair  of  birds,  who  made  the 
cave  and  its  surrounding  forest  their  permanent  home 
through  the  year. 

From  its  protected  situation,  it  required  but  few  altera- 
tions and  additions  each  year ;  and  many  of  the  sticks  of 
which  it  was  composed  were  quite  rotten  and  decayed. 

It  contained  five  young,  about  half-grown.  As  this  was 
on  the  18th  of  March,  I  judged  the  eggs  must  have  been 
laid  by  the  20th  of  February. 

The  eggs  of  this  species  are  generally  four  or  five  in 


THE   COMMON   CROW.  357 

number:  they  almost  exactly  resemble  those  of  the  Com- 
mon Crow;  but  are  considerably  larger,  averaging  about 
two  inches  in  length  by  1.55  inch  in  breadth. 

A  specimen  in  my  collection,  of  undoubted  authenticity, 
collected  on  Grand  Menan,  is  much  smaller  than  the  usual 
size,  being  but  1.70  by  1.24  inch  in  dimensions. 

The  habits  of  this  bird  have  been  described  so  many 
times,  and  are  so  familiar  to  all,  that  I  will  not  give  them 
an  extended  notice  here. 

CORVUS  AMERICANUS.—  Audutxm. 
The  Common  Crow. 

Corvus  corone,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  IV.  (1811)  79.    Nutt.  Man.,  I.  (1832)  209. 
Cor'cus  Americanus,  Audubon.    Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  317;  V.  477.    Nutt.  Man., 
I.  (2d  ed.,  1840)  221. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Fourth  quill  longest,  second  shorter  than  sixth,  first  shorter  than  ninth;  glossy 
black  with  violet  reflections,  even  on  the  belly ;  tarsus  longer  than  the  middle  toe 
and  claw. 

The  bill  is  considerably  narrower  than  high  or  much  compressed;  it  is  gently 
curved  from  the  very  base,  rather  more  rapidly  towards  the  tip;  the  incumbent 
feathers  of  the  nostril  reach  half  the  distance  from  the  base  of  the  bill  to  the  end  of 
the  lower  jaw,  and  not  quite  half-way  to  that  of  the  upper. 

The  tarsus  has  eight  scutellae  anteriorly,  and  is  rather  longer  than  the  middle  toe 
and  claw ;  the  lateral  toes  are  very  nearly  equal ;  the  inner  claw  the  larger,  and 
reaching  to  the  base  of  the  middle  claw. 

The  webs  of  the  throat  feathers  are  a  little  loose,  but  lie  quite  smoothly,  without 
the  pointed  lanceolate  character  seen  in  the  ravens. 

Length,  nineteen  to  twenty  inches ;  wing,  thirteen  to  thirteen  and  fifty  one-hun- 
dredths;  tail,  about  eight  inches. 

This  well-known  bird  is  abundant  through  New  England 
in  the  summer,  and  in  mild  winters  is  a  resident  through 
the  year.  The  species  —  as  Mr.  Allen  justly  remarks,  in 
his  Catalogue  of  the  Birds  of  Springfield,  Mass.  — "  seems 
to  have  diminished  very  materially  in  numbers  in  the  last 
six  or  eight  years  ;  hundreds,  and  probably  thousands,  hav- 
ing been  killed  in  the  State  by  the  use  of  strychnine  almost 
every  year." 

About  the  first  week  in  May,  the  birds  separate  into  pairs, 
and  soon  commence  building.  The  nest  is  usually  built  in  a 


358  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

fork  of  a  tall  pine,  sometimes  in  a  thick  birch  or  hemlock : 
it  is  constructed  of,  first,  a  layer  of  coarse  twigs  and  sticks, 
then  a  layer  of  the  bark  of  the  cedar,  moss,  and  sometimes 
bunches  of  grass ;  it  is  warmly  lined  with  the  bark  of  the 
cedar,  and  sometimes  a  few  leaves.  The  eggs  are  usually 
four  in  number :  their  color  is  of  different  shades  of  green, 
which  is  covered  with  blotches  and  spots  of  different  browns, 
and  dusky.  Dimensions  vary  from  1.65  by  1.20  to  1.50  by 
1.08  inch.  But  one  brood  is  reared  in  the  season. 

Perhaps  no  branch  of  American  rural  economy  has  been 
so  little  investigated  as  the  food  of  our  native  birds.  In 
Europe,  within  a  few  years,  the  attention  of  scientific  men 
has  been  turned  to  the  subject:  but  the  information  they 
have  been  able  to  obtain,  although  valuable,  cannot,  of 
course,  be  applied,  otherwise  than  by  a  series  of  analogies, 
to  this  country ;  and  the  economical  value  of  most  of  our 
species  is  as  yet  almost  entirely  unknown  to  us.  This  igno- 
rance is  owing,  principally,  to  the  difficulty  attending  such 
investigations,  —  the  killing  of  great  numbers  of  birds  in 
all  the  seasons  when  they  are  found  with  us,  which  is  abso- 
lutely necessary,  but  which  is  extremely  distasteful  to  most 
persons ;  and  it  has  been  aggravated  somewhat  by  the  con- 
tradictory statements  of  various  persons  in  different  locali- 
ties regarding  the  food  of  some  species  that  they  have  had 
the  means  of  observing. 

Of  these  birds,  none  have  given  rise  to  more  controversy 
than  the  Corvidce  ;  and  I  propose  to  discuss  briefly  here  this 
interesting  topic,  and  bring  a  few  facts  and  arguments, 
founded  on  reason  or  actual  observation,  to  show  their 
actual  economical  value. 

Until  very  recently,  I  have  been  the  earnest  advocate  of 
these  birds,  and  have  believed  that  the  benefits  they  render 
much  more  than  balance  the  injuries  they  inflict;  but  I 
must  say,  that,  after  careful  consideration,  my  faith  in  their 
utility  is  sadly  shaken. 

At  the  outset  I  will  say,  that  I  have  kept  specimens  in 


COMMON   CROW,  Corvus  Americanus.     Audubon. 


THE   COMMON   CROW.  359 

captivity ;  and  have,  by  actual  observation,  proved  that  at 
least  eight  ounces  of  such  food  as  frogs,  fish,  &c.,  are  eaten 
daily  by  our  Common  Crow.  Of  course,  like  other  birds,  it 
can  live  on  a  very  limited  allowance ;  but  I  think  that  the 
above  is  a  reasonable  amount :  however,  to  be  absolutely 
within  bounds,  we  will  fix  the  food  of  the  Crow  to  be  equal 
to  five  ounces  of  animal  matter  per  diem.  Beginning,  then, 
with  the  new  year,  we  will  follow  the  life  of  this  bird  through 
all  the  seasons,  and  then  compare  the  results  arrived  at 
together,  good  and  bad. 

During  the  months  of  January,  February,  and  March, 
when  the  face  of  the  country  is  covered  with  snow,  the 
insects  being  dormant,  and  the  small  birds  away  to  more 
southern  districts,  most  of  the  Crows  migrate  from  New 
England:  and  the  few  that  remain  depend  upon  a  scanty 
subsistence  of  seeds  of  wild  plants  and  weeds,  acorns,  apples 
that  have  been  left  on  the  trees  in  the  orchard,  and  frozen ; 
and  they  occasionally  capture  a  field-mouse  that  strays  from 
its  nest  in  the  stubble-field  or  swamp.  The  life  of  the  Crow 
during  these  months  is  one  continued  starvation ;  and  the 
expression,  "  poor  as  a  crow,"  may  be  applied  to  it,  as  well 
describing  its  condition.  It  succeeds  in  finding  a  few 
cocoons  of  Lepidopterous  insects  ;  meets  occasionally  with  a 
caterpillar  or  beetle ;  and,  on  the  whole,  its  labors  during 
these  months  may  be  called  beneficial ;  although  the  good 
resulting  from  them  is  of  so  little  amount  that  we  might 
safely  regard  them  as  neutral.  But,  to  be  beyond  the  chance 
of  doing  it  an  injustice,  we  will  assume,  that,  during  the 
three  months  above  mentioned,  the  Crow  does  as  much  good 
as  during  the  whole  month  of  April. 

Let  us  adopt,  in  this  discussion,  a  system  of  numerals  to 
signify  the  relative  values  of  this  bird  through  the  year ; 
taking  the  unit  one  to  represent  the  labors  of  each  day.  The 
Crow  is  therefore  valuable,  during  January,  February,  and 
March,  thirty  units,  and  in  April  is  unquestionably  thirty 
units  more ;  for  its  food  then  consists  almost  entirely  of 


360  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

noxious  insects  in  their  different  forms.  It  is  perfectly  safe 
to  say,  that  it  would  destroy  a  thousand  insects  in  making 
up  the  amount  of  food  that  I  mentioned  above  ;  and  it  is  not 
improbable,  that,  during  this  month,  it  actually  eats  that 
number  daily. 

During  the  first  half  of  May,  its  labors  are  undoubtedly 
beneficial ;  for  its  food  still  consists  almost  entirely  of  in- 
sects :  but  after  the  middle  of  that  month,  when  the  small 
birds  have  begun  to  lay  their  eggs  and  hatch  their  young, 
the  Crow  divides  its  diet  pretty  equally  between  them  and  the 
insects.  Now,  it  is  not  apparent,  at  the  first  glance,  how 
immensely  injurious  it  becomes  the  moment  it  begins  to 
destroy  the  eggs  and  young  of  our  small  birds ;  but  we  may 
demonstrate  it  to  an  approximation.  We  will  allow,  that, 
during  the  latter  part  of  May,  half  of  its  food  consists  of 
injurious  insects  and  other  vermin  :  it  is  therefore  beneficial 
in  the  whole  month  about  twenty-three  units.  But  it  is 
perfectly  reasonable  to  say,  that  it  destroys  at  least  the  eggs 
or  young  of  one  pair  of  Sparrows,  four  in  number  ;  one  pair 
of  Warblers,  four  in  number ;  and  one  pair  of  Thrushes  or 
Starlings,  four  in  number :  for  I  have  known  one  pair  of 
Canada  Jays  to  kill  and  devour  the  half-grown  young  of  four 
families  of  Snowbirds  (Junco  liyemalis),  sixteen  birds  in  all, 
in  one  forenoon  ;  and  have  seen  a  pair  of  crows,  in  two 
visits  to  an  orchard,  within  a  half-hour's  .time,  destroy  the 
young  birds  in  two  robins'  nests. 

Now,  let  us  see  what  the  injury  amounts  to  that  it  does  in 
destroying  the  four  eggs  or  young  of  the  Sparrows,  Warblers, 
and  Thrushes.  It  is  a  well-known  fact,  that  the  young  of 
all  our  small  birds,  whether  insectivorous  or  graminivorous 
in  the  adult  stage,  are  fed  entirely  on  insects.  Bradley 
says  that  a  pair  of  Sparrows  will  destroy  3,360  caterpillars 
for  a  week's  family  supplies.  For  four  weeks,  at  the  lowest 
estimate,  the  young  of  our  Sparrows  are  fed  on  this  diet ; 
and  the  family  that  the  crow  destroys  would,  in  that  time, 
eat  at  least  13,440  noxious  insects ;  and,  as  they  feed  more 


THE   COMMON    CROW.  361 

or  less  upon  the  same  diet  during  their  stay  with  us,  killing 
certainly  as  many  as  fifty  insects  each  daily,  the  family 
would  devour  two  hundred  per  diem,  or,  before  they  leave 
us  in  September,  as  many  as  twenty  thousand.  The  War- 
blers are  entirely  insectivorous,  and  we  can  certainly  allow 
them  as  great  destructive  capacity  as  the  Sparrows.  The 
four  that  the  crow  destroys  would  have  devoured,  before 
they  leave  us  in  autumn,  at  least  thirty  thousand  cater- 
pillars and  other  insects.  A  pair  of  thrushes  has  been 
actually  seen  to  carry  over  a  hundred  insects,  principally 
caterpillars,  to  their  young  in  an  hour's  time :  if  we  sup- 
pose that  the  family  mentioned  above  be  fed  for  only  six 
hours  in  the  day,  they  would  eat  six  hundred  per  diem,  at 
least  while  they  remain  in  the  nest,  which  being  three  weeks, 
the  amount  would  be  12,600 ;  and  before  they  leave  us  in 
the  fall,  allowing  only  fifty  each  per  day,  —  a  very  small 
number,  —  they  would,  in  the  aggregate,  kill  twenty  thou- 
sand more. 

Now,  we  find  that  the  Crow  in  one  day  destroys  birds 
that  would  together  eat  96,040  insects  before  they  would 
leave  us  for  their  winter  homes,  or  about  ninety-six  times  as 
many  as  it  would  eat  in  a  day  if  its  food  consisted  entirely 
of  them.  It  is  therefore  injurious,  during  the  last  half  of 
May,  —  keeping  our  original  calculation  in  view,  —  598 
units. 

During  the  whole  month  of  June  and  the  first  half  of 
July,  while  its  family  are  in  the  nest,  it  is  at  least  doubly 
destructive  ;  for  its  young  are  possessed  of  voracious  appe- 
tites, requiring  an  abundance  of  food  to  supply  them.  Al- 
lowing, then,  that  of  its  and  their  diet,  half  consists  of  insects 
during  this  period,  it  is  beneficial  about  forty-six  units  ;  but, 
as  at  least  one-half  of  the  other  half  consists  of  young  birds 
and  eggs,  it  is  injurious,  during  the  same  period,  at  least  96 
units  daily,  or  4,320  units  for  June  and  the  first  half  of 
July.  The  remaining  quarter  of  its  and  their  food,  during 
this  time,  consists  of  berries  and  various  small  seeds  and 


362  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

reptiles ;  and  this  diet  may  be  considered  as  of  neutral  im- 
portance, economically  speaking. 

During  the  last  half  of  July,  and  through  August  and 
the  first  half  of  September,  its  diet  consists  of  about  half 
insects  and  mice ;  and  the  balance,  of  berries  and  small 
fruits.  It  is  therefore,  during  this  time,  beneficial  about 
thirty  units,  and  is  not  injurious,  .otherwise  than  by  eating 
garden  fruits  or  grains,  —  items  that  I  do  not  consider  in 
the  present  discussion.  From  the  middle  of  September 
until  November,  its  food  loses  much  of  its  fruit  character, 
because  of  the  failure  of  supply,  and  it  feeds  at  least  two- 
thirds  on  insects  and  other  noxious  animals  :  it  is  therefore 
beneficial  thirty  units,  and  is  not  injurious ;  and,  during 
November  and  December,  it  is  beneficial  to  about  the  same 
extent  that  it  is  in  February  and  March,  or  about  forty 
units. 

We  have  now  but  to  condense  the  foregoing  results,  and 
we  have,  in  the  aggregate,  the  sum  total  of  the  Crow's 
merits  and  demerits. 

We  find,  that,  during  the  whole  year,  it  is  beneficial  to  the 
amount  of  229  units,  and  that  it  is  injurious  to  the  extent 
of  4,918  units.  If,  for  the  sake  of  the  greatest  indulgence, 
we  take  but  one-fourth  of  this  enormous  disproportion  as 
the  actual  fact,  we  still  have  an  exhibit  that  proves  at  once 
that  these  birds  are  not  only  worthless,  but  are  ruinously 
destructive. 

.  In  presenting  this  extended  sketch,  I  will  say  that  I  am 
not  moved  in  the  least  by  prejudice  or  ill  feeling  for  a  much- 
disliked  bird,  but  that  I  state  the  facts  as  they  are,  and 
simply  to  throw  a  little  light  on  a  subject  that  has  given 
rise  to  much  discussion  and  controversy.  In  conclusion, 
I  will  say  that  the  Jays  are  equally  injurious  with  the  Crows, 
and  that  they  are  not  deserving  of  a  moment's  indulgence 
or  protection  at  the  hands  of  the  ruralist. 


FISH   Cuow,  Corvus  ossifragus.     Wilson. 


THE   FISH   CROW.  363 

CORVUS   OSSIFRAGUS.  —  Wilson. 
The  Fish  Crow. 

Corvus  ossifragus,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  V.  (1812)  27.  Nutt.  Man.,  I.  (1832)  216. 
Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  268;  V.  479. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Fourth  quill  longest ;  second  rather  longer  than  seventh ;  first  shorter  than  the 
ninth;  glossy-black,  with  green  and  violet  reflections;  the  gloss  of  the  belly 
greenish. 

In  this  species  the  bill  is  shaped  much  as  in  the  Common  Crow,  the  upper  outline 
perhaps  a  little  more  convex ;  the  bristly  feathers  at  the  base  of  the  bill  reach 
nearly  half-way  to  the  tip ;  I  find  no  bare  space  at  the  base  of  the  lower  mandible, 
although  the  feathers  are  not  quite  so  thick  there  as  in  the  Common  Crow;  the 
tarsus  has  eight  transverse  scutellae,  and  is  decidedly  shorter  than  the  middle  toe 
with  its  claw ;  the  lateral  claws  do  not  reach  within  one-tenth  of  an  inch  of  the  base 
of  the  middle  claw. 

The  wings  are  long  and  acute ;  the  fourth  is  longest ;  next  the  third,  fifth,  second, 
and  sixth ;  the  first  is  about  as  long  as  the  secondaries. 

Length,  about  fifteen  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  ten  and  fifty  one- 
hundredths  inches;  tail  less  than  seven  inches;  tarsus  shorter  than  the  middle 
toe  and  claw. 

Hab.  —  South  Atlantic  (and  Gulf?)  coast. 

This  bird  is  so  extremely  rare  in  New  England,  that  it 
can  be  regarded  only  as  an  occasional  straggler.  I  under- 
stand that  it  has  been  taken  on  Long  Island,  and,  on  one 
or  two  occasions,  in  Connecticut,  in  company  with  the  Com- 
mon Crow. 

Audubon  says  of  the  habits  of  this  species,  — 

"  While  on  the  St.  John's  River  in  Florida,  during  the  month  of 
February,  I  saw  flocks  of  Fish  Crows,  consisting  of  several  hun- 
dred individuals,  sailing  high  in  the  air,  somewhat  in  the  manner 
of  the  Raven.  These  aerial  excursions  would  last  for  hours, 
during  the  calm  of  a  fine  morning,  after  which  the  whole  would 
descend  toward  the  water  to  pursue  their  more  usual  avocations  in 
all  the  sociability  of  their  nature.  When  their  fishing,  which  lasted 
about  half  an  hour,  was  over,  they  would  alight  in  flocks  on  the 
live  oaks  and  other  trees  near  the  shore,  and  there  keep  up  their 
gabble,  pluming  themselves  for  hours. 

"  The  nest  of  this  species  is  smaller  than  that  of  the  Common 
Crow,  and  is  composed  of  sticks,  moss,  and  grasses,  neatly  finished 


364  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

or  lined  with  fibrous  roots.     The  eggs  are  from  four  to  six,  and 
resemble  those  of  the  American  Crow,  but  are  smaller." 

Two  eggs  in  my  collection,  from  Florida,  are  of  the 
above  description,  and  are  almost  exactly  like  the  others, 
measuring  a  little  smaller :  their  dimensions  being  1.60  by 
1.10  inch  and  1.52  by  1.04  inch. 


Sub-Family  GARRDLIN^E. —  The  Jays. 

Wings  short,  rounded ;  not  longer  or  much  shorter  than  the  tail,  which  is  grad- 
uated, sometimes  excessively  so ;  wings  reaching  not  much  beyond  the  lower  tail 
coverts ;  bristly  feathers  at  base  of  bill,  variable ;  bill  nearly  as  long  as  the  head,  or 
shorter;  tarsi  longer  than  the  bill  or  than  the  middle  toe;  outer  lateral  claws  rather 
shorter  than  the  inner. 

CYANURA,  SWAINSON. 

Cyanurus,  SWAINSON,  F.  Bor.  Am.,  II.  (1831)  495,  App.  (Type  Corvus  cristatus, 
Linn.) 

Head  crested;  wings  and  tail  blue,  with  transverse  black  bars;  head  and  back 
of  the  same  color ;  bill  rather  slender,  somewhat  broader  than  high  at  the  base ;  cul- 
men  about  equal  to  the  head ;  nostrils  large,  nearly  circular,  concealed  by  bristles ; 
tail  about  as  long  as  the  wings,  lengthened,  graduated ;  hind  claw  large,  longer  than 
its  digit. 

The  culmen  is  straight  to  near  the  tip,  where  it  is  gently  decurved;  the  gonys  is 
convex  at  the  base,  then  straight  and  ascending ;  the  bill  has  a  very  slight  notch  at 
the  tip;  the  nostrils  are  large,  nearly  cirQular,  or  slightly  elliptical;  the  commissure 
is  straight  at  the  base,  then  bending  down  slightly  near  the  tip ;  the  legs  present  no 
special  peculiarities;  the  crest  on  the  head  consists  of  a  number  of  elongated,  narrow, 
lanceolate  occipital  feathers. 

CYANURUS   CRISTATUS.  -  Swainson. 
The  Blue  Jay. 

Corvus  cristatus,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (10th  ed.,  1758)  106.  Wils.  Am.  Orn., 
I.  (1808)  2.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  11;  V.  (1839)  475. 

Cyanurus  cristatus,  Swainson.    F.  Bor.  Am.,  II.  (1831)  App.  495. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Crest  about  one-third  longer  than  the  bill;  tail  much  graduated;  general  color 
above,  light  purplish-blue;  wings  and  tail  feathers  ultramarine-blue;  the  secondaries 
and  tertials,  the  greater  wing  coverts,  and  the  exposed  surface  of  the  tail,  sharply 


THE   BLUE   JAY.  365 

banded  with  black,  and  broadly  tipped  with  white,  except  on  the  central  tail  feathers ; 
beneath  white;  tinged  with  purplish-blue  on  the  throat,  and  with  bluish-brown 
on  the  sides ;  a  black  crescent  on  the  forepart  of  the  breast,  the  horns  passing  for- 
ward and  connecting  with  a  half-collar  on  the  back  of  the  neck ;  a  narrow  frontal 
line  and  loral  region  black ;  feathers  on  the  base  of  the  bill  blue,  like  the  crown. 
Female  rather  duller  in  color,  and  a  little  smaller. 

Length,  twelve  and  twenty-five  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  five  and  sixty-five 
one-hundredths  inches ;  tail,  five  and  seventy-five  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  beautiful  and  well-known  bird  is  abundantly  dis- 
tributed throughout  New  England.  It  is  less  common  in 
the  northern  than  in  the  southern  districts,  but  is  often  seen 
there,  not  in  company  with  the  Canada  Jay,  however. 

Its  food  is  more  varied  than  that  of  almost  any  other 
bird  that  we  have.  In  winter,  the  berries  of  the  cedar,  bar- 
berry or  black-thorn,  with  the  few  eggs  or  cocoons  of  in- 
sects that  it  is  able  to  find,  constitute  its  chief  sustenance. 
In  early  spring,  the  opening  buds  of  shrubs,  caterpillars, 
and  other  insects,  afford  it  a  meagre  diet.  Later  in  the 
spring,  and  through  the  greater  part  of  summer,  the  eggs 
and  young  of  the  smaller  birds  constitute  its  chief  food, 
varied  by  a  few  insects  and  early  berries.  Later  in  the 
summer,  and  in  early  autumn,  berries,  small  fruits,  grains, 
and  a  few  insects,  afford  it  a  bountiful  provender ;  and  later 
in  the  autumn,  when  the  frosts  have  burst  open  the  burrs 
of  chestnuts  and  beechnuts,  and  exposed  the  brown,  ripe 
fruit  to  view,  these  form  a  palatable  and  acceptable  food : 
and  a  large  share  of  these  delicious  nuts  fall  to  the  portion 
of  these  busy  and  garrulous  birds. 

The  notes  of  the  Blue  Jay  consist  of  a  shrill  cry,  like 
jay-jay-jay  repeated  often,  and  in  a  high  key;  a  shrill 
whistle  like  the  syllables  -wheeo-wheeo-wheeo ;  a  hoarse 
rattle,  something  like  a  Kingfisher's  well-known  alarum ; 
and  an  exceedingly  sweet  bell-like  note,  that  possesses  a 
mournful  tone,  like  that  of  a  far-off  hamlet  bell  tolling 
a  funeral  dirge. 

I  have  often  heard  this  tone  in  the  autumn,  when  the 
leaves  were  falling  from  the  trees,  and  all  nature  wore  its 


366  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

funeral  livery ;  and  it  seemed  to  me,  when  the  clear  notes  of 
the  bird  were  echoed  from  hill-side  to  hill-side  in  the  forest, 
that  it  was  wandering  like  a  forest  elf  through  the  trees, 
mourning  the  decay  of  all  the  charms  that  had  made  them 
so  beautiful  through  the  spring  and  summer. 

About  the  first  or  second  week  in  May,  the.  Blue  Jay  com- 
mences building.  The  nest  is  usually  placed  in  a  fork  of  a 
low  pine  or  cedar,  in  a  retired  locality :  it  is  loosely  con- 
structed of  twigs  and  coarse  roots,  and  lined  with  the  same 
materials,  but  of  a  finer  quality,  and  sometimes  a  few  pieces 
of  moss  or  a  few  leaves.  The  eggs  are  four  or  five  in 
number.  Their  color  is  generally  light-green,  with  spots  of 
light-brown ;  sometimes  a  dirty  brownish-gray,  spotted  with 
different  shades  of  brown  and  black.  The  dimensions  vary 
from  1.20  by  .85  to  1  by  .80  inch.  But  one  brood  is  reared 
in  the  season. 

PERISOREUS,  BONAPARTE. 

Perisoreus,  BONAPARTE,  Saggio  di  una  dist.  met.  (1831).  (Type  Corvus  Cana- 
densist) 

Feathers  lax  and  full,  especially  on  the  back,  and  of  very  dull  colors,  without 
any  blue;  head  without  distinct  crest;  bill  very  short,  broader  than  high;  culmen 
scarcely  half  the  length  of  the  head,  straight  to  near  the  tip,  then  slightly  curved; 
gonys  more  curved  than  culmen ;  bill  notched  at  tip ;  nostrils  round,  covered  by 
bristly  feathers;  tail  about  to  the  wings,  graduated;  tarsi  rather  short,  but  little 
longer  than  the  middle  toe. 

This  genus  includes  the  species  of  dullest  colors  among  all  of  our  Jays.  It  has, 
too,  the  shortest  bill,  and  with  this  feature  bears  a  very  strong  resemblance,  in  many 
respects,  to  some  of  the  Titmice. 

PERISOREUS   CANADENSIS.  —  Bonaparte. 
The  Canada  Jay. 

Corvus  Canadensis,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  158.  Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  III. 
(1811)  33.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  53;  V.  (1839)  208. 

Perisoreus  Canadensis,  Bonaparte.    List  (1838).     lb.,  Coiisp.  (1850)  375. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Tail  graduated;  lateral  feathers  about  one  inch  shortest;  wings  a  little  shorter 
than  the  tail;  head  and  neck,  and  forepart  of  the  breast,  white;  a  plumbeous  brown 
nuchal  patch,  becoming  darker  behind,  from  the  middle  of  the  crown  to  the  back, 
from  which  it  is  separated  by  an  interrupted  whitish  color;  rest  of  upper  parts  ashy- 


THE   CANADA   JAY.  367 

plumbeous ;  the  outer  primaries  margined :  the  secondaries,  tertials,  and  tail  feathers 
obscurely  tipped  with  white ;  beneath  smoky-gray ;  crissum  whitish ;  bill  and  feet 
black. 

The  young  of  this  species  are  everywhere  of  a  dull  sooty-brown,  lighter  on  the 
middle  of  the  belly,  and  more  plumbeous  on  the  wings  and  tail;  with  increasing 
age,  the  region  about  the  base  of  the  bill  whitens,  and  this  color  gradually  extends 
backwards  until  the  whole  head,  excepting  the  occiput  and  nape,  is  white;  the 
under  parts  are  sometimes  whiter  than  in  the  typical  specimens. 

Length,  ten  and  seventy  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  five  and  seventy-five  one- 
huudredths  inches;  tail,  six  inches;  tarsus,  one  and  forty  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  species  is  confined  to  the  northern  districts  in  New 
England,  where  it  is  resident  through  the  year.  I  have 
not  been  so  fortunate  as  to  find  the  nest,  and  will  have  to 
borrow  Audubon's  description  of  that  and  the  eggs:  — 

"  The  Canada  Jay  breeds  in  Maine,  in  New  Brunswick,  Nova 
Scotia,  Newfoundland,  and  Labrador.  It  begins  as  early  as  Feb- 
ruary or  March  to  form  its  nest,  which  is  placed  in  the  thickest 
part  of  a  fir-tree,  near  the  trunk,  and  at  a  height  of  from  five  to 
ten  feet.  The  exterior  is  composed  of  dry  twigs,  with  moss  and 
grass  ;  and  the  interior,  which  is  flat,  is  formed  of  fibrous  roots. 
The  eggs,  which  are  from  four  to  six,  are  of  a  light-gray  color, 
faintly  marked  with  brown." 

This  bird  is  not  generally  so  well  known  as  the  preceding. 
I  have  had  numerous  opportunities  for  observing  its  habits, 
and  I  can  positively  affirm  that  it  is  equally  rapacious  and 
destructive  with  the  Blue  Jay,  which  it  resembles  in  motions 
and  cry. 

I  once  knew  of  a  single  pair  of  these  birds  destroying  the 
young  in  four  nests  of  the  Common  Snowbird  (J.  hy  emails) 
in  a  single  day.  I  found  these  nests  in  an  old  abandoned 
lumber-road  on  the  morning  of  June  20 :  in  the  afternoon, 
when  I  returned  through  the  same  path,  every  nest  was 
depopulated ;  and  a  pair  of  these  Jays  were  lurking  in  the 
trees,  shouting  defiance  at  us,  while  surrounded  by  the 
afflicted  Snowbirds,  that  were  uttering  their  cries  of  com- 
plaint and  sorrow.  I  emptied  both  barrels  of  my  gun  in 
the  direction  of  the  Jays,  and  I  am  inclined  to  think  that 


368  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGT. 

they  have  killed  no  young  birds  since.  The  familiarity  with 
which  this  species  fraternizes  with  man  in  the  woods  is 
interesting  and  amusing.  I  was  once  "  snowed  in,"  as  the 
expression  is,  in  a  large  tract  of  forest,  and,  with  my  com- 
panions, was  obliged  to  wait  until  the  storm  had  ceased 
before  we  could  resume  our  march.  We  remained  in  camp 
two  days.  A  pair  of  these  birds,  probably  with  young  in 
the  neighborhood,  visited  our  camp,  and  even  penetrated 
into  our  tent  for  crumbs  and  pieces  of  bread.  They  always 
flew  off  with  their  mouths  full,  and  soon  returned  for  more : 
their  visits  soon  got  to  be  any  thing  but  a  joke,  particularly 
when  they  flew  off  with  the  last  piece  of  our  soap.  We 
couldn't  kill  them,  however;  for  any  thing  with  life  was 
company,  and  we  felt  that  we  had  none  of  that  to  spare. 


NOTES. 

I  present  a  continuation  of  Mr.  Couper's  valuable  notes, 
taken  at  Quebec,  Lower  Canada,  on  the  species  described  in 
the  present  Order. 

TROCHILUS  COLUBEIS.  —  Common  in  this  neighborhood  and  in  the 
mountain  wilds  and  savannas  north  of  the  city.  I  have  had  the  pleasure 
of  finding  its  nest  on  more  than  one.  occasion.  It  generally  arrives  here 
about  the  middle  of  May. 

CENTURA  PELASGIA.  —  Very  abundant.  It  builds  its  nest  in  unused 
chimneys  in  the  city.  I  have  remarked  that  no  more  than  a  single  pair  will 
occupy  a  flue;  and,  although  there  are  many  instances  here  of  chimneys 
having  unused  flues,  it  is  curious  that  they  are  not  occupied  while  one  is  in 
possession  of  the  Swallow.  I  have  noticed  this  species  flying  over  the  woods 
many  miles  north  of  Quebec ;  and  I  think  that  it  breeds  within  large  forest- 
trees. 

ANTROSTOMUS  VOCIFERUS.  —  This  bird  is  occasionally  heard  in  the 
mountains  north  of  Quebec.  It  is,  however,  very  rare  in  this  latitude, 
which  may  be  considered  its  northern  limit. 

CHORDEILES  POPETUE.  —  Very  common.  It  deposits  its  eggs  in  a  small 
cavity  in  the  ground,  in  the  midst  of  a  woodland  clearing,  or  wherever  there 
is  a  young  shrubbery.  Its  principal  food  in  spring  consists  of  ants.  I  can- 
not say  how  far  north  it  goes. 


NOTES.  369 

CERYLE  ALCYON.  —  The  Kingfisher  occurs  about  all  our  northern  lakes 
and  rivers,  and  breeds  plentifully.  It  probably  extends  three  degrees  north 
of  Quebec. 

TYRANNUS  CAROLINENSIS.  —  Common.  It  builds  its  nest  invariably 
near  farm-houses. 

CONTOPUS  VIRENS.  —  I  detected  this  species  here  this  spring  for  the  first 
time.  I  do  not  think  it  breeds  commonly  in  high  latitudes. 

EMPIDONAX  TRAILLII.  —  This  species  occurs  during  summer  in  the 
woodlands  near  Quebec.  It  rarely  builds  its  nest  high  from  the  ground.  It 
is  extremely  cunning,  and  invariably  selects  the  most  hidden  portion  of  a 
clump  of  bushes. 

TURDUS  PALLASII.  —  This  thrush  breeds  in  the  neighborhood  of  Quebec ; 
but  it  is  not  common.  It  builds  its  nest  much  higher  than  Wilson's  Thrush ; 
that  is  to  say,  the  latter  is  generally  found  concealed  at  the  lower  portion 
of  a  bush,  while  the  former  is  often  found  on  a  heavily  branched  pine-tree. 
The  eggs  of  T.  pallasii  are  blue  and  spotted. * 

TURDUS  FUSCESCENS.  —  This  is  one  of  our  most  common  thrushes.  It 
breeds  plentifully  in  this  neighborhood.  Its  nest  is  generally  placed  near  the 
ground,  at  the  lower  portions  of  bushes  growing  near  a  swamp  or  river.  The 
eggs  are  generally  four  or  five,  of  a  clear  greenish-blue  color. 

SIALIA  SIALIS.  —  The  Redbreasted  Bluebird  is  only  seen  here  early  in 
spring,  while  on  its  passage  to  the  "West.  It  does  not  breed  in  Lower 
Canada. 

REGULUS  CALENDULA.  —  This  species,  in  company  with  R.  satrapa,  visit 
this  locality,  from  the  North,  in  the  autumn. 

ANTHUS  LUDOVICIANUS.  —  Common  in  the  autumn.  They  frequent 
fields  and  barnyards,  and  are  generally  in  flocks.  I  think  they  breed  in 
Labrador. 

MNIOTILTA  VARIA.  — This  species  is  not  common  in  our  Northern  woods. 
It,  however,  breeds  in  the  neighborhood  of  Quebec. 

GEOTHLYPIS  TRICHAS.  —  Very  common.    Breeds. 
SEIURUS  AUROCAPILLUS.  —  Common.    Breeds. 

DENDROICA  VIRENS.  —  Only  noticed  in  spring,  on  its  way  North.  It  was 
rather  common  in  the  spring  of  1866. 

DENDROICA  CANADENSIS.  —  Common.    Breeds. 

DENDROICA  CORONATA.  —  Very  common  in  the  autumn.  I  think  they 
breed  far  north. 

DENDROICA  BLACKBURNIJE.  —  This  beautiful  Warbler  was  very  abun- 
dant here  last  spring.  None  of  the  young  returned  this  way.  There  appears 

1  Mr.  Couper  undoubtedly  refers  to  T.  Swainsonii.  —  E.  A.  S. 
24 


370  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

to  be  some  mystery  connected  with  the  breeding  localities  of  many  of  our 
Warblers.  Some  of  them  are  found  breeding  over  the  whole  of  temperate 
America,  while  others,  who  evidently  eat  the  same  kinds  of  food,  pass  to 
the  inaccessible  parts  of  the  northern  forests,  where  the  foot  of  man  never 
trod. 

DENDROICA  CASTANEA.  —  This  is  another  of  the  mysterious  Warblers 
that  shows  itself  in  spring,  and  afterwards  slowly  departs  to  its  northern 
hermitage. 

DENDROICA  PINUS. —  Spring.    Not  common.    Follows  its  kindred,  North. 
DENDROICA  PENNSYLVANICA.  —  Not  common.    Breeds. 

DENDROICA  CJERULEA.  —  This  species  was  very  common  in  this  neigh- 
borhood in  the  spring  of  1866.  I  have  never  seen  its  nest  or  eggs. 

DENDROICA  STRIATA.  —  Not  common.    Breeds. 
DENDROICA  JESTIVA.  —  Common.     Breeds. 
DENDROICA  MACULOSA.  —  Common.    Breeds. 
MYIODIOCTES  CANADENSIS.—  Common.    Breeds. 
SETOPHAGA  RUTICILLA.  —  Common.    Breeds. 

PYRANGA  RUBRA.  —  Rarely  seen  in  the  woods  north  of  Quebec.  They 
breed  in  the  maple  woods ;  and  this  latitude  may  be  considered  its  northern 
limit  of  migration. 

HIRUNDO  HORREORUM.  —  Uncommon.  It  builds  its  nest  on  the  beams 
of  out-houses  and  barns  in  this  neighborhood. 

H.  LUNIFRONS.  — Very  common.  It  builds  mud  or  clay  nests  under  the 
thatched  barns  and  country-houses  near  Quebec.  They  are  protected  by 
farmers,  who  will  not  allow  them  to  be  disturbed  during  their  stay  here. 
They  return  annually  to  the  old  nests,  which  they  repair. 

H.  BICOLOR.  —  Common.  It  builds  its  nest  in  any  hole  it  may  find  in 
the  houses  in  the  city.  In  the  woodland  districts,  it  generally  selects  an 
abandoned  Woodpecker's  nest  in  trees.  *  ' 

COTYLE  RIPARIA.  —  Common.    Breeds  in  every  sand-bank  in  the  country. 

PROGNE  PURPUREA.  —  The  breeding-place  of  this  Swallow  is  confined  to 
a  building  called  the  Jesuit  Barracks,  of  this  city,  where  they  raise  their 
young  every  season.  I  have  repeatedly  tried  to  induce  them  to  occupy 
boxes,  but  the  White-bellied  Swallow  always  took  possession  first.  In  this 
locality,  the  Purple  Martin  loves  its  own  community,  and  will  not  be  induced 
to  occupy  the  most  tempting  abode  unless  made  sufficiently  large  to  accom- 
moda.te  several  pairs. 

AMPELIS  GARRULUS.  —  During  severe  winters,  this  species  arrives  here 
from  the  north  to  feed  on  the  berries  of  the  mountain-ash,  which  grows 


NOTES.  371 

abundantly  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  city.  They  go  in  flocks.  They 
must  breed  late  in  the  season,  as  I  had  the  young  with  the  downy  feathers 
attached  to  their  heads  during  the  depth  of  winter. 

AMPELIS  CEDRORUM.  —  Common.    Breeds. 

COLLTRIO  BOREALIS.  —  Arrives  early  in  Spring.  I  think  they  go  to 
high  latitudes  to  breed.  The  specimens  which  I  procure  are  either  in  sprino- 
or  fall  plumage. 

VIREO  OLIVACEUS.  —  Not  common.     Breeds. 

MIMUS  CAROLINENSIS.  —  Not  common.    Breeds. 

TROGLODYTES  HIEMALIS.  —  Common.    Breeds. 

CERTHIA  AMERICANA,  —  Common.    Breeds. 

SITTA  CANADENSIS.  —  Common  in  summer  and  winter.    Breeds. 

PARUS  ATRICAPILLUS.  — Common.     Breeds. 

P.  HUDSONICUS.  —  Arrives  about  the  middle  of  September  from  the 
North,  and  remains  until  the  snow  falls.  It  has  not  been  found  breeding  in 
this  locality.  They  go  in  flocks,  like  the  former  species. 

EREMOPHILA  CORNUTA.  —  This  Lark  arrives  here  in  the  month  of  Sep- 
tember. It  gathers  in  flocks,  which  remain  until  the  snow  falls.  It  breeds 
in  Labrador. 

PINICOLA  CANADENSIS.  —  Arrives  from  the  North,  sometimes  in  com- 
pany with  the  Bohemian  Wax  wing,  and  feeds  on  the  same  berries.  They 
frequently  remain  during  winter. 

CARPODACUS  PURPUREUS.  — Common.    Breeds. 
CHRYSOMITRIS  TRISTIS.  —  Common.    Breeds. 
C.  PINUS.  —  Sometimes  common  in  winter. 

CURVIROSTRA  AMERICANA. —  Sometimes  very  abundant  in  winter.  I 
am  told  it  breeds  in  Nova  Scotia. 

C.  LEUCOPTERA.  —  Very  numerous  during  winter.    Breeds  in  Labrador. 

.EGIOTHUS  LIN  ARIA.  —  Common  in  the  fall.  Breeds  in  Labrador  and 
Northern  Newfoundland. 

PLECTROPHANES  NIVALIS.  —  Common  in  winter.    Breeds  in  Labrador. 
POOCJETES  GRAMINEUS.—  Common.     Breeds. 
ZONOTRICHIA  LEUCOPHRYS.  —  Common.    Breeds. 
Z.  ALBICOLLIS.  —  Common.    Breeds. 
JUNCO  HTEMALIS.  —  Common.     Breeds. 

SPIZELLA  MONTICOLA.  —  This  species  goes  far  north  to  breed,  probably 
Labrador.  It  returns  in  the  fall. 


372  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

S.  SOCIALIS.  —  Common.    Breeds. 
MELOSPIZA  MELODIA.  —  Common.    Breeds. 

M.  PALUSTRIS.  —  Not  common  here;  but  it  breeds  in  some  of  the  south- 
ern towns  of  Lower  Canada. 

PASSERELLA  ILIACA.  — Not  common.  Breeds.  I  think  that  this  species 
is  more  abundant  in  Labrador  during  summer. 

GUIRACA  LUDOVICIANA. — Not  common.  Breeds.  Quebec  may  be  con- 
sidered its  northern  limit. 

CYANOSPIZA  CYANEA. —  Not  common.    Breeds. 

DOLICHONYX  ORYZIVORUS. —  Common.  Breeds.  This  is  the  most 
northern  limit  of  this  species. 

AGELAIUS  PHCENICEUS.  —  This  species  is  a  very  rare  visitor  in  this 
neighborhood,  and  is  seen  only  in  the  spring,  when  on  its  passage  to  the 
swamps  in  the  West.  It  breeds  abundantly  at  Toronto,  Upper  Canada. 

SCOLECOPHAGUS  FERRUGINEUS.  —  Very  common  in  the  fall,  at  which 
season  they  visit  this  locality  on  their  passage  south.  Great  numbers  are 
shot,  and  sold  like  game  in  our  markets.  This  species  has  been  noticed  here 
as  late  as  the  24th  of  May,  when  it  disappears.  It  has  not  been  found  breed- 
ing within  the  habitable  portions  of  this  province. 

QUISCALUS  VERSIC.OLOR.  —  Rare  in  this  district.  A  few  pairs  have 
been  discovered  breeding  at  Three  Rivers,  between  this  city  and  Montreal. 

CORVUS  AMERICANUS.  —  Common.  Breeds  in  large  numbers.  A  few 
generally  remain  here  during  winter.  They  feed  on  the  berries  of  the 
mountain  ash.  The  old  nests  are  invariably  occupied,  and  the  birds  lay 
their  eggs  very  early.  I  have  seen  the  young  ones  fully  fledged  before  the 
24th  of  May. 

CORVUS  CARNIVORUS.  —  Occasionally  seen  in  this  district.  It  breeds  on 
the  high,  rocky  portions  of  islands  in  the  lower  St.  Lawrence. 

CYANURA  CRISTATA.  —  Abundant  in  the  mountains  north  of  this  city, 
where  they  breed. 

PERISOREUS  CANADENSIS.  —  Sometimes  very  common  in  the  fall.  I 
have  not  noticed  this  bird  in  the  vicinity  of  Quebec  during  summer ;  but, 
while  on  a  collecting  trip  down  the  St.  Lawrence,  in  the  month  of  July,  I 
saw  numbers  of  the  old  and  young  in  the  woods,  at  a  place  called  Mille 
Vaches.  They  were  following  each  other  in  one  direction,  and  appeared  to 
me  to  have  habits  similar  to  those  of  the  Black-cap  Titmouse.  From  this 
fact  of  its  occurrence  on  the  north  shore  of  the  St.  Lawrence  at  the  above 
season,  it  is  evident  that  they  breed  in  our  wild,  unfrequented  forests,  such 
as  may  be  found  north  and  east  of  the  river  Saguenay.  I  have  offered  a 
high  price  for  the  nests  and  eggs  of  the  Canada  Jay;  but,  as  yet,  nothing  of 
the  kind  has  appeared. 


WILD  PIGKON,  Kctopisies  miyratoria. 


THE   WILD   PIGEON.  373 


SUB-ORDER   COLUMBA. 


The  basal  portion  of  the  bill  covered  by  a  soft  skin,  in  which  are  situated  the 
nostrils,  overhung  by  an  incumbent  fleshy  valve,  the  apical  portion  hard  and  con- 
vex ;  the  hind  toe  on  the  same  level  with  the  rest ;  the  anterior  toe  without  mem- 
brane at  the  base;  tarsi  more  or  less  naked;  covered  laterally  and  behind  with 
hexagonal  scales. 

FAMILY  COLUMBINE.     THE  DOVES. 

Bill  horny  at  the  tip;  tail  feathers  twelve,  only  occasionally  fourteen;  head 
smooth.  . 

Sub-Family  COLUMBINE. 

Tarsi  stout,  short,  with  transverse  scutellae  anteriorly;  feathered  for  the  basal 
third  above,  but  not  at  all  behind ;  toes  lengthened,  the  lateral  decidedly  longer  than 
the  tarsus;  wings  lengthened  and  pointed;  size  large;  tail  feathers  twelve. 

This  section  of  doves  embraces  the  largest  North-American  species,  and  among 
them  the  more  arboreal  ones. 


ECTOPISTES,  SWAINSON. 

Ectopistes,  SWAINSON,  Zool.  Jour.,  III.  (1827)  362.   (Type  Columba  migratoria,  L.) 

Head  very  small ;  bill  short,  black ;  culmen  one-third  the  rest  of  the  head ;  tarsi 

very  short,  half  covered  anteriorly  by  feathers ;  inner  lateral  claw  much  larger  than 

outer,  reaching  to  the  base  of  the  middle  one;   tail  very  long  and  excessively 

cuneate;  about  as  long  as  the  wings;  first  primary  longest. 

This  genus  is  readily  distinguished  from  the  other  Columbines  by  the  excessively 
lengthened  and  acute  middle  feathers.  It  formerly  included  the  Columba  Caroli- 
nensis ;  but  this,  with  more  propriety,  has  been  erected  into  a  different  genus,  and 
will  be  found  in  the  next  section. 


ECTOPISTES  MIGRATORIA.  —  Swainson. 
The  Wild  Pigeon;  Passenger  Pigeon. 

Columba  migratoria,  Linnaeus.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  285.     Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  I. 
(1808)  102.     Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1831)  319;  V.  561. 

Ectopistes  migratoria,  Swainson.     Zool.  Jour.,  III.  (1827)  355. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Tail  with  twelve  feathers;  upper  parts  generally,  including  sides  of  body,  head, 
and  neck,  and  the  chin,  blue ;  beneath,  purple  brownish-red,  fading  behind  with  a 


374  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

violet  tint;  anal  region  and  under  tail  coverts,  bluish-white;  scapulars,  inner  tertials, 
and  middle  of  back,  with  an  olive-brown  tinge ;  the  wing  coverts,  scapulars,  and  inner 
tertials,  with  large  oval  spots  of  blue-black  on  the  outer  webs,  mostly  concealed,  except 
on  the  latter;  primaries  blackish,  with  a  border  of  pale-bluish  tinged  internally  with 
red ;  middle  tail  feathers  brown ;  the  rest  pale-blue  on  the  outer  web,  white  inter- 
nally; each  with  a  patch  of  reddish-brown  at  the  base  of  the  inner  web,  followed  by 
another  of  black;  sides  arid  back  of  neck  richly  glossed  with  metallic  golden-violet; 
tibia  bluish-violet ;  bill  black ;  feet  yellow. 

The  female  is  smaller;  much  duller  in  color;  more  olivaceous  above ;  beneath, 
pale-blue  instead  of  red,  except  a  tinge  on  the  neck;  the  jugulum  tinged  with 
olive;  the  throat  whitish. 

The  blue  of  the  side  of  the  head  extends  to  the  throat  and  chin ;  the  upper  part 
of  the  back  and  lesser  coverts  are  of  a  darker  blue  than  the  head  and  rump;  the 
inner  primaries  are  more  broadly  margined  with  light-blue,  which  tapers  off  to 
the  end;  the  axillars  and  under  surface  of  the  wing  are  light-blue;  the  longest 
scapulars  have  the  black  on  both  webs ;  there  is  no  blue  on  the  outer  web  of  the  first 
tail  feather,  which  is  white,  and  the  inferior  surface  of  the  tail  generally  is  white. 

In  some  specimens  the  entire  head  all  round  is  blue. 

The  immature  male  varies-  in  having  most  of  the  feathers  of  the  head  and  body 
margined  with  whitish. 

Length  of  male,  seventeen  inches ;  wing,  eight  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches ; 
tail,  eight  and  forty  one-hundredths  inches. 

FT1HIS  bird  has  become  of  late  years  rather  scarce  in 
JL  New  England ;  so  much  so,  that,  in  localities  where  it 
was  formerly  abundant,  it  is  now  seen  only  occasionally  in 
small  flocks  of  a  dozen  or  fifteen.  It  is  a  resident  of  these 
States  through  a  greater^  part  of  the  year ;  only  absenting 
itself  in  the  most  severe  portion  of  winter,  when  its  food  is 
usually  covered  with  snow.  It  depends  principally  upon 
acorns  and  beechnuts  for  subsistence,  and  is  most  abundant 
in  localities  where  these  nuts  are  found.  It  also  frequents 
grain-fields,  where  it  gleans  among  the  stubble  and  weeds ; 
and,  when  berries  are  in  season,  it  feeds  plentifully  upon 
them,  and  it  is  at  that  time  when  the  greater  number  are 
seen  in  New  England. 

Early  in  May,  the  birds,  although  associating  still  in  com- 
munities, as  in  sections  where  they  are  more  abundant, 
separate  into  pairs,  and  build  their  nest.  This  is  placed  in 
a  forked  branch  of  a  tree,  usually  in  a  swamp  or  thick 
wood.  It  is  constructed  of  twigs  and  leaves,  which  are 
loosely  arranged  into  a  frail  structure  hardly  strong  enough 


THE   CAROLINA   DOVE.  375 

to  support  the  parent  bird :  it  is  but  very  little  hollowed, 
and  has  no  lining  of  softer  material.  The  female  deposits 
in  this  one  or  two  eggs,  on  which  both  birds  incubate. 
These  eggs  are  pure-white  in  color,  nearly  oval  in  form,  and 
have  the  slightest  roseate  tint  before  their  contents  are 
removed:  they  average  in  dimensions  about  1.54  by  1.10 
inch.  Many  writers  affirm  that  but  one  egg  is  laid  at 
a  time.  I  think  that  in  the  greater  number  of  nests  two 
are  deposited,  as  I  have  inquired  of  many  hunters  and 
woodsmen,  and  they  all  agree  on  that  number. 


Sub-Family  ZENAIDIN.E. 

Tarsi  stout,  lengthened ;  always  longer  than  the  lateral  toes,  and  entirely  with- 
out feathers;  the  tibial  joint  usually  denuded;  tarsus  sometimes  with  hexagonal 
scales  anteriorly ;  tail  feathers  sometimes  fourteen. 


ZENAIDURA,  BONAPARTE. 

Zenaidura,  BONAPARTE,  Consp.  Avium,  II.  (1854)  84.  (Type  Columba  Caroli- 
nensis,  L.)  Probably  named  previously  in  Comptes  Rendus. 

Bill  weak,  black;  culmen  from  frontal  feathers,  about  one-third  the  head  above; 
tarsus  not  quite  as  long  as  middle  toe  and  claw,  but  considerably  longer  than  the 
lateral  ones ;  covered  anteriorly  by  a  single  series  of  scutellae ;  inner  lateral  claw 
considerably  longer  than  outer,  and  reaching  to  the  base  of  middle;  wings  pointed, 
second  quill  longest,  first  and  third  nearly  equal ;  tail  very  long,  equal  to  the  wings ; 
excessively  graduated  and  cuneate,  of  fourteen  feathers. 

The  fourteen  tail  feathers  render  this  genus  very  conspicuous  among  the  North- 
American  doves.  It  was  formerly  placed  with  the  Passenger  Pigeon  in  Ectopistes, 
but  has  nothing  in  common  with  it  but  the  lengthened  tail,  as  it  belongs  to  a  differ- 
ent sub-family. 

ZENAIDUEA    CABOLINENSIS.  —  Bonaparte. 
The  Carolina  Dove ;  Turtle  Dove. 

Columba  Carolinensis,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766),  286,  No.  37.  Wils.  Am. 
Orn.,  V.  (1812)  91.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1831)  91;  V.  (1839)  555.  Nutt.  Man.,  I. 
(1832)  626. 

Zenaidura  Carolinensis,  Bonaparte.     Consp.  Av.,  II.  (1854)  84. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Tail  feathers  fourteen;  above  bluish,  although  this  is  overlaid  with  light  brown- 
ish-olive, leaving  the  blue  pure  only  on  the  top  of  the  head,  the  exterior  of  the 


376  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

wings,  ana  upper  surface  of  the  tail,  which  is  even  slightly  tinged  with  this  color; 
the  entire  head,  except  the  vertex,  the  sides  of  the  neck,  and  the  under  parts  general- 
ly, light  brownish-red,  strongly  tinged  with  purple  on  the  breast,  becoming  lighter 
behind,  and  passing  into  brownish-yellow  on  the  anal  region,  tibia,  and  under  tail 
coverts;  sides  of  the  neck  with  a  patch  of  metallic  purplish-red;  sides  of  body  and 
inside  of  wings  clear  light-blue ;  wing  coverts  and  scapulars  spotted  with  black, 
mostly  concealed,  and  an  oblong  patch  of  the  same  below  the  ear;  tail  feathers  seen 
from  'below  blackish,  the  outer  web  of  outermost  white,  the  others  tipped  with  the 
same,  the  color  becoming  more  and  more  bluish  to  the  innermost,  which  is  brown ; 
seen  from  above,  there  is  the  same  graduation  from  white  to  light-blue  in  the  tips ; 
the  rest  of  the  feather,  however,  is  blue,  with  a  bar  of  black  anterior  to  the  light  tip, 
which  runs  a  little  forward  along  the  margin  and  shaft  of  the  feather;  in  the  sixth 
feather  the  color  is  uniform  bluish,  with  this  bar;  the  seventh  is  without  bar;  bill 
black;  feet  yellow.  Female  smaller,  and  with  less  red  beneath. 

Length  of  male,  twelve  and  eighty-five  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  five  and 
seventy-five  one-hundredths ;  tail,  six  and  seventy  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  beautiful  and  well-known  species  is  distributed 
throughout  New  England  as  a  summer  resident.  It  is 
more  rarely  seen  in  the  more  northern  sections  than  in  the 
southern;  but  it  breeds  in  all  these  States.  It  arrives 
from  the  South  early  in  spring,  sometimes  by  the  10th  of 
March.  On  its  first  appearance,  it  is  found  in  small,  loose 
flocks  of  five  or  six  individuals,  which  frequent  old  stubble- 
fields  and  orchards,  where  they  feed  on  scattered  grains  and 
the  seeds  of  various  weeds.  They  also  sometimes  associate 
with  domestic  doves  in  the  .poultry  yard,  as  I  have  witnessed 
on  several  occasions. 

About  the  middle  of  May,  they  separate  into  pairs,  and 
commence  their  duties  of  incubation.  The  nest  is  placed  in 
a  forked,  horizontal  branch  of  a  tree,  sometimes  in  the 
orchard,  usually  in  a  grove  of  pines  or  in  a  swamp.  It  is, 
like  the  nest  of  the  Wild  Pigeon,  a  loose,  frail  structure,  in 
which  the  female  deposits  two  eggs,  which  are  pure-white 
in  color,  and  usually  nearly  oval  in  form. 

A  great  number  of  specimens  in  my  collection,  from  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  country,  vary  from  1.20  by  .85  to  .98  by 
.82  inch.  The  size  most  often  found  is  about  1.12  by  .80 
inch.  Two  broods  are  reared  in  the  season. 

About  the  last  of  July,  the  old  birds  and  young  collect  in 
flocks,  and  frequent  grain-fields,  where  they  feed  upon  the 


THE   CAROLINA    DOVE.  377 

grain,  and  berry-patches,  where  they  eat  plentifully  of 
berries :  they  are  now  fat,  and  very  delicate  eating ;  and,  as 
they  are  much  pursued  by  gunners,  they  soon  become  very 
shy,  and  difficult  of  approach. 

During  the  mating  season,  and  part  of  the  period  of  incu- 
bation, the  male  has  a  soft,  melancholy  cooing  note,  which 
he  utters  often  through  the  day.  During  the  remainder  of 
the  year,  he  seems  to  have  no  note  ;  for  I  have  watched  indi- 
viduals for  hours  to  ascertain,  and  never  heard  them  emit 
any  thing  but  the  short  chuckle  peculiar  to  all  doves. 

By  the  first  week  in  October,  this  species  leaves  New 
England  on  its  southern  migration. 


378  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 


SUB-ORDER  GALLINJE. 


Bill  usually  rather  short  and  stout,  and  less  than  the  head ;  basal  portion  hard, 
generally  covered  with  feathers,  and  not  by  a  soft  naked  skin;  legs  lengthened; 
the  hind  toe  generally  elevated  above  the  level  of  the  rest,  and  short ;  when  lower 
down,  it  is  longer;  toes  connected  at  the  base  by  a  membrane;  the  feathers  of  fore- 
head not  extending  on  the  culmen  in  a  point,  but  more  restricted,  and  parted  by  the 
backward  extension  of  the  culmen. 


FAMILY  TETRAONID^.     THE  GROUSE. 

• 

The  Tetraonidce  are  pre-eminently  characterized  among  gallinaceous  birds  by 
their  densely  feathered  tarsi,  and  by  the  feathers  of  the  nasal  fossa  or  groove,  which 
fill  it  completely,  and  conceal  the  nostrils;  the  toes  are  usually  naked  (feathered 
to  the  claws  in  the  ptarmigans),  and  with  pectinations  of  scales  along  the  edges  ; 
the  tail  feathers  vary  from  sixteen  to  eighteen  and  even  twenty  in  number;  the 
tail  is  rounded,  acute  or  forked;  the  orbital  region  is  generally  somewhat  bare, 
with  a  naked  stripe  above  the  upper  e3relid,  beset  by  short  fringe-like  processes. 

TETRAO,  LINNAEUS. 

Tetrao,  LINN.EUS,  Syst.  Nat.  (1744)  Gray.     (Type  T.  urogallus,  L.) 
Tail  lengthened,  slightly  narrowed  to  the  square  or  somewhat  rounded  tip;  about 
two-thirds  the  wing;  the  feathers  with  stiffened  shafts;   tarsus  feathered  to  and 
between  the  bases  of  the  toes ;  no  unusual  feathers  on  the  side  of  throat ;  culmen 
between  the  nasal  fossae  nearly  half  the  total  length ;  color  mostly  black. 
Inhabit  wooded  regions. 

TETRAO  CANADENSIS.  —  Linnaeus. 
T.ie  Canada  Grouse  ;   Spruce  Partridge. 

Tetrao  Canadensis,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.^I.  (1766)  274.  Nutt,  Man.  I.  (1832) 
667.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  437;  V.  (1839)  563. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Tail  of  sixteen  feathers;  feathers  above  distinctly  banded  with  plumbeous; 
beneath  uniform  black,  with  a  pectoral  band  of  white,  and  white  on  the  sides  of  the 
belly;  chin  and  throat  above  black;  tail  with  a  broad  brownish-orange  terminal 
band. 

Prevailing  color  in  the  male  black;  each  feather  of  the  head,  neck,  and  upper 
parts  generally,  having  its  surface  waved  with  plumbeous-gray;  this  is  in  the 
form  of  two  or  three  well-defined  concentric  bars,  parallel  to  each  other,  one  along 
the  exterior  edge  of  the  feather,  the  others  behind  it ;  the  sides  of  the  body,  the 


THE    CANADA   GROUSE.  379 

scapulars,  and  outer  surface  of  the  wings  are  mottled  like  the  back,  but  more  irregu- 
larly, and  with  a  browner  shade  of  gray,  the  feathers  with  a  central  white  streak 
expanding  towards  the  tip  (on  the  wing  these  streaks  seen  only  on  some  of  the 
greater  coverts);  there  is  no  white  above,  except  as  described;  the  under  parts 
are  mostly  uniform  black,  the  feathers  of  the  sides  of  the  belly  and  breast  broadly 
tipped  with  white,  which  sometimes  forms  a  pectoral  band;  there  is  a  white  bar 
across  the  feathers,  at  the  base  of  the  upper  mandible,  usually  interrupted  above; 
a  white  spot  on  the  lower  eyelid,  and  a  white  line  beginning  on  the  cheeks,  and 
running  into  a  series  of  white  spots  in  the  feathers  of  the  throat;  the  lower  feathers 
of  this  are  banded  terminally  with  whitish ;  the  feathers  at  the  base  of  the  bill, 
and  the  head,  below  the  eyes  and  beneath,  are  pure-black;  the  quills  are  dark- 
brown,  without  any  spots  or  bands,  the  outer  edges  only  mottled  with  grayish ;  the 
tail  feathers  are  similar,  but  darker,  and  the  tail  is  tipped  with  a  band  of  orange- 
chestnut,  nearly  half  an  inch  wide,  obscured  on  the  central  feathers,  the  under 
tail  coverts  are  black,  broadly  barred  and  tipped  with  white;  the  feathers  of  the  legs 
mottled-brown  and  whitish;  dirty-white  behind  the  tarsi;  the  bill  is  black. 

The  female  is  smaller  but  somewhat  similar,  the  black  bars  above  broader,  the 
mner  gray  bars  of  each  feather,  including  the  tail,  replaced  by  broader  ones  of 
brownish-orange;  the  under  parts  have  the  feathers  black,  barred  with  the  brownish- 
orange,  which,  on  the  tips  of  the  belly  feathers,  is  pure-white ;  the  clear  continuous 
black  of  the  head  and  breast  are  wanting;  the  scapulars,  greater  coverts,  and  sides, 
are  streaked  as  in  the  male. 

Length,  sixteen  and  twenty  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  six  and  seventy  one- 
hundredths ;  tail,  five  and  forty-four  hundredths  inches. 

IT  is  only  in  the  most  retired  and  unsettled  localities  in 
northern  New  England  that  this  very  beautiful  grouse  is 
found.  There,  in  the  spruce  and  pine  woods  and  swamps, 
it  is  not  uncommon  as  a  resident  through  the  year.  I  have 
shot  specimens  in  the  White  Mountains,  between  what  is 
called  Waterville,  a  hamlet  in  Thornton,  N.H.,  and  Bethle- 
hem, in  the  same  State  ;  but  they  are  more  commonly  found 
in  the  localities  above  mentioned.  In  its  native  haunts,  it 
is  very  unsuspicious,  permitting  a  person  to  walk  within  a 
few  feet  of  it  without  stirring  ;  and,  when  it  does  take  flight, 
it  goes  but  a  few  rods,  when  it  alights  on  a  tree,  and  turns 
to  watch  the  intruder. 

It  is  a  very  graceful  bird  on  the  ground,  moving  with  a 
stately  step  over  the  long  elastic  moss  so  abundant  in  the 
woods  of  Maine. 

It  feeds  upon  the  buds  of  the  evergreens,  and  their  seeds 
and  foliage.  This  food  imparts  to  the  flesh  of  the  bird  a 
disagreeable  resinous  flavor,  particularly  in  fall  and  winter, 


380  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

when  it  can  get  no  other  food.  In  fact,  at  all  seasons,  it  is 
far  inferior  to  all  our  other  game  birds  in  flesh,  and  is  never 
delicate  nor  palatable. 

About  the  middle  of  May,  the  female  scratches  together 
a  loose  nest,  beneath  the  branches  of  a  creeping  fir,  and 
lays  in  it  from  eight  to  twelve  eggs.  These  are  of  a  beau- 
tiful yellowish-buff  color,  with  spots  and  blotches  of  two 
shades  of  brown :  one  a  purplish-brown  ;  the  other,  a  burnt- 
sienna.  They  average  in  dimensions  about  1.68  by  1.26 
inch :  their  form  is  generally  ovoidal ;  sometimes  nearly 
oval,  and  occasionally  more  rounded.  It  is  said,  that, 
"  when  incubation  begins,  the  males  go  apart  by  themselves 
to  different  portions  of  the  forest,  and  remain  until  late  in 
autumn,  when  they  rejoin  the  females  and  young." 

This  species  flourishes  well  in  confinement:  it  tames 
readily,  and  soon  eats  all  kinds  of  grains  and  seeds,  and 
pieces  of  potatoes  and  fruits.  It  requires  a  large  cage  or 
coop,  and  is  contented  if  it  has,  now  and  then,  a  spruce  or 
cedar-tree  given  it  to  roost  and  climb  upon. 

CUPIDONIA,  REICHENBACH. 

Cupidonia,  REICHENBACH,  Av.  Syst.  Nat.  (1850).    (Type  Tetrao  Cupido,  L.) 
Tail  short,  half  the  lengthened  wings ;  the  feathers  stiffened  and  more  or  less 
graduated;  bare  space  of  the  neck  concealed  by  a  tuft  of  lanceolate  feathers;  tarsi 
feathered  only  to  near  the  base,  the  lower  joint  scutellate;  culmen  between  the  nasal 
fossae  scarcely  one-tflird  the  total  length. 

CUPIDONIA    CUPIDO.—  Baird. 
The  Pinnated  Grouse;  Prairie  Hen;  Prairie  Chicken. 

Tetrao  Cupido,  Linnaeus.    Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  274.    Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  III.  (1811) 
104.     Nutt.  Man.,  I.  662.     Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  II.  (1834)  490;  V.  (1839)  559. 
Cupidonia  Americana,  Reichenbach.    Av.  Syst.  Nat.  (1850). 

DESCRIPTION. 

Tail  of  eighteen  feathers,  varied  with  whitish-brown  and  brownish-yellow ;  almost 
everywhere  with  well-defined  transverse  bars  of  brown  on  the  feathers. 

Body  stout,  compact;  a  tuft  of  long,  pointed  lanceolate  feathers  on  each  side  of 
the  neck,  covering  a  bare  space  capable  of  much  inflation;  tail  short,  truncate,  much 
graduated,  composed  of  eighteen  feathers,  the  lateral  feathers  about  two-thirds  the 


THE   PINNATED   GROUSE.  381 

middle ;  the  feathers  stiffened,  nearly  linear  and  truncate ;  the  tail  is  scarcely  longer 
than  the  coverts,  and  half  the  length  of  the  wing;  tarsi  covered  with  feathers  anteriorly 
and  laterally  to  the  toes,  but  bare,  with  hexagonal  scutellae  behind;  the  middle  toe 
and  claw  longer  than  the  tarsus;  the  toes  margined  by  pectinated  processes;  a  space 
above  the  eye  provided  with  a  dense  pectinated  process  in  the  breeding  season, 
sometimes  separated  from  the  eye  by  a  superciliary  space  covered  with  feathers. 

Length,  sixteen  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  eight  and  eighty  on  e- 
hundredths;  tail,  four  and  seventy  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  well-known  bird  is  now  found  in  New  England  only 
on  Martha's  Vineyard  and  Naushon,  and  perhaps  one  or 
two  other  islands  off  the  southern  coast  of  Massachusetts. 


It  was  once  probably  very  abundant  in  all  the  southern  New- 
England  States :  but  it  is  now  nearly  exterminated  here  ; 
and  very  soon,  in  all  probability,  it  will  cease  to  be  one  of 
our  birds.  Having  had  no  opportunities  for  observing  and 
studying  its  habits,  I  give  the  very  full  and  interesting 
description  presented  by  Wilson.  He  quotes  a  letter  de- 
scribing some  of  its  habits  as  follows :  — 

"  Amours.  —  The  season  for  pairing  is  in  March,  and  the  breed- 
ing time  is  continued  through  April  and  May.  Then  the  male 
Grouse  distinguishes  himself  by  a  peculiar  sound.  When  he  utters 
it,  the  parts  about  the  throat  are  sensibly  inflated  and  swelled.  It 
may  be  heard  on  a  still  morning  for  three  or  more  miles ;  some  say 


382  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

they  have  perceived  it  as  far  as  five  or  six.  This  noise  is  a  sort  of 
ventriloquism.  It  does  not  strike  the  ear  of  a  bystander  with  much 
force,  but  impresses  him  with  the  idea,  though  produced  within  a 
few  rods  of  him,  of  a  voice  a  mile  or  two  distant.  This  note  is 
highly  characteristic.  Though  very  peculiar,  it  is  termed  tooting, 
from  its  resemblance  to  the  blowing  of  a  conch  or  horn  from  a 
remote  quarter.  The  female  makes  her  nest  on  the  ground,  in 
recesses  very  rarely  discovered  by  men.  She  usually  lays  from  ten 
to  twelve  eggs,  which  are  of  a  brownish  color,  much  resembling 
those  of  a  Guinea  Hen.  When  hatched,  the  brood  is  protected  by 
her  alone.  Surrounded  by  her  young,  the  mother-bird  exceedingly 
resembles  a  domestic  Hen  and  chickens.  She  frequently  leads 
them  to  feed  in  the  roads  crossing  the  woods,  on  the  remains  of 
maize  and  oats  contained  in  the  dung  dropped  by  the  travelling 
horses.  In  that  employment,  they  are  often  surprised  by  the  pas- 
sengers. On  such  occasions,  the  dam  utters  a  cry  of  alarm.  The 
little  ones  immediately  scamper  to  the  brush ;  and,  while  they  are 
skulking  into  places  of  safety,  their  anxious  parent  beguiles  the 
spectator  by  drooping  and  fluttering  her  wings,  limping  along  the 
path,  rolling  over  in  the  dirt,  and  other  pretences  of  inability  to 
walk  or  fly. 

"  Food.  —  A  favorite  article  of  their  diet  is  the  heath-hen  plum, 
or  partridge-berry.  They  are  fond  of  whortleberries  and  cran- 
berries. Worms  and  insects  of  several  kinds  are  occasionally  found 
in  their  crops.  But,  in  the  winter,  they  subsist  chiefly  on  acorns 
and  the  buds  of  trees  which  have  shed  their  leaves.  In  their 
stomachs  have  been  sometimes  observed  the  leaves  of  a  plant  sup- 
posed to  be  a  wintergreen ;  and  it  is  said,  when  they  are  much 
pinched,  they  betake  themselves  to  the  buds  of  the  pine.  In  con- 
venient places,  they  have  been  known  to  enter  cleared  fields,  and 
regale  themselves  on  the  leaves  of  clover ;  and  old  gunners  have 
reported  that  they  have  been  known  to  trespass  upon  patches  of 
buckwheat,  and  pick  up  the  grains. 

"  Migration.  —  They  are  stationary,  and  never  known  to  quit 
their  abode.  There  are  no  facts  showing  in  them  any  disposition 
to  migration.  On  frosty  mornings,  and  during  snows,  they  perch 
on  the  upper  branches  of  pine-trees.  They  avoid  wet  and  swampy 
places,  and  are  remarkably  attached  to  dry  ground.  The  low  and 


THE   PINNATED   GROUSE.  383 

open  brush  is  preferred  to  high  shrubbery  and  thickets.  Into  these 
latter  places  they  fly  for  refuge  when  closely  pressed  by  the  hunt- 
ers ;  and  here,  under  a  stiff  and  impenetrable  cover,  they  escape 
the  pursuit  of  dogs  and  men.  Water  is  so  seldom  met  with  on  the 
true  Grouse  ground,  that  it  is  necessary  to  carry  it  along  for  the 
pointers  to  drink.  The  flights  of  Grouse  are  short  but  sudden, 
rapid,  and  whirring.  I  have  not  heard  of  any  success  in  taming 
them.  They  seem  to  resist  all  attempts  at  domestication.  In  this, 
as  well  as  in  many  other  respects,  they  resemble  the  Quail  of  New 
York  or  the  Partridge  of  Pennsylvania. 

"Manners.  —  During  the  period  of  mating,  and  while  the 
females  are  occupied  in  incubation,  the  males  have  a  practice  of 
assembling,  principally  by  themselves.  To  some  select  and  central 
spot,  where  there  is  very  little  underwood,  they  repair  from  the 
adjoining  district.  From  the  exercise  performed  there,  this  is  called 
a  scratching-place.  The  time  of  meeting  is  the  break  of  day. 
As  soon  as  the  light  appears,  the  company  assembles  from  every 
side,  sometimes  to  the  number  of  forty  or  fifty.  When  the  dawn 
is  past,  the  ceremony  begins  by  a  low  tooting  from  one  of  the 
cocks.  This  is  answered  by  another.  They  then  come  forth  one 
by  one  from  the  bushes,  and  strut  'about  with  all  the  pride  and 
ostentation  they  can  display.  Their  necks  are  incurvated ;  the 
feathers  on  them  are  erected  into  a  sort  of  ruff;  the  plumes  of  their 
tails  are  expanded  like  fans  ;  they  strut  about  in  a  style  resembling, 
as  nearly  as  small  may  be  illustrated  by  great,  the  pomp  of  the  Tur- 
key-cock. They  seem  to  vie  with  each  other  in  stateliness  ;  and,  as 
they  pass  each  other,  frequently  cast  looks  of  insult,  and  utter  notes 
of  defiance.  These  are  the  signals  for  battles.  They  engage  with 
wonderful  spirit  and  fierceness.  During  these  contests,  they  leap  a 
foot  or  two  from  the  ground,  and  utter  a  cackling,  screaming,  and 
discordant  cry. 

"  They  have  been  found  in  these  places  of  resort  even  earlier 
than  the  appearance  of  light  in  the  east.  This  fact  has  led  to  the 
belief  that  a  part  of  them  assemble  over  night.  The  rest  join  them 
in  the  morning.  This  leads  to  the  further  belief  that  they  roost  on 
the  ground ;  and  the  opinion  is  confirmed  by  the  discovery  of  little 
rings  of  dung,  apparently  deposited  by  a  flock  which  had  passed 
the  night  together.  After  the  appearance  of  the  sun,  they  disperse. 


384  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

"  These  places  of  exhibition  have  been  often  discovered  by  the 
hunters ;  and  a  fatal  discovery  it  has  been  for  the  poor  Grouse. 
Their  destroyers  construct  for  themselves  lurking-holes  made  of  pine 
branches,  called  bough  houses,  within  a  few  yards  of  the  parade. 
Hither  they  repair  with  their  fowling-pieces,  in  the  latter  part  of 
the  night,  and  wait  the  appearance  of  the  birds.  Watching  the 
moment  when  two  are  proudly  eying  each  other,  or  engaged  in 
battle,  or  when  a  greater  number  can  be  seen  in  a  range,  they  pour 
on  them  a  destructive  charge  of  shot.  This  annoyance  has  been 
given  in  so  many  places,  and  to  such  extent,  that  the  Grouse,  after 
having  been  repeatedly  disturbed,  are  afraid  to  assemble.  On 
approaching  the  spot  to  which  their  instinct  prompts  them,  they 
perch  on  the  neighboring  trees,  instead  of  alighting  at  the  scratch- 
ing-place  ;  and  it  remains  to  be  observed  how  far  the  restless  and 
tormenting  spirit  of  the  marksmen  may  alter  the  native  habits  of 
the  Grouse,  and  oblige  them  to  betake  themselves  to  new  ways 
of  life. 

"They  commonly  keep  together  in  coveys,  or  packs,  as  the 
phrase  is,  until  the  pairing  season.  A  full  pack  consists,  of  course, 
of  ten  or  a  dozen.  Two  packs  have  been  known  to  associate.  I 
lately  heard  of  one  whose  number  amounted  to  twenty-two.  They 
are  so  unapt  to  be  startled,  that  a  hunter,  assisted  by  a  dog,  has 
been  able  to  shoot  almost  a  whole  pack,  without  making  any  of 
them  take  wing.  In  like  manner,  the  men  lying  in  concealment 
near  the  scratching-places  have  been  known  to  discharge  several 
guns  before  either  the  report  of  the  explosion,  or  the  sight  of  their 
wounded  and  dead  fellows,  would  rouse  them  to  flight.  It  has 
further  been  remarked,  that,  when  a  company  of  sportsmen  have 
surrounded  a  pack  of  Grouse,  the  birds  seldom  or  never  rise  upon 
their  pinions  while  they  are  encircled ;  but  each  runs  along  until 
it  passes  the  person  that  is  nearest,  and  then  flutters  off  with  the 
utmost  expedition.  SAMUEL  L.  MITCHILL." 

He  then  continues  with  his  own  observations  :  — 

"  This  bird,  though  an  inhabitant  of  different  and  very  distant 
districts  of  North  America,  is  extremely  particular  in  selecting  his 
place  of  residence ;  pitching  only  upon  those  tracts  whose  features 
and  productions  correspond  with  his  modes  of  life,  and  avoiding 


THE   PINNATED   GROUSE.  385 

immense,  intermediate  regions  that  he  never  visits.  Open,  dry 
plains,  thinly  interspersed  with  trees,  or  partially  overgrown  with 
shrub  oak,  are  his  favorite  haunts.  Accordingly,  we  find  these 
birds  on  the  Grouse  plains  of  New  Jersey,  in  Burlington  County, 
as  well  as  on  the  brushy  plains  of  Long  Island ;  among  the  pines 
and  shrub  oaks  of  Pocano,  in  Northampton  County,  Pennsylvania ; 
over  the  whole  extent  of  the  Barrens  of  Kentucky ;  on  the  luxuri- 
ant plains  and  prairies  of  the  Indiana  Territory,  and  Upper  Louisi- 
ana ;  and,  according  to  the  information  of  the  late  Governor  Lewis, 
on  the  vast  arid  remote  plains  of  the  Columbia  River ;  in  all  these 
places  preserving  the  same  singular  habits. 

"  Their  predilection  for  such  situations  will  be  best  accounted  for 
by  considering  the  following  facts  and  circumstances  :  First,  their 
mode  of  flight  is  generally  direct  and  laborious,  and  ill  calculated 
for  the  labyrinth  of  a  high  and  thick  forest,  crowded  and  intersected 
with  trunks  and  arms  of  trees,  that  require  continual  angular  evolu- 
tion of  wing,  or  sudden  turnings,  to  which  they  are  by  no  means 
accustomed.  I  have  always  observed  them  to  avoid  the  high- 
timbered  groves  that  occur  here  and  there  in  the  Barrens.  Con- 
nected with  this  fact  is  a  circumstance  related  to  me  by  a  very 
respectable  inhabitant  of  that  country ;  viz.,  that,  one  forenoon,  a 
cock  Grouse  struck  the  stone  chimney  of  his  house  with  such  force 
as  instantly  to  fall  dead  to  the  ground. 

"  Secondly,  their  known  dislike  of  ponds,  marshes,  or  watery 
places,  which  they  avoid  on  all  occasions  ;  drinking  but  seldom,  and, 
it  is  believed,  never  from  such  places.  Eyen  in  confinement,  this 
peculiarity  has  been  taken  notice  of.  While  I  was  in  the  State  of 
Tennessee,  a  person  living  within  a  few  miles  of  Nashville  had 
caught  an  old  hen  Grouse  in  a  trap  ;  and,  being  obliged  to  keep  her 
in  a  large  cage,  as  she  struck  and  abused  the  rest  of  the  poultry, 
he  remarked  that  she  never  drank,  and  that  she  even  avoided  that 
quarter  of  the  cage  where  the  cup  containing  the  water  was  placed. 
Happening,  one  day,  to  let  some  water  fall  on  the  cage,  it  trickled 
down  in  drops  along  the  bars,  which  the  bird  no  sooner  observed 
than  she  eagerly  picked  them  off,  drop  by  drop,  with  a  dexterity 
that  showed  she  had  been  habituated  to  this  mode  of  quenching  her 
thirst,  and  probably  to  this  mode  only,  in  those  dry  and  barren 
tracts,  where,  except  the  drops  of  dew  and  drops  of  rain,  water  is 

25 


386  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

very  rarely  to  be  met  with.  For  the  space  of  a  week,  he  watched 
her  closely,  to  discover  whether  she  still  refused  to  drink;  but, 
though  she  was  constantly  fed  on  Indian  corn,  the  cup  and  water 
still  remained  untouched  and  untasted.  Yet  no  sooner  did  he 
again  sprinkle  water  on  the  bars  of  the  cage,  than  she  eagerly  and 
rapidly  picked  them  off  as  before. 

"The  last,  and  probably  the  strongest,  inducement  to  their 
preferring  these  plains  is  the  small  acorn  of  the  shrub  oak,  the 
strawberries,  huckleberries,  and  partridge-berries,  with  which  they 
abound,  and  which  constitute  the  principal  part  of  the  food  of  these 
birds.  These  brushy  thickets  also  afford  them  excellent  shelter, 
being  almost  impenetrable  to  dogs  or  birds  of  prey. 

"  In  all  these  places  where  they  inhabit,  they  are,  in  the  strict- 
est sense  of  the  word,  resident ;  having  their  particular  haunts  and 
places  of  rendezvous  (as  described  in  the  preceding  account),  to 
which  they  are  strongly  attached.  Yet  they  have  been  known  to 
abandon  an  entire  tract  of  such  country,  when,  from  whatever 
cause  it  might  proceed,  it  became  again  covered  with  forest.  A 
few  miles  south  of  the  town  of  York,  in  Pennsylvania,  commences 
an  extent  of  country,  formerly  of  the  character  described,  now 
chiefly  covered  with  wood,  but  still  retaining  the  name  of  Barrens. 
In  the  recollection  of  an  old  man  born  in  that  part  of  the  country, 
this  tract  abounded  with  Grouse.  The  timber  growing  up,  in 
progress  of  years,  these  birds  totally  disappeared ;  and,  for  a  long 
period  of  time,  he  had  seen  none  of  them,  until,  migrating  with  his 
family  to  Kentucky,  on  entering  the  Barrens,  he,  one  morning, 
recognized  the  well-known  music  of  his  old  acquaintance,  the 
Grouse,  which,  he  assures  me,  are  the  very  same  with  those  he 
had  known  in  Pennsylvania. 

"  But  what  appears  to  me  the  most  remarkable  circumstance 
relative  to  this  bird  is,  that  not  one  of  all  those  writers  who  have 
attempted  its  history  have  taken  the  least  notice  of  those  two 
extraordinary  bags  of  yellow  skin  which  mark  the  neck  of  the 
male,  and  which  constitute  so  striking  a  peculiarity.  These  appear 
to  be  formed  by  an  expansion  of  the  gullet,  as  well  as  of  the  exte- 
rior skin  of  the  neck,  which,  when  the  bird  is  at  rest,  hangs  in 
loose,  pendulous,  wrinkled  folds  along  the  side  of  the  neck ;  the 
supplemental  wings,  at  the  same  time,  as  well  as  when  the  bird  is 


THE   PINNATED   GROUSE.  387 

flying,  lying  along  the  neck.  But  when  these  bags  are  inflated 
with  air,  in  breeding-time,  they  are  equal  in  size,  and  very  much 
resemble  in  color,  a  middle-sized,  fully  ripe  orange.  By  means  of 
this  curious  apparatus,  which  is  very  observable  several  hundred 
yards  off,  he  is  enabled  to  produce  the  extraordinary  sound  men- 
tioned above,  which,  though  it  may  easily  be  imitated,  is  yet  diffi- 
cult to  describe  by  words.  It  consists  of  three  notes  of  the  same 
tone,  resembling  those  produced  by  the  Night  Hawks  in  their  rapid 
descent ;  each  strongly  accented,  the  last  being  twice  as  long  as  the 
others.  When  several  are  thus  engaged,  the  ear  is  unable  to  dis- 
tinguish the  regularity  of  these  triple  notes ;  there  being,  at  such 
times,  one  continued  bumming,  which  is  disagreeable  and  perplex- 
ing, from  the  impossibility  of  ascertaining  from  what  distance,  or 
even  quarter,  it  proceeds.  While  uttering  this,  the  bird  exhibits 
all  the  ostentatious  gesticulations  of  a  Turkey-cock ;  erecting  and 
fluttering  his  neck-wings,  wheeling  and  passing  before  the  female, 
and  close  before  his  fellows,  as  in  defiance.  Now  and  then  are 
heard  some  rapid,  cackling  notes,  not  unlike  that  of  a  person  tickled 
to  excessive  laughter ;  and,  in  short,  one  can  scarcely  listen  to 
them  without  feeling  disposed  to  laugh  from  sympathy.  These  are 
uttered  by  the  males  while  engaged  in  fight,  on  which  occasion 
they  leap  up  against  each  other,  exactly  in  the  manner  of  Turkeys, 
seemingly  with  more  malice  than  effect.  This  bumming  continues 
from  a  little  before  daybreak  to  eight  or  nine  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing, when  the  parties  separate  to  seek  for  food. 

"  Fresh-ploughed  fields,  in  the  vicinity  of  their  resorts,  are  sure 
to  be  visited  by  these  birds  every  morning,  and  frequently  also  in  the 
evening.  On  one  of  these  I  counted,  at  one  time,  seventeen  males, 
making  such  a  continued  sound,  as,  I  am  persuaded,  might  have 
been  heard  for  more  than  a  mile  off.  The  people  of  the  Barrens 
informed  me,  that,  when  the  weather  becomes  severe  with  snow, 
they  approach  the  barn  and  farm-house,  are  sometimes  seen  sitting 
on  the  fences  in  dozens,  mix  with  the  poultry,  and  glean  up  the 
scattered  grains  of  Indian  corn,  seeming  almost  half  domesticated. 
At  such  times,  great  numbers  are  taken  in  traps.  No  pains,  how- 
ever, or  regular  plan,  has  ever  been  persisted  in,  as  far  as  I  was 
informed,  to  domesticate  these  delicious  birds.  A  Mr.  Reed,  who 
lives  between  the  Pilot  Knobs  and  Bairdstown,  told  me,  that,  a  few 


388  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

years  ago,  one  of  his  sons  found  a  Grouse's  nest  with  fifteen  eggs, 
which  he  brought  home,  and  immediately  placed  beneath  a  hen  then 
sitting,  taking  away  her  own.  The  nest  of  the  Grouse  was  on  the 
ground,  under  a  tussock  of  long  grass,  formed  with  very  little  art, 
and  few  materials :  the  eggs  were  brownish- white,  and  about  the 
size  of  a  pullet's.  In  three  or  four  days,  the  whole  were  hatched. 
Instead  of  following  the  hen,  they  compelled  her  to  run  after  them, 
distracting  her  with  the  extent  and  diversity  of  their  wanderings  ; 
and  it  was  a  day  or  two  before  they  seemed  to  understand  her 
language,  or  consent  to  be  guided  by  her.  They  were  let  out  to 
the  fields,  where  they  paid  little  regard  to  their  nurse ;  and,  in  a 
few  days,  only  three  of  them  remained.  These  became  extremely 
tame  and  familiar,  were  most  expert  flycatchers ;  but,  soon  after, 
they  also  disappeared. 

The  eggs  of  this  species  are  generally  ovoidal  in  form, 
and  are  often  pretty  sharply  tapered  at  their  small  ends. 
They  vary  in  color  from  a  dirty-drab  to  a  grayish-white,  and 
are  covered  more  or  less  thickly  with  fine  spots  or  dots  of 
brown :  some  specimens  have  none  of  these  marking's,  while 
others  are  abundantly  spotted.  A  large  number  of  speci- 
mens in  my  collection  average  about  1.80  by  1.25  inch  in 
dimensions. 

BONASA,  STEPHENS. 

Bonaw,  STEPHENS,  Shaw's  Gen.  Zool.,  XI.  (1819).  (Type  Tetrao  bonasia,  L.) 
Tail  widening  to  the  end,  its  feathers  very  broad,  as  long  as  the  wings  ;  the 
feathers  soft,  and  eighteen  in  number;  tarsi  naked  in  the  lower  half;  covered  with 
two  rows  of  hexagonal  scales  anteriorly,  as  in  the  Ortygince;  sides  of  toes  strongly 
pectinated ;  naked  space  on  the  side  of  throat  covered  by  a  tuft  of  broad  soft  feathers ; 
portion  of  culmen  between  the  nasal  fossae  about  one-third  the  total  length ;  top  of 
head  with  a  soft  crest. 

BONASA  UMBELLUS.  —  Stephens. 
The  Ruffed  Grouse ;  Partridge ;  Pheasant. 

Tetrao  umbellus,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  275.  Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  VI. 
(1812)  46.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  I.  (1831)  211;  V.  660. 

Tetrao  (Bonasia)  umbellm,  Bonaparte.    Syn.  (1828),  126.    Nutt.  Man.,  I.  (1832) 

Bonata  umbettus,  Stephens.    Shaw,  Gen.  Zool.,  XI.  (1824)  300. 


THE   RUFFED   GROUSE.  389 

DESCRIPTION. 

Tail  of  eighteen  feathers,  reddish-brown  or  gray  above ;  the  back  with  cordate 
spots  of  lighter ;  beneath  whitish,  transversely  barred  with  dull-brown ;  tail  tipped 
with  gray,  and  with  a  subterminal  bar  of  black ;  broad  feathers  of  the  ruff  black. 

Tail  lengthened,  nearly  as  long  as  the  wing  ;  very  broad,  and  moderately 
rounded ;  the  feathers  very  broad  and  truncate,  the  tip  slightly  convex,  eighteen  in 
number;  upper  half  of  tarsus  only  feathered;  bare  behind  and  below,  with  two 
rows  of  hexagonal  scutellae  anteriorly;  a  naked  space  on  the  side  of  the  neck,  con- 
cealed by  an  overhanging  tuft  of  broad,  truncate  feathers ;  there  are  no  pectinated 
processes  above  the  eye,  where  the  skin  instead  is  clothed  with  short  feathers. 

Length,  eighteen  inches;  wing,  seven  and  twenty  one-hundredths ;  tail,  seven 
inches. 


This  beautiful  and  well-known  bird,  commonly,  but  very 
improperly,  called  Partridge,  is  a  general  resident  in  all  the 
New-England  States  throughout  the  year.  In  the  most 
retired  localities,  and  in  the  near  vicinage  of  towns,  it  is 
found  almost  equally  abundant ;  and  its  habits  and  charac- 
teristics are  the  same  in  all  localities,  except  that  in  thickly 
settled  districts,  in  consequence  of  its  being  more  pursued 
by  sportsmen,  it  is  much  wilder  and  more  difficult  of  ap- 
proach than  in  less  settled  neighborhoods.  So  tame  and 
unsuspicious  are  these  birds  in  the  deep  forests,  that  I  have 
had  considerable  difficulty  at  times  in  flushing  them.  When 
I  have  approached  them,  instead  of  flying  off,  as  they  should, 
they  stood  watching  me  like  so  many  barn-yard  fowls ;  and 
when  I  walked  up  to  within  a  few  feet  of  them,  to  get  them 
a-wing,  —  for  no  true  sportsman  will  ever  kill  a  game  bird 
unless  it  is  flying, — they  only  retreated  slowly  into  a  thicket 
of  undergrowth,  and  remained  there  until  actually  forced  to 
take  flight. 

About  the  first  of  May,  sometimes  a  little  earlier,  more 
often  later,  the  female  withdraws  from  the  society  of  the 
male,  and  repairs  to  a  retired  spot  in  the  woods,  where, 
usually  beneath  a  thicket  of  evergreen,  or  a  bunch  of  brush, 
or  perhaps  a  fallen  log  or  rock,  she  scrapes  together  a  few 
leaves  into  a  loose  nest,  and  deposits  from  eight  to  twelve 
eggs.  These  are  usually  of  a  yellowish-white,  sometimes 
a  darker  color,  sometimes  nearly  pure-white.  They  are 


390  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 

usually  ovoidal  in  form,  sometimes  nearly  rounded,  and  their 
dimensions  average  about  1.65  by  1.20  inches :  specimens 
are  occasionally  found  much  larger  than  this  size,  and  many 
considerably  smaller.  In  about  fifty  specimens  before  me, 
collected  perhaps  in  ten  different  States,  about  five  are  of  a 
yellowish-buff  color,  marked  with  numerous  spots  of  brown  ; 
others  are  more  yellowish,  and  have  more  obscure  spots, 
while  the  greater  number  have  no  markings  at  all. 

From  several  instances  which  have  come  to  my  knowl- 
edge, I  am  inclined  to  think  that  the  female  Ruffed  Grouse, 
if  persistently  molested  when  nesting  on  the  ground,  avails 
herself  of  the  abandoned  nest  of  a  crow,  or  the  shelter 
afforded  in  the  top  of  some  tall  broken  trunk  of  a  tree, 
in  which  she  deposits  her  eggs.  Two  of  my  collectors  in 
Northern  Maine  have  sent  me  eggs  which  they  positively 
declared  were  found  in  a  crow's  nest  in  a  high  pine,  but 
which  are  undoubtedly  of  this  species ;  and  recently  I  have 
heard  of  another  occurrence  from  my  friend  L.  E.  Rick- 
seeker,  of  Pennsylvania.  The  only  satisfactory  theory  that 
I  can  advance  to  account  for  these  departures  from  the 
usual  habits  of  the  Grouse  is,  that  the  birds  had  been  much 
disturbed,  their  eggs  or  young  perhaps  destroyed ;  and  as 
they  are  often  in  the  trees,  and  are  expert  climbers,  they 
laid  their  eggs  in  these  lofty  situations  to  secure  protection 
from  their  numerous  foes  below. 

During  the  season  of  incubation,  the  males  congregate 
together  and  remain  apart  from  the  females,  until  the  young 
birds  are  nearly  full-grown :  they  then  join  them,  and  remain 
with  them  until  the  ensuing  spring. 

JEarty  in  spring,  the  male  begins  "  drumming: "  this  habit 
is  peculiar  to  this  species,  and  is  probably  familiar  to  all 
persons  who  have  passed  much  of  their  time  in  the  woods. 

I  have  heard  this  drumming  as  early  as  February,  and  as 
late  as  September ;  but  usually  it  is  not  heard  much  before 
the  first  of  April.  The  bird  resorts  to  a  fallen  trunk  of  a 
tree  or  log,  and,  while  strutting  like  the  male  Turkey,  beats 


THE   RUFFED   GROUSE.  391 

his  wings  against  his  sides  and  the  log  with  considerable 
force.  This  produces  a  hollow  drumming  noise,  that  may 
be  heard  to  a  considerable  distance :  it  commences  very 
slowly,  and,  after  a  few  strokes,  gradually  increases  in 
velocity,  and  terminates  with  a  rolling  beat  very  similar  to 
the  roll  of  a  drum. 

I  know  not  by  what  law  of  acoustics,  but  this  drumming 
is  peculiar  in  sounding  equally  as  loud  at  a  considerable 
distance  off,  as  within  a  few  rods.  I  have  searched  for  the 
bird  when  I  have  heard  the  drumming,  and,  while  supposing 
him  to  be  at  a  considerable  distance,  have  flushed  him  within 
the  distance  of  fifty  feet,  and  vice  versa. 

The  young  birds,  like  those  of  all  our  G-allince,  follow 
their  mother  almost  as  soon  as  they  are  hatched.  I  have 
often  found  these  broods  in  the  woods,  and  can  com- 
pare them  to  nothing  so  much  as  the  chicks  of  domestic 
poultry. 

The  female,  when  her  family  is  surprised,  quickly  gives  a 
warning  cluck,  when  the  whole  brood  adroitly  conceal  them- 
selves. I  have  known  a  number  to  disappear,  as  if  by 
magic,  beneath  a  bunch  of  leaves  or  grass  ;  and  it  required 
a  long,  careful  search  to  discover  their  whereabouts. 

I  once  came  suddenly  upon  a  covey  of  these  young  birds, 
when  the  mother,  taken  by  surprise,  uttering  a  harsh  cry, 
flew  at  my  foot,  and  commenced  picking  it  fiercely :  the 
young  scrambled  off,  uttering  faint  peets,  when  the  old  bird, 
perhaps  astonished  at  this  departure  from  her  usual  mod- 
esty, suddenly  retreated,  and  concealed  herself.  The  young 
birds  associate  with  the  female  until  scattered  by  sportsmen 
or  by  a  scarcity  of  provender.  They  are  much  more  deli- 
cate as  food,  when  about  two-thirds  grown,  than  the  old 
birds,  as  they  have  less  of  that  peculiar  bitter  taste,  and 
have  a  rich  flavor,  almost  similar  to  that  of  the  Woodcock. 

The  food  of  this  species  consists  of  various  seeds,  berries, 
grapes,  and  insects.  When  nothing  else  can  be  obtained, 
they  will  eat  the  leaves  of  the  evergreens,  and  buds  of 


392  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

trees ;  and,  when  all  other  food  is  covered  with  snow,  they 
eat  dried  pieces  of  apples  that  are  left  hanging  on  the  trees, 
mosses,  and  leaves  of  the  laurel.  It  is  after  feeding  on  this 
last  plant  that  their  flesh  becomes  dangerous  to  be  eaten ; 
and  it  is  always  safe  not  to  eat  these  birds  in  winter,  if  they 
have  been  killed  for  any  great  length  of  time,  or  if  their 
intestines  and  crops  have  been  left  in  them. 

One  habit  that  this  species  has  is,  I  believe,  peculiar  to 
it;  and  that  is  its  manner  of  diving  into  the  deep  snow 
to  pass  the  night  in  cold  weather:  this  it  does  very  fre- 
quently, and  its  snowy  covering  affords  it  a  warm  and 
effectual  protection.  But  if  it  rains  during  the  night,  and 
then  the  weather  changes  to  freezing,  the  Grouse,  imprisoned 
beneath  the  crust  that  forms  on  the  surface  of  the  snow, 
soon  dies ;  and  it  is  noticed,  that,  in  seasons  after  winters 
when  the  weather  frequently  changes  from  raining  to  freez- 
ing, there  is  a  scarcity  of  these  birds.  It  is  a  common 
occurrence  to  find  them,  in  the  spring,  dead,  having  perished 
in  this  manner. 


THE   VIRGINIA   PARTRIDGE.  393 


FAMILY  PERDICIDJE.    THE  PARTRIDGES. 

Nostrils  protected  by  a  naked  scale ;  the  tarsi  bare  and  scutellate. 

The  Perditidce  differ  from  the  Grouse  in  the  bare  legs  and  naked  nasal  fossae ; 
they  are  much  smaller  in  size  and  more  abundant  in  species ;  they  are  widely  dis- 
tributed over  the  surface,  of  the  globe,  a  large  number  belonging  to  America,  where 
the  sub-families  have  no  Old- World  representatives  whatever ;  the  head  seldom,  if 
ever,  shows  the  naked  space  around  and  above  the  eye,  so  common  in  the  Tetraonidce ; 
and  the  sides  of  the  toes  scarcely  exhibit  the  peculiar  pectination  formed  by  a  suc- 
cession of  small  scales  or  plates. 


Sub-Family  ORTTGIN^E. 

Bill  stout;  the  lower  mandible  more  or  less  bidentate  on  each  side  near  the  end. 

The  Ortygince  of  Bonaparte,  or  OdontophorincB  of  other  authors,  are  characterized 
as  a  group  by  the  bidentation  on  either  side  of  the  edge  of  lower  mandible,  usually 
concealed  in  the  closed  mouth,  and  sometimes  scarcely  appreciable ;  the  bill  is  short, 
and  rather  high  at  base,  stouter  and  shorter  than  what  is  usually  seen  in  Old- 
World  partridges ;  the  culmen  is  curved  from  the  base ;  the  tip  of  the  bill  broad, 
and  overlapping  the  end  of  the  lower  mandible;  the  nasal  groove  is  short;  the  tail  is 
rather  broad  and  long. 

ORTYX,  STEPHENS. 

Ortyx,  STEPHENS,  Shaw's  Gen.  Zool.,  XI.  (1819).    (Type  Tetrao  Virginianm,  L.) 

Bill  stout ;  head  entirely  without  any  crest ;  tail  short,  scarcely  more  than  half 

the  wing,  composed  of  moderately  soft  feathers ;  wings  normal ;  legs  developed,  the 

toes  reaching  considerably  beyond  the  tip  of  the  tail ;  the  lateral  toes  short,  equal, 

their  claws  falling  decidedly  short  of  the  base  of  the  middle  claw. 


OETYX  VIRGINIANUS.  —  Bonaparte. 
The  Virginia  Partridge;   Quail;  Bob-white. 

Tetrao  Virginianus,  Linnaeus.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  277. 

Perdix  Virginiana,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  VI.  (1812)  21.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  I. 
(1831)  388;  V.  (1839)  564. 

.     Ortyx  Virginiana,  Jardine.    Nat.  Lib.  Birds,  IV, ;  Game  Birds,  101. 
Perdix  (  Colinia)  Virginiana,  Nuttall.    Man.,  I.  (1832)  646. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Forehead,  and  line  through  the  eye  and  along  the  side  of  the  necK,  with  chin 
and  throat,  white ;  a  band  of  black  across  the  vertex,  and  extending  backwards  on 
the  sides,  within  the  white,  and  another  from  the  maxilla  beneath  the  eye,  and 
crossing  on  the  lower  part  of  the  throat ;  the  under  parts  are  white,  tinged  with 
brown  anteriorly,  each  feather  with  several  narrow,  obtusely  V-shaped  bands  of 


394  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

black;  the  forepart  of  back,  the  side  of  the  breast  and  in  front  just  below  the  black 
collar,  of  a  dull  pinkish-red;  the  sides  of  body  and  wing  coverts  brownish-red;  the 
latter  almost  uniform,  without  indication  of  mottling;  scapulars  and  upper  tertials 
coarsely  blotched  with  black,  and  edged  internally  with  brownish-yellow;  top  of 
head  reddish ;  the  lower  part  of  neck,  except  anteriorly,  streaked  with  white  and 
black;  primary  quills  unspotted  brown;  tail  ash. 

Female  with  the  white  markings  of  the  head  replaced  by  brownish-yellow ;  the 
black  wanting. 

This  species  is  subject  to  considerable  variations  both  of  size  and  color,  the  more 
northern  'being  considerably  the  larger;  southern  specimens  are  darker,  with 
more  black  about  the  head,  on  the  wings,  and  the  middle  of  the  back ;  there  is  also 
a  more  appreciable  mottling  on  the  wings,  and  the  feathers  of  the  back  are  streaked 
with  black. 

Length,  ten  inches ;  wing,  four  and  seventy  one-hundredths  inches ;  tail,  two  and 
eighty-five  one-hundredths  inches. 

THIS  beautiful  bird,  very  improperly  called  the  Quail,  is 
not  very  connnon  in  any  part  of  New  England  north 
of  Massachusetts ;  and  in  that  State  it  is  rapidly  becoming 
rare,  both  in  consequence  of  the  destructive  pertinacity 
with  which  it  is  followed  by  all  sportsmen,  and  the  abomi- 
nable practice  of  snaring  and  netting  it,  that  is  growing  too 
common.  In  Massachusetts  and  the  other  southern  New- 
England  States,  it  is  partially  migratory  in  the  fall ;  repair- 
ing to  the  neighborhood  of  the  seacoast,  where  it  remains 
two  or  three  weeks :  it  returns  to  the  fields  and  swamps,  by 
the  first  fall  of  snow,  where  it  passes  the  winter.  Its  habits 
are  pretty  well  known  in  New  England ;  but,  that  my 
readers  may  know  about  it  elsewhere,  I  give  the  very  inter- 
esting description  by  Wilson.  He  says, — 

"  They  are  most  numerous  in  the  vicinity  of  well-cultivated 
plantations,  where  grain  is  in  plenty.  They,  however,  occasionally 
seek  shelter  in  the  woods,  perching  on  the  branches,  or  secreting 
themselves  among  the  brushwood ;  but  are  found  most  usually  in 
open  fields,  or  along  fences  sheltered  by  thickets  of  briers.  Where 
they  are  not  too  much  persecuted  by  the  sportsmen,  they  become 
almost  half  domesticated  ;  approach  the  barn,  particularly  in  winter, 
and  sometimes,  in  that  severe  season,  mix  with  the  poultry  to  glean 
up  a  subsistence.  They  remain  with  us  the  whole  year,  and  often 
suffer  extremely  by  long,  hard  winters  and  deep  snows.  At  such 


THE   VIRGINIA   PARTRIDGE.  395 

times,  the  arts  of  man  combine  with  the  inclemency  of  the  season 
for  their  destruction.  To  the  ravages  of  the  gun  are  added  others 
of  a  more  insidious  kind ;  traps  are  placed  on  almost  every  planta- 
tion, in  such  places  as  they  are  known  to  frequent.  These  are 
formed  of  lath,  or  thinly  split  sticks,  somewhat  in  the  shape  of  an 
obtuse  cone,  laced  together  with  cord,  having  a  small  hole  at  top, 
with  a  sliding  lid,  to  take  out  the  game  by.  This  is  supported  by 
the  common  figure-four  trigger,  and  grain  is  scattered  below  and 
leading  to  the  place.  By  this  contrivance,  ten  or  fifteen  have  some- 
times been  taken  at  a  time. 

"  The  Partridge  begins  to  build  early  in  May.  The  nest  is 
made  on  the  ground,  usually  at  the  bottom  of  a  thick  tuft  of  grass, 
that  shelters  and  conceals  it.  The  materials  are  leaves  and  fine 
dry  grass  in  considerable  quantity.  It  is  well  covered  above,  and 
an  opening  left  on  one  side  for  entrance.  The  female  lays  from 
fifteen  to  twenty-four  eggs,  of  a  pure-white,  without  any  spots. 
The  time  of  incubation  has  been  stated  to  me,  by  various  persons, 
at  four  weeks,  when  the  eggs  were  placed  under  the  domestic  Hen. 
The  young  leave  the  nest  as  soon  as  they  are  freed  from  the  shell, 
and  are  conducted  about  in  search  of  food  by  the  female  ;  are 
guided  by  her  voice,  which,  at  that  time,  resembles  the  twittering 
of  young  chickens,  and  sheltered  by  her  wings,  in  the  same  manner 
as  those  of  the  domestic  fowl,  but  with  all  that  secrecy  and  precau- 
tion for  their  safety  which  their  helplessness  and  greater  danger 
require.  In  this  situation,  should  the  little  timid  family  be  unex- 
pectedly surprised,  the  utmost  alarm  and  consternation  instantly 
prevail.  The  mother  throws  herself  in  the  path,  fluttering  along, 
and  beating  the  ground  with  her  wings,  as  if  sorely  wounded; 
using  every  artifice  she  is  mistress  of  to  entice  the  passenger  in  pur- 
suit of  herself;  uttering,  at  the  same  time,  certain  peculiar  notes  of 
alarm,  well  understood  by  the  young,  who  dive  separately  amongst 
the  grass,  and  secrete  themselves  till  the  danger  is  over :  and  the 
parent,  having  decoyed  the  pursuer  to  a  safe  distance,  returns,  by  a 
circuitous  route,  to  collect  and  lead  them  off.  This  well-known 
manoeuvre,  which  nine  times  in  ten  is  successful,  is  honorable 
to  the  feelings  and  judgment  of  the  bird,  but  a  severe  satire  on 
man.  The  affectionate  mother,  as  if  sensible  of  the  avaricious 
cruelty  of  his  nature,  tempts  him  with  a  larger  prize,  to  save  her 


396  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 

more  helpless  offspring ;  and  pays  him,  as  avarice  and  cruelty  ought 
always  to  be  paid,  with  mortification  and  disappointment." 

In  a  great  number  of  eggs  in  my  collection,  from  many 
different  localities,  some  specimens  are  nearly  pure-white, 
while  others  are  smeared  with  some  blotches  or  confluent 
dabs  of  yellowish:  whether  these  are  stains  caused  by 
moisture  or  dirt,  I  am  ignorant ;  but  they  are  permanent, 
for  I  cannot  remove  them  by  water  or  alcohol.  I  judge  they 
are  stains  from  the  earth  or  decayed  vegetation  on  which 
they  were  laid.  Their  form  is  pyriform  ;  and  their  average 
length  about  1.20  inch,  and  greatest  width  1  inch. 


NOTES. 

I  continue  Mr.  Couper's  notes,  made  at  Quebec,  Lower 
Canada : — 

ECTOPISTES  MIGRATORIUS.  —  The  Passenger  Pigeon  is  not  so  common 
in  this  portion  of  Lower  as  in  Upper  Canada,  where  they  breed  in  large 
numbers.  They  are  found  breeding  in  the  eastern  townships  of  Lower 
Canada ;  but  I  have  not  ascertained  that  they  breed  in  this  district  or  north 
of  it.  I  remember  at  one  time  finding  a  nest  of  this  pigeon  in  the  woods 
north  of  Toronto :  it  contained  a  single  young  one.  I  believe  there  are 
many  instances  of  its  breeding  in  solitary  pairs,  something  like  the  Wood 
Pigeon  of  Europe. 

ZENAIDUEA  CAROLINENSIS.  — The  Carolina  Dove  has  never  been  noticed 
in  Lower  Canada.  It  occurs  occasionally  in  the  woods  north  of  the  city  of 
Toronto,  where,  I  believe,  it  breeds. 

TETRAO  CANADENSIS.  —  This  species  is  very  common  from  October  to 
February.  They  are  in  prime  condition  during  the  last  month.  It  breeds 
on  both  sides  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  but  more  common  on  the  south.  During 
the  above  months,  there  are  generally  six  males  to  one  female  exhibited 
on  our  markets.  The  inhabitants  inform  me  that  females  are  very  scarce 
during  winter.  This  is  a  parodox  to  me,  when  I  know  that  both  male  and 
female  feed  on  the  same  tree.  What  is  also  astonishing,  the  nest  and  eggs 
of  this  bird  are  as  hard  to  discover  in  spring  as  the  female  is  in  winter.  I 
have  offered  to  purchase  every  nest  of  this  species  brought  to  me;  but, 
strange  to  say,  I  have  not  been  fortunate  in  seeing  one  yet. 

BONASA  UMBELLUS.  —  Common.  Breeds.  I  have  repeatedly  found  the 
nest  of  this  species. 


ORDER   V.  —  GRALLATORES.  397 


ORDER  Y.  — GRALLATORES.1    WADERS. 

Legs,  neck,  and  usually  the  bill,  much  lengthened;  tibia  bare 
for  a  certain  distance  above  the  tarsal  joint ;  nostrils  exposed ;  tail 
usually  very  short ;  the  species  live  along  or  near  the  water,  more 
rarely  in  dry  plains,  wading,  never  swimming  habitually,  except 
perhaps  in  the  case  of  the  Phalaropes. 

The  bill  of  the  Grallatores  is  usually  in  direct  proportion  to  the 
length  of  legs  and  neck.  The  toes  vary,  but  are  usually  connected 
at  the  base  by  a  membrane,  which  sometimes  extends  almost  or 
quite  to  the  claws. 

The  Grallatores,  like  the  Rasores  and  Natatores,  are  divisible 
into  two  sub-orders,  according  as  the  species  rear  and  feed  their 
young  in  nests,  or  allow  them  to  shift  for  themselves.  The  follow- 
ing diagnoses  express  the  general  character  of  these  subdivisions  : 

HERODIONES.  —  Face  or  lores  more  or  less  naked,  or  else 
covered  with  feathers  different  from  those  on  the  rest  of  the 
body,  except  in  some  Gruidce  ;  bill  nearly  as  thick  at  the  base  as 
the  skull ;  hind  toe  generally  nearly  on  same  level  with  the  ante- 
rior ;  young  reared  in  nests,  and  requiring  to  be  fed  by  the  parent. 

GRALLJE.  —  Lores  with  feathers  similar  to  those  on  the  rest  of 
the  body ;  bill  contracted  at  base,  where  it  is  usually  smaller  than 
the  skull ;  hind  toe  generally  elevated ;  young  running  about  at 
birth,  and  able  to  feed  themselves. 

1  See  Introduction. 


398  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 


SUB-ORDER  HERODIONES. 

Bill  generally  thick  at  the  base  and  much  longer  than  the  head ;  frontal  feathers 
with  a  rounded  outline;  lores,  and  generally  the  region  round  the  eye  (sometimes 
most  of  the  head),  naked. 

The  primary  characteristic  of  the  Herodiones,  though  physiological  rather  than 
zoological,  is  of  the  highest  importance ;  the  young  are  born  weak  and  imperfect, 
and  are  reared  in  the  nest,  being  fed  directly  by  the  parent  until  able  to  take  care  of 
themselves,  when  they  are  generally  abandoned.  In  the  Grallce,  on  the  contrary, 
the  young  run  about  freely,  directly  after  being  hatched,  and  are  capable  of  securing 
food  for  themselves  under  the  direction  of  the  parent. 

The  chief  zoological  character  (not,  however,  entirely  without  exception)  is  to  be 
found  in  the  bill,  which  is  generally  very  large,  much  longer  than  the  head,  and 
thickened  at  the  base  so  as  to  be  nearly  or  quite  as  broad  and  high  as  the  skull ;  the 
lores  are  almost  always  naked,  or,  if 'covered,  it  is  with  feathers  of  a  different  kind 
from  those  on  the  rest  of  the  body;  the  hind  toe  in  most  genera  is  lengthened  and 
on  a  level  with  the  anterior,  so  as  to  be  capable  of  grasping ;  sometimes,  however,  it 
is  elevated  and  quite  short.  —  BAIRD. 


FAMILY  ARDEIDJE.     THE  HERONS. 

Bill  conical,  acuminate,  compressed,  and  acute ;  the  edges  usually  nicked  at  the 
end;  the  frontal  feathers  generally  extending  beyond  the  nostrils;  tarsi  scutellate 
anteriorly;  the  middle  toe  connected  to  the  outer  by  a  basal  web;  claws  acute;  the 
edge  of  the  middle  one  serrated  or  pectinated  on  its  inner  edge. 

GARZETTA,  BONAPARTE. 

Garzetta,  BONAPARTE,  Consp.,  II.  (1855)  118.  (Type  Ardea  garzetta,  L., 
whether  of  Kaup,  1829?) 

Bill  slender;  outlines  nearly  straight  to  near  the  tip,  when  they  are  about 
equally  convex ;  middle  toe  more  than  half  the  tarsus ;  tarsi  broadly  scutellate  ante- 
riorly ;  tibia  denuded  for  about  one-half;  outer  toe  longest ;  head  with  a  full  occipital 
crest  of  feathers  having  the  webs  decomposed,  hair-like ;  feathers  of  lower  part  of 
throat  similar;  middle  of  back  with  long  plumes  reaching  to  the  tail,  recurving  at 
tip;  these  plumes  and  the  crest  apparently  permanent ;  lower  part  of  neck  behind, 
bare  of  feathers;  colors  pure-white  in  all  ages. 

GARZETTA  CANDIDISSIMA.  —  Bonaparte. 
The  Snowy  Heron. 

Ardea  candidissima,  Gmelin.  Syst.  Nat'.,  I.  (1788)  633.  Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  VII. 
(1813)  120.  Nutt.  Man.,  II.  (1834)  49.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835)  317;  V. 
(1839)  606. 

Garzelta  candidimma,  Bonaparte.    Consp.  (1855),  119. 


THE   SNOWY   HERON. 


399 


DESCRIPTION. 

Occiput  much  crested;  dorsal  plumes  reaching  to  the  end  of  the  tail ;  colors  pure- 
white;  bill  black;  the  base  j^ellow;  legs  black;  iris,  hazel  in  young,  yellow  in 
adult. 

Length,  twenty-four  inches;  wing,  ten  and  twenty  on e-hundredths  inches;  tar- 
sus, three  and  eighty  one-hundredths  inches;  bill,  above,  three  and  fifteen  one-hun- 
dredths  inches. 

THIS  beautiful  bird  is  a  very  rare  summer  visitor  in 
the  southern  New-England  States.     I  have  never  had 
an  opportunity  for  observing  its  habits,  and  will  give  the 
description  by  Wilson  :  — 

"  The  Snowy  Heron  seems  particularly  fond  of  the  salt  marshes 
during  summer,  seldom  penetrating  far  inland.  Its  white  plumage 
renders  it  a  very  conspicuous  object,  either  while  on  wing,  or  while 
wading  the  meadows  or  marshes. 
Its  food  consists  of  those  small 
crabs  usually  called  fiddlers,  mud- 
worms,  snails,  frogs,  and  lizards. 
It  also  feeds  on  the  seeds  of  some 
species  of  nymphse,  and  of  several 
other  aquatic  plants. 

On  the  19th  of  May,  I  visited 
an  extensive  breeding-place  of  the 
Snowy  Heron,  among  the  red  ce- 
dars of  Summer's  Beach,  on  the 
coast  of  Cape  May.  The  situation 
was  very  sequestered,  bounded  on 
the  land  side  by  a  fresh-water 
marsh  or  pond,  and  sheltered  from 
the  Atlantic  by  ranges  of  sand-hills.  The  cedars,  though  not  high, 
were  so  closely  crowded  together  as  to  render  it  difficult  to  pene- 
trate through  among  them.  Some  trees  contained  three,  others 
four  nests,  built  wholly  of  sticks.  Each  had  in  it  three  eggs  of  a 
pale  greenish-blue  color,  and  measuring  an  inch  and  three-quarters 
in  length  by  an  inch  and  a  quarter  in  thickness.  Forty  or  fifty  of 
these  eggs  were  cooked,  and  found  to  be  well  tasted :  the  white 
was  of  a  bluish  tint,  and  almost  transparent,  though  boiled  for  a 
considerable  time ;  the  yolk  very  small  in  quantity.  The  birds 


400  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

rose  in  vast  numbers,  but  without  clamor,  alighting  on  the  tops  of 
the  trees  around,  and  watching  the  result  in  silent  anxiety.  Among 
them  were  numbers  of  the  Night  Heron,  and  two  or  three  Purple- 
headed  Herons.  Great  quantities  of  egg-shells  lay  scattered  under 
the  trees,  occasioned  by  the  depredations  of  the  Crows,  who  were 
continually  hovering  about  the  place.  On  one  of  the  nests  I  found 
the  dead  body  of  the  bird  itself,  half  devoured  by  the  Hawks, 
Crows,  or  Gulls.  She  had  probably  perished  in  defence  of  her 

eggs. 

"  The  Snowy  Heron  is  seen  at  all  times  during  summer  among 
the  salt  marshes,  watching  and  searching  for  food,  or  passing,  some- 
times in  flocks,  from  one  part  of  the  bay  to  the  other.  They  often 
make  excursions  up  the  rivers  and  inlets,  but  return  regularly  in 
the  evening  to  the  red  cedars  on  the  beach  to  roost." 

ARDEA,  LINN^US. 

Ardea,  LINNAEUS,  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1735).    (Type  A.  cinerea.) 

Bill  very  thick ;  culmen  nearly  straight;  gonys  ascending,  its  tip  more  convex 
than  that  of  culmen ;  middle  toe  more  than  half  the  tarsus ;  tibia  bare  for  nearly 
or  quite  one-half;  claws  short,  much  curved;  outer  toe  longest;  tarsus  broadly 
scutellate  anteriorly;  occiput  with  a  few  elongated  occipital  feathers;  scapulars 
elongate  lanceolate,  as  long  as  the  secondaries ;  no  dorsal  plumes ;  tail  of  twelve 
broad  stiffened  feathers ;  back  of  neck  well  feathered ;  size  very  large ;  colors  plum- 
beous, streaked  beneath. 

ARDEA  HERODIAS.  —  Linnaeus. 
The  Great  Blue  Heron,  or  Crane. 

Ardea  Herodias,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  237.  Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  VIII. 
(1814)  28.  Nutt.  Man.,  II.  (1834)  42.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835)  87;  V.  599. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Lower  third  of  tibia  bare;  above  bluish-ash;  edges  of  wing  and  the  tibia  rufous; 
neck  cinnamon-brown;  head  black,  with  a  white  frontal  patch;  body  beneath  black, 
broadly  streaked  on  the  belly  with  white;  crissum  white;  middle  line  of  throat 
white,  streaked  with  black  and  rufous. 

Adult.  —  Bill  yellow,  dusky  at  the  base  and  greenish  above ;  the  forehead  and 
central  part  of  the  crown  are  white,  encircled  laterally  and  behind  by  black,  of 
which  color  is  the  occipital  crest  and  its  two  elongated  feathers ;  the  neck  is  of  a 
light  smoky  cinnamon-brown,  with  perhaps  a  tinge  of  purple;  the  chin  and  throat 
whitish ;  the  feathers  along  the  central  line  of  the  throat  to  the  breast  white,  streaked 
with  black,  and  also  with  reddish-brown,  except  on  the  elongated  feathers  of  the 


THE  GREAT  BLUE  HERON.  401 

breast ;  the  body  may  be  described  as  bluish-ash  above  and  on  the  sides ;  the  under 
parts,  including  the  tuft  of  feathers  on  each  side  the  breast  and  the  belly  to  the 
white  crissum,  are  sooty  black,  much  varied  along  the  middle  line  with  white; 
the  tibia  and  the  edge  of  the  wing  are  rufous ;  the  quills  are  black,  becoming  more 
plumbeous  internally  until  the  innermost  secondaries  are  ashy,  like  the  back;  the 
elongated  tips  of  the  scapular  feathers  have  a  whitish  shade;  the  tail  is  of  a  bluish- 
slate  color;  according  to  Mr.  Audubon,  the  bill  in  life  is  yellow;  dusky-green  above; 
loral  and  orbital  spaces  light-green;  iris  yellow;  feet  olivaceous,  paler  above  the 
tibio-tarsal  joint;  claws  black. 

Young.  —  The  upper  mandible  is  blackish;  the  lower  yellow,  except  along  the 
commissure;  the  head  above  is  entirely  dusky,  without  the  much  elongated  occipital 
feathers;  the  breast  is  grayish,  streaked  with  white  and  light-brown,  but  without 
any  pure-black  patches ;  the  back  is  without  the  elongated  scapular  feathers;  in 
still  younger  specimens,  the  coverts  are  all  margined  with  rufous,  which  becomes 
lighter  at  the  tip ;  the  rufous  of  the  tibia  is  much  lighter. 

Length,  forty-two  inches ;  wing,  eighteen  and  fifty  one-hundredths ;  tarsus  about 
six  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches;  bill  about  five  and  fifty  one-hundredths 
inches. 

This,  the  largest  of  our  New-England  Herons,  is  pretty 
generally  distributed  throughout  these  States  as  a  summei 
resident ;  and,  although  not  very  abundant  in  any  section,  it 
is  of  course  more  often  found  in  localities  near  large  bodies  of 
water  than  elsewhere.  It  arrives  from  the  South  about  the 
second  week  in  April,  sometimes  a  little  earlier.  During 
the  day,  it  seems  to  prefer  the  solitudes  of  the  forest  for 
its  retreat,  as  it  is  usually  seen  in  the  meadows  only  at  early 
morning,  and  in  the  latter  part  of  the  afternoon.  It  then, 
by  the  side  of  a  ditch  or  pond,  is  observed  patiently  watching 
for  its  prey.  It  remains  standing  motionless  until  a  fish  or 
frog  presents  Itself,  when,  with  an  unerring  stroke  with  its 
beak,  as  quick  as  lightning,  it  seizes,  beats  to  pieces,  and 
swallows  it.  This  act  is  often  repeated ;  and,  as  the  Heron 
varies  this  diet  with  meadow-mice,  snakes,  and  insects,  it 
certainly  does  not  lead  the  life  of  misery  and  want  that 
many  writers  ascribe  to  it.  In  fact,  it  is  always  plump  and 
in  good  condition  ;  and  by  many  is  considered  as  a  palatable 
bird  on  the  table. 

*  About  the  10th  of  May,  this  species  commences  building  : 
as  with  the  other  Herons,  it  breeds  in  communities,  and 
several  nests  may  be  foiind  in  an  area  of  a  few  rods.  These 

26 


402  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

are  placed  in  high  forks  of  trees,  generally  in  retired,  almost 
impassable  swamps.  I  once  visited  a  heronry  of  this  species 
in  Erroll,  N.H.  It  was  in  a  deep  swamp,  which  was  inter- 
sected .by  a  small  branch  of  the  Androscoggin  River.  I 
think  that  I  never  penetrated  a  more  villanous  tract :  every 
few  rods  a  quagmire  would  present  itself,  which,  although 
familiar  to  the  persons  who  accompanied  me,  was  generally 
unrecognizable  by  me,  from  any  patches  of  green  turf;  and 
it  was  only  by  wading  through  mud  and  water,  sometimes 
up  to  my  waist,  or  by  leaping  from  one  fallen  tree  to  another, 
through  briers  and  brushwood,  that  I  at  last  succeeded  in 
arriving  beneath  the  trees  in  which  the  nests  were  built. 
These  were  all  dead  hemlocks,  white  and  smooth,  without  a 
branch  for  certainly  forty  feet,  and  unclimbable.  We  could 
see  that  the  nests  were  nearly  flat,  and  were  constructed  of 
twigs  of  different  sizes,  put  together  in  a  loose  and  slovenly 
manner.  This  was  about  the  25th  of  June  :  the  young  were, 
of  course,  then  about  two-thirds  grown  ;  and,  as  I  had  heard 
that  they  were  excellent  eating,  I  emptied  both  the  barrels 
of  my  gun  into  one  of  the  nests,  when  down  tumbled  two 
"  squab  Herons,"  as  they  are  called.  We  had  them  broiled 
for  supper :  they  tasted  something  like  duck,  but  had  a 
strong  flavor  that  was  not  pleasant.  "  I  don't  hanker  after 
any  more,"  as  one  of  our  company  said  after  supper.  The 
old  birds,  at  the  report  of  my  gun,  began  flying  over  our 
heads,  uttering  their  hoarse  honks  and  guttural  cries.  They 
were  careful  to  keep  out  of  gunshot ;  and,  after  flying  back 
and  forth  a  few  minutes,  they  disappeared,  and  all  was  still. 
The  eggs  of  this  species  are  laid  about  the  15th  or  20th  of 
May :  they  are  usually  three  or  four  in  number,  and  their 
form  is  ovoidal.  They  are  of  a  light  bluish-green  color,  and 
average  in  dimensions  about  2.62  by  1.75  inch.  But  one 
brood  is  reared  in  the  season. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  suspicious  of  our  birds,  and 
the  most  difficult  to  be  approached.  It  is  constantly  on  the 
lookout  for  danger ;  and  its  long  neck,  keen  eyes,  and  deli- 


THE   LEAST   BITTERN.  403 

cate  organs  of  hearing,  enable  it  to  detect  the  approach  of 
a  hunter  long  before  he  can  get  within  gunshot. 

About  the  middle  of  October,  it  leaves  New  England,  in 
small  detached  groups,  for  the  South. 

ARDETTA,  GRAY. 

Ardetta,  GRAY,  List  of  Genera,  App.  (1842),  13.    (Type  Ardea  minuta,  L.) 

Bill  slender,  acute ;  both  mandibles  about  equally  curved ;  legs  very  short ;  tarsi 

less  than  middle  toe;   inner  toe  much  longest;   claws  long,  acute;  tarsi  broadly 

scutellate  anteriorly. 

Tail  of  ten  feathers;  neck  short;   body  much  compressed;  head  smooth;  the 

occipital  leathers  somewhat  lengthened;  the  lower  neck  bare  of  feathers  behind;  no 

plumes;  plumage  compact,  lustrous ;  uniform  above;  sexes  differently  colored. 

ARDETTA  EXILIS.  —  Gray. 
The  Least  Bittern. 

Ardea  exilis,  Gmelin.     Syst.  Nat,  I.  (1788)  648.    Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  VIII.  (1814) 
37.    Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835)  77;  V.  (1839)  606. 
Ardea  (ardeola)  exilis,  Nuttall.    Man.,  II.  (1834)  66. 
Ardetta  exilis,  Gray.     Gen.  (1842). 

DESCRIPTION. 

Head  above  and  the  back  dark  glossy  green;  upper  part  of  neck,  shoulders, 
greater  coverts,  and  outer  webs  of  some  tertials,  purplish- cinnamon;  a  brownish- 
yellow  scapular  stripe.  Female  with  the  green  of  head  and  back  replaced  by 
purplish-chestnut;  iris  yellow. 

Length,  thirteen  inches;  wing,  four  and  seventy-five  one-hundredths ;  tarsus, 
one  and  sixty  one-hundredths;  bill,  above,  one  and  seventy-five  one-hundredths 
inches. 

This,  the  smallest  of  our  Ardeidae,  is  a  rare  summer 
inhabitant  of  New  England.  It  is  only  seen  in  pairs  or 
solitary  individuals,  and,  unlike  most  of  our  birds  in  this 
family,  seems  persistently  solitary  in  its  habits.  I  have 
never  met  with  an  individual  alive,  and  will  give  a  short 
extract  from  the  description  by  Audubon  of  its  habits.  He 
says,  "  Although  the  Least  Bittern  is  not  unfrequently 
started  in  salt  marshes,  it  gives  a  decided  preference  to 
the  borders  of  ponds,  lakes,  or  bayous  of  fresh  water ;  and 
it  is  in  secluded  situations  of  this  kind  that  it  usually  forms 
its  nest.  This  is  sometimes  placed  on  the  ground,  amid  the 


404  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

rankest  grasses,  but  more  frequently  it  is  attached  to  the 
stems  several  inches  above  it.  It  is  flat,  and  composed  of 
dried  or  rotten  weeds.  In  two  instances,  I  found  the  nests 
of  the  Least  Bittern  about  three  feet  above  the  ground,  in  a 
thick  cluster  of  smilax  and  other  briery  plants.  In  the 
first,  two  nests  were  placed  in  the  same  bush,  within  a  few 
yards  of  each  other.  In  the  other  instance,  there  was  only 
one  nest  of  this  bird,  but  several  of  the  Boat-tailed  Grakle, 
and  one  of  the  Green  Heron,  the  occupants  of  all  of  which 
seemed  to  be  on  friendly  terms.  When  startled  from  the 
nest,  the  old  birds  emit  a  few  notes  resembling  the  syllable 
qua,  alight  a  few  yards  off,  and  watch  all  your  movements. 
If  you  go  towards  them,  you  may  sometimes  take  the  female 
with  the  hand,  but  rarely  the  male,  who  generally  flies  off, 
or  makes  his  way  through  the  woods. 

"  The  food  of  this  bird  consists  of  snails,  slugs,  tadpoles 
or  young  frogs,  and  water  lizards.  In  several  instances, 
however,  I  have  found  small  shrews  and  field-mice  in  their 
stomach.  Although  more  nocturnal  than  diurnal,  it  moves 
a  good  deal  about  by  day  in  search  of  food.  The  flight  of 
this  bird  is  apparently  weak  by  day ;  for  then  it  seldom  re- 
moves to  a  greater  distance  than  a  hundred  yards  at  a  time, 
and  this,  too,  only  when  frightened  in  a  moderate  degree, 
for,  if  much  alarmed,  it  falls  again  among  the  grass,  in  the 
manner  of  the  Rail :  but  in  the  dusk  of  the  evening  and 
morning,  I  have  seen  it  passing  steadily  along,  at  the  height 
of  fifty  yards  or  more,  with  the  neck  retracted,  and  the  legs 
stretched  out  behind  in  the  manner  of  the  larger  Herons." 

The  eggs  of  this  species  are  usually  four  in  number: 
they  are  nearly  oval  in  form,  and  are  of  the  size,  arid  almost 
exactly  the  form,  of  eggs  of  the  Yellow-billed  Cuckoo,  ex- 
cept with  regard  to  color ;  tfie  present  species  being  con- 
siderably paler.  It  has  been  found  to  breed  in  all  the 
New-England  States,  but  seems  to  be  more  of  a  southern 
species,  and  it  is  not  abundant  anywhere  north  of  the 
southern  portions  of  the  Middle  States. 


THE   BITTERN.  405 


BOTAURUS,  STEPHENS. 

Botaurus,  STEPHENS,  Shaw's  Gen.  Zool.,  XI.  (1819)  592.  (Type  Ardea  stel- 
laris,  L.) 

Bill  moderate,  scarcely  longer  than  the  head ;  bill  outlines  gently  convex,  gonys 
ascending;  tarsi  very  short,  less  than  the  middle  toe;  broadly  scutellate  ;  inner 
lateral  toe  much  longest;  claws  all  very  long,  acute,  and  nearly  straight. 

Tail  of  ten  feathers;  no  peculiar  crest;  plumage  loose,  opaque,  streaked;  sexes 
similar. 

BOTAURUS  LENTIGINOSUS.  —  Stephens. 
The  Bittern ;  Stake-driver. 

Botaurus  lentiginosus,  Stephens.     Shaw's  Gen.  Zool.,  XI.  (1819)  596. 

Ardea  (botaurus)  lentiginosa,  Nuttall.     Man.,  II.  (1834)  60. 

Ardea  mmor,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  VIII.  (1814)  35.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  (1838) 
296. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Brownish-yellow,  finely  mottled  and  varied  with  dark-brown  and  brownish-red ;  a 

broad  black  stripe  on  each  side  the  neck,  starting  behind  the  ear;  iris  golden  yellow. 

'  Length,  twenty-six  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  eleven;  tarsus,  three 

and  sixty  one-hundredths  inches;  bill,  above,  two  and  seventy-five  one  hundredths 

inches. 

Hob. — Entire  continent  of  North  America. 

Perhaps  none  of  our  Herons  are  more  generally  known 
than  this  species  ;  for  it  is  common  in  all  New  England  as  a 
summer  resident,  and  in  some  localities,  particularly  the 
northern,  is  quite  abundant.  It  arrives  from  the  South 
from  about  the  last  week  in  March  to  the  10th  of  April, 
according  to  latitude,  and  remains  in  the  meadows,  where  it 
makes  its  home  until  the  middle  of  October.  It  seems  to 
be  more  diurnal  in  its  habits  than  most  of  our  other  Herons, 
and  seems  always  employed  in  the  pursuit  of  fishes,  frogs, 
and  other  reptiles  and  insects,  of  which  its  food  consists. 

It  breeds  in  communities,  sometimes  as  many  as  a  dozen 
pairs  nesting  within  the  area  of  a  few  rods.  The  nests  are 
placed  on  low  bushes,  or  thick  tufts  of  grass,  sometimes  in 
low,  thickly  wooded  trees ;  and  are  composed  of  coarse 
grasses,  twigs,  and  a  few  leaves.  I  know  of  no  other  place 
in  New  England  where  these  birds  breed  in  such  abun- 
dance as  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Richardson  Lakes,  in 
Maine.  There,  in  some  of  the  tangled,  boggy,  almost  im- 


406  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

penetrable  swamps,  these  birds  have  several  heronries,  which 
they  have  inhabited  for  years.  When  their  haunts  are 
approached,  the  birds  rise  with  a  guttural  note,  like  the 
syllable  qudk,  and  alight  in  some  tall  tree,  from  which  they 
silently  watch  the  intruder. 

The  eggs  are  usually  four  in  number.  Their  form  is 
generally  ovoidal,  and  their  color  a  rich  drab,  with  some- 
times an  olive  tinge.  I  know  of  no  species  that  exhibits  so 
little  variation  in  the  size  of  its  eggs  as  this ;  for  in  a  large 
number  of  specimens  in  my  collection  from  half  a  dozen 
different  States,  east  and  west,  the  only  variety  of  dimen- 
sions is  from  1.92  by  1.50  inch  to  1.88  by  1.48  inch. 

In  the  mating  season,  and  during  the  first  part  of  the 
period  of  incubation,  the  male  has  a  peculiar  love-note,  that 
almost  exactly  resembles  the  stroke  of  a  mallet  on  a  stake ; 
something  like  the  syllables  ^chunk-a-lunk-chunk^  quank- 
chunk-a-lunk-chunk.  I  have  often,  when  in  the  forests  of 
Northern  Maine,  been  deceived  by  this  note  into  believing 
that  some  woodman  or  settler  was  in  my  neighborhood, 
and  discovered  my  mistake  only  after  toiling  through  swamp 
and  morass  for  perhaps  half  a  mile.  But  one  brood  is 
reared  in  the  season  by  this  bird  in  New  England ;  and,  by 
the  first  week  in  August,  the  young  are  able  to  shift  for 
themselves. 

BUTORIDES,  BLYTH. 

Butorides,  BLYTH  (1849),  Horsf.     (Type  Ardea  Javanica.) 

Bill  acute,  rather  longer  than  the  head,  gently  curved  from  the  base  above ; 
gnnys  slightly  ascending;  legs  very  short;  tarsi  scarcely  longer  than  the  middle 
toe;  broadly  scutellate  anteriorly;  lateral  toes  nearly  equal;  head  with  elongated 
feathers  above  and  behind;  these  are  well  defined,  lanceolate,  as  are  the  inter- 
scnpulars  and  scapulars;  the  latter  not  exceeding  the  tertials;  neck  short;  bare 
behind  inferiorly;  tibia  feathered  nearly  throughout;  tail  of  twelve  feathers. 

BUTORIDES  VIRESCENS.—  Bonaparte. 
The  Green  Heron;    Fly-up-the-Creek. 

Ardea  virescens,  Linnaeus.    Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  238.     Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  VII. 
(1813)  97.    Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  (1838)  274.    • 
Ardea  (botaurus)  virescens.    Nutt,  II.  (1834)  63. 
Butorides  n'rescerw,  Bonaparte.    Consp.  Av.,  II.  (1855)  128. 


THE   GREEN    HERON.  407 

DESCRIPTION. 

"The  Green  Bittern  is  eighteen  inches  long,  and  twenty-five  inches  in  extent; 
bill  black,  lighter  below,  and  3rellow  at  the  base;  chin,  and  narrow  streak  down  the 
throat,  yellowish-white;  neck  dark  vinaceous-red ;  back  covered  with  very  long, 
tapering,  pointed  feathers,  of  a  hoary  green,  shafted  with  white,  on  a  dark-green 
ground ;  the  hind  part  of  the  neck  is  destitute  of  plumage,  that  it  may  be  the  more 
conveniently  drawn  in  over  the  breast,  but  is  covered  with  the  long  feathers  of  the 
throat  and  sides  of  the  neck  that  enclose  it  behind;  wings  and  tail  dark  glossy 
green,  tipped  and  bordered  with  yellowish-white ;  legs  and  feet  yellow,  tinged  before 
with  green,  the  skin  of  these  thick  and  movable;  belly  ashy-brown;  irides  bright- 
orange. 

"  The  crested  head  very  dark  glossy  green.  The  female,  as  I  have  particularly 
observed  in  numerous  instances,  differs  in  nothing,  as  to  color,  from  the  male; 
neither  of  them  receive  the  long  feathers  on  the  back  during  the  first  season."  — 
WILSON. 

The  above  description  of  this  beautiful  bird  is  so  compre- 
hensive and  accurate,  that  I  cannot  do  better  than  to  pre- 
sent it  in  this  volume  ;  and  the  account  of  this  bird's  habits, 
by  the  same  author,  is  so  interesting  and  full,  that,  being 
unable  to  add  to  it  any  thing  of  value,  I  give  it  as  below :  — 

"  The  Green  Bittern  makes  its  first  appearance  in  Pennsylvania 
early  -in  April,  soon  after  the  marshes  are  completely  thawed. 
There,  among  the  stagnant  ditches  with  which  they  are  intersected, 
and  amidst  the  bogs  and  quagmires,  he  hunts  with  great  cunning 
and  dexterity.  Frogs  and  small  fish  are  his  principal  game,  whose 
caution  and  facility  of  escape  require  nice  address  and  rapidity  of 
attack.  When  on  the  lookout  for  small  fish,  he  stands  in  the  water, 
by  the  side  of  the  ditch,  silent  and  motionless  as  a  statute ;  his 
neck  drawn  in  over  his  breast,  ready  for  action.  The  instant  a  fry 
or  minnow  comes  within  the  range  of  his  bill,  by  a  stroke,  quick 
and  sure  as  that  of  the  rattlesnake,  he  seizes  his  prey,  and  swallows 
it  in  an  instant.  He  searches  for  small  crabs,  and  for  the  various 
worms  and  larvae,  particularly  those  of  the  dragon-fly,  which  lurk 
in  the  mud,  with  equal  adroitness.  But  the  capturing  of  frogs 
requires  much  nicer  management.  These  wary  reptiles  shrink  into 
the  mire  on  the  least  alarm,  and  do  not  raise  up  their  heads  again 
to  the  surface  without  the  most  cautious  circumspection.  The  Bit- 
tern, fixing  his  penetrating  eye  on  the  spot  where  they  disappeared, 
approaches  with  slow,  stealing  step,  laying  his  feet  so  gently  and 
silently  on  the  ground  as  not  to  be  heard  or  felt ;  and,  when  arrived 
within  reach,  stands  t  fixed,  and  bending  forwards,  until  the  first 


408  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

glimpse  of  the  frog's  head  makes  its  appearance,  when,  with  a 
stroke  instantaneous  as  lightning,  he  seizes  it  in  his  bill,  beats  it  to 
death,  and  feasts  on  it  at  his  leisure. 

"  When  alarmed,  the  Green  Bittern  rises  with  a  hollow,  guttural 
scream ;  does  not  fly  far,  but  usually  alights  on  some  old  stump, 
tree,  or  fence  adjoining,  and  looks  about  with  extended  neck; 
though,  sometimes,  this  is  drawn  in  so  that  his  head  seems  to  rest 
on  his  breast.  As  he  walks  along  the  fence,  or  stands  gazing  at 
you  with  outstretched  neck,  he  has  the  frequent  habit  of  jetting  the 
tail.  He  sometimes  flies  high,  with  doubled  neck,  and  legs 
extended  behind,  flapping  the  wings  smartly,  and  travelling  with 
great  expedition.  He  is  the  least  shy  of  all  our  Herons,  and 
perhaps  the  most  numerous  and  generally  dispersed ;  being  found  far 
in  the  interior,  as  well  as  along  our  salt  marshes,  and  everywhere 
about  the  muddy  shores  of  our  mill-ponds,  creeks,  and  large  rivers. 

"  The  Green  Bittern  begins  to  build  about  the  20th  of  April : 
sometimes  in  single  pairs,  in  swampy  woods ;  often  in  companies ; 
and  not  unfrequently  in  a  kind  of  association  with  the  Qua-birds, 
or  Night  Herons.  The  nest  is  fixed  among  the  branches  of  the 
trees  ;  is  constructed  wholly  of  small  sticks,  lined  with  finer  twigs  ; 
and  is  of  considerable  size,  though  loosely  put  together.  The  female 
lays  four  eggs,  of  the  common  oblong  form,  and  of  a  pale  light-blue 
color.  The  young  do  not  leave  the  nest  until  able  to  fly ;  and,  for 
the  first  season  at  least,  are  destitute  of  the  long-pointed  plumage 
on  the  back :  the  lower  parts  are  also  lighter,  and  the  white  on 
the  throat  broader.  During  the  whole  summer,  and  until  late  in 
autumn,  these  birds  are  seen  in  our  meadows  and  marshes,  but 
never  remain  during  winter  in  any  part  of  the  United  States." 

A  large  number  of  this  bird's  eggs,  lying  before  me, 
exhibit  a  variation  of  only  from  1.56  by  1.20  inch  to  1.49 
by  1.15  inch  in  dimensions.  But  one  brood  is  reared  in 
the  season ;  and,  by  the  20th  of  September,  the  old  and 
young  leave  New  England  for  the  South. 

NYCTIARDEA,  SWAINSON. 

Nyctiardea,  SWAINSON,  Class.  Birds,  II.  (1837)  354.  (Type  Ardea  nycticorax, 
Linn.) 

Nycticorax,  STEPHENS,  Shaw's  Gen.  Zool.,  XI.  (1819)  608.    Same  type. 


THE   NIGHT   HERON.  409 

Bill  very  stout;  culmen  curved  from  base;  the  lower  outline  straight,  or  a  little 
concave ;  end  of  upper  mandible  gently  'decurved ;  tarsi  short,  equal  to  the  middle 
toe;  the  scales  more  than  usually  hexagonal  inferiorly;  outer  lateral  toe  rather 
longer;  no  unusual  development  of  feathers,  excepting  a  long,  straight  occipital 
plume  of  three  feathers,  rolled  together;  neck  short,  moderately  feathered  behind. 

The  Night  Herons,  with  a  certain  resemblance  to  the  Bittern,  differ  in  the  much 
stouter  and  more  curved  bill,  the  lower  edge  of  which  is  straight,  instead  of  rising  at 
the  end ;  the  tarsus  is  equal  to  the  middle  toe,  not  shorter,  and  is  covered  anteriorly 
below  by  small  hexagonal  scales,  instead  of  large  transverse  scutellae;  the  claws 
are  much  shorter  and  more  curved;  the  tail  has  twelve  feathers  instead  of  ten. 


NYCTI  ARDEA   GARDENI.—  Baird.  ' 
The  Night  Heron  •  Qua-bird, 

Ardea  nycticorax,  Wilson.  Am.  On.,  VII.  (1813)  101.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III. 
(1835) 275;  V.  600. 

Ardea  (botaurus)  discors,  Nuttall.    Man.,  II.  (1834)  54. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Head  above  and  middle  of  back  steel-green;  wings  and  tail  ashy-blue ;  under 
parts,  forehead,  and  long  occipital  feathers  white ;  sides  tinged  with  lilac. 

Bill  very  thick  at  the  base,  and  tapering  all  the  way  to  the  tip.  Culmen  nearly 
straight  for  half  its  length,  then  considerably  curved;  lower  outline  of  bill  nearly 
straight;  gonys  proper  slightly  concave ;  legs  short,  but  stout;  the  tarsus  equal  to 
the  middle  toe ;  covered  throughout  with  hexagonal  scales,  the  anterior  largest,  but 
those  on  the  upper  portion  much  larger,  and  going  entirely  across ;  tibia  bare  for 
about  one-fifth;  lateral  toes  nearly  equal;  the  outer  rather  longest;  claws  small; 
considerably  curved ;  tail  short,  of  twelve  broad,  rather  stiff  feathers. 

Head  with  the  occipital  feathers  elongated,  and  with  two  or  three  very  long, 
straight  feathers  (as  long  as  the  bill  and  head)  springing  from  the  occiput.  These 
are  rolled  up  so  as  to  appear  like  a  single  cylindrical  feather;  back  of  the  neck 
covered  with  down,  but  not  provided  with  long  feathers ;  interscapular  feathers  and 
scapulars  elongated  and  lanceolate,  the  webs  scarcely  decomposed. 

The  upper  part  of  the  head,  including  the  upper  eyelids,  the  occipital  crest,  and 
the  interscapular  region  and  scapulars,  dark  lustrous  steel-green ;  the  wings  and  tail 
are  ashy-blue;  the  under  parts,  the  forehead,  and  the  long  occipital  feathers,  are 
white,  passing  into  pale  ashy-lilac  on  the  sides  and  on  the  neck  above;  this  color,  in 
fact,  tingeing  nearly  the  whole  under  parts.  The  region  along  the  base  of  the  bill, 
however,  is  nearly  pure,  as  are  the  tibia.  The  bill  is  black ;  the  loral  space  green ; 
the  iris  red ;  the  feet  yellow ;  the  claws  brown. 

Length,  about  twenty-five  inches ;  wing,  twelve  and  fifty  one-hundredths ;  tar- 
sus, three  and  fifteen  one-hundredths;  bill,  above,  three  and  ten  one-hundredths 
inches. 

Hab.  —  United  States  generally. 

The  Night  Heron  is  pretty  generally  distributed  through- 
out New  England  as  a  summer  resident.  It  seems  to  pre- 
fer the  neighborhood  of  the  seacoast,  but  is  found  in  many 


410  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

sections  quite  abundant  in  the  interior  ;  as,  for  instance,  Dr. 
Wood'says,  "  I  know  of  a  swamp  some  fourteen  miles  from 
here  (East  Windsor  Hill,  Conn.)  where  thousands  breed."  — 
"  I  have  counted  eight  nests  on  one  maple-tree,"  &c.  This 
species  is  most  commonly  found  during  the  daytime  perch- 
ing in  high  trees  in  swamps  and  thick  woods,  and  seems  to 
feed  almost  entirely  by  night.  As  soon  as  it  begins  to  grow 
dark,  it  begins  its  flight ;  and  if  we  stand  in  a  large  meadow, 
qr  by  a  pond  or  other  sheet  of  water,  we  may  sometimes 
hear  the  notes  of  several,  as  they  are  engaged  in  their 
search  for  prey.  The  call  of  this  bird  resembles  the  sylla- 
ble quack,  which  gives  the  bird  the  name  of  Squawk  in 
many  localities.  The  nest  of  this  species  is  placed  in  a  fork 
of  a  tree  in  a  swamp :  it  is  constructed  of  coarse  twigs  and 
leaves,  and  is  v,ery  loosely  put  together.  As  above  remarked, 
several  of  these  structures  may  be  found  on  one  tree;  and, 
after  the  young  are  hatched,  their  noise,  as  they  scream  for 
food,  is  almost  deafening.  I  once  visited  a  heronry  of  this 
species  in  Dedham,  Mass.  As  many  as  a  hundred  pairs 
were  breeding  in  the  area  of  an  acre ;  and,  as  Wilson  truly 
says,  "  The  noise  of  the  old  and  young  would  almost  induce 
one  to  suppose  that  two  or  three  hundred  Indians  were 
choking  or  throttling  each  other." 

Another  larger  heronry  that  I  visited  last  season  in 
company  with  my  friends,  F.  G.  Sanborn  and  H.  A.  Purdie, 
occupied  an  area  of  several  acres.  The  locality  was  a 
swamp,  in  which  were  growing  cedar-trees.  These  were 
rarely  over  thirty  feet  in  height ;  but  their  dense  and  twin- 
ing branches  were  occupied  often  by  the  nests  of  two  or 
three  pairs  in  a  single  tree.  The  reader  may  judge  as  to  the 
multitude  of  parent-birds  that  were  flying  in  wild  confusion 
over  our  heads,  and  may  fancy  the  effect  of  all  their  guttural 
cries.  We  ascended  to  a  number  of  the  nests,  and  found 
them  occupied  by  eggs,  both  freshly  laid  and  others,  far 
advanced  in  incubation,  and  chicks  from  one  day  old  to 
some  half  grown.  As  the  work  of  ascending  to  the  filthy 


THE   NIGHT   HERON.  411 

nests  was  not  of  the  pleasantest,  we  limited,  our  investiga- 
tions to  the  securing  of  a  few  of  the  most  recently  laid 
eggs. 

As  my  thoughts  recall  the  occurrences  of  that  day,  num- 
bers of  other  pleasant  excursions  and  campaigns  that  I 
have  enjoyed  with  the  gentlemen  above  named  come  back 
to  me  ;  and  I  hope  the  time  is  not  far  distant  when  we  three, 
with  gun  on  shoulder  and  knapsack  on  our  backs,  may  take 
another  good  long  tramp  together. 

The  eggs  of  the  Night  Heron  are  laid  about  the  20th  of 
May.  They  are  usually  four  in  number,  and  their  general 
form  is  an  elongated  ovoidal.  In  a  great  number  of  speci- 
mens, the  color  is  generally  bluish-green,  sometimes  a  light 
pea-green  or  greenish-yellow.  Their  dimensions  vary  from 
2.15  by  1.50  inch  to  2.05  by  1.40  inch.  About  the  latter 
part  of  August,  the  young  birds  are  found  in  deep  woods, 
and  by  many  are  esteemed  as  excellent  eating,  as  they  are 
plump  and  fat.  They  leave  for  the  South  early  in  October. 


412  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 


SUB-ORDER   GRALL^E.     WADERS. 

Feathers  of  the  head  and  neck  extending  over  the  entire  cheeks  to  the  bill ;  bill, 
when  much  longer  than  head,  slender  at  the  base ;  sometimes  thick  and  shorter  than 
the  head;  young  running  about  and  feeding  themselves  as  soon  as  hatched. 

The  preceding  characteristics  indicate,  in  a  general  way,  the  characteristics  of 
the  GralUe  as  distinguished  from  the  Herodiones:  they  are  usually  much  smaller 
birds,  and  more  especially  inhabitants  of  the  open  sandy  shore.  Few  or  none  of  the 
species  nest  on  trees  or  bushes,  the  eggs  being  generally  laid  in  a  cavity  scooped 
out  in  the  sand. 

The  sub-order  is  divided  by  Bonaparte  into  two  tribes,  Cursores  and  Alectorides 
(by  Burmeister  into  Limicolce  and  Paludicolce) :  the  first  having  the  hind  toe  elevated, 
small,  or  wanting;  the  second  having  it  lengthened,  and  inserted  on  a  level  with  the 
rest  Additional  characters  are  as  follows:  — 

LIMICOLCE.  —  Species  living  on  the  shore,  and  generally  probing  the  ground  or 
mud  in  search  of  food;  bill  and  legs  generally  lengthened  and  slender;  bill  hard  at 
tip,  softer  and  more  contracted  at  base ;  anterior  toes  connected  at  base  more  or  less 
^by  membranes,  and  with  very  short  claws;  hind  toe  very  short,  elevated,  or  wanting; 
wings  long,  pointed ;  outer  primaries  longest,  and  reaching  to  or  beyond  the  tip  of 
tail,  which  is  stiff. 

PALUDICOL^S.  —  Species  living  in  marshy  places  among  the  grass,  feeding  from 
the  surface  of  the  ground ;  bill  hard  to  its  base,  where  it  is  not  contracted ;  toes  cleft 
to  the  base,  lengthened,  with  very  long  claws;  hind  toe  lengthened,  and  on  same 
level  with  the  rest;  wing  short,  rounded,  not  reaching  the  tip  of  the  soft  tail;  outer 
primaries  graduated. 

Tribe  LIMICOL^:. 

Birds  living  on  the  shore  or  in  open  places,  usually  small  species,  with  rounded 
or  depressed  bodies,  and  slender  bills  of  variable  length,  having  a  more  or  less  dis- 
tinct horny  terminal  portion,  the  remainder  covered  with  soft  skin,  in  which  are 
situated  the  elongated,  narrow,  open,  and  distinct  nostrils;  the  feathers  of  the  head 
are  small,  and  extend  compactly  to  the  base  of  the  bill ;  they  are  similar  in  character 
to  those  of  the  neck  and  body ;  the  wings  are  long,  acute,  and,  when  folded,  reach- 
ing to  or  beyond  the  tip  of  the  tail ;  the  posterior  or  inner  secondaries  are  generally 
as  long  as  the  outer  primaries;  the  primaries  are  ten  in  number;  the  three  outer 
longest  and  about  equal;  the  tail  is  stiff,  short,  broad,  and  rounded  or  graduated ; 
the  feathers  usually  twelve,  sometimes  more;  the  legs  are  slender  and  delicate,  but 
corresponding  with  the  bill  in  proportions;  a  large  portion  of  the  tibia  below  is  bare 
of  feathers;  the  covering  of  the  legs  is  parchment-like,  not  horny,  generally  divided 
anteriorly  and  behind  into  small  half  rings,  laterally  more  in  hexagons ;  the  claws 
are  delicate,  sharp,  and  gently  curved;  the  hind  toe  is  very  small,  scarcely  touching 
the  ground;  sometimes  wanting;  there  is  usually  (except  in  Calidris,  Tringa,  &c.) 
a  rather  broad  basal  membrane  between  the  outer  and  middle  toes,  sometimes 
between  the  inner  and  middle ;  this  web  occasionally  extends  toward  the  ends  of  the 

toes.  —  BUUMEISTER.1 

1  See  Introduction. 


THE   GOLDEN    PLOVER.  413 


FAMILY  CHARADRIDJE.     THE  PLOVERS. 

Bill  rather  cylindrical,  as  long  as  the  head,  or  shorter;  the  culmen  much  indented 
opposite  the  nostrils,  the  vaulted  apex  more  or  less  swollen  and  rising,  quite  distinct 
from  the  membranous  portion;  legs  elevated;  hind  toe  rarely  present,  and  then  rudi- 
mentary ;  the  outer  and  middle  toes  more  or  less  united  by  membrane. 


CHARADRIUS,  LINNAEUS. 

Charadrius,  LIXNJEUS,  Syst.  Nat.  (1735). 

Plumage  yellowish-gray,  spotted ;  tail  transversely  banded ;  no  collar  on  neck ; 
tarsi  and  lower  thighs  uniformly  reticulated. 


CHARADRIUS  VIRGINICUS.  —  Borckausen. 
The  Golden  Plover;  Bull-head. 

Charadrius pluvialis,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  VII.  (1813)  71.  Nutt.  Man.,  II.  (1834)  16. 
Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835)  623-. 

Charadrius  Virginicus, "  Borckausen  and  Bechstein."    Licht.  Verz.  Doubl.  (1823). 
Charadrius  marmoratus,  Audubon.     Orn.  Biog.,  V.  (1839)  575. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  rather  short ;  legs  moderate ;  wings  long ;  no  hind  toe ;  tarsus  covered  before 
and  behind  with  small  circular  or  hexagonal  scales;  upper  parts  brownish-black, 
with  numerous  small  circular  and  irregular  spots  of  golden-yellow,  most  numerous 
on  the  back  and  rump,  and  on  the  upper  tail  coverts,  assuming  the  form  of  trans- 
verse bands  generally;  also  with  some  spots  of  ashy-white;  entire  under  parts 
black,  with  a  brownish  or  bronzed  lustre,  under  tail  coverts  mixed  or  barred  with 
white;  forehead,  border  of  the  black  of  the  neck,  under  tail  coverts,  and  tibiae,  white; 
axillary  feathers  cinereous ;  quills,  dark-brown ;  middle  portion  of  the  shafts  white, 
frequently  extending  slightly  to  the  webs,  and  forming  longitudinal  stripes  on  the 
shorter  quills ;  tail  dark-brown,  with  numerous  irregular  bands  of  ashy-white,  and 
frequently  tinged  with  golden-yellow;  bill  black;  legs  dark  bluish-brown. 

Younger.  —  Under  parts  dull-ashy,  spotted  with  brownish  on  the  neck  and 
breast,  frequently  more  or  less  mixed  with  black ;  many  spots  of  the  upper  parts 
dull  ashy-white;  other  spots,  especially  on  the  rump,  golden-yellow. 

Total  length,  about  nine  and  a  half  inches ;  wing,  seven  inches ;  tail,  two  and  a 
half  inches. 

Hob.  —  All  of  North  America,  South  America,  Northern  Asia,  Europe. 

THIS  beautiful  and  well-known  bird  passes  through  New 
England  in  the  spring  and  fall  migrations,  but  does  not 
pause  here,  in  either,  longer  than  two  or  three  days.     It 
arrives  from  the  South  about  the  25th  of  April  or  1st  of 
May,  in  small  flocks  of  fifteen  or  twenty,  and  frequents  the 


414  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

beach  on  the  seashore  and  marshes  in  its  neighborhood, 
where  it  feeds  on  small  shell-fish  and  animalcules,  and  such 
seeds  as  it  may  find  at  that  early  season.  It  is,  at  this 
period,  thin  in  flesh,  but  its  plumage  is  perfect ;  and  it  is 
more  desirable  for  cabinet  preservation  then  than  in  the 
fall.  It  is  irregular  in  its  visits  in  the  spring  migrations ; 
being  quite  plenty  in  some  seasons,  and  in  others  quite  rare. 
It  passes  to  the  most  northern  portions  of  the  continent  to 
breed ;  none  being  found  in  the  season  of  incubation  in  the 
limits  of  the  United  States.  The  flocks  separate  into  pairs ; 
but  they  breed  in  small  communities,  two  or  three  pairs 
being  found  in  the  area  of  an  acre.  The  nest  is  nothing 
but  a  hollow  in  the  grass  or  moss,  on  the  open  plain, 
scratched  by  the  female:  in  this  she  deposits  four  eggs, 
which  are  oblong-pyriform  in  shape,  of  a  creamy-buff  color, 
sometimes  with  an  olive  tint;  and  are  marked  irregularly, 
chiefly  at  their  larger  end,  with  spots  and  confluent  blotches 
of  umber  and  obscure  spots  of  lilac.  In  dimensions,  they 
average  about  2.10  by  1.40  incli.  It  is  in  the  fall  migra- 
tions that  these  birds  are  most  actively  pursued  by  sports- 
men. The  great  flight  arrives  about  the  25th  of  August, 
sometimes  a  little  earlier  or  later,  if  we  have  a  driving 
north-east  storm.  The  gunners  make  it  a  point  to  be  on  the 
plover  grounds  the  last  week  in  August  and  first  week  in 
September :  if  they  get  no  plovers  then,  they  usually  aban- 
don the  hunt  for  the  season.  In  the  fall  of  1865,  these 
birds  did  not  alight  in  New  England  in  any  numbers,  but 
were  seen  seven  or  eight  miles  out  at  sea,  flying  at  a  great 
height,  in  immense  flocks,  towards  the  South,  and  not  a 
dozen  birds  were  killed  in  localities  where  thousands  are 
usually  taken.  When  the  flights  are  conducted  during  a 
storm,  the  birds  fly  low ;  and  the  gunners,  concealed  in  pits 
dug  in  the  earth  in  the  pastures  and  hills  over  which  the 
flocks  pass,  with  decoys  made  to  imitate  the  birds,  placed 
within  gunshot  of  their  hiding-places,  decoy  the  passing 
flocks  down  within  reach  of  their  fowling-pieces,  by  imitat- 


THE   KILL-DEER   PLOVER.  415 

ing  their  peculiar  whistle,  and  kill  great  numbers  of  them. 
I  have  known  two  sportsnjen  to  bag  sixty  dozen  in  two  days' 
shooting;  and  instances  are  on  record  of  still  greater  num- 
bers being  secured.  The  flesh  of  this  bird  is  very  delicate 
and  fine-flavored ;  and  the  birds  are  in  great  demand  in  all 
our  markets,  bringing  equally  high  prices  with  the  favorite 
Woodcock.  The  Golden  Plover  feeds  on  grasshoppers, 
various  insects,  and  berries,  but  is  seldom  found  in  the  inte- 
rior of  New  England  ;  the  pastures,  fields,  sandy  hills,  and 
dry  islands  near  the  seacoast,  being  its  favorite  resorts. 

^EGIALITIS,  BOIE. 

^Egialitis,  BOIE,  Isis  (1822),  558.    (Type  Charadrius  hiaticula,  L.) 
Plumage  more  or  less  uniform,  without  spots;  neck  and  head  generally  with 
dark  bands;  front  of  the  legs  with  plates  arranged  vertically,  of  which  there  are 
two  or  three  in  a  transverse  series. 

This  genus,  as  far  as  North  America  is  concerned,  is  distinguished  from  Chara- 
drius by  the  generally  lighter  color  and  greater  uniformity  of  the  plumage,  by  the 
absence  of  continuous  black  on  the  belly,  and  by  the  presence  of  dusky  bands  on 
theoieck  or  head ;  the  size  is  smaller ;  the  tarsi,  in  most  species,  have  the  front  plates 
larger,  and  conspicuously  different  in  this  respect  from  the  posterior  ones. 


JEGIALITIS  VOCIFERUS.—  Cassin. 
The  Kill-deer  Plover. 

Charadrius  vociferus,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  253.  Wils.  Am.  On.,  VII. 
(1813)  73.  Nutt.  Man.,  II.  22.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835)  191;  V.  577.  lb., 
Syn.,  222.  lb.,  Birds  Am.,  V.  (1842)  207. 

uEgialtes  vociferus,  Bonaparte.    List  (1838). 

DESCRIPTION. 

Wings  long,  reaching  to  the  end  of  the  tail,  which  is  also  rather  long;  head  above 
and  upper  parts  of  body  light-brown  with  a  greenish  tinge ;  rump  and  upper  tail 
coverts  rufous,  lighter  on  the  latter ;  front  and  lines  over  and  under  the  eye  white ; 
another  band  of  black  in  front  above  the  white  band;  stripe  from  the  base  of  the 
bill  towards  the  occiput  brownish-black;  ring  encircling  the  neck  and  wide  band  on 
the  breast  black;  throat  white,  which  color  extends  upwards  around  the  neck; 
other  under  parts  white ;  quills  brownish-black  with  about  half  of  their  inner  webs 
white,  shorter  primaries  with  a  large  spot  of  white  on  their  outer  webs,  secondaries 
widely  tipped  or  edged  with  white ;  tail  feathers  pale-rufous  at  base ;  the  four  mid- 
dle light  olive-brown  tipped  with  white,  and  with  a  wide  subterminal  band  of  black ; 
lateral  feathers  widely  tipped  with  white ;  entire  upper  plumage  frequently  edged 


416  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

and  tipped  with  rufous ;  very  young  have  upper  parts  light-gray,  with  a  longitudinal 
band  on  the  head  and  back,  black;  under  parts  white. 

Total  length,  about  nine  and  a  half  inches;  wing,  six  and  a  half  inches;  tail, 
three  and  a  half  inches. 

Hob.  —  North  America  to  the  Arctic  regions,  Mexico,  South  America. 

This  species  is  pretty  generally  distributed  throughout 
New  England  as  a  summer  resident.  It  is  not  common  in 
any  localities,  but  seems  to  be  found  in  pairs  all  along  our 
seacoast;  and,  although  occasionally  breeding  in  the  inte- 
rior of  these  States,  in  the  neighborhood  of  large  tracts  of 
water,  it  is  almost  exclusively  found,  during  the  greater 
part  of  the  year,  in  moist  fields  and  meadows  and  sandy 
pastures,  within  a  few  miles  of  the  sea.  Wilson  describes 
its  habits  as  follows  :  — 

"  This  restless  and  noisy  bird  is  known  to  almost  every  inhabi- 
tant of  the  United  States,  being  a  common  and  pretty  constant 
resident.  During  the  severity  of  the  winter,  when  snow  covers 
the  ground,  it  retreats  to  the  seashore,  where  it  is  found  at  all 
seasons ;  but  no  sooner  have  the  rivers  opened,  than  its  shrill 
note  is  again  heard,  either  roaming  about  high  in  air,  tracing  the 
shore  of  the  river,  or  running  amidst  the  watery  flats  and  meadows. 
As  spring  advances,  it  resorts  to  the  newly  ploughed  fields,  or  level 
plains  bare  of  grass,  interspersed  with  shallow  pools  ;  or,  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  sea,  dry,  bare,  sandy  fields.  In  some  such  situation 
it  generally  chooses  to  breed,  about  the  beginning  of  May.  The 
nest  is  usually  slight,  a  mere  hollow,  with  such  materials  drawn  in 
around  it  as  happen  to  be  near,  such  as  bits  of  sticks,  straw,  peb- 
bles, or  earth.  In  one  instance,  I  found  the  nest  of  the  bird 
paved  with  fragments  of  clam  and  oyster  shells,  and  very  neatly 
surrounded  with  a  mound,  or  border,  of  the  same,  placed  in  a  very 
close  and  curious  manner.  In  some  cases,  there  is  no  vestige 
whatever  of  a  nest.  The  eggs  are  usually  four,  of  a  bright  rich 
cream  or  yellowish-clay  color,  thickly  marked  with  blotches  of 
black.  They  are  large  for  the  size  of  the  bird,  measuring  more 
than  an  inch  and  a  half  in  length,  and  a  full  inch  in  width,  taper- 
ing to  a  narrow  point  at  the  great  end. 

"Nothing  can  exceed  the.  alarm  and  anxiety  of  these  birds 
during  the  breeding  season.  Their  cries  of  kill-deer,  kill-deer,  as 


THE   KILL-DEER   PLOVER.  417 

they  winnow  the  air  overhead,  dive  and  course  around  you,  or  run 
along  the  ground  counterfeiting  lameness,  are  shrill  and  incessant. 
The  moment  they  see  a  person  approach,  they  fly  or  run  to  attack 
him  with  their  harassing  clamor,  continuing  it  over  so  wide  an 
extent  of  ground,  that  they  puzzle  the  pursuer  as  to  the  particular 
spot  where  the  nest  or  young  are  concealed ;  very  much  resem- 
bling, in  this  respect,  the  Lapwing  of  Europe.  During  the  even- 
ing, and  long  after  dusk,  particularly  in  moonlight,  their  cries  are 
frequently  heard  with  equal  violence,  both  in  the  spring  and  fall. 
From  this  circumstance,  and  their  flying  about  both  after  dusk  and 
before  dawn,  it  appears  probable  that  they  see  better  at  such  times 
than  most  of  their  tribe.  They  are  known  to  feed  much  on  worms, 
and  many  of  these  rise  to  the  surface  during  the  night.  The 
prowling  of  Owls  may  also  alarm  their  fears  for  their  young  at 
those  hours  ;  but,  whatever  may  be  the  cause,  the  facts  are  so. 

"  The  Kill-deer  is  more  abundant  in  the  Southern  States  in  win- 
ter than  in  summer.  Among  the  rice-fields,  and  even  around  the 
planters'  yards,  in  South  Carolina,  I  observed  them  very  numerous 
in  the  months  of  February  and  March.  There  the  negro  boys  fre- 
quently practise  the  barbarous  mode  of  catching  them  with  a  line, 
at  the  extremity  of  which  is  a  crooked  pin,  with  a  worm  on  it. 
Their  flight  is  something  like  that  of  the  Tern,  but  more  vigorous ; 
and  they  sometimes  rise  to  a  great  height  in  the  air.  They 
are  fond  of  wading  in  pools  of  water,  and  frequently  bathe  them- 
selves during  the  summer.  They  usually  stand  erect  on  their  legs, 
and  run  or  walk  with  the  body  in  a  stiff,  horizontal  position :  they 
run  with  great  swiftness,  and  are  also  strong  and  vigorous  in  the 
wings.  Their  flesh  is  eaten  by  some,  but  is  not  in  general  esteem ; 
though  others  say,  that,  in  the  fall,  when  they  become  very  fat,  it 
is  excellent. 

"  During  the  extreme  droughts  of  summer,  these  birds  resort  to 
the  gravelly  channel  of  brooks  and  shallow  streams,  where  they  can 
wade  about  in  search  of  aquatic  insects  :  at  the  close  of  summer, 
they  generally  descend  to  the  seashore  in  small  flocks,  seldom  more 
than  ten  or  twelve  being  seen  together.  They  are  then  more  serene 
and  silent,  as  well  as  difficult  to  be  approached. 

The  eggs  of  this  species  are  four  in  number.  They  are 
oblong-pyriforin  in  shape,  creamy-buff  in  color,  with  numer- 

27 


418  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

ous  spots  and  blotches  of  dark-brown,  chiefly  at  their  greater 
end.  They  vary  in  dimensions  from  1.65  by  1.10  inch  to 
1.50  by  1.08  inch ;  but  one  brood  is  reared  in  the  season. 

2EGIALITIS   WILSONIUS.  —  (Ord.)  Cassin. 
Wilson's  Plover;  Ring-neck. 

Charadrius  Wilsonius,  Ord.  Ed.  Wils.  Orn.,  IV.  (1825)  77.  Nutt.  Man.,  II. 
(-1834)  21.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835)  73;  V.  (1839)  577.  /&.,  Birds  Am.,  V. 

(1842)  214. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Smaller  than  the  preceding;  bill  rather  long  and  robust. 

Male.  —  Front,  and  stripe  over  the  eye,  and  entire  under  parts,  white;  front  with 
a  second  band  of  black  above  the  white  band ;  stripe  from  the  base  of  the  bill  to  the 
eye  and  wide  transverse  band  on  the  breast,  brownish-black ;  upper  parts  of  head 
and  body  light  ashy-brown,  with  the  feathers  frequently  edged  and  tipped  with  pale- 
ashy  ;  back  of  the  neck  encircled  with  a  ring  of  white,  edged  above  with  fine  light- 
reddish  ;  quills  brown,  with  white  shafts ;  shorter  coverts  tipped  with  white ;  outer 
feathers  of  the  tail  white,  middle  feathers  dark-brown ;  bill  black ;  legs  yellow. 

Female.  —  Without  the  band  of  black  in  front,  and  with  the  pectoral  band  dull- 
reddish  and  light  ashy-brown;  iris  reddish-brown. 

Total  length,  seven  and  three  quarter  inches;  wing,  four  and  a  half  inches;  tail, 
two  inches. 

Hab.  —  Middle  and  Southern  States  on  the  Atlantic,  and  the  same  coast  of  South 
America. 

This  species  is  found  in  New  England  only  as  a  somewhat 
rare  visitor  in  the  autumn,  after  it  has  reared  its  young  in  a 
more  southern  locality.  I  think  that  it  seldom  passes  north 
of  the  southern  coast  of  Cape  Cod;  but  it  is  there  occa- 
sionally seen  in  the  early  part  of  September,  gleaning  its 
food  of  animalculae  and  small  shell-fish  and  insects  on  the 
sandy  beach  of  the  ocean. 

The  Wilson's  Plover  is  more  southern  in  its  habits  than 
either  of  the  succeeding  species ;  but  it  breeds  abundantly 
on  the  seacoast  of  New  Jersey.  The  nest  is  nothing  but  a 
hollow  scratched  in  the  sand,  above  high-water  mark,  with 
a  few  bits  of  seaweed  or  grass  for  its  lining.  The  eggs  are 
laid  about  the  first  week  in  June.  They  are,  like  those 
of  the  other  Waders,  pyriform  in  shape ;  and,  when  placed 
in  the  nest,  their  small  ends  are  together  in  the  middle  of 
the  nest.  They  almost  exactly  resemble  the  eggs  of  the 


THE    SEMIPALMATED    PLOYER.  419 

Kill-deer  Plover,  but  are  some  little  smaller ;  varying  in 
dimensions  from  1.40  by  1.05  to  1.34  by  1.02  inch.  The 
spots  and  markings  are  similar  to  those  of  the  other,  but 
are  less  thickly  distributed:  some  specimens  have  obscure 
spots  of  purple  and  lilac,  and  the  brown  spots  vary  from 
quite  blackish  to  the  color  of  raw-umber. 

JEGIALITIS   SEMIPALMATUS.  —  (Bon.)  Cabanis. 
The  Semipalmated  Plover;  Ring-neck. 

Charadrius  semipalmatus,  Nuttall.    Man.,  II.  24.    Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  (1838) 
256;  V.  579.     lb.,  Birds  Am.,  V.  (1842)  218. 
^Egialtes  svmipalmata,  Bonaparte.     List  (1838). 
jEgialitis  semipalmatus,  Cabanis.     Cab  Journ.  (1856),  425. 
Tringa  hiaticula,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  VII.  (1813)  65. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Small;  wings  long;  toes  connected  at  base,  especially  the  outer  to  the  middle 
toe;  front,  throat,  ring  around  the  neck,  and  entire  under  parts,  white;  a  band  of 
deep-black  across  the  breast,  extending  around  the  back  of  the  neck  below  the  white 
ring;  band  from  the  base  of  the  bill,  under  the  eye,  and  wide  frontal  band  above 
the  white  band,  black;  upper  parts  light  ashy-brown,  with  a  tinge  of  olive;  quills 
brownish-black,  with  their  shafts  white  in  a  middle  portion,  and  occasionally  a  lan- 
ceolate white  spot  along  the  shafts  of  the  shorter  primaries ;  shorter  tertiaries  edged 
with  white;  lesser  coverts  tipped  with  white;  middle  feathers  of  the  tail  ashy  olive- 
brown,  with  a  wide  subterminal  band  of  brownish-black,  and  narrowly  tipped  with 
•white;  two  outer  tail  feathers  white,  others  intermediate,  like  the  middle,  but  widely 
tipped  with  white;  bill  orange-yellow,  tipped  with  black;  legs  yellow.  Female  simi- 
lar, but  rather  lighter-colored.  Young  without  the  black  band  in  front,  and  with 
the  band  across  the  breast  ashy-brown;  iris,  dark-hazel. 

Total  length,  about  seven  inches;  wing,  four  and  three-quarters  inches;  tail,  two 
and  a  quarter  inches. 

Hob.  —  The  whole  of  temperate  North  America ;  common  on  the  Atlantic. 

This  pretty  and  well-known  species  is  abundant  in  New 
England  in  the  spring  and  fall  migrations.  It  arrives  from 
the  South  by  the  latter  part  of  April,  in  small  flocks  of 
eight  or  ten  individuals ;  some  following  the  course  of  large 
rivers,  like  the  Connecticut ;  others  haunting  the  shores  of 
large  ponds  and  meadows ;  but  the  greater  number  follow- 
ing the  seacoast,  where  they  feed,  like  the  others  of  this 
genus,  on  small  crustaceans,  shell-fish,  and  the  eggs  of  fish 
and  other  marine  animals. 


420  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

Although  I  found  a  single  pair  with  their  nest  on  the 
island  of  Muskegeet,  Mass.,  in  June,  1866,  this  bird  gener- 
ally breeds  in  the  most  northern  parts  of  the  continent. 
Audubon,  in  describing  its  breeding  habits,  says, — 

"  As  soon  as  one  of  us  was  noticed  by  a  Ring  Plover,  it  would 
at  once  stand  still,  and  become  silent.  If  we  did  the  same,  it 
continued,  and  seldom  failed  to  wear  out  our  patience.  If  we 
advanced,  it  would  lower  itself,  and  squat  on  the  moss  or  bare  rock 
until  approached,  when  it  would  suddenly  rise  on  its  feet,  droop  its 
wings,  depress  its  head,  and  run  with  great  speed  to  a  considerable 
distance ;  uttering,  all  the  while,  a  low  rolling  and  querulous  cry, 
very  pleasing  to  the  ear.  On  being  surprised  when  in  charge  of 
their  young,  they  would  open  their  wings  to  the  full  extent,  and 
beat  the  ground  with  their  extremities,  as  if  unable  to  rise.  If 
pursued,  they  allowed  us  to  come  within  a  few  feet,  then  took  flight, 
and  attempted  to  decoy  us  away  from  their  young,  which  lay  so 
close  that  we  very  seldom  discovered  them ;  but  which,  on  being 
traced,  ran  swiftly  off,  uttering  a  plaintive  peep,  often  repeated, 
that  never  failed  to  bring  their  parents  to  their  aid.  At  Labrador, 
the  Ring  Plover  begins  to  breed  in  the  beginning  of  June.  Like 
the  Piping  Plover,  it  forms  no  nest ;  but,  whilst  the  latter  scoops  a 
place  in  the  sand  for  its  eggs,  the  Ring  Plover  forms  a  similar 
cavity  in  the  moss,  in  a  place  sheltered  from  the  north  winds,  and 
exposed  to  the  full  rays  of  the  sun,  usually  near  the  margins  of 
small  ponds  formed  by  the  melting  of  the  snow,  and  surrounded  by 
short  grass.  The  eggs,  like  those  of  all  the  family,  are  four,  and 
placed  with  the  small  ends  together.  They  are  broad  at  the  larger 
end,  rather  sharp  at  the  other ;  measure  1£  inch  in  length,  1£ 
inches  in  their  greatest  breadth;  are  of  a  dull-yellowish  color, 
irregularly  blotched  and  spotted  all  over  with  dark-brown  of  dif- 
ferent tints." 

Early  in  September,  sometimes  by  the  20th  of  August, 
small  flocks  of  these  birds  appear  in  New  England,  and 
they  remain  here  as  late  as  the  first  week  in  October  :  they 
are  now  fat  and  delicate,  and  are  esteemed  excellent  for  the 
table. 


THE   PIPING   PLOVER.  421 


MELODUS.  —  (Ord.)  Cabanis. 
The  Piping  Plover. 

Charadrius  melodus,  Nuttall.  Man.,  II.  18.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835)  154; 
V.  578. 

^Egialtes  melodus,  Bonaparte.    List  (1838). 
jEgialitis  melodw,  Cabanis.     Jour.  (1856),  424. 
Charadrius  hiaticula.    Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  V.  (1812)  30. 

DESCRIPTION. 

About  the  size  of  the  preceding  ;  bill  short,  strong. 

Adult.  —  Forehead,  ring  around  the  back  of  the  neck,  and  entire  under  parts, 
white,  a  band  of  black  in  front  above  the  band  of  white  ;  band  encircling  the  neck 
before  and  behind  black,  immediately  below  the  ring  of  white  on  the  neck  behind; 
head  above,  and  upper  parts  of  body,  light  brownish-cinereous  ;  rump  and  upper  tail 
coverts  lighter,  and  often  nearly  white  ;  quills  dark-brown,  with  a  large  portion  of 
their  inner  webs  and  shafts  white  ;  shorter  primaries  with  a  large  portion  of  their 
outer  webs  white  ;  tail  at  base  white,  and  with  the  outer  feathers  white  ;  middle 
feathers  with  a  wide  subterminal  band  of  brownish-black,  and  tipped  with  white; 
bill  orange  at  base,  tipped  with  black;  legs  orange-yellow. 

Female.  —  Similar  to  the  male,  but  with  the  dark  colors  lighter  and  less  in  extent. 

Young.  —  No  black  band  in  front;  collar  around  the  back  of  the  neck  ashy- 
brown;  iris  brown. 

Total  length,  about  seven  inches;  wing,  four  and  a  half  inches;  tail,  two  inches. 

Hab.  —  Eastern  coast  of  North  America  ;  Nebraska  (Lieut.  Warren);  Louisiana 
(Mr.  G.  Wurdemann). 

This  pretty  and  well-known  species  is  pretty  abundantly 
distributed  along  the  coast  of  New  England  as  a  summer 
resident.  It  arrives  from  the  South  about  the  20th  of  April 
in  small  flocks,  and  soon  selects  its  breeding-residence  on 
some  tract  of  ocean  beach  ;  dividing,  early  in  May,  into  pairs, 
which,  however,  associate  somewhat  together  through  the 
whole  season.  It  occasionally  penetrates  into  the  interior, 
and  has  been  known  to  breed  on  the  borders  of  a  pond 
twenty  miles  from  the  seaboard  ;  but  generally,  in  New  Eng- 
land, it  seldom  wanders  far  from  the  shore,  where  it  is  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  and  interesting  of  our  Waders. 

It  seems  to  prefer  sandy  islands  a  short  distance  from  the 
main  land  for  its  breeding-place.  I  have  found  numbers 
breeding  on  the  island  of  Muskegeet,  off  the  southern  coast 
of  Massachusetts,  and  have  found  it  on  many  others  of  our 
islands  of  similar  character. 


422  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

The  nest  is  nothing  but  a  hollow  in  the  sand  scraped  by 
the  female  bird :  it  sometimes  has  a  slight  lining  of  pieces 
of  grass  or  seaweed ;  but  usually  the  eggs  are  deposited  on 
the  bare  sand.  These  are  four  in  number,  abruptly  pyri- 
form  in  shape,  and  a  beautiful  light  creamy-buff  in  color, 
with  thinly  scattered  spots  of  black  and  brown,  and  some- 
times a  few  obscure  spots  of  lilac.  They  average  smaller  in 
size  than  either  of  the  preceding,  varying  from  1.30  by  1  inch 
to  1.20  by  .95  inch  in  dimensions.  They  do  not  resemble 
the  others,  being  much  more  finely  marked  ;  and  their  small 
ends  are  more  rounded. 

The  breeding  habits  and  general  characteristics  of  this 
so  much  resemble  those  of  the  preceding  species  that  the 
same  remarks  will  apply  to  both. 

SQUATAROLA,  CUVIER. 

Squatarola,  CUVIER,  Regne  Anim.,  I.  (1817).     (Type  Tringa  squatarola,  Linn.) 
A  rudimentary  hind  toe ;  legs  reticulated,  with  elongated  hexagons  anteriorly,  of 

which  there  are  five  or  six  in  a  transverse  row ;  fewer  behind ;  first  primary  longest ; 

tail  slightly  rounded. 

SQUATAROLA    HELVETICA.  —  Cuvier. 
The  Black-bellied  Plover. 

Tringa  helvetica,  Linnaeus.    Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  250. 
Squatarola  helvetica.    Cuvier,  R.  A.,  (1817). 

Charadrius  helveticus,  Audubon.  Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  (1838)  280.  lb.,  Birds  Amer., 
V.  (1742)199. 

Charadrius  apricarius,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  VII.  (1813)  41. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  and  legs  strong;  wings  long;  a  very  small  rudimentary  hind  toe;  around  the 
base  of  the  bill  to  the  eyes,  neck  before  and  under  parts  of  body,  black ;  upper 
white,  nearly  pure  and  unspotted  on  the  forehead ;  sides  of  the  neck  and  rump  tinged 
with  ashy,  and  having  irregular  transverse  bars  of  brownish-black  on  the  back, 
scapulars,  and  wing  coverts;  the  brownish-black  frequently  predominating  on  those 
parts,  and  the  rump  also  frequently  with  transverse  bars  of  the  same ;  lower  part  of 
the  abdomen,  tibia,  and  under  tail  coverts,  white;  quills  brownish-black,  lighter  on 
their  inner  webs,  with  a  middle  portion  of  their  shafts  white,  and  a  narrow  longi- 
tudinal stripe  of  white  frequently  on  the  shorter  primaries  and  secondaries;  tail 
white,  with  transverse  imperfect  narrow  bands  of  black;  bill  and  legs  black;  the 
black  color  of  the  under  parts  generally  with  a  bronzed  or  coppery  lustre,  and  pre- 


THE  BLACK-BELLIED  PLOVER.  423 

senting  a  scale-like  appearance;  the  brownish-black  of  the  upper  parts  with  a 
greenish  lustre. 

Younger  and  winter  plumage.  —  Entire  upper  parts  dark-brown,  with  circular 
and  irregular  small  spots  of  white,  and  frequently  of  yellow,  most  numerous  on 
the  wing  coverts ;  upper  tail  coverts  white ;  under  parts  white,  with  short  longi- 
tudinal lines  and  spots  dark  brownish-cinereous  on  the  neck  and  breast;  quills  brown- 
ish-black, with  large  longitudinal  spots  of  white  on  their  inner  webs,  and  also  on  the 
outer  webs  of  the  shorter  primaries. 

Young.  —  Upper  parts  lighter,  and  with  the  white  spots  more  irregular  or 
scarcely  assuming  a  circular  shape;  narrow  lines  on  the  neck  and  breast  more 
numerous;  iris  black. 

Total  length,  about  eleven  and  a  half  inches;  wings,  seven  and  a  half  inches; 
tail,  three  inches. 

Hob. — All  of  North  America.  The  seacoasts  of  nearly  all  countries  of  the 
world. 

This  beautiful  bird  is  almost  of  the  same  habits  and 
characteristics  as  the  Golden  Plover  described  on  a  preced- 
ing page.  It  arrives  and  departs  at  nearly  the  same  time 
in  spring,  and,  like  that  species,  breeds  in  the  most  northern 
sections  of  the  continent.  Wilson,  in  speaking  of  its  breed- 
ing in  Pennsylvania,  says, — 

"  This  bird  is  known  in  some  parts  of  the  country  by  the  name 
of  the  Large  Whistling  Field  Plover.  It  generally  makes  its  first 
appearance  in  Pennsylvania  late  in  April ;  frequents  the  countries 
towards  the  mountains ;  seems  particularly  attached  to  newly 
ploughed  fields,  where  it  forms  its  nest  of  a  few  slight  materials,  as 
slightly  put  together.  The  female  lays  four  eggs,  large  for  the 
size  of  the  bird,  of  a  light-olive  color,  dashed  with  black,  and  has 
frequently  two  broods  in  the  same  season.  It  is  an  extremely  shy 
and  watchful  bird,  though  clamorous  during  breeding-time." 

About  the  10th  or  15th  of  September,  or  a  fortnight  later 
than  the  Golden  Plover,  it  returns  on  its  southern  migra- 
tion ;  and  the  same  means  are  employed  for  its  destruc- 
tion as  for  that  bird :  these  birds  are  called  by  the  gunners 
by  the  name  of  Beetle-heads,  and  are  esteemed  as  being 
nearly  as  palatable  and  delicate  as  the  other  species. 


424  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 


FAMILY  PHALAROPODID^.    THE  PHALAROPES. 

Feathers  of  breast  compact,  duck-like;  legs  with  transverse  scutellse  before  and 
behind;  toes  to  the  tips  with  a  lateral  margin,  more  or  less  indented  at  the  joints, 
the  hinder  with  a  feeble  lobe;  bill  equal  to  or  longer  than  the  head,  the  lateral  groove 
extending  nearly  to  the  tip. 


PHALAROPUS,  BRISSON. 
Membrane  of  toes  scolloped  at  the  joints. 

PHALAROPUS    HYPERBOREUS.  —  Temm. 
The  Northern  Phalarope. 

Tringa  hyperborea,  Linnaeus.    Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  249. 

Phalaropus  hyperboreus,  Temm.  Man.,  II.  (1820)  709.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III. 
(1835)118;  V.  595. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  short,  straight,  pointed ;  wings  long ;  tail  short ;  legs  short. 

Adult. — Neck  encircled  with  a  ring  of  bright-ferruginous,  and  a  stripe  of  the 
same  on  each  side;  head  above  and  neck  behind  sooty-ash;  back,  wings,  and  tail, 
brownish-black,  paler  on  the  rump,  mixed  with  bright-ferruginous  on  the  back;  tips 
of  greater  wing  coverts  white ;  sides  and  flanks  ash}'-,  frequently  mixed  with  red- 
dish ;  throat,  breast,  and  abdomen  white ;  bill  and  legs  dark ;  iris  dark-brown. 

Young.  —  Entire  upper  parts  brownish-black ;  many  feathers  edged  and  tipped 
with  dull  yellow  and  ashy ;  under  parts  white ;  tips  of  greater  wing  coverts  white. 

Total  length,  about  seven  inches ;  wing,  four  and  half;  tail,  two  and  a  quarter ; 
bill,  one;  tarsus,  three-fourths  of  an  inch. 

THE  Northern  Phalarope  is  rarely  found  on  the  seacoast 
of  New  England  in  the  spring  and  autumn  migrations  ; 
appearing  in  the  former  about  the  10th  of  May,  and  in  the 
latter  about  the  25th  of  August.  The  migrations  are  per- 
formed by  the  birds  in  small  flocks  out  at  sea ;  and  it  is  only 
when  they  are  driven  into  shore  by  heavy  winds  and  storms 
that  they  are  found  here,  and  then  scarcely  more  than  two  or 
three  birds  are  taken  in  a  season.  This  species  is  equally  a 
swimmer  and  wader.  When  on  the  water,  it  has  the  appear- 
ance of  a  small  Gull  or  Tern,  swimming  with  great  elegance 


THE  NORTHERN  PHALAROPE.  425 

and  ease,  frequently  dipping  its  bill  into  the  water  to  secure 
a  small  marine  animal  or  fly.  Its  motions  are  so  graceful 
when  thus  employed,  that  the  bird  has  been  compared  to  a 
swan  ;  and  all  writers  agree  that  it  is  one  of  the  most  beauti- 
ful of  our  aquatic  birds. 

On  the  shore,  it  frequents  small  pools  or  ponds  of  water, 
near  the  coast,  in  which  it  wades  and  swims  with  equal 
facility ;  frequently  uttering  a  shrill  cry  similar  to  the  sylla- 
bles creet  cree  teet.  It  is  said  that  the  same  pairs  are  faith- 
ful to  each  other  for  successive  seasons.  I  know  not  how 
true  this  maybe;  but  it  seems  not  improbable,  from  the 
fact,  that,  in  their  winter  homes  on  the  shores  of  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico,  they  are  most  often  seen  in  small  parties  of  three 
or  four,  often  by  pairs.  This  species  breeds  in  the  most 
northern  sections  of  the  continent.  It  builds  its  nest  about 
the  first  week  in  June,  in  the  Hudson's  Bay  country :  this 
is  constructed  of  a  few  pieces  of  grass  and  moss,  put  loosely 
together,  and  placed  in  a  tussock  of  grass  or  moss.  The 
eggs  are  usually  four  in  number.  They  vary  in  color  from  a 
brownish-drab  to  light-olive,  and  are  thickly  covered  with 
large  blotches  and  spots  of  dark  umber :  their  form  is  abrupt- 
ly pyriform,  and  their  dimensions  vary  from  1.12  by  1.02 
to  1.06  by  .98  inch. 


426  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 


FAMILY  SCOLOPACIDJE.    THE  SNIPES. 

Legs  with  transverse  scutellae  before  and  behind;  toes  not  margined  broadly  to 
the  tips,  with  or  without  basal  membrane;  hind  toe  generally  present;  bill  generally 
longer  than  the  head,  the  groove  extending  beyond  the  middle. 


Sub-Family  SCOLOPACIN^:. 

Bill  swollen  at  the  end,  and  covered  almost  to  the  tip  with  a  soft  skin,  the  edges 
only  of  the  rather  vaulted  tip  horny;  the  end  of  the  upper  bill  generally  bent  a 
little  over  the  tip  of  lower;  the  jaw-bone  in  typical  genera  finely  porous,  and  per- 
forated by  vessels  and  nerves,  imparting  a  high  degree  of  sensibility  to  the  bill, 
enabling  it  to  find  food  in  the  mud;  after  death,  the  end  of  bill  is  usually  pitted; 
legs  rather  stout;  the  naked  portion  of  the  tibia  much  abbreviated;  the  hind  toe 
well  developed  and  generally  present;  the  toes  usually  without  basal  membrane 
(except  in  Macrorhamphus,  &c.). 


PHILOHELA,  G.  R.  GRAY. 

Philohela,  GRAY,  List  of  Genera  (1841).  Gmelin.  (Type  Scolopax  minor.) 
Body  very  full,  and  head,  bill,  and  eyes  very  large;  tibia  short,  feathered  to  the 
joint;  toes  cleft  to  base;  wings  short,  rounded;  first  three  primaries  very  narrow, 
and  much  attenuated ;  the  fourth  and  fifth  equal  and  longest;  tarsi  stout,  shorter 
than  the  middle  toe ;  hind  nail  very  short,  conical,  not  extending  beyond  the  toe ; 
tail  of  twelve  feathers. 

The  present  genus,  embracing  a  single  species,  the  American  Woodcock,  is  much 
like  Scolopax,  with  the  European  Woodcock  as  type,  in  color  and  external  appear- 
ance. The  most  striking  difference  is  seen  in  the  wing-*,  which  are  short,  rounded, 
the  fourth  and  fifth  primaries  longest,  and  the  outer  three  attenuated;  while  in  Scolo- 
pax the  wings  are  long,  the  first  primary  longest  and  more  attenuated. 

PHILOHELA  MINOE.  —  Gray. 
The  American  Woodcock. 

Scolopax  minor,  Wilson.  Am.  Orti.,  VI.  (1812)  40.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835) 
474. 

Jlmticola  minor,  Nuttall.    Man.,  II.  (1834)  194. 

Swlopax  (microptera)  minor,  Nuttall.     Man.,  II.  (1834)  194. 

Philohela  minor,  Gray.     List  Genera  (1841). 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  long,  compressed,  punctulated  and  corrugated  near  the  end ;  upper  mandible 
longer  than  the  under,  and  fitted  to  it  at  the  tip;  wings  moderate,  three  first  quills 
very  narrow;  tail  short;  legs  moderate;  eyes  inserted  unusually  distant  from  the 


THE   AMERICAN   WOODCOCK.  427 

bill ;  occiput  with  three  transverse  bands  of  black,  alternating  with  three  others  of 
pale  yellowish-rufous ;  upper  parts  of  body  variegated  with  pale-ashy,  rufous,  or 
yellowish-red  of  various  shades,  and  black;  large  space  in  front,  and  throat,  reddish- 
ashy  ;  line  from  the  eye  to  the  bill,  and  another  on  the  neck  below  the  eve,  brownish- 
black;  entire  under  parts  pale-rufous,  brighter  on  the  sides  and  under  wing  coverts; 
quills  ashy-brown;  tail  feathers  brownish-black,  tipped  with  ashy,  darker  on  the 
upper  surface,  paler  and  frequently  white  on  the  under ;  bill  light-brown,  paler  and 
yellowish  at  base ;  legs  pale-reddish ;  iris  brown. 

Total  length,  about  eleven  inches;  wing,  five  and  a  quarter;  tail,  two  and  a 
quarter;  bill,  two  and  a  quarter;  tarsus,  one  and  a  quarter  inches. 

Hab.  —  Eastern  North  America. 


THE  Woodcock  is  a  common  summer  inhabitant  of  the 
three  southern  New-England  States,  and  is  not  rare  in 
most  sections  of  the  others.  It  is  one  of  the  earliest  of  our 
spring  arrivals  ;  appearing  by  the  10th  of  March,  and  some- 
times much  earlier,  even  before  the  25th  of  February. 
When  it  first  arrives,  it  is  partially  gregarious  ;  being  found 
in  small  companies  of  four  or  five,  in  the  area  of  a  few 
rods.  It  frequents  low  swampy  woods  and  thickets  at  this 
season,  where,  during  the  day,  it  remains  concealed,  only 
moving  about,  in  its  search  for  food,  in  the  night. 

It  begins  its  nocturnal  rambles  by  early  twilight,  and  only 
retires  to  its  swamp  at  daybreak.  If  we  stand,  in  the  even- 
ing, in  the  neighborhood  of  a  swamp,  or  low  tract  of  woods, 
we  sometimes  hear  two  or  three  individuals  moving  about 
in  the  undergrowth,  uttering  their  note,  chip-per,  chip-per 
chip,  sometimes  varying  it  to  bleat  or  bleat  ta  bleat  ta;  or 
see  them,  against  the  evening  sky,  flying  rapidly  from  one 
swamp  to  another.  About  the  first  week  in  April,  after 
separating  into  pairs,  the  Woodcocks  begin  their  duties  of 
incubation :  the  female  scratches  together  a  few  leaves,  on 
a  slight  elevation  in  some  meadow  or  swamp,  and  this  forms 
the  nest.  I  have  noticed  that  the  locality  most  often  selected 
is  in  a  small  bunch  of  bushes,  or  small  birches  or  alders, 'in 
the  midst  of  a  meadow.  The  eggs  are  three  or  four  in  num- 
ber :  their  ground -color  is  usually  a  rich  creamy-drab, 
sometimes  with  a  slightly  olive  tint ;  and  they  are  marked, 
more  or  less  thickly,  with  coarse  and  fine  spots  and  blotches 


428  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

of  two  shades  of  brown,  and  obscure  spots  of  lilac.  They 
are  less  pyriform  than  the  eggs  of  any  other  birds  in  this 
group,  being  often  almost  exactly  ovoidal.  They  exhibit 
great  variations  in  size,  some  specimens  from  Bristol  County, 
Massachusetts,  averaging  1.80  by  1.25 ;  and  others,  from 
the  south  and  west,  averaging  only  1.45  by  1.15 ;  others 
from.  Western  Massachusetts  average  about  1.50  by  1.20, 
being  nearly  rounded;  and  one  from  J.  P.  Norris,  found 
in  Chester  County,  Pennsylvania,  is  abruptly  pyriform,  being 
in  dimensions  1.45  by  1.20  inch. 

Both  birds  assist  in  incubation ;  and  they  are  so  unwilling 
to  leave  the  nest  at  this  time,  that  I  have  known  of  an  ox- 
team  being  driven  within  a  foot  of  a  bird,  without  starting 
her  from  the  nest.  The  food  of  the  Woodcock  consists  of 
worms  and  animalculae,  which  it  secures  by  thrusting  its  bill 
into  the  soft  earth,  and  beneath  the  dead  leaves  and  grass 
iii  swamps  and  other  wet  places. 

The  tongue  of  the  bird  is  coated  with  a  thick  saliva ;  and 
the  worms  sticking  to  it  are  drawn  out  and  devoured.  The 
holes  where  the  bill  is  thus  thrust  in  the  earth  are  called, 
by  gunners,  "  borings ; "  and  the  presence  of  the  bird  is 
detected  by  them,  as  none  of  our  wood-birds  make  any  simi- 
lar. The  old  bird,  if  shot  in  the  summer,  when  she  has 
young,  often  has  her  mouth  full  of  small  worms ;  and  this 
proves  that  she  feeds  her  chicks  until  they  are  nearly  full 
grown.  The  flight  of  the  Woodcock  is  rapid,  and  always  is 
accompanied  by  a  sharp  twitter.  When  the  bird  is  flushed, 
it  ascends  quickly  to  the  height  of  the  trees ;  and,  after 
hovering  a  few  seconds,  it  alights  on  the  ground,  within  a 
few  rods  of  the  point  from  which  it  first  flew. 

In  the  latter  part  of  July,  and  during  the  month  of 
August,  while  the  birds  are  moulting,  they  retire  to  the 
most  secluded  localities  ;  and  it  is  difficult  to  find  them 
at  that  season.  In  September,  during  the  continuance  of 
dry  weather,  they  frequent  cornfields  and  ditches;  and  I 
have  seen  them  searching  for  worms  in  the  mud  in  a  sink- 


429 

spout,  within  a  few  yards  of  a  house.  At  the  latter  part  of 
September,  and  during  October,  they  are  in  their  prime ; 
and  I  know  of  no  more  exciting  sport,  and  one  that  is  so 
generally  satisfactory,  than  fall  Woodcock  hunting.  By 
the  10th  of  November,  none  of  these  birds  are  to  be  found 
in  New  England. 

GALLINAGO,  LEACH. 

GaUinago,  "  LEACH,  Catal.  British  Birds  (1816)."  Gray.  (Type  Scolopax 
major,  L.) 

Lower  portion  of  the  tibia  bare  of  feathers,  scutellate  before  and  behind,  reticu- 
lated laterally  like  the  tarsi ;  nail  of  hind  toe  slender,  extending  beyond  the  toe ; 
bill  depressed  at  the  tip ;  middle  toe  longer  than  tarsus ;  tail  with  twelve  to  sixteen 
feathers. 

The  more  slender  body,  longer  legs,  partly  naked  tibia,  and  other  features,  dis- 
tinguish this  genus  from  Scolopax  or  Philohela. 

GALLINAGO  WILSONII.  —  Bonaparte. 
The  Snipe ;  Wilson's  Snipe ;  English  Snipe. 

Scolopax  Wilsonii,  Nuttall.     Man.,  II.  185.    Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835)322; 
V.  (1839)  583.     76.,  Birds  Amer.,  V.  (1842)  339. 
G'allinago  Wilsonti,  Bonaparte.    List  (1838). 
Scolopax  gallinago,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  VI.  (1812)  18.    Not  of  Linnaeus. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  long,  compressed,  flattened,  and  slightly  expanded  towards  the  tip,  pustu- 
lated in  its  terminal  half;  wings  rather  long;  legs  moderate;  tail  short;  entire  upper 
parts  brownish-black;  every  feather  spotted  and  widely  edged  with  light-rufous, 
yellowish-brown,  or  ashy-white;  back  and  rump  transversely  barred  and  spotted 
with  the  same;  a  line  from  the  base  of  the  bill  over  the  top  of  the  head;  throat  and 
neck  before,  dull  reddish-ashy;  wing  feather  marked  with  dull  brownish-black; 
other  under  parts  white,  with  transverse  bars  of  brownish-black  on  the  sides,  axil- 
lary feathers  and  under  wing  coverts  and  under  tail  coverts;  quills  brownish-black; 
outer  edge  of  first  primary  white ;  tail  glossy  brownish-black,  widely  tipped  with 
bright-rufous,  paler  at  the  tip,  and  with  a  subterminal  narrow  band  of  black ;  outer 
feathers  of  tail  paler,  frequently  nearly  white,  and  barred  with  black  throughout 
their  length;  bill  brown,  yellowish  at  base,  and  darker  towards  the  end;  legs  dark- 
brown;  iris  hazel. 

Total  length,  about  ten  and  a  half  inches;  wing,  five;  tail,  two  and  a  quarter; 
bill,  two  and  a  half;  tarsus,  one  and  a  quarter  inch. 

Hab.  —  Entire  temperate  regions  of  North  America ;  California  (Mr.  Szabo). 

The  Snipe  is  equally  well  known,  and  as  great  a  favorite 
with  sportsmen,  as  the  preceding  species.  It  arrives  from 


430  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

the  South  at  about  the  same  time,  and  has  many  of  the 
habits  and  characteristics  of  the  other  bird.  It  is  found 
in  New  England  only  as  a  spring  and  autumn  visitor, 
very  rarely  breeding  here,  but  passing  the  season  of  incuba- 
tion in  higher  latitudes.  It  frequents  the  fresh-water 
meadows,  where  it  usually  lies  concealed  during  the  day, 
only  moving  about  in  dark  weather  and  in  the  night.  In. 
the  spring,  while  with  us,  it  appears  to  be  pairing ;  and, 
although  associating  in  small  detached  flocks,  they  are  most 
often  found  in  pairs  by  themselves.  It  is  during  this 
season  that  the  male  performs  his  well-known  gyrations  in 
the  air :  he  ascends  to  a  considerable  height,  early  in  the 
evening,  and,  almost  in  the  manner  of  the  Night-hawk, 
described  on  a  preceding  page,  dives  towards  the  earth, 
uttering  his  bleating  cry,  and  peculiar  rumbling  sound. 
This  species  breeds  sometimes  in  the  northern  portions  of 
New  England.  It  forms  a  loose  nest  of  grass  and  a  few 
leaves,  on  the  ground,  in  a  bog  or  wet  swampy  thicket ; 
and,  about  the  first  week  in  May,  the  female  lays  three  or 
four  eggs.  These  are  more  pyriform  in  shape  than  the  pre- 
ceding, and  average  about  1.44  by  1.15  inch  in  dimensions. 
Their  color  is  an  olivaceous-drab,  marked  with  spots  of 
brown,  which  are,  at  the  greater  end,  confluent  into  blotches, 
which  almost  entirely  hide  the  ground-color. 

The  Snipe  has  been  known  to  breed  in  Massachusetts ; 
but  the  occurrence  is  very  rare,  and  can  be  regarded  only 
as  accidental.  By  the  25th  of  August,  it  returns  to  the 
meadows  of  New  England  in  small  parties  of  three  or  four ; 
but  it  is  not  abundant  much  before  the  10th  or  15th  of  Sep- 
tember, and  then  is  not  found  in  great  numbers,  unless 
we  have  had  two  or  three  sharp  frosts.  The  time  when 
sportsmen  most  expect  to  find  them  in  numbers  is  after  a 
north-easterly  storm,  when  the  wind  veers  around  to  the 
south-westward.  Then  the  meadows  are  hunted  diligently, 
and  generally  with  success.  I  have  bagged  twenty-four 
birds  in  an  afternoon's  shooting,  within  ten  miles  of  Boston, 


WILSON'S  SNIPE.  431 

and  have  known  that  number  to  be  exceeded  in  favorable 
weather.  The  Snipe  lies  close  to  the  ground  when  ap- 
proached ;  and,  being  a  bird  of  strong  scent,  as  the  expres- 
sion is,  is  winded  to  a  considerable  distance  by  a  good  dog. 
It  is  easy  to  imagine  the  excitement  the  sportsman  experi- 
ences, when,  with  a  good  dog,  he  enters  a  large  meadow, 
and  sees  him  suddenly  come  to  a  point ;  when,  walking  up 
to  the  Snipe,  and  flushing  it,  the  report  of  his  gun,  as  he 
shoots  the  bird,  startles  from  their  lurking-places  perhaps 
a  dozen  others,  who  fly  but  a  short  distance,  uttering  their 
peculiar  squeak  or  scalp,  and  then  alight  in  the  grass,  prom- 
ising him  an  abundance  of  shooting  for  the  day. 

The  Snipe,  when  first  flushed,  rapidly  doubles  and  twists 
in  a  quick,  zigzag  flight,  which  it  continues  for  several  rods, 
when  it  takes  a  more  direct  course,  almost  always  against 
the  wind.  The  sportsman,  knowing  this  habit  of  the  bird, 
reserves  his  fire  until  it  has  stopped  twisting,  when  his  aim 
is  generally  successful.  Sometimes  two  birds  rise  at  the 
same  time,  when  it  requires  considerable  coolness  and  expe- 
rience to  secure  both.  I  once  got  three  double  shots  in 
succession,  securing  all  six  birds :  but  such  an  occurrence 
and  good  luck  are  rare ;  and  we  must  be  satisfied,  in  most 
shooting,  to  get  but  single  birds. 

The  Snipe,  like  the  Woodcock,  probes  in  the  soft  earth 
for  worms  and  animalcules,  which  it  feeds  upon :  it  also 
eats  the  larvae  of  water-insects,  and  leeches,  and  occa- 
sionally captures  grasshoppers  and  other  insects  in  the  wet 
grass  in  which  it  almost  entirely  resides.  It  is  very  diffi- 
cult of  approach  in  cloudy  and  windy  weather ;  but,  in 
warm,  bright  days  in  the  fall,  it  is  quiet,  and  lies  until 
approached  quite  near.  It  remains  with  us  until  the 
ground  is  frozen  in  the  meadow,  when  it  moves  to  the 
Southern  States,  where  it  passes  the  winter. 


432  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 


FAMILY   HJEMATOPODIDJE.     THE  OYSTER-CATCHERS. 

Bill  as  long  as  the  head,  or  twice  as  long,  compressed;  culmen  but  little 
indented,  and  the  bill  not  vaulted  beyond  the  nostrils,  which  are  quite  basal. 


ILEMATOPUS,  LINNAEUS. 

Hcematopus,  LINN^US,  Sypt.  Nat.  (1735).  (Type  H.  Ostralegus,  L.) 
Bill  longer  than  the  leg,  twice  as  long  as  the  head;  mandibles  much  compressed, 
sharp-edged,  and  truncate  at  end;  hind  toe  wanting;  legs  reticulated,  with  five  or 
six  elongated  plates  in  a  transverse  series ;  meshes  larger  anteriorly ;  a  basal  mem- 
brane between  middle  and  outer  toes;  toes  enlarged  laterally  by  a  thickened 
membrane;  tail  even;  first  primary  longest. 


HJEMATOPUS  PALLIATUS.—  Temm. 
The  Oyster-catcher- 

Hosmatapus  palliatus,  Temm.  Man.,  II.  (1820)  532.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III. 
(1835)  181;  V.  580.  7J.,  Birds  Am.,  V.  (1842)  236. 

Hcematopus  ostrakgus,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  VIII.  (1814)  15. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  long,  straight,  flattened  vertically;  wing  long;  tail  short;  legs  moderate, 
rather  robust;  toes  margined;  outer  and  middle  united  at  base;  head  and  neck 
brownish-black,  with  a  slight  ashy  tinge  in  very  mature  specimens ;  upper  parts  of 
body  light  ashy-brown,  rather  darker  on  the  rump;  upper  tail  coverts  and  wide 
diagonal  band  across  the  wing  white ;  quills  brownish-black;  tail  feathers  at  base 
white,  with  their  terminating  half  brownish-black;  under  parts  of  body  and  under 
wing  coverts  white;  bill  and  edge  of  eyelids  bright  orange-red;  legs  pale-reddish; 
iris  bright-yellow. 

Total  length,  about  seventeen  and  a  half  inches ;  wing,  ten ;  tail,  four  and  a  half; 
bill  to  gape,  three  and  a  half;  tarsus,  two  and  a  quarter  inches. 

% 

THIS  bird  is  of  rare  occurrence  on  the  seacoast  of  New 
England  as  a  summer  visitor.     I  am  not  aware  that  it 
breeds  here ;  but  it  may,  as  it  is  said  to  be  found  all  along 
our  coast  from  Maine  to  Florida.     Wilson,  in  describing  its 
habits,  says, — 

"The  Oyster-catcher  frequents  the  sandy  sea-beach  of  New 
Jersey,  and  other  parts  of  our  Atlantic  coast,  in  summer,  in  small 
parties  of  two  or  three  pairs  together.  They  are  extremely  shy ; 


THE   OYSTER-CATCHER.  433 

and,  except  about  the  season  of  breeding,  will  seldom  permit  a  per- 
son to  approach  within  gunshot.  They  walk  along  the  shore  in  a 
watchful,  stately  manner  ;  at  times  probing  it  with  their  long, 
wedge-like  bills,  in  search  of  small  shell-fish.  This  appears  evi- 
dent, on  examining  the  hard  sands  where  they  usually  resort 
which  are  found  thickly  perforated  with  oblong  holes,  two  or 
three  inches  in  depth.  The  small  crabs,  called  fiddlers,  that 
burrow  in  the  mud  at  the  bottom  of  inlets,  are  frequently  the 
prey  of  the  Oyster-catcher ;  as  are  muscles,  spout-fish,  and  a 
variety  of  other  shell-fish  and  sea  insects  with  which  those  shores 
abound. 

"  The  Oyster-catcher  will  not  only  take  to  the  water  when 
wounded,  but  can  also  swim  and  dive  well.  This  fact  I  can  assert 
from  my  own  observation,  the  exploits  of  one  of  them  in  this  way 
having  nearly  cost  me  my  life.  On  the  sea-beach  of  Cape  May, 
not  far  from  a  deep  and  rapid  inlet,  I  broke  the  wing  of  one  of 
these  birds,  and,  being  without  a  dog,  instantly  pursued  it  towards 
the  inlet,  which  it  made  for  with  great  rapidity.  We  both  plunged 
in  nearly  at  the  same  instant ;  but  the  bird  eluded  my  grasp,  and  I 
sunk  beyond  my  depth :  it  was  not  until  this  moment  that  I  recol- 
lected having  carried  in  my  gun  along  with  me.  On  rising  to  the 
surface,  I  found  the  bird  had  dived,  and  a  strong  ebb  current  was 
carrying  me  fast  towards  the  ocean,  encumbered  with  a  gun  and 
all  my  shooting  apparatus.  I  was  compelled  to  relinquish  my  bird, 
and  to  make  for  the  shore  with  considerable  mortification,  and  the 
total  destruction  of  the  contents  of  my  powder-horn.  The  wounded 
bird  afterwards  rose,  and  swam  with  great  buoyancy." 

The  eggs  of  this  bird  are  most  generally  a  creamy-drab 
color,  with  numerous  blotches  and  spots  of  blackish-brown. 
Their  form  is  ovoidal ;  and  their  dimensions  vary  from  2.30 
to  2.12  inch  in  length  by  from  1.62  to  1.50  in  breadth. 

STREPSILAS,  ILLIGER. 

Strepsilas,  ILLTGER,  Prodromus  (1811).     (Type  Tringa  interpres,  L.) 
Upper  jaw  with  the  culmen  straight  from  the  nasal  groove  to  near  the  slightly 
upward  bent  tip;  the  bill  tapering  to  a  rather  blunt  point;  no  membrane  between 
the  anterior  toes;  hind  toe  lengthened,  touching  the  ground;   legs  transversely 
scutellate  anteriorly;  reticulated  laterally  and  behind;   tail  rounded. 

28 


434  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

The  nasal  groove  is  very  broad  and  shallow,  obtuse  anteriorly,  and  not  extend- 
ing beyond  the  middle  of  the  bill;  the  lower  edge  of  upper  jaw  ascends  slightly 
from  the  middle  to  near  the  tip. 


STEEPSILAS   INTERPRES.—  Hliger. 
The  Turnstone. 

Tringa  interpret,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  248.  Wils.  Am.  Orn ,  VII. 
(1813)  32. 

Strepsilas  interpres,  Illiger.  Prod.  (1811),  263.  Nutt.,  II.  30.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog., 
IV.  (1838)  31.  /&.,  Birds  Am.,  V.  (1842)  231. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Upper  parts  rather  irregularly  variegated  with  black,  dark-rufous,  and  white ; 
head  and  neck  above  generally  white,  with  numerous  spots  and  stripes  of  brownish- 
black  on  the  crown  and  occiput;  space  in  front  of  the  eye  white,  usually  surrounded 
with  black;  throat  white,  on  each  side  of  which 'is  a  stripe  of  black  running  from 
the  base  of  the  bill  downwards  and  joining  a  large  space  of  the  same  color  (black) 
on  the  neck  before  and  breast;  abdomen,  under  wing  coverts,  under  tail  coverts, 
back,  and  rump,  white;  quills  brownish-black,  with  their  shafts  white;  tail  white  at 
base,  with  its  terminal  half  brownish-black,  and  tipped  with  white;  greater  wing 
coverts  widely  tipped  with  white,  forming  a  conspicuous  oblique  bar  across  the 
wing;  bill  black;  legs  orange;  in  winter,  the  black  of  the  upper  parts  is  more 
apparent,  and  the  rufous  is  of  less  extent  and  of  lighter  shade;  iris  hazel. 

Total  length,  about  nine  inches;  wing,  six;  tail,  two  and  a  half  inches. 

Hab.  —  Shores  of  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific,  throughout  North  America.  One  of 
the  most  widely  diffused  of  birds,  being  found  in  nearly  all  parts  of  the  world. 

It  is  only  on  the  seacoast,  and  in  very  small  numbers 
even,  that  this  bird  is  found  in  New  England  as  a  spring 
and  summer  visitor.  It  occasionally  is  found  in  company 
with  some  of  the  Sandpipers  and  other  beach-birds;  but 
usually  appears  alone,  or  in  parties  of  two  or  three,  on  the 
beach,  or  on  the  shores  of  sandy  rivers  that  empty  into 
the  ocean,  near  their  outlets.  It  is  almost  always  actively 
employed  in  turning  over  the  pebbles  and  small  stones  with 
its  strong,  sharp  bill,  beneath  which  it  finds  small  marine 
animals  and  eggs,  on  which  it  principally  feeds.  It  also 
eats  greedily,  according  to  Wilson,  on  the  eggs  of  the 
Horse-shoe,  or  King  Crab,  and  small  shell-fish,  and  occa- 
sionally wades  into  the  water  for  a  shrimp  or  other  small 
animal  that  is  left  in  a  shallow  pool  by  the  retiring  waves. 
It  breeds  on  the  most  northern  sections  of  the  continent, 


THE   TURNSTONE.  435 

building  its  nest  in  the  Hudson's  Bay  country,  early  in 
June:  this  nest  is  nothing  but  a  slight  hollow  scratched 
in  the  earth,  and  lined  with  a  few  pieces  of  grass  or  sea- 
weed. The  eggs  are  four  in  number :  they  are  of  an  olive 
color,  sometimes  a  drab ;  and  are  marked  with  spots  and 
blotches  of  reddish  and  black,  chiefly  at  the  greater  end, 
where  they  are  confluent,  and  nearly  cover  and  conceal 
the  ground-color.  Their  form  is  abruptly  pyriform ;  and 
their  dimensions  average  about  1.55  by  1.15  inch. 

It  is  rarely  that  we  find  two  specimens  of  this  bird  in  the 
full  plumage,  or  marked  alike  :  they  exhibit  all  the  varieties, 
from  almost  entirely  gray  on  their  upper  parts,  to  the 
plumage  described  above. 


436  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 


FAMILY  RECURVIROSTRID^.     THE  AVOSETS. 

Legs  covered  with  hexagonal  plates,  becoming  smaller  behind;  anterior  toes  all 
connected  more  or  less  by  membrane;  bill  much  lengthened  and  attenuated;  the 
groove  along  the  side  of  the  upper  mandible  not  extending  beyond  the  middle; 
gums  denticulated  only  at  the  base. 

In  addition  to  the  features  above  mentioned,  these  birds  are  essentially  charac- 
terized by  the  excessive  length  of  the  legs,  with  a  very  long,  slender  neck  and  slen- 
der elongated  bill.  Of  the  several  genera  assigned  the  family,  but  two  belong  to 
the  United  States,  with  the  following  features:  — 

RECURVIKOSTKA  —  Hind  toe  present ;  toes  webbed  to  the  claws ;  bill  recurved 
at  tip. 

HIMANTOPUS. —  Hind  toe  wanting;  a  short  web  between  middle  and  outer  toes 
at  base;  bill  straight. 

RECUR VIROSTRA,  LINNAEUS. 

Recurrirostra,  LINN^US,  Syst.  Nat.  (1744).     Gray.    (Type  R.  avocetta,  L.) 
Hind  toe  rudimentary;  anterior  toes  united  to  the  claws  by  a  much  emarginated 

membrane;   bill  depressed,  extended  into  a  fine  point,  which  is  recurved;   tail 

covered  by  the  wings. 

RECURVIROSTRA  AMERICANA.  —  GmeKn. 
The  American  Avoset. 

Recurvirostra  Americana,  Gmelin.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1788)  693.  Wils.  Am.  Orn., 
VII.  (1813)  126.  Nutt.  Man.,  II.  78.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  (1838)  168.  Jb.,  Birds 
Am.,  VI.  (1843)  247. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  rather  long,  depressed ;  wings  long ;  legs  long ;  tarsi  compressed ;  tail  short. 

Adult.  —  Head  and  neck  pale  reddish-brown,  darker  on  the  head,  and  fading 
gradually  into  white;  back,  wing  coverts,  and  quills,  black;  scapulars,  tips  of 
greater  wing  coverts,  rump  and  tail,  and  entire  under  parts,  white,  the  last  frequently 
tinged  with  reddish;  bill  brownish-black;  legs  bluish. 

Young.  —  Very  similar  to  the  adult,  but  with  the  head  and  neck  white,  frequently 
tinged  with  ashy  on  the  head  and  neck  behind;  iris  carmine. 

Total  length,  about  seventeen  inches;  wing,  eight  and  a  half  to  nine;  tail,  three 
and  a  half;  bill  to  gape,  three  and  three-quarters ;  tarsus,  three  and  a  half  inches. 

THIS  bird  is  a  rare  summer  visitor  in  New  England. 
I  am  unacquainted  with  its  habits,  having  never  met 
with  one  alive ;  and  I  must  avail  myself  of  the  observations 
of  others.     Wilson  says,  — 


THE    AMERICAN   AVOSET.  437 

"  In  describing  the  Long-legged  Avoset,  the  similarity  between 
that  and  the  present  was  taken  notice  of.  This  resemblance 
extends  to  every  thing  but  their  color.  I  found  both  these  birds 
associated  together  on  the  salt  marshes  of  New  Jersey,  on  the  20th 
of  May.  They  were  then  breeding.  Individuals  of  the  present 
species  were  few  in  respect  to  the  other.  They  flew  around  the 
shallow  pools  exactly  in  the  manner  of  the  Long-legs ;  uttering 
the  like  sharp  note  of  click,  click,  click  ;  alighting  on  the  marsh  or 
in  the  water  indiscriminately ;  fluttering  their  loose  wings,  and  shak- 
ing their  half-bent  legs,  as  if  ready  to  tumble  over ;  keeping  up  a 
continual  yelping  note.  They  were,  however,  rather  more  shy, 
and  kept  at  a  greater  distance.  One  which  I  wounded  attempted 
repeatedly  to  dive ;  but  the  water  was  too  shallow  to  permit  him  to 
do  this  with  facility.  The  nest  was  built  among  the  thick  tufts  of 
grass,  at  a  small  distance  from  one  of  these  pools.  It  was  com- 
posed of  small  twigs  of  a  seaside  shrub,  dry  grass,  seaweed,  &c., 
raised  to  the  height  of  several  inches.  The  eggs  were  four,  of  a 
dull-olive  color,  marked  with  large,  irregular  blotches  of  black,  and 
with  others  of  a  fainter  tint. 

"  This  species  arrives  on  the  coast  of  Cape  May  late  in  April, 
rears  its  young,  and  departs  again  to  the  South  early  in  October. 
While  here,  it  almost  constantly  frequents  the  shallow  pools  in  the 
salt  marshes  ;  wading  about,  often  to  the  belly,  in  search  of  food,  — 
viz.,  marine  worms,  snails,  and  various  insects  that  abound  among 
the  soft,  muddy  bottoms  of  the  pools." 

Audubon,  who  found  it  breeding  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Yincennes,  in  the  State  of  Indiana,  describes  the  nest  and 
eggs  as  follows  :  — 

"The  nests  were  placed  among  the  tallest  grasses,  and  were 
entirely  composed  of  the  same  materials,  but  dried,  and  apparently 
of  a  former  year's  growth.  There  was  not  a  twig  of  any  kind 
about  them.  The  inner  nest  was  about  five  inches  in  diameter,  and 
lined  with  fine  prairie  grass,  different  from  that  found  on  the  islets 
of  the  pond,  and  about  two  inches  in  depth,  over  a  bed  having  a 
thickness  of  an  inch  and  a  half.  The  islets  did  not  seem  to  be 
liable  to  inundation ;  and  none  of  the  nests  exhibited  any  appearance 
of  having  been  increased  in  elevation  since  the  commencement  of 


438  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

incubation,  as  was  the  case  with  those  described  by  Wilson.  Like 
those  of  most  Waders,  the  eggs  were  four  in  number,  and  placed 
with  the  small  ends  together.  They  measured  two  inches  in  length, 
one  inch  and  three-eighths  in  their  greatest  breadth,  and  were 
exactly,  as  Wilson  tells  us,  '  of  a  dull-olive  color,'  &c.  To  this  I 
have  to  add  that  they  are  pear-shaped  and  smooth." 

MACRORHAMPHUS,  LEACH. 

Macr&rhamphus,  "LEACH,  Catal.  Brit.  Birds,  1816."  Gray.  (Scolopax  grisea.) 
Gmelin. 

General  appearance  of  Gallinago.  Tarsi  longer  than  middle  toe;  a  short  web 
between  the  base  of  outer  and  middle  toe. 

The  membrane  at  the  base  of  the  toes  will  at  once  distinguish  this  genus  from 
Gattinago,  though  there  are  other  characters  involved. 

MACEOEHAMPHUS  GEISEUS.  —  (Gm.)  Leach. 
The  Eed-breasted  Snipe  ;  Gray  Snipe. 

Scolopax  grisea,  Gmelin.    Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1788)  658,  No.  27. 
Scolyax  Nvceboracensis,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  VII.  (1813)  45.    Aud.  Orn.  Biog., 
IV.  (1838)  285.    /&.,  Birds  Amer.,  VI.  (1843)  10. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  long,  compressed,  flattened,  and  expanded  towards  the  end,  and,  in  the  same 
space,  punctulated  and  corrugated ;  wing  rather  long ;  shaft  of  first  primary  strong ; 
tail  short;  legs  rather  long. 

Adult.  —  Upper  parts  variegated  with  dark-ashy,  pale-reddish,  and  black,  the  lat- 
ter predominating  on  the  back;  rump  and  upper  tail  coverts  white,  the  latter 
spotted  and  barred  transversely  with  black ;  under  parts  pale  ferruginous-red,  with 
numerous  points  and  circular  spots  of  brownish-black  on  the  neck  before,  and 
transverse  bands  of  the  same  on  the  sides  and  under  tail  coverts;  axillary  feathers 
and  under  wing  coverts  white,  spotted  and  transversely  barred  with  black ;  quills 
brownish-black;  shaft  of  first  primary  white;  tail  brownish-black,  with  numerous 
transverse  bands  of  ashy-white,  and  frequently  tinged  with  ferruginous,  especially 
on  the  two  middle  feathers :  bill  greenish-black ;  legs  dark  greenish-brown. 

Younger. — Entire  under  parts  dull-white,  strongly  marked  with  dull-ashy  on 
the  neck  in  front,  and  transverse  bands  of  the  same  on  the  sides;  axillary  feathers 
and  under  wing  coverts  white,  spotted  with  brownish-black;  upper  parts  lighter 
than  in  the  adult. 

Total  length,  about  ten  inches;  wing,  five  and  three-quarters;  tail,  two  and  a 
quarter;  bill,  two  and  a  quarter;  tarsus,  one  and  a  quarter  inch. 

Hob. — Entire  temperate  regions  of  North  America. 

This  handsome  bird  is  found  in  small  numbers  in  the 
marshes  along  our  coast,  in  the  spring  and  autumn  migra- 


THE   RED-BREASTED   SNIPE.  439 

tions.  It  seldom  penetrates  into  the  inland  waters  of  New 
England,  but  prefers  the  salt  marshes.  I  think  that  it  is 
much  more  of  a  beach  bird  than  the  Common  Snipe ;  for  it 
is  often  found  on  the  beach  of  the  seashore,  while  the 
other  is  never  seen  there,  so  far  as  my  experience  goes.  It 
is  never  found  in  such  numbers  here  as  Wilson  speaks  of 
in  the  following  description,  but  is  seen  in  small  bunches 
of  six  or  eight :  — 

"  The  Red-breasted  Snipe  arrives  on  the  seacoast  of  New  Jer- 
sey early  in  April,  is  seldom  or  never  seen  inland :  early  in  May, 
it  proceeds  to  the  North  to  breed,  and  returns  by  the  latter  part  of 
July  or  beginning  of  August.  During  its  stay  here,  it  flies  in 
flocks,  sometimes  very  high,  and  has  then  a  loud  and  shrill  whistle ; 
making  many  evolutions  over  the  marshes ;  forming,  dividing,  and 
re-uniting.  They  sometimes  settle  in  such  numbers,  and  so  close 
together,  that  eighty-five  have  been  shot  at  one  discharge  of  a  mus- 
ket. They  spring  from  the  marshes  with  a  loud,  twirling  whistle, 
generally  rising  high,  and  making  several  circuitous  manoeuvres  in 
the  air  before  they  descend.  They  frequent  the  sand-bars  and  mud 
flats,  at  low  water,  in  search  of  food ;  and,  being  less  suspicious  of 
a  boat  than  of  a  person  on  shore,  are  easily  approached  by  this 
medium,  and  shot  down  in  great  numbers.  They  usually  keep  by 
themselves,  being  very  numerous ;  are  in  excellent  order  for  the 
table  in  September;  and,  on  the  approach  of  winter,  retire  to 
the  South. 

"  I  have  frequently  amused  myself  with  the  various  action  of 
these  birds.  They  fly  very  rapidly,  sometimes  wheeling,  coursing, 
and  doubling  along  the  surface  of  the  marshes ;  then  shooting  high 
in  air,  there  separating  and  forming  in  various  bodies,  uttering  a 
kind  of  .quivering  whistle.  Among  many  which  I  opened  in  May, 
were  several  females  that  had  very  little  rufous  below ;  and  the 
backs  were  also  much  lighter,  and  less  marbled  with  ferruginous. 
The  eggs  contained  in  their  ovaries  were  some  of  them  as  large  as 
garden  peas.  Their  stomachs  contained  masses  of  those  small  snail 
shells  that  lie  in  millions  on  the  salt  marshes.  The  wrinkles  at  the 
base  of  the  bill,  and  the  red  breast,  are  strong  characters  of  this 
species,  as  also  the  membrane  which  unites  the  outer  and  middle 
toes  together." 


440  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

Of  the  breeding  habits,  nest,  and  eggs  of  this  species,  I 
am  ignorant ;  and  I  find  no  description  of  either  in  any 
work  to  which  I  have  access. 


Tribe  TRTNGE^E. — The  Sandpipers. 

Bill  shorter  than  the  naked  leg,  widened  or  rather  spoon-shaped  at  the  end,  with 
the  edges  not  bent  over;  roof  of  mouth  excavated  to  the  tip;  no  groove  along  the 
culmen;  ear  behind  the  eye;  tail  without  bands? 


TRINGA,  LTNN^US. 
Tringa,  LINN.EUS.    Syst.  Nat ,  (1735).     (Type  T.  canutus,  L.) 

DESCRIPTION. 

Size  moderate  or  small ;  general  form  adapted  to  dwelling  on  the  shores  of  both 
salt  and  fresh  waters,  and  subsisting  on  minute  or  small  animals,  in  pursuit  of 
which  they  carefully  examine  and  probe  with  their  bills  sandy  or  muddy  deposits 
and  growths  of  aquatic  plants,  rocks,  or  other  localities;  flight  rather  rapid,  but 
not  very  strong  nor  long  continued;  bill  moderate,  or  rather  long,  straight  or 
?lightly  curved  towards  the  end,  which  is  general!}1"  somewhat  expanded  and  flat; 
longitudinal  grooves,  in  both  mandibles,  distinct,  and  nearly  the  whole  length  of  the 
bill;  wings  long,  pointed;  the  first  primary  longest;  tertiaries  long;  secondaries 
short,  with  their  tips  obliquely  incised;  tail  short;  legs  moderate,  or  rather  long, 
slender;  the  lower  portion  of  the  tibia  naked,  and  with  the  tarsus  covered  in  front 
and  behind  with  transverse  scales;  hind  toe  very  small ;  fore  toes  rather  slender, 
with  a  membranous  margin,  scaly  and  flattened  underneath,  free  at  base. 

This  genus  comprises  a  large  number  of  species  of  all  parts  of  the  world, 
some  of  which  are  very  extensively  diffused,  especially  during  the  season  of  their 
southern  or  autumnal  migration.  Generally,  these  birds  are  met  with  in  flocks,  fre- 
quenting every  description  of  locality  near  water,  and  industriously  searching  for 
the  minute  animals  on  which  they  feed.  The  species  of  the  United  States  are  mi- 
grators', rearing  their  young  in  the  north,  and,  in  autumn  and  winter,  extending  to 
the  confines  of  the  Republic  and  into  South  America.  The  colors  of  the  spring  and 
autumnal  plumage  are  different  in  nearly  all  species,  though  that  of  the  two  sexes  is 
very  similar. 

TRINGA    CANUTUS.  —  Linnasus. 
The  Gray-back;  Robin  Snipe. 

Tringa  canutus,  Linnaeus.    Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  251. 

Tringa  cinerea,  Gmelin.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1788)  673.  Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  VII. 
(1813)  86. 

Tringa  ulandica,  Audubon.  Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  (1838)  130.  75.,  Birds  Am.,  V. 
(1842)  254. 

Tringa  rvfa,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  VII.  (1813)  57. 


THE   GRAY-BACK.  441 

DESCRIPTION. 

Large;  bill  straight,  rather  longer  than  the  head,  compressed,  slightly  enlarged 
at  the  tip;  upper  mandible  with  the  nasal  groove  extending  to  near  the  tip;  legs 
moderate;  tibia  with  its  lower  third  part  naked;  neck  moderate;  wing  long;  tail 
short;  toes  free  at  base,  flattened  beneath,  widely  margined ;  hind  toe  slender,  small; 
entire  upper  parts  light-gray,  with  lanceolate,  linear,  and  irregular  spots  of  black, 
and  others  of  pale-reddish ;  rump  and  upper  tail  coverts  white,  with  transverse  nar- 
row bands  and  crescent-shaped  spots  of  black;  under  parts  light  brownish-red, 
paler  in  the  middle  of  the  abdomen ;  under  tail  coverts,  tibial  feathers,  flanks,  axil- 
lary feathers,  and  under  wing  coverts  white,  generally  with  spots  and  transverse 
bars  of  brownish-black;  quills  brownish-black,  with  their  shafts  white;  tail  light 
brownish-cinereous  (without  spots  or  bars);  all  the  feathers  edged  with  white,  and 
frequently  with  a  second  sub-edging  of  dark-brown;  bill  brownish-black;  legs 
greenish-black. 

Young  and  Winter  Plumage. — Upper  parts  brownish-ashy,  darker  on  the  back, 
every  feather  having  a  sub-terminal  edging  of  brownish-black,  and  tipped  with  dull 
ashy-white;  rump  white,  with  crescents  of  black;  under  parts  dull  ashy-white, 
nearly  pure  on  the  abdomen,  but  with  numerous  longitudinal  lines,  and  small  spots 
of  dark-brown  on  the  breast  and  neck;  sides  with  crescent-shaped  and  irregular 
spots  of  brownish-black ;  an  obscure  line  of  dull-white  over  and  behind  the  eve. 

Total  length  (from  tip  of  bill  to  end  of  tail),  about  ten  inches;  wing,  six  and  a 
half;  tail,  two  and  a  half;  bill  from  gape,  one  and  a  half;  tarsus,  one  and  a  quarter 
inches.  Female  larger? 

This  is  the  largest  of  the  Sandpipers  of  the  United  States,  and  appears  to  be 
restricted  to  the  shores  of  the  Atlantic  in  this  division  of  the  continent  of  America. 
We  have  never  seen  it  from  the  Pacific  Coast. 

In  the  United  States,  this  bird  is  known  as  the  Red-breasted  Snipe,  or  sometimes 
as  the  Gray-backed  Snipe,  though  we  have  never  heard  the  name  "Knot"  applied 
to  it,  which  appears  to  be  a  common  appellation  of  the  same  species  in  Europe,  and 
is  given  by  American  authors.  This  is  one  of  the  few  species  of  birds  which  appears 
to  be  absolutely  identical  with  a  species  of  Europe,  and  is  of  very  extensive  diffu- 
sion over  the  world,  especially  in  the  season  of  southern  migration. 

The  bird  has  received  a  variety  of  names,  of  which  the  very  first  appears  to  be 
that  adopted  at  the  head  of  this  article. 

This  species  appears  in  New  England  only  in  the  migra- 
tions in  spring  and  autumn.  It  is  only  seen  on  the  shore, 
and  with  us  only  in  small  flocks  of  eight  or  ten.  I  have 
had  no  opportunities  of  observing  its  habits,  and  will  give 
the  description  by  Wilson  :  — 

"  In  activity  it  is  superior  to  the  preceding,  and  traces  the  flow- 
ing and  recession  of  the  waves  along  the  sandy  beach  with  great 
nimbleness,  wading  and  searching  among  the  loosened  particles  for 
its  favorite  food,  which  is  a  small,  thin,  oval,  bivalve  shell-fish,  of  a 
white  or  pearl  color,  and  not  larger  than  the  seed  of  an  apple. 


442  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

These  usually  lie  at  a  short  depth  below  the  surface ;  but,  in  some 
places,  are  seen  at  low  water  in  heaps,  like  masses  of  wet  grain,  in 
quantities  of  more  than  a  bushel  together.  During  the  latter  part 
of  summer  and  autumn,  these  minute  shell-fish  constitute  the  food 
of  almost  all  those  busy  flocks  that  run  with  such  activity  along  the 
sands,  among  the  flowing  and  retreating  waves.  They  are  univer- 
sally swallowed  whole;  but  the  action  of  the  bird's  stomach, 
assisted  by  the  shells  themselves,  soon  reduces  them  to  a  pulp.  If 
we  may  judge  from  their  effects,  they  must  be  extremely  nutritious  ; 
for  almost  all  those  tribes  that  feed  on  them  are  at  this  season  mere 
lumps  of  fat.  Digging  for  these  in  the  hard  sand  would  be  a  work 
of  considerable  labor ;  whereas,  when  the  particles  are  loosened  by 
the  flowing  of  the  sea,  the  birds  collect  them  with  great  ease  and 
dexterity.  It  is  amusing  to  observe  with  what  adroitness  they  fol- 
low and  elude  the  tumbling  surf,  while,  at  the  same  time,  they  seem 
wholly  intent  on  collecting  their  food. 

"  The  Ash-colored  Sandpiper,  the  subject  of  our  present  account, 
inhabits  both  Europe  and  America.  It  has  been  seen  in  great 
numbers  on  the  Seal  Islands,  near  Chatteaux  Bay ;  is  said  to  con- 
tinue the  whole  summer  in  Hudson's  Bay,  and  breeds  there.  Mr. 
Pennant  suspects  that  it  also  breeds  in  Denmark,  and  says  that 
they  appear  in  vast  flocks  on  the  Flintshire  shore  during  the  winter 
season.  With  us  they  are  also  migratory,  being  only  seen  in 
spring  and  autumn.  They  are  plump  birds ;  and,  by  those  accus- 
tomed to  the  sedgy  taste  of  this  tribe,  are  esteemed  excellent 
eating." 

Of  the  breeding  habits,  nest,  eggs,  &c.,  I  am  ignorant. 

ARQUATELLA,  BAIRD. 

TEINGA    MARITIMA.  —  Brunnich. 

The  Purple  Sandpiper. 

Tringa  maritima,  Brunnich.  Orn.  Bor.  (1764),  54.  Nutt.  Man.,  II.  115.  Aud. 
Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835)  558.  76.,  Birds  Am.,  V.  (1842)  261. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  rather  longer  than  the  head,  straight,  compressed;  nasal  groove  long;  jvings 
long;  tail  short,  rounded;  legs  moderate;  toes  free  at  base,  flattened  underneath  and 
slightly  margined;  hind  toe  small;  entire  head  and  upper  parts  dark  smoky-brown, 


THE    CURLEW   SANDPIPER.  443 

with  a  purple  and  violet  tinge,  strongest  on  the  back  and  scapulars ;  under  parts 
from  the  breast  white,  generally  with  longitudinal  spot  of  dark-ashy;  wing  coverts 
more  or  less  edged  and  tipped  with  white ;  quills  brownish-black,  edged  with  white ; 
middle  tail  feathers  brownish-black,  outer  feathers  lighter,  with  their  shafts  white; 
axillaries  and  under  wing  coverts  white;  bill  yellow  at  base,  dark  at  tip;  legs 
yellow. 

Total  length,  about  eight  to  nine  inches;  wing,  five;  tail,  two  and  a  half;  bill 
from  gape,  one  and  a  quarter;  tarsus,  one  inch;  iris  orange. 

Hob.  —  Eastern  North  America ;  Europe. 

This  species  is  not  uncommon  on  our  shores  during  the 
spring  and  autumn  migrations,  where  they  are  active  and 
busy  in  their  search  for  small  shell-fish,  and  crustaceans, 
which  constitute  their  principal  food.  They  have  all  the 
characteristics  of  the  Spotted  Sandpiper  while  with  us,  and, 
from  'their  preference  to  rocky  beaches  and  shores,  are  often 
called  Rock  Snipes.  They  proceed  to  the  most  northern 
portions  of  the  continent  to  breed,  where,  according  to  Dr. 
Richardson,  they  lay  four  eggs,  which  are  "  pyriform,  six- 
teen and  a  half  lines  long,  and  an  inch  across  at  their  great- 
est breadth.  Their  color  is  yellowish-gray,  interspersed 
with  small  irregular  spots  of  pale  brown,  crowded*  at  the 
obtuse  end,  and  rare  at  the  other." 


TRINGA    SUBARQUATA — Temm. 
The  Curlew  Sandpiper. 

Tringa  subarquata,  Temm.  Man.,  II.  (1820)  609.  Nutt.  Man.,  II.  104.  Aud. 
Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835)  444.  /&.,  Birds  Am.,  V.  (1842)  269. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  rather  longer  than  the  head,  slender,  compressed,  slightly  curved  towards 
the  tip,  which  is  somewhat  expanded;  both  mandibles  grooved;  wing  long,  pointed; 
tail  short;  legs  long,  slender;  toes  moderate,  marginated  and  flattened  underneath. 
Upper  parts  brownish-black,  nearly  every  feather  edged  and  spotted  with  bright 
yellowish-red,  rump  ashy-brown,  upper  coverts  of  the  tail  white,  with  transverse 
bands  of  brownish- black ;  wings  ashy-brown,  shafts  of  primaries  white ;  under  parts 
fine  dark-yellowish  rufous;  sides,  axillaries,  and  under  tail  coverts,  white ;  under 
surface  of  wing  white ;  tail  pale  brownish-ashy,  with  a  greenish  gloss ;  bill  and  legs 
greenish-brown. 

Young.  —  Upper  parts  much  more  ashy,  and  with  little  of  the  red  of  the  preced- 
ing ;  under  parts  entirely  dull-white,  tinged  with  yellowish  on  the  breast  and  sides ; 
an  obscure  line  over  the  eye  ashy-white ;  outer  feathers  of  the  tail  nearly  white. 


444  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

Total  length,  about  eight  and  a  half  to  nine  inches ;  wing,  five ;  tail,  two  and  a 
quarter;  bill,  from  gape,  one  and  a  quarter  to  one  and  a  half;  tarsus,  one  to  one  and 
a  quarter  inches ;  iris  hazel. 

Hob.—  Atlantic  coast  of  the  United  States,  rare;  Europe;  Asia;  Africa. 

This  is  undoubtedly  the  most  rare  of  all  our  shore  birds. 
I  found  a  single  specimen  in  a  bunch  of  Sandpipers  shot  on 
Cape  Ann,  in  the  autumn  of  1865,  for  sale  in  the  principal 
market  in  Boston.  This  is  the  only  instance  that  has  come 
to  my  own  knowledge  of  its  being  found  here.  Audubon 
speaks  of  two  ;  and  other  writers,  of  a  few  more  in  different 
years.  Of  its  breeding  habits,  nest,  eggs,  &c.,  I  am  igno- 
rant. 

TEINGA    ALPINA    var.    AMERICANA.  —  Cassin. 
The  Red-backed  Sandpiper;  Grass-bird. 

Tringa  alpina,  Linnaus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  249.  Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  VII.  (1813) 
25.  Nutt.  Man.,  II.  106.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835)  580.  76.,  Birds  Am.,  V. 
(1842)  266. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  longer  than  the  head,  wide  at  base,  curved,  slightly  widened  and  flattened 
towards  the  end;  nasal  groove  and  another  groove  in  the  under  mandible  long 
and  very  distinct ;  wings  long ;  tail  short,  with  the  two  middle  feathers  longest  and 
pointed;  legs  rather  long  and  slender,  lower  half  of  the  tibia  naked;  toes  moderate, 
free  at  base,  flattened  underneath  and  slightly  marginated ;  claws  much  compressed, 
hind  toe  small ;  upper  parts  yellowish-red,  mixed  with  ashy,  and  every  feather  hav- 
ing a  lanceolate,  ovate,  or  narrow  spot  in  the  centre,  most  numerous  on  the  back  and 
rump ;  front,  sides  of  the  head,  and  entire  under  parts,  ashy-white ;  nearly  pure-white 
on  the  abdomen  and  under  tail  coverts ;  a  wide  tranverse  band  of  black  across  the 
lower  part  of  the  breast ;  neck  before  and  upper  part  of  the  breast  with  narrow 
longitudinal  spots  of  brownish -black;  under  wing  coverts  and  axillary  feathers 
white;  quills  light  ashy-brown,  darker  on  their  outer  edges,  with  their  shafts  white; 
tail  feathers  light  ashy-brown ;  middle  feathers  darker,  outer  nearly  white ;  bill  and 
legs  brownish-black ;  sexes  alike ;  iris  dark-hazel. 

Winter  Plumage.  —  Entire  upper  parts  dark-ashy,  nearly  black  on  the  rump,  and 
upper  tail  coverts;  throat,  abdomen,  axillaries  and  under  wing  coverts,  white; 
breast  pale-ashy,  with  longitudinal  lines  of  dark-brown. 

Total  length,  eight  to  eight  and  a  half  inches ;  wing,  five ;  tail,  two  and  a  quar- 
ter, bill,  from  gape,  one  and  a  half;  tarsus,  one  inch. 

Hob.  —Entire  temperate  regions  of  North  America. 

This  is  a  rather  abundant  species  on  our  shores  in  the 
spring  and  autumn  migrations.  It  appears  here  about 
the  last  week  in  April  or  first  week  in  May,  and  frequents 


THE   PECTORAL   SANDPIPER.  445 

the  beach,  where  it  has  all  the  habits  and  activity  of  the 
other  Sandpipers,  running  along  the  edge  of  the  surf,  and 
gleaning  in  the  waves  and  on  the  sands  its  food  of  small 
marine  animals.  It  mixes  with  the  other  species,  but  is 
readily  distinguished  from  them  by  the  brightness  of  its 
plumage.  It  is  in  best  condition  for  cabinet  preservation 
in  the  vernal  migration.  It  passes  leisurely  to  the  most 
northern  sections  of  the  continent,  where  it  passes  the 
breeding  season.  Maggillivray  describes  the  breeding  habits 
as  follows :  — 

"  The  nest  is  a  slight  hollow  in  a  dry  place,  having  a  few  bits  of 
withered  heath  and  grass  irregularly  placed  in  it.  The  eggs,  four 
in  number,  are  ovato-pyriform,  an  inch  and  four-twelfths  in  length, 
eleven-twelfths  in  breadth,  oil-green  or  light  greenish-yellow,  irregu- 
larly spotted  and  blotched  with  deep-brown ;  the  spots  becoming 
more  numerous  toward  the  larger  end,  where  they  are  confluent. 
The  young,  like  those  of  the  Golden  Plover  and  Lapwing,  leave 
the  nest  immediately  after  exclusion,  run  about,  and,  when  alarmed, 
conceal  themselves  by  sitting  close  to  the  ground  and  remaining 
motionless." 

This  species,  when  it  returns  in  the  autumn,  late  in  Sep- 
tember, is  very  fat,  and  is  considered  delicate  and  palatable 
as  food. 

ACTODROMAS,  KAUP. 

TRINGA    MACULATA.—  Vieillot. 

The  Pectoral  Sandpiper. 

Tringa  maculata,  Vieillot.    Nouv.  Diet.,  XXXIV.  (1819)  465. 
Tringa  pectoralis,  Nuttall.    Man.,  II.  111.    Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835)  601 ; 
V.  582.    /&.,  Birds  Am.,  V.  (1842),  259. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  rather  longer  than  the  head,  compressed,  slightly  depressed  and  expanded  at 
the  tip ;  nasal  groove  long ;  wings  long ;  legs  rather  long ;  tibia  with  nearly  its  lower 
half  naked;  toes  free  at  base,  flattened  underneath  and  slightly  margined;  tail  rather 
short ;  middle  feathers  pointed ;  entire  upper  parts  brownish-black ;  all  the  feathers 
edged  and  tipped  with  ashy  and  brownish -red;  rump  and  upper  tail  coverts  black, 
some  of  the  outer  feathers  of  the  latter  edged  with  white ;  line  from  the  bill  over 


446  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

the  eye  ashy-white ;  throat,  abdomen,  under  wing  coverts,  axillary  feathers,  and 
under  tail  coverts,  white ;  breast  and  neck  before  ashy-white ;  all  the  feathers  darker 
at  base,  and  with  partially  concealed  lanceolate  or  pointed  spots  of  brownish-black; 
quills  brownish-black;  shaft  of  first  primary  white,  of  others  brown;  secondaries 
tipped  and  edged  with  white ;  tertiaries  edged  with  dull  reddish-yellow;  bill  and 
feet  dark  greenish-black ;  iris  dark-hazel. 

Total  length,  about  nine  inches;  wing,  five  and  a  quarter;  tail,  two  and  a  half; 
bill  to  gape,  one  and  one-eighth ;  tarsus,  one  inch. 

Hob.  —  The  entire  coasts  of  North  America;  South  America;  Europe. 

This  well-known  species  is  pretty  abundantly  distributed 
along  our  coast  in  the  spring  and  autumn  migrations,  when 
it  appears  in  small  flocks,  in  May,  in  the  former  seasons, 
and  in  August  and  September  in  the  latter.  It  has  all  the 
habits  of  the  other  Sandpipers,  but  is  more  often  seen  in 
the  marshes  and  meadows,  particularly  in  the  autumn,  than 
the  others,  where  it  eagerly  pursues  the  various  insects 
which  are  found  there,  particularly  the  grasshoppers  and 
crickets,  that  furnish  food  for  so  many  of  our  passing  birds. 
This  species  is  best  known  to  our  gunners  by  the  name  of 
the  Grass-bird.  It  is  a  favorite  with  them  because  of  its 
fine  flavor  on  the  table ;  and  it  is  found  in  considerable 
abundance  in  our  markets,  where  it  meets  a  ready  sale  at  a 
very  remunerative  price. 

TRINGA  BONAPARTII.  —  Schlegel. 
Bonaparte's  Sandpiper. 

Tringa  Schinzii,  Nuttall.  Man.,  II.  109.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835)  529. 
76.,  Birds  Amer.,  V.  (1842)  275. 

Tringa  Bmapartii,  Schlegel.    Rev.  Crit.  Ois.  Eur.,  (1844)  89. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Smaller;  bill  slightly  arched  towards  the  tip,  which  is  somewhat  enlarged  and 
flattened,  about  the  length  of  the  head ;  grooves  in  both  mandibles  long  and  nar- 
row;* wings  long;  secondary  quills  obliquely  incised  at  the  ends;  tail  rather  longer 
than  usual  in  this  group,  with  the  feathers  broad;  legs  rather  long  and  slender;  toes 
free  at  base;  hind  toe  very  small;  upper  parts  light  ashy-brown;  darker  on  the 
rump;  nearly  all  the  feathers  with  ovate  or  wide  lanceolate  central  spots  of  brownish- 
black,  and  many  of  them  edged  with  bright  yellowish-red ;  upper  tail  coverts  white ; 
under  parts  white,  with  numerous  small  spots  of  dark-brown  on  the  neck  before, 
breast,  and  sides,  somewhat  disposed  to  form  transyerse  bands  on  the  last:  quills 
brownish-black,  darker  at  the  tips;  shaft  of  outer  primary  white,  of  others  light- 
brown;  middle  feathers  of  tail  brownish-black;  outer  feathers  lighter,  and  edged 


THE   LEAST   SANDPIPER.  447 

with  ashy-white ;  under  wing  coverts  and  axillaries  white ;  bill  and  feet  greenish- 
black  ;  iris  hazel. 

Total  length,  about  seven  inches ;  wing,  four  and  three-quarters ;  tail,  two  and  a 
quarter;  bill,  one;  tarsus,  rather  less  than  an  inch. 

Hob.  —  North  America,  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

This  bird  also  is  often  known  to  sportsmen  by  the  com- 
prehensive name  "  Grass-bird."  It  is  less  abundant  than 
the  preceding,  but  has  all  its  habits.  It  appears  in  small 
flocks  of  eight  or  ten,  and  frequents  the  marshes  and  marshy 
shores  in  preference  to  the  sandy  beach.  In  such  localities, 
it  feeds  upon  various  insects  and  aquatic  animals,  and  lar- 
vas  of  aquatic  insects ;  and  is  often  seen  in  fresh-water 
meadows,  at  a  considerable  distance  from  the  shore,  busy  in 
search  of  this  variety  of  food.  Nuttall  says  it  lays  four 
eggs,  smaller  than  those  of  the  T.  alpina,  of  a  yellowish- 
gray  color,  spotted  with  olive  or  chestnut-brown. 

TRINGA  WILSONIL  —  Nuttall. 
The  Least  Sandpiper;  Peep. 

Trlnga  pusilla,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  V.  (1812)  32.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  (1838) 
180.  76.,  Birds  Am.,  V.  (1842)  280. 

Tringa  Wilsonii,  Nuttall.    Man.,  II.  (1834)  121. 

DESCRIPTION. 

The  smallest  of  all  known  species  of  this  group  found  in  North  America ;  bill 
about  as  long  as  the  head,  slightly  curved  towards  the  end,  which  is  very  slightly 
expanded;  grooves  in  both  mandibles  to  near  the  tip;  wing  long;  tertiaries  nearly 
as  long  as  the  primaries;  tail  short;  middle  feathers  longest;  outer  feathers  fre- 
quently longer  than  the  intermediate ;  legs  long ;  lower  third  of  the  tibia  naked ; 
toes  long,  slender,  margined,  and  flattened  beneath;  hind  toe  small;  upper  parts  with 
nearly  every  feather  having  a  large  central  spot  of  brownish-black,  and  widely  mar- 
gined with  ashy  and  bright  brownish-red;  rump  and  middle  of  the  upper  tail 
coverts  black ;  outer  coverts  white,  spotted  with  black ;  stripe  over  the  eye,  throat, 
and  breast,  pale  ashy-white,  with  numerous  small  longitudinal  spots  of  ashy-brown ; 
abdomen  and  under  tail  coverts  white;  quills  dark-brown,  with  the  shafts  of  the 
primaries  white;  tertiaries  edged  with  reddish;  middle  feathers  of  the  tail  brownish- 
black;  outer  feathers  light  ashy-white;  under  surface  of  wing  light  brownish- ashy, 
with  a  large  spot  of  white  near  the  shoulder ;  axillary  feathers  white ;  bill  and  legs 
greenish-brown,  the  latter  frequently  yellowish-green. 

Total  length,  from  tip  of  bill  to  end  of  tail,  about  five  and  a  half  to  six  inches; 
wing,  three  and  a  half  to  three  and  three-quarters;  tail,  one  and  three-quarters;  bill 
to  gape,  three-quarters ;  tarsus,  three-quarters  of  an  inch. 

Hab.  —  Entire  temperate  North  America. 


448  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

The  Least  Sandpiper  or  "  Peep "  is  so  well  known  on 
our  shores  that  any  description  is  almost  superfluous.  It 
makes  its  appearance  early  in  May,  in  small  parties  of 
fivve  or  six,  and  quickly  proceeds  to  the  most  northern 
sections  of  the  continent,  where  it  breeds,  and  then  im- 
mediately returns  to  our  shores,  where  it .  remains  until 
early  in  October,  when  it  passes  on  to  the  South.  Au- 
dubon,  in  describing  its  breeding  habits,  says,  "  That 
this  species  is  naturally  disposed  to  seek  alpine  sections 
of  the  country  for  the  purpose  of  reproduction,  I  obtained 
abundant  proof  whilst  in  Labrador,  where  I  found  it  plen- 
tiful, and  breeding  on  the  moss-clad  crests  of  the  highest 
rocks,  within  short  distances  of  the  sea."  On  finding  the 
nest,  he  says,  — 

"  Four  beautiful  eggs,  larger  than  I  had  expected  to  see  pro- 
duced by  birds  of  so  small  a  size,  lay  fairly  beneath  my  eye,  as  I 
knelt  over  them  for  several  minutes  in  perfect  ecstasy.  The  nest 
had  been  formed  first,  apparently,  by  the  patting  of  the  little 
creatures'  feet  on  the  crisp  moss,  and  in  the  slight  hollow  thus 
produced  were  laid  a  few  blades  of  slender,  dry  grass,  bent  in  a 
circular  manner;  the  internal  diameter  of  the  nest  being  two 
inches  and  a  half,  and  its  depth  an  inch  and  a  quarter.  The  eggs, 
which  were  in  shape  just  like  those  of  the  Spotted  Sandpiper,  T. 
macularius,  measured  seven  and  a  half  eighths  of  an  inch  in  length, 
and  three-fourths  of  an  inch  in  breadth.  Their  ground-color  was  a 
rich  cream-yellow  tint,  blotched  and  dotted  with  very  dark  umber/ 
the  markings  larger  and  more  numerous  toward  the  broad  end. 
They  were  placed  with  their  broad  ends  together,  and  were  quite 
fresh.  The  nest  lay  under  the  lee  of  a  small  rock,  exposed  to  all 
the  heat  the  sun  can  afford  in  that  country." 

It  is  during  the  latter  part  of  August  and  the  greater 
part  of  September  that  this  species  is  most  abundant  in 
New  England,  where  it  generally  confines  itself  to  the  sea- 
coast,  but  sometimes  penetrates  to  the  large  tracts  of  water 
in  the  interior,  gleaning  there  its  food  of  small  shell-fish, 
crustaceans,  and  insects  in  the  pools  of  water  and  on  the 


THE   SANDERLING.  449 

sands  and  flats.    It  associates  in  large  flocks  at  that  season, 
and  often  with  other  birds. 


CALIDRIS,  CUVIER. 

Calidris,  CUVIER,  Anat.  Comp.,  V.  in  chart  (1805).    (Type  Tringa  arenaria,  L.) 
General  characters  of  Tringa,  but  without  hind  toe ;  bill  straight,  rather  longer 
than  the  head  and  tarsus,  widened  somewhat  or  spoon-shaped  at  the  end;  tail  doubly 
einarginate ;  toes  short;  middle  one  scarcely  two-thirds  the  tarsus. 


CALIDRIS  AEENARIA.—  Jlliger. 
The  Sanderling. 

Tringa  arenaria,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  251.  Aud.  Ora.  Biog.  76., 
Birds  Am.,  V.  (1842)  287. 

Calidris  arenaria,  Illiger.    Prod.  (1811),  249.    Nutt.  Man.,  II.  (1834)  4. 

Charadrius  calldris,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  255.  Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  VII. 
(1813)  68. 

Charadrius  rubidus.     Gm.,  I.  (1788)  688.    Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  VII.  (1813)  129. 

DESCRIPTION. 

No  hind  toe ;  front  toes  moderate  or  rather  long,  flattened  underneath ;  distinct- 
ly margined  with  a  membrane ;  bill  rather  longer  than  the  head,  straight,  rather 
thick ;  ridge  of  upper  mandible  flattened ;  nasal  groove  deep,  and  nearly  as  long  as 
the  upper  mandible,  not  so  distinct  in  the  lower;  both  mandibles  widened  and  flat- 
tened at  the  tip ;  aperture  of  the  nostril  large,  and  covered  with  a  membrane ;  wing 
long ;  tail  short,  with  the.  middle  feathers  longest ;  under  coverts  long  as  the  tail ; 
legs  moderate ;  lower  third  of  the  tibia  naked ;  upper  parts  light-ashy,  with  lanceo- 
late, hastate,  and  ovate  spots  of  brownish-black  on  the  top  of  the  head,  on  the  back, 
^scapulars,  and  shorter  quills ;  rump  and  upper  tail  coverts  with  fine  transverse  lines 
of  black ;  under  parts  pure-white ;  shoulders  brownish-black,  without  spots ;  quills 
brownish-black,  with  their  shafts  white,  and  much  paler  on  their  inner  webs ;  greater 
wing  coverts  widely  tipped  with  white;  middle  feathers  of  the  tail  ashy-brown, 
edged  with  white ;  outer  feathers  paler;  bill  and  legs  greenish-black;  sexes  alike; 
iris  brown. 

In  spring  plumage,  the  head,  neck,  and  breast  are  tinged  with  pale  yellow- 
ish-red, and  spotted  with  dark-brown ;  b/ick  and  scapulars  edged  and  tipped  with 
yellowish-red ;  rump  and  under  tail  coverts  ashy-brown ;  under  parts  of  the  body 
pure-white. 

Total  length,  seven  and  three-quarters  to  eight  inches ;  wing,  five ;  tail,  two ;  bill, 
about  one  inch ;  tarsus,  about  one  inch. 

Hob.  — Entire  temperate  regions  of  North  America,  South  America,  Europe. 

An  abundant  species  on  both  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  coasts  of  the  Republic,  and 
extending  its  range,  in  winter,  into  South  America.  We  can  find  no  reliable  dis- 
tinction between  the  American  and  the  European  bird,  though  specimens  differ 
quite  materially  in  size  and  length  of  bill. 

29 


450  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

The  Sanderling,  most  often  called  the  "  Beach-bird  "  by 
gunners,  is  pretty  abundant  on  our  shores  in  the  autumn 
migrations.  It  is  rarely  seen  in  spring,  but  seems  to  move 
by  us  in  passing  to  its  northern  breeding-grounds.  Accord- 
ing to  Mr.  Hutching,  it  breeds  on  the  coast  of  Hudson's 
Bay,  where  it  constructs,  on  the  marshes,  a  rude  nest  of 
grass,  laying  four  dusky  eggs,  spotted  with  black,  on  which 
it  begins  to  sit  about  the  middle  of  June.  Early  in  Septem- 
ber, sometimes  by  the  20th  of  August,  it  returns  to  our 
shores,  where  it  associates  with  the  Sandpipers  in  small 
flocks.  It  has  all  the  habits  and  characteristics  of  these 
birds,  busily  seeking  in  the  retreating  waves,  and  in  the 
pools  on  the  beach,  its  food  of  small  shells  and  crustaceans. 
It  is  quite  fat  in  the  autumn,  and  is  esteemed  by  many,  a 
fine-flavored  bird  for  the  table. 

EREUNETES,  ILLIGEE. 

Ereunetes,  ILLIGER.    Prod.  (1811),  262. 

The  bill  of  our  species  of  Ereunetes  is  quite  stout,  and  considerably  expanded,  by 
which  it  is  readily  distinguished  from  Actodromas  Wilsonii,  independently  of  the 
semipalmated  feet ;  the  tarsus  and  middle  toe  are  about  equal ;  the  tibia  denuded 
anteriorly  for  about  two-thirds  the  length  of  tarsus ;  the  basal  membrane  of  toes 
is  more  scolloped  out  interiorly  than  exteriorly ;  the  notch  externally  not  quite  as 
deep  as  to  the  first  joint,  although  the  membrane  extends  beyond  the  second. 
There  is  a  tendency  to  hexagonal  subdivision  in  the  bare  portion  of  tibia  anteriorly. 
The  tail  is  doubly  emarginate. 

EREUNETES  PETRIFICATUS.  —  Illiger. 
The  Semipalmated  Sandpiper;  Peep. 

Ereunetes  petrificatus,  Illiger.  Prod.  (1811),  262.  (Proved  identical  with  Tringa 
semipalmata,  Wils.,  by  Cabanis.) 

Tringa  semipalmata,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  VII.  (1813)  131.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  V. 
(1839)  111.  Jb.,  Birds  Am.,  V.  (1842)  277. 

Tringa  (heteropoda)  semipalmata,  Nuttall.    Man.,  IJ.  (1834)  136. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  about  the  length  of  the  head,  rather  thicker  than  usual  in  this  group;  both 
mandibles  somewhat  expanded  and  flattened  at  the  tip,  and  minutely  punctulated, 
as  in  the  genera  Scolopax  and  Gattinago;  wings  long;  legs  moderate,  rather  slen- 
der; toes  united  at  base  by  a  membrane,  which  is  large,  between  the  outer  and 
middle  toes,  extending  to  the  first  joint;  hind  toe  small;  tail  short,  with  the  middle 


THE    SEMIPALMATED    SANDPIPER.  451 

feathers  longest;  outer  feathers  frequently  longer  than  the  third,  presenting  a  doubly 
emarginate  character  to  the  tail ;  under  coverts  nearly  as  long  as  the  tail ;  upper 
parts  light  brownish-ashy,  with  lanceolate  or  ovate  spots  of  brownish-black  in  the 
middle  of  the  feathers;  rump  and  upper  tail  coverts  black;  front,  band  of  the  eye, 
and  entire  under  parts,  ashy-white,  with  small  spots  on  the  breast  of  ashy-brown ; 
quills  brownish-black,  lighter  on  their  inner  webs,  and  with  their  shafts  white; 
middle  feathers  of  the  tail  brownish-black;  outer  feathers  pale  brownish-ashy; 
under  wing  coverts  and  axillaries  white ;  bill  greenish-black ;  feet  dark,  the  lower 
part  of  the  tarsus  and  toes  frequently  tinged  with  yellow ;  upper  parts,  in  summer, 
mixed  with  light-reddish ;  iris  brown. 

Total  length,  about  six  and  a  half  inches ;  wing,  three  and  three-quarters ;  tail, 
one  and  three-quarters ;  bill,  from  gape,  three-quarters ;  tarsus,  three-quarters  to  one 
inch. 

This  abundant  little  species  is  singularly  variable  in  the  length  of  the  bill,  so 
much  so,  in  fact,  that  a  student  with  two  specimens  representing  extremes  in  this 
particular  would  deem  it  quite  impossible  that  they  could  be  identical  specifically. 

Hob.  —  Entire  temperate  regions  of  North  America ;  South  America. 

The  Semipalmated  Sandpiper  is  so  similar  in  its  general 
appearance  and  habits  with  the  common  "  Peep,"  that  it  is 
usually  confounded  with  that  bird  by  all  our  sportsmen.  It 
appears  at  the  same  time,  associates  with  it,  and  altogether 
might  easily  be  mistaken  for  it,  were  it  not  for  the  semi- 
palmation  of  this  species.  It  breeds  in  the  most  northern 
localities. 

Mr.  Hutchins  says  that  it  arrives  at  Severn  River,  in  the 
fur  countries,  in  great  numbers,  about  the  middle  of  May, 
where  it  builds  a  loose  nest  of  withered  grass  in  a  slight 
hollow  in  the  ground,  early  in  June,  and  lays  four  white 
eggs,  spotted  with  black  or  dusky-brown.  Like  the  "  Com- 
mon Peep,"  the  flight  of  this  bird  is  rapid  and  wavering, 
almost  exactly  resembling  that  of  the  Snipe.  It  also  has  the 
same  soft  call-note,  'tweet  'tweet,  that  the  other  has,  which 
it  utters  frequently,  both  while  on  the  strand  and  when 
flying. 


Sub-Family  TOTANIN.E.  —  The  Stilts. 

Bill  as  long  as  the  head,  or  longer ;  the  basal  portion  covered  with  soft  skin ;  the 
terminal  portion  (generally  at  least  half)  horny,  and  more  or  less  attenuated  and 
pointed  in  Tutanecs;  the  lateral  grooves  of  bill  extending  to  the  horny  terminal 
portion;  the  gape  of  mouth  extending  behind  the  base  of  oilmen;  toes  generally 


452  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

connected  by  a  basal  membrane;  the  tail  always  with,  distinct  transverse  bars  in 
North-American  species,  except  in  Heteroscelus. 

This  sub-family  appears  to  differ  from  most  Scolopacince  in  the  less  degree  of  sen- 
sitiveness in  the  tip  of  the  bill,  which  is  more  horny,  and  not  covered  by  soft  skin 
well  supplied  with  nerves.  The  toes  are  almost  always  connected  at  the  base  by  a 
membrane ;  this  being  the  rule  and  not  the  exception,  as  in  Scolopacinai. 


SYMPHEMIA,  RAFINESQUE. 

Symphemia,  RAFINESQUE,  Jour,  de  Phys.  (1819).  (Type  Scolopax  semipalmata, 
Gmelin.) 

Bill  compressed,  very  thick,  the  culmen  rounded ;  the  lower  mandible  scarcely 
grooved ;  the  upper  grooved  to  about  the  middle ;  culmen  slightly  convex ;  gonys 
ascending;  bill  cleft  but  little  beyond  base  of  culmen;  feathers  of  sides  of  both 
mandibles  falling  short  of  the  nostrils ;  the  lower  rather  farther  forward ;  chin  feath- 
ers reaching  to  beginning  of  nostrils ;  bill  longer  than  head,  about  equal  to  tarsus, 
which  is  more  than  one  and  a  half  times  the  middle  toe ;  both  toes  webbed,  the 
emargination  of  inner  web  as  far  forward  as  the  middle  of  basal  joint  of  middle  toe, 
the  outer  reaching  nearly  to  the  end ;  bare  portion  of  tibia  rather  less  than  middle 
toe  without  claw ;  tail  nearly  even,  or  little  rounded,  not  half  the  wings. 


SYMPHEMIA    SEMIPALMATA.  —  HarOaub. 
The  Willet. 

Scolopax  semipalmatus,  Gmelin.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1788)  659.  Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  VII. 
(1813)  27. 

Totanu*  semipalmaius,  Audubon.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835)  510;  V.  585.  Birds 
Am.,  V.  (1842)  324. 

Totamis  (catoptrophorus)  semipalmatus,  Bonaparte.  Syn.  (1828),  328.  Nutt. 
Man.,  II.  (1834)  144. 

Symphemia  semipalmata,  Hartlaub.    Rev.  Zool.  (1845),  342. 

DESCRIPTION. 

The  largest  American  species  of  this  genus ;  bill  longer  than  the  head,  straight, 
rather  thick  and  strong;  groove  in  the  upper  mandible  extending  about  half  its 
length,  in  the  lower  mandible  nearly  obsolete;  wings  long;  legs  long,  strong;  toes 
moderate,  united  at  base  by  membranes,  the  larger  of  which  unites  the  outer  and 
middle  toe ;  hind  toe  small ;  tail  short. 

Adult.  —  Entire  upper  parts  dark-ash  color' (without  spots);  the  shafts  of  the 
feathers  brownish-black;  rump  and  upper  tail  coverts  white;  under  parts  white, 
tinged  with  ashy  on  the  neck  and  sides;  axillaries  and  under  wing  coverts  brown- 
ish-black; primary  quills  white  at  base,  and  tipped  with  brownish-black;  secon- 
daries white,  spotted  with  brownish-black;  tail  ashy-white,  the- two  middle  feathers 
strongly  tinged  with  ashy;  others  spotted  with  dark  ashy-brown;  bill  dark  bluish- 
brown,  lighter  at  base ;  legs  light-blue. 

Founder.  — Entire  plumage  spotted,  and  transversely  banded  with  brownish- 
black  ;  iris  brown. 

Total  length,  about  fifteen  inches;  wing,  eight  and  a  quarter;  tail,  three  and  a 
quarter;  bill,  about  two  and  a  half;  tarsus,  about  two  and  a  half  inches. 


THE   WILLET.  453 

This  large  and  handsome  species  is  easily  recognized,  and  is  abundant  on  both 
the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  coasts  of  the  Republic.  There  is  very  considerable  differ- 
ence of  color  between  the  adult  and  young  birds ;  but  the  white  space  on  the  wings 
is  a  character  always  present  and  easily  distinguished.  It  is  the  largest  bird  of  this 
group  inhabiting  the  United  States. 

Hab. — Entire  temperate  regions  of  North  America;  South  America. 

This  bird  is  not  very  abundant  on  the  shores  of  New 
England  as  a  summer  visitor  and  resident ;  but  it  is  taken 
in  considerable  numbers  in  the  autumn.  It  occasionally 
breeds  within  our  limits,  usually  preferring  a  sandy  island 
to  the  main  shore ;  but  it  sometimes  selects  a  locality  in  a 
marsh  for  its  nest,  and  has  been  known  to  breed  in  a  rye- 
field  twenty-miles  "from  the  seashore. 

The  nest  is  built  about  the  last  week  in  May.  It  is 
placed  in  a  slight  hollow  in  the  sand  or  in  a  tussock  of 
grass,  and  is  composed  of  grasses  and  weeds,  arranged  in  a 
heap,  sometimes  three  or  four  inches  in  depth.  It  is  hol- 
lowed an  inch  and  a  half  or  more,  and  is  sometimes  lined 
with  softer  pieces  of  grass  or  weeds.  The  eggs  are  four  in 
number:  they  are  pyriform  in  shape,  and  are  abruptly 
pointed  from  the  larger  end.  They  are  of  a  pale-olive  color, 
sometimes  greenish-drab  ;  and  are  marked  with  blotches  of 
two  or  three  shades  of  brown,  which  are  confluent  at  the 
larger  end,  and  sometimes  almost  entirely  hide  the  ground- 
color. 

They  vary  in  dimensions  from  2.15  by  1.58  inch  to  1.98 
by  1.45  inch.  When  its  breeding-place  is  approached,  the 
Willet  flies  to  meet  the  intruder,  and,  coursing  around  over 
his  head,  utters  its  shrill  cries,  like  the  syllables,  'pill-willet- 
'tit  pill  willet,  vociferously  ;  and  sometimes  darting  down  at 
him,  or  alighting  before  him,  it  endeavors  to  lead  him  from 
its  nest  by  pretending  lameness. 

When  the  young  are  able  to  fly,  the  whole  brood  associate 
with  the  parents  in  a  flock,  and  frequent  the  pools  and 
ditches  near  the  beach,  where  they  busily  wade  about  in  the 
water,  searching  for  small  shell-fish,  aquatic  insects,  mol- 
lusks,  &c.,  on  which  they  feed.  When  wounded,  they  take 


454  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 

to  the  water,  and  swim  off  with  great  activity.  They  all 
leave  New  England  in  October,  when  they  are  exceedingly 
fat  and  well-flavored. 

GAMBETTA,  KAUP. 

Gambetta,  KAUP,  Entw.  Europ.  Thierw.  (1829).  (Type  Scolopax  calidris,  L. 
Gray.) 

Bill  much  attenuated  towards  and  tapering  to  the  end,  the  extreme  tip  decurved ; 
both  culmen  and  gonys,  however,  bent  upwards  from  the  middle;  the  lateral 
grooves  of  upper  bill  broad,  shallow,  and  not  extending  to  the  middle ;  that  of  lower 
reaching  about  as  far;  feathers  on  side  of  both  mandibles  extend  to  about  the  same 
point,  but  fall  short  of  nostrils ;  those  on  chin  extend  as  far  as  middle  of  nostril ;  bill 
nearly  as  long  as  the  tarsus,  which  is  one  and  a  half  times  the  length  of  middle  toe; 
outer  toe  webbed  to  first  joint;  the  inner  web  very  short;  bare  portion  of  the  tibia 
equal  to  the  toes ;  tip  of  tail  about  opposite  the  middle  of  outstretched  tarsi ;  legs 
yellow. 

GAMBETTA  MELANOLEUCA.  —  Bonaparte. 
The  Telltale;  Stone  Snipe;  Greater  Yellow-legs. 

Scolopax  melanoleucus,  Gmelin.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1788)  659. 
Totanus  melanoleucus  Audubon.    Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  (1838)  68. 
Gambetta  melanoleuca,  Bonaparte.    Comptes  Rendus  (Sept.,  1856). 
Scolopax  wciferus,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  VII.  (1813)  57. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  longer  than  the  head,  rather  slender,  curved  towards  the  tip ;  wings  rather 
long,  first  quill  longest;  tail  short;  neck  and  legs  long;  toes  moderate,  margined 
and  flattened  underneath,  connected  at  base  by  membranes,  the  larger  of  which 
unites  the  outer  and  middle  toe;  hind  toe  small;  claws  short,  blunt;  grooves  in  both 
mandibles  extending  about  half  their  length;  entire  upper  parts  cinereous  of  various 
shades,  dark  in  many  specimens  in  full  plumage,  generally  light  with  white  lines  on 
the  head  and  neck,  and  with  spots  and  edgings  of  dull-white  on  the  other  upper 
parts;  lower  back  brownish-black;  rump  and  upper  tail  coverts  white,  generally 
with  more  or  less  imperfect  transverse  narrow  bands  of  brownish-black;  under 
parts  white,  with  longitudinal  narrow  stripes  on  the  neck,  and  transverse  cres- 
cent lanceolate  and  sagittate  spots  and  stripes  on  the  breast  and  sides;  abdomen 
pure-white;  quills  brownish-black  with  a  purplish  lustre,  shaft  of  first  primary 
white;  secondaries  and  tertiaries  tipped  and  with  transverse  bars  and  spots  of  ashy- 
white;  tail  white,  with  transverse  narrow  bands  of  brownish-black,  wider  and 
darker  on  the  two  middle  feathers;  bill  brownish-black,  lighter  at  the  base;  legs 
yellow;  iris  dark-brown. 

Total  length,  about  fourteen  inches;  wing,  seven  and  a  half  to  eight;  tail,  three 
and  a  quarter  to  three  and  a  half;  bill,  two  and  a  quarter;  tarsus,  two  and  a  half 
inches. 

Hob.  —  Entire  temperate  regions  of  North  America;  Mexico. 


THE   YELLOW-LEGS.  455 

The  Greater  Yellow-legs  is  not  common  in  New  England. 
In  fact,  it  may  be  considered  only  as  a  straggler. 
Nuttall,  in  describing  its  habits,  &c.,  says,  — 

"  The  Greater  Yellow-shanks,  or  Telltale,  so  remarkable  for  its 
noise  and  vigilance,  arrives  on  the  coast  of  the  Middle  States  early 
in  April,  and,  proceeding  principally  by  an  inland  route,  is  seen  in 
abundance  as  far  north  as  the  plains  of  the  Saskatchewan,  where,  no 
doubt,  in  those  desolate  and  secluded  marshes,  far  from  the  prying 
eye  and  persecuting  hand  of  man,  the  principal  part  of  the  species 
pass  the  period  of  reproduction,  re-appearing  in  the  cooler  parts 
of  the  Union  towards  the  close  of  August :  yet  so  extensive  is  the 
breeding  range  of  the  Telltale,  that  many  continue  to  occupy 
the  marshes  of  the  Middle  States  until  the  approach  of  cold 
weather,  in  the  month  of  November,  breeding  in  their  favorite 
resorts,  on  the  borders  of  bogs ;  securing  the  nest  in  a  tuft  of  rank 
grass  or  sedge ;  and  laying  four  eggs,  of  a  dingy-white,  irregularly 
marked  with  spots  of  dark-brown  or  black." 

The  vociferous  vigilance  of  the  Telltale  has  justly  stig- 
matized him  with  the  present  name ;  for  no  sooner  does  the 
gunner  appear  than  his  loud  and  shrill  whistle  of  about  four 
rapidly  repeated  notes  is  instantly  heard,  as  he  mounts  on 
wing,  and  proves  generally  so  good  a  warning  to  all  the  rest 
pf  his  feathered  neighbors,  and  particularly  the  vigilant  ducks, 
that  the  whole,  to  the  frequent  disappointment  of  the  fowler, 
at  once  accompany  their  faithful  and  officious  sentinel. 

The  food  of  the  Telltale  is  similar  to  that  of  our  other 
shore  birds.  This  it  obtains  by  wading  in  the  pools  and 
ditches,  which  it  is  almost  constantly  doing ;  it  being  seldom 
seen  in  the  grass  or  running  on  the  beach  like  the  Sand- 
pipers. 

GAMBETTA  FLAVIPES.  —  Bonaparte. 
The  Yellow-legs. 

Scolopax  flavipes,  Gmelin.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1788)  659.  Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  VII. 
(1813)  55. 

Tolanus  flavipes,  Audubon.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835)  573;  V.  586.  75.,  Birds 
Am.,  V.  (1842)  313. 

Gambetta  jlavipes,  Bonaparte.    Comptes  Rendus  (Sept.,  1856). 


456  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  rather  longer  than  the  head,  straight,  slender,  compressed;  wing  long, 
pointed;  tail  short;  legs  long,  lower  half  of  the  tibia  naked;  toes  moderate,  slen- 
der, margined,  the  outer  and  middle  united  at  base;  rump  and  upper  tail  coverts 
white,  the  latter  transversely  barred  with  ashy-brown ;  other  upper  parts  ashy,  many 
feathers  having  large  arrowheads  and  irregular  spots  of  brownish-black,  and  edged 
with  ashy-white ;  under  parts  white,  with  numerous  longitudinal  lines  on  the  neck 
before,  and  arrowheads  on  the  sides,  of  dark  ashy-brown;  axillaries  and  under 
wing  coverts  white,  with  bands  of  ashy-brown,  very  indistinct  in  many  specimens, 
but  generally  well  defined;  quills  brownish-black;  tail  ashy-white  with  transverse 
bands  of  dark-brown,  middle  feathers  darker;  bill  greenish-black;  legs  yellow;  iris 
dark-brown. 

Young.  —  Entire  upper  plumage  tinged  with  reddish-brown;  neck  before  with 
lines  much  less  distinct  and  pale-ashy. 

Total  length,  about  ten  to  ten  and  a  half  inches;  wing,  six  to  six  and  a  half; 
tail,  two  and  a  half;  bill,  one  and  a  half;  tarsus,  two  inches. 

Hob.  —  Eastern  North  America ;  western  V 

The  Common  Yellow-legs  is  well  known  on  our  coast  as 
a  spring  and  autumn  visitor.  It  does  not  pause  here  in  its 
northern  migration,  but  passes  at  once  to  its  breeding-home. 
This  is  generally  in  high  latitudes :  there,  early  in  June,  its 
nest  is  built  and  its  young  are  reared.  I  am  unacquainted 
with  its  breeding  habits  and  eggs,  and  can  find  no  descrip- 
tion of  them  in  any  book  that  I  have  access  to. 

Early  in  September,  it  returns  to  New  England,  where  it 
frequents  the  muddy  flats  and  marshes  on  the  seacoast,  and 
penetrates  into  the '  interior.  It  is  also  sometimes  quite 
abundant  in  the  fresh-water  meadows  and  on  the  shores  of 
large  ponds.  I  have  killed  numbers  while  Snipe-shooting : 
and  they  are  almost  equally  well-flavored  with  that  bird. 
They  congregate  in  small  flocks,  fly  rapidly,  uttering  a  loud, 
shrill  whistle,  which  being  imitated  by  the  experienced 
sportsmen,  the  whole  flock  is  decoyed  within  shot ;  and,  as 
they  fly  compactly,  quite  a  number  often  fall  at  a  single  dis- 
charge of  the  gun. 

Like  the  preceding,  this  bird  is  fond  of  wading  about  in 
pools  of  water,  where  it  secures  for  its  food  larvae  of  insects 
and  small  crustaceans.  With  one  or  two  of  our  other 
Waders,  it  has  the  peculiarity  of  keeping  its  wings  open 
and  elevated  after  alighting,  as  if  it  were  uncertain  of  the 


THE   SOLITARY   SANDPIPER.  457 

firmness  of  its  resting-place.  I  have  sometimes  thought 
that  it  might  be  a  habit  caused  by  the  bird  frequenting  flats 
on  which  the  mud  was  soft  and  yielding.  This  is  one  of 
the  handsomest  of  our  Waders.  In  the  autumn,  it  is  fat, 
and  in  poor  plumage  ;  but  in  the  spring  it  is  in  good  condi- 
tion for  cabinet  preservation. 

RHYACOPHILUS,  KAUP. 

Rhyacophilus,  KAUP,  Sk.  Entw.  Europ.  Th.  (1829).  (Type  Tringa  glareola,  L., 
Gray.) 

Bill  slender,  but  widening  a  little  towards  the  end ;  lateral  grooves  of  both  man- 
dibles extending  to  the  middle  of  bill;  nostril  short;  feathers  on  side  of  bill  extend- 
ing to  about  the  same  point  and  as  far  as  beginning  of  nostrils ;  those  of  chin  as 
far  as  their  end ;  both  mandibles  curved  upwards  slightly  from  middle ;  legs  short ; 
bill  about  the  length  of  tarsus,  which  is  equal  to  middle  toe ;  bare  portion  of  tibia 
about  two-thirds  the  toes ;  tail  about  opposite  the  middle  of  toes  when  outstretched. 

BHYACOPHILUS  SOLITAEIUS.  —  Bonaparte. 
The  Solitary  Sandpiper. 

Tringa  solitaria,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  VII.  (1813)  53. 

Totanus  solitarius,  Audubon.     Birds  Am.,  V.  (1842)  309. 

Totanus  chloropygius.    Nutt.,  II.  159.     Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835)  576;  V.  583. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  rather  longer  than  the  head,  straight,  slender,  compressed;  both  mandibles 
with  narrow  grooves;  wing  long,  pointed ;  tail  medium  or  rather  short,  rounded; 
legs  rather  long,  slender;  lower  half  of  the  tibia  naked;  toes  long,  the  outer  united 
to  the  middle  by  a  small  membrane,  flattened  underneath,  marginated;  upper  parts 
greenish-brown,  with  numerous  small  circular  and  irregular  spots  of  ashy-white; 
upper  tail  coverts  darker;  under  parts  white;  breast  and  neck  before  with  numerous 
longitudinal  lines  of  greenish-brown;  sides,  axillaries,  and  under  wing  coverts 
white,  with  numerous  transverse  narrow  bands  of  dark  greenish-brown ;  under  tail 
coverts  white,  with  a  few  transverse  bands  of  dark-brown ;  quills  brownish-black, 
with  a  slight  bronzed  or  reddish  lustre  on  the  primaries ;  two  middle  feathers  of  the 
tail  greenish-brown ;  other  feathers  of  the  tail  pure-white,  with  about  five  transverse 
bands  of  brownish-black ;  bill  and  legs  dark  greenish-brown ;  iris  hazel. 

Total  length,  about  eight  to  eight  and  a  half  inches ;  wing,  five ;  tail,  two  and  a 
quarter;  bill,  one  and  a  quarter;  tarsus,  one  and  a  quarter  inches. 

Hob.  —  Entire  temperate  regions  of  North  America ;  Mexico. 

The  Solitary  Sandpiper  is  not  very  common  in  any  part 
of  New  England.  It  arrives  from  the  South  early  in  May 
in  pairs,  and  frequents  the  shores  of  our  fresh-water  ponds 


458  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

and  streams  in  preference  to  those  of  the  seacoast,  where, 
running  about  with  great  activity,  it  busies  itself  in  search- 
ing for  the  Iarva3  of  various  aquatic  insects,  of  which  its 
food  principally  consists.  Like  the  succeeding  species,  it 
has  the  habit  of  nodding  its  head,  and  tipping  up  its  body 
and  tail,  which  has  given  it  the  name  of  "Wagtail,"  or 
"Teetler."  Nuttall  says  that  it  is  seen  in  Massachusetts 
only  at  the  commencement  of  cold  weather.  I  have  fre- 
quently met  with  it,  both  on  our  seashores  and  in  the 
meadows  around  our  fresh-water  ponds,  through  the  whole 
summer.  Several  pairs  reside  through  the  season  on  the 
borders  of  Punkapoag  Pond,  in  Canton,  Mass.;  and  they 
undoubtedly  breed  there,  although  I  have  been  unable  to 
find  their  nest.  This  species  remains  with  us  until  late  in 
September.  When  flushed,  it  rises  with  a  short,  sharp 
whistle,  different  from  that  of  the  Spotted  Sandpiper,  which 
it  resembles  in  almost  every  other  respect. 

TRINGOIDES,  BONAPARTE. 

Tringoides,  BONAPARTE,  Saggio  di  una  disk,  etc.  (1831).  (Type  Tringa  hypo- 
leucus,  L.,  Gray.) 

Actitis,  BOIE,  Isis  (1822),  560.    Not  of  Illiger,  Prodromus  (1811). 

Upper  mandible  grooved  to  the  terminal  fourth;  the  bill  tapering  and  rather 
acute ;  cleft  of  mouth  only  moderate ;  the  culmen  about  five-sixths  the  commissure ; 
feathers  extending  rather  further  on  side  of  lower  jaw  than  upper,  the  former  reach- 
ing as  far  as  the  beginning  of  the  nostrils ;  those  of  the  chin  to  about  their  middle ; 
bill  shorter  than  the  head,  straight,  equal  to  the  tarsus,  which  is  of  the  length  of 
middle  toe  and  claw ;  bare  part  of  tibia  half  the  tarsus ;  outer  toe  webbed  to  first 
joint;  inner  cleft  about  to  the  base;  tail  much  rounded;  more  than  half  the  wing. 

TEINGOIDES   MACULARIUS.  —  Gray. 
The  Spotted  Sandpiper. 

Tringa  macularia,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  249.  Wils.  Am.  On.,  VII. 
(1813)  60. 

Totanus  macularius,  Nuttall.  Man.,  II.  (1834)  162.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  IV. 
(1838)  81.  /&.,  Birds  Am.,  V.  (1842)  303. 

Tringoides  macularius,  Gray,  genera. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Small;  bill  rather  longer  than  the  head,  straight,  slender;  long  grooves  in  both 
mandibles;  wing  rather  long,  pointed;  tail  medium,  rounded;  legs  rather  long; 


THE   SPOTTED   SANDPIPER.  459 

lower  third  of  the  tibia  naked;  toes  long,  margined,  and  flattened  underneath; 
outer  connected  with  the  middle  toe  by  a  large  membrane;  inner  very  slightly 
connected  to  the  middle  toe;  upper  parts  brownish  olive-green,  with  a  somewhat 
metallic  or  bronzed  lustre,  and  with  numerous  longitudinal  lines,  and  sagittate, 
lanceolate,  and  irregular  spots  of  brownish-black,  having  the  same  lustre;  line 
over  the  eye,  and  entire  under  parts  white,  with  numerous  circular  and  oval  spots 
of  brownish-black,  smaller  on  the  throat,  largest  on  the  abdomen;  quills  brown,  with 
a  green  lustre;  primaries  slightly  tipped  with  white,  and  having  a  white  spot 
on  their  inner  edges;  secondaries  white  at  their  bases,  and  tipped  with  white;  mid- 
dle feathers  of  the  tail  same  green  as  other  upper  parts ;  outer  tipped  with  white, 
and  with  irregular  bars  of  brownish-black;  bill  yellowish-green,  tipped  with  brown; 
feet  reddish-yellow ;  iris  hazel. 

Young  less  bronzed  above,  and  under  parts  white,  without  spots. 

Total  length,  seven  and  a  half  to  eight  inches ;  wing,  four  and  a  half;  tail,  two ; 
bill,  one ;  tarsus,  rather  less  than  one  inch. 

Hob.  —  Entire  temperate  North  America;  Oregon;  Europe. 

Perhaps  none  of  our  summer  residents  are  distributed  so 
generally  and  so  abundantly  throughout  New  England  as 
the  species  now  before  us.  Every  pond  and  stream  of 
water  has  two  or  three  pairs  breeding  on  its  shores  ;  and  it 
is  as  abundant  in  the  most  thickly  settled  as  in  the  more 
retired  and  secluded  localities.  It  arrives  from  the  South 
about  the  first  week  in  April ;  and,  separating  into  pairs,  it 
soon  commences  the  duties  of  incubation.  It  manifests  no 
preference  for  a  location  near  the  seacoast  to.  one  in  the 
interior ;  and  I  have  found  it  breeding  as  abundantly  in 
the  depths  of  the  Maine  forests  as  on  the  low  sandy  islands, 
or  in  the  marshes  by  our  seacoast.  The  female,  about  the 
first  week  in  April,  scratches  a  hollow  in  the  sandy  earth 
by  some  pond,  or  sometimes  in  a  grain-field  or  garden ;  and, 
lining  it  with  a  few  pieces  of  straw  or  moss,  lays  four 
eggs,  which  she  adjusts  with  their  small  ends  together 
in  the  middle  of  the  nest.  These  eggs  are  usually  abruptly 
pyriform,  sometimes  a  little  more  lengthened  ;  and  are  of  a 
yellowish-buff  color,  marked  with  blotches  and  spots  of 
umber  and  sienna,  thickest  at  their  greater  end,  where  they 
are  sometimes  confluent.  Occasionally,  the  primary  color  is 
of  a  yellowish-drab  tint,  when  the  spots  are  much  darker 
than  on  the  other  shade.  A  great  number  of  specimens  in 
my  collection  from  many  different  localities  exhibit  a  varia- 


460  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

tion  of  size  from  1.40  by  1  inch  to  1.26  by  .95  inch.  I  can 
see  no  marked  peculiarity  in  any  series  of  specimens,  except- 
ing that  those  collected  in  the  interior  of  Maine  average 
a  little  larger  than  those  from  the  seacoast. 

The  flight  of  the  Spotted  Sandpiper  is  generally  low,  its 
wings  being  kept  bent  at  an  angle  beneath  its  body.  It  has 
a  peculiar  note,  like  peet-weet,  peet-weet,  easily  recognized. 


ACTITURUS,  BONAPARTE. 

Actiturus,  BONAPARTE,  Saggio,  etc.,  (1831).  (Type  Tringa  Bartramia,  Wil- 
son.) 

Upper  mandible  grooved  laterally  to  within  the  terminal  fourth,  the  lower  not 
quite  so  far;  culmen  concave  to  near  the  tip,  where  it  is  slightly  decurved;  gonys 
straight ;  mouth  deeply  cleft,  almost  as  far  back  as  the  anterior  canthus ;  the  culmen 
only  about  two-thirds  the  commissure,  shorter  than  the  head  or  tarsus,  and  about 
equal  to  middle  toe  without  claw;  feathers  extending  much  further  forward  on  the 
upper  jaw  than  on  the  lower,  although  those  of  chin  reach  nearly  to  end  of  nostrils; 
tarsus  one  and  a  half  times  middle  toe  and  claw;  the  bare  part  of  tibia  not  quite 
equal  to  the  middle  toe  above;  outer  toe  united  at  base  as  far  as  first  joint;  web  of 
inner  toe  very  basal ;  tail  long,  graduated,  more  than  half  the  wings. 

ACTITUEUS    BARTRAMIUS.  —  Bonaparte. 
The  Upland  Plover ;  Bartram's  Sandpiper ;  Field  Plover. 

Tringa  Bartramia,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  VII.  (1813)  63.  Aud.  Birds  Amer.,  V. 
(1842)  248. 

Totanus  Bartramius,  Audubon.    Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  (1838)  24. 
Tringa  (JEuliga)  Bartramia,  Nuttall.    Man.,  II.  (1834)  168. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  about  as  long  as  the  head,  rather  wide  and  flattened  at  base,  curved  at  the 
tip;  nostril  with  a  large  membrane;  nasal  groove  long;  wing  long;  tail  long  for  this 
group ;  legs  moderate  or  rather  long ;  lower  half  of  the  tibia  naked ;  toes  moderate, 
the  outer  and  middle  toe  united  by  a  membrane,  inner  and  middle  free  to  the  base, 
hind  toe  small;  general  color  of  the  upper  parts  brownish-black,  with  a  greenish  lus- 
tre, and  with  the  feathers  edged  with  ashy-white  and  yellowish,  the  latter  especially 
on  the  wing  coverts;  lower  part  of  the  back,  rump,  and  upper  tail  coverts,  brownish- 
black;  lateral  coverts  of  the  tail  yellowish-white,  with  arrow-heads  and  irregular 
spota  of  black;  wide  stripe  over  the  eye,  and  entire  under  parts  very  pale  yellowish- 
white,  nearly  pure- white  on  the  abdomen;  neck  before  with  numerous  longitudinal 
lines  of  brownish-black;  breast  and  sides  with  waved  and  pointed  transverse  narrow 
bands  of  the  same ;  axillary  feathers  and  under  wing  coverts  pure-white,  with  nume- 
rous nearly  regular  transverse  narrow  bands  of  black;  quills  brownish-black,  with 
numerous  transverse  bands  of  white  on  their  inner  webs,  very  conspicuous  on  the 
under  surface  of  the  wing;  shaft  of  first  primary  white;  middle  feathers  of  the  tail 


PLATE  111. 


Fig.  1.  Canada  Grouse,  Tetrao  Canadensis.     Linnaeus. 

2.  Killdeer  Plover,  Aegialitis  vociferus.     Cassin. 

3.  Semipalmated  Plover,  Aegialitis  semipalmatus.     Cabanis. 

4.  American  Woodcock,  Philohela  minor.     Gray. 

5.  Wilson's  Snipe,  Gallinago  Wilsonii.     Bonaparte. 

6.  Upland  or  Field  Plover,  Actiturus  Bartramius .     Bonaparte. 
7-  Virginia  Rail,  Rallus  Virginianus.     Linnaeus. 

8.  Carolina  Rail,  Porzana  Carolina.     Ticillot. 


THE   UPLAND   PLOVER.  461 

same  greenish-brown  as  the  back,  with  irregular  and  imperfect  transverse  bands  of 
black;  outer  feathers  pale  reddish-yellow,  edged  and  tipped  with  white,  and  with 
several  irregular  transverse  bands  and  a  large  subterminal  arrow-head  of  black; 
bill  greenish-yellow,  with  the  under  mandible  more  clear  yellow  towards  its  base, 
tip  brownish-black;  legs  light-yellow;  toes  darker;  iris  hazel. 

Total  length,  about  twelve  inches ;  wing,  six  and  a  half;  tail,  three  and  a  half. 

Hob.  —  Eastern  North  America,  South  America^  Europe. 

Everywhere  in  the  interior  of  the  States  on  the  Atlantic,  this  is  the  most  abun- 
dant and  best-known  species  of  this  group.  Unlike  nearly  all  others,  this  bird 
prefers  plains  and  cultivated  fields,  and  is  one  of  the  species  which  has  not  decreased 
in  numbers  on  account  of  the  extension  of  cultivation  and  the  settlement  of  the 
country.  On  the  contrary,  it  appears  to  be  quite  at  home  in  the  farm  lands,  and 
rears  its  young  in  the  fields  of  grass  and  grain  in  the  most  populous  rural  districts 
of  the  country. 

This  bird,  commonly  known  as  the  "  Upland  Plover,"  is 
not  abundant  in  New  England  as  a  summer  resident.  It 
breeds  sparingly  in  all  these  States,  arriving  in  pairs  about 
the  10th  of  April.  It  is  less  aquatic  than  most  of  the 
other  species  in  this  order,  and  frequents  old  pastures, 
stubble-fields,  and  cornfields,  in  preference  to  meadows  and 
flats.  It  begins  to  nest  about  the  first  week  in  May.  It  is 
quite  shy  at  all  times,  and  difficult  of  approach,  and  I  have 
spent  half  a  day  in  one  pasture  before  I  could  find  the  nest ; 
both  old  birds  keeping  up  their  shrill  whistle,  and  flying 
about  me  always  out  of  gunshot.  The  nest  is  placed  in  a 
slight  hollow  in  the  ground,  and  is  constructed  of  a  few 
loose  straws  and  leaves,  arranged  in  a  circular  manner. 
The  eggs  are  four  in  number,  sometimes  three.  They  are 
more  ovoidal  in  form  than  most  of  our  other  Waders'  eggs, 
and  almost  exactly  resemble  those  of  the  Woodcock,  but 
average  considerably  larger  ;  varying  from  1.92  by  1.31  inch 
(from  Wisconsin)  to  1.70  by  1.25  (from  Massachusetts). 
The  primary  color  of  some  specimens  is  a  buff,  while  others 
are  of  a  creamy-drab:  they  are  marked  with  spots  of  two 
shades  of  brown,  and  obscure  spots  of  lilac. 

By  the  middle  of  August,  and  from  then  until  late  in 
September,  these  Plovers  assemble  in  small  flocks  of  eight 
or  ten  individuals.  They  then  frequent  hilly  pastures,  both 
on  the  seacoast  and  in  the  interior,  where  they  feed  on 


462  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

grasshoppers,  crickets,  grains,  and  seeds.  They  are  then  in 
good  condition,  and  of  delicate  flavor  on  the  table,  and  are 
much  pursued  by  sportsmen ;  but,  as  they  are  swift-flying 
birds,  and  very  shy,  it  requires  a  more  than  ordinary  shot  to 
bag  many  of  them. 

TRYNGITES,  CABANIS. 

Tringites,  CABANIS,  Jour,  fur  Orn.  (1856),  418.  (Type  Tringa  rufescens. 
Vieillot.) 

Upper  mandible  grooved  to  about  the  terminal  fourth ;  the  lower  not  quite  so 
far;  culmen  and  gonys  about  straight;  mouth  deeply  cleft  more  than  half-way  to 
the  eye ;  the  culmen  about  two-thirds  the  commissure ;  culmen  much  shorter  than  the 
head,  and  about  equal  to  middle  toe  without  claw ;  tarsus  about  one  and  one-sixth 
as  long  as  middle  toe  and  claw ;  bare  part  of  tibia  decidedly  shorter  than  middle  toe 
without  claw;  toes  cleft  to  the  base,  with  only  a  very  rudimentary  web;  upper  jaw 
feathered  to  the  nostrils ;  the  side  of  the  lower  and  beneath  feathered  much  further, 
or  to  the  end  of  the  nostrils ;  the  interspace  of  the  rami  entirely  filled ;  tail  some- 
what graduated,  not  half  the  wing. 

TEYNGITES    RUFESCENS.  —  Cabanis. 
The  Buff-breasted  Sandpiper. 

Tringa  rufescens,  Nuttall.  Man.,  II.  (1834)  113.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835) 
451.  lb..  Birds  Am.,  V.  (1842)  264. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  about  the  length  of  the  head,  straight,  compressed,  narrow  at  the  point; 
nasal  groove  long;  wings  very  long;  first  quill  longest;  tertiaries  rather  shorter; 
tail  moderate  or  longer  than  usual  in  this  group ;  legs  rather  long ;  lower  third  of  the 
tibia  naked;  toes  free  at  base,  flattened  underneath,  and  slightly  margined ;  hind 
toe  small;  upper  parts  pale  and  dull  ashy-brown  with  a  yellowish  tinge;  every 
feather  with  a  large  central,  lanceolate,  crescent-shaped,  or  oblong  spot  of  black, 
frequently  with  a  glossy-green  tinge,  especially  on  the  back  and  shorter  tertiaries; 
under  parts  light  yellowish-red,  or  pale-fawn  color;  many  feathers  tipped  with  white, 
and  paler  on  the  flanks  and  abdomen,  on  the  breast  with  partially  concealed  small 
spots  of  black;  axillary  feathers  white;  quills  with  their  outer  webs  light-brown, 
inner  webs  ashy-white,  marbled  with  black  and  narrowly  tipped  with  white ;  middle 
tail  feathers  brownish-black ;  outer  feathers  lighter,  with  transverse  waved  lines  of 
black,  and  tipped  with  white;  bill  black;  legs  greenish-yellow;  iris  hazel. 

Total  length,  seven  and  a  half  to  eight  inches;  wings,  five  and  a  half;  tail, 
three;  bill,  from  gape,  one;  tarsus,  one  and  a  quarter  inches. 

Hab.—  All  of  North  America,  South  America,  Europe. 

This  is  a  little  bird  of  rather  peculiar  style  of  form,  and  of  remarkable  and  hand- 
some plumage.  Its  relationship  appears  to  be  to  the  preceding  well-known  species. 
Both  this  and  the  preceding  bird  more  habitually  frequent  plains  and  other  dry 
localities  than  any  of  the  true  Sandpipers. 


THE  MARBLED  GODWIT.  463 

The  Buff-breasted  Sandpiper,  although  not  abundant  on 
the  shores  of  New  England,  is  by  no  means  rare,  in  the 
months  of  August  and  September,  when  it  is  returning 
from  its  northern  breeding-places.  It  is  seldom  seen  here 
in  spring ;  but  it  seems  to  pass  over  New  England  in  its 
northern  flight.  .Of  its  breeding  habits,  nest,  eggs,  &c., 
we  are  ignorant.  Audubon  was  of  the  opinion  that  it  breeds 
about  the  arctic  seas,  as  he  had  seen  a  wing  of  this  bird 
that  came  from  there  ;  but  he  knew  nothing  of  its  breeding 
habits  whatever. 

In  the  autumn,  while  with  us,  it  does  not  frequent  the 
beach  as  much  as  it  does  the  marshes  and  flats  in  its  vicin- 
ity, where  it  is  known  as  one  of  the  "  Grass-birds  "  to  our 
gunners.  It  feeds  upon  grasshoppers  and  other  insects, 
and  becomes  very  fat ;  so  much  so,  that  skinning  it  for 
cabinet  preservation,  at  that  season,  is  almost  an  impos- 
sibility. 


Section  LIMOSE^E. 

Bill  longer  than  the  tarsus,  curving  slightly  upwards  towards  the  end,  where  it  is 
thickened ;  both  mandibles  grooved  for  nearly  the  whole  length ;  gape  of  mouth 
very  short,  not  extending  beyond  the  base  of  culmen. 


LIMOSA,  BRISSON. 

Limosa,  BRISSON,  Orn.  (1760).     (Type  Scolopax  limosa,  L.) 

Bill  lengthened,  exceeding  the  tarsus,  slender,  and  curving  gently  upwards; 
grooved  to  near  the  tip;  the  tip  not  attenuated,  but  pointed;  the  lower  almost  as 
long  as  the  upper;  culmen  without  any  furrow;  tarsus  with  transverse  scutellae 
before  and  behind,  reticulated  laterally;  a  short  basal  membrane  between  the  middle 
and  outer  toes ;  tail  short,  even. 


LIMOSA    FEDOA.  —  (Linn.)  Ord. 

The  Marbled  Godwit.  . 

Scolopax  fedoa,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  VII.  (1813)  30. 

Limosa  fedoa,  Nuttall.    Man.,  II.  (1834)  173.    Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835)  287; 
V.  590. 


464  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  long,  curved  upwards ;  both  mandibles  grooved ;  wings  long ;  tail  short ;  legs 
long;  tibia  with  its  lower  half  naked;  toes  rather  short,  margined  and  flattened  under- 
neath ;  the  outer  and  middle  toes  united  by  a  rather  large  membrane ;  entire  upper 
parts  variegated  with  brownish-black  and  pale-reddish,  the  former  disposed  in  irregu- 
lar and  confluent  bands,  and  the  latter  in  spots  and  imperfect  bands ;  in  many  speci- 
mens the  black  color  predominating  on  the  back,  and  the  pale-red  on  the  rump  and 
upper  tail  coverts ;  under  parts  pale-rufous,  with  transverse  lines  of  brownish-black 
on  the  breast  and  sides;  under  wing  coverts  and  axillaries  darker  rufous;  outer 
webs  of  primaries  dark-brown,  inner  webs  light-rufous;  secondaries  light-rufous; 
tail  light-rufous,  with  transverse  bars  of  brownish-black;  bill  pale-yellowish,  red  at 
base,  brownish-black  at  the  end ;  legs  ashy -black. 

Total  length,  about  eighteen  inches ;  wing,  nine ;  tail,  three  and  a  half;  bill,  four 
to  five ;  tarsus,  three  inches ;  iris,  brown. 

Hab.  —  Entire  temperate  regions  of  North  America;  South  America. 

A  large  and  handsome  shore  bird,  well  known  to  sportsmen  as  the  Godwit,  and  a 
great  favorite  for  shooting.  From  the  collections  of  the  surveying  expeditions,  it 
appears  to  be  equally  abundant  in  the  interior  and  on  the  Pacific  as  on  the  eastern 
coast  of  the  United  States. 

It  is  only  in  the  spring  and  autumn  migrations  that  the 
Great  Marbled  Godwit  is  found  in  New  England ;  and  at 
those  times  it  makes  only  a  short  stay,  particularly  in  the 
spring. 

They  arrive  from  the  south  early  in  May,  and  pass  to  the 
most  northern  countries,  where  they  pass  the  season  of 
incubation. 

Of  their  breeding  habits  I  am  ignorant,  and  I  have  no 
eggs  in  my  collection  to  give  a  description  here. 

In  the  autumn,  even  as  early  as  the  middle  of  August, 
flocks  of  ten  or  a  dozen  birds  appear  in  the  marshes  on  the 
seacoast.of  Massachusetts;  and,  these  flocks  uniting  their 
numbers,  sometimes  as  many  as  a  hundred  birds  are  found 
together.  They  are  called  by  our  sportsmen  "  Dough  "  or 
"  Doe  "  Birds ;  and,  as  they  are  in  good  condition  and  well 
flavored,  they  are  in  great  repute,  and  are  hunted  with  great 
activity.  The  gunners,  using  decoys,  conceal  themselves  in 
the  manner  described  in  the  account  of  the  Golden  Plover 
on  a  preceding  page,  and  secure  great  numbers.  They  meet 
with  a  ready  sale  in  our  markets,  at  very  remunerative 
prices ;  and  I  have  known  of  two  gunners  realizing  sixty 
dollars  as  the  proceeds  of  one  day's  shooting. 


THE   HUDSONIAN   GODWIT.  465 

At  this  season,  these  birds  associate  with  other  species ; 
and  it  is  a  common  occurrence  to  bring  to  the  ground,  a?t 
one  discharge  of  the  gun  into  one  of  these  flocks,  two  or 
three  different  species. 

By  the  20th  of  September,  they  have  left  our  shores. 
They  are  most  abundant  about  the  first  week  in  that  month. 

LIMOSA  HUDSONICA.  —  Swainson. 
The  Hudsonian  Godwit. 

Scolopax  Hudsonica,  Latham.     Ind.  Orn.,  II.  (1790)  720. 

Limosa  Iludsonica.  Sw.  F.  B.  A.,  II.  (1831)  396.  Nutt.  Man.,  II.  (1834)  175. 
Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835)  426 ;  V.  592.  /&.,  Birds  Am.,  V.  (1842)  335. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Smaller  than  the  preceding;  bill  longer  than  the  head;  both  mandibles  grooved, 
slightly  recurved;  wings  long;  legs  moderate;  membrane  uniting  the  outer  and 
middle  toe  large. 

Adult.  —  Upper  parts  brownish-black,  with  spots  and  transverse  bars  of  pale- 
reddish  on  the  back ;  rump  brownish-black ;  upper  tail  coverts  white ;  wing  coverts 
and  shorter  quills  dark-cinereous ;  primaries  brownish-black ;  under  parts  yellowish- 
red,  with  transverse  bars  of  brownish-black  on  the  breast  and  sides  and  under  tail 
coverts,  and  frequently  with  the  feathers  on  the  abdomen  widely  tipped  with  white ; 
tail  black,  with  the  base  white,  and  narrowly  tipped  with  white;  under  wing  coverts 
and  axillary  feathers  black ;  shafts  of  primaries  white ;  bill  pale-yellowish  at  base ; 
tip  brownish-black;  legs  bluish-brown. 

Younger.  —  Head  and  upper  parts  cinereous,  irregularly  marked  on  the  top  of  the 
head,  and  on  the  back,  with  brownish-black:  stripe  before,  and  over  the  eye,  white; 
under  parts  dull  yellowish- white ;  under  wing  coverts  and  axillaries  black;  rump 
black;  upper  tail  coverts  white;  tail  black;  base  and  tip  white;  bill  yellow,  tipped 
with  brownish-black;  legs  dark-brown;  iris  brown. 

Total  length,  about  fifteen  inches;  wing,  eight;  tail,  three;  bill,  two  and  three- 
quarters  to  three  and  a  half;  tarsus,  two  and  a  half  inches. 

This  species  is  less  abundant  than  the  preceding,  seldom 
more  than  a  half-dozen  specimens  being  taken  in  a  season 
on  our  coast.  It  associates  with  the  other,  and  has  all  its 
habits  and  characteristics.  It  is  called,  by  the  gunners,  the 
"  Smaller  Doe-bird." 

Like  the  Greater  Godwit,  it  breeds  in  the  most  northern 
sections  of  the  country.  I  have  no  specimen  of  its  egg 
by  me,  and  can  give  no  description  of  its  breeding  habits 

here. 

30 


466  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 


NUMENIUS,  LINN^US. 

Numenius,  LINNAEUS.    Syst.  Nat.  (1746).    (Type  Scolapax  arquata,  L.) 
Legs  covered  anteriorly  with  transverse  scutellae,  laterally  and  behind  with  small 
hexagonal  scales;  bill  very  long,  exceeding  the  tibia,  and  curved  downwards  for 
the  terminal  half;  the  culmen  rounded ;   tip  of  bill  expanded  laterally,  and  club- 
shaped;  grooves  of  bill  not  reaching  beyond  the  middle;  tertials  as  long  as  pri- 


NUMENIUS  LONGIROSTRIS.—  Wilson. 
The  Long-billed  Curlew;  Sickle-bill  Curlew. 

Numenius  longirostris,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  VIII.  (1814)  24.  Nutt.  Man.,  II. 
(1834)  88.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835)  240;  V.  587.  Ib.,  Birds  Am.,  VI.  (1843) 

85. 

DESCRIPTION. 

The  largest  American  species  of  this  genus ;  bill  very  long,  much  curved ;  upper 
mandible  longer  than  the  under,  somewhat  knobbed  at  the  tip ;  wing  rather  long ; 
legs  moderate;  toes  united  at  base;  entire  upper  parts  pale-rufous,  tinged  with 
ashy;  every  feather  with  transverse  and  confluent  bands  of  brownish-black,  most 
numerous  and  predominating  on  the  back  and  scapulars;  secondary  quills,  under 
wing  coverts,  and  axillaries,  bright-rufous ;  primaries  with  their  outer  webs  brownish- 
black,  and  their  inner  webs  rufous,  with  transverse  bands  of  black ;  under  parts 
pale-rufous,  with  longitudinal  lines  of  black  on  the  neck  and  sides;  tail  rufous, 
tinged  with  ashy,  transversely  barred  with  brownish-black;  bill  brownish-black; 
base  of  under  mandible  reddish-yellow;  legs  bluish-brown;  specimens  vary  to  some 
extent  in  the  shade  of  the  rufous  color  of  the  plumage,  and  very  much  in  the  length 
of  the  bill ;  the  rufous  color  is  probably  more  distinct  in  the  young ;  iris  hazel. 

Total  length,  about  twenty-five  inches;  wing,  ten  to  eleven;  tail,  four;  bill,  five 
to  eight;  tarsus,  two  and  a  quarter  inches. 

Hob,  —  The  entire  temperate  regions  of  North  America. 

« 

This  species  is  not  very  abundant  on  our  coast  in  the 
spring  and  autumn.  Wilson,  in  describing  its  habits, 

says, — 

"  Like  the  preceding,  this  bird  is  an  inhabitant  of  marshes  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  sea.  It  is  also  found  in  the  interior,  where,  from 
its  long  bill,  and  loud,  whistling  note,  it  is  generally  known. 

"  The  Curlews  appear  in  the  salt  marshes  of  New  Jersey  about 
the  middle  of  May,  on  their  way  to  the  north ;  and  in  September, 
on  their  return  from  their  breeding-places.  Their  food  consists 
chiefly  of  small  crabs,  which  they  are  very  dexterous  at  probing 
for,  and  pulling  out  of  the  holes  with  their  long  bills ;  they  also 
feed  on  those  small  sea-snails  so  abundant  in  the  marshes,  and  on 


THE   SHORT-BILLED   OB   HUDSONIAN   CURLEW.  467 

various  worms  and  insects.  They  are  likewise  fond  of  bramble- 
berries,  frequenting  the  fields  and  .uplands  in  search  of  this  fruit, 
on  which  they  get  very  fat,  and  are  then  tender  and  good  eating, 
altogether  free  from  the  sedgy  taste  with  which  their  flesh  is  usually 
tainted  while  they  feed  in  the  salt  marshes. 

"  The  Curlews  fly  high,  generally  in  a  wedge-like  form,  somewhat 
resembling  certain  Ducks,  occasionally  uttering  their  loud,  whistling 
note,  by  a  dexterous  imitation  of  which  a  whole  flock  may  some- 
times be  enticed  within  gunshot,  while  the  cries  of  the  wounded 
are  sure  to  detain  them  until  the  gunner  has  made  repeated  shots 
and  great  havoc  among  them." 

The  eggs  of  the  Long-billed  Curlew  are  four  in  num- 
ber. They  are  pyriform  in  shape,  and  almost  exactly 
resemble  the  eggs  of  the  Willet,  but  are  considerably 
larger ;  their  dimensions  being  2.75  inch  in  length  by  1.96 
in  breadth. 

Along  the  shores  of  the  northern  side  of  Cape  Cod,  this 
species  is  most  abundant  in  the  autumnal  flight,  where  it 
appears  in  flocks  of  fifteen  or  twenty.  Like  many  others  of 
our  shore-birds,  it  is  taken,  with  the  aid  of  decoys,  by  per- 
sons concealed  in  pits  ;  and,  being  a  delicate  and  well-con- 
ditioned bird,  it  is  in  high  esteem,  and  much  sought  for  in 
the  markets  where  it  is  exposed  for  sale. 

NUMENIUS  HUDSONICUS.  —  Latham. 
The  Short-billed  or  Hudsonian  Curlew. 

Scolopax  boreahs,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  VII.  (1813)  22. 

Numenius  Hudsonicus,  Nuttall.  Man.,  II.  (1834)  97.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III. 
(1835)  283;  V.  589.  76.,  Birds  Am.,  VI.  (1843)  42. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Smaller  than  the  preceding ;  bill  about  twice  the  length  of  the  head ;  wings  long ; 
tail  short;  legs  moderate;  head  above  brownish-black,  with  a  longitudinal  band: 
other  upper  parts  brownish-black,  tinged  with  ashy,  spotted  with  dull  yellowish- 
white,  and  lighter  on  the  rump;  under  parts  dull  yellowish-white,  with  longitudinal 
narrow  stripes  of  blackish-brown  on  the  neck  and  breast ;  under  wing  coverts  and 
axillaries  pale  ashy-rufous,  transversely  barred  with  black ;  quills  brownish-black, 
with  transverse  bars  of  pale-rufous  on  the  inner  webs ;  tail  brownish-black,  with 


468  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

transverse  bars  of  pale  ashy-brown;  bill  brownish-black;  base  of  lower  mandible 
reddish-yellow;  legs  greenish-brown;  specimens  vary  in  the  shade  of  the  lighter 
colors  of  the  plumage  and  in  the  length  of  the  bill;  iris  brown. 

Smaller,  and  with  the  colors  different  from  the  preceding.  This  bird  is  repre- 
sented as  abundant  in  the  northern  regions  of  this  continent,  but  is  much  less 
frequent  in  the  United  States  than  the  preceding. 

Total  length,  about  eighteen  inches;  wing,  nine;  tail,  four;  bill,  three  to  four; 
tarsus,  two  and  a  quarter  inches. 

Hob.  —  Atlantic  and  Pacific  coasts  of  North  America;  California  (Mr.  Gas- 
sidy). 

This  species  is  rare  in  New  England.  I  have  never  met 
with  it  alive,  and  will  have  to  depend  upon  the  observations 
of  others.  Wilson  says, — 

"  The  Short-billed  Curlew  arrives  in  large  flocks  on  the  seacoast 
of  New  Jersey  early  in  May,  from  the  South ;  frequents  the  salt 
marshes,  muddy  shores,  and  inlets,  feeding  on  small  worms  and 
minute  shell-fish.  They  are  most  commonly  seen  on  mud-flats  at  low 
water,  in  company  with  various  other  Waders  ;  and,  at  high  water, 
roam  along  the  marshes.  They  fly  high,  and  with  great  rapidity. 
A  few  are  seen  in  June,  and  as  late  as  the  beginning  of  July,  when 
they  generally  move  off  toward  the  North.  Their  appearance  on 
these  occasions  is  very  interesting :  they  collect  together  from  the 
marshes,  as  if  by  premeditated  design,  rise  to  a  great  height  in 
the  air,  usually  an  hour  before  sunset ;  and,  forming  in  one  vast 
line,  keep  up  a  constant  whistling  on  their  way  to  the  north,  as 
if  conversing  with  one  another  to  render  the  journey  more  agree- 
able." 

• 

Nuttall  says, — 

"  From  the  middle  of  August  to  the  beginning  of  September, 
they  arrive  in  the  vicinity  of  Massachusetts  Bay  and  other  parts  of 
New  England,  frequenting  the  pastures  as  well  as  marshes,  and 
fatten  on  grasshoppers  and  berries  till  the  time  of  their  departure, 
about  the  close  of  September." 

I  know  nothing  of  the  breeding  habits  of  this  species, 
and  can  give  no  description  of  the  nest  and  eggs  in  this 
volume. 


THE   ESQUIMAUX   CURLEW.  469 

NUMENIUS  BOREALIS.—  Latham. 
The  Esquimaux  Curlew. 

Numenius  borealis,  Nuttall.  Man  ,  II.  (1834)  100.  Aud.  Oni.  Biog.,  III.  (1835) 
69;  V.  590.  76.,  Birds  Am.,  VI.  (1843)  45. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Much  smaller  than  either  of  the  preceding,  but  resembling  N.  Hudsoniciis  in  color; 
bill  rather  longer  than  the  head,  slender;  wings  long;  tail  short;  legs  moderate; 
entire  upper  parts  brownish-black,  spotted  with  dull  yellowish-rufous;  quills  brown- 
ish-black, uniform  on  both  webs,  without  bars  on  either;  under  wing  coverts  and 
axillaries  light-rufous,  with  transverse  stripes  of  brownish-black ;  under  parts  dull- 
white,  tinged  with  rufous,  with  longitudinal  narrow  stripes  of  brownish-black  on  the 
neck  and  breast,  and  transverse  stripes  of  the  same  on  the  sides  and  under  tail 
coverts ;  tail  ashy-brown,  with  transverse  bands  of  brownish-black ;  bill  brownish- 
black;  base  of  under  mandible  yellow;  legs  greenish-brown;  iris  dai'k-brown. 

Total  length,  about  thirteen  and  a  half  inches;  wing,  eight  and  a  quarter;  tail, 
three;  bill,  two  and  a  quarter  to  two  and  a  half;  tarsus,  one  and  three-quarters 
inches. 

This  small  and  interesting  Curlew  is  merely  a  bird  of  passage  in  the  United 
States,  to  be  met  with  in  the  spring  and  autumn.  It  is  easily  distinguished  from 
either  of  the  preceding  by  its  small  size  and  its  comparatively  short  and  weak  bill. 
We  have  never  seen  it  from  the  western  countries  of  the  United  States. 

It  is  only  in  the  migrations  that  this  bird  visits  New 
England,  and  then  only  in  small  numbers.  They  ma,ke 
their  appearance  by  the  last  week  in  April,  and  pass  to  the 
most  northern  sections,  where  they  breed,  and  then  return 
here  about  the  first  week  in  September. 

Says  Nuttall,  "  On  the  13th  of  June,  1822,  Dr.  Rich- 
ardson discovered  one  of  ^  these  Curlews  sitting  on  three 
eggs,  on  the  shore  of  Point  Lake.  When  approached,  she 
ran  a  short  distance  from  the  nest,  crouching  near  to  the 
ground,  and  then  stopped  to  watch  the  motions  of  her 
encroaching  visitor.  The  eggs,  sometimes  as  many  as  four, 
have  a  pyriform  shape,  and  a  siskin-green  color,  clouded 
with  a  few  irregular  spots  of  bright  umber-brown." 

On  their  return  in  autumn,  this  Curlew  has  all  the  habits 
of  the  two  preceding  species:  like  them,  "they  are  remark- 
ably gregarious,  each  company  seeming  to  follow  some  tem- 
porary leader ;  and,  on  starting  to  fly,  a  sort  of  watch-cry 
is  heard,  resembling  the  whistling  pronunciation  of  the 


470  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

word  bee-lee.  On  their  arrival  from  the  North,  they  are 
very  fat,  plump,  and  well  flavored,  and  included,  like  the 
preceding  and  the  Marbled  Godwit,  under  the  general  name 
of  Doe-birds :  they  are  sought  out  by  epicures,  and  enhance 
the  value  of  a  table  entertainment."  They  frequent  the 
marshes  and  adjoining  pastures,  where  they  feed  much  upon 
grasshoppers  and  other  insects  and  earthworms,  which  they 
collect  principally  towards  evening,  or  early  in  the  morning. 


Tribe 

Species  living  in  marshes,  with  elevated  bodies,  much  compressed  laterally; 
usually  with  longer  necks  than  most  Snipe,  with  moderately  long,  strong,  and  stout 
bills,  also  much  compressed,  and  covered  at  tip  by  a  horny  investment ;  the  remaining 
portion  membranous,  with  elongated  nasal  furrow,  and  narrow,  more  or  less  perfor- 
ate, nostrils ;  the  lores  are  feathered  uniformly  as  in  the  Limicolce ;  the  rest  of  the 
plumage  without  the  spotting  of  the  Snipes ;  wings  rather  short,  more  rounded  than 
pointed,  and  when  folded  do  not  reach  beyond  the  short,  soft,  and  feeble  tail,  in 
fact,  seldom  to  its  base;  the  outer  two  or  three  primaries  generally  abbreviated;  the 
toes  are  very  long,  cleft  to  the  base,  thin,  and  generally  with  very  long  claws; 
the  same  is  the  case  with  the  hind  toe,  which  is  not  only  much  longer  than  in  the 
Limicolce,  but  is  generally  inserted  more  nearly  on  the  same  level  with  the  anterior 
ones,  touching  the  ground  for  most  of  its  extent. 

The  species  pick  up  their  food  on  the  surface,  and  do  not  probe  the  soft  mud  in 
search  of  it. 

The  North-American  species  of  this  tribe  are  few  in  number,  though  very  abun- 
dant in  individuals.  Their  habit  of  close  concealment  among  the  reeds  and  grass 
of  marshy  places  renders  them  very  difficult  of  detection,  except  when  their  abodes 
are  more  or  less  submerged. 


Sub-Family  RALLIN^E.  —  The  Rails. 
RALLUS,  LINN^US. 

Rallus,  LINN^US,  Syst.  Nat. 

Bill  longer  than  the  head,  rather  slender,  compressed;  upper  mandible  slightly 
curved ;  nostrils  in  a  long  groove,  and  with  a  large  membrane ;  wings  short ;  tertiary 
quills  long,  frequently  longer  than  the  primaries ;  tail  very  short ;  legs  moderate ; 
tarsus  shorter  than  the  middle  toe,  and  covered  on  all  sides  with  transverse  scales ; 
toes  long  and  rather  slender;  inner  toe  rather  shorter  than  the  outer;  hind  toe  short 
anu  weak. 

1  See  Introduction. 


THE   CLAPPER  RAIL.  471 

EALLUS    ELEGANS.  —  Audub&n. 
Marsh  Hen. 

Rallus  elegans,  Audubon.    Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1837)  27. 
Rallus  crepitans,  Wilson.    Am.  Orii.,  VII.  (1813). 

DESCRIPTION. 

Upper  parts  olive-brown,  with  longitudinal  stripes  of  brownish-black,  most 
numerous  on  the  back ;  line  from  the  base  of  the  bill  over  the  eye  dull  orange-yel- 
low; space  before  and  behind  the  eye  brownish-cinereous;  throat  and  lower  eyelid 
white;  neck  before  and  breast  bright  rufous-chestnut;  sides  and  abdomen,  and  under 
tail  coverts,  with  transverse  bands  of  brownish-black  and  white,  the  dark  bands 
being  the  wider;  tibiae  dull  yellowish-white,  with  spots  and  transverse  bars  of  ashy- 
brown;  upper  wing  coverts  reddish-chestnut;  under  wing  coverts  black,  with  trans- 
verse lines  of  white.  Sexes  alike. 

Total  length  (from  tip  of  bill  to  end  of  tail),  about  seventeen  inches;  wing,  six 
and  fifty  one-hundredths ;  tail,  three  inches. 

This  beautiful  bird  is  so  exceedingly  rare  in  New  Eng- 
land, that  it  can  be  regarded  only  as  a  straggler  from  its 
southern  home.  It  has  all  the  habits  of  the  following 
species ;  and  its  eggs  exactly  resemble  those  of  the  Clapper 
Rail,  but  average  about  one-fifth  larger. 

EALLUS    CEEPITANS.  —  Gmelin. 
The  Clapper  Eail;  Mud-hen. 

Rattus  crepitans,  Gmelin.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1788)  713.  Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  VII. 
(1813)  112.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835)  33;  V.  570.  Ib.,  Birds  Am.,  V.  (1842)  165. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Upper  parts  light  ashy-olive,  with  longitudinal  stripes  of  brownish-black,  most 
numerous  on  the  back ;  a  line  of  dull  yellowish-white  from  the  base  of  the  bill  over 
the  eye;  space  before  and  behind  the  eye  ashy;  throat  and  under  eyelid  white; 
neck  before  and  breast  pale  reddisli-yellow,  or  tawny,  tinged  with  bluish-ashy  on 
the  breast ;  sides,  abdomen,  under  tail  coverts,  and  tibiae,  with  transverse  bands  of 
brownish-black  and  white,  the  former  being  the  wider;  upper  wing  coverts  brown- 
ish-olive ;  under  wing  coverts  black,  with  transverse  lines  of  white ;  iris  pale-yellow. 

Total  length  (to  end  of  tail),  about  fourteen  inches;  wing,  five  and  a  half;  tail, 
two  and  a  half  inches. 

This  bird,  so  well  known  in  the  Middle  and  Southern 
States,  is  rarely  found  in  New  England  as  a  summer  visi- 
tor. It  has  been  known  to  breed  in  the  most  southern 
localities  in  these  States ;  but  the  instances  are  few,  and  it 
can  be  called  only  an  accidental  species  in  New  England. 


472  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 

It  begins  to  build  about  the  10th  of  May.  The  nest  is 
placed  on  the  ground  in  a  marsh,  sometimes  in  a  tussock  of 
grass  or  on  a  pile  of  seaweed :  it  is  constructed  of  a  large 
mass  of  dried  grasses  and  weeds,  and  is  but  little  hollowed. 
The  eggs  are  from  five  to  seven  or  eight  in  number.  Their 
form  is  usually  ovoidal,  and  their  primary  color  dull  creamy- 
drab  or  dirty-buff.  This  is  marked  more  or  less  thickly  with 
spots  and  blotches  of  different  shades  of  brown  and  obscure 
spots  of  lilac.  The  nearest  in  resemblance  to  these  eggs 
are  those  of  the  Woodcock ;  but,  when  a  number  of  each  are 
placed  side  by  side,  the  eggs  of  the  latter  may  be  readily 
identified  by  their  generally  more  pyriform  shape.  The 
dimensions  of  the  eggs  of  the  Clapper  Rail  vary  from 
1.82  by  1.25  inch  to  1.63  by  1.14  inch.  The  greater 
number  of  spots  are  more  of  a  purplish  tint;  and  they 
are  generally  rather  sparingly  distributed  over  the  entire 

egg- 

The  habits  of  this  species  are  similar  to  those  of  the  fol- 
lowing ;  but  the  Clapper  Rail  seems  to  prefer  for  its  home 
the  marshes  in  the  neighborhood  of  salt  water. 


RALLUS    VIEGINIANUS.  —  Linnceus. 
The  Virginia  Kail. 

Rallus  Virginianus,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  263.  Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  VII. 
(1813)  109.  Nutt.  Man.,  II.  (1834)*205.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835)  41;  V.  573. 
76.,  Birds  Am.,  V.  (1842)  174. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Much  smaller  than  either  of  the  preceding,  but  resembling  them  in  form,  and 
resembling  also  R.  elegans  in  colors;  upper  parts  olive-brown,  with  longitudinal 
stripes  of  brownish-black;  line  from  base  of  bill  over  the  eye  reddish-white;  throat 
white;  neck  before  and  breast  bright-rufous ;  abdomen  and  under  tail  coverts  with 
transverse  bands  of  black  and  white,  the  former  being  the  wider ;  upper  wing  coverts 
bright  rufous-chestnut;  under  wing  coverts  black,  with  transverse  lines  of  white; 
iris  bright-red. 

Total  length  (from  tip  of  bill  to  end  of  tail),  about  seven  and  a  half  inches;  wing, 
four;  tail,  one  and  a  half  inches. 

This  handsome  species  is  pretty  generally  distributed 
throughout  New  England  as  a  summer  resident.  Unlike 


THE   VIRGINIA   BAIL.  473 

the  preceding,  it  locates  itself  in  the  fresh-water  mead- 
ows, where,  in  a  tussock  of  grass  or  in  a  pile  -of  drift- 
weed,  it  forms  its  nest.  This  is  nothing  but  a  pile  of 
weeds  or  grass,  which  it  arranges  in  a  compact  manner, 
and  hollows  to  the  depth  of  perhaps  an  inch  or  an  inch  and 
a  half. 

The  eggs  are  from  six  to  ten  in  number,  usually  about 
seven.  They  are  ovoidal  in  form,  and  generally  seem  to  be 
like  a  miniature  of  those  of  the  Clapper  Rail:  some  speci- 
mens, collected  in  Cambridge,  Mass.,  are  of  a  deep-buff  color  ; 
but  none  approach  the  color  of  the  Carolina  Rail  sufficiently 
to  be  mistaken  for  them.  They  are  spotted  with  small 
marks  of  reddish  and  brown,  and  with  a  few  obscure  spots 
of  lilac.  They  vary  in  their  dimensions  from  1.30  by  .96  to 
1.23  by  .90  inch. 

This  species  is  undoubtedly  more  abundant  in  New 
England,  particularly  in  its  southern  portions,  than  most  per- 
sons generally  believe.  It  is  of  very  retiring  habits  ;  and  as 
it  selects  the  almost  inaccessible  meadows  and  boggy  swamps 
for  its  summer  home,  and,  when  approached,  quickly  retreats 
into  the  farthest  recesses,  I  am  not  surprised  that  it  is  in 
most  cases  overlooked.  I  have  found  it  breeding  in  many 
localities  in  Massachusetts,  and  have  no  hesitation  in  call- 
ing it  one  of  the  commonest  of  our  Crrallatores.  It  feeds 
only  during  the  twilight  and  in  early  dawn,  and  remains 
concealed  in  the  grass  during  the  greater  part  of  the  day. 
Its  food  consists  of  various  insects  and  worms,  such  as  are 
abundant  in  the  localities  which  it  frequents.  It  leaves  New 
England  for  the  South  by  the  10th  of  September. 

PORZANA,  VIEILLOT. 

Porzana,  VIEILLOT,  Anal.,  p.  61  (1816),  61.    (Type  Rallus porzana,  L.) 
Bill  shorter  than  the  head,  compressed,  straight;  nostrils  in  a  wide  groove,  with 
a  large  membrane ;  wings  moderate ;  primaries  longer  than  tertiaries ;  tail  short ; 
tarsus  about  the  length  of  the  middle  toe ;  toes  long ;  inner  toe  slightly  shorter  than 
the  outer;  general  form  compressed  and  slender;  legs  rather  robust. 


474  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 


POEZANA   CAROLINA. 
The  Carolina  Rail;   Ortolan. 

RaUus  (Crex)  Carolinus,  Bonaparte.  Obs.  Wils.  (1825),  No.  230.  Nutt.  Man., 
II.  (1834)  209. 

Ortygvmetra  Carolina,  Audubon.     Birds  Am.,  V.  (1842)  145. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Space  around  the  base  of  the  bill,  extending  downwards  on  the  neck  before  and 
over  the  top  of  the  head,  black. 

Male.  —  Upper  parts  greenish-brown,  with  longitudinal  bands  of  black,  and 
many  feathers  having  narrow  stripes  of  white  on  their  edges;  behind  the  eye,  sides 
of  the  neck,  and  the  breast,  fine  bluish-ashy,  with  circular  spots  and  transverse 
bands  of  white  on  the  breast ;  middle  of  the  abdomen  and  under  tail  coverts  white ; 
sides  and  flanks  with  transverse  bands  of  brownish-black  and  white ;  bill  greenish- 
yellow;  legs  dark-green. 

Female.  —  Similar,  but  duller  in  colors. 

Young.  —  Without  black  at  the  base  of  the  bill  or  on  the  neck ;  throat  dull-white ; 
breast  dull  yellowish-ashy ;  upper  parts  tinged  with  dull-yellow ;  iris  chestnut. 

Total  length,  about  eight  and  a  half  inches;  wing,  four  and  a  quarter;  tail,  two 
inches. 

This  species,  like  the  Virginia  Rail,  is  probably  more 
abundant  in  our  fresh-water  meadows  than  is  generally  sup- 
posed. It  arrives  in  April,  about  the  16th  ;  and,  separating 
into  pairs,  takes  up  its  residence  in  the  inland  marshes, 
where  it  breeds,  and  remains  until  its  departure  for  the 
South,  about  the  middle  of  October.  Early  in  May  the  sea- 
son of  incubation  commences.  The  nest  is  constructed  of 
pieces  of  straw  and  weed,  arranged  in  a  large  pile,  and  hol- 
lowed to  the  depth  of  an  inch  or  more :  it  is  usually  placed 
in  a  tussock  of  grass,  or  beneath  a  piece  of  turf.  A  speci- 
men which  I  found  in  Dedham  meadows  was  built  beneath 
some  thick  cranberry-vines,  and  I  have  known  of  others 
being  placed  in  small  brier  patches ;  but  generally  the 
fabric  is  built  in  an  open  meadow,  usually  on  an  elevated 
tussock  in  a  boggy  tract  of  ground.  The  eggs  vary  from 
five  to  eight  or  ten  in  number :  their  form  is  almost  always 
an  exact  ovoidal.  Their  color  is  a  yellow-drab,  with  a  faint- 
olivaceous  tint,  different  from  the  color  of  any  of  our  other 
fail's  eggs.  They  vary  in  dimensions  from  1.35  by  1  inch 
(Quincy,  Mass.)  to  1.15  by  .85  inch  (Albion,  Wis.).  The 


THE   YELLOW  RAIL.  475 

average  size  is  about  1.26  by  1.92  (Cambridge  and  Need- 
ham,  Mass.). 

After  leaving  New  England  and  other  northern  breeding- 
places,  this  species  congregates  in  great  numbers  on  the 
shores  of  some  of  the  southern  streams  and  bays,  where 
they  furnish  much  sport  to  the  gunners  of  those  localities. 

PORZANA  NOVEBORACENSIS. 
The  Yellow  Kail. 

Ortygometra  Noveboracensis,  Audubon.    Birds  Am.,  V.  (1842)  152. 
Rallus  Naceboracensis  Audubon.    Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  (1838)  251. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Entire  upper  parts  ochre-yellow,  with  longitudinal  wide  stripes  of  brownish-black 
and  transverse  narrow  stripes  of  white;  neck  and  breast  reddish  ochre-yellow; 
many  feathers  tipped  with  brown;  middle  of  abdomen  white;  flanks  and  ventral 
region  with  wide  transverse  bands  of  dark  reddish-brown  and  narrow  bands  of 
white;  under  tail  coverts  rufous,  with  small  spots  of  white;  under  wing  coverts 
white;  iris  hazel. 

Total  length  (from  tip  of  bill  to  end  of  tail),  about  six  inches;  wing,  three  and  a 
quarter;  tail,  one  and  three-quarters  inches. 

This  beautiful  bird  is  an  exceedingly  rare  spring  and 
autumn  visitor  in  New  England.  I  have,  in  a  number  of 
years'  shooting,  been  able'  to  procure  but  two ;  and  have 
not  heard  of  more  than  two  or  three  more  being  taken  here. 
It  has  all  the  characteristics  of  the  other  species,  but  prefers 
the  fresh-water  meadows  to  the  salt  marshes.1  Dr.  Richard- 
son, in  his  "  Northern  Zoology,"  says,  "  This  elegant  bird 
is  an  inhabitant  of  the  marshes  on  the  coast  of  Hudson's 
Bay,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Severn  River,  from  the  middle 
of  May  to  the  end  of  September.  It  never  flies  above 
sixty  yards  at  a  time,  but  runs  with  great  rapidity  among 
the  long  grass  near  the  shores.  In  the  morning  and  evening, 
it  utters  a  note  which  resembles  the  striking  of  a  flint  and 
steel :  at  other  times,  it  makes  a  shrieking  noise.  It  builds 
no  nest,  but  lays  from  ten  to  sixteen  white  eggs  among  the 
grass." 

1  The  specimens  that  I  procured  were  found  in  fresh-water  meadows  early  in 
September. 


476  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 


FULICA,  LIXN^US. 

Fulica,  LINN^US,  Syst.  Nat.  (1735).  (Type  Fulica  atra,  L.) 
Bill  shorter  than  the  head,  straight,  strong,  compressed,  and  advancing  into  the 
feathers  of  the  forehead,  where  it  frequently  forms  a  wide  and  somewhat  projecting 
frontal  plate;. nostrils  in  a  groove,  with  a  large  membrane  near  the  middle  of  the 
bill;  wings  rather  short,  second  and  third  quills  usually  longest;  tail  very  short; 
tarsus  robust,  shorter  than  the  middle  toe,  with  very  distinct  transverse  scales;  toes 
long,  each  toe  having  semicircular  lobes,  larger  on  the  inner  side  of  the  toe;  hind 
toe  rather  long,  lobed. 

FULICA   AMERICANA.  —  Gmelin. 
The  Coot;  Poule  d'eau;  Mud-hen. 

FuUca  Americana,  Gmelin.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1788)  704.    Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III. 
(1835)  291;   V.  568.     Ib.,  Birds  Am.,  VI.  (1842)  138. 
Fulica  atra,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  IX.  (1825)  61. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Head  and  neck  glossy-black,  with  a  tinge  of  ashy;  under  tail  coverts  white; 
entire  other  plumage  dark  bluish-cinereous  or  slate-color,  with  a  tinge  of  olive  on 
the  back  and  darker  on  the  rump ;  edge  of  wing  at  shoulder  and  edge  of  first  pri- 
mary white;  secondary  quills  tipped  with  white;  rump  frequently  tinged  with 
brownish ;  bill  very  pale-ye,llow  or  nearly  white,  with  a  transverse  band  of  brown- 
ish-black near  the  end;  tip  white;  legs  dull  grayish-green.  Female  similar,  but 
with  the  tints  lighter.  Young  like  the  adult,  but  with  the  under  parts  lighter; 
abdomen  frequently  ashy-white ;  back  and  rump  dark  olive-brown ;  head  and  neck 
lighter;  iris  reddish-hazel. 

Total  length,  about  fourteen  inches;  wing,  seven;  tail,  two  inches. 

This  species  probably  breeds  in  all  the  New-England 
States,  but  not  abundantly.  It  prefers  the  neighborhood  of 
some  small  muddy  pond  for  its  habitation ;  and  its  nest  is 
usually  built  in  an  almost  inaccessible  bog.  Of  the  charac- 
ter of  the  nest,  I  am  ignorant,  but  judge  that  it  resembles 
that  of  the  other  members  of  this  family. 

The  eggs  are  from  eight  to  twelve  in  number.  Their 
form  is  an  elongated  ovoid.  Their  color  is  a  pale  yellowish- 
buff,  or  dirty-creanvtint ;  and  they  are  marked  with  fine  dots 
and  spots  of  dark-umber  and  obscure  fine  dots  of  lilac. 
In  all  the  specimens  that  I  have  examined,  these  dots  are 
pretty  thickly  distributed  or  sprinkled,  but  are  in  no  case 
confluent  into  blotches.  Their  dimensions  vary  from  2.10 
by  1.35  to  2  by  1.28  inch. 


NOTES,  477 

This  species  is  more  abundant  in  the  early  spring  and 
autumn  than  in  the  rest  of  the  season ;  and  I  infer  from 
this,  that  it  breeds  principally  in  the  northern  countries. 

Wilson  describes  its  general  habits  in  the  following  lan- 
guage :  — 

"  This  species  makes  its  appearance  in  Pennsylvania  about  the 
first  of  October.  Among  the  muddy  flats  and  islands  of  the  river 
Delaware,  which  are  periodically  overflowed,  and  which  are  over- 
grown with  the  reed,  or  wild  oats  and  rushes,  the  Coots  are  found. 
They  are  not  numerous,  and  are  seldom  seen,  except  their  places 
of  resort  be  covered  with  water :  in  that  case,  they  are  generally 
found  sitting  on  the  fallen  reed,  waiting  for  the  ebb  of  the  tide, 
which  will  enable  them  to  feed.  Their  food  consists  of  various 
aquatic  plants,  seeds,  insects,  and,  it  is  said,  small  fish.  The  Coot 
has  an  aversion  to  take  wing,  and  can  seldom  be  sprung  in  its 
retreat  at  low  water :  for,  although  it  walks  rather  awkwardly,  yet 
it  contrives  to  skulk  through  the  grass  and  reeds  with  great  speed  ; 
the  compressed  form  of  its  body,  like  that  of  the  Rail  genus,  being 
well  adapted  to  the  purpose.  It  swims  remarkably  well ;  and, 
when  wounded,  will  dive  like  a  duck.  When  closely  pursued  in 
the  water,  it  generally  takes  to  the  shore,  rising  with  apparent 
reluctance,  like  a  wounded  duck,  and  fluttering  along  the  surface, 
with  its  feet  pattering  on  the  water.  It  is  known  in  Pennsylvania 
by  the  name  of  the  Mud-hen." 


NOTES. 

I  continue  Mr.  Couper's  valuable  notes,  made  at  Quebec, 
Lower  Canada :  — 

ARDEA  HERODIAS.  —  The  adult  is  never  seen  in  this  latitude.  However, 
in  the  fall,  the  young  pass  this  way  to  the  Atlantic  States.  They  breed  near 
Rice  Lake,  in  Upper  Canada. 

BOTAURUS  LENTIGINOSUS.  —  The  Bittern  breeds  here,  and  appears  to 
be  common.  It  prefers  savannas  to  lakes  ;  and,  as  plenty  of  food  is  found  on 
the  latter,  probably  this  species  may  visit  higher  latitudes. 

NYCTIARDEA  GARDENI.  —  Common.  Breeds  on  the  island  of  Orleans, 
east  of  Quebec,  and  in  the  woods  adjoining  the  St.  Lawrence.  This  bird 


478  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

suits  its  own  convenience  in  building  in  this  neighborhood ;  for  the  majority 
of  nests  on  the  latter  island  are  the  architecture  of  our  Common  Crow. 

CHARADRIUS  VIRGINICUS.  —  Common  during  the  fall.  Breeds  further 
north.  This  species  came  on  board  a  steamship,  on  the  Atlantic,  six  hun- 
dred miles  out  from  Europe. 

JEGIALITIS  SEMIPALMATUS.  —  Uncommon.  Occurs  in  the  spring,  on  its 
way  north  to  breed. 

SQUATAROLA  HELVETICA. — Uncommon.     Occurs  in  spring  only. 

STREPSILAS  INTERPRES.  —  Uncommon.     Only  in  spring. 

PHALAROPUS  HYPERBOREUS.  —  Occasional.     Common  in  Labrador. 

PHILOHELA  MINOR.  —  Not  common.    A  few  breed. 

GALLINAGO  WILSONII.  —  Abundant  in  the  spring  and  fall.  None  breed 
in  this  district :  they  go  further  north. 

MACRORHAMPHUS  GRISEUS,  —  Occasional.    None  breed. 

TRINGA  CANUTUS.  —  Occasional.    None  breed. 

T.  MARITIMA.  —  Accidental  at  Quebec. 

T.  MACULATA.  —  Common.    None  breed. 

T.  WILSONII.  —  Occurs  in  spring.    None  breed. 

CALIDRIS  ARENARIA.  —  Occurs  in  spring.     Goes  far  north  to  breed. 

EREUNETES  PETRIFICATUS.  —  Occurs  in  spring  only.    None  breed. 

GAMBETTA  MELANOLEUCA.  —  Occurs  in  immature  plumage  in  the  fall. 

GAMBETTA  FLAVIPES.  —  Occurs  in  the  fall. 

RHYACOPHILTJS  SOLITARIUS.  —  Uncommon.  Only  noticed  in  the  spring, 
when  on  their  way  north  to  breed. 

TRINGOIDES  MACULARIUS.  —  Common.    Breeds. 
ACTITURUS  BARTRAMIUS.  —  Rare.     Occurs  in  the  spring. 
LIMOSA  HUDSONICA.  —  Occurs  in  spring  and  fall. 
NUMENIUS  HUDSONICUS.—  Occurs  in  the  fall. 
N.  BOREALIS.  —  Visits  Quebec  in  the  fall. 
RALLUS  VIRGINIANUS.  —  Uncommon. 
PORZANA  CAROLINA.— Uncommon. 

P.  NOVEBORACENSIS.  —  This  little  Rail  is  found  here  in  the  fall,  at 
which  season  it  is  found  in  Snipe-grounds.  There  is  no  doubt  that  it  breeds 
further  north  than  Quebec. 

FULICA  AMERICANA.  — Uncommon. 


NATATORES.  479 


ORDER  VI.  —  NATATORES.      SWIMMERS. 

Toes  connected  by  membrane  to  the  claws ;  the  feet  fitted  for 
swimming ;  lower  part  of  the  tibia  usually  feathered  to  near  the 
joint,  which  is  bare  ;  hind  toe.  however,  usually  elevated,  and  rather 
small,  except  in  Pelecanidce  ;  fitted  for  an  aquatic  life,  swimming 
and  diving  freely ;  rump  with  well-developed  oil  glands. 

The  order  Natatores,  as  characterized  above,  embraces  a  large 
number  of  species  of  very  varied  forms,  all  more  or  less  aquatic  in 
their  habits.  A  character  common  to  all  consists  in  the  presence 
of  a  membrane  between  the  toes,  usually  extending  to  the  claws. 
This  membrane,  when  found  in  the  Grattatores,  is  confined  more 
or  less  to  the  basal  joint,  unless  Phcenicopterus  be  an  exception. 
This  genus  has  been  variously  placed  in  both  orders,  and  it  is  still 
a  question  where  it  really  belongs.  The  internal  anatomy  resem- 
bles that  of  the  Natatores,  as  well  as  the  lamellated  bill  and  fully 
webbed  toes  ;  the  external  form  however,  as  well  as  habits,  bring 
it  nearer  the  Grallatores. 

The  order  Natatores  of  most  authors  has  been  divided  by  Bona- 
parte into  two,  —  the  Gavice  and  the  Anseres :  the  former  em- 
bracing species  which  rear  their  young  in  nests,  and  belong  to  the 
sub-class  Altrices  ;  while  the  latter  are  Prtecoces,  the  young  pro- 
curing food  for  themselves  almost  from  birth. 

GAVI.E.  —  Bill  without  lamellae,  and  more  or  less  entire ;  feet 
with  the  toes  all  connected  by  one  continuous  membrane ;  or  the 
hind  toe  free,  with  the  anterior  continuously  webbed. 

ANSERES.  —  Bill  with  transverse  lamellae  along  the  edges ;  hind 
toe  free. 


480  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 


SUB-ORDER  ANSERES. 


FAMILY  ANATID^. 

The  two  jaws  with  transverse  lamellae,  alternating  and  fitting  in  each  other; 
upper  mandible  ending  in  an  obtuse  rounded  nail;  a  groove  running  along  both 
jaws  to  the  nail ;  the  feathers  of  the  forehead  extend  forward  on  the  culmen  in  a 
rounded  or  acute  outline;  those  on  the  side  of  lower  jaw  and  on  the  chin  extend 
forward  in  a  similar  manner ;  commissure  straight ;  legs  short. 


Sub-Family   CYGNIN^E.  —  The   Swans. 
CYGNUS,  LIKN/EUS. 

Cygnus,  LINN^US,  Syst.  Nat.  (1835).    (Type  Anas  olor,  Gm.)  Gray. 

Neck  very  long;  bill  longer  than  the  head  (commissure  longer  than  the  tarsus), 
the  basal  portion  covered  by  a  soft  skin  extending  to  the  anterior  half  of  the 
eye;  the  plane  of  the  upper  outline  from  eye  to  eye  horizontal;  the  lateral  outline 
extending  nearly  straight  to  the  commissure,  or  even  sometimes  widening  slightly; 
not  half  the  width  of  the  bill  at  tip;  nostrils  situated  in  the  middle  portion  of 
the  bill ;  lower  portion  of  tibia  bare ;  the  tarsus  much  shorter  than  the  foot,  much 
compressed,  coyered  with  hexagonal  scales,  which  become  smaller  on  the  sides  and 
behind;  hind  toe  small,  much  elevated;  the  lobe  narrow;  tail  of  twenty  or  more 
feathers,  rounded  or  wedge-shaped;  sexes  similarly  colored. 

CYGNUS  AMERICANUS.—  Sharpless. 
The  American  Swan. 

Cygnus  Americanus,  Sharpless.    Doughty's  Cab.  N.  H.,  I.  (1830)  185.    Aud.  Orn. 
Biog.,  V.  (1839)  133.    lb.,  Birds  Am.,  VI.  (1843)  226. 
Cygnus  ferus,  Nuttall.    Man.,  II.  (1834)  368. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  as  long  as  the  head,  broad,  high  at  the  base ;  the  feathers  ending  on  the  fore- 
head in  a  semicircular  outline;  nostrils  far  forward,  the  anterior  extremity  consider- 
ably more  forward  than  half  the  commissure ;  tail  of  twenty  feathers.  * 

Adult  pure-white;  bill  and  legs  black;  the  former  with  an  orange  or  yellowish 
spot  in  front  of  the  eye ;  less  mature  specimens  with  the  head  above  tinged  with 
reddish-brown ;  iris  brown. 

Length,  fifty-five  inches;  wing,  twenty-two;  tarsus,  four  and  twenty-five  one- 
hundredths;  bill,  above,  four  and  twenty  one-hundredths  inches. 

Hob  —  Continent  of  North  America. 


THE   AMERICAN   SWAN.  481 

The  Common  American  Swan  is  equally  abundant  on  both  sides  of  the  continent, 
as  well  as  throughout  the  interior;  the  young  bird  is  brown  instead  of  white;  the 
adult  seldom,  if  ever,  is  without  the  yellow  or  orange  space  at  the  base  of  the  bill, 
which  is  otherwise  black. 

THIS  beautiful  bird  is  so  extremely  rare  in  New  England 
that  it  cannot  properly  be  considered  as  belonging  to 
our  fauna.  Within  a  few  years,  perhaps  three  or  four  speci- 
mens have  been 
taken  in  the  waters 
of  Lake  Champlain ;  ^ 
and  I  believe  a  small  *• 
flock  is  recorded  to 
have  been  seen  in 
Lake  Memphrema- 
gog.  These  are 
the  only  instances 
known  to  me  of  its 
occurrence  in  these 
States.  It  retires  to  the  most  northern  countries  to  pass 
the  season  of  reproduction.  It  nests  on  the  ground,  on 
the  islands  and  plains  in  the  Hudson's  Bay  country.  The 
nest  is  constructed  of  a  small  collection  of  weeds  and 
dried  grasses,  loosely  adjusted  by  the  female.  The  eggs 
are  from  six  to  eight  or  ten  in  number.  They  are  broadly 
ovoidal  in  shape,  and  of  a  pale  olivaceous-green  in  color. 
They  vary  in  dimensions  from  4.65  by  3  inches  to  3.98  by 
2.85  inch. 


Sub-Family  ANSERINE. —  The   Geese. 
i 

ANSER,  LINN^US. 

Bill  as  long  as  the  head,  mostly  red  or  orange-colored;  the  lamellae  of  upper 
mandible  project  below  the  edge  as  conical  points;  nostrils  opening  behind  the 
middle  of  the  commissure,  the  anterior  edge  only  reaching  to  this  point ;  tip  of  hind 
toe  reaching  to  the  ground. 

31 


482  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

ANSEE  HYPERBOREUS. — Pallas. 
The  Snow  Goose. 

Anser  hyperboreus,  Pallas.     Spic.  Zool.,  VI.  (1767)  25.     Nutt.  Man.,  II.  344. 
Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  (1838)  562.     76.,  Birds  Am.,  VI.  (1843)  212. 
Anas  hyperborea.    Gm.,  I.  504.     Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  VIII.  (1814)  76. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Adult. Bill  and  legs  red;  color  pure-white;  primary  quills  black  towards  the 

end.  silvery-bluish  gray  towards  the  base,  where  the  shafts  are  white ;  the  spurious 
quills  are  also  bluish;  inside  of  wings,  except  primary  quills,  white;  immature  birds 
have  the  head  washed  with  rusty. 

Young.  —  Head  and  upper  part  of  neck  white ;  lower  part  of  neck  to  the  wings 
dark-brown,  passing  on  the  sides  of  body  into  a  more  ashy  shade ;  rest  of  under 
parts,  concealed  portions  of  the  back,  rump,  and  upper  coverts,  white ;  the  entire 
scapular  and  scapular  region  is  ashy-brown,  each  feather  with  faint  reddish-brown 
margin ;  the  upper  surface  of  the  wing  is  of  a  clear  silvery-ash,  but  passing  into  dark- 
brown  on  the  ends  of  the  quills ;  the  coverts,  secondaries,  tertials,  and  scapulars, 
edged  with  white ;  iris  light-brown. 

Length,  about  thirty  inches;  wing,  sixteen  and  forty  one-hundredths;  tarsus, 
three  and  twelve  one-hundredths ;  commissure,  two  and  ten  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  is  another  rare  species  on  our  New-England  sea- 
coast.  As  a  general  thing,  it  is  only  seen  during  the  winter  ; 
hut  we  have,  in  the  Massachusetts  State  Cabinet,  a  fine  speci- 
men that  was  taken  in  Boston  Harbor,  in  July,  1863.  It  is 
strictly  a  northern  species,  and  hardly  belongs  to  our  fauna. 

Dr.  Richardson,  in  describing  its  breeding  habits,  says, 
"It  breeds  in  the  barren  grounds  of  Arctic  America,  in 
great  numbers.  The  eggs,  of  a  yellowish-white  color  and 
regularly  ovate  form,  are  a  little  larger  than  those  of  the 
Eider  Duck;  their  length  being  three  inches,  and  their 
greatest  breadth  two.  The  young  fly  in  August ;  and,  by 
the  middle  of  September,  all  have  departed  to  the  south- 
ward. The  Snow  Goose  feeds  on  rushes,  insects,  and  in 
autumn  on  berries,  particularly  those  of  the  Empetrum 


nigrum" 


BERNICLA,  STEPHENS. 


Bernicla,  STEPHENS,  Shaw's  Gen.  Zool.,  XII.  (1824)  45.  (Type  Anas  ber- 
mcla,  L.) 

Bill  about  as  long  as  head  or  shorter;  the  commissure  nearly  straight;  the  teeth 
of  upper  mandible  concealed,  except  perhaps  at  the  base ;  bill  and  legs  black. 


THE   CANADA   GOOSE.  483 

The  American  geese,  with  black  bill  and  legs,  exhibit  very  grea"t  variations  in 
size ;  so  much  so,  indeed,  as  to  render  it  very  difficult  to  distinguish  them  by  this 
character  alone:  the  variation  in  the  shade  of  plumage  in  the  same  species  is  like- 
wise considerable. 

BEENICLA  CANADENSIS.  —  Boie. 
The  Canada  Goose. 

Anas  Canadensis,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  198.  Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  VIII. 
(1814)  52. 

Anser  Canadensis,  Nuttall.  Man.,  II.  349.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835)  1; 
V.  607.  lb.,  Birds  Am.,  VI.  (1843)  178. 

Bernicla  Canadensis,  Boie.     Isis  (1826)  921. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Tail  of  eighteen  feathers;  head,  neck,  bill,  and  feet,  deep-black;  a  large  trian- 
gular patch  of  white  on  the  cheeks  behind  the  eye;  the  two  of  opposite  sides 
broadly  confluent  beneath,  but  not  extending  to  the  rami  of  lower  jaw;  a  few 
whitish  feathers  on  lower  eyelid;  upper  parts  brown,  edged  with  paler;  under 
parts  light,  with  a  tinge  of  purple-gray,  sometimes  a  shade  of  smoky-brown ;  the 
edges  of  the  feathers  paler;  the  color  of  the  body  of  the  feathers,  though  similar, 
becoming  deeper  on  the  sides,  tibia,  axillars,  and  inside  of  wings;  the  gray  of  the 
belly  passes  gradually  into  white  on  the  anal  region  and  under  coverts ;  the  upper 
tail  coverts  are  pure-white;  the  primary  quills  and  rump  are  very  dark  blackish- 
brown;  the  tail  feathers  are  black;  iris  chestnut-brown. 

Length,  thirty-five  inches;  wing,  eighteen;  tarsus,  three  and  ten  one-hundredths ; 
commissure,  two  and  ten  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  well-known  bird  passes  through  or  over  New  Eng- 
land in  the  spring  and  autumn  migrations,  appearing  in  the 
former  about  the  first  week  in  April,  and  passing  in  flocks 
until  the  10th  of  that  month.  In  the  autumn,  it  returns  as 
early  as  the  last  week  in  September ;  and  from  then  until 
the  first  of  December,  and  even  later,  it  passes  in  flocks  in 
its  southern  migrations.  The  Wild  Goose,  as  the  rule, 
breeds  in  the  most  northern  portions  of  the  continent :  it 
sometimes  passes  the  season  of  incubation  in  the  limits  of 
the  United  States ;  but  the  occurrences  are  very  few  of  its 
having  been  found  to  remain  in  New  England.  I  under- 
stand that  it  has  bred  on  Martha's  Vineyard,  south  of 
Massachusetts,  several  times  ;  and  I  have  been  told  of  other 
instances,  but  do  not  consider  them  to  be  well  authenti- 
cated. The  nest  is  located  in  some  retired  place  not  far 
from  the  water,  generally  among  the  thickest  grass,  and  not 


484 


ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 


unfrequently  under  a  bush.  It  is  carelessly  formed  of  dry 
plants  of  various  kinds,  and  is  of  a  large  size,  flat,  and 
raised  to  the  height  of  several  inches.  The  eggs  are  usually 


about  six  in  number :  they  average  three  and  a  half  inches 
by  two  and  a  half,  are  thick-shelled,  rather  smooth,  and  of 
a  very  dull  yellowish-green  color.  The  period  of  incuba- 
tion is  twenty-eight  days.  Wilson  says  of  this  bird :  — 

<k  Their  first  arrival  on  the  coast  of  New  Jersey  is  early  in  Octo- 
ber; and  their  first  numerous  appearance  is  the  sure  prognostic 
of  severe  weather.  Those  which  continue  all  winter  frequent  the 
shallow  bays  and  marsh  islands :  their  principal  food  being  the  broad, 
tender,  green  leaves  of  a  marine  plant  which  grows  on  stones  and 
shells,  and  is  usually  called  sea-cabbage  ;  and  also  the  roots  of  the 
sedge,  which  they  are  frequently  observed  in  the  act  of  tearing  up. 
Every  few  days,  they  make  an  excursion  to  the  inlets  on  the  beach 
for  gravel.  They  cross,  indiscriminately,  over  land  or  water,  gen- 
erally taking  the  nearest  course  to  their  object ;  differing,  in  this 
respect,  from  the  Brant,  which  will  often  go  a  great  way  round  by 
water,  rather  than  cross  over  the  land.  They  swim  well ;  and,  if 
wing-broken,  dive,  and  go  a  long  way  under  water,  causing  the 


THE   BRANT.  485 

sportsman  a  great  deal  of  fatigue  before  he  can  kill  them.  Except 
in  very  calm  weather,  they  rarely  sleep  on  the  water,  but  roost  all 
night  in  the  marshes.  When  the  shallow  bays  are  frozen,  they 
seek  the  mouths  of  inlets  near  the  sea,  occasionally  visiting  the 
air-holes  in  the  ice ;  but  these  bays  are  seldom  so  completely  frozen 
as  to  prevent  them  from  feeding  on  the  bars. 

"  The  flight  of  the  Wild  Geese  is  heavy  and  laborious,  generally 
in  a  straight  line,  or  in  two  lines,  approximating  to  a  point  thus,  >  : 
in  both  cases,  the  van  is  led  by  an  old  gander,  who,  every  now  and 
then,  pipes  his  well-known  honk,  as  if  to  ask  how  they  come  on ; 
and  the  honk  of  '  All's  well '  is  generally  returned  by  some  of  the 
party.  Their  course  is  in  a  straight  line,  with  the  exception  of 
the  undulations  of  their  flight.  When  bewildered  in  foggy  weather, 
they  appear  sometimes  to  be  in  great  distress,  flying  about  in  an 
irregular  manner,  and  for  a  considerable  time  over  the  same  quar- 
ter, making  a  great  clamor.  On  these  occasions,  should  they 
approach  the  earth,  and  alight,  —  which  they  sometimes  do,  to  rest 
and  recollect  themselves,  —  the  only  hospitality  they  meet  with  is 
death  and  destruction  from  a  whole  neighborhood  already  in  arms 
for  their  ruin." 

BERNICLA   BRENTA.  —  Stephens. 
The  Brant. 

Anns  bernida,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  198.  Wils.  Am.  On.,  VIII. 
(1814)  131. 

Anser  bernida,  Nuttall.  Man.,  II.  359.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  V.  (1831)  24,  610. 
lb.,  Birds  Am.,  VI.  (1843)  203. 

Bernida  brenta,  Stephens.     Shaw's  Zool.,  XII.  (1824)  46. 
DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  and  feet,  head,  neck,  and  body  anterior  to  the  wings,  primary  quills,  and 
tail,  black ;  the  secondary  quills  nearly  black ;  on  each  side  of  the  middle  of  the 
neck  is  a  small  white  crescent,  streaked  with  black ;  the  lower  eyelids  with  a  very 
faint  trace  of  white  feathers;  the  black  of  the  jugulum  is  abruptly  defined  against 
the  bluish  silvery-gray  of  the  remaining  under  parts,  the  feathers  of  which  have  the 
basal  portions  bluish-gray;  the  axillars  and  insides  of  the  wings  showing  a  darker 
tint  of  the  same ;  the  gray  of  the  belly  passes  gradually  into  white  behind,  the  tail 
being  encircled  all  round  and  concealed  by  this  color;  the  back  and  wing  coverts 
are  grayish-blue,  with  slightly  paler  edges;  the  rump  is  of  a  similar,  but  darker  and 
more  uniform  blue ;  the  secondaries  have  some  concealed  whitish  on  the  inner  webs 
towards  the  base ;  iris  dark -hazel. 

Length,  twenty-three  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  twelve  and  seventy- 
five  one-hundredths;  tarsus,  two  and  twenty -six  one  hundredths ;  commissure,  one 
and  forty  one-hundredths  inches. 


486  ORNITHOLOGY   AND    OOLOGY. 

The  Brant  is  found  on  our  coast  pretty  abundantly  at 
the  same  seasons  as  the  Canada  Goose,  which  it  resem- 
bles very  much  in  its  general  habits. 

Having  had  but  few  opportunities  of  observing  this 
species  in  its  wild  state,  I  give  the  description,  by  Wilson,  of 
its  general  habits  :  "  The  Brant  is  expected  at  Egg  Harbor, 
on  the  coast  of  New  Jersey,  about  the  first  of  October, 
and  has  been  sometimes  seen  as  early  as  the  20th  of  Sep- 
tember. The  first  flocks  generally  remain  in  the  bay  a  few 
days,  arid  then  pass  on  to  the  South.  On  recommencing 
their  journey,  they  collect  in  one  large  body,  and,  making 
an  extensive  spiral  course,  some  miles  in  diameter,  rise  to  a 
great  height  in  the  air,  and  then  steer  for  the  sea,  over 
which  they  uniformly  travel,  often  making  wide  circuits  to 
avoid  passing  over  a  projecting  point  of  land.  In  these 
aerial  routes,  they  have  been  met  with,  many  leagues  from 
shore,  travelling  the  whole  night.  Their  line  of  march  very 
much  resembles  that  of  the  Canada  Goose,  with  this  excep- 
tion, that  frequently  three  or  four  are  crowded  together  in 
the  front,  as  if  striving  for  precedency.  Flocks  continue  to 
arrive  from  the  North ;  and  many  remain  in  the  bay  till 
December,  or  until  the  weather  becomes  very  severe,  when 
these  also  move  off  southwardly.  During  their  stay,  they 
feed  on  the  bars  at  low  water,  seldom  or  never  in  the 
marshes ;  their  principal  food  being  a  remarkably  long  and 
broad-leaved  marine  plant,  of  a  bright-green  color,  which 
adheres  to  stones,  and  is  called  by  the  country  people,  sea- 
cabbage  :  the  leaves  of  this  are  sometimes  eight  or  ten 
inches  broad,  by  two  or  three  feet  in  length.  They  also  eat 
small  shell-fish.  They  never  dive,  but  wade  about,  feeding 
at  low  water.  During  the  time  of  high  water,  they  float  in 
the  bay  in  long  lines,  particularly  in  calm  weather.  Their 
voice  is  hoarse  and  honking,  and,  when  some  hundreds  are 
screaming  together,  reminds  one  of  a  pack  of  hounds  in 
full  cry.  They  often  quarrel  among  themselves,  and  witli 
the  Ducks,  driving  the  latter  off  their  feeding-ground. 


THE   MALLiRD.  487 

Though  it  never  dives  in  search  of  food,  yet,  when  wing- 
broken,  the  ^Brant  will  go  one  hundred  yards  at  a  stretch 
under  water,  and  is  considered,  in  such  circumstances,  one 
of  the  most  difficult  birds  to  kill.  About  the  15th  or  20th 
of  May,  they  re-appear  on  their  way  north,  but  seldom  stop 
long,  unless  driven  in  by  tempestuous  weather." 

This  bird  nests  in  the  most  northern  portions  of  the  con- 
tinent. The  nest  is  similar  to  that  of  the  Canada  Goose. 
The  eggs  are  from  five  to  eight  in  number :  they  are  ovate 
in  form,  sometimes  nearly  oval ;  and  of  a  yellowish-white 
color,  sometimes  darkened  into  a  creamy-buff.  Their  di- 
mensions vary  from  2.90  by  1.92  to  2.78  by  1.84  inch. 
They  are  very  smooth  to  the  touch,  and"  the  shell  is  thin 
and  brittle. 


Sub-Family  ANATIN^E. —  The  River  Ducks. 

The  Anatince,  or  River  Ducks,  are  easily  known  by  their  having  the  tarsi  trans- 
versely scutellate  anteriorly,  and  the  membrane  or  lobe  of  the  hind  toe  narrow  and 
much  restricted.  The  legs  are  longer  than  in  Fuligulince,  but  shorter  than  in  the 


All  the  North-American  River  Ducks  agree  in  having  the  crissum  black.  In  all, 
excepting  Querquedula,  there  is  a  tendency  to  waved  lines  on  the  feathers  of  the 
flanks,  most  conspicuous  in  the  Mallard,  Gadwall,  and  Green-winged  Teal. 


ANAS,  LINNAEUS. 

Anas,  LINNAEUS,  Syst.  Nat.  (1735).  (Type  Anas  boschas,  L.,  Gray.) 
Bill  longer  than  the  head  or  the  foot,  broad,  depressed ;  the  edges  parallel  to  near 
the  end,  which  is  somewhat  acute ;  nail  less  than  one-third  the  width  of  the  bill ; 
nostrils  reaching  to  end  of  the  basal  two-fifths  of  the  commissure;  feathers  of  fore- 
head, chin,  and  cheeks,  reaching  about  the  same  point;  upper  angle  of  bill  about  in 
line  with  the  lower ;  tail  pointed,  about  two-fifths  the  wing. 


ANAS  BOSCHAS.  —  Linnaeus. 
The  Mallard;  Green-head. 

Anas  boschas,  Linnaeus.    Syst.  Nat,  I.  (1766)  205.    Wils.  Am.   Orn.,  VIII. 
(1814)  112.    Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835)  164.    Ib.,  Birds  Am.,  VI.  (1843)  236. 


488 


ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 


DESCRIPTION. 

Male.  —  Head  and  neck  bright  grass-green,  with  violet  gloss,  the  top  of  the  head 
duller;  a  .white  ring  round  the  middle  of  the  neck,  below  which  and  on  the 
forepart  and  sides  of  the  breast  the  color  is  dark  brownish-chestnut;  under  parts 
and  sides,  with  the  scapulars,  pale-gray,  very  finely  undulated  with  dusky;  the 
outer  scapulars  with  a  brownish  tinge;  forepart  of  back  reddish-brown;  posterior 
more  olivaceous;  crissum  and  upper  tail  coverts  black,  the  latter  with  a  blue  gloss; 
tail  externally  white ;  wing  coverts  brownish-gray,  the  greater  coverts  tipped  first 
with  white,  and  then  more  narrowly  with  black;  speculum  purplish-violet,  termi- 
nated with  black;  a  recurved  tuft  of  feathers  on  the  rump;  iris  dark-brown. 

Female. — With  the  wing  exactly  as  on  the  male;  the  under  parts  plain  whitish- 
ochrey,  each  feather  obscurely  blotched  with  dusky;  head  and  neck  similar,  spotted 
and  streaked  with  dusky ;  the  chin  and  throat  above  unspotted ;  upper  parts  dark- 
brown,  the  feathers  broadly  edged  and  banded  with  reddish-brown,  parallel  with  the 
circumference. 

Length  of  male,  twenty-three  inches ;  wing,  eleven ;  tarsus,  one  and  seventy  one- 
hundredths ;  commissure  of  bill,  two  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches. 

The  Mallard  is  found  in  New  England  only  as  a  wan- 
derer, and  then  only  in  the  western  sections  in  the  spring 
and  autumn  seasons ;  a  few  are  seen  in  the  waters  of  Lake 

Champlain,  and  oc- 
casionally a  small 
flock  is  found  in  the 
Connecticut  River. 
This  is  the  original 
of  the  Common  Do- 
mestic Mallard ;  and 
its  habits  are  so  well 
known  that  I  will 
give  no  description 
here. 

This  bird  breeds  in  all  sections  of  the  United  States, 
more  abundantly,  of  course,  in  the  northern  than  in  the 
southern ;  and  less  often  in  the  eastern  than  in  the  inte- 
rior and  western.  In  most  of  the  Western  States,  it  is 
one  of  the  most  abundant  of  water-fowls ;  and  it  breeds  in 
all  the  meadows  and  by  the  ponds  and  streams  throughout 
those  sections.  The  nest  is  built  in  a  tussock  of  high  grass, 
or  in  a  thick  clump  of  weeds.  It  is  composed  of  pieces  of 
grass  and  weeds,  and  is  lined  to  the  depth  of  half  an  inch 


THE   DUSKY   DUCK.  489 

with  down  and  other  soft  material.  The  eggs  are  from  ten 
to  fourteen  in  number :  they  are  usually  ovoidal  in  shape, 
and  vary  in  color  from  dirty  yellowish-white  to  an  obscure 
olivaceous-green.  Their  dimensions  vary  from  2.42  by  1.75 
(Albion,  Wis.)  to  2.26  by  1.68  (Nova  Scotia). 

ANAS  OBSCURA.  —  Gmelin. 
The  Dusky  Duck;  Black  Duck. 

Anas  obscura,  Gmelin.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1788)  541.    Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  VIII.  (1814) 
141.    Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  (1838)  15.     /&.,  Birds  Am.,  VI.  (1843)  244. 
Anas  (boschas)  obscura,  Nuttall.    Man.,  II.  (1834)  392. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  greenish ;  feet  red ;  body  generally  blackish-brown ;  the  feathers  obscurely 
margined  with  reddish-brown ;  those  anteriorly  with  a  concealed  V-shaped  mark, 
more  or  less  visible  on  the  sides  of  the  breast;  head  and  neck  brownish-yellow, 
spotted  with  black;  the  top  of  head  and  nape  dark-brown,  with  a  green  gloss  on  the 
sides  behind;  wings  dull-blackish,  with  a  dull-greenish  gloss;  speculum  violet,  ter- 
minated with  black ;  inner  tertials  hoary  gray  towards  tip ;  axillars  and  inside  of 
wing  white;  tail  of  eighteen  feathers;  iris  dark-brown. 

Female  similar,  but  rather  duller;  the  light  edges  to  the  under  feathers  more  con- 
spicuous; the  sides  of  head  without  the  greenish-gloss;  the  speculum  bluish,  with 
less  violet. 

Length  of  male,  twenty-two  inches ;  wing  nearly  twelve ;  tarsus,  one  and  eighty 
one-hundredths ;  commissure,  two  and  fifty-six  one-hundredths  inches. 

Hob.  —  Atlantic  region  of  North  America;  not  yet  detected  on  the  Pacific,  nor 
in  Europe. 

This  is  the  most  plainly  marked,  as  well  as  perhaps  the  largest,  of  our  river 
ducks,  and  excelled  by  none  in  the  excellence  of  its  flesh. 

This  species,  generally  but  improperly  known  as  the 
Black  Duck,  is  the  most  abundant  of  all  our  fresh-water 
ducks.  It  breeds  in  all  the  New-England  States,  but  is 
found  in  the  greatest  abundance  in  the  more  northern  por- 
tions of  them.  The  country  around  Lake  Umbagog,  Me., 
seems  to  be  a  favorite  breeding-ground  with  this  species ; 
almost  every  patch  of  meadow  having  one  or  more  of  its 
nests. 

The  nest  is  built  about  the  last  week  in  April  or  the  first 
in  May.  It  is  placed  in  a  secluded  locality  in  a  tussock  of 
grass,  or  beneath  a  thicket  of  briers  or  weeds ;  usually  in  a 


490  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

meadow,  near  a  pond  or  stream,  but  sometimes  in  a  swamp 
in  which  a  small  brook  is  the  only  water  for  miles  around. 
This  species  sometimes  follows  these  small  brooks  up  to 
their  sources ;  and  I  once  found  one  with  a  nest  on  a  low 
stump  that  overhung  a  small  spring  on  the  side  of  a  hill,  a 
mile  from  any  other  water.  The  nest  of  this  species  is  con- 
structed of  pieces  of  grass  and  weeds,  which  are  neatly 
arranged  into  a  structure  eighteen  inches  in  diameter  on 
the  outside,  and  three  or  four  in  depth.  This  is  hollowed 
for  perhaps  an  inch  and  a  half  or  two  inches,  and  lined 
with  the  down  and  feathers  from  the  breast  of  the  parent- 
bird.  The  eggs  are  from  seven  to  ten  in  number:  their 
form  is  usually  ovoidal ;  and  their  color  varies  from  an 
olivaceous-yellow  to  a  dirty  yellowish-white.  If  a  dozen  of 
these,  and  an  equal  number  of  the  eggs  of  the  Mallard, 
are  placed  side  by  side,  it  is  almost  impossible  to  identify 
them,  so  closely  do  they  resemble  each  other.  The  eggs 
of  the  present  species  vary  from  2.50  by  1.72  inch  (Lake 
Umbagog)  to  2.26  by  1.65  (Weston,  Mass.).  They  aver- 
age about  2.34  by  1.74  (Nova  Scotia).  Early  in  Septem- 
ber, the  Dusky  Duck  gathers  in  flocks  of  fifteen  or 
twenty.  It  is  now  so  difficult  of  approach,  that  the  experi- 
enced gunner  seldom  attempts  to  secure  it  by  stalking  it. 
The  method  by  which  the  greater  number  are  killed  is  as 
follows :  The  sportsman,  knowing  the  localities  most  fre- 
quented by  these  flocks,  —  generally  meadows  in  which 
streams  of  water  or  small  ponds  are  abundant,  —  builds  a 
bower  near  the  water,  about  six  feet  square,  and  five  or  six 
high,  of  the  limbs  of  pines  and  other  dense  foliaged  trees, 
in  which  he  secretes  himself  at  daybreak,  armed  with  one  or 
two  heavy  double-barrelled  guns,  and  provided  with  three 
or  four  tame  ducks.  One  of  these  ducks  he  anchors  or 
moors  out  in  the  water,  half  a  gunshot  from  the  bower. 
The  duck,  soon  becoming  lonesome,  begins  to  call,  when,  if 
there  are  any  wild  ducks  in  the  neighborhood,  they  answer 
the  call  in  an  almost  exactly  similar  note,  and  soon  fly  to 


DAFILA.  491 

meet  the  caller.  The  sportsman,  watching  the  approaching 
flock,  holds  one  of  the  other  tame  ducks  ready  to  throw ; 
and,  as  soon  as  the  wild  ones  approach  near  enough  to  see 
the  others,  he  throws  towards  the  anchored  duck  the  one 
held  in  his  hand,  which  is  secured  from  flying  off,  by  a 
strong  line  fastened  to  its  legs.  The  bird  moored  in  the 
water,  seeing  her  mate  flying  towards  her,  immediately 
redoubles  her  cries,  when  the  Dusky  Ducks,  after  flying  back 
and  forth,  alight  beside  her.  As  soon  as  they  alight,  they 
gather  together  in  a  flock  away  from  the  decoy ;  and  it  is 
then  that  the  sportsman  pours  in  his  first  shot:  he  fires 
when  the  birds  are  rising  from  the  water,  and  is  often 
enabled  to  get  four  shots  at  the  flock  before  it  gets  out  of 
gunshot.  The  excitement  attending  this  shooting  is  better 
appreciated  when  known.  I  have  passed  many  days  in 
bowers  of  this  description,  and  have  had  my  share  of  the 
excitement.  It  is  only  early  in  the  morning  and  late  in 
the  afternoon  that  these  birds  can  be  shot  in  this  manner ; 
and,  if  they  are  much  hunted,  they  will  hardly  approach  one 
of  these  bowers  without  great  caution.  This  duck  remains 
with  us  through  nearly  the  whole  year,  and  moves  south- 
ward only  in  very  severe  winters.  When  the  fresh  ponds 
are  not  frozen,  it  prefers  them  to  the  salt  water ;  but  in 
winter  it  is  most  abundant  in  our  bays  and  small  creeks, 
where  it  feeds  on  small  shell-fish  and  other  marine  animals. 
In  autumn  it  is  one  of  the  best  flavored  of  our  water- 
fowl, but  in  winter  is  not  so  good,  having  much  of  the 
fishy  taste  of  the  sea-ducks. 


DAFILA,  LEACH. 

Dafila,  "LEACH,"  Stephens,  Shaw's  Gen.  Zool.,  XII.  (1824)  226.  (Type  Anas 
acuta.) 

Bill  long,  narrow;  considerably  longer  than  the  foot;  nearly  linear,  but  widen- 
ing a  little  to  the  end,  which  is  truncate,  rounded;  nail  small;  nostrils  small,  in  the 
basal  third  of  bill ;  tail  pointed ;  the  two  middle  feathers  lengthened,  so  as  nearly  to 
equal  the  wings. 


492  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 

DAFILA    ACUTA.—  Jenyns. 
The  Pintail ;  Sprigtail. 

Anas  acuta,  Linnaeus.    Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  202.     Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  VIII.  (1814). 
Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835)  214;  V.  615.    /&.,  Birds  Am.,  VI.'  (1843)  266. 
Dajila  acuta,  Bonaparte.    List  (1838). 
Anas  (boschas)  acuta,  Nuttall.    Man.,  II.  (1834)  586. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Tail  of  sixteen  feathers ;  bill  black  above  and  laterally  at  the  base ;  the  sides 
and  beneath  blue;  head  and  upper  part  of  neck  uniform  dark-brown,  glossed  with 
green  and  purple  behind ;  inferior  part  of  neck,  breast,  and  under  parts  white ;  the 
white  of  neck  passes  up  to  the  nape,  separating  the  brown,  and  itself  is  divided 
dorsally  by  black,  which,  below,  passes  into  the  gray  of  the  back ;  the  back  anteriorly 
and  the  sides  are  finely  lined  transversely  with  black  and  white;  the  wings  are  plain 
and  bluish-gray;  the  greater  coverts  with  a  terminal  bar  of  purplish-buff,  below 
which  is  a  greenish-purple  speculum,  margined  behind  by  black,  and  tipped  with 
white;  longest  tertials  striped  with  silvery  and  greenish-black;  scapulars  black, 
edged  with  silvery ;  crissum  and  elongated  tail  feathers  black ;  the  former  edged 
with  white. 

Female  with  only  a  trace  of  the  markings  of  the  wing;  the  green  of  the  specu- 
lum brownish,  with  a  few  green  spots;  the  feathers  of  the  back  are  brown,  with  a 
broad  U  or  V-shaped  brownish-yellow  bar  on  each  feather  anteriorly ;  sometimes 
those  bars  appear  in  the  shape  of  broad  transverse  lines. 

Length,  thirty  inches ;  wing,  eleven ;  tail,  eight  and  sixty  one-hundredths ;  tarsus, 
one  and  seventy-five  one-hundredths;  commissure,  two  and  thirty-six  one  hun- 
dredths  inches. 

Hob.  —  Whole  of  North  America,  and  Europe. 

This  beautiful  bird  is  pretty  common  on  our  shores  ;  and 
it  is  much  pursued,  both  for  the  beauty  of  its  plumage 
and  for  the  excellence  of  its  flesh.  It  breeds  in  the  most 
northern  portions  of  the  continent,  where,  Nuttall  says,  "  it 
lays  eight  or  nine  eggs  of  a  greenish-blue  color."  It  is  seen 
in  most  abundance  in  the  autumn  on  our  coast,  where  it 
appears  by  the  10th  of  September,  and  remains  until  the 
last  week  in  October.  Wilson  says  it  is  a  shy  and  cau- 
tious bird,  feeds  in  the  mud  flats,  and  shallow  fresh-water 
marshes;  but  rarely  resides  on  the  seacoast.  It  seldom 
dives,  is  very  noisy,  and  has  a  kind  of  chattering  note. 
When  wounded,  they  will  sometimes  dive,  and,  coming  up, 
conceal  themselves  under  the  bow  of  the  boat,  moving  round 
as  it  moves  ;  are  vigilant  in  giving  the  alarm  on  the  approach 


THE   GREEN-WINGED    TEAL.  493 

of  the  gunner,  who  often  curses  the  watchfulness  of  the 
Sprigtail.  Some  Ducks,  when  aroused,  disperse  in  different 
directions ;  but  the  Sprigtails,  when  alarmed,  cluster  con- 
fusedly together  as  they  mount,  and  thereby  afford  the  sports- 
man a  fair  opportunity  of  raking  them  with  advantage.  They 
generally  leave  the  Delaware  about  the  middle  of  March,  on 
the  way  to  their  native  regions,  the  North,  where  they  are 
most  numerous. 

NETTION,  KAUP. 

Nettian,  KAUP,  Entwick  (1829).    Gray.    (Type  Anas  crecca,  L.) 

Bill  unusually  narrow,  longer  than  the  foot;  the  sides  parallel;  the  upper  lateral 

angle  not  extending  back  as  far  as  the  lower  edge ;  nail  very  narrow,  linear,  and 

about  one-fifth  as  wide  as  the  bill. 

NETTION    CAROLINENSIS.  —  Baird. 
The  Green-winged  Teal. 

Anas  Carottnensis,  Gmelin.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1788)  533.  Aud.  Birds  Am.,  VI. 
(1843)  281. 

Anas  crecca,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  VIII.  (1814)  101.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1853) 
219;  V. 616. 

Anas  (boschas)  crecca,  Swainson.  F.  Bor.  Am.,  II.  (1831)  400.  Nuttv  Man  ,  II. 
(1834) 400. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Head  and  neck  all  round  chestnut;  chin  black;  forehead  dusky ;  region  round 
the  eye,  continued  along  the  side  of  the  head  as  a  broad  stripe,  rich-green,  passing 
into  a  bluish-black  patch  across  the  nape;  under  parts  white,  the  feathers  of  the 
jugulum  with  rounded  black  spots;  lower  portion  of  neck  all  round,  sides  of  breast 
and  body,  long  feathers  of  flanks  and  scapulars,  beautifully  and  finely  banded 
closely  with  black  and  grayish-white ;  outer  webs  of  some  scapulars,  and  of  outer 
secondaries  black,  the  latter  tipped  with  white ;  speculum  broad  and  rich-green ; 
wing  coverts  plain  grayish -brown,  the  greater  coverts  tipped  with  buff;  a  white 
crescent  in  front  of  the  bend  of  the  wing;  crissum  black,  with  a  triangular  patch 
of  bufFy-white  on  each  side;  lower  portion  of  the  green  stripe  on  each  side  of  the 
head  blackish,  with  a  dull  edge  of  whitish  below;  iris  brown. 

Males  vary  in  having  the  under  parts  sometimes  strongly  tinged  with  ferrugi- 
nous-brown. 

Female  with  the  wings  as  in  the  male;  the  under  parts  white,  with  hidden  spots 
on  the  jugulum  and  lower  neck;  above  dark-brown,  the  feathers  edged  with  gray. 

Length,  fourteen  inches;  wing,  seven  and  forty  one-hundredths;  tarsus,  one  and 
fourteen  one-hundredths;  commissure,  one  and  sixty-eight  one-hundredths  inches. 

Hob.  —  Whole  of  North  America;  accidental  in  Europe. 

This  beautiful  little  fowl  is  quite  abundant  in  the  spring 
and  autumn  migrations  in  New  England ;  arriving  in  the 


494  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

former  about  the  10th  of  May,  and  in  the  latter  about 
the  second  week  in  September,  and  remaining  until  the 
middle  of  October.  It  frequents  fresh-water  ponds  and 
streams  in  small  flocks,  where  it  feeds  on  various  water 
insects,  their  larvae,  the  seeds  of  aquatic  plants,  and  the 
tadpoles  of  the  different  frogs.  Its  flesh  is  well  flavored, 
and,  with  the  next  species,  is  one  of  the  most  popular  in  all 
our  markets.  I  have  often  seen  individuals  of  this  species 
associate  with  the  ducks  in  a  farmer's  yard  or  duck-pond, 
and  have  known  them  to  come  to  the  barn-yard  with  the 
tame  fowls,  and  eat  with  them  the  corn  thrown  out  for  their 
food.  In  the  water,  it  is  a  graceful -bird,  moving  about 
with  great  activity.  Its  flight  is  rapid ;  and  accompanied 
with  a  whistling  murmur  different  from  that  of  most  of  our 
other  ducks. 

This  bird  probably  breeds  in  the  secluded  lake  districts 
of  the  northern  portions  of  New  England,  as  it  is  found  in 
considerable  abundance  in  localities  in  Nova  Scotia  and 
Canada  in  the  same  latitude.  It  nests  early  in  June,  some- 
times by  the  20th  of  May. 

The  nest  is  placed  on  the  ground,  in  a  thick  patch  or 
tussock  of  grass,  usually  in  meadows  within  a  few  feet  of  a 
small  pond  or  stream.  It  is  constructed  of,  first,  a  thick 
layer  of  soft  pieces  of  grass  and  weeds,  on  which  is  placed  a 
thin  covering  of  the  down  and  feathers  from  the  breast  of 
the  bird.  The  eggs  are  from  five  to  eight  in  number:  they 
are  usually  ovoidal  in  form,  sometimes  nearly  oval,  and  vary 
in  dimensions  from  1.90  by  1.32  inch  (Nova  Scotia)  to  1.73 
by  1.22  inch.  Their  color  is  a  dirty-white,  with  a  slight 
greenish  tint. 

QUERQUEDULA,  STEPHENS. 

Querquedula,  STEPHENS,  Shaw's  Gen.  Zool.,  XII.  (1824).  (Type  Anas  querque- 
dula,  L.) 

Bill  narrow,  lengthened,  a  little  longer  than  the  foot,  widening  a  little  to  the 
end,  which  is  obtusely  rounded;  the  tail  occupying  about  one-third  the  width; 
the  lamellae  visible  in  the  lateral  profile ;  the  upper  lateral  angle  at  the  base  of 
bill  extending  rather  further  back  than  the  lower  edge. 


THE   BLUE-WINGED   TEAL.  495 

QUERQUEDULA  DISCORS.  —  Stephens. 
The  Blue-winged  Teal. 

Anas  discors,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  VIII.  (1814)  74.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  (1838) 
111.  lb.,  Birds  Am.,  VI.  (1843)  287. 

Querquedula  discors,  Stephens.     Shaw's  Gen.  Zool.,  XII.  (1824)  149. 

Anas  (Boschas)  discors,  Swainson.  F.  Bor.  Am.,  II.  (1831)  444.  Nutt.  Man.,  II. 
(1834) 397. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Male.  —  Head  and  neck  above  plumbeous-gray;  top  of  head  black;  a  white  cres- 
cent in  front  of  the  eye;  under  parts  from  middle  of  the  neck  purplish-gray, 
each  feather  with  spots  of  black,  which  become  more  obsolete  behind;  forepart  of 
back  with  the  feathers  brown,  with  two  undulating  narrow  bands  of  purplish-gray ; 
feathers  on  the  flanks  banded  with  dark-brown  and  purplish-gray;  back  behind  and 
tail  greenish-brown;  crissum  black;  wing  coverts  and  some  of  the  outer  webs  of 
scapulars  blue;  other  scapulars  velvet-black  or  green,  streaked  with  pale  reddish- 
buff;  speculum  glossy-green ;  the  outer  greater  wing  coverts  white,  as  are  the  axil- 
lars,  the  middle  of  under  surface  of  the  wing,  and  a  patch  on  each  side  of  the  base 
of  the  tail;  bill  black;  feet  flesh-colored;  iris  dark-hazel. 

Female.  —  With  the  top  of  head  brown,  and  the  wing  coverts  blue  and  white,  as 
in  the  male;  base  of  bill,  except  above,  chin,  and  upper  part  of  the  throat,  dirty 
yellowish- white;  back  brown,  the  feathers  margined  with  paler;  under  parts  whit- 
ish, with  rounded  obscure  brown  spots;  the  jugulum  darker. 

Length  of  male,  sixteen  inches;  wing,  seven  and  ten  one-hundredths;  tarsus, 
one  and  twenty  one-hundredths;  commissure,  one  and  eighty-five  one-hundredths 
inches. 

Hob.  —  Eastern  North  America  to  Rocky  Mountains.  Not  yet  found  on  the 
Pacific  coast  nor  in  Europe. 

This  species  is  more  often  found  in  small  creeks  near  the 
seashore  than  the  Green-winged  Teal ;  but  it  prefers  the 
small  fresh-water  ponds  and  streams  to  the  salt  water,  and 
is  most  abundant  in  mill-ponds,  where  the  water  varies  in 
depth  in  different  days  ;  there  it  searches  in  the  little  nooks 
and  pools,  among  the  half-submerged  rocks  and  bushes,  for 
its  favorite  food  of  aquatic  insects  and  the  seeds  of  aquatic 
plants.  It  arrives  from  the  South  in  spring,  by  the  latter 
part  of  April,  sometimes  earlier,  and  remains  lingering  in 
its  favorite  haunts  until  the  first  week  in  May.  It  proceeds 
slowly  to  the  North,  where  it  breeds  ;  and  it  then  returns 
through  New  England,  by  the  middle  of  September,  to  the 
Southern  States,  where  it  passes  the  winter.  It  sometimes 
breeds  in  New  England.  George  A.  Boardman,  Esq.,  has 


496  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

found  it  with  young  at  Milltown,  Me. ;  and  Giraud,  in  his 
"Birds  of  Long  Island,"  says  that  it  breeds  in  that  locality. 
The  greater  number,  however,  pass  to  the  more  northern 
countries,  where  they  begin  to  lay  early  in  June.  The 
nests  are  similar  to  those  of  the  Green-winged  Teal,  and 
are  placed  in  similar  localities.  The  eggs  are  from  six  to 
ten  in  number.  They  vary  in  form  from  ovate  to  ovoidal, 
and  are  sometimes  nearly  oval  in  shape :  they  are  of  a  dirty 
yellowish-white  color,  paler  than  that  of  the  eggs  of  the 
Green-winged  Teal.  They  vary  in  dimensions  from  1.95 
by  1.35  inch  (Wisconsin)  to  1.74  by  1.30  inch  (Labrador). 
The  surface  of  both  these  eggs,  and  those  of  the  preceding 
species,  is  covered  with  stains  of  a  darker  tint  than  the 
primary  color ;  probably  caused  by  the  feet  of  the  bird,  or 
by  the  decaying  vegetation  which  forms  the  nests  of  both 
species. 

SPATULA,  BOIE. 

Spatula,  BOIE,  Isis  (1822),  564.    (Type  Anas  clypeata,  L.) 

Bill  much  longer  than  the  head  and  spatulate,  widening  to  the  end,  where  it  is 
twice  as  broad  as  at  the  base;  nail  long  and  narrow;  lamellae  of  the  upper  mandible 
very  close,  delicate,  and  lengthened,  projecting  far  below  the  lower  edge;  tail  acute, 
less  than  half  the  wing. 

SPATULA  CLYPEATA.—  Bale. 
The  Shoveller;   Spoonbill. 

Anas  clypeata,  Linnaeus.    Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  200.    Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  VIII.  (1814). 
Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  (1838)  241.     76.,  Birds  Am.,  VI.  (1843)  293. 
Spatula  clypeata,  Boie.     Isis  (1822),  564. 
Anns  (Spathulea)  clypeata,  Nuttall.    Man.,  II.  (1834)  375. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Head  and  neck  green ;  forepart  and  sides  of  the  breast,  with  greater  portion  of 
scapulars,  and  the  sides  of  the  base  of  the  tail,  white;  rest  of  under  parts  dull  pur- 
plish-chestnut; crissum,  rump,  and  upper  tail  coverts  black,  the  latter  glossed  with 
green;  wing  coverts  blue,  the  posterior  row  brown  in  the  concealed  portion,  and 
tipped  with  white;  longest  tertials  blue,  streaked  internally  with  white;  others  vel- 
vet-green, streaked  centrally  with  white;  speculum  grass-green,  edged  very  nar- 
rowly behind  with  black,  and  then  with  white. 

Female  with  the  wing  similar,  but  with  the  blue  of  coverts  and  scapulars  less 


THE   GADWALL.  497 

distinct;   head  and  neck  brownish-yellow,  spotted  with  dusky; 'the  belly  with  a 
decided  chestnut  tinge;   iris  reddish-orange. 

Length,  twenty  inches;  wing,  nine  and  fifty  one-hundredths ;  tarsus,  one  and 
thirty-eight  one-hundredths  ;  commissure,  three  and  two  one-hundredths  inches. 

The  Shoveller  is  a  rare  species  on  the  coast  of  New  Eng- 
land ;  but  two  or  three  are  taken  in  a  season,  and  it  is 
rarely  that  one  is  found  here  in  the  mature  plumage.  It 
is  as  often  found  in  fresh-water  ponds  and  streams  as  in  the 
creeks  and  bays  near  the  shore.  It  breeds  in  the  most 
northern  portions  of  the  eastern  coast ;  but,  according  to 
Mr.  Audubon,  it  passes  the  season  of  incubation  "from 
Texas  westward  to  the  Columbia  River,  thence  to  the  fur 
countries."  Says  Nuttall,  "  Soon  after  March,  according 
to  Baillou,  they  disperse  through  the  fens  in  France  to 
breed,  and  select  the  same  places  with  the  Summer  Teal ; 
choosing  with  them  large  tufts  of  rushes,  making  a  nest  of 
withered  grass  in  the  most  boggy  and  difficult  places 
of  access,  near  waters.  The  eggs  are  twelve  to  fourteen, 
of  a  very  pale  greenish-yellow :  the  female  sits  twenty- 
four  or  twenty-five  days." 

The  Spoonbill  feeds,  like  the  other  fresh-water  ducks,  on 
various  aquatic  insects  and  tadpoles ;  but,  unlike  the  Teals, 
eats  but  few  seeds  of  aquatic  plants.  A  specimen  that  I 
examined,  killed  in  Plymouth  County,  Mass.,  had  its  stom- 
ach filled  with  small  pieces  of  some  aquatic  roots,  and  one 
or  two  tadpoles :  there  were  also  fragments  of  small  crusta- 
ceans, but  so  small  that  it  was  impossible  to  identify  them. 

CHAULELASMUS,  GRAY. 

Chaulelasmus,  G.  R.  GRAY  (1838).     (Type  Anas  strepera,  L.) 
Bill  as  long  as  the  head;  the  lower  edge  about  as  long  as  the  outer  toe,  and 
longer  than  the  tarsus ;  the  lamellae  distinctly  visible  below  the  edge  of  the  bill. 

CHAULELASMUS   STREPERUS.  —  Gray. 
The  Gadwall;   Gray  Duck. 

Anas  strepera,  Linnaeus,  Wilson,  and  others. 

32 


498  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Male.  —  Head  and  neck  brownish-white,  each  feather  spotted  with  dusky;  the 
top  of  head  tinged  with  reddish ;  lower  part  of  neck,  with  forepart  of  breast  and 
back,  blackish,  with  concentric  narrow  bars  of  white,  giving  a  scaled  appearance  to 
the  feathers ;  interscapular  region,  outermost  scapulars,  and  sides  of  the  body,  finely 
waved  transversely  with  black  and  white;  middle  wing  coverts  chestnut,  the 
greater  velvet-black,  succeeded  by  a  pure-white  speculum,  bordered  externally  by 
hoary-gray,  succeeded  by  black;  crissum  and  upper  tail  coverts  black;  longest  ter- 
tials  hoary  plumbeous-gray ;  innermost  scapulars  with  a  reddish  tinge ;  inside  of 
wing  and  axillars  pure-white;  bill  black;  iris  hazel. 

Female.  —  With  the  bill  dusky,  edged  with  reddish ;  wing  somewhat  like  that  of 
the  male,  but  with  the  chestnut-red  more  restricted. 

Length,  twenty-two  inches ;  wing,  ten  and  fifty  one-hundredths ;  tarsus,  one  and 
sixty-four  one-hundredths;  commissure,  two  and  four  one-hundredths  inches. 

The  Gadwall  is  a  rare  autumnal  visitor  in  New  England, 
and  is  seldom  seen  in  the  spring  as  it  is  passing  to  its 
northern  breeding-places.  Audubon,  in  describing  its  habits, 
says,  — 

"  This  species  dives  well  on  occasion,  especially  on  being 
wounded.  At  the  appearance  of  danger,  it  rises  on  wing 
—  whether  from  the  ground  or  from  the  water  —  at  a  single 
spring,  in  the  manner  of  the  Mallard ;  and,  like  it  also, 
ascends  almost  perpendicularly  for  several  yards,  after 
which  it  moves  off  in  a  direct  course  with  great  celerity.  I 
have  never  seen  it  dive  on  the  flash  of  the  gun  ;  but,  when 
approached,  it  always  swims  to  the  opposite  part  of  the 
pond,  and,  when  the  danger  increases,  flies  off.  On  being 
wounded,  it  sometimes,  by  diving,  makes  its  escape  among 
the  grass,  where  it  squats,  and  remains  concealed.  It  walks 
with  ease,  and  prettily,  often  making  incursions  upon  the 
land,  when  the  ponds  are  not  surrounded  by  trees,  for 
the  purpose  of  searching  for  food.  It  nibbles  the  tender 
shoots  and  blades  of  grasses  with  apparent  pleasure ;  and 
will  feed  on  beech-nuts,  acorns,  and  seeds  of  all  kinds  of 
gramineae,  as  well  as  on  tadpoles,  small  fishes,  and  leeches. 
After  rain,  it  alights  in  cornfields,  like  the  Mallard,  and 
picks  up  the  scattered  grains  of  maize." 

The  eggs  of  this  species  are  from  eight  to  twelve  in  num- 
ber. Their  color  is  a  pale-drab,  with  a  slight  olivaceous  tint : 


THE  AMERICAN  WIDGEON.  499 

their  form  is  a  long  ovoid;   and  their  dimensions  average 
about  2.15  inch  in  length  by  1.50  inch  in  breadth. 

MARECA,  STEPHENS. 

Mareca,  STEPHENS,  Shaw's  Gen.  Zool.,  XII.  (1824)  130.  (Type  Anas  Pene- 
lope, L.) 

Bill  shorter  than  the  head,  and  equal  to  the  inner  toe  claw ;  the  sides  parallel  to 
near  the  end,  which  is  rather  obtusely  pointed,  the  nail  occupying  the  tip,  and  about 
one-third  as  broad  as  the  bill ;  bill  rather  high ;  the  upper  lateral  angle  at  the  base 
not  prominent,  nor  extending  as  far  back  as  the  lower  edge;  tail  pointed,  not  half 
the  wings. 

The  North-American  and  European  species  of  Mareca  have  the  upper  parts 
finely  waved  transversely  with  black  and  gray  or  reddish-brown ;  the  under  parts, 
with  the  usual  exceptions,  snowy-white.  The  top  of  the  head  is  uniform  white  or 
cream-color;  the  neck  more  or  less  spotted;  the  middle  and  greater  coverts  are 
white,  the  latter  tipped  with  black;  the  speculum  is  green,  encircled  by  black;  the 
tertials  are  black  on  the  outer  web,  edged  with  hoary-white ;  the  entire  outer  web  of 
one  of  them  hoary. 

MARECA  AMERICANA.  —  Stephens. 
The  American  Widgeon;   Baldpate. 

Anas  Americana,  Gmelin.     Syst.  Nat,  I.  (1788)  526.    Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  VIII. 
(1814)  86.    Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  (1838)  337.     lb.,  Birds  Am.,  VI.  (1843)  259. 
Mareca  Americana,  Stephens.    Shaw's  Gen.  Zool.,  XII.  (1824)  135. 
Anas  (Boschas)  Americana,  Nuttall.     Man.,  II.  (1834)  389. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Male.  —  Tail  of  fourteen  feathers ;  bill  blue,  the  extreme  base  and  tip  black ; 
head  and  neck  pale-buff,  or  faint  reddish-yellow,  each  feather  banded  narrowly  with 
blackish,  so  as  to  give  the  appearance  of  spots ;  the  top  of  the  head  from  the  bill  is 
pale  unspotted  creamy- white ;  the  sides  of  the  head  from  around  the  eye  to  the  nape, 
glossy-green,  the  feathers,  however,  with  hidden  spots,  as  described;  chin  uniform 
dusky ;  forepart  of  breast  and  sides  of  body  light-brownish  or  chocolate-red,  each 
feather  with  obsolete  grayish  edge;  rest  of  under  parts  pure-white;  the  crissum 
abruptly  black ;  the  back,  scapulars,  and  rump,  finely  waved  transversely  anteriorly 
with  reddish  and  gray,  posteriorly  with  purer  gray,  on  a  brown  ground;  a  little  of 
the  same  waving  also  on  the  sides ;  the  lesser  wing  coverts  are  plain  gray ;  the  mid- 
dle and  greater  are  conspicuously  white,  the  latter  terminated  by  black,  succeeded 
by  a  speculum,  which  is  grass-green  at  the  base,  and  then  velvet-black;  the  tertials 
are  black  on  the  outer  web,  bordered  narrowly  by  black,  the  outermost  one  hoary- 
gray,  externally  edged  with  black;  the  tail  is  hoary-brown;  the  upper  coverts  are 
black  externally;  the  axillars  are  white;  iris  hazel. 

The  blackish  chin  appears  to  be  found  only  in  very  highly  plumaged  birds.  The 
top  of  the  head  is  sometimes  pure-white. 

The  female  has  the  head  and  neck  somewhat,  similar,  but  spotted  to  the  bill; 
wings  as  in  the  male ;  the  black  of  tertials  replaced  by  brown ;  the  gray  of  the  lesser 
coverts  extending  slightly  over  the  middle  ones ;  back  and  scapulars  with  rather 


500  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

broad  and  distant  transverse  bars  of  reddish-white,  each  feather  with  two  or  three  in- 
terrupted along  the  shafts ;  these  are  much  wider  and  more  distant  than  in  the  male. 

Length,  twenty-one  and  seventy-five  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  eleven ;  tar- 
sus, one  and  forty-two  one-hundredths;  commissure,  one  and  eighty  one-hundredths 
inches. 

Hob.  —  Continent  of  North  America.    Accidental  in  Europe. 

This  beautiful  bird  is  found  in  small  flocks  of  four  or  five 
individuals  in  the  spring  and  fall  migrations,  and  is  more 
often  found  in  the  fresh-water  ponds  and  streams  in  the 
interior  than  in  the  salt-  water  on  the  coast. 

It  breeds  in  the  Hudson's  Bay  Country,  early  in  June. 
The  nest  is  placed  on  the  ground,  as  I  am  informed,  in  the 
marshes  and  sterile  plains  of  that  country,  and  resembles 
very  much  the  nest  of  the  common  Black  or  Dusky  Duck. 
The  eggs  are  from  eight  to  twelve  in  number.  They 
resemble  those  of  the  Blue-winged  Teal  in  form  and  color, 
being  a  dirty  yellowish-white.  They  average  in  dimensions 
about  2.05  by  1.50  inch. 

The  food  of  this  bird  consists  principally  of  the  tender 
leaves  and  roots  of  aquatic  plants,  which  it  obtains,  when  in 
company  with  the  Canvas-back,  by  stealing  from  that  bird  ; 
the  latter  diving,  and  bringing  it  up  from  the  bottom  of  the 
water,  and  the  Widgeon  seizing  it  when  he  appears  at 
the  surface. 

AIX,  BOIE. 

Aix,  BOIE,  Isis  (1828),  329.     (Type  Anas  galericulata,  L.) 

Bill  very  high  at  the  base,  where  the  upper  lateral  angle  runs  back  much  behind 
the  lower  edge  of  the  bill ;  nostrils  very  large,  and  scarcely  enveloped  by  mem- 
brane ;  the  feathers  of  the  forehead  reaching  to  their  posterior  edge ;  nail  very  large, 
and  much  hooked,  occupying  the  entire  tip  of  bill ;  lamellae  depressed,  broad,  and 
distant;  bill,  from  feathers  of  forehead,  shorter  than  the  head,  and  equal  to  the  tar- 
sus ;  head  crested ;  claws  short,  much  curved,  and  very  sharp ;  tail,  about  half  the 
wings,  vaulted,  cuneate,  but  truncate  at  the  tip;  the  coverts  nearly  as  long  as 
the  feathers. 

AIX  SPONSA.  —  Boie. 
The  Summer  Duck ;  Wood  Duck. 

Anas  sponsa,  Linnaeus.    Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  207.    Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  VIII.  (1814) 
97.    Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835)  52;  V.  618.    Jb.,  Birds  Am.,  VI.  (1843)  271. 
Aix  tpansa,  Boie.    Isis  (1828),  329. 
Anat  (Boschat)  sponsa,  Nuttall.     Man.,  II.  (1834)  394. 


THE   SUMMER   DUCK. 


501 


DESCRIPTION. 

Head  and  crest  metallic-green  to  below  the  eyes ;  the  cheeks,  and  a  stripe  from 
behind  the  eye,  purplish ;  a  narrow  short  line  from  the  upper  angle  of  the  bill  along 
the  side  of  the  crown  and  through  the  crest,  another  on  the  upper  eyelid,  a  stripe 
starting  below  and  behind  the  eye,  and  running  into  the  crest  paralle  wilh  the  one 
first  mentioned,  the  chin  and  upper  part  of  the  throat  sending  a  well-defined  branch 
up  towards  the  eye,  and  another  towards  the  nape,  snowy-white ;  lower  neck  and 
jugulunij  and  sides  of  the  base  of  tail,  rich-purple;  the  jugulum  with  triangular 
spots  of  white  and  a  chestnut  shade ;  remaining  under  parts  white,  as  is  a  crescent 
in  front  of  the  wing  bordered  behind  by  black;  sides  yellowish-gray,  finely  lined 
with  black ;  the  long  feathers  of  the  flanks  broadly  black  at  the  end,  with  a  sub- 
terminal  bar,  and  sometimes  a  tip  of  white;  back  and  neck  above  nearl}-  uniform 
bronzed-green  and  purple ;  scapulars  and  innermost  tertials  velvet-black,  glossed  on 
the  inner  webs  with  violet;  the  latter  with  a  white  bar  at  the  end;  greater  coverts 
violet,  succeeded  by  a  greenish  speculum,  tipped  with  white;  primaries  silvery-white 
externally  towards  the  end ;  the  tips  internally  violet  and  purple ;  iris  bright-red. 

Female  with  the  wings  quite  similar ;  the  back  more  purplish ;  the  sides  of  the 
head  and  neck  ashy ;  the  region  round  the  base  of  the  bill,  a  patch  through  the  eyes, 
and  the  chin,  white;  the  purple  of  the  jugulum  replaced  by  brownish;  the  waved 
feathers  on  the  sides  wanting. 

Length,  nineteen  inches ;  wing,  nine  and  fifty  one-hundredths ;  tarsus,  one  and 
forty  one-hundredths ;  commissure,  one  and  fifty-four  one-hundredths  inches. 

Hob.  —  Continent  of  North  America. 

This,  the  most  beautiful  of  all  our  Ducks,  is  pretty  abun- 
dantly distributed  through  New  England  in  the  breeding 
season.  Wilson's  description  of  its  habits  is  so  much 
better  than  I  can  give,  that  I  make  a  liberal  extract  from 
it.  He  says, — 

"  The  Summer  Duck  is  equally  well  known  in  Mexico  and  many 
of  the  West  India 
Islands.  During  the 
whole  of  our  winters, 
they  are  occasionally 
seen  in  the  States 
south  of  the  Potomac. 
On  the  10th  of  Janua- 
ry, I  met  with  two  on 
a  creek  near  Peters- 
burg, in  Virginia.  In 
the  more  northern  dis- 
tricts, however,  they  are  migratory.  In  Pennsylvania,  the  female 
usually  begins  to  lay  late  in  April,  or  early  in  May.  Instances 


502  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

have  been  known  where  the  nest  was  constructed  of  a  few  sticks 
laid  in  a  fork  of  the  branches :  usually,  however,  the  inside  of 
a  hollow  tree  is  selected  for  this  purpose.  On  the  18th  of  May, 
I  visited  a  tree  containing  the  nest  of  a  Summer  Duck,  on  the 
banks  of  Tuckahoe  River,  New  Jersey.  It  was  an  old,  gro- 
tesque white  oak,  whose  top  had  been  torn  off  by  a  storm.  It 
stood  on  the  declivity  of  the  bank,  about  twenty  yards  from  the 
water.  In  this  hollow  and  broken  top,  ana  about  six  feet  down,  on 
the  soft,  decayed  wood,  lay  thirteen  eggs,  snugly  covered  with 
down,  doubtless  taken  from  the  breast  of  the  bird.  These  eggs 
were  of  an  exact  oval  shape,  less  than  those  of  a  Hen ;  the  surface 
exceedingly  fine-grained,  and  of  the  highest  polish,  and  slightly 
yellowish,  greatly  resembling  old,  polished  ivory.  The  egg  meas- 
ured two  inches  and  an  eighth  by  one  inch  and  a  half.  On 
breaking  one  of  them,  the  young  bird  was  found  to  be  nearly 
hatched,  but  dead,  as  neither  of  the  parents  had  been  observed 
about  the  tree  during  the  three  or  four  days  preceding,  and  were 
conjectured  to  have  been  shot. 

"  This  tree  had  been  occupied,  probably  by  the  same  pair,  for 
four  successive  years,  in  breeding-time  :  the  person  who  gave  me 
the  information,  and  whose  house  was  within  twenty  or  thirty  yards 
of  the  tree,  said  that  he  had  seen  the  female,  the  spring  preceding, 
carry  down  thirteen  young,  one  by  one,  in  less  than  ten  minutes. 
She  caught  them  in  her  bill  by  the  wing  or  back  of  the  neck,  and 
landed  them  safely  at  the  foot  of  the  tree,  whence  she  afterwards 
led  them  to  the  water.  Under  this  same  tree,  at  the  time  I  visited 
it,  a  large  sloop  lay  on  the  stocks,  nearly  finished :  the  deck  was  not 
more  than  twelve  feet  distant  from  the  nest ;  yet,  notwithstanding 
the  presence  and  noise  of  the  workmen,  the  Ducks  would  not  aban- 
don their  old  breeding-place,  but  continued  to  pass  out  and  in,  as  if 
no  person  had  been  near.  The  male  usually  perched  on  an  adjoin- 
ing limb,  and  kept  watch  while  the  female  was  laying,  and  also 
often  while  she  was  sitting.  A  tame  Goose  had  chosen  a  hollow 
space,  at  the  root  of  the  same  tree,  to  lay  and  hatch  her  young  in. 

"  The  Summer  Duck  seldom  flies  in  flocks  of  more  than  three  or 
four  individuals  together,  and. most  commonly  in  pairs  or  singly. 
The  common  note  of  the  Drake  is  peet,  peet ;  but  when,  standing 
sentinel,  he  sees  danger,  he  makes  a  noise  not  unlike  the  crowing 


THE   SEA   DUCKS.  503 

of  a  young  cock,  oe  eek  !  oe  eek  !  Their  food  consists  principally  of 
acorns,  seeds  of  the  wild  oats,  and  insects.  Their  flesh  is  little 
inferior  to  that  of  the  Blue-winged  Teal.  They  are  frequent  in 
the  markets  of  Philadelphia." 

The  eggs  of  the  Summer  Duck  are  of  a  dirty  yellowish- 
white  color.  Their  form  varies  from  ovate  to  nearly  oval ; 
and  their  dimensions  vary  from  2.20  by  1.55  (Wisconsin), 
to  2.10  by  1.55  (Maine),  and  1.98  by  1.45  (Massachusetts). 

This  species  is  easily  domesticated,  and  soon  becomes 
very  tame.  It  breeds  in  confinement,  and  soon  acquires  all 
the  habits  of  the  domestic  Mallard,  but  prefers  a  hollow 
tree  or  stump  for  its  resting-place. 

Mr.  0.  Brewer,  editor  of  the  "  Boston  Cultivator,"  has, 
at  his  residence  in  West  Roxbury,  Mass.,  a  large  flock  of 
these  birds,  which  he  has  raised  himself;  and  they  are  cer- 
tainly the  most  beautiful  and  interesting  pets  that  I  have 
seen. 


Sub-Family  FULIGULINJE.  —  The  Sea  Ducks. 

The  chief  character  of  the  Futigulince,  as  compared  with  the  Anatince,  consists  in 
the  greatly  developed  lobe  or  membranous  flap  attached  to  or  suspended  from  the 
inferior  surface  of  the  hind  toe ;  the  feet  are  usually  enormously  large,  the  tarsi 
short,  the  legs  set  far  back,  and  the  whole  organization  well  fitted  for  swimming 
and  diving:  many  of  the  species  live  on  or  near  the  seacoast,  although  most  of 
them  straggle  more  or  less  through  the  interior  of  the  countries  they  inhabit. 


FULIX,    SUNDEVALL. 

Fulix,  SUNDEVALL,  Kong.  Vet.  Ak.  Hand.  (1835).  (As  restricted.) 
Bill  longer  than  the  tarsus,  and  about  equal  to  the  head,  and  to  the  middle  toe 
without  the  nail ;  feathers  of  cheeks,  chin,  and  forehead  advancing  but  slightly,  and 
to  about  the  same  distance ;  nostrils  open,  situated  in  the  anterior  portion  of  the 
basal  two-fifths  of  the  bill,  not  reaching  the  middle ;  edges  of  bill  about  parallel, 
or  widening  to  the  tip ;  profile  gently  concave  to  the  nail,  which  is  decurved ;  nail 
not  one-third  the  width  of  the  bill,  and  forming  only  the  central  portion  of  its  tip ; 
tarsus  about  half  the  middle  toe  and  claw;  bill  as  long  as  the  feet;  tail  short, 
rounded,  of  fourteen  feathers;  head  and  neck  black. 


504  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

FULIX  MAEILA.—  Baird. 
The  Scaup  Duck;  Big  Black  Head;  Blue  Bill. 

Anas  marila,  Linnseus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  196.  Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  VIII.  (1814) 
84. 

Fuliffula  marila,  Audubon.  Birds  Am.,  VII.  (1843)  355.  Gir.  Birds  L.  Island, 
(1844)  321. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Head  and  neck  all  round,  jugulum  and  shoulders,  lower  part  of  back,  tail,  and 
coverts,  black ;  the  head  with  a  gloss  of  dark-green  on  the  sides ;  rest  of  under  parts 
white ;  feathers  on  the  lower  parts  of  belly  and  on  the  sides,  the  long  feathers  of  the 
flanks,  the  interscapulum,  and  the  scapulars,  white,  waved  in  zigzag  transversely 
with  black ;  greater  and  middle  wing  coverts  similarly  marked,  but  more  finely  and 
obscurely;  greater  coverts  towards  the  tip  and  the  tertials  greenish  -  black ;  the 
speculum  is  white,  bordered  behind  by  greenish-black ;  the  white  extending  across 
the  whole  central  portion  of  the  secondaries ;  outer  primaries  and  tips  of  all,  brown- 
ish-black ;  inner  ones  pale-gray ;  the  central  line  dusky ;  axillars  and  middle  of  the 
inferior  surface  of  the  wing  white ;  bill  blue;  the  nail  black;  legs  plumbeous;  iris 
yellow. 

Female  with  the  head  brown ;  the  region  all  round  the  base  of  the  bill  white ;  the 
undulations  of  black  and  white  on  the  feathers  wanting,  or  but  faintly  indicated 
above. 

Length,  twenty  inches ;  wing,  nine ;  tarsus,  one  and  fifty-eight  one-hundredths 
inches ;  commissure,  two  and  sixteen  one-hundredths  inches. 

Hob.  —  Whole  of  North  America  and  Europe. 

This  species  is,  although  not  abundant,  generally  met 
with  on  our  coast  in  spring  and  fall.  It  seldom  penetrates 
far  inland,  but  prefers  the  bays  and  mouths  of  creeks  on  the 
shore,  where  it  has  all  the  habits  of  the  sea  Ducks.  I  have 
known  of  its  being  taken  in  small  numbers  on  Punkapoag 
Pond,  Massachusetts,  where  it  associated  with  the  common 
Dusky  Duck.  Giraud,  in  his  "Birds  of  Long  Island," 
speaks  of  it  as  being  very  abundant  on  our  coasts  ;  arriving 
from  the  North  from  the  10th  to  the  20th  of  October  in 
large  flocks.  My  experience  has  been,  that  it  is  far  from 
being  an  abundant  species ;  and  that  it  is  more  often  seen 
in  flocks  of  not  more  than  eight  or  ten  birds  than  in  larger 
parties.  Its  habits,  however,  may  vary  in  different  localities ; 
and  it  may  be  abundant,  like  many  other  species,  in  some 
sections,  when  it  is  comparatively  scarce  in  others. 

It  passes  to  the  most  northern  countries  to  spend  the 


THE  LITTLE   BLACK-HEAD.  505 

season  of  incubation  on  our  coast ;  but,  in  the  interior,  it  is 
an  abundant  breeder,  —  in  the  lake  country,  in  Wisconsin, 
and  other  localities  in  similar  latitudes.  It  nests  on  the 
ground ;  forming,  as  I  am  told,  a  nest  of  grass  and  weeds  in 
a  marshy  swamp,  very  similar  to  the  nest  of  the  Mallard  that 
breeds  in  the  same  localities. 

The  eggs  are  from  six  to  ten  in  number :  they  are  of  an 
ovate  form,  sometimes  nearly  oval ;  and  are  of  a  dirty  pale- 
drab  color,  with  a  slight  tint  of  olivaceous. 

They  vary  in  dimensions  from  2.32  by  1.60  to  2.26  by 
1.52  inch  (both  sizes  from  Wisconsin). 

FULIX  AFFINIS.  —  Baird. 
The  Little  Black-head;  Blue  Bill. 

Fuligula  marila,  Audubon.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835)  226;  V.  (1839)  614.  Ib., 
Birds  Am.,  VI.  (1843)  316. 

Fuligula  minor,  Giraud.    Birds  L.  Island  (1844),  323. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  blue;  the  nail  black;  head,  neck,  forepart  of  breast,  and  back  anterior  to 
the  shoulder,  lower  part  of  back,  tail  and  its  coverts,  black;  the  head  with  violet 
purple  reflections,  changing  occasionally  to  green ;  the  belly  and  sides,  with  axillars, 
and  central  portion  of  inner  surfaces  of  wings  pure-white ;  the  lower  part  of  the 
belly,  near  the  anus,  undulated  finely  with  black  spots ;  the  interscapular  region  and 
scapulars  white,  with  transverse  zigzag  bands  or  lines  of  bhick,  these  lines  much 
further  apart  in  the  scapulars,  which  consequently  are  whiter;  wings  blackish ;  the 
lesser  and  middle  coverts  sprinkled  with  grayish;  the  speculum  is  white,  edged 
behind  by  greenish-black,  the  color  also  of  the  tertials ;  the  white  of  the  speculum 
goes  across  the  middle  of  the  secondaries ;  iris  yellow. 

The  female  has  the  wing  nearly  similar;  the  black  replaced  by  brownish;  the 
region  round  the  base  of  the  bill  whitish ;  the  marbling  or  mottling  almost  entirely 
wanting. 

Length,  sixteen  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  eight;  tarsus,  one  and 
thirty-four  one-hundredths ;  commissure,  one  and  ninety-four  one-hundredths  inch. 

This  species  resembles  the  former  in  its  general  habits, 
but  is  more  abundant  on  our  coast,  where  it  is  generally 
known  to  our  gunners  by  the  name  of  "  Blue-bill  Coot." 
It  appears  in  our  creeks  and  bays  early  in  October,  and 
remains  with  us  until  late  in  November,  and  even  later,  if 
the  season  is  mild  and  open. 


506  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

"  The  food  of  the  Scaup  Duck  I  have  found  to  consist  of 
small  fry,  cray-fishes,  and  a  mixture  of  such  grasses  as  here 
and  there  grow  along  the  beds  of  our  rivers." — AUDUBON. 
It  is  an  expert  diver,  and  can  remain  a  considerable  time 
under  water.  When  wounded,  it  often  dives,  and,  clinging 
to  the  weeds  or  rocks  at  the  bottom  of  the  water,  remains 
there  until  dead ;  and  often  the  bird  does  not  rise  to  the 
surface  until  the  whole  warmth  of  it  has  left  its  body,  when 
the  muscles,  losing  their  contraction,  permit  the  bird  to  float 
off.  Very  often  it  does  not  come  to  the  surface  at  all,  when 
thus  wounded  and  dying,  but  remains  like  a  stone  on  the 
bottom  until  its  parts  become  separated  by  the  waves,  or  by 
crabs  or  other  crustaceans.  Of  the  breeding  habits  and 
nest  of  this  bird  I  am  ignorant.  I  have  but  a  single  egg  in 
my  collection,  from  Youkon.  This  is  ovoidal  in  form,  of 
a  dirty  pale-drab  color,  and  is  2.25  inch  in  length,  and 
1.60  at  its  greatest  breadth. 

AYTHYA,  BOIE. 

Aythya,  BOIE,  Isis  (1822).    (Type  Anas  ferina,  L.) 

Very  similar  to  Fuligula  in  general  characters  of  shape ;  the  bill  elongated,  longer 
than  the  head,  and  about  equal  to  the  middle  toe  with  the  claw;  the  bill  more 
slender  in  one  species,  the  nail  smaller  and  less  decurved ;  the  bill  higher  at  base, 
and  the  upper  outline  nearly  straight  to  beyond  the  end  of  the  nostrils,  which  do 
not  quite  reach  the  middle  of  the  bill ;  colors  similar  to  those  of  Fuligula ;  the  head 
and  neck  red ;  tail  of  fourteen  feathers. 

ATTHYA  AMERICANA.  —  Bonaparte. 
The  Bed  Head. 

Alias  ferina,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  VIII.  (1814)  84. 

Fuligula  ferina,  Nuttall.  Man.,  II.  (1834)  434.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  (1835) 
198.  76.,  Birds  Am.,  VI.  (1843)  311. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  as  long  as  the  head,  broad,  blue,  the  end  black;  the  region  anterior  to  the 
nostrils  dusky;  head,  and  neck  for  more  than  half  its  length,  brownish-red,  glossed 
above  and  behind  with  violaceous-red ;  rest  of  neck,  and  body  anterior  to  the  shoul- 
ders, lower  part  of  back  and  tail  coverts,  black;  beneath  white,  sprinkled  with  gray 
and  black  anterior  to  the  crissum ;  the  sides,  interscapulars,  and  scapulars  finely 
lined  with  undulating  black  and  white  in  nearly  equal  proportions,  imparting  a 


THE   CANVAS-BACK   DUCK.  507 

general  gray  tint;  wing  coverts  bluish-gray,  finely  sprinkled  with  whitish;  the 
speculum,  consisting  of  the  ends  of  the  secondaries,  hoary  graj-ish-blue,  lightest 
externally,  and  the  innermost  narrowly  edged  externally  with  black ;  basal  portion 
of  inner  primaries  somewhat  similar  to  the  speculum ;  tail  of  fourteen  feathers ;  iris 
orange-yellow. 

This  species,  with  a  strong  resemblance  to  the  Canvas -back,  is  readily  dis- 
tinguished by  the  shorter,  broader  bill,  absence  of  brown  on  the  head,  and  a  greater 
predominance  of  black  in  the  waved  lines ;  this  being  equal  in  amount  to  the  white, 
instead  of  much  less. 

Female  with  the  head,  neck,  and  forepart  of  body,  brownish;  the  region  round 
the  base  of  the  bill  whitish. 

Length  of  male,  twenty  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  nine  and  fifty 
orie-hundredths;  tarsus,  one  and  sixty  one-hundredths;  commissure,  two  and  thirty 
one-hundredths  inches. 

Hob.  —  Whole  of  North  America. 


This  handsome  bird  is  pretty  abundant  on  our  shores, 
where  it  usually  prefers  the  small  bays  and  estuaries  of 
creeks :  it  is  also  found  in  many  of  our  large  tracts  of  fresh 
water,  where  it  feeds  on  the  tender  leaves  and  roots  of  the 
various  aquatic  plants,  and  small  fish,  and  larvae  of  aquatic 
insects.  I  found  several  specimens  of  both  sexes  in  the  Um- 
bagog  Lakes  in  June  ;  and  I  think  it  not  impossible,  that,  if 
it  does  not  breed  there,  it  will  be  found  to  breed  in  some  of 
the  lake  regions  of  northern  New  England.  For  it  is  ob- 
served, in  various  localities,  as  late  as  the  first  week  in  June ; 
and  it  can  be  hardly  possible  that  all  the  birds  thus  observed 
are  barren. 

The  habits  of  this  species  so  much  resemble  those  of  the 
succeeding  species,  that  the  same  remarks  will  apply  to 
both. 

Of  its  breeding  habits,  nest,  and  eggs,  I  am  ignorant. 

AYTHYA    VALLISNEEIA.  —  Bvnaparte. 
The  Canvas-back  Duck. 

Anas  vallisneria,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  VIII.  (1814)  103. 
Fuligula  valUsneria,  Nuttall.     Man.,  II.  430. 
Aythya  vallisneria,  Bonaparte.     List  ( 1838). 

Fuligula  vallisneriana,  Audubon.  Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  (1838)  1.  Ib.,  Birds  Am., 
VI.  (1843)  299. 


508  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  long,  slender,  and  tapering;  head  all  round  and  neck  chestnut;  the  top  of 
the  head  and  region  around  the  base  of  the  bill  dusky-brown ;  rest  of  neck,  body 
anterior  to  the  shoulders,  back  behind,  rump  and  tail  coverts,  black ;  under  parts 
white ;  the  region  anterior  to  the  anus,  the  sides,  the  interscapulars  and  scapulars, 
white,  finely  dotted,  in  transverse  line,  with  black,  the  white  greatly  predominating; 
speculum  bluish-gray,  lighter  externally ;  the  innermost  secondaries  of  the  specu- 
lum edged  externally  with  black;  iris  carmine. 

Female  with  the  black  and  chestnut  replaced  by  brown,  the  cheeks  and  chin 
lighter,  and  some  tinged  with  dull-rufous. 

'  Length,  twenty  and  ten  one-hundredths ;  wing,  nine  and  thirty  one-hundredths,- 
tarsus,  one  and  seventy  one-hundredths ;  commissure,  two  and  sixty-five  inches. 

The  Canvas-back  is  rarely  taken  in  New  England.  I 
have  seen  a  few  that  were  killed  in  Punkapoag  Pond,  Can- 
ton, Mass.  J.  A.  Allen  speaks  of  its  being  occasionally 
found  at  the  western  part  of  the  State ;  and  I  once  killed 
one  in  Lake  Umbagog,  Me.  It  generally  passes  to  its 
northern  breeding-grounds,  and  back  to  its  winter  home, 
through  the  interior  of  the  country,  seldom  by  the  seaboard, 
at  least  north  of  Pennsylvania ;  and,  when  found  in  New 
England,  is  only  a  wanderer  from  the  great  flight. 

Wilson,  in  describing  its  habits,  says, — 

"  The  Canvas-back  Duck  arrives  in  the  United  States  from  the 
north  about  the  middle  of  October :  a  few  descend  to  the  Hudson 
and  Delaware ;  but  the  great  body  of  these  birds  resort  to  the 
numerous  rivers  belonging  to  and  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
Chesapeake  Bay,  particularly  the  Susquehanna,  the  Patapsco, 
Potomac,  and  James  Rivers,  which  appear  to  be  their  general 
winter  rendezvous.  Beyond  this,  to  the  south,  I  can  find  no  cer- 
tain accounts  of  them.  At  the  Susquehanna,  they  are  called 
Canvas-backs ;  on  the  Potomac,  White-backs ;  and  on  James 
River,  Sheldrakes.  They  are  seldom  found  at  a  great  distance  up 
any  of  these  rivers,  or  even  in  the  salt-water  bay,  but  in  that  par- 
ticular part  of  tide-water  where  a  certain  grass-like  plant  grows,  on 
the  roots  of  which  they  feed.  This  plant,  which  is  said  to  be  a 
species  of  vallisneria,  grows  on  fresh-water  shoals  of  from  seven 
to  nine  feet  (but  never  where  these  are  occasionally  dry),  in  long, 
narrow,  grass-like  blades,  of  four  or  five  feet  in  length :  the  root  is 
white,  and  has  some  resemblance  to  small  celery.  This  grass  is  in 


THE   CANVAS-BACK   DUCK.  509 

many  places  so  thick  that  a  boat  can  with  difficulty  be  rowed 
through  it,  it  so  impedes  the  oars.  The  shores  are  lined  with  large 
quantities  of  it,  torn  up  by  the  Ducks,  and  drifted  up  by  the  winds, 
lying,  like  hay,  in  windrows.  Wherever  this  plant  grows  in  abun- 
dance, the  Canvas-backs  may  be  expected,  either  to  pay  occasional 
visits,  or  to  make  it  their  regular  residence  during  the  winter.  It 
occurs  in  some  parts  of  the  Hudson ;  in  the  Delaware,  near  Glou- 
cester, a  few  miles  below  Philadelphia ;  and  in  most  of  the  rivers 
that  fall  into  the  Chesapeake,  —  to  each  of  which  particular  places 
these  Ducks  resort ;  while,  in  waters  unprovided  with  this  nutri- 
tive plant,  they  are  altogether  unknown. 

"  On  the  first  arrival  of  these  birds  in  the  Susquehanna,  near 
Havre-de- Grace,  they  are  generally  lean  ;  but  such  is  the  abundance 
of  their  favorite  food,  that,  towards  the  beginning  of  November, 
they  are  in  pretty  good  order.  They  are  excellent  divers,  and 
swim  with  great  speed  and  agility.  They  sometimes  assemble  in 
such  multitudes  as  to  cover  several  acres  of  the  river,  and,  when 
they  rise  suddenly,  produce  a  noise  resembling  thunder.  They 
float  about  these  shoals,  diving,  and  tearing  up  the  grass  by  the 
roots,  which  is  the  only  part  they  eat.  They  are  extremely  shy, 
and  can  rarely  be  approached,  unless  by  stratagem.  When  wound- 
ed in  the  wing,  they  dive  to  such  prodigious  distances,  and  with 
such  rapidity,  continuing  it  so  perseveringly,  and  with  such  cun- 
ning and  active  vigor,  as  almost  always  to  render  the  pursuit  hope- 
less. From  the  great  demand  for  these  Ducks,  and  the  high  price 
they  uniformly  bring  in  market,  various  modes  are  practised  to  get 
within  gunshot  of  them.  The  most  successful  way  is  said  to  be 
decoying  them  to  the  shore  by  means  of  a  dog,  while  the  gunner 
lies  closely  concealed  in  a  proper  situation.  The  dog,  if  properly 
trained,  plays  backwards  and  forwards  along  the  margin  of  the 
water ;  and  the  Ducks,  observing  his  manoeuvres,  enticed  perhaps 
by  curiosity,  gradually  approach  the  shore,  until  they  are  sometimes 
within  twenty  or  thirty  yards  of  the  spot  where  the  gunner  lies 
concealed,  and  from  which  he  rakes  them,  first  on  the  water,  and 
then  as  they  rise.  This  method  is  called  tolling  them  in.  If  the 
Ducks  seem  difficult  to  decoy,  any  glaring  object,  such  as  a  red 
handkerchief,  is  fixed  round  the  dog's  middle  or  to  his  tail ;  and  this 
rarely  fails  to  attract  them.  Sometimes,  by  moonlight,  the  sports- 


510  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

man  directs  his  skiff  towards  a  flock  whose  position  he  had  previ- 
ously ascertained,  keeping  within  the  projecting  shadow  of  some 
wood,  bank,  or  headland,  arid  paddles  along  so  silently  and  imper- 
ceptibly as  often  to  approach  within  fifteen  or  twenty  yards  of  a 
flock  of  many  thousands,  among  whom  he  generally  makes  great 
slaughter. 

"Many  other  stratagems  are  practised,  and,  indeed,  every  plan 
that  the  ingenuity  of  the  experienced  sportsman  can  suggest,  to 
approach  within  gunshot  of  these  birds :  but,  of  all  the  modes  pur- 
sued, none  intimidate  them  so  much  as  shooting  them  by  night ; 
and  they  soon  abandon  the  place  where  they  have  been  thus 
repeatedly  shot  at.  During  the  day,  they  are  dispersed  about,  but, 
towards  evening,  collect  in  large  flocks,  and  come  into  the  mouths 
of  creeks,  where  they  often  ride  as  at  anchor,  with  their  head 
under  their  wing,  asleep  ;  there  being  always  sentinels  awake,  ready 
to  raise  an  alarm  on  the  least  appearance  of  danger.  Even  when 
feeding  and  diving  in  small  parties,  the  whole  never  go  down  at  one 
time,  but  some  are  still  left  above  on  the  lookout. 

"  When  the  winter  sets  in  severely,  and  the  river  is  frozen,  the 
Canvas-backs  retreat  to  its  confluence  with  the  bay ;  occasionally 
frequenting  air-holes  in  the  ice,  which  are  sometimes  made  for  the 
purpose,  immediately  above  their  favorite  grass,  to  entice  them 
within  gunshot  of  the  hut  or  bush,  which  is  usually  fixed  at  a 
proper  distance,  and  where  the  gunner  lies  concealed,  ready  to  take 
advantage  of  their  distress.  A  Mr.  Hill,  who  lives  near  James 
River,  at  a  place  called  Herring  Creek,  informs  me,  that,  one 
severe  winter,  he  and  another  person  broke  a  hole  in  the  ice,  about 
twenty  by  forty  feet,  immediately  over  a  shoal  of  grass,  and  took 
their  stand  on  the  shore  in  a  hut  of  brush,  each  having  three  guns 
well  loaded  with  large  shot.  The  Ducks,  which  were  flying  up  and 
down  the  river,  in  great  extremity,  soon  crowded  to  this  place,  so 
that  the  whole  open  space  was  not  only  covered  with  them,  but  vast 
numbers  stood  on  the  ice  around  it.  They  had  three  rounds,  firing 
both  at  once,  and  picked  up  eighty-eight  Canvas-backs,  and  might 
have  collected  more,  had  they  been  able  to  get  to  the  extremity  of 
the  ice  after  the  wounded  ones.  In  the  severe  winter  of  1779-80, 
the  grass,  on  the  roots  of  which  these  birds  feed,  was  almost  wholly 
destroyed  in  James  River.  In  the  month  of  January,  the  wind 


BARROW'S  GOLDEN  EYE.  511 

continued  to  blow  from  W.N.W.  for  twenty-one  days,  which  caused 
such  low  tides  in  the  river,  that  the  grass  froze  to  the  ice  every- 
where ;  and,  a  thaw  coming  on  suddenly,  the  whole  was  raised  by 
the  roots,  and  carried  off  by  the  fresh.  The  next  winter,  a  few  of 
these  Ducks  were  seen  ;  but  they  soon  went  away  again  :  and,  for 
many  years  after,  they  continued  to  be  scarce  ;  and,  even  to  the 
present  day,  in  the  opinion  of  my  informant,  have  never  been  so 
plenty  as  before." 

The  delicacy  of  the  flesh  of  this  bird  for  food  is  so  well 
known  that  any  remarks  here  seem  superfluous ;  but  I  will 
say  that  it  does  not  greatly  excel  that  of  the  Red  Head,  and 
in  my  own  opinion  is  not  at  all  superior  to  that  of  the  Teals 
or  Widgeon. 

The  Canvas-back  breeds  in  the  most  northern  portions  of 
the  continent.  I  am  ignorant  of  its  habits  in  the  season 
of  incubation,  and  have  but  one  egg  in  my  collection  to 
describe  from.  This  is  of  an  ovate  form,  nearly  oval,  of  a 
pale-blue  color  with  an  olivaceous  tinge,  quite  smooth  to 
the  touch,  and  quite  thin  and  brittle.  Its  dimensions  are 
2.54  by  1.78  inch.  The  locality  of  this  egg  I  am  ignorant 
of,  but  think  that  it  is  from  the  Hudson's-Bay  country. 

BUCEPHALA,  BAIRD. 

Clangula,  FLEMING,  Philos.  Zool.  (1828).  (Type  Anas  clangula,  L.)  Not  of 
1822,  which  has  Anas  glacialis  for  type,  according  to  G.  R.  Gray. 

Bill,  from  feathers  of  forehead,  about  equal  to  the  tarsus,  and  shorter  than  the 
head ;  high  at  the  base ;  lateral  outlines  tapering  to  the  tip,  where  the  nail  forms 
only  the  central  portion,  though  rather  large ;  nostrils  situated  near  the  middle  of 
•the  bill;  feathers  of  chin  and  forehead  extending  only  moderately  forward,  a  little 
further  than  those  of  the  cheeks ;  tarsus  rather  more  than  half  the  foot ;  tail  moder- 
ately long,  about  half  the  wing,  and  somewhat  pointed ;  of  sixteen  feathers. 

BUCEPHALA  ISLANDICA.  —  Baird. 
Barrow's  Golden  Eye. 

Fuliffula  (  Clangula)  fiarrowii,  Nuttall.    Man.,  II.  444. 

Fuligula  dangula,  Audubon.     Orn.  Biog.,  V.  (1839)  105.     /&.,  Birds  Am.,  VI. 

(1843). 


512  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Head  and  neck  all  round  bluish-violet,  occasionally  with  green  or  purplish  re- 
flection; a  large  white  patch  anterior  to  the  eye,  occupying  the  entire  side  of  the  bill, 
and  running  up  in  a  point  on  the  forehead ;  lower  neck  and  under  parts  generall}1- 
white;  a  narrow  white  patch  on  the  middle  wing  coverts;  the  greater  coverts  black, 
tipped  with  white,  which  is  continuous  with  the  white  secondaries,  but  separated 
from  that  on  the  middle  coverts ;  anterior  scapulars  white,  edged  externally  with 
black;  the  posterior  ones  black,  with  white  central  streak;  rest  of  upper  parts  black, 
as  are  the  sides  behind,  and  including  the  tibia ;  long  feathers  of  the  flank  white, 
tipped  and  edged  above  with  black. 

Length,  twenty-two  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  nine  and  fifty  one- 
hundredths  ;  tarsus,  one  and  fifty-eight  one-hundredths  inches ;  commissure,  one  and 
eighty  one-hundredths  inches. 

Hab.  —  Iceland,  and  northern  parts  of  America.  In  winter,  not  rare  on  the  St. 
Lawrence. 

This  species  is  found  in  considerable  numbers  on  our 
north-eastern  coast,  in  the  winter  months.  It  breeds  in  the 
arctic  portions  of  the  continent,  but  has  all  the  other  habits 
of  the  succeeding  species. 


BUCEPHALA  AMERICANA.  —  Saird. 
The  Golden  Eye ;  Whistle  Wing. 

Anas  clangula,  Wilson.     Am.  Orn.,  VIII.  (1814)  62. 

Fuligula  (Clangula)  clangula,  Bonaparte.  Syn.,  (1828)  393.  Nutt.  Man.,  II. 
441. 

Fuligula  clangula,  Audubqn.  Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  (1838)  318.  75.,  Birds  Am.,  VI. 
(1843)  362. 

Clangula  Americana,  Bonaparte.  Comp.  List  (1838).  Eyt.  Mon.  Anat.  (1838) 
167. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  black ;  head  and  upper  part  of  neck  glossy-green ;  the  under  surface  opaque 
velvety  purplish-black ;  an  elliptical  patch  along  the  base  of  upper  mandible  ante- 
rior to  the  eye,  lower  part  of  neck,  under  parts  generally,  and  sides,  middle  and 
greater  wing  coverts,  the  innermost  secondaries  (and  tertials,  except  the  innermost 
three  or  four),  white ;  the  white  on  the  wing  is  in  a  continuous  patch,  although  there 
is  a  concealed  black  bar  on  the  bases  of  the  greater  coverts ;  the  inner  scapulars  are 
white,  margined  externally  with  black ;  posteriorly,  however,  they  are  black,  streaked 
centrally  with  white ;  the  inner  scapulars  and  tertials,  and  the  whole  back,  rump, 
and  lesser  wing  coverts,  are  black ;  the  primaries  and  tail  black,  with  a  hoary  gloss ; 
the  under  side  of  quills  and  lower  greater  coverts  are  plumbeous-gray;  the  rest  of 
the  under  wing  and  the  axillars  are  sooty-brown;  the  long  white  feathers  of  the 
flanks  are  edged  superiorly  with  black ;  iris  golden  yellow. 

Female  with  the  head  and  neck  above  snuff-brown,  without  white  patch;  white 
of  wing  less  extended;  the  middle  coverts  only  touched  with  white;  there  is  a  ten- 


THE   GOLDEN   EYE.  513 

dency  to  a  black  bar  across  the  tips  of  the  greater  coverts ;  the  white  of  the  wing 
sometimes  well  defined. 

Length,  eighteen  and  seventy-five  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  eight  and  fifty- 
one-hundredths ;  tarsus,  one  and  fifty  one-hundredths ;  commissure,  two  inches. 

Hab.  —  Whole  of  North  America. 

This  handsome  species  is  a  common  spring  and  autumn 
resident  in  New  England  ;  and  in  mild  winters  is  often  seen, 
both  in  the  bays  and  rivers  on  the  coast,  and  in  the  lakes 
and  ponds  in  the  interior,  when  they  are  open.  It  breeds 
in  the  northern  portions  of  New  England,  particularly  in 
the  lake  country  of  Northern  Maine.  I  have  found  it,  in  the 
breeding  season,  in  Lake  Umbagog,  and  in  the  Magalloway 
River ;  but,  although  I  searched  carefully  for  its  nest,  I 
could  not  find  it.  This  might  have  been,  and  probably  was, 
owing  to  the  nature  of  the  nesting-place ;  for  I  saw  several 
pairs,  and  the  localities  were  those  which  this  bird  selects 
for  the  purpose  of  incubation. 

The  nest  of  this  species  is  built  in  a  hole,  in  a  tall  dead 
tree,  or  in  the  top  of  a  tall  stub,  which  is  hollowed  sufficiently 
for  its  reception.  The  pines  and  hemlocks  often  die  ;  and, 
standing  for  years,  the  bark  drops  off,  then  the  limbs,  until 
the  body  is  at  last  left,  a  single  straight,  smooth,  white  shaft, 
often  from  forty  to  fifty  feet  high,  and  two  or  three  feet  thick 
at  its  base.  At  last,  in  a  fierce  storm  or  gale,  the  shaft  either 
breaks  off  close  to  the  ground,  or  at  sometimes  the  height 
of  twenty  or  more  feet;  leaving,  in  the  top  that  remains 
standing,  a  huge  rent,  sometimes  a  foot  or  even  more  in 
depth.  In  this  the  Golden  Eye  nests ;  building  of  grass, 
leaves,  moss,  and  down  from  its  own  breast,  a  warm  struc- 
ture, in  which  she  lays  from  six  to  ten  eggs.  These  are 
generally  very  rounded  in  form,  of  a  greenish-blue  color, 
and  average  from  2.40  by  1.75  inch  to  2.36  by  1.78  inch 
in  dimensions.  The  loud  whistling  of  the  wings  of  this 
species,  as  it  passes  through  the  air,  has  given  it  the  name 
of  the  "Whistler."  The  bird  feeds  on  small  fish  and 
various  aquatic  plants,  and,  when  living  in  the  interior,  is 

33 


514  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

a  fine-flavored  fowl  for  the  table ;  but,  when  killed  on  the 
coast,  its  flesh  is  fishy  and  strong.  It  is  a  bird  of  very 
rapid  flight,  and  is  rather  shy  and  difficult  of  approach. 


BUCEPHALA  ALBEOLA.  —  Baird. 
The  Buffle-head  ;  Dipper;  Butter-ball. 

Ana$  a&eola,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  199.  Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  VIII. 
(1814)  61. 

Fuligula  (  Clangula)  atbeola,  Bonaparte.    Syn.  (1828)  394.    Nutt.  Man.,  II.  445. 
Fuligula  albeola,  Audubon.     Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  (1838)  217.     /&.,  Birds  Am.,  VI. 

(1843)  369. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Male.  —  Bill  blue:  head  and  neck  anteriorly,  dark-colored ;  the  region  in  front 
of  the  eye  and  on  the  sides  of  the  collar  behind,  rich-green,  this  color  shading  into 
purplish  on  the  upper  and  under  surfaces  of  the  head ;  a  broad  patch  on  each  side 
of  the  head  from  the  posterior  border  of  the  eye,  and  meeting  its  fellow  on  the  nape, 
the  lower  neck  all  round,  under  parts  generally,  wing  coverts  (except  the  lesser) 
and  most  of  the  secondaries,  and  the  scapulars,  white ;  the  latter  narrowly  edged 
externally  with  black;  rest  of  upper  parts,  except  as  described,  black;  passing 
gradually  on  the  upper  tail  coverts  into  pale-gray;  axillars  and  under  wing  coverts 
sooty-brown,  more  or  less  tipped  with  white ;  iris  hazel. 

Female.  —  With  the  entire  head,  neck,  and  upper  parts  almost  black ;  an  elongated 
patch  behind  and  below  the  eye  (not  reaching  it);  the  outer  webs  of  some  second- 
aries, and  the  under  parts,  white;  the  jugulum,  sides,  and  anal  region,  plumbeous- 
gray. 

Length,  fifteen  inches ;  wing,  six  and  sixty-five  one-hundredths ;  tarsus,  one  and 
twenty-five  one-hundredths ;  commissure,  one  and  forty-four  one-hundredths  inch. 

This  very  common  and  well-known  bird  is  abundant  on 
our  coast  in  the  spring  and  autumn.  It  associates  with 
most  of  the  other  Sea  Ducks  in  our  bays  and  creeks,  but,  in 
the  interior,  is  seen  only  in  pairs,  or  in  small  flocks  of 
three  or  four  individuals.  It  is  an  expert  diver ;  and  one 
finds  difficulty  in  shooting  it  when  there  are  two  or  three 
individuals  together,  from  its  habit  of  diving  at  the  flash  of 
the  gun.  I  have  seen  it  at  times,  particularly  after  a  severe 
storm,  in  small  fresh-water  ponds,  in  the  interior ;  and,  at 
such  times,  it  is  quite  tame  and  unsuspicious,  or  possibly 
fatigued  from  its  efforts  in  the  storm.  It  feeds  on  small 
fish  and  crustaceans,  which  it  is  very  expert  at  catching. 
When  several  birds  are  together,  one  always  remains  on  the 


THE   HARLEQUIN   DUCK.  515 

surface  while  the  others  are  below  in  search  of  food,  and,  if 
alarmed,  it  utters  a  short  quack ,  when  the  others  rise  to  the 
surface ;  and,  on  ascertaining  the  cause  of  the  alarm,  all 
dive  and  swim  off  rapidly  to  the  distance  of  several  hundred 
feet.  The  Buffle-head  breeds  in  the  northern  portions  of 
the  continent.  It  nests  in  the  holes  of  dead  trees,  like  the 
preceding.  The  eggs  are  from  five  to  eight  in  number. 

HISTRIONICUS,  LESSON. 

Histrionicus,  LESSON,  Man.  d'Ornith.,  II.  (1828)  415.  (Type  Anas  Mstrionica,  L.) 
Bill  very  small ;  the  culmen  shorter  than  tarsus,  tapering  rapidly  to  the  rounded 
tip,  which  is  entirely  occupied  by  the  nail ;  nostrils  small,  in  the  anterior  portion  of 
posterior  half  of  bill;  the  centre  about  opposite  the  middle  of  commissure;  a  well- 
marked  angle  at  the  postero-superior  corner  of  the  bill;  the  lateral  outline  con- 
cave behind,  the  feathers  on  forehead  extending  a  little  beyond  it;  those  of  chin  not 
reaching  further  than  those  of  the  sides,  and  much  posterior  to  the  nostrils ;  lateral 
outline  of  edge  of  bill  nearly  straight;  a  membranous  lobe  at  the  base  of  the  bill; 
tertials  bent  outward,  so  as  to  cross  the  edge  of  the  wing;  tail  more  than  half  the 
wing,  considerably  pointed,  of  fourteen  feathers. 

HISTRIONICUS    TORQUATUS.  —  Bonaparte. 
The  Harlequin  Duck. 

Anas  histrionica,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1758)  127.  Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  VIII. 
(1814) 139. 

Fuligula  (  Clangula)  histrionica,  Bonaparte.    Syn.  (1828),  394.   Nutt.  Man.,  IL  448. 

Fuligula  histrionica,  Audubon.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835)  612;  V.  (1839)  617.  /&., 
Birds  Am.,  VI.  (1843)374. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Male.  —  Head  and  neck  all  round  dark-blue;  jugulum,  sides  of  breast,  and  upper 
parts,  lighter  blue,  becoming  bluish-black  again  on  the  tail  coverts;  the  blue  of 
breast  passes  insensibly  into  dark  bluish-brown  behind ;  a  broad  stripe  along  the 
top  of  head  from  the  bill  to  the  nape,  and  the  tail  feathers,  black ;  a  white  patch 
along  the  entire  side  of  the  base  of  bill  anterior  to  the  eye,  and  passing  upwards 
and  backwards  so  as  to  border  the  black  of  the  crown,  but  replaced  from  above  the 
eye  to  the  nape  by  chestnut;  a  round  spot  on  the  side  of  the  occiput;  an  elongated 
one  on  the  side  of  the  neck ;  a  collar  round  the  lower  part  of  the  neck,  interrupted 
before  and  behind,  and  margined  behind,  by  dark-blue;  a  transversely  elongated 
patch  on  each  side  the  breast,  and  similarly  margined ;  a  round  spot  on  the  middle 
wing  coverts,  a  transverse  patch  on  the  end  of  the  greater  coverts,  the  scapulars  in 
part,  a  broad  streak  on  the  outer  web  of  tertials,  and  a  spot  on  each  side  the  rest  of 
the  tail,  white;  sides  of  body  behind  chestnut-brown;  secondaries  with  a  metallic 
speculum  of  purplish  or  violet-blue;  inside  of  wing,  and  axillars,  dark-brown;  iris 
reddish-brown. 


516  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

Female.  — With  the  head  and  body  above,  dark-brown ;  the  chin  more  plumbeous ; 
the  lower  part  of  neck,  breast,  and  under  parts  generally,  except  the  central  region 
(which  is  white),  duller  and  lighter  brown;  a  whitish  patch  in  front  of  the  eye,  and 
a  rounded  spot  just  behind  the  ear. 

Length,  seventeen  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  seven  and  seventy 
one-huudredths;  tarsus,  one  and  forty-eight  one-hundredths;  commissure,  one  and 
fifty-four  one-hundredths  inches. 

Hob.  —Northern  seacoast  of  northern  hemisphere. 

The  Harlequin  Duck  is  very  rare  in  Southern  New  Eng- 
land, and  is  seldom  met  with  here  south  of  the  most  north- 
ern portions  on  its  coast.  There  it  is  pretty  abundantly 
seen  as  a  winter  visitor.  It  greatly  resembles  the  following 
in  its  general  characteristics.  I  know  nothing  of  its  breed- 
ing habits. 

"  The  nest  is  composed  of  dry  plants  of  various  kinds,  arranged 
in  a  circular  manner  to  the  height  of  three  or  four  inches,  and  lined 
with  finer  grasses.  The  eggs  are  five  or  six,  rarely  more,  measure 
two  inches  and  one-sixteenth  by  one  inch  and  four  and  a  half 
eighths,  and  are  of  a  plain  greenish-yellow  color.  After  the  eggs 
are  laid,  the  female  plucks  the  down  from  the  lower  parts  of  her 
body,  and  places  it  beneath  and  around  them." 

HARELDA,  LEACH. 

"  Harelda,  LEACH  (1816),"  Gray.  (Type  Anas  glacialis,  L.) 
Bill  shorter  than  the  head  and  tarsus,  tapering  laterally  to  the  end;  the  nail 
very  broad,  occupying  the  entire  tip ;  lateral  profile  of  lower  edge  of  upper  mandi- 
ble straight  to  near  the  end,  then  rising  suddenly  to  the  prominent  decurved  nail ; 
nostrils  large,  in  the  posterior  half  of  the  bill,  their  centre  about  opposite  the  middle 
of  the  commissure;  tertials  long,  lanceolate,  and  straight;  tail  pointed,  of  fourteen 
feathers,  the  central  feathers  very  long,  equal  to  the  wings ;  bill  with  almost  no  pos- 
terior lateral  upper  angle ;  the  feathers  of  the  sides  advancing  obliquely  forwards ; 
feathers  of  chin  reaching  beyond  the  middle  of  the  commissure,  or  almost  to  the 
anterior  extremity  of  nostrils ;  tail  of  fourteen  feathers. 

HAEELDA   GLACIALIS.  —  Leach. 
The  South  Southerly ;  Old  Wife ;  Long-tail. 

Anas  glacialis,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  VIII.  (1814)  93,  96. 
Fuliffula  (Harelda)  glacialis,  Nuttall.    Man.,  II.  (1834)  453. 
Fuligula  glacialis,  Audubon.    Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  (1838)  103.     Ib.,  Birds  Am.,  VI. 
(1843)  379. 


THE   SOUTH   SOUTHERLY.  517 

DESCRIPTION. 

Male  in  summer.  —  Bill  black,  orange-yellow  towards  the  tip ;  head,  neck,  and 
breast,  very  dark  blackish-brown;  the  head  above,  back,  rump,  and  middle  tail 
feathers,  black ;  the  whole  side  of  the  head  from  the  bill  and  to  behind  the  eyes  and 
the  sides  of  the  body,  pale  bluish-gray ;  the  portion  of  the  cheek  patch  immediately 
around  and  behind  the  eye  with  a  longitudinal  streak  each  side  the  occiput ;  the 
under  parts  generally,  and  the  more  external  tail  feathers,  white;  feathers  on  the 
fore  part  of  the  back,  with  the  scapulars,  broadly  edged  with  light  reddish-brown ; 
under  wing  coverts  and  axillars  brownish-chocolate;  no  white  whatever  on  the 
wing. 

Male  in  winter.  —  Differs  from  summer  dress  in  having  the  head  and  neck  white 
to  the  jugulum  and  interscapular  region;  the  gray  of  the  cheeks  persistent,  and  a 
broad  patch  of  black  on  the  sides  of  the  neck  behind  this ;  the  scapulars  are  pale 
pearl-gray ;  iris  white. 

Female.  —  Lacks  the  long  points  to  the  tail  and  scapulars ;  the  head  and  neck 
dusky,  with  a  whitish  patch  around  the  eye  and  on  the  sides  of  the  neck  behind. 

Length,  twenty  and  seventy-five  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  eight  and  ninety 
one-hundredths ;  tail,  eight ;  tarsus,  one  and  thirty-eight  one-hundredths ;  commis- 
sure, one  and  sixty-two  one-hundredths  inches. 

The  Long-tailed  Duck,  so  common  in  Massachusetts  Bay 
in  the  fall  and  spring  migrations,  breeds  in  the  most  north- 
ern portions  of  the  continent. 

Audubon,  in  describing  the  nest  and  eggs,  says, — 

"  The  nest  was  placed  under  an  alder-bush,  among  rank  weeds, 
not  more  than  eight  or  nine  feet  from  the  edge  of  the  water,  and 
was  formed  of  rather  coarse  grass,  with  an  upper  layer  of  finer 
weeds,  which  were  neatly  arranged,  while  the  down  filled  the  bot- 
tom of  the  cavity.  [This  was  on  the  28th  of  July,  1833.  The 
young  birds  had  left  this  nest.]  The  number  of  young  broods  in 
sight  induced  me  to  search  for  more  nests ;  and  in  about  an  hour 
I  discovered  six  more,  in  one  of  which  I  was  delighted  to  find  two 
unhatched  eggs.  They  measured  two  inches  and  one-eighth  long, 
by  one  and  four  and  a  half  eighths  broad ;  were  of  a  uniform  pale 
yellowish-green,  and  quite  smooth." 

In  the  months  of  September  and  October,  this  bird  is 
most  abundant  in  New  England.  It  gathers  in  immense 
flocks,  and  frequents  the  bays  and  inlets  on  the  shore, 
where,  keeping  up  its  peculiar  cry  or  chatter,  the  noise 
of  the  flock  is  sometimes  to  be  heard  at  the  distance  of 
a  mile.  It  is  in  this  season,  that  the  gunner,  with  his 


518  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

sail-boat  or  float,  pursues  these  birds  with  great  activity. 
On  approaching  one  of  these  large  flocks,  it  is  customary  to 
steer  the  boat  to  the  windward  of  it ;  for  they,  like  most 
other  fowls,  always  rise  to  the  windward.  When,  therefore, 
the  gunner  arrives  within  gunshot,  he  fires  into  the  flock 
while  it  is  in  the  water ;  and  when  it  rises,  and  flies  to  the 
windward,  often  directly  over  his  boat,  he  pours  into  it 
sometimes  three  or  four  other  charges  before  it  gets  out 
of  shot.  It  is  a  difficult  bird  to  kill ;  and,  when  wounded,  it 
always  dives  and  clings  to  the  bottom,  where  it  dies.  I  once 
brought  down  seven  birds  out  of  a  flock  at  one  discharge, 
when  they  dove,  and  I  did  not  secure  one.  Its  flesh  is  oily 
and  strong,  and  is  in  no  repute  for  the  table. 

MELANETTA,  BOIE. 

Feathers  extending  nearly  as  far  forward  on  the  sides  of  the  bill  as  the  nostril, 
leaving  the  edges  only  free  from  the  base ;  bill  very  broad ;  nail  broad  and  almost 
truncate. 

MELANETTA  VELVETINA.  —  Beard. 
The  Velvet  Duck;   White-winged  Coot. 

Anas  fusca,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  VIII.  (1814)  137. 

Fuligula  (Oidemia)  fusca,  Bonaparte.  Syn.  (1828),  390.  Nutt.  Man.,  II. 
(1834)  419. 

Fuligula  fusca,  Audubon.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835)  354.  7k,  Birds  Am.,  VI. 
(1843)  332. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Male.  —  Bill  very  broad,  wider  towards  the  tip  than  at  the  base ;  feathers  extend- 
ing far  along  the  side  of  the  bill,  and  on  the  forehead,  for  nearly  half  the  commissure, 
running  in  an  obtuse  point  about  as  far  forward  as  the  lower  corner  of  the  outline  of 
feathers  on  the  side,  both  reaching  nearly  to  the  posterior  border  of  the  large,  open, 
nearly  rounded  nostrils ;  culmen  horizontal  a  little  beyond  the  frontal  feathers,  then 
abruptly  bent  downwards,  nearly  perpendicularly,  to  the  much-depressed,  nearly 
horizontal  portion;  a  sharp  indented  ridge  along  the  base  of  culmen,  ending  in  a 
trihedral  tubercle;  color  black;  a  white  elongated  patch  around  and  a  little  behind 
the  eye,  and  a  large  white  speculum  on  the  wing,  composed  of  white  secondaries 
and  tips  of  greater  coverts;  bill  black  at  base  and  lateral  edges;  red  elsewhe're;  iris 
bright-yellow. 

Female.  —  Somewhat  similar,  but  lighter  beneath ;  a  large  whitish  patch  on  the 
side«of  the  head  behind  the  eye,  but  none  around  it;  wings  with  white  speculum, 
somewhat  as  in  the  male ;  bill  also  similar,  but  less  swollen  and  elevated  at  base. 


THE   VELVET   DUCK.  519 

Length,  twenty-one  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  eleven  and  thirty 
one-hundredths  ;  tarsus,  two  and  eight  one-hundredths  ;  commissure  two  and 
eighty-two  one-hundredths  inches. 

Hah.  —  Along  both  coasts  of  North  America  to  the  north. 

The  Velvet  Duck,  or  "  White-winged  Coot,"  as  it  is  com- 
monly called  on  our  coast,  is  a  very  abundant  species,  in  the 
autumn  and  through  the  greater  part  of  the  winter,  in 
the  bays  and  inlets  along  our  whole  shores.  It  is  one  of  the 
Sea  Ducks  ;  and,  although  occasionally  found  in  small  num- 
bers in  the  large  bodies  of  water  in  the  interior,  it  is  sel- 
dom seen  in  large  flocks  in  any  other  localities  than  the 
salt  waters  of  the  seacoast.  There  it  is  taken  in  abun- 
dance from  the  first  week  in  October  until  the  middle  of 
December.  The  sportsmen,  with  decoys  made  of  wood, 
painted  to  resemble  these  fowls,  anchor  their  small  boats 
in  localities  where  the  Coots  are  known  to  pass ;  and,  from 
early  dawn  until  late  in  the  forenoon,  and  from  late  in  the 
afternoon  until  night,  keep  up  a  constant  fusillade  on 
the  swiftly  moving  flocks.  I  have  known  two  gunners  to 
secure,  in  one  day's  shooting,  thirty  pairs  of  these  birds; 
and  this  large  number  is  often  exceeded. 

The  "Coots"  are  hunted  more  for  the  excitement  of  the 
thing  than  for  the  sake  of  their  flesh  ;  for,  living  as  they  do, 
entirely  on  fish  and  a  few  mollusks,  their  flesh  is  strong 
and  oily,  and  far  from  pleasant.  This  species  breeds  in 
Labrador  and  other  northern  localities.  "  The  nests  are 
placed  within  a  few  feet  of  the  borders  of  small  lakes, 
a  mile  or  two  distant  from  the  sea,  under  the  low  boughs 
of  the  bushes  of  the  twigs  of  which,  with  mosses  and 
various  plants  matted  together,  they  are  formed.  They 
are  large,  and  almost  flat,  several  inches  thick,  with  some 
feathers  of  the  female,  but  no  down,  under  the  eggs, 
which  are  usually  six  in  number,  2f  inches  in  length  by 
1£  in  breadth,  and  of  a  uniform  pale-cream  color  tinged 
with  green." 


520  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 


PELIONETTA,  KAUP. 

Feathers  not  extending  on  sides  of  the  bill;  nail  pointed  anteriorly;  colors  black, 
with  a  triangular  white  patch  on  the  top  of  head  and  another  on  nape ;  bill  red, 
with  a  rounded  black  lateral  spot  at  base. 


PELIONETTA  PEESPICILLATA.  —  Kavp. 
The  Surf  Duck ;    Sea  Coot ;   Butter-bill  Coot. 

Anas  perspidllata,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  VIII.  (1814)  49. 

Fuligula  (Oidemia)  perspicillata,  Bonaparte.  Syn.  (1828),  389.  Nutt.  Man., 
II.  416. 

Fuligula  perspicillata,  Audubon.  Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  (1838)  161.  /&.,  Birds  Am., 
VI.  (1843)  337. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Male. — Tail  of  fourteen  feathers;  bill  but  little  longer  than  the  head,  the  feathers 
extending  forward  half-way  from  the  base  to  the  tip,  and  opposite  the  posterior  border 
of  the  nostril ;  the  bill  abruptly  decurved  or  gibbous  anterior  to  the  end  of  the 
feathers;  nostrils  open,  nearly  semicircular  or  stirrup-shaped,  the  straight  portion  of 
the  outline  antero-inferior ;  sides  of  bill  swollen  at  the  base  so  as  to  be  further  apart 
above  than  below;  color,  entirely  black  throughout,  with  a  greenish  lustre  above, 
duller  beneath ;  a  triangular  white  patch  on  the  top  of  head,  the  base  extending 
between  the  posterior  outline  of  the  eye  and  reaching  forward  to  a  point  a  little 
beyond  the  posterior  line  of  the  bill,  the  outlines  rounded  laterally  and  anteriorly; 
the  patch  is  separated  from  the  eye  by  a  narrow  superciliary  black  space ;  there  is  a 
second  triangular  white  patch  beginning  on  the  nape  as  a  straight  line  the  width  of 
the  other  patch,  and  running  backwards  for  more  than  two  inches;  these  triangular 
spaces  are  thus  base  to  base;  iris  yellowish-white. 

Female.  —  Bill  as  long  as  that  of  the  male,  but  not  swollen  at  the  base,  where  the 
sides  approach  each  other  above ;  the  feathers  of  forehead  do  not  extend  one-third 
the  distance  from  base  to  tip  of  bill ;  the  middle  of  nostril  not  quite  as  far  as  the 
middle  of  the  bill;  nostrils  linear,  acutely  pointed  anteriorly;  color  brown;  lighter 
on  the  neck ;  sides  and  beneath  the  under  surface  of  the  body  whitish ;  an  obscure 
whitish  patch  at  the  base  of  the  bill,  and  another  on  the  side  of  the  head  behind 
the  eyes. 

Length  of  male,  nineteen  inches ;  wing,  nine  and  forty  one-hundredths ;  tarsus, 
one  and  sixty-three  one-hundredths;  commissure,  two  and  thirty-seven  one-hun- 
dredths inches. 

Hob.  —  On  and  near  seacoast  of  North  America,  quite  far  south  in  winter;  acci- 
dental in  Europe. 

The  Surf  Duck,  or  "  Butter-bill  Coot,"  as  it  is  usually 
called  on  the  coast,  is  equally  abundant  with  the  preceding. 
Like  all  the  Sea  Ducks,  this  bird  is  an  expert  diver.  I  have 
followed  a  flock  of  Sea  Coots  for  hours  in  a  small  yacht, 
with  a  good  breeze,  and  have  been  unable  to  get  within 


THE   SCOTER.  521 

gunshot  of  them,  and  without  their  taking  wing  even  at  that. 
As  soon  as  I  arrived  within  two  or  three  gunshots'  distance, 
the  whole  flock  sank  beneath  the  surface  like  so  many 
stones ;  and,  swimming  under  water  for  almost  a  quarter 
of  a  mile,  appeared  at  the  surface  in  a  locality  where  I  least 
expected  to  see  them :  sometimes  immediately  astern  of  my 
boat ;  at  others,  in  a  direction  at  right  angles  to  the  course 
which  I  supposed  they  had  taken. 

Audubon,  in  describing  a  nest  that  he  found  in  a  boggy 
marsh  near  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  says, — 

"  The  nest  was  snugly  placed  amid  the  tall  leaves  of  a  bunch 
of  grass,  and  raised  fully  four  inches  above  its  roots.  It  was 
entirely  composed  of  withered  and  rotten  weeds,  the  former  being 
circularly  arranged  over  the  latter ;  producing  a  well-rounded 
cavity,  the  borders  of  which  were  lined  with  the  down  of  the  bird, 
in  the  same  manner  as  the  Eider  Duck's  nest ;  and  in  it  lay  five 
eggs,  which  were  two  inches  and  two  and  a  half  eighths  in  length, 
by  one  inch  and  five-eighths  in  their  greatest  breadth.  They  were 
more  equally  rounded  at  both  ends  than  usual,  the  shell  perfectly 
smooth,  and  of  a  uniform  pale-yellowish  or  cream  color." 

OIDEMIA,  FLEMING. 

Oidemia,  FLEMING,  "  Philos.  Zool.  (1822)."     (Type  Anas  nigra,  L.) 
Bill  much  swollen  at  base,  the  terminal  portion  much  depressed  and  very  broad; 
nail  broad,  occupying  the  terminal  portion  of  the  bill;  nostrils  situated  anterior  to 
the  middle  of  the  commissure ;  feathers  of  the  chin  running  forwards  as  far  as  the 
nostrils;  color  black  with  or  without  small  patches  of  white. 

OIDEMIA  AMERICANA.  —  Swainson. 
The  Scoter. 

Anas  nigra,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  VIII.  (1814)  135. 

Fuligula  Americana,  Audubon.  Orn.  Biog.,  V.  (1839)  117.  Ib.,  Birds  Am.,  VI. 
(1843)  343. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Male.  —  Tail  of  sixteen  feathers ;  bill  much  swollen  on  the  basal  third ;  the  basal 
portion  of  culmen  convex,  and  rapidly  descending;  the  terminal  portion  of  bill 
much  depressed ;  the  anterior  extremity  of  nostrils  half-way  from  the  lateral  or  upper 
feathers  at  the  base  of  bill  to  the  tip ;  the  swelling  at  base  of  bill  divided  by  a  fur- 
row along  the  median  line;  the  frontal  feathers  extend  slightly  forward  in  an  obtuse 


522  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

point;  bill  of  female  not  TOIT  dissimilar,  lacking  the  swelling  at  the  base;  color 
entirely  black  all  over,  without  any  white;  bill  black  along  the  edges  and  tip;  the 
swollen  basal  portion  red  to  beyond  the  nostrils. 

Female. Brown;  lighter  on  sides  of  head,  throat,  and  under  surface  of  body, 

where  the  feathers  have  each  an  obscure  dusky  spot. 

Length,  twenty-three  and  eighty  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  nine  and  twenty 
one-hundredths ;  tarsus,  one  and  seventy-eight  one-hundredths;  commissure,  two 
and  fourteen  one-hundredths  inches. 

This  species  is  also  known  on  the  coast  by  the  name  of 
Coot.  It  is  far  less  abundant  than  the  other,  but  has  all 
the  habits  of  that  bird.  It  also  associates  with  it,  and  is  a 
very  expert  diver ;  sinking  beneath  the  surface  of  the  water, 
at  the  flash  of  a  gun,  before  the  shot  reaches  it.  I  know 
nothing  of  its  breeding  habits,  and  have  no  eggs  by  me  for 
description. 

SOMATERIA,  LEACH. 

Somateria,  LEACH,  in  Fleming's  Philos.  Zool.  (1822).  (Type  Anas  mottissima,  L.) 
Bill  much  compressed,  tapering  to  the  tip ;  the  nail  enormously  large,  and  forming 
the  terminal  portion  of  the  bill,  and  much  decurved;  the  feathers  of  forehead 
advancing  forward  in  an  acute  long  point,  separating  on  each  side  a  frontal  exten- 
sion or  linear  process,  or  the  feathers  of  the  cheek  may  be  said  to  extend  a 
considerable  distance  along  the  commissural  edge  of  the  bill;  nostrils  situated 
anterior  to  the  middle  of  the  commissure;  tail  rather  pointed,  but  short,  of  fourteen 
feathers. 

SOMATEBIA    MOLLISSIMA.  —  Leach. 
The  Eider  Duck. 

Anas  mollissima,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  VIII.  (1814)  122. 

Fuligula  (Somateria)  mollissima,  Bonaparte.  Syn.  (1828),  388.  Nutt.  Man.,  II. 
(1834)  407. 

Fuligula  mollissima,  Audubon.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835)  344;  V.  611.  76.,  Birds 
Am.,  VI.  (1843)  349. 

•  DESCRIPTION. 

Tail  of  fourteen  feathers ;  prevailing  color  white ;  the  under  surface  and  sides  of 
body,  hinder  part  of  back,  rump,  and  tail,  black ;  wings  white  on  both  surfaces, 
except  the  quills,  which  are  black;  narrow  margin  inferiorly  of  the  frontal  process 
of  bill  and  the  forehead  violet-black,  this  color  bifurcating  opposite  the  middle  of  the 
eye,  and  continued  broadly  on  each  side  the  head  to  the  nape,  the  color  extend- 
ing a  little  below  the  eye;  the  white  below  and  behind  the  black  glossed  with  trans- 
parent emerald-green ;  the  interspace  white;  iris  brown. 

Length,  twenty-six  inches ;  wing,  eleven  and  twenty-four  one-hundredths ;  tar- 
sus, one  and  eighty -two  one-hundredths ;  commissure,  two  and  fifty-three  one-hun- 
dredths inches. 


THE   KING    EIDER. 


523 


This  is  another  of  our  Sea  Ducks  that  is  very  abundant 
in  the  bays  and  inlets  of  our  coast  during  the  fall  and  win- 
ter months,  and  until  April  in  the  spring. 

The  history  of  its 
habits  and  distri- 
bution is  so  well 
known,  that  any  ac- 
count here  is  hard- 
ly needed. 

It  breeds  in  abun- 
dance in  Labrador 
and  other  northern 
portions  of  the  con- 
tinent, and  a  few  pass  the  season  of  incubation  on  the 
islands  in  the  Bay  of  Fundy ;  this  being  the  nearest  point 
to  our  coast  that  it  breeds  in  at  present,  although  it  is  said 
to  have  formerly  reared  its  young  on  the  islands  off  Cape 
Ann  in  Massachusetts,  and  off  the  coast  of  Maine. 

The  nest  is  placed  on  the  ground  beneath  the  shelter  of 
a  low  bush  or  thick  bunch  of  weeds  or  grass.  It  is  con- 
structed, first,  of  a  thin  layer  of  grasses  and  weeds,  on 
which  the  female  deposits  a  thick  layer  of  down,  which  she 
pulls  from  her  breast.  This  is  deeply  hollowed  ;  and  in  this 
warm  receptacle,  the  eggs,  from  six  to  eight  or  ten  in  num- 
ber, are  deposited.  These  are  of  a  dirty  pale-green  color, 
and  their  form  is  varied  from  ovate  to  a  sharply  pointed 
ovoidal.  Their  dimensions  vary  from  3.22  by  2.10  inches 
to  2.82  by  1.98  inch. 


SOMATERIA  SPECTABILIS.  —  Lead. 
The  King  Eider. 

Anas  spectabilis,  Linnaeus.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  195.    Gm.,  I.  567. 

Fuligula  (Somateria)  spectabilis,  Bonaparte.  Syn.  (1828),  389.  Nutt.  Man.,  II. 
(1834)  414. 

Fuligula  spectabilis,  Audubon.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835)  523.  lb.,  Birds  Am.,  VI. 
(1843)  347. 


524  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Body  and  wings  black;  the  portion  anterior  to  the  shoulder  joint,  interscapular 
region  in  part,  most  of  neck  and  throat,  white;  the  jugulum  with  a  creamy  tinge;  a 
narrow  border  to  the  frontal  processes  of  the  bill  and  their  interspace ;  small  space 
round  the  eye  and  a  V-shaped  mark  on  the  chin  black;  top  of  head  and  nape 
bluish-ash,  slightly  spotted  with  black ;  middle  wing  coverts,  tips  of  secondaries, 
axillars,  and  most  of  under  surface  of  wing,  with  a  patch  on  each  side  of  the  rump, 
white;  sides  of  head  glossed  with  transparent  emerald-green;  the  scapulars  have 
the  black  tinged  with  slate. 

Length,  twenty-one  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  ten  and  seventy  one- 
hundredths;  tarsus,  one  and  eighty-six  one-hundredths;  commissure,  two  and 
fifty-three  one-hundredths  inches.  , 

The  King  Ejder  is  a  rare  species  on  our  coast  in  the 
winter  months.  It  is  a  more  northern  species  than  the  pre- 
ceding, and  seldom  reaches  as  far  south  as  the  coast  of 
Massachusetts.  It  is  of  similar  habits  with  the  other  Sea 
Ducks,  and  breeds  in  the  most  northern  sections  of  the 
country.  The  eggs  found  by  Captain  James  Clark  Ross, 
R.N.,  measure  2f  inches  by  1|,  have  a  smooth  shell,  and  are 
of  a  uniform  dull-greenish  color. 


Sub-Family  ERISMATURIN^E. 

The  most  prominent  character  of  the  Erismaturince  is  found  in  the  very  rigid  tail 
feathers  with  the  much  abbreviated  coverts,  which  leave  the  greater  portion  of  the 
tail  exposed.  There  are  peculiarities  in  the  nail  at  the  end  of  the  bill  in  Erismatura 
not  found  in  the  other  sub-families. 


ERISMATURA,  BONAPARTE. 

Eriimatura,  BONAPARTE,  Saggio,  etc.  (1832). 

Bill  broad,  rather  high  at  the  base,  much  depressed,  and  bent  upwards;  upper 
lateral  angle  of  bill  running  back  on  the  forehead  some  distance,  farther  than  the 
lower  edge  of  the  bill;  nostrils  reaching  to  the  middle  of  the  bill,  rather  small;  por- 
tion of  nail  seen  from  above  very  narrow  and  linear;  bent  abruptly  downwards  and 
backwards  at  the  tip,  so  as  to  be  invisible  from  the  upper  surface;  tarsi  very  short, 
scarcely  more  than  one-third  the  long  feet;  tail  very  stiff,  of  eighteen  feathers; 
the  coverts  above  and  below  very  much  abbreviated,  so  as  to  expose  the  greater 
part  of  the  tail;  the  feathers  narrow,  linear;  the  shafts  very  large,  and  channelled 
on  the  under  surface  near  the  base;  wings  very  short,  and  incurved  at  the  end. 


THE   RUDDY   DUCK.  525 

ERISMATURA    RUBIDA.—  Bonaparte. 
The  Ruddy  Duck ;  Dipper  Duck. 

Anas  rubida,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  VIII.  (1814)  128,  130. 
Anas  (Fuligula)  rubida,  Bonaparte.    Obs.  Wils.  (1825),  268. 
Fuligula  ( Gymnura)  rubida.,  Nuttall.     Man.,  II.  (1834)  426. 
Fuligula  rubida,  Swainson.    F.  Bor.  Am.,  II.  (1831)  455.     Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  IV. 
(1838)  326.     /&.,  Birds  Am.,  VI.  (1843)  324. 
Eri&matura  rubida,  Bonaparte.    List  (1838). 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  grayish-blue;  top  of  head  and  nape  black;  sides  of  head  below  the  eyes, 
with  the  chin,  pure  opaque-white;  lower  part  of  neck  all  round,  and  the  entire  upper 
parts,  with  upper  portion  of  sides,  chestnut-red ;  under  parts  generally  lustrous  gray- 
ish-white, with  an  occasional  brownish  tinge;  crissum  pure-white;  wings  brown, 
without  speculum,  finely  and  almost  inappreciably  sprinkled  with  gray ;  tail  nearly 
black ;  iris  hazel. 

Female  with  the  entire  upper  parts  dark -brown ;  the  back  and  wing  coverts  finely 
sprinkled  with  grayish ;  the  under  parts  brownish-white,  tinged  with  greenish-brown 
across  the  lower  part  of  neck ;  the  brown  of  the  head  comes  down  below  the  level 
of  the  eye,  and  there  is  an  obscure  dusky  stripe  parallel  with  its  lower  outline,  from 
the  commissure. 

The  continuity  of  the  white  of  the  under  parts  is  interrupted  by  the  occasional 
appearance  of  the  basal  brown  of  the  feathers,  owing  to  the  shortness  of  the  white 
tip,  which  thus  gives  rise  to  the  appearance  of  dusky  transverse  bands. 

Length,  sixteen  inches ;  wing,  five  and  eighty  one-hundredths ;  tarsus,  one  and 
twenty-six  one-hundredths ;  commissure,  one  and  eighty  one-hundredths  inches. 

Hab.  —  Whole  of  North  America;  abundant  throughout  the  interior. 

This  pretty  little  Sea  Duck  is  not  very  common  on  our 
coast.  It  visits  us  only  late  in  the  autumn,  and  remains 
until  early  spring,  frequenting  the  bays  and  inlets  along  the 
shore,  where  it  feeds  on  small  fish  and  mollusks,  which  it 
obtains  by  diving.  It  is  so  expert  a  diver  that  sportsmen 
recognize  it  by  the  name  of  "  Ruddy  Diver  "  and  "  Dipper ;  " 
and  all  attest  to  the  difficulty  with  which  it  is  shot. 

Of  its  breeding  habits,  nest,  and  eggs,  I  am  ignorant. 


Sub-Family  MERGING.  —  The  Sheldrakes. 

Bill  very  slender,  narrow,  compressed,  terminated  by  a  conspicuous  nail ;  edges 
much  serrated,  the  serrations  projecting;  tarsi  much  compressed;  the  scales  anteri- 
orly large  and  transverse,  becoming  smaller  and  smaller  on  the  sides  and  behind; 
tail  feathers  eighteen  in  North-American  species. 


526  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

The  Merginas,  or  Fishing  Ducks,  are  represented  in  the  United  States  by  three 
well-established  species,  placed  by  modern  systematists  in  as  many  genera.  Two 
of  these,  however,  are  so  nearly  alike  that  I  prefer  to  consider  them  as  the  same:  the 
third  is  sufficiently  distinct 


MERGUS,  LINN,EUS. 

Mergus,  LINN^US,  Syst.  Nat.  (1735).    (Type  M.  castor,  L.) 

Bill  longer  than  the  head,  mostly  red ;  serrations  conical,  acute,  recurved ;  crest 
occipital,  pointed,  or  depressed ;  tarsus  about  two-thirds  the  middle  toe ;  tail  about 
half  the  length  of  wings. 


MEEGUS    SERRATOR.—  Linnaeus. 
The  Red-breasted  Merganser. 

Mergus  serralor,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  208.  Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  VIII. 
(1814)  81.  Nutt.  Man.,  II.  (1834)  463.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  V.  (1839)  92.  /&.,  Birds 

Am.,  VI.  (1843)  395. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Feathers  of  the  forehead  extending  on  the  bill  in  a  short  obtuse  angle,  and  fall- 
ing far  short  of  the  end  of  those  on  the  sides ;  the  outline  of  the  latter  sloping  rapidly 
forwards,  and  reaching  half-way  from  the  posterior  end  of  the  lower  edge  of  bill  to 
the  nostrils,  and  far  beyond  those  on  the  side  of  lower  jaw;  nostrils  narrow,  pos- 
terior; their  posterior  outline  opposite  the  end  of  basal  third  of  commissure. 

Male.  —  Head  with  conspicuous  pointed  occipital  crest ;  head  and  upper  part  of 
neck,  all  around,  dark-green;  under  parts  reddish-white;  jugulum  reddish-brown, 
streaked  with  black;  sides  conspicuously  barred  transversely  with  fine  lines  of  black ; 
feathers  anterior  to  wing  white,  margined  with  black ;  white  of  wing  crossed  by  two 
bars  of  black ;  iris  red. 

Female.  —  Head  with  compressed  occipital  crest;  chestnut-brown;  body  above 
ash ;  beneath  reddish-white ;  the  black  at  base  of  secondaries  exposed ;  outer  tertials 
white,  edged  with  black. 

Length,  twenty-three  and  twenty-five  one-hundredths  inches ;  wing,  eight  and 
sixty  one-hundredths;  tarsus,  one  and  eighty  one-hundredths;  commissure,  two 
and  seventy-six  one-hundredths  inches. 

Hab.  —  Whole  of  North  America  and  Europe. 

This  species  is  quite  abundant  on  our  coast  in  the  autumn 
and  winter  months.  It  does  not  appear  to  be  gregarious  to 
a  great  extent ;  for  seldom  more  than  three  or  four  individu- 
als are  observed  together.  It  is  an  expert  diver,  swimming 
to  a  great  distance  beneath  the  water  at  the  least  alarm, 
and,  when  appearing  at  the  surface,  usually  only  thrusting 
its  head  out  to  reconnoitre.  I  have  seen  it  swimming,  with 
only  the  bill  and  upper  part  of  its  head  above  water,  in  the 


THE   GOOSANDER.  527 

wake  of  a  boat  from  which  it  had  been  wounded :  and  it 
actually  followed  for  a  considerable  distance  before  it  was 
discovered.  I  have  noticed,  in  other  Sea  Ducks,  this  trait 
of  following  behind  a  boat,  and  conclude  that  it  is  done  for 
concealment. 

I  am  not  aware  that  this  species  breeds  in  New  Eng- 
land. It  breeds  in  localities  in  the  same  latitude  with 
the  most  northern  sections  of  these  States ;  but  I  am 
inclined  to  think  that  it  is  less  of  a  southern  species  than 
the  succeeding. 

It  is  described  as  selecting  for  its  nesting-place  a  small 
island,  usually  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  sea,  sometimes 
in  the  interior.  "  The  nest  is  very  large  ;  at  times  raised 
seven  or  eight  inches  on  the  top  of  a  bed  of  all  the  dead 
weeds  which  the  bird  can  gather  in  the  neighborhood. 
Properly  speaking,  the  real  nest,  however,  is  not  larger 
than  that  of  the  Dusky  Duck,  and  is  rather  neatly  formed 
externally  of  fibrous  roots,  and  lined  round  the  edges  with 
the  down  of  the  bird."  There  are  usually  about  eleven 
eggs.  These  are  generally  nearly  oval  in  shape,  sometimes 
ovoidal.  They  are  of  a  pale  yellowish-drab  color,  much 
darker  than  those  of  the  Sheldrake.  They  vary  in  dimen- 
sions from  2.63  by  1.82  inch  to  2.48  by  1.75  inch. 

MERGUS    AMERICANUS.  —  Cassin. 
Tne  Goosander ;  Sheldrake ;  Fish  Duck. 

Mergus  merganser,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  VIII.  (1814)  68.    Nutt.  Man.,  IL..(1834) 
460.    Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  (1838)  261.    Ib.,  Birds  Am.,  VI.  (1843)  387. 
Mergus  Americanus,  Cassin.    Pr.  A.  N.  Sc.  (1853),  187. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Feathers  of  the  forehead  extending  on  the  bill  in  an  acute  angle  for  half  the  dis- 
tance between  those  on  the  sides  and  the  nostril ;  outline  of  those  on  the  sides  nearly 
vertical,  and  reaching  only  a  little  beyond  the  beginning  of  lower  edge  of  bill,  but  as 
far  as  those  on  the  side  of  lower  jaw;  nostril  large,  far  forward,  its  middle  opposite 
the  middle  of  the  commissure. 

Male.  —  Head  without  conspicuous  crest ;  head  and  neck  green ;  forepart  of  back 
black;  beneath  salmonKiolor ;  wings  mostly  white,  crossed  by  one  band  of  black; 
sides  scarcely  barred  transversely ;  iris  carmine. 


528  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

Female.  —  Head  with  a  compressed  occipital  crest;  head  and  neck  chestnut, 
above  ashy;  beneath  salmon-colored;  white  of  greater  coverts  with  a  terminal  bar 
of  ashy  (sometimes  wanting);  the  black  of  base  of  secondaries  entirely  concealed; 
outer  tertials  ash. 

Head  without  conspicuous  crest,  though  one  is  visible  in  life.  Head  and  most  of 
neck  all  round  very  dark  green;  rest  of  neck  and  the  body  generally,  except  the 
upper  part,  creamy-white,  deepening  to  salmon-red  beneath.  Lower  part  of  back, 
rump,  and  tail  feathers,  plumbeous;  forepart  of  back,  interscapular  region,  and  inner 
scapulars,  black. 

Length,  twenty-six  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  eleven;  tarsus,  one 
and  eighty-four  one-hundredths ;  commissure,  two  and  ninety  one-hundredths  inches. 

Although  this  species  is  found  on  our  coast  through  the 
autumn  and  winter  months,  where  it  has  all  the  habits  of 
the  other  Sea  Ducks,  it  breeds  in  the  neighborhood  of  fresh- 
water lakes  and  streams  far  in  the  interior.  It  is  one  of 
the  most  abundant  summer  residents  in  the  lake  region 
of  Northern  Maine,  and  about  the  Umbagog  Lakes  and  Rich- 
ardson Lakes  it  is  the  most  common  Duck. 

There,  in  the  top  of  some  tall  stump,  or  in  a  high  forked 
branch  of  a  dead  pine,  it  builds  its  nest.  In  many  localities 
on  the  borders  of  these  lakes,  the  spring  inundations  or 
some  other  causes  have  destroyed  whole  acres  of  gigantic 
hemlocks,  which,  standing  for  years,  become,  in  consequence 
of  the  bark  falling  off,  perfectly  smooth  and  difficult  of 
ascent.  When  such  trees  are  broken  at  the  height  of  thirty 
or  forty  feet  from  the  ground,  leaving  a  jagged  top,  no  better 
nesting-place  can  be  found ;  because  it  not  only  secures  the 
bird  and  eggs  from  the  attacks  of  predaccous  animals,  but 
it  guarantees  to  the  nest  a  perfect  security  from  any  inunda- 
tions that  may  arise.  This  nest  is  built  of  leaves,  moss,  and 
pieces  of  grass,  which  are  arranged  in  a  deep  layer,  on  which 
a  thin  covering  of  down  from  the  breast  of  the  bird  is  placed. 
This  is  hollowed  to  the  depth  of  two  or  three  inches,  and  it 
is  ready  for  the  eggs.  These  are  from  seven  to  twelve  in 
number.  Their  form  is  almost  always  exactly  oval.  Their 
color  is  a  pale  creamy-white;  sometimes  a  little  darker, 
almost  a  very  pale  buff.  They  vary  in  dimensions  from 
2.80  by  1.80  inch  (Milltown,  Me.)  to  2.50  by  1.70  inch. 


THE   HOODED   MERGANSER.  529 


LOPHODYTES,  REICHART. 

Lophodytes,  REICHART,  Syst.  Av.  (1852). 

Bill  shorter  than  the  head,  black;  serrations  compressed,  low,  short,  inserted 
obliquely  on  the  edge  of  bill ;  the  point  truncated,  and  not  recurved  nor  acute ;  tail 
more  than  half  the  wings;  tarsi  short,  half  the  feet;  head  with  a  much  compressed, 
vertical,  circular,  and  erect  crest. 

But  a  single  species  of  this  genus  is  known  to  naturalists. 


LOPHODTTES  CUCULLATUS.  —  Reicharl. 
The  Hooded  Merganser. 

Mergus  cucullatus,  Linnseus.  Syst,  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  207.  Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  VIII. 
79.  Nutt.  Man.,  II.  465.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835)  246;  V.  619.  Jb.,  Birds 
Am.,  VI.  (1843)  402. 

Lophodytes  cucullatus,  Reichart.     Syst.  Av.  (1852). 

DESCRIPTION. 

Head  with  an  elongated,  compressed,  semicircular  crest;  anterior  extremity  of 
nostril  reaching  not  quite  as  far  as  the  middle  of  commissure ;  frontal  feathers  ex- 
tending nearly  as  far  as  half  the  distance  from  lateral  feathers  to  nostril ;  the  latter 
much  beyond  the  feathers  on  side  of  lower  mandible ;  bill  shorter  than  head. 

Male.  —  Bill  black;  head,  neck,  and  back,  black;  under  parts  and  centre  of 
crest  white ;  sides  chestnut-brown,  barred  with  black ;  white  anterior  to  the  wing, 
crossed  by  two  black  crescents ;  lesser  coverts  gray ;  white  speculum  with  a  basal 
and  median  black  bar;  black  tertials  streaked  centrally  with  white;  iris  yellow. 

Female.  —  With  a  shorter  and  more  pointed  crest ;  the  head  and  neck  reddish- 
brown  ;  the  back  without  pure-black ;  the  sides  without  transverse  bars ;  the  white 
of  wings  less  extended. 

Length,  seventeen  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches;  wing,  seven  and  ninety  one- 
hundredths ;  tarsus,  one  and  twenty  one-hundredths ;  commissure,  one  and  ninety- 
eight  one-hundredths  inches. 

Hob.  —  Whole  of  North  America. 

This  beautiful  bird  is  less  common  than  either  of  the 
other  Mergansers  on  our  coast  and  in  our  bays  and  inlets, 
in  autumn,  winter,  and  early  spring.  In  the  summer,  it 
resides  in  the  interior,  where  it  breeds  by  the  lakes  and 
other  bodies  of  fresh  water ;  building  its  nest  in  holes  in 
high  dead  trees,  or  on  the  tops  of  stubs,  thirty  or  forty  feet 
from  the  ground,  exactly  like  the  Sheldrake.  The  eggs  are 
from  nine  to  twelve  or  fourteen  in  number,  usually  about 
ten.  They  are  of  a  clear-white  color,  although  their  surface 
is,  in  some  specimens,  stained  by  the  moisture  from  the 

34 


530  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

feet  of  the  bird.  They  are  very  thick-shelled,  and,  when 
struck  together,  sound  almost  like  balls  of  ivory.  They  are 
more  spherical  in  form  than  the  eggs  of  any  other  duck  that 
I  have  seen,  and  are  but  little  more  pointed  at  one  end  than 
at  the  other.  Their  dimensions  vary  from  2.30  by  1.75 
inches  (the  longest  and  narrowest  specimen  in  a  large  num- 
ber in  my  collection)  to  2.10  by  1.80  inches  (the  shortest 
and  broadest  specimen  in  the  same)  :  the  usual  size  is,  on 
the  average,  about  -2.13  by  1.70  inches.  I  am  not  aware 
that  any  nest  of  this  bird  has  been  found  south  of  Lake 
Umbagog. 

When  the  nest  of  this  species  is  approached,  the  female 
remains  quiet,  and  flies  off  only  when  alarmed  by  blows  on 
the  trunk  of  the  tree  on  which  her  nest  is  built.  She  then 
flies  silently,  and  alights  in  the  lake,  near  which  the  nest  is 
usually  built,  and  watches  the  intruder  from  a  safe  distance, 
without  making  any  outcries  or  disturbance.  If  the  tree  is 
surrounded  by  undergrowth  so  thick  that  she  cannot  see  the 
intruder  from  the  water,  she  flies  silently  over  and  around 
him,  always  at  a  safe  distance.  The  male  never  shows  him- 
self on  such  occasions ;  and  I  think  it  likely  that  he  separates 
from  his  mate  at  the  commencement  of  the  period  of  in- 
cubation, and  remains  by  himself  until  the  young  are  able 
to  provide  for  themselves. 

When  living  in  the  neighborhood  of  fresh  water,  this  bird 
has  many  of  the  habits  of  the  other  Mergansers,  and  then 
feeds  on  aquatic  insects  and  their  larvae,  and  is  an  expert 
fisher  and  diver. 

When  the  female  is  suddenly  surprised,  while  with  her 
young  in  a  stream  or  pond,  she  gives  a  guttural,  chattel  ing 
cry,  when  the  whole  brood  dives  and  swims  off  under  water 
to  the  shore,  where  they  conceal  themselves  in  the  aquatic 
herbage.  While  they  are  thus  retreating,  the  mother  simu- 
lating lameness,  almost  exactly  like  some  of  the  shore-birds 
on  the  beach,  flutters  before  the  intruder,  using  every  arti- 
fice to  decoy  him  from  the  neighborhood  of  her  young, 


THE   HOODED   MERGANSER. 


531 


when  she  takes  wing,  and  flies  off.  If,  however,  she  have 
sufficient  notice  of  the  approach  of  a  person  before  he 
reaches  gunshot  she  swims  rapidly  off,  with  her  whole  brood 
paddling  behind  her, 
until  she  turns  a 
point  or  neck  in 
the  pond  or  stream 
where  she  happens 
to  be,  when,  silently 
creeping  into  shore, 
she,  with  her  brood, 
hides  herself  in  the 
herbage  on  the  land 
until  the  danger  is 
past.  When  about  two-thirds  grown,  these  young  Mer- 
gansers, like  the  young  of  most  of  the  other  fowls,  are 
excellent  eating.  They  are  called  "  Flappers,"  because  of 
their  habit  of  flapping  their  wings  on  the  water  to  aid  their 
escape  from  pursuers. 

This  species,  in  passing  with  its  young  from  one  body  of 
water  to  another,  often,  while  flying,  carries  them  singly  in 
its  mouth  ;  and  I  have  been  told,  that  even  after  it  has  been 
shot  and  has  fallen  to  the  ground,  it  not  unfrequently  holds 
the  chick.  Mr.  George  A.  Boardman  informs  me  that  the 
female  of  the  Summer  Duck  often  encroaches  on  the  nest 
of  this  Merganser ;  and  he  once  witnessed  an  attempt  of  the 
latter  to  drive  the  other  from  her  domicile,  of  which  she 
had  taken  possession,  and  in  which  she  was  engaged  in  the 
duties  of  incubation.  He  watched  them,  and  noticed,  that, 
when  the  Wood-duck  left  the  nest,  the  Merganser  took 
possession  of  it ;  and,  when  she  left  it,  the  other  did  the 
same. 


532  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 


TRIBE  TOTIPALMI.1 


FAMILY  SULIDJE.    THE  GANNETS. 

Bill  rather  long,  straight,  sides  compressed,  very  strong,  tapering  to  the  point, 
which  is  a  little  decurved;  nostrils  hardly  observable;  wings  very  long;  tail  long 
and  cuneate;  toes  long,  and  all  joined  by  full  webs;  gular  sac  moderate. 

SULA,  BRISSON. 

Sula,  BRISSON,  Ornith.  (1760).    (Type  Pekcanus  bassanus.) 

Bill  rather  longer  than  the  head,  straight,  stout  at  the  base,  with  the  sides  com- 
pressed, grooved  near  the  tip,  which  is  a  little  curved,  the  cutting  edges  serrated 
irregularly;  nostrils  basal  and  scarcely  perceptible ;  wings  lengthened;  tail  rather 
long  and  much  graduated;  tarsi  short  and  stout;  toes  long,  and  joined  together  by 
full  webs;  claws  moderate,  the  middle  one  serrated;  gular  sac  rather  moderate. 

These  birds  usually  frequent  almost  inaccessible  rocky  islands,  where  they  con- 
gregate in  great  numbers  during  the  season  of  reproduction,  at  other  times  migrat- 
ing along  the  coast.  Their  flight  is  rapid,  powerful,  and  long-continued. 


SULA  BASSANA.  —  Brisson. 
The  Common  Gannet;  Solan  Goose. 

Pekcanus  bassanus,  Linnaeus.     Syst.  Nat.  (1766),  217. 

Sula  bassana,  Nuttall.  Man.,  II.  (1834)  495.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  (1838)  222. 
75.,  Birds  Am.,  VII.  (1844)  44. 

DESCRIPTION. 

General  color  of  the  plumage  white;  bill  bluish-gray;  bare  space  around  the  eye 
and  on  the  throat  blackish-blue ;  primaries  brownish-black,  first  longest. 

Adult.  —  The  color  of  the  plumage  generally  is  white,  the  head  and  hind  neck 
being  of  a  fine  buff-yellow ;  alula  and  primaries  brownish-black ;  shafts  white  for 
about  two-thirds  their  length  from  the  base,  thence  gradually  becoming  dark-brown ; 
bill  pale  bluish-gray,  greenish  at  the  base,  the  lines  on  the  upper  mandible  blackish- 
blue;  bare  space  in  the  region  of  the  eye,  and  down  the  centre  of  the  throat 
blackish-blue ;  iris  white ;  tarsi,  toes,  and  their  webs,  blackish-brown ;  the  lines  of 
scutellse  on  the  tarsi  and  toes  green;  claws  bluish- white.  The  female  resembles  the 
male,  but  is  rather  smaller.  The  young  have  the  head,  neck,  and  upper  plumage 
dark-brown,  each  feather  terminating  with  a  triangular  white  spot ;  under  plumage 
grayish-white,  the  feathers  broadly  margined  with  grayish-brown. 

1  See  Introduction. 


THE   COMMON   GANNET.  533 

Length,  thirty-eight  inches ;  wing,  nineteen  and  fifty  one-hundredths ;  tarsi,  two, 
and  twenty-five  one-hundredths ;  tail,  ten  inches. 

Hob.  —  Atlantic  coast,  from  Labrador  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

The  Gannet  breeds  in  almost  incredible  numbers  on  some  of  the  rocky  islands 
near  the  coast  of  Labrador.  When  the  breeding  season  is  over,  it  wanders  as  far 
south  as  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  Its  mode  of  flight  is  powerful,  and  at  times  graceful. 
Its  food  consists  of  fish,  principally  herrings ;  these  are  obtained  by  plunging  from 
on  high,  often  remaining  under  water  for  a  minute  or  more  at  a  time. 

THIS  species  is  quite  common  on  our  coast  in  the  autumn 
and  spring,  and  through  the  greater  part  of  the  winter. 
Audubon,  in  describing  its  breeding  habits,  says :  — 

"  The  newly  finished  nest  of  this  bird  is  fully  two  feet  high,  and 
quite  as  broad  externally.  It  is  composed  of  seaweeds  and  mari- 
time grasses,  the  former  being  at  times  brought  from  considerable 
distances.  Thus,  the  Gannets  breeding  on  the  rocks  in  the  Gulf  of 
St.  Lawrence  carry  weeds  from  the  Magdalene  Islands,  which  are 
about  thirty  miles  distant.  The  grasses  are  pulled  or  dug  up  from 
the  surface  of  the  breeding-place  itself,  often  in  great  clods,  con- 
sisting of  roots  and  earth,  and  leaving  holes  not  unlike  the 
entrances  to  the  burrows  of  the  Puffin.  The  nests,  like  those  of 
Cormorants,  are  enlarged  or  repaired  annually.  The  single  egg, 
of  a  rather  elongated  oval  form,  averages  3^  inches  in  length, 
by  2  inches  in  its  greatest  breadth ;  and  is  covered  with  an 
irregular  roughish  coating  of  white  calcareous  matter,  which,  on 
being  scraped  off,  leaves  exposed  the  pale  greenish-blue  tint  of  the 
under  surface." 


534  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 


FAMILY  GRACUL1DJE.     THE  CORMORANTS. 

Bill  rather  moderate,  culmen  concave,  tip  much  hooked  and  acute ;  nostrils  not 
perceptible;  wings  moderate  and  pointed;  tail  rather  short  and  rounded;  tarsi 
short;  toes  long  and  all  joined  by  full  webs;  gular  sac  capable  of  considerable 
expansion. 

GRACULUS,  LINN.EUS. 

Graculus,  LINNAEUS,  Syst.  Nat.  (1735).  (Type  Pelecanus  carbo,  L.) 
Bill  rather  slender,  of  moderate  length,  with  the  culmen  concave,  hooked  at  the 
tip,  the  sides  compressed  and  grooved;  nostrils  not  visible  in  the  adult;  wings  mod- 
erately long  and  pointed,  second  and  third  primaries  longest ;  tail  moderate  and 
graduated  at  the  end ;  tarsi  short  and  much  compressed ;  toes  long  and  full-webbed ; 
a  leathery  pouch  at  the  base  of  the  lower  mandible,  which  can  be  much  distended. 

These  birds  exist  abundantly  in  all  parts  of  the  globe.  They  are  mostly  found 
on  the  seacoast,  breeding  on  rocky  ledges  difficult  of  access,  and  also  on  trees. 
They  are  exceedingly  expert  in  catching  fish ;  being  very  active  in  the  water,  and 
capable  of  remaining  under  its  surface  for  a  great  length  of  time. 


GRACULUS    CARBO.—  Gray. 
The  Common  Cormorant. 

Phalacrocorax  carlo,  Nuttall.    Man.,  II.  (1834)  479.     Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III. 
(1835)  458.     /&.,  Birds  Am.,  VI.  (1843)  412. 
Graculus  carbo,  Gray.    Gen.  of  Birds  (1845). 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bluish-black;  feathers  on  middle  of  occiput  and  hind  neck  elongated;  gular  sac 
yellow,  at  the  base  of  which  is  a  broad  band  of  white;  linear  feathers  on  the  head 
and  neck  white ;  a  patch  of  white  on  the  sides ;  third  primary  longest ;  tail  of  four- 
teen feathers. 

Adult.  —Plumage  in  general  black,  glossed  with  greenish-blue ;  the  feathers  of  the 
upper  part  and  sides  of  the  back  and  wing  coverts  are  dark-ash,  with  bronzed  reflec- 
tions, and  bordered  with  greenish-black;  primaries  and  tail  feathers  grayish-black, 
secondaries  grayish-brown ;  bare  space  around  the  eye  dull-olive,  under  the  eye  red ; 
the  gular  sac  yellow,  encircling  the  lower  part  of  which  is  a  broad  band  of  white; 
numerous  linear  filamentous  white  feathers  are  distributed  over  the  head  and  neck ; 
on  the  side,  over  the  thigh,  is  a  patch  of  elongated  linear  white  feathers ;  upper  man- 
dible grayish-black,  with  the  edges  yellowish-white,  lower  duskv  vellowish-white  at 
the  base;  iris  bluish-green;  eyelids  with  dusky  margins;  tarsi,  feet,  and  claws 
grayish-black. 

The  bill  is  strong  and  powerful,  the  ridge  is  smooth,  but  the  sides  of  both  mandi- 
bles are  rugose. 

Length,  thirty-seven  inches;  wing,  fourteen ;  bill,  three  and  fifty  one-hundredths ; 
tail,  six  and  fifty  one-hundredths  inches. 


THE   DOUBLE-CRESTED   CORMORANT.  535 

The  female  resembles  the  male,  but  is  smaller. 

Hob.  —  Labrador,  and  along  the  coast  as  far  south  as  New  Jersey  in  winter. 

These  birds  are  abundant  on  the  coast  of  Labrador,  where  large  numbers  assem- 
ble for  the  purpose  of  reproduction,  forming  their  nests  upon  the  inaccessible  ledges 
of  rocky  cliffs. 

Their  mode  of  flight  is  swift  and  strong.  Their  food  is  obtained  by  diving  and 
pursuing  it  beneath  the  surface,  where  they  make  rapid  progress  by  the  aid  of  their 
wings. 

THIS  species  is  pretty  common  on  our  coast  in  the  latter 
part  of  autumn  and  during  the  winter.  It  is  not  gre- 
garious, but  is  seen  singly  or,  at  most,  in  pairs.  It  is  shy, 
and  difficult  of  approach,  and  seems  ever  on  the  alert  for 
danger.  The  Grand  Menan  is  the  most  southern  breeding- 
place  of  this  bird  in  our  neighborhood.  There  it  builds  a 
large  nest  of  seaweeds  on  shelves  of  steep  cliffs  or  in  crev- 
ices of  the  rocks.  The  eggs  are  usually  three  in  number. 
They  are  of  a  bluish-green  color  which  is  covered,  over 
nearly  their  whole  surface,  with  a  calcareous  deposit.  They 
are  of  an  elongated  ovate  form,  and  average  in  dimensions 
about  2.90  by  1.75  inch.  They  are,  in  their  various  sizes, 
impossible  of  identification  from  the  succeeding  species. 

GEACULUS    DILOPHUS.—  Gray. 
The  Double-crested  Cormorant. 

Phalacrocorax  dtiophus,  Nuttall.    Man.,  II.  (1834)  483.    Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III. 
(1835)  420;  V.  (1839)  628.     /&.,  Birds  Am.,  VI.  (1843)  423. 
Graculus  dikphus,  Gray.     Gen.  of  Birds  (1845). 

DESCRIPTION. 

Greenish-black;  behind  each  eye  a  recurved  crest  of.  loose  feathers ;  gular  sac 
orange;  second  quill  longest;  tail  of  twelve  feathers. 

Adult.  —  The  plumage  of  the  head,  neck,  lower  part  of  the  back  and  entire  under 
surface  is  greenish-black,  the  feathers  of  the  upper  part  of  the  back,  the  wing- 
coverts,  the  scapularies  and  tertiaries,  grayish-brown  or  dark-ash,  the  margins  of 
which  are  greenish-black;  primaries  blackish-brown,  lighter  on  the  inner  webs;  the 
secondaries  dark  grayish-brown;  tail  black,  as  are  also  the  shafts;  running  from 
the  bill  over  the  eye  is  a  line  of  white  filamentous  feathers,  —  there  are  also  a  few  of 
the  same  character  sparsely  distributed  over  the  neck ;  behind  each  eye  is  a  tuft  of 
rather  long  slender  feathers,  erect  and  curving  forwards;  bare  space  in  the  region 
of  the  eye,  and  gular  sac,  orange;  upper  mandible  blackish-brown,  with  the  edges 
yellowish ;  lower  yellow,  marked  irregularly  with  dusky ;  iris  bright-green :  legs, 
feet,  and  claws  black,  claw  of  the  middle  toe  pectinated. 


536  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 

Length,  thirty-three  inches;  wing,  thirteen ;  tail,  six  and  seventy-five  one-hun- 
dredths  inches. 

Hob.  —  Atlantic  coast  from  Labrador  to  Carolina ;  fur  countries ;  Pacific  coast 
from  Washington  Territory  to  California. 

This  species  resorts  in  large  numbers  to  the  low  islands  off  the  coast  of  Labrador, 
which  are  their  breeding  stations :  they  construct  their  nests  on  the  surface  of  the 
rocks,  not  on  the  shelves  of  precipices. 

I  once  witnessed  a  large  migrating  flight  of  these  birds  to  the  South,  along  our 
seacoast.  They  passed  in  great  flocks,  which  succeeded  each  other  frequently  during 
the  entire  day:  each  flock  formed  a  widely  extended  front,  the  individuals  being 
side  by  side.  Their  mode  of  flight  was  by  alternate  flapping  of  the  wings,  and  their 
sailing  for  a  short  distance,  the  effect  of  which  was  peculiar  and  striking.  —  GEORGE 
W.  LAWRENCE. 

I  think  that  this  species  is  more  northern  in  its  habits 
than  the  preceding,  as  it  is  seldom  seen  on  the  coast  of  New 
England  except  in  the  winter  months,  and  then  only  in 
small  numbers.  Unlike  the  preceding,  it  does  not  breed 
south  of  the  coast  of  Labrador ;  and,  in  nesting,  does  not 
frequent  high  precipices,  but  prefers  low  rocky  islands.  The 
nest  is  similar  to  that  of  the  other :  and  the  eggs,  although 
averaging  smaller,  are  hardly  recognizable  from  those  of 
the  Common  Cormorant;  an  ordinary  large  one  of  the 
present  being  of  similar  form  and  size  with  the  other. 


THE  SKUA-GULLS.  537 


FAMILY  LARIDJE.    THE   GULLS. 

Bill  generally  shorter  than  the  head,  straight  at  the  base,  and  more  or  less  curved 
at  the  end;  nostrils  linear;  head  ovate;  neck  short;  body  rather  full  and  compact; 
wings  long  and  pointed;  legs  of  moderate  length,  strong,  and  covered  anteriorly 
with  transverse  scales ;  feet  fully  webbed,  the  hind  toe  small  and  elevated. 

Birds  of  this  family  frequent  the  shores  of  the  ocean,  but  often  wander  to  great 
distances  from  land;  they  are  incapable  of  diving,  but  swim  buoyantly.  Their  food 
consists  principally  of  fish  and  Crustacea;  but  some  of  the  larger  species  feed  occa- 
sionally on  the  flesh  of  cetaceous  animals,  and  devour  the  young  and  eggs  of  some 
species  of  sea-birds. 

The  family  of  Laridce  is  divisible  into  four  sub-families,  with  the  following  char- 
acters :  — 

LESTRIDIN.E.  —  Basal  half  of  upper  jaw  with  a  horny  covering,  distinct  from  the 
tip,  and  under  which  the  nostrils  open  considerably  beyond  the  middle  of  the  bill ; 
bill  abruptly  and  much  decurved  at  the  tip ;  tail  cuneate ;  body  full,  stout. 

LARINJE.  —  Covering  of  the  bill  continuous ;  anterior  extremity  of  nostrils  gen- 
erally reaching  to  the  middle  of  the  bill ;  culmen  considerably  decurved  towards  the 
tip;  body  robust;  tail  generally  even. 

STERNESLE.  —  Covering  of  bill  continuous ;  nostrils  opening  in  the  basal  third  of 
the  bill;  culmen  gently  curved  to  the  tip  of  the  lengthened  and  attenuated  bill; 
body  rather  slender ;  wing  lengthened ;  tail  usually  deeply  forked. 

RHYNCHOPINJE.  — Bill  excessively  compressed,  like  the  blade  of  a  knife;  lower 
jaw  much  longer  than  the  upper;  the  point  obtuse;  body  slender;  tail  forked. 


Sub-Family  LESTRIDIN./E.  —  The  Skua  -Gulls  ;  the  Jaegers. 

Bill  strong  and  much  curved  at  the  end,  the  base  covered  with  a  membranous 
cere;  wings  lengthened;  tail  cuneate,  with  the  two  central  feathers  projecting. 

These  hardy  birds  inhabit  the  high  latitudes  of  both  hemispheres.  There  are 
four  Arctic  species  found  both  in  Europe  and  North  America.  They  are  piratical  in 
their  habits,  appearing  to  derive  their  subsistence  mainly  from  the  labors  of  others. 
They  chase  and  harass  various  species  of  Gulls,  compelling  them  to  disgorge  a  por- 
tion of  their  food,  which  they  dart  after,  and  seize  before  it  reaches  the  water. 


STERCORABIUS,  BKISSON. 

Stercorarius,  Brisson.     Ornithologie  (1760). 

Bill  rather  strong ;  the  culmen  straight,  and  covered  at  the  base  with  a  smooth 
cere,  the  end  curved ;  nostrils  linear,  and  more  open  anteriorly ;  wings  pointed ;  first 
quill  longest;  tail  of  moderate  length;  the  two  middle  feathers  elongated;  tarsi 
strong,  and  covered  with  prominent  scales;  claws  sharp  and  much  curved;  feet 
fully  webbed;  hind  toe  short,  and  but  little  elevated. 


538  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 

STERCORARIUS   POMARINUS.  —  Temminck. 
The  Pomarine  Skua. 

Lestrispomarinus,  Nuttall.    Man.,  II.  (1834)  315.     Aud.  Birds  Am.,  VII.  (1844) 

186. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Adult. — Front,  crown  of  the  head,  back,  wings,  and  tail,  blackish-brown;  sides 
and  back  part  of  the  neck  bright-yellow ;  throat  and  entire  under  plumage  white, 
with  a  band  of  brown  spots  extending  across  the  upper  part  of  the  breast ;  sides 
and  lower  tail  coverts  barred  with  brown ;  shafts  of  quills  and  tail  feathers  white ; 
bill  greenish-olive,  black  at  the  tip;  legs  and  feet  black;  the  middle  tail  feathers 
extend  beyond  the  others  for  about  two  inches ;  they  are  rounded  at  the  end,  and  of 
a  uniform  breadth  throughout. 

Young  birds  have  the  plumage  of  the  upper  parts  blackish-brown ;  of  the  lower, 
grayish-brown,  with  the  feathers  of  the  abdomen  and  lower  tail  coverts  margined 
•with  dull-ferruginous ;  tarsi  and  base  of  the  toes  and  webs  yellow. 

Length,  twenty  inches ;  wing,  fourteen ;  tail,  eight  to  nine ;  bill,  one  and  three- 
quarters  ;  tarsus,  two  inches. 

THIS  species  is  not  uncommon  on  our  north-east  coast  in 
the  autumn  and  winter  months.  "  It  subsists  on  putrid 
and  other  animal  substances  thrown  up  by  the  sea,  and 
also  on  fish  and  other  matters  which  the  Gulls  disgorge 
when  pursued  by  it.  It  also  devours  the  eggs  of  sea-birds." 
It  breeds  in  the  Hudson's  Bay  country  and  other  northern 
localities ;  nesting  "  in  elevated  spots  in  the  marshes,  or 
upon  rocks ;  making  a  coarsely  interlaced  nest  of  the  sur- 
rounding moss  and  herbage ;  laying  two  or  three  very 
pointed  eggs,  of  a  grayish-olive,  marked  with  a  small  num- 
ber of  blackish  spots."  —  NUTTALL. 

STERCORARIUS  PARASITICUS.  —  Temminck. 
The  Arctic  Skua. 

Lartu parasiticus,  Linnseus.     Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1756)  226. 
Stercorarius  parasiticus,  Temminck.    Man.  d'Orn.,  II.  (1820)  796. 
Lestris  Michardsonii,  Nuttall.     Man.,  II.  (1834)  319.    Aud.   Birds  Am.,  VII. 
(1844)  190. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Adult.  —  Upper  part  of  the  head  blackish-brown;  nape  and  sides  of  the  neck 
yellowish -white;  remainder  of  upper  plumage  blackish -brown;  wings  and  tail 
darker;  shafts  of  the  primaries  white;  under  plumage  white;  bill  bluish  at  the  base, 
black  at  the  point;  tarsi  and  feet  black;  the  central  tail  feathers  extend  beyond  the 


THE   GULLS.  539 

others  about  three  inches ;  they  taper  slightly,  varying  but  little  in  breadth  until  near 
the  end,  where  they  are  abruptly  acuminated,  differing  in  this  particular  from  all  the 
other  species. 

Length,  twenty  to  twenty-two  inches ;  wing,  thirteen  and  a  half;  tail,  eight  and 
a  half;  bill,  one  and  four-twelfths ;  tarsi,  one  and  three-quarter  inches. 

Hob. — Arctic  America;  breeds  in  the  Barren  Grounds;  coast  of  the  United 
States  from  New  York  northward. 

This  species  is  much  more  common  on  our  coast  in 
winter  than  the  other.  Its  habits  are  the  same,  and  its 
breeding-place  is  also  in  the  far  north.  Its  eggs  are  three 
in  number.  They  are  broadly  ovoidal  in  ferm,  and  much 
resemble  the  eggs  of  the  Laughing  Gull.  Their  primary 
color  varies  from  a  greenish-drab  to  the  predominating 
olivaceous-green.  This  is  marked  with  spots  and  blotches 
of  various  shades  of  brown,  thickest  at  the  greater  end, 
and  some  spots  of  obscure-purple.  The  dimensions  vary 
from  2.25  by  1.60  inch  to  2.18  by  1.54. 


Sub-Family  LARINJE.  —  The   Gulls. 

Bill  differing  considerably  in  strength  and  form;  generally  straight,  with  the 
sides  compressed;  the  culmen  straight  at  the  base,  with  the  end  curved;  nostrils 
lateral  and  oblong;  wings  long  and  pointed;  tail  usually  even,  in  two  or  three  cases 
pointed  or  forked ;  tarsi  rather  strong ;  fore-toes  united  by  a  web ;  hind  toe  short  and 
elevated. 

These  birds  vary  much  in  size,  some  being  quite  small,  while  others  rank  among 
the  largest  of  marine  birds.  They  are  not  peculiar  to  any  region,  but  are  found 
abundantly  over  the  world.  They  congregate  in  great  numbers  on  the  sand-bars  at 
the  entrance  of  inlets  and  large  bays.  In  winter  they  migrate  in  search  of  food, 
frequenting  harbors  and  ascending  rivers. 

The  above  general  descriptions  of  the  habits  of  our  Gulls 
are  so  comprehensive  and  terse  that  I  will  add  nothing  at 
length  to  them  here.  They  feed  on  fish  (which  they  often 
seize  in  their  bills  in  the  water),  various  aquatic  animals, 
and  dead  animal  matter  thrown  up  on  the  shores  or  floating 
on  the  waves.  They  attack  and  kill  wounded  birds,  and 
eat  them,  and  also  drive  aquatic  birds  from  their  eggs  and 


540  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 

young,  which  they  eat.     They  are,  in  the  water,  almost  pre- 
cisely what  the  Crows  and  Jays  are  on  the  land. 


LARUS  MARINUS.  —  Linnaeus. 
The  Great  Black-backed  Gull. 

Larus  marinus,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  225.  Nutt.  Man.,  II.  (1834)  308. 
Aud.  Birds  Am.,  VII.  (1844)  172. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Adult.  —  The  head,  neck,  entire  under  plumage,  upper  tail  coverts,  and  tail 
are  pure-white;  the  back  and  wings  are  of  a  dark-slate  color;  the  primaries  are  deep 
black,  largely  tipped  with  white,  as  are  the  extremities  of  most  of  the  quills ;  the 
bill  is  gamboge-yellow,  with  an  orange-red  spot  near  the  end  of  the  lower  mandible ; 
legs  and  feet  pale-yellow ;  iris  white. 

Young.  —  Head,  rump,  and  under  plumage  graj'ish-white,  with  streaks  of  light- 
brown;  back  and  wings  mottled  with  brownish-ash  and  grayish-white;  primaries 
blackish-brown,  having  the  tips  edged  with  white ;  tail  white,  spotted  with  brown, 
and  having  a  broad  subterminal  band  of  the  same  color ;  bill  brownish-black,  yel- 
lowish at  the  base ;  legs  and  feet  yellow. 

Length,  about  thirty  inches ;  wing,  twenty;  tail,  nine;  bill,  two  and  ten-twelfths; 
tarsus,  two-twelfths  of  an  inch. 

Hob.  — North  Atlantic,  Labrador;  as  far  south  as  Florida  in  winter. 

The  Black-backed  Gull  is  of  frequent  occurrence  on  our 
coast  in  the  autumn  and  winter  months  ;  and,  according  to 
Mr.  George  A.  Boardman,  a  few  breed  as  far  south  as  the 
islands  in  the  Bay  of  Fundy.  Audubon  describes  its 
breeding  habits  as  follows  :  — 

"  The  nest  of  this  species  is  usually  placed  on  the  bare  rock  of 
some  low  island,  sometimes  beneath  a  projecting  shelf,  sometimes 
in  a  wide  fissure.  In  Labrador,  it  is  formed  of  moss  and  seaweeds 
carefully  arranged,  and  has  a  diameter  of  about  two  feet ;  being 
raised  on  the  edges  to  the  height  of  five  or  six  inches,  but  seldom 
more  than  two  inches  thick  in  the  centre,  where  feathers,  dry  grass, 
and  other  materials,  are  added.  The  eggs  are  three,  and  in  no 
instance  have  I  found  more.  They  are  two  inches  and  seven- 
eighths  in  length  by  two  inches  and  one-eighth  in  breadth ;  broadly 
ovate ;  rough,  but  not  granulated ;  of  a  pale  earthy  greenish-gray 
color,  irregularly  blotched  and  spotted  with  brownish-black,  dark- 
umber,  and  dull-purple." 


THE   HERRING   GULL.  541 


LABUS  ARGENTATUS.  —  Briinnich. 
The  Herring  Gull ;  the  Silvery  Gull. 

Larus  argentatus,  Briinnich.  Orn.  Bor.  (1764),  44.  Nutt.  Man.,  II.  (1834)  304. 
Aud.  Birds  Amw  VII.  (1844)  163. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Adult.  —  Head,  neck,  under  parts,  rump,  and  tail,  pure-white;  back  and  wings 
light  pearl-blue ;  the  first  six  primaries  are  marked  towards  their  ends  with  black, 
which  begins  on  the  first  at  about  half  its  length  from  the  end,  and  is  rapidly  les- 
sened on  the  others  until  it  becomes  only  a  subterminal  bar  on  the  sixth;  the  pri- 
maries all  tipped  with  white;  on  the  first  quill  it  is  about  an  inch  and  a  half  in 
extent,  crossed  near  the  end  with  a  black  bar,  on  the  second  quill  there  is  a  round 
white  spot  on  the  inner  web  near  the  end ;  secondaries  and  tertiaries  broadly  ending 
with  white ;  bill  bright-yellow,  with  an  orange-red  spot  near  the  end  of  the  lower 
mandible ;  legs  and  feet  flesh-colored ;  iris  white. 

Young.  —  Mottled  with  light  grayish-brown  and  dull- white ;  primaries  blackish- 
brown;  bill  brownish-black,  yellowish  at  the  base. 

Length  of  male,  twenty-three  inches ;  wing,  eighteen ;  tail,  seven  and  a  half:  bill, 
along  ridge,  two  and  a  half;  depth  at  angle,  thirteen-sixteenths ;  tarsus,  two  and 
a  half.  Female  a  little  smaller  than  the  male,  but  similar  in  plumage. 

Hob.  —  Atlantic  coast  from  Texas  to  Newfoundland;  Western  States;  Ohio  and 
Mississippi  Rivers. 

This  species  is  abundant  on  our  coast  in  the  autumn, 
winter,  and  until  late  in  spring,  and  many  individuals  are 
seen  through  the  whole  summer.  I  found  several  appar- 
ently breeding  about  the  Umbagog  Lakes,  in  Maine ;  and 
have  no  doubt  that  it  incubates  in  various  localities  in  New 
England,  both  on  the  coast  and  in  the  interior.  It  breeds 
in  the  greatest  abundance  in  Labrador  and  other  northern 
countries,  where  it  nests  like  the  preceding,  and  sometimes 
in  trees.  The  birds  which  I  saw  about  Lake  Umbagog  prob- 
ably had  nests  in  trees,  as  they  frequented  a  tract  of  dead 
pines  and  hemlocks  inaccessible  to  me  on  account  of  inun- 
dation, and  they  frequently  alighted  in  their  tops.  The 
eggs  of  the  Herring  Gull  are  so  different  in  form,  color,  and 
markings,  that  hardly  any  description  can  be  intelligible. 
A  great  number  of  specimens  in  my  collection  vary  in 
form  from  abruptly  ovate  to  a  lengthened  ovoidal.  Their 
color  varies  from  a  pale-cinereous  to  an  olivaceous-drab ; 
and  their  markings  from  thickly  spattered  blotches  of 


542  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

black  to  different  browns  and  obscure  -  purples.  Their 
dimensions  vary  from  2.85  by  2.05  inch  to  2.65  by  1.85 
inch.  Large  specimens  of  this  species  cannot  be  distin- 
guished from  small  ones  of  the  preceding. 

CHROICOCEPHALUS,  EYTON. 

Chroicocephalus,  EYTON,  Cat.  Brit.  Birds  (1836). 

Bill  moderate,  rather  slender,  much  compressed ;  upper  mandible  straight  at  base, 
more  or  less  curved  at  the  end;  nostrils  lateral  and  longitudinal;  wings  long,. nar- 
row, and  pointed;  tail  moderate,  usually  even;  tarsi  rather  slender;  feet  webbed; 
liind  toe  small  and  elevated. 

These  Gulls  are  of  medium  or  small  size :  in  their  spring  attire,  the  head  is 
clothed  with  a  dark-colored  hood ;  but  in  the  winter  it  becomes  white,  with  a  dusky 
spot  behind  the  ear.  These  birds  are  very  handsome,  the  dark  and  light  colors  of 
their  plumage  forming  a  beautiful  contrast. 

CHROICOCEPHALUS  ATRICILLA.  —  Lawrence. 
The  Laughing  Gull. 

Larus  atricilla,  Linnaeus.    Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  225.    Bon.  Syn.  (1828),  No.  294. 
Nutt.  Man.,  II.  (1834)  291.    Aud.  Birds  Am.,  VII.  (1844)  136. 
Larus  ridibundus.    Wils.,  IX.  (1824)  89. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Adult.  —  Head  and  upper  part  of  neck  blackish  lead-gray,  extending  lower  in 
front;  upper  .and  lower  eyelids  white  posteriorly;  lower  part  of  neck,  entire  under 
plumage,  rump,  and  tail,  pure-white;  in  spring,  a  beautiful  roseate  tint  exists  on  the 
breast  and  abdomen;  back  and  wings  grayish-lead  color;  the  first  six  primaries  are 
black,  beginning  on  the  first  at  about  two-thirds  of  its  length  from  the  point,  and 
regularly  becoming  less  on  the  others,  until,  on  the  sixth,  it  is  reduced  to  two  spots 
near  the  end;  tips  in  some  specimens  white,  and  in  others  black  to  their  points;  bill 
and  inside  of  the  mouth  dark-carmine ;  iris  bluish-black ;  legs  and  feet  deep-red ;  in 
winter  the  head  becomes  white,  intermixed  on  the  crown  and  hind  neck  with  brown- 
ish-gray. 

Length,  seventeen  inches;  wing,  thirteen;  tail,  five;  bill,  one  and  three-fourths; 
tarsus,  two  inches. 

Hob.  —  Texas  to  Massachusetts. 

This  handsome  bird  is  a  resident  on  our  coasts  through 
the  year,  but  is  not  at  all  abundant.  It  nests  in  the 
marshes,  making  only  a  loose  structure  of  a  few  pieces  of 
seaweeds  or  grasses,  which  it  places  in  a  sandy,  elevated 
spot,  where  the  tides  do  not  reach.  The  eggs  are  three  in 
number.  Their  form  is  usually  ovoidal,  sometimes  ovate. 


PLATE  IV 


Fig.  1  Herring  Gull,  Larus  argentatus.     Brunnich. 

,.     2.  Laughing  Gull,  Chroicocephalus  atricilla.    Linnaeus. 

.,     3  Kitti wake  Gull,  Eissa  tridactyla.    Bonaparte. 

,.     4.  Wilson's  Tern,  Sterna  Wilsonii.    Bonaparte. 

.,     5.  Least  Tern,  Sterna  frenata.     Gambel. 


BONAPARTE'S  GULL.  543 

Their  color  is  an  olivaceous-drab,  sometimes  a  grayish- 
green.  This  is  covered,  more  or  less  thickly,  with  blotches 
and  spots  of  different  shades  of  brown  and  purple,  and 
obscure  markings  of  the  same. 

Their  dimensions  vary  from  2.28  by  1.65  inch  to  2  by  1.50 
inch.  Some  specimens  have  numerous  irregular  streaks 
of  umber-brown  over  the  surface  at  the  greater  end,  and 
others  have  large  confluent  blotches  of  the  same  color. 

.     CHROICOCEPHALUS   PHILADELPHIA.  —  Lawrence. 
Bonaparte's  Gull. 

Larus  Sonqpartei,  Nuttall.  Man.,  II.  (1834)  294.  Aud.  Birds  Am.,  VII.  (1844) 
131. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Adult.  —  Head  and  upper  part  of  neck  grayish-black,  this  color  extending  rather 
lower  on  the  throat  than  on  the  neck  behind;  lower  part  of  neck,  under  plumage, 
rump,  and  tail,  white;  back  and  wings  clear  bluish-gray;  first  primary  black  on  the 
outer  web ;  inner  web  of  the  first  primary,  both  webs  of  the  second,  and  the  outer 
web  of  the  third,  white ;  the  inner  web  of  the  third,  and  all  the  other  primaries,  are 
o^  the  same  color  as  the  back ;  the  six  outer  primaries  have  their  ends  black  for  the 
extent  of  about  an  inch  on  the  central  ones,  but  less  on  the  first  and  sixth,  —  they 
are  all  slightly  tipped  with  white ;  shoulders,  anterior  borders  of  the  wings,  and  outer 
webs  of  the  primary  coverts  white ;  bill  deep  black ;  inside  of  mouth  carmine ;  iris 
hazel ;  legs  and  feet  orange,  with  a  reddish  tinge. 

The  young  have  the  head  white,  intermixed  on  the  occiput  and  hind  neck  with 
dark-gray ;  a  round  spot  of  dark-plumbeous  behind  the  eye  ;  the  smaller  wing 
coverts  brown ;  the  outer  webs  of  several  of  the  primaries,  and  a  subterminal  band 
on  the  tail,  black. 

Length,  fourteen  and  a  half  inches;  wing,  ten  and  a  half;  tail,  four  and  a  quar- 
ter; bill,  one  and  one-eighth;  tarsus,  one  and  five-sixteenths  inch. 

Hob.  —  Texas  to  Nova  Scotia,  Mississippi  .River,  fur  countries,  Pacific  coast  of 
North  America. 

This  species  is  pretty  common  on  our  coast,  and  is  often 
found  in  the  neighborhood  of  large  tracts  of  water  in  the 
interior. 

1  am  ignorant  of  its  breeding  habits,  and  have  no  egg  to 
describe  here. 

KISS  A,  LEACH. 

Rissa,  LEACH,  Steph.  Gen.  Zool.,  XIII.  (1825)  180.    (Type  Laras  iridactylw,  L.) 
Bill  rather  long,  strong,  and  much  compressed ;  culmen  straight  at  base,  curved 


544  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

from  the  nostrils  to  the  tip ;  nostrils  lateral  and  longitudinal  ;  wings  long  and 
pointed;  tail  even;  tarsi  rather  short;  toes  slender  and  united  by  a  full  web;  hind 
toe  rudimentary  or  very  small. 

EISSA  TRIDACTYLA.  —  Bonaparte. 
The  Kittiwake  Gull. 

Larus  trMactylus,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  224.  Nutt.  Man.,  II.  (1834) 
298.  Aud.  Birds  Am.,  VII.  (1844)  146. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Adult.  —  Head,  neck,  entire  under  plumage,  rump,  and  tail,  white;  back  and 
wings  light  bluish-gray;  the  ends  of  the  five  outer  primaries,  and  the  outer  web  of 
the  first,  black;  the  fourth  and  fifth  have  small  white  tips;  bill  greenish  yellow ;  iris 
reddish-brown ;  legs  and  feet  brownish-black,  with  a  green  tinge. 

Young.  —  The  head  is  white,  marked  on  the  hind  head  and  neck  with  bluish- 
gray  :  a  spot  of  the  same  color  over  the  ears ;  a  narrow  crescent  of  black  in  front  of 
the  eye;  wings  and  shoulders  marked  with  black;  primaries  black;  tail  white,  with 
a  subterminal  black  band;  bill  black;  rest  of  the  plumage  same  as  in  the  adult. 

Length,  about  seventeen  inches;  wing,  twelve  ;  tail,  five  and  three-quarters; 
bill,  one  and  a  half;  tarsus,  one  and  three-eighths  inches. 

flub.  — Fur  countries;  Labrador;  southern  coast  in  winter. 

This  species  is  rather  common  on  our  coast  through  the 
year.  In  some  seasons,  but  few  are  seen  ;  in  others,  they  are 
pretty  abundant.  Audubon  says  it  breeds  as  far  south  as 
the  island  of  Grand  Menan,  off  the  entrance  of  the  Bay 
of  Fundy ;  and  it  probably  also  incubates  on  other  islands 
off  the  coast  of  Maine.  The  nest  is  composed  of  sea- 
weeds, which  are  arranged  in  a  large  pile,  and  placed  on 
a  ledge  of  rock  in  a  crevice,  or  on  a  jutting  shelf.  This  nest 
is  occupied  for  successive  years  ;  and  it  receives  additions  in 
every  season.  The  eggs  are  three  in  number.  Their  form 
is  usually  ovoidal :  their  color  varies  from  a  creamy-drab, 
with  a  very  slight  olivaceous  tint,  to  a  delicate  gray.  On 
this  are  scattered  blotches  of  different  shades  of  brown, 
and  obscure  spots  and  blotches  of  lilac.  Of  these  eggs  — 
as  of  all  the  eggs  of  Gulls  and  Terns — it  is  difficult  to 
give  descriptions  by  which  specimens  could  be  identified. 
The  above  description,  however,  answers  for  all  the  eggs 
of  this  species  in  my  collection.  The  dimensions  vary  from 
2.20  by  1.60  inch  to  2.04  by  1.55. 


THE  MARSH   TERN.  545 


Sub-Family  STERNIN^E.  —  The  Terns. 

Bill  rather  long,  usually  slender,  straight,  sometimes  with  the  upper  mandible 
curved  at  the  tip,  which  is  acutely  pointed;  nostrils  linear  and  pervious;  wings 
elongated ;  primaries  long  and  pointed,  secondaries  of  moderate  length ;  tail  rather 
long  and  in  most  species  forked;  tarsi  slender;  anterior  toes  have  their  webs  emar- 
ginate,  hind  toe  small ;  claws  moderate,  curved  and  acute. 

These  birds  are  mostly  found  on  the  seacoast  and  neighboring  bays,  occasionally 
on  rivers  and  lakes:  they  assemble  in  large  numbers  on  the  sand  bars  and  points  at 
the  mouth  of  inlets,  are  much  on  the  wing,  and  are  remarkable  for  their  buoyant 
and  easy  flight.  Their  food  consists  of  small  fishes  and  Crustacea,  which  they 
obtain  by  hovering  over  and  suddenly  darting  down  upon :  although  they  thus  seize 
their  prey  while  in  the  water,  they  only  occasionally  swim  or  rest  upon  its  surface. 


STERNA, 

Sterna,  LINNAEUS,  Syst.  Nat.  (1748). 

Bill  more  or  less  strong,  about  the  length  of  the  head ;  the  upper  mandible  slightly 
curved  to  the  tip,  which  is  narrow  and  acute,  the  lower  straight,  with  the  junction 
of  the  crura  about  the  middle ;  the  nostrils  lateral  and  linear,  with  the  frontal  feath- 
ers extending  to  the  opening;  wings  long,  primaries  narrow  and  tapering,  the  outer 
quill  longest ;  tail  rather  long  and  more  or  less  forked ;  tarsi  short ;  toes  small  and 
slender,  with  the  webs  emarginate;  hind  toe  short;  claws  slightly  arched  and  acute. 


STERNA   AEANEA.  —  Wilson. 
The  Marsh  Tern. 

Sterna  aranea,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  VIII.  (1814)  143. 

Sterna  Anglica,  Nuttall.  Man.,  II.  (1834)  269.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  V.  (1839)  127. 
Ib.,  Birds  Am.,  VII.  (1844)  81. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Adult.  —  Upper  part  of  the  head,  occiput,  and  sides  of  the  head  upon  a  line  with 
the  lower  eyelid,  black;  back  and  wings  light  bluish-gray;  primaries  hoary  on  the 
outer  webs  and  ashy-gray  on  the  inner,  becoming  lighter  towards  the  base ;  tail 
same  color  as  the  back,  but  paler,  and  with  the  outer  feather  nearly  white;  a  line  at 
the  base  of  the  upper  mandible,  neck  in  front  and  entire  under  plumage,  pure-white; 
bill  deep-black ;  iris  brown ;  legs  and  feet  black. 

Length,  thirteen  and  three-quarters  inches;  wings  in  extent  thirty-four,  from 
flexure  ten  and  a  half;  tail,  four;  bill,  one  and  three-eighths;  tarsus,  one  inch. 

Hob.  —  Coast  of  the  United  States  as  far  north  as  Connecticut. 

I  include  this  species  in  our  New-England  Terns  on  the 
above  authority.  I  have  not  met  with  it  myself,  and  know 
nothing  of  its  habits.  Wilson  says, — 

35 


546  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

"  This  species  I  first  met  on  the  shores  of  Cape  May,  particularly 
over  the  salt  marshes,  where  it  was  darting  down  after  a  kind  of 
large  black  spider,  plenty  in  such  places.  This  spider  can  travel 
under  water,  as  well  as  above,  and,  during  summer  at  least,  seems 
to  constitute  the  principal  food  of  the  present  Tern.  In  several 
which  I  opened,  the  stomach  was  crammed  with  a  mass  of  these 
spiders  alone :  these  they  frequently  pick  up  from  the  pools,  as  well 
as  from  the  grass,  dashing  down  on  them  in  the  manner  of  their 
tribe.  Their  voice  is  sharper  and  stronger  than  that  of  the  Com- 
mon Tern;  the  bill  is  differently  formed,  being  shorter,  more 
rounded  above,  and  thicker ;  the  tail  is  also  much  shorter,  and  less 
forked.  They  do  not  associate  with  others,  but  keep  in  small 
parties  by  themselves. 

"  This  species  breeds  in  the  salt  marshes.  The  female  drops  her 
eggs,  generally  three  or  four  in  number,  on  the  dry  drift  grass, 
without  the  slightest  appearance  of  a  nest :  they  are  of  a  greenish- 
olive,  spotted  with  brown." 

STEENA    CASPIA.  —  Pallas. 
The  Caspian  Tern. 

Sterna  Caspia,  Pallas.  Nov.  Com.  Petr.,  XIV.  582.  Lawr.  Ann.  Lye.  N.  Y., 
V.  (1851)  37. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Adult.  —  Forehead,  crown,  sides  of  the  head,  and  occiput,  black,  glossed  with 
green;  this  color  extends  below  the  eye,  under  which  is  a  narrow  white  line;  back 
and  wings  light  bluish-ash ;  the  six  outer  primaries  dark  slate-gray  on  their  inner 
webs ;  quill  shafts  strong  and  white ;  tail  and  its  upper  coverts  grayish-white ;  neck 
and  entire  under  plumage  pure  white ;  bill  and  inside  of  mouth  bright  vermilion ; 
legs  and  feet  black;  bill  very  stout;  tail  not  deeply  forked. 

In  the  young,  the  back,  wing  coverts,  and  tail,  are  mottled  and  barred  with  black- 
ish-brown. 

Length,  twenty-one  and  a  half  inches;  extent  of  wings,  fifty-one;  from  flexure, 
sixteen  and  three-quarters;  bill,  from  base,  two  and  seven-eighths;  tail,  six  inches. 

Hob.  —  Coast  of  New  Jersey  northward. 

I  include  this  species  on  the  above  authority.  Its  habits 
are  unknown  to  me. 

STEENA    WILSONII.  —  Bonaparte. 

Wilson's  Tern. 

Sterna  kirundo,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  VII.  (1813)  76.  Nutt.  Man.,  II.  (1834)  271. 
Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  (1838)  74.  /&.,  Birds  Am.,  VII.  (1844)  97. 


WILSON'S  TERN.  547 

DESCRIPTION. 

Adult.  —  Upper  part  of  the  head  and  hind  neck  deep-black,  tinged  with  brown 
on  the  front  part  of  the  head ;  back  and  wings  light  grayish-blue ;  first  primary 
with  the  outer  web  black,  on  the  inner  web  grayish-black  next  the  shaft,  this  color 
increasing  in  extent  towards  the  end,  where  it  covers  the  entire  web  for  about  one 
inch,  rest  of  inner  web  white ;  the  next  five  primaries  are  hoary  on  their  outer  webs, 
and  blackish-gray  on  the  inner  next  the  shaft,  occupying  the  entire  web  at  the  end ; 
margin  of  the  inner  webs  white ;  central  tail  feathers  very  pale  bluish-gray,  the  others 
white  on  the  inner  webs  and  dusky-gray  on  the  outer  webs,  deepening  in  color  from 
the  central  feathers  until  it  becomes  blackish-gray  on  the  lateral  ones ;  sides  of  the 
head,  throat,  rump,  and  under  tail  coverts,  white ;  breast  and  abdomen  clear  pearl- 
gray  ;  bill  coral-red,  black  near  the  end  with  the  tip  yellow ;  iris  hazel ;  legs  and 
feet  coral-red,  not  so  dark  as  the  bill ;  claws  brownish-black. 

Length,  fourteen  and  three-quarters  inches ;  wing,  ten  and  three-quarters ;  tail, 
five  and  three-quarters;  bill,  one  and  three-eighths;  tarsus,  three-quarters  of  an 
inch. 

Hob.  —  Texas  to  Labrador. 

This  is  by  far  the  most  common  species  we  have  in  New 
England.  It  breeds  in  great  abundance  all  along  our  coast, 
both  on  the  beach,  on  the  mainland,  and  on  the  rocky  and 
sandy  islands  off  our  shores.  In  some  localities,  it  is  so 
abundant  that  I  have  collected  in  the  space  of  two  hours, 
in  the  area  of  about  thirty  acres,  a  half-bushel  of  eggs.  In 
most  localities,  it  forms  no  nest,  but  drops  its  eggs  on  the 
sand  or  on  the  bare  rock.  On  the  island  of  Muskegeet,  I 
found  that  it  invariably  scooped  out  a  hollow  of  two  or  three 
inches  in  the  sand,  in  which  it  laid  three  or  four  eggs, 
arranged  them  with  their  small  ends  together  in  the  middle, 
and  built  around  them  a  loose  nest  of  seaweeds  and  grass. 
These  eggs  are  so  varied  in  color  and  markings,  that  no 
description  of  them  can  be  given  by  which  they  may  be  recog- 
nized. In  a  great  number  in  my  collection,  the  predominat- 
ing color  is  a  reddish-drab,  which  is  marked  with  numerous 
spots  and  confluent  blotches  of  different  shades  of  brown, 
and  obscure  blotches  of  cinereous.  Many  specimens  are  an 
olivaceous-gray,  with  the  same  markings ;  and  others  are  a 
creamy-buff.  Their  form  is  usually  exactly  ovoidal,  and 
their  dimensions  average  about  1.55  by  1.25  inch. 

This  species  is  very  irregular  in  its  period  of  depositing 
its  eggs.  I  have  found  them  as  early  as  the  last  week  in 


548  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 

May,  and  as  late  as  the  12th  of  July.  I  have  seen,  in  the 
space  of  a  square  rod,  eggs,  in  which  the  chicks  were  about 
ready  to  break  the  shell,  and  others  that  were  apparently 
but  just  laid ;  and,  close  beside  them  both,  were  squatting 
young  birds  almost  fully  grown  and  feathered. 

About  the  15th  of  June  is  the  period  when  the  eggs  of 
this  species  are  in  the  best  condition  in  New  England  for 
cabinet  preservation ;  the  young  then  being,  as  a  general 
thing,  scarcely  formed. 

Early  in  October,  these  birds  begin  to  be  scarce  in  our 
latitude,  and  they  spend  the  winter  on  the  shores  of  the 
southern  gulf. 

STERNA  MACROURA.  —  Naumann. 
The  Arctic  Tern. 

Sterna  macroura,  Naumann.    Isis  (1819,  1847). 

Sterna  Arctica,  Temm.  Man.  d'Orn.,  II.  (1820)  742.  Bon.  Syn.  (1828),  No. 
287.  Sw.  and  Rich.  F.  B.  A.,  II.  (1831)  414.  Nutt.  Man.,  II.  (1834)  275.  And. 
Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835)  366.  76.,  Birds  Am.,  VII.  (1844)  107. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Aduh.  —  Upper  part  of  the  head  and  hind  neck  black;  back  and  wings  light 
grayish-blue;  first  primary  deep-black  on  the  outer  web,  dusky-gray  on  the  inner 
next  the  shaft,  and  over  the  entire  web  at  the  end,  inner  margin  of  inner  web  white ; 
the  next  five  primaries  are  bluish-gray  on  the  outer  web  and  on  the  inner  web  next 
the  shaft,  this  color  extending  over  the  entire  web  at  the  end,  where  it  is  blackish- 
gray  on  the  inner  margin,  the  remaining  part  of  inner  web  white;  central  tail 
feathers  and  inner  webs  of  the  others  white,  the  outer  web  of  the  outer  tail  feather 
blackish-gray,  the  outer  webs  of  the  two  next  pale  bluish-gray;  rump,  sides  of  the 
head,  and  under  tail  coverts,  white;  under  plumage  bluish-gray,  of  a  lighter  shade 
than  the  back;  bill  deep-carmine;  iris  brown;  legs  and  feet  dark-crimson. 

Length,  fourteen  and  a  half  inches;  wing,  ten  and  a  half;  tail,  six  and  a  half 
inches. 

Hob.  —  Coast  of  the  New-England  States  to  Arctic  seas ;  fur  countries. 

This  species  is  almost,  if  not  equally,  as  abundant  on  our 
shores  in  summer  as  the  preceding.  It  breeds,  in  our  lati- 
tude, in  the  same  localities  and  at  the  same  time  as  the 
other ;  and  its  eggs  are  so  exactly  similar,  that  any  descrip- 
tion of  either  is  impossible,  by  which  they  can  be  identified. 
The  only  method  that  I  know  of  to  obtain  authentic  speci- 
mens of  each  is,  either  to  visit  localities  in  which  either 


THE   LEAST   TERN.  549 

species  is  found  by  itself,  or  to  wait  until  late  in  the  season, 
and,  after  finding  a  nest,  observe  carefully  the  bird  that 
hovers  over  it,  and  shoot  her.  It  is  a  well-known  habit 
of  these  species  to  hover  over 
their  eg^s  after  being  driven 
from  them  :  but  this  is  generally 
confined  to  the  close  of  the  sea- 
son of  incubation,  or  very  dark 
or  wet  weather ;  and  the  student, 
to/ avail  himself  of  it,  must  be 
ori^the  spot  at  the  proper  time. 
The  moment  a  person  approach- 
es one  of  their  breeding  places, 
the  whole  colony  leave  their  eggs 
or  young,  and  fly  to  meet  the 
intruder.  I  have  been  on  an 
island  of  not  more  than  thirty 
acres  area,  where  thousands  of 
these  birds  of  both  species,  and  also  the  following,  were 
breeding ;  and  their  cries,  'kree  'kree  'kree,  were  so  loud  that 
my  companions  within  twenty  feet  of  me  had  to  shout  at 
their  loudest  to  make  their  words  intelligible. 

The  Arctic  Tern,  like  all  the  others,  leaves  its  eggs  in 
warm  sunny  days  for  several  hours,  depending  on  the  sun 
to  assist  in  incubation.  When  one  bird  is  shot,  the  others, 
instead  of  flying  off,  only  redouble  their  outcries,  darting 
down  at  the  intruder  within  a  few  feet  of  his  head ;  and  the 
noise  and  confusion  are  so  great,  that  one  is  almost  bewil- 
dered, and  can  hardly  keep  his  wits  about  him  sufficiently 
to  secure  and  properly  identify  his  specimens. 

STERNA  FRENATA.—  Gambel. 
The  Least  Tern. 

Sterna  minuta,  Wilson.  Am.  Orn.,  VII.  (1813)  80.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  (1838) 
175.  Ib.,  Birds  Am.,  VII.  (1844)  119. 

St&rna  argentea,  NuttalJ.     Man.,  II.  (1834)  280. 


550  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Adult.  —  On  the  forehead  is  a  triangular  white  spot  extending  to  the  eye ;  crown, 
occiput,  and  a  line  from  the  eye  to  the  upper  mandible,  deep-black ;  entire  upper 
plumage  and  wings  clear  bluish-gray ;  first  two  primaries  with  the  outer  web  and 
half  the  inner  next  the  shaft,  grayish-black,  ends  of  the  same  color,  inner  margins 
white,  the  shafts  o£  these  two  quills  are  black;  the  other  primaries  same  color  as  the 
back,  with  the  inner  margins  white;  tail  same  color  as  the  back,  except  the  outer 
margin  of  the  exterior  feather,  and  the  inner  webs  of  the  others  at  the  base,  where 
they  are  white;  entire  under  plumage  silvery-white;  bill  pale  orange-yellow;  iris 
hazel;  legs  and  feet  light  orange-red. 

Length,  eight  and  three-quarters  inches;  wing,  six  and  three-quarters;  tail,  three 
and  a  half  inches. 

Hob.  —  Texas  to  Labrador;  western  rivers. 

This  handsome  little  bird  is  of  similar  habits,  and  is 
almost  as  abundant  as  the  preceding.  It  breeds  in  the  same 
localities,  and,  like  the  others,  nests  on  the  beach  or  bare 
rocks.  The  eggs  are  three  in  number.  They  are  a  rounded 
ovoidal  in  form,  and  a  grayish-cream  tint  in  color :  they  are 
marked  with  spots  and  confluent  blotches  of  different  shades 
of  brown  and  obscure-lilac,  and  vary  in  dimensions  from 
1.25  by  .90  inch  to  1.15  by  .91  inch.  A  large  number  of 
specimens  from  both  the  Southern  and  Northern  States 
exhibit  no  appreciable  difference  either  in  size  or  markings. 

HYDROCHELIDON,  BOIE. 

ffydrochelidan,  BOIE,  Isis  (1822),  563. 

Bill  rather  short,  strong,  the  upper  mandible  curving  slightly  to  the  tip ;  nostrils 
basal,  lateral,  and  longitudinal,  the  frontal  feathers  reaching  nearly  to  the  opening; 
wings  very  long  and  pointed;  tail  moderate  and  emarginate;  legs  short;  the  ante- 
rior toes  slender,  with  the  webs  deeply  indented;  hind  toe  small;  claws  slender  and 
acute. 

HTDROCHELIDON  PLUMBEA.  —  Wilson. 

The  Short-tailed  Tern. 
Sterna plumbea,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  VII.  (1813)  83. 

V  nt^r/f  a'^UttalL    Man'' IL  <1834>  282«    Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835)  535; 
V.  (1889)  642.     lb.,  Birds  Am.,  VII.  (1844)  116. 

DESCRIPTION. 

A/^.-Head,  neck,  breast,  sides,  and  abdomen,  black ;  lower  tail  coverts  white: 
r  covering  of  wings  ashy-gray;  back  and  wings  dark  plumbeous-gray ;  the 


THE  SHORT-TAILED   TERN.  551 

first  four  primaries  grayish-black,  with  their  shafts  white ;  bend  of  the  wing  edged 
with  white ;  tail  same  color  as  the  back ;  bill  brownish-black ;  iris  brown ;  legs  and 
feet  reddish-brown. 

Young.  —  Back,  wings,  and  tail,  light-plumbeous,  with  the  feathers  of  the  back 
margined  with  brown;  top  of  the  head  and  around  the  eye  brownish-black;  front 
and  under  plumage  white;  tail  short,  and  but  slightly  forked. 

Length,  nine  and  a  half  inches ;  wing,  eight  and  a  half;  tail,  three  and  a  half 
inches. 

Hah.  —  Texas  to  the  New-England  States,  Mississippi  River,  and  tributaries ;  fur 
countries. 

This  species  is  included  on  the  above  authority.  Wilson 
describes  its  habits  as  follows  :  — 

"  I  examined  upwards  of  thirty  individuals  of  this  species  by 
dissection,  and  found  both  sexes  alike  in  color.  Their  stomachs 
contained  grasshoppers,  crickets,  spiders,  &c.,  but  no  fish.  The 
people  on  the  seacoast  inform  me,  that  this  bird  comes  to  them 
only  in  the  fall,  or  towards  the  end  of  summer,  and  is  more  fre- 
quently seen  about  the  mill-ponds  and  fresh-water  marshes  than 
in  the  bays ;  and  add,  that  it  feeds  on  grasshoppers  and  other 
insects,  which  it  finds  on  the  meadows  and  marshes,  picking  them 
from  the  grass,  as  well  as  from  the  surface  of  the  water.  They 
have  never  known  it  to  associate  with  the  Lesser  Tern,  and 
consider  it  altogether  a  different  bird.  This  opinion  seems  con- 
firmed by  the  above  circumstances,  and  by  the  fact  of  its  greater 
extent  of  wing,  being  full  three  inches  wider  than  the  Lesser 
Tern,  and  also  making  its  appearance  after  the  others  have 
gone  off." 

Audubon  describes  the  bird  as  placing  its  nest  on  the  top 
of  a  broken  tussock  of  the  rankest  grasses,  of  which  the  fabric 
is  itself  composed ;  it  is  of  a  flattish  form,  and  about  two 
inches  thick.  It  is  enlarged  or  renewed  every  year,  some 
nests  being  found  to  be  from  four  to  six  inches  in  height. 
The  eggs,  laid  early  in  June,  are  four  in  number,  1-|  by  1 
inch  in  dimensions,  and  are  of  nearly  an  elliptical  form, 
being  but  slightly  pointed  at  one  end :  their  ground-color  is 
greenish-buff,  spotted  and  dashed  with  reddish-umber  and 
black,  more  abundantly  towards  the  middle. 


552  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 


SUB-ORDER  GAYLE.1 


FAMILY  PROCELLARIDJE.    THE  PETRELS. 

Bill  more  or  less  lengthened,  compressed,  and  deeply  grooved,  appearing  to  be 
formed  of  several  distinct  parts ;  the  tip  is  strong,  much  hooked,  and  acute ;  the  nos- 
trils open  from  distinct  tubes,  either  single  or  double,  and  are  situated  at  the  base  of 
the  upper  mandible. 

All  the  birds  embraced  in  this  family  are  strictly  oceanic,  some  of  the  smaller 
species  only  being  observed  in  bays  near  the  ocean  during  or  after  a  storm.  They 
vary  greatly  in  size,  some  being  quite  diminutive,  while  others  are  equal  in  dimen- 
sions to  the  largest  known  birds  of  flight. 

Two  sub-families,  namely,  Diomedeince  and  Procellarince,  constitute  this  family, 
the  distinguishing  characters  of  which  are  as  follows  :  — 

DIOMEDEIN.E.  —  Bill  very  strong,  curved,  and  acute  at  the  end ;  nostrils  short, 
tubular,  and  situated  on  the  sides  of  the  upper  mandible  near  the  base. 

PROCKLLARIN^E. —  Bill  more  or  less  strong,  curved  at  the  end,  and  pointed; 
nostrils  tubular,  situated  on  the  culmen,  near  the  base,  and  opening  forwards. 

Sub-Family  PRO  CELLARING.     The  True  Petrels. 

The  bill  more  or  less  strong,  compressed,  tip  much  hooked  and  pointed ;  the  nos- 
trils tubular,  to  a  greater  or  less  extent,  and  situated  on  the  basal  part  of  the  culmen; 
generally  of  medium  or  small  size,  wandering  in  their  habits,  and  capable  of  sus- 
taining themselves  on  wing  for  a  great  length  of  time. 

THALASSIDROMA,  VIGORS. 

Thalassidroma,  Vigors,  Zool.  Jour.  (1825). 

Bill  shorter  than  the  head,  slender  and  weak,  the  tip  curved  and  acute,  the  sides 
compressed  and  moderately  grooved;  nostrils  at  the  base  of  the  culmen  tubular 
and  prominent;  wings  long  and  narrow,  the  second  quill  longest;  tail  forked  or 
emarginate;  legs  slender  and  very  long ;  tibia  bare  for  a  considerable  space;  ante- 
rior toes  rather  short  and  slender,  united  by  an  indented  web;  a  short  spur  in  place 
of  the  hind  toe. 

THALASSIDROMA    LEACHII.  -  Bonaparte. 

Leach's  Petrel. 

ProceUaria  Leachii,  Temm.    Man.,  II.  (1820)  812. 

Thalauidrvma  Leachii,  Nuttall.  Man.,  II.  (1834)  326.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III. 
(1835)  434.  /&.,  Birds  Am.,  VII.  (1844)  219. 

1  See  Introduction. 


WILSON'S  STORMY  PETREL.  553 

DESCRIPTION. 

The  plumage  generally  is  sooty-brown,  darker  on  the  crown ;  primaries  and  tail 
brownish-black;  wing  coverts  and  inner  secondaries  ashy-gray;  rump,  feathers  of 
the  sides  adjoining  it,  and  outer  lower  tail  coverts,  white ;  bill  black ;  iris  dark-brown ; 
tarsi  and  feet  black. 

The  female  differs  only  in  being  rather  smaller. 

This  is  larger  than  Wilson's  Petrel,  and  has  a  much  stronger  bill :  it  may  be 
readily  known  from  it  by  its  forked  tail,  and  the  interdigital  webs  being  entirely 
black. 

Length,  eight  inches;  wing,  six  and  a  half;  tail,  three;  bill,  two-thirds  of  an 
inch ;  tarsus,  one  inch. 

rilHIS  species  is  the  most  abundant  of  our  Petrels.  It  is, 
JL  in  fact,  the  only  one  that  breeds  here ;  and  all  others 
may  be  regarded  as  wanderers.  About  the  first  week  in 
June,  in  the  latitude  of  the  islands  on  the  north-eastern  coast 
of  Maine,  it  pairs.  Breeding  in  communities,  it  soon  begins 
its  nest.  This  is  composed  of  weeds,  short  grasses,  and 
small  pebbles,  which  are  arranged  in  a  flat  structure,  at  the 
end  of  a  burrow  constructed  by  the  birds,  or  in  the  fissures 
and  crevices  of  rocks  on  the  islands  off  our  northern  coast. 
In  this  a  single  egg  is  deposited,  which  is  of  a  pure-white 
color,  with  an  obscure  lilac  ring  around  one  end,  consisting 
of  fine  confluent  dots.  It  is  nearly  oval  in  form,  and 
averages  in  dimensions  about  1.30  inch  in  length  and  .96 
inch  in  breadth.  A  large  number  of  specimens  in  my  col- 
lection exhibit  a  variation  of  from  1.35  to  1.24  inch  in 
length,  and  from  1  inch  to  .80  inch  in  breadth.  These  eggs 
soon  become  discolored  and  dirty,  from  the  nature  of  the 
nest  and  the  habits  of  the  bird  ;  but  originally  they  are  pure- 
white.  Their  shell  is  exceedingly  fragile,  and  a  little  rough 
to  the  touch,  like  that  of  the  eggs  of  all  birds  of  this  class. 

THALASSIDBOMA  WILSONII.  —  Bonaparte. 
Wilson's  Stormy  Petrel. 

Procellana pelagica,  Wilson.    Am.  Orn.,  VII.  (1808)  90. 

Thalassidroma  Wilsonii,  Bonaparte.  Syn.  (1828),  No.  308.  Nutt.  Man.,  II. 
(1834)  324.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835)  486 ;  V.  (1839)  645.  /&.,  Birds  Am.,  VII. 
(1844)  223. 

Oceanites  Wilsonii,  Bonaparte.     Cons.  Av.  II.  (1855)  199. 


554 


ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 


DESCRIPTION. 

The  general  color  of  the  plumage  is  dark  sooty-brown ;  primaries  and  tail  black- 
ish-brown, the  latter  white  at  the  base;  some  of  the  outer  secondaries  and  the 
secondary  coverts  grayish-ash,  ending  with  grayish-white;  rump,  sides  of  the  abdo- 
men and  exterior  lower  tail  coverts,  white ;  bill  black ;  iris  dark-brown ;  tarsi  and 
feet  black,  with  the  webs  yellow  except  at  the  margin. 

This  species  is  somewhat  smaller  than  T.  Leachii,  and  more  delicate  in  form ;  the 
bill  is  much  weaker:  it  may  readily  be  distinguished  by  the  greater  proportion  of 
white  on  the  under  tail  coverts  and  on  the  sides  at  the  base  of  the  tail,  together  with 
its  much  longer  tarsi  and  yellow  webs ;  tail  nearly  even. 

Length,  seven  and  one-fourth  inches;  wing,  six;  tail,  three-quarters;  bill,  seven- 
twelfths  inch ;  tarsus,  one  and  three-eighths  inch. 

Hob.  —  Off  the  Atlantic  coast  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  to  Baffin's  Bay. 

This  species  is  rare  on  our  coast,  and,  to  my  knowledge, 
does  not  breed  within  the  limits  of  New-England  shores. 
Audubon  says, — 

"  Wilson's  Petrel  breeds  on  some  small  islands  situated  off  the 
southern  extremity  of  Nova  Scotia,  called  *  Mud  Islands,'  but  which 
are  formed  of  sand  and  light  earth,  scantily  covered  with  grass. 

Thither  the  birds  re- 
sort in  great  numbers 
about  the  beginning  of 
June,  and  form  bur- 
rows of  the  depth  of 
two  or  two  and  a  half 
feet,  in  the  bottom  of 
which  is  laid  a  single 
white  egg ;  a  few  bits 
of  dry  grass,  scarcely 
deserving  the  name  of 
The  egg  measures  an 


a  nest,  having  been  placed  for  its  reception. 

inch  and  a  half  in  length  by  seven-eighths  of  an  inch  in  breadth  ; 
is  almost  equally  rounded  at  both  ends.  ...  On  wing,  this 
species  is  more  lively  than  the  Forked-tailed,  but  less  so  than  the 
common  Stormy  Petrel.  Its  notes  are  different  from  that  of  the 
Forked-tailed  Petrel,  and  resemble  the  syllables  kee-re-kee-kee. 
They  are  more  frequently  emitted  at  night  than  by  day." 


THE  GREAT  NORTHERN   DIVER.  555 


FAMILY  COLYMBID^E.     THE  DIVERS. 

Bill  more  or  less  long  and  compressed;  the  nostrils  are  linear  or  rounded,  and 
situated  in  a  lateral  groove ;  tail  rudimentary  or  short ;  tarsi  much  compressed ;  an- 
terior toes  long,  with  the  interdigital  membrane  more  or  less  full,  the  outer  longest; 
hind  toe  short,  free,  with  a  hanging  lobe ;  claws  broad,  depressed,  buried  in  the 
body. 

The  species  are  remarkable  for  their  powers  of  swimming  and  diving :  their  ease 
and  gracefulness  on  the  water  is  in  strong  contrast  with  their  awkwardness  on  land, 

The  following  are  the  characters  of  the  two  sub-families,  Colymbince  and  Podi- 
cipince ;  — 

COLYMBIX.E.  —  Bill  long,  rather  strong,  much  compressed,  with  the  point  acute; 
nostrils  basal,  linear;  tarsi  much  compressed;  toes  long  and  webs  full;  tail  short; 
lores  feathered. 

PomciPiNjE. — Bill  generally  long  and  rather  slender,  compressed  and  pointed; 
nostrils  situated  in  a  groove,  oblong  and  narrow ;  tarsi  compressed ;  toes  long  and 
broadly  lobed ;  tail  wanting,  or  very  rudimentary ;  lores  naked. 


Sub-Family  COLYMBINJE. —  The  Loons. 

Bill  about  the  length  of  the  head,  rather  stout,  much  compressed,  and  acute ; 
nostrils  basal,  linear,  and  pervious;  wings  of  medium  size,  narrow  and  pointed,  first 
quill  the  longest,  reaching  far  beyond  the  scapulars;  tail  short  and  rounded;  tarsi 
very  much  compressed;  entire  tarsi  and  base  of  toes  reticulated;  toes  long,  the 
anterior  ones  united  by  regular  webs,  the  claw  of  the  middle  twice  as  long  as  broad ; 
hind  toe  short,  edged  with  a  narrow  membrane. 

These  birds  excel  all  others  in  their  rapidity  of  diving,  and  the  great  progress 
they  are  able  to  make  under  water.  Only  one  genus  in  this  sub-family  is  recognized 
by  authors. 

COLYMBUS,  LINN^US. 

Colymbus,  LINN^US,  Syst.  Nat.  (1735).     (Type  C.  articus.) 

As  the  characters  of  the  sub-family  include  those  of  the  single  genus  Colymbus,  it 
is  not  necessary  to  repeat  them. 

They  are  abundant  during  summer  in  the  high  northern  latitudes,  both  on  the 
seacoast  and  on  inland  lakes ;  in  winter,  they  migrate  to  the  South.  They  are  soli- 
tary in  their  habits,  keen-sighted,  and  very  difficult  of  approach :  their  flight  is 
strong,  rapid,  and  direct. 

COLYMBUS  TORQUATUS.  —  Briinnich. 
The  Great  Northern  Diver ;  the  Loon. 

Colymbus  glacialis,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  221.  Wils.  Am.  Orn.,  IX. 
(1824)  84.  Nutt.  Man.,  II.  (1834)  513.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  IV.  (1838)  43.  lb.,  Birds 
Am.,  VII.  (1844)  282. 


556  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  compressed,  strong  and  tapering,  outline  of  upper  mandible  nearly  straight, 
very  slightly  curved;  the  lower  mandible  has  a  groove  underneath,  running  from 
the  junction  of  the  crura  towards  the  point;  the  tail  consists  of  twenty  feathers. 

Adult.  —  The  head  and  neck  are  dark  bluish-green,  the  upper  part  and  sides  of 
the  head  glossed  with  purple ;  there  is  a  small  transverse  mark  on  the  throat,  com- 
posed of  white  feathers  of  a  quill-like  form,  distinct  from  each  other,  and  placed  lon- 
gitudinally on  each  side  of  the  neck ;  lower  down  are  larger  patches  of  white,  of  the 
same  peculiar  form,  and  running  in  the  same  direction ;  these  almost  meet  behind, 
and  in  front  are  about  one  inch  apart;  the  effect  of  these  pure-white  feathers,  re- 
lieved by  the  dark  color  of  the  neck,  is  very  beautiful ;  the  upper  plumage  and  wing 
coverts  are  deep  glossy-black,  beautifully  marked  with  pure-white  spots,  placed  in 
regular  transverse  rows,  slightly  curving  downwards ;  these  spots,  on  the  upper  part 
of  the  back,  are  small  and  nearly  round,  but,  as  they  descend  lower  on  the  back, 
increase  in  size,  and  become  quadrangular  in  form,  being  largest  on  the  scapularies ; 
on  the  lower  part  of  the  back,  upper  tail  coverts,  and  sides  (which  are  black),  the 
spots  are  small  and  round ;  the  sides  of  the  neck,  near  the  shoulder,  are  beautifully 
lineated  with  black  and  white ;  the  primaries,  secondaries,  and  tail,  brownish-black ; 
the  under  surface  glossy-white,  with  a  narrow  band  of  dusky  feathers  crossing  the 
lower  part  of  the  abdomen,  and  marked  with  small  white  spots ;  lower  tail  coverts 
blackish-brown,  tipped  with  white ;  bill  black;  iris  deep  bright-red;  tarsi  and  feet 
grayish-blue  externally,  tinged  on  the  inside  with  pale-yellowish  red ;  webs  brownish- 
black;  claws  black. 

Young.  —  The  plumage  above  is  grayish-black,  the  feathers  of  the  back  mar- 
gined with  grayish-white,  the  under  plumage  pure-white ;  bill  yellowish,  with  the 
ridge  of  the  upper  mandible  dusky. 

Length,  thirty-one  inches;  wing,  fourteen;  tarsus,  three  and  a  quarter;  bill, 
three;  height  at  base,  one  inch. 

Hob.  —  Very  generally  distributed ;  it  is  abundant  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  in  the 
lakes  of  the  interior,  and  the  fur  countries. 

THE  Great  Loon  is  a  rather  common  species  on  our  coast 
in  the  autumn  and  winter.  It  passes  the  season  of  re- 
production in  the  neighborhood  of  large  tracts  and  ponds  of 
fresh  water  in  the  interior,  where  it  nests,  about  the  middle 
of  June,  on  some  low  island,  or  in  meadows,  bordering  the 
lakes  where  it  collects  a  large  pile  of  grasses,  sods,  and 
weeds,  in  which  it  forms  a  hollow  of  from  fourteen  to  six- 
teen inches  in  diameter,  and  four  or  five  in  depth  ;  lining  it 
with  a  few  softer  grasses  and  pieces  of  moss,  if  such  are 
obtainable.  The  eggs  are  two  or  three  in  number.  They 
vary  in  shape  from  almost  exactly  oval,  usually  about  ovate 
and  occasionally  very  much  lengthened,  as  will  be  seen  b'y 
the  following  dimensions  of  four  specimens  from  different 


THE   RED-THROATED   DIVER.  557 

localities  in  Maine :  3.67  by  2.35,  3.85  by  2.15,  3.50  by 
2.25,  3.50  by  2.25  inches.  Their  color  is  an  olivaceous- 
brown  ,  sometimes  an  olivaceous-drab ;  and  one  specimen  is 
of  a  reddish-brown,  with  but  a  slight  olivaceous  tint.  This 
primary  color  is  sparingly  marked  with  small  spots  and  a 
few  larger  blotches  of  blackish  or  very  dark-brown.  The 
Umbagog  Lakes,  in  Maine,  are  a  favorite  breeding  locality 
of  this  species ;  and  sometimes  several  pairs  may  be  found, 
within  a  hundred  rods  of  each  other,  engaged  in  the  duties 
of  incubation.  When  the  nest  is  approached,  the  sitting 
bird  silently  leaves  it ;  and,  gliding  through  the  grass,  drops 
into  the  water ;  and,  diving,  swims  below  the  surface  to  a 
considerable  distance  from  the  shore,  where,  appearing 
above  it,  she  attentively  watches  the  intruder. 

The  nest  is  built  only  a  short  distance  from  the  water, 
and  is  approached  in  different  directions  by  paths  through 
the  grass,  beaten  by  the  birds,  or  sometimes  by  muskrats 
in  their  approaches  to  their  winter  homes.  I  once  heard  of 
one  of  these  Loons  forming  its  nest  in  the  top  of  an  aban- 
doned muskrat's  nest,  and  of  another  that  placed  it  in  the 
top  of  a  low  stump  of  a  pine.  Usually,  it  is  laid  on  the  mud 
or  earth,  in  thick  grass  or  weeds. 

COLYMBUS    SEPTENTRIONALIS.  —  Linmeus. 
The  Red-throated  Diver. 

Colymbus  Septentrionalis,  Nuttall.  Man.,  II.  (1834)  519.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III. 
(1838)  20;  V.  (1839)  625.  Ib.,  Birds  Am.,  VII.  (1844)  299. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Adult.  —  Front,  sides  of  the  head,  upper  part  of  the  throat,  and  sides  of  the  heck, 
clear  bluish-gray ;  upper  part  of  the  head  of  the  same  color,  intermixed  with  black- 
ish spots;  the  hind  neck  streaked  longitudinally  with  white  on  a  greenish-black 
ground,  the  white  feathers  being  raised  above  the  others;  on  the  forepart  of  the 
neck  is  a  large  longitudinal  patch  of  deep  reddish-brown;  upper  plumage  brownish- 
black,'  slightly  tinged  with  green,  and  on  the  upper  part  of  the  back  and  lower  part 
and  sides  of  the  neck  streaked  and  mottled  with  white;  wings  and  tail  brownish- 
black;  under  plumage  pure-white,  with  a  band  across  the  hind-part  of  the  abdomen, 
and  the  lower  tail  coverts,  brownish-gray;  bill  bluish-black;  iris  bright-red ;  tarsi 
and  feet  brownish-black  externally,  on  the  inside  pale  flesh-color;  claws  yellowish 
at  the  base,  dusky  at  the  end. 


558  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 

Young. — Upper  part  of  the  head  and  hind-neck  dull-gray,  streaked  with  grayish- 
white  ;  back  and  wings  blackish-gray,  profusely  marked  with  oval-shaped  white 
spots,  there  being  two  on  each  feather,  smallest  on  the  upper  part  of  the  back  and 
largest  on  the  tertiaries ;  quill  feathers  and  tail  blackish-brown,  the  latter  edged 
with  white;  sides  of  the  neck  white,  speckled  minutely  with  gray;  under  plumage 
silky-white,  crossed  on  the  lower  part  of  the  abdomen  by  a  dusky  band;  bill  bluish- 
gray,  dusky  on  the  ridge  and  flesh-colored  at  the  base. 

Length,  twenty-seven  inches ;  wing,  eleven  and  a  half;  tail,  two  and  a  half;  bill, 
two  and  a  quarter ;  tarsus,  two  and  three-quarters  inches. 

Hob.  — During  the  winters  as  far  south  as  Maryland;  inhabits  as  far  north  as  the 
arctic  seas ;  found  also  on  the  Pacific  coast. 

This  bird,  although  pretty  common  on  our  coast  during 
the  winter,  is  much  more  northern  in  its  breeding  habits 
than  the  Loon  ;  seldom  passing  the  season  of  incubation 
south  of  Labrador,  where  it  begins  to  lay  early  in  June. 
The  nests  are  placed  on  small  islands  in  fresh-water  ponds, 
a  short  distance  from  the  sea.  "  These  nests  consist  merely 
of  a  few  blades  of  rank  grasses  loosely  put  together,  and 
are  quite  flat,  without  any  down  to  warm  or  conceal  the 
eggs  at  any  period  of  incubation."  They  are  placed  within 
a  few  feet  of  the  water,  and  are  approached  by  well-beaten 
paths,  like  those  of  the  preceding.  The  eggs  are  usually 
three  in  number.  They  exactly  resemble  those  of  the 
Loon  in  form,  color,  and  markings,  but  are  much  smaller ; 
varying  from -3  to  2.65  inches  in  length,  and  from  1.90 
to  1.75  inch  in  breadth. 


Sub-Family  PODICIPIN^E. —  The   Grebes. 

Bill  generally  long,  compressed  on  the  sides,  and  pointed;  lores  usually  naked; 
nostrils  placed  in  a  groove,  oblong  and  narrow.  Wings  short,  the  second  quill 
longest,  shorter  than  the  scapulars;  the  tail  is  represented  by  a  tuft  of  downy  feath- 
ers; tarsi  much  compressed  and  rather  short;  toes  long,  the  outer  longest,  broadly 
and  evenly  lobed,  most  so  on  the  inner  side;  claws  short,  broad,  and  obtuse;  tarsi 
with  plates  on  the  sides,  in  front  with  a  single,  behind  with  a  double,  longitudinal 
series  of  projecting  scales;  toes  and  their  lobes  plated  above. 

The  plumage  is  very  soft,  and  on  the  under  surface  silky:  they  are  remarkably 
active  on  the  water,  and  when  alarmed  remain  below  the  surface,  exposing  only 


THE   RED-NECKED   GREBE.  559 


PODICEPS,  LATHAM. 

Podiceps,  LATHAM,  Ind.  Ornith.  (1790),  780.  (Type  Colymbus  cristatus,  L.) 
Bill  long,  slender,  tapering,  and  pointed;  nostrils  situated  in  a  groove,  small, 
linear,  and  pervious;  wings  short  and  narrow,  second  primary  a  little  the  longest, 
emarginate  near  the  ends ;  tail  a  tuft  of  loose  feathers ;  tarsi  short,  much  compressed, 
the  edges  covered  with  small  scutellae,  and  the  sides  with  broad  transverse  scutellae ; 
toes  long,  the  outer  longest,  flattened,  with  the  sides  lobed,  the  most  on  the  inner 
side,  and  at  the  base  united  by  webs ;  hind  toe  short  and  broadly  lobed,  claws  small, 
depressed,  and  obtuse. 

These  birds  mostly  frequent  the  fresh-water  rivers  and  interior  lakes ;  but  they  are 
also  found  near  the  seacoast.  They  are  very  expert  swimmers,  but  make  progress 
with  great  difficulty  on  land ;  their  flight  is  rapid  and  direct.  In  the  breeding  season, 
the  head  is  ornamented  with  ruff's  and  elongated  tufts,  which  disappear  when  they 
assume  their  winter  garb. 


PODICEPS    GRISEIGENA.—  Gray. 
The  Red-necked  Grebe. 

Podiceps  rubricolUs,  Nuttall.  Man.,  II.  (1834)  253.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835) 
617;  V.  (1839)  520.  /&.,  Birds  Am.,  VII.  (1844)  312. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Adult.  —  Upper  plumage  blackish-brown,  with  the  upper  part  of  the  head  and 
hind-neck  black ;  primaries  ashy-brown,  secondaries  mostly  white,  a  few  of  the  inner 
ones  dark-ash ;  cheeks  and  throat  ash-gray ;  a  white  line  extends  from  the  lower 
mandible  under  and  beyond  the  eye;  forepart  and  sides  of  the  neck  rich  brownish- 
red;  lower  parts  silvery- white,  with  the  sides  dusky;  bill  black,  paler  at  the  end, 
and  bright-yellow  at  the  base ;  iris  carmine ;  tarsi  and  feet  externally  greenish-black, 
internally  yellow. 

Yuung.  —  The  upper  plumage  is  blackish-brown,  darker  on  the  head ;  throat  and 
abdomen  white;  sides  of  the  head  and  forepart  of  neck  brownish-ash;  abdomen 
silky-white;  sides  dark  brownish-ash ;  bill  bright-yellow. 

Length  about  eighteen  inches ;  wing,  seven ;  bill,  one  and  three-quarters ;  tarsi, 
two  inches. 

Hob.  — Fur  countries  and  in  the  Atlantic  States,  as  far  south  as  Pennsylvania,  in 
winter. 

The  Red-necked  Grebe  is  common  on  our  coast  in  winter, 
where  it  is  commonly  called  "  The  Diver,"  from  its  habit  of 
diving  at  the  flash  of  a  gun.  It  feeds,  like  all  other  birds 
of  this  family,  on  small  fishes  and^marine  animals,  which  it 
obtains  by  diving ;  and  such  is  its  expertness  and  powers 
of  endurance  in  this  respect,  that  I  have  known  it  to  remain 
certainly  a  minute  beneath  the  surface,  if  not  longer.  It  is 


560  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 

shy,  and  difficult  of  approach ;  and,  .when  apprehending 
danger,  it  immerses  its  body,  and  swims  with  nothing  but 
its  head  above  the  surface.  This  trick  I  have  noticed  in 
other  allied  species ;  and  it  is,  I  think,  common  in  all  birds 
of  this  class.  It  breeds  in  the  most  northern  portions  of 
the  continent,  where  it  forms  the  same  kind  of  nest  "  as 
that  of  the  Crested  Grebe,  and  lays  three  or  four  eggs." 
Audubon  describes  an  egg  in  his  possession  as  being  two 
inches  in  length  by  one  and  a  quarter  inch  in  breadth,  and 
of  a  uniform  pale  greenish- white. 

PODICEPS    CRIST ATUS.  —  Latham. 
The  Crested  Grebe. 

Podiceps  cristatus,  Nuttall.  Man.,  II.  (1834)  250.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835) 
595.  /&.,  Birds  Am.,  VII.  (1844)  308. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Adidt. — Front,  upper  part  of  the  head,  and  long  occipital  tufts  dark  umber- 
brown,  the  base  of  the  tufts  brownish-red;  the  ruff  is  bright  brownish-red  on  the 
upper  portion  immediately  under  the  tufts  and  anteriorly,  on  the  hind-part  brownish- 
black  ;  upper  plumage  dark  umber-brown ;  humeral  feathers  white ;  primaries  umber- 
brown;  secondaries  mostly  white;  throat  and  sides  of  the  head  white;  forepart 
and  sides  of  the  neck  adjoining  the  ruff  brownish-red ;  under  plumage  silvery-white ; 
sides  dusky,  tinged  with  reddish-brown;  bill  blackish-brown,  tinged  with  carmine; 
bare  loral  space  dusky-green;  iris  bright-carmine;  tarsi  and  feet  greenish-black 
externally,  greenish-yellow  internally ;  webs  grayish-blue. 

Young.  —  Upper  part  of  head  dark-brown;  hind-neck  brownish-gray;  back  and 
wings  brownish-black ;  humeral  feathers  white ;  primaries  dark  umber-brown  on  the 
outer  webs,  paler  on  the  inner;  lower  parts  silvery-white,  sides  brown;  upper  man- 
dible brownish-black,  pale  at  the  end,  and  yellow  on  the  sides  at  the  base ;  lower 
mandible  yellow,  with  the  sides  dusky. 

Length,  twenty-three  and  one-half  inches;  wing,  seven  and  three-quarters;  bill, 
two  and  one-sixteenth ;  tarsus,  two  and  a  half  inches. 

This  is  not  uncommon  as  a  summer  resident  in  northern 
New  England ;  and,  according  to  Mr.  George  A.  Boardman, 
it  breeds  about  the  lakes  in  the  neighborhood  of  Calais, 
Me.  The  nest  is  placed  in  a  retired  spot,  in  a  swamp  or 
marsh,  near  the  water;  and  is  construe. ed,  according  to  Dr. 
Richardson,  of  "  a  large  quantity  of  grass,  placed  among 
the  reeds  and  carices."  The  eggs  are  generally  four  in 


THE   HORNED   GREBE.  561 

number.  They  are,  when  first  laid,  of  a  white  color ;  but 
they  quickly  become  dirty  and  stained  by  the  habits  of  the 
bird  and  the  nature  of  the  nest.  They  are  of  an  ovoidal 
form,  and  average  about  2.16  by  1.48  inch  in  dimensions. 

• 

PODICEPS    CORNUTTJS.  —  Latham. 
The  Horned  Grebe. 

Podkeps  cornutus,  ISTuttall.  Man.,  II.  (1834)  254.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835) 
429;  V.  (1839)  623.  Ib.,  Birds  Am.,  VII.  (1844)  316. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Adult.  —  Upper  part  of  the  head,  cheeks,  throat,  and  ruff,  glossy-black ;  a  broad 
band  running  from  the  bill  over  the  eyes,  and  the  elongated  occipital  tufts  behind 
them,  yellowish-red,  deepest  in  color  adjoining  the  bill ;  upper  surface  brownish-black ; 
the  feathers  margined  with  gray;  primaries  brownish-ash;  secondaries  mostly  white, 
some  of  the  outer  one  dark-ash ;  the  fore  -neck  and  upper  part  of  the  breast  bright 
chestnut-red,  sides  of  the  same  color,  intermixed  with  dusky;  abdomen  silky-white; 
bill  bluish-black,  yellow  at  the  tip ;  loral  space  bright-carmine ;  iris  carmine,  with  an 
inner  circle  of  white ;  tarsi  and  feet  dusky-gray  externally,  dull-yellow  internally, 
and  on  both  edges  of  the  tarsus. 

Young.  —  The  whole  upper  plumage  grayish-black,  darkest  on  the  head,  feathers 
of  the  back  with  gray  margins;  throat,  sides  of  the  head,  a  broad  space  on  the  sides 
of  the  neck,  nearly  meeting  behind,  breast,  and  abdomen,  silvery- white ;  sides  and 
lower  part  of  abdomen  dusky. 

Length,  about  fourteen  inches;  wing,  five  and  three-quarters;  bill,  one;  tarsi, 
one  and  three-quarters  inch. 

Hob.  —  Generally  distributed  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  coast. 

The  Horned  Grebe  is  not  uncommon  in  our  lakes  and 
rivers,  and  in  the  waters  on  our  coast,  in  the  spring  and 
autumn.  It  breeds  in  more  northern  localities  than  New 
England,  but  is  not  invariably  an  arctic  breeder.  Audubon 
says,  — 

"  Although  the  greater  number  of  these  birds  go  far 
northward  to  breed,  some  remain  within  the  limits  of  the 
United  States  during  the  whole  year ;  rearing  their  young  on 
the  borders  of  ponds,  particularly  in  the  northern  parts  of 
the  State  of  Ohio,  in  the  vicinity  of  Lake  Erie.  Two  nests 
which  I  found  were  placed  at  a  distance  of  about  four  yards 
from  the  water's  edge,  on  the  top  of  broken-down  tussocks 

36 


562  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 

of  rank  weeds ;  the  materials  of  which  they  were  com- 
posed of  the  same  nature,  and  rudely  interwoven  to  a 
height  of  upwards  of  seven  inches.  They  were  rather 
more  than  a  foot  in  diameter  at  the  base  ;  the  cavity  only 
four  inches  across,  shallow,  but  more  finished  with  finer 
plants,  of  which  a  quantity  lay  on  the  borders,  and  was 
probably  used  by  the  bird  to  cover  the  eggs  when  about  to 
leave  them.  There  were  five  eggs  in  one  nest,  seven  in 
the  other.  They  measured  one  inch  arid  three-quarters 
in  length  by  one  inch  and  two  and  a  half  eighths.  Their 
shell  was  smooth,  and  of  a  uniform  yellowish-cream  color, 
without  spots  or  marks  of  any  kind." 

A  single  egg  in  my  collection,  from  Wisconsin,  is  of  an 
ovoidal  form ;  measures  1.85  by  1.20  inch  in  dimensions. 
It  is  of  a  dirty-white  color,  the  shell  being  covered  by  a 
calcareous  deposit.  On  scraping  this,  the  shell  is  of  a 
bluish-white  tint. 

PODILYMBUS,  LESSON. 

Podilymbus,  LESSON,  Traite  d'Ornith.  (1831),  595.  (Type  Colymbus  podi- 
ceps, L.) 

Bill  shorter  than  the  head,  snout  much  compressed ;  the  culmen  much  curved  to 
the  tip,  which  is  acute ;  nostrils  situated  in  the  anterior  part  of  a  broad  groove,  oval 
and  pervious;  wings  short,  second  quill  longest,  the  outer  quills  emarginate  at  the 
end;  tail  a  tuft  of  downy  feathers;  tarsi  short,  and  very  much  compressed;  anterior 
toes  long,  flattened,  the  outer  longest,  and  broadly  margined,  the  inner  sides  the 
most,  hind  toe  short  and  moderately  lobed;  claws  small,  depressed,  oblong,  and 
obtuse. 

PODILYMBUS  PODICEPS.  —  Lawrence. 
The  Pied-bill  Grebe. 

Colymbus  podiceps,  Linnaeus.     S.  N.  (1766),  223. 

Podiceps  Carolinensis,  Nuttall.  Man.,  II.  (1834)  259.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835) 
869;  V.  (1839)  624.  76.,  Birds  Am.,  VII.  (1844)  324. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Adult.— Upper  plumage  very  dark  brown;  primaries  dark-ash;  secondaries  ash 
on  the  outer  webs,  and  white  on  the  inner;  bill  pale-blue,  dusky  on  the  ridge  of  the 
upper  mandible,  both  mandibles  crossed  with  a  broad  black  band,  including  the  nos- 
trils; chin  and  throat  marked  with  a  conspicuous  black  patch  nearly  two  inches  in 
eeks  and  sides  of  the  neck  brownish-gray;  lower  part  of  the  neck,  upper 


THE   PIED-BILL   GREBE.  563 

part  of  the  breast,  and  the  sides,  dull  rusty-brown,  spotted  and  rather  indis- 
tinctly barred  with  brownish-black;  lower  part  of  breast  and  abdomen  grayish- 
white,  mottled  with  dusky  spots;  iris  brown;  tarsi  and  feet  grayish-black. 

Young.  —  The  throat  is  white  and  the  bill  without  the  transverse  black  band,  the 
under  plumage  more  silvery- white ;  in  other  respects  the  same  as  the  adult ;  some 
specimens,  probably  the  birds  of  the  year,  have  whitish  lines  on  the  sides  of  the 
head. 

Length,  fourteen  inches;  wing,  five  and  a  quarter;  bill,  seven-eighths;  tarsus, 
one  and  a  half  inch. 

Hob.  —  Atlantic  States  generally;  Texas  and  New  Mexico;  California  and 
Oregon. 

This  is  the  most  common  Grebe  in  New  England,  where 
it  is  a  summer  resident.  It  undoubtedly  breeds  in  all  these 
States,  as  it  is  frequently  taken  in  the  breeding  season ;  but 
its  nest,  owing  to  the  secluded  habits  of  the  bird,  is  very 
rarely  found.  It  is  described  as  being  similar  to  that  of  the 
preceding  species.  The  eggs,  five  in  number,  are  covered 
with  a  calcareous  deposit,  which  gives  them  a  dirty  yellow- 
ish-white color :  on  scraping  this  off,  the  shell  beneath  has 
a  bluish-white  tint.  The  form  of  the  egg  is  exactly  ovoidal. 
Specimens  in  my  collection,  from  Illinois,  measure  about 

2.17  inches  in  length  by  1.45  inch  in  their  greatest  breadth. 
Another,  from  Wisconsin,  is  only  1.95  inch  in  length,  and 

1.18  inch  at  its  greatest  breadth. 


564  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 


FAMILY  ALCID^E. 

Bill  without  lamellae  along  the  edges;  usually  shorter  than  the  head,  compressed, 
and  pointed;  anterior  toes  connected  fully  by  a  continuous  membrane;  hind  toe 
often  entirely  wanting;  the  outer  as  large  as  the  middle;  the  claws  higher  than 
broad;  legs  inserted  far  back;  wings  short,  concave. 

The  Alcidas  are  readily  distinguished  from  the  Colymbi&z  by  the  absence  of  hind 
toe,  the  continuous  webbing  of  the  toes,  the  compressed  claws,  and  other  characters. 
The  species  are  all  exclusively  marine,  usually  arctic,  only  coming  southward  in 
winter.  Owing  to  their  boreal  residence,  they  are  little  known ;  and  several  species 
doubtless  yet  remain  to  be  discovered. 


Sub-Family  ALCIN^:. — The  Auks. 
ALGA,  LINNJEUS. 

Alca>  LINN.EUS,  Syst.  Nat.  (1758). 

General  form  short,  broad,  and  strong;  wings  short;  tail  short;  bill  about  as 
long  as  the  head,  feathered  at  base,  much  flattened  laterally,  wider,  and  somewhat 
hooked  at  the  end;  upper  mandible  with  oblique  transverse  grooves;  wings  short 
and  feeble;  tail  short,  pointed;  legs  and  feet  short  and  strong;  toes  fully  webbed. 

ALGA  TORDA.  —  Linnaeus. 
The  Razor-billed  Auk. 

Alca  torda,  Linnaeus.  Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1758)  130.  Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835) 
112;  V.  428. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Much  smaller  than  the  preceding;  general  form  short  and  heavy;  bill  rather 
long,  densely  feathered  at  base,  flattened  laterally ;  upper  mandible  with  three  to  five 
curved  transverse  grooves ;  under  mandible  with  three  or  four  transverse  grooves ; 
feathers  on  side  of  upper  jaw  reaching  far  beyond  the  middle  of  the  commissure,  and 
nearly  as  far  as  those  of  the  lower  jaw;  wing  moderate,  pointed;  tail  short,  gradu- 
ated, with  the  middle  feathers  longest  and  pointed ;  legs  short,  strong ;  a  narrow 
but  very  distinct  line  of  white  on  each  side  from  the  base  of  the  upper  mandible  to 
the  eye;  head  and  entire  upper  parts  brownish-black,  more  clearly  brown  on  the 
throat  and  neck  in  front,  and  darker  on  the  back ;  secondary  quills  narrowly  tipped 
with  white;  entire  under  parts  white;  bill  black,  with  a  single  transverse  band  of 
white  on  both  mandibles;  feet  black. 

Total  length,  about  seventeen  inches;  wing,  eight  to  eight  and  a  half;  tail,  three 
and  a  half;  bill  to  gape,  two  and  a  half  inches. 

Hnb.  —  North-eastern  coast  of  America ;  Newfoundland,  Labrador,  and  south  in 
winter  to  New  Jersey;  also,  arctic  regions  of  Old  World. 


THE   RAZOR-BILLED   AUK.  565 

This  well-known  species  is  very  abundant  on  the  north-eastern  coasts  of  North 
America,  and  appears  to  be  quite  identical  with  the  bird  of  the  northern  regions  of 
the  Old  World.  It,  wanders  southwardly  in  the  winter,  and  is  occasionally  noticed 
on  the  coasts  of  the  Middle  States  on  the  Atlantic.  This  bird  may  always  be  recog- 
nized by  the  conspicuous  white  line  in  front  of  the  eye,  which  is  present  in  all  ages 
and  stages  of  plumage. 

THIS  species  visits  our  coasts,  in  small  numbers  only,  in 
the  winter  months.     It  breeds  in  the  most  northern  por- 
tions of  the  continent,  the  nearest  breeding-place  to  New 
England  being  the  islands  in  the  Bay  of  Fundy.     Audu- 
bon,  in  describing  the  breeding  habits  of  this  bird,  says, — 

"  When  the  Auks  deposit  their  eggs  along  with  the  Guillemots, 
which  they  sometimes  do,  they  drop  them  in  spots  from  which  the 
water  can  escape  without  injuring  them :  but  when  they  breed  in 
deep  fissures,  which  is  more  frequently  the  case,  many  of  them  lie 
close  together ;  and  the  eggs  are  deposited  on  small  beds  of  pebbles 
or  broken  stones,  raised  a  couple  of  inches  or  more  to  let  the  water 
pass  beneath  them.  When  they  lay  their  eggs  in  such  a  horizontal 
cavern,  you  find  them  scattered  at  the  distance  of  a  few  inches 
from  each  other :  and  there,  as  well  as  in  the  fissures,  they  sit  flat 
upon  them,  —  like  Ducks,  for  example;  whereas,  on  an  exposed 
rock,  each  bird  stands  almost  upright  upon  its  egg.  Another  thing, 
quite  as  curious,  which  I  observed,  is  that,  while  in  exposed  situa- 
tions, the  Auk  seldom  lays  more  than  one  egg ;  yet,  in  places  of 
greater  security,  I  have,  in  many  instances,  found  two  under  a  sin- 
gle bird.  The  eggs  measure  at  an  average  3^  by  2£  inches,  and 
are  generally  pure-white,  greatly  blotched  with  dark-brown  or 
black ;  the  spots  generally  forming  a  circle  towards  the  larger  end. 
They  differ  considerably  from  those  of  the  Common  and  Thick- 
billed  Guillemots,  being  less  blunted  at  the  smaller  end." 

It  is  a  matter  of  great  difficulty  to  distinguish  the  eggs 
of  this  species  from  those  of  the  Murre  and  Foolish  Guille- 
mot. In  a  large  number  of  each  in  my  collection,  I  can 
discover  no  characteristic  peculiar  to  either  so  persistent 
as  to  distinguish  it.  The  exception  noted  by  Audubon,  of 
the  small  end  being  less  sharpened  than  the  others,  is 


566  ORNITHOLOGY   AND   OOLOGY. 

the  principal ;  yet  this  is  not  invariable,  and  it  cannot  be 
depended  upon  as  a  sure  means  of  identification. 


MORMON,  ILLIGER. 

3/braow,  ILLIGER,  Prod.  (1811),  283. 

General  form  short  and  heavy,  and  adapted  to  swimming  and  diving  with  great 
facility,  and  to  limited  power  of  flight;  bill  short,  entirely  horny,  much  flattened 
laterally,  and  nearly  as  high  as  long;  measured  on  the  side  obliquely  rugose  and 
laminated;  a  portion  at  the  base  punctulated;  nostril  in  the  edge  of  and  in  the 
second  lamina  of  the  upper  mandible;  wing  moderate  or  rather  weak,  first  quill 
usually  longest;  tail  short;  legs  short;  toes,  three  only,  directed  forwards,  rather 
long,  fully  webbed;  claws  large,  curved;  plumage  very  compact. 

MORMON  ARCTICA.  —  llliger. 
The  Puffin. 

Aka  arctica,  Linnaeus.    Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  211. 

Mormon  arctica,  llliger.    Prod.  (1811).    Aud.  Orn.  Biog.,  III.  105. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Smaller  than  either  of  the  preceding,  but  much  resembling  the  two  last  species 
in  form  and  color;  a  short,  blunt  process  over  each  eye,  and  a  narrow  transverse 
process  under  it;  bill  much  flattened  laterally,  horny;  upper  mandible  composed  of 
two  parts,  that  at  the  base  narrow,  and  covered  with  minute  spots  or  granulations, 
terminal  part  with  about  four  curved  ridges  at  its  base,  and  two  or  three  curved 
descending  grooves  near  the  end ;  under  mandible  smooth  at  base,  and  with  about 
three  grooves  near  its  end ;  wing  rather  short  and  weak ;  tail  short ;  legs  and  feet 
strong ;  throat  black,  uniting  with  the  same  color  of  the  upper  parts  of  the  body ; 
large  space  on  each  side  of  the  head  and  entire  under  parts,  from  the  throat,  white, 
frequently  tinged  with  ashy  about  the  eyes;  entire  upper  parts  (and  throat)  brown- 
ish-black, darker,  and  frequently  clear  black  on  the  back;  head  above  frequently 
dark-ash}r,  separated  by  a  well-defined  line  from  the  black  of  the  other  upper  parts ; 
bill  and  feet  orange-yellow ;  sides,  under  the  wings,  ashy-black ;  iris  light-blue. 

Total  length,  about  twelve  and  a  half  inches ;  wing,  seven  and  a  half;  tail,  two 
and  three-quarters  inches. 

This  bird  is  not  uncommon  on  the  coast  of  northern  New 
England  as  a  winter  visitor,  and  a  few  breed  on  the  islands 
about  Grand  Menan.  The  nest  is  placed  in  a  burrow  in  the 
earth,  dug  by  the  birds.  "  In  all  the  burrows  that  commu- 
nicate with  each  other,  a  round  place  is  scooped  out  on  one 
side  of  the  avenue  in  the  form  of  an  oven ;  while,  in  those 
which  are  single,  this  ovenlike  place  is  found  at  the  end. 
All  the  passages  are  flattish  above  and  rounded  beneath,  as 


THE   GUILLEMOT.  567 

well  as  on  the  sides.  In  many  instances,  two  birds  are 
found  sitting  each  on  its  egg  in  the  same  hole.  Both  birds 
work  in  digging  the  hole,  using  their  bills  and  feet:  they 
also  sit  alternately  on  their  egg,  although  the  female  engages 
more  industriously  in  this  occupation,  while  the  male  labors 
harder  at  the  burrow.  But  one  egg  is  laid  :  this  is  at  first 
pure-white ;  but  it  soon  becomes  soiled  and  stained,  and 
appears  to  be  a  dirty  yellowish-white.  Its  form  is  a  pure 
ovoidal.  A  number  of  specimens  in  my  collection  are  from 
2.48  to  2.30  inches  in  length,  and  from  1.70  to  1.65  inch  in 
their  greatest  breadth.  Some  specimens  are  marked  with 
spots  and  blotches  of  brownish-red,  —  the  proportion  of 
marked  ones  being  about  two  in  five. 


Sub-Family  URIN^:.  —  The   Guillemots. 

URIA,   MOEHRING. 

Uria,  MOERHING,  Av.  Gen.  (1752).  (Type  Colymbus  grytte,  L.) 
General  form  short  and  robust;  head  moderate;  bill  rather  long,  straight,  some- 
what compressed,  pointed,  angle  of  the  under  mandible  distinct ;  nostrils  in  a  groove 
at  base  of  upper  mandible,  the  membrane  of  which  is  covered  with  short  velvet-like 
feathers;  wings  short,  pointed ;  tail  short;  legs  short  and  robust ;  tarsus  shorter  than 
the  middle  toe,  compressed  ;  toes  rather  long,  fully  webbed ;  claws  rather  strong, 
curved. 

URIA  GRILLE.  —  Latham. 
The  Guillemot. 

Alca  grylle,  Linnams.    Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1758)  130. 

Una  grylle,  Audubon.    Orn.  Biog.,  III.  (1835)  148;  V.  627. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  straight,  pointed;  wing  rather  short,  weak;  first  quill  longest;  tail  short; 
a  large  oval  transverse  space  on  the  wing  white,  which  is  also  the  color  of  the  under 
wing  coverts  and  axillary  feathers,  outer  edge  of  the  wing  and  shoulder  brownish- 
black  ;  all  other  parts  of  the  plumage  brownish-black,  with  a  greenish  tinge,  and 
darker  on  the  back;  bill  black  ;  feet  red. 

Younger.  —  Under  parts,  neck,  and  rump,  white ;  head  above  and  back  dark- 
brown;  large  space  of  white  on  the  wing. 

Total  length,  about  thirteen  inches ;  wing,  six  and  half;  tail,  two  inches. 


568  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  OOLOGY. 

This  species  is  pretty  abundant  on  our  coasts ;  and  it  is 
said  to  breed  on  rocky  islands,  from  Mount  Desert  eastward. 
It. can  therefore  be  considered  as  a  resident  of  north-eastern 
New  England  through  the  year.  It  is  found  all  along 
our  shores  in  the  winter,  but  not  in  any  great  abundance ; 
and  it  is  less  common  on  the  shores  of  Massachusetts,  than 
on  those  of  Maine.  Like  the  other  Auks  and  Guillemots, 
it  is  an  expert  diver ;  and  it  obtains  its  food  by  diving  and 
swimming  beneath  the  surface  of  the  water :  this  food,  as 
with  the  others,  consists  principally  of  fish,  which  it  seizes 
in  its  bill,  and  swallows  whole.  It  also  eats  various  small 
marine  animals  and  their  eggs  ;  and,  like  the  others,  picks 
up  such  floating  garbage  as  may  conle  in  its  way. 

The  eggs,  three  in  number,  are  placed  on  the  bare  rock 
or  earth,  usually  in  fissures  of  cliffs  or  almost  inaccessible 
ledges.  These  are  exactly  ovoidal  in  form,  and  vary  in 
color  from  a  pale  greenish-white  to  a  pure  pearl-white. 
This  is  covered  irregularly  with  spots  and  blotches  of  dif- 
ferent shades  of  brown  and  black,  thickest  at  the  great  end, 
where  they  are  usually  almost  confluent  into  a  ring  around 
the  whole  egg.  Besides  these  spots,  there  are  others  of  an 
obscure-purple  scattered  over  the  egg,  that  appear  as  if  they 
were  beneath  the  outside  of  the  shell.  The  dimensions  of 
the  eggs  of  this  species  vary  from  2.40  by  1.60  inch  to  2.25 
by  1.50  inch. 

UEIA  LOMVIA.  —  Briinnich. 
The  Foolish  Guillemot;  the  Murre. 

Uria  lomvia,  Briinnich.    Orn.  Bor.  (1764),  27. 
Colymbug  troile,  Linnaeus.    Syst.  Nat.,  I.  (1766)  220. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Bill  rather  long,  pointed,  compressed ;  from  the  lateral  feathers  longer  than  the 
tarsus,  or  than  the  inner  toe  and  claw;  a  narrow  line  under  and  behind  the  eye 
dark-brown;  head  above,  and  entire  other  upper  parts,  brownish-black;  sides  of  the 
head,  and  entire  under  parts,  white ;  sides  of  the  body  under  the  wing  with  trans- 
verse stripes  of  ashy-brown ;  under  wing  coverts  white,  secondary  quills  tipped  with 
white;  bill  blackish-brown,  paler  at  base ;  tarsi  and  feet  dark  greenish-brown ;  sum- 


THE   FOOLISH   GUILLEMOT.  569 

mer  plumage,  with  the  entire  hind  and  upper  parts  of  body,  dark  sooty-brown; 
under  parts  white ;  head  and  orbital  region  dusky,  without  white  stripes. 

Total  length,  about  fifteen  inches;  wing,  seven  and  a  half;  tail,  two  inches. 

Hah,  —  Northern  coasts  of  America ;  Northern  Europe  and  Asia. 

This  bird  is  rather  common  on  our  coast  in  the  winter 
months,  and  is  said  to  breed  in  small  numbers  about  the 
Bay  of  Fundy.  As  a  general  thing,  however,  it  passes  the 
season  of  incubation  in  more  northern  localities,  and  is  very 
abundant  on  the  coast  of  Labrador,  where,  on  the  low 
islands,  it  breeds,  laying  a  single  egg,  like  the  Razor-billed 
Auk,  on  the  bare  rock  or  gravel.  It  is  impossible  to  de- 
scribe the  egg  of  this  species  in  a  manner  that  will  lead  to 
its  being  distinguished  -from  that  of  the  Murre  or  Razor- 
billed  Auk. 

Audubon  makes  the  following  observations,  which  are,  of 
course,  of  more  value  to  the  collector  than  to  the  student, 
who  has  no  opportunities  of  visiting  the  breeding-grounds 
of  these  birds.  He  says  :  — 

"  The  Foolish  Guillemot  lays  only  a  single  egg,  which  is  the 
case  with  the  Thick-billed  Guillemot  also.  The  Razor-billed  Auk 
lays  two,  and  the  Black  Guillemot  usually  three.  This  is  confirmed 
by  the  fact,  that  the  Foolish  Guillemot,  which  lays  only  one  egg, 
plucks  the  feathers  from  its  abdomen,  which  is  thus  left  bare  over 
a  roundish  space,  just  large  enough  to  cover  its  single  egg.  The 
Thick-billed  Guillemot  does  the  same.  The  Auk,  on  the  contrary, 
forms  two  bare  spots,  separated  by  a  ridge  of  feathers.  The  Black 
Guillemot,  to  cover  her  three  eggs,  and  to  warm  them  all  at  once, 
plucks  a  space  bare  quite  across  her  belly." 

One  peculiarity  which  I  notice  in  the  eggs  of  this  species 
and  those  of  the  Murre  is,  that  they  are  generally  some- 
what pyriform  in  shape  :  but  this  is  not  persistent ;  and  the 
same  rock  may  contain  a  deep-green  egg  with  brown  spots 
and  blotches,  a  light-blue  one  with  hardly  any  marks,  and 
cream-colored  ones,  drab,  reddish-white,  and  bluish-white, 
some  with  only  a  few  spots  and  blotches,  and  others  thickly 
marked.  It  may  also  have  pyriform  eggs,  ovoidal,  ovate, 


570  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 

and  almost  oval  ones.  The  only  means  of  perfect  identi- 
fication of  either  of  these  species  is  to  visit  their  breeding- 
places,  and  secure  the  parent  birds  on  their  nests. 

The  dimensions  vary  from  3.50  by  2.15  inches  to  2.95  by 
by  1.78  inch. 

UEIA  EINGVIA.—  Brunmch. 
The  Murre. 

Uria  ringvia,  Briinnich.    Orn.  Bor.  (1764)  28. 
Uria  troile,  Audubon.    Orn.  Bor.,  III.  (1835)  142. 

DESCRIPTION. 

About  the  size  of,  or  rather  larger  than,  the  preceding;  bill  rather  long,  pointed, 
compressed ;  from  the  lateral  feathers,  longer  than  the  tarsus,  or  than  the  inner  toe  and 
claw;  wings  rather  short:  tail  very  short;  a  narrow  line  of  white  encircling  and  run- 
ning backwards  behind  the  eye  and  over  the  ear ;  head  and  entire  upper  parts  dark- 
brown,  with  a  tinge  of  ashy;  under  parts  white;  sides  with  transverse  stripes  of 
ashy-brown;  under  wing  coverts  white;  bill  black;  feet  greenish-black;  winter 
plumage,  with  the  throat  and  all  other  under  parts,  white;  the  white  line  behind  the 
eye  frequently  wanting,  and  different  in  length  in  specimens. 

Total  length,  about  seventeen  inches;  wing,  seven  and  a  half  to  eight  inches; 
tail,  two  inches. 

Hob.  —  Northern  America,  Northern  Europe,  and  Asia. 

The  same  remarks  are  applicable  to  this  as  to  the  Foolish 
Guillemot.  It  is  northern  in  its  habits,  and  is  more  abun- 
dant on  the  coast  of  Maine  than  farther  south. 


MERGULUS,  RAY. 

Mergulus,  RAY,  Syn.  Av.  (1713),  125. 

Small;  general  form  short  and  heavy ;  head  rather  large ;  bill  short,  thick ;  upper 
mandible  curved,  slightly  lobed  on  its  edge ;  membrane  of  the  rounded  nostril  large ; 
wings  moderate  or  rather  short,  pointed;  first  quill  longest;  tail  short;  feet  rather 
short. 

MERGULUS  ALLE.  —  Linnaus. 
The  Little  Auk ;  the  Sea  Dove  ;  Dovekie. 

Aka  atte,  Linnaeus.    Syst.  Nat,  I.  (1766)  211. 
Uria  atte,  Audubon.    Orn.  Bor.,  IV.  (1838)  304. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Small;  head,  breast,  and  entire  upper  parts,  brownish-black,  inclining  to  fuligi- 
nous on  the  head  and  breast;  under  parts  from  the  breast  white;  a  narrow  line  of 
white  over  the  eye;  secondaries  tipped  with  white;  scapulars  edged  with  white; 


THE   LITTLE    AUK.  571 

under  wing  coverts  dark-ashy;  flanks  with  longitudinal  stripes  of  brownish-black; 
bill  black ;  feet  pale-reddish ;  webs  of  toes  dark ;  winter  plumage  and  young,  with 
the  throat  and  other  under  parts,  white,  extending  somewhat  on  the  sides  of  the 
neck. 

Total  length,  about  seven  and  a  half  inches ;  wing,  four  and  a  half;  tail,  one  and 
a  quarter  inch. 

One  of  the  most  abundant  of  the  sea-birds  of  northern  America  and  Europe, 
straying  south  in  the  winter  occasionally  to  the  coasts  of  the  Middle  States. 

This  curious  little  bird  is  not  uncommon  on  our  coast  in 
winter.  In  severe  storms,  it  is  occasionally  blown  far 
inland ;  and  it  has  been  killed  in  the  Umbagog  Lakes,  in 
the  north-western  part  of  Maine.  I  know  but  little  of  its 
habits.  Wilson  says  :  — 

"  The  Little  Auk  is  said  to  be  but  a  rare  visitant  of  the 
British  Isles.  It  is  met  with  in  various  parts  of  the  North, 
even  as  far  as  Spitzbergen ;  is  common  in  Greenland,  in 
company  with  the  Black-billed  Auk,  and  feeds  upon  the 
same  kind  of  food.  The  Greenlanders  call  it  the  Ice-bird, 
from  the  circumstance  of  its  being  the  harbinger  of  ice.  It 
lays  two  bluish- white  eggs,  larger  than  those  of  the  Pigeon. 
It  flies  quick,  and  dives  well,  and  is  always  dipping  its  bill 
into  the  water  while  swimming  or  at  rest  on  that  element ; 
walks  better  on  the  land  than  others  of  the  genus.  It  grows 
fat  in  the  stormy  season,  from  the  waves  bringing  plenty  of 
crabs  and  small  fish  within  its  reach.  It  is  not  a  very  crafty 
bird,  and  may  be  easily  taken." 


NOTES. 

I  conclude  herewith  Mr.  Couper's  notes  on  the  foregoing 
species,  made  at  Quebec,  Lower  Canada :  — 

ANSER  HYPERBOREUS.  —  Common  on  the  St.  Lawrence  in  the  fall. 

BERNICLA  CANADENSIS.  —  This  is  our  most  common  species.  It  goes 
north  and  west  to  breed.  They  breed  abundantly  in  the  swamps  of  Illinois. 
A  few  breed  in  Anticosti ;  and  I  believe  they  are  to  be  found  breeding  in 
Labrador. 


572  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   OOLOGY. 

ANAS  BOSCHAS.  —  Uncommon. 

A.  OBSCURA.  —  This  duck  is  very  common  here.     It  is  truly  a  northern 
species.    It  breeds  in  the  swamps  adjacent  to  this  city. 

DAFILA  ACUTA.  —  Common  in  spring :  a  few  visit  us  in  the  fall. 
NETTION  CAROLINENSIS.  —  Common.    Breeds. 
QUERQUEDULA  DISCORS.  —  Uncommon. 
SPATULA  CLTPEATA.  — Uncommon. 

MARECA  AMERICANA.  —  The  adult  bird  is  seldom  seen  in  this  latitude. 
AIX  SPONSA.  —  Sometimes  common.    Breeds. 

FULIX  MARILA.  —  The  young  are  abundant  on  the  St.  Lawrence  during 
autumn.  They  breed  north-west  of  Quebec. 

F.  AFFINIS.  —  Occasional  specimens  are  shot  at  Sorel  and  Three  Rivers. 
It  is  more  abundant  in  Western  Canada. 

F.  COLLARIS.  —  Occasional. 
ATTHTA  AMERICANA.  —  Occasional. 

BUCEPHALA  AMERICANA.  —  Very  common  in  spring  and  fall.  Breeds 
in  Canada. 

B.  ISLANDICA.  —  Adult  birds  are  occasionally  shot  on  the  lakes.     The 
young  are  abundant  on  the  St.  Lawrence  during  the  early  part  of  winter.     I 
have  seen  the  adult  on  Lac  a  ia  Philip  in  July. 

B.  ALBEOLA.  —  Common  in  spring  and  fall. 

HISTRIONICUS  TORQUATUS- — Common  on  the  north  shore  of  the  St. 
Lawrence.  A  beautiful  adult  male  was  shot  in  the  spring,  on  the  Montmo- 
renci  River,  near  Quebec. 

HARELDA  GLACIALIS.  —  Occasional  near  Quebec.  Common  on  the 
upper  lakes  in  spring  and  fall. 

PELIONETTA  PERSPICILLATA.  —  Very  common  in  the  fall  at  Mille 
Vaclies,  lower  St.  Lawrence. 

SOMATERIA  MOLLISSIMA.  —  Common  on  the  north  shore  of  the  St. 
Lawrence.  Breeds  on  islands  in  the  river  below  the  Saguenay. 

MERGUS  AMERICANUS.  —  Common.    Breeds. 
M.  SERRATOR.  —  Common  in  spring  and  fall. 

LOPHODYTES  CUCULLATUS. — Adult  is  occasionally  seen.  Young  visit 
the  St.  Lawrence  in  the  fall.  Breeds  on  the  margins  of  northern  lakes. 

LARUS  ARGENTATUS.  —  Common  on  the  St.  Lawrence  in  spring  and 
fall.  Breeds  on  our  mountain  lakes. 


NOTES.  573 

LARUS  DELAWAEENSIS.  —  The  young  are  occasionally  seen  hovering 
over  the  river,  opposite  the  city,  in  autumn.  Breeds  in  Labrador. 

CHROICOCEPHALUS  PHILADELPHIA.  —  The  young  of  this  Gull  are  com- 
mon in  the  St.  Lawrence  during  autumn.  Adult  rare.  They  are  supposed 
to  breed  on  the  islands  of  the  St.  Lawrence. 

STERNA  WILSONIL —  The  young  are  common  in  the  autumn.  Adult 
birds  are  occasionally  seen  on  their  way  to  the  upper  lakes. 

COLYMBUS  TORQUATUS.  —  Common  on  all  our  northern  lakes.    Breeds. 

URIA  LOMVIA.  —  This  species  makes  an  occasional  foolish  visit  to  the  fresh 
waters  of  the  St.  Lawrence.'  In  the  fall  of  1866,  hundreds  were  destroyed 
by  the  inhabitants,  who  sold  them  to  hucksters  to  exhibit  on  the  market  as 
an  article  of  food. 


INDEXES. 


INDEX   OF   COMMON   NAMES. 


A. 

American  Avoset,  436. 

Bittern,  405. 

Creeper,  190. 

Goldfinch,  288. 

Osprey,  55. 

Raven,  355. 

Swan,  480. 

Widgeon,  499. 

Woodcock,  426. 
Auk,  Little.  570. 

Razor-billed,  564. 
Avoset,  American,  436. 

B. 

Bald  Eagle,  51. 
Baldpate  Duck,  499. 
Baltimore  Oriole,  348. 
Barrow's  Golden-eye  Duck,  511. 
Belted  Kingfisher,  125. 
Bittern,  American,  405. 

Least,  403. 
Blackbird,  Cow,  339. 

Crow,  352. 

Bed-winged,  341. 

Rusty,  350. 
Bluebird,  175. 
Blue  Jay,  364. 

Snowbird,  314. 
Bobolink,  335. 
Brant,  485. 

Bull -head  Plover,  413. 
Bunting,  Black-throated,  327. 
Bunting,  Cow,  339. 

Henslow's,  306. 
Snow,  296. 
Butcher-bird,  268. 
Buzzard  Hawks,  34. 

c. 

Canada  Flycatcher,  247. 
Goose,  483. 
Grouse,  378. 
Jay,  366,  372. 


Canvas-back  Duck,  507. 
Carolina  Dove,  375. 
Cat-bird,  172. 
Cedar-bird,  265. 
Chat,  Yellow-breasted,  209. 
Chatterer,  Bohemian,  264. 
Chewink,  332. 
Chick-a-dee,  182. 
Chimney  Swallow,  116. 
Coot,  American,  476. 

Butter-billed,  520. 
White-winged,  518. 
Cormorant,  Common,  534. 

Double-crested,  535. 
Cow  Blackbird,  339. 
Creeper,  American,  190. 

Black  and  White,  201. 
Crossbill,  Red,  291. 

White-winged,  293. 
Crow  Blackbird,  352. 
Crow,  Common,  357. 

Fish,  363. 
Cuckoo,  Black-billed,  85. 

Yellow-billed,  83. 
Cuckoos,  82. 
Curlew,  Esquimaux,  469. 

Hudsonian,  467. 

Long-billed,  466. 

Short-billed,  467. 
Curlew  Sandpiper,  443. 


D. 

Dipper,  525. 

Diver,  Great  Northern,  555. 

Red-throated,  557. 
Dove,  Carolina,  375. 
Dovekie,  570. 
Ducks,  River,  487. 

Sea,  503. 
Duck,  Baldpate,  499. 

Barrow's  Golden-eye,  511. 

Big  Black-head,  504. 

Black,  28,  489. 

Buffle-head,  514. 

Butter-ball,  514. 

Canvas-back,  507. 

37  [577] 


578 


INDEX   OF    COMMON   NAMES. 


Duck,  Dipper,  514,  525. 
Dusky,  28,  489. 
Eider,  522. 
Gadwall,  497. 
Golden-eye,  512. 
Harlequin,  515. 
King  Eider,  523. 
Little  Black-head,  505. 
Long-tailed,  516. 
Mallard,  487. 
Old  Wife,  516. 
Pintail,  492. 
Red  Head,  506. 
Ruddy,  525. 
Scaup,  504. 
Scoter,  521. 
South  Southerly,  516. 
Spoonbill,  496. 
Sprigtail,  492. 
Summer,  500. 
Surf,  520. 
Velvet,  618. 
Whistle-wing,  512. 
Wood,  500. 


E. 

Engles,  49. 
Eagle,  Bald,  51. 

Golden,  49,  81. 

Gray,  51. 

White-headed,  51. 

F. 

Falcons,  7. 
Finches,  283. 
Finch,  Bay-winged,  303. 
(,r;i>s,  303. 
I'ine,  290. 
Purple,  285. 
Sea-side,  308. 
Sharp-tailed,  307. 
Flicker,  105. 

Flycatcher,  Acadian,  143. 
Canada,  247. 
Great-crested,  131. 
Green-crested,  143. 
Least,  141. 
Olive-sided,  135. 
Pewee,  133. 
Traill's,  140. 
Wilson's  Black-cap,  246. 
Wood  Pewee,  137. 


G. 

Gannet,  Common,  632. 
Godwit,  Hudsonian,  465. 

Marbled,  463. 
Goldfinch,  American,  288. 
Goosander,  627. 
Goose,  Canada,  483. 


Goose,  Snow,  482. 
Solan,  532. 
Goshawk,  22. 
Grebe,  Carolina,  562. 
Crested,  560. 
Horned,  561. 
Pied-billed,  562. 
Red-necked,  559. 
Greenlets,  270. 
Grosbeak,  Pine,  283. 

Rose-breasted,  328. 
Ground  Robin,  332. 
Grouse,  Canada,  378. 
Pinnated,  380. 
Ruffed,  388. 
Spruce,  378. 
Guillemot,  Common.  567. 

Foolish,  568. 
Gull,  Bonaparte's,  543. 

Great  Black-backed,  540. 
Herring,  541. 
Kittiwake,  544. 
Laughing,  542. 


H. 

Harrier,  46,  81. 
Hawk,  Black,  45. 

Broad-winged,  40,  81. 

Cooper's,  27. 

Duck,  7,  16. 

Fish,  55,  81. 

Gos,  22,  81. 

Great-footed,  7, 16. 

Marsh,  46,  81. 

Night,  122. 

Pigeon,  16,  80. 

Red-shouldered,  37. 

Red-tailed,  35. 

Rough-legged,  43,  81. 

Sharp-shinned,  31,  81. 

Sparrow,  19,  80. 
Heron,  Great  Blue,  401. 

Green,  406. 

Night,  409. 

Snowy,  398. 

Hooded  Merganser,  529. 
Humming-bird,  Ruby-throated,  111. 


Indigo^bird,  330. 


I. 


J. 


Jay,  Blue,  364. 
Canada,  366. 

K. 

King-bird,  128. 
Kingfisher,  Belted,  125. 
Kites,  46. 


INDEX   OF   COMMON   NAMES. 


579' 


L. 

Lapland  Longspur,  300. 
Lark,  Meadow,  343. 

Tit,  200. 

Lesser  Redpoll,  294. 
Loon,  Great  Northern,  555. 

Red-throated,  557. 


M. 

Mallard  Duck,  487. 
Marsh  Hen,  471. 
Martin,  Purple,  260. 
Maryland  Yellow-throat,  205. 
Meadow  Lark,  343. 
Mealy  Redpoll,  295. 
Merganser,  Red-breasted,  526. 
Mocking-bird,  167. 
Murre,  568,  570. 


N. 

Night  Hawk,  409. 

Notes,  by  William  Couper,  80,  368,  396, 

477,  571. 
Nuthatch,  Red-bellied,  188. 

White-bellied,  187. 


o. 

Oriole,  Baltimore,  348. 

Orchard,  346. 
Osprey,  55. 
Oven-bird,  218. 
Owls,  60. 
Owl,  Acadian,  75,  81. 

Barred,  73,  81. 

Great  Gray,  72,  81. 

Great  Horned,  60,  81. 

Hawk,  79,  81. 

Long-eared,  68,  81. 

Mottled,  64. 

Red,  64. 

Saw-whet,  75,  81. 

Screech,  64. 

Short-eared,  70,  81. 

Snowy,  77,  81. 
Oyster-catcher,  American, 


P. 

Partridges,  393. 
Passenger  Pigeon,  373. 
Peep,  447,  450. 
Petrel,  Leach's,  552. 

Wilson's,  553. 
Pewee,  133. 
Pewee,  Wood,  137. 
Phalarope,  Northern,  424. 
Pigeon,  Wild,  373. 


Pine  Finch,  290. 

Grosbeak,  283. 
Plover,  Bartram's.  460. 

Black-bellied,  422. 

Field,  460. 

Golden,  413. 

Kill-deer,  415. 

Piping,  421. 

Semipalmated,  419. 

Wilson's,  418. 

Upland,  460. 
Puffin,  Arctic,  566. 
Purple  Finch,  285 

Q. 

Qua-bird,  409. 
Quail,  Virginia,  393. 


R. 

Rail,  Carolina,  474. 

Clapper,  471. 

Marsh,  471. 

Virginia,  472. 

Yellow,  475. 
Raven,  American,  355. 
Red  Start,  249. 
Redpoll,  Lesser,  294. 
Mealy,  295. 
Ring-neck,  419. 
Robin,  154. 

s. 

Sanderling,  449. 
Sandpiper,  Bartram's,  460. 

Bonaparte's,  446. 

Buff-breasted,  462. 

Curlew,  443. 

Gray-back,  440. 

Least,  447,  478. 

Pectoral,  445. 

Purple,  442. 

Red-backed,  444. 

Semipalmated,  450. 

Solitary,  457. 

Spotted,  458. 
Scarlet  Tanager,  251. 
Sea  Dove,  570. 
Seed-eaters,  283. 
Sheldrake,  American,  527. 
Shore  Lark,  280. 
Shoveller  Duck,  496. 
Shrike,  Great  Northern,  268. 
Skua-gulls,  537. 
Skua,  Arctic,  538. 

Pomarine,  538. 
Skylarks,  280. 
Snipe,  English,  429. 

Red-breasted,  438. 
Robin,  440 
Wilson's,  429. 
Snowbird,  314. 


580 


INDEX  OP   COMMON   NAMES. 


Snow  Bunting,  296. 
Sparrow,  Chipping,  320,  372. 

Field,  319. 

Fox-colored,  325. 

Savannah, 301. 

Snow,  314. 

Song,  321. 

Swamp,  323. 

Tree,  317. 

White-crowned,  309. 

White^throated,  811. 

Yellow-winged,  305. 
Stake-driver,  405. 
Starlings,  335. 
Summer  Duck;,  500. 
Swallow,  Bank,  258. 

Barn,  254. 
"Chimney,  116. 

Cliff,  256. 

Eave,  256. 

White-bellied,  257. 
Swan,  American,  480. 

T. 

Tanager,  Scarlet,  251. 
Teal,  Blue-winged,  495. 

Green-winged,  493. 
Tell-tale,  454. 
Tern,  Arctic,  548. 
Caspian,  546. 
Least,  549. 
Marsh,  545. 
Short-tailed,  550. 
Wilson's,  546. 
Thistle-bird,  288. 
Thrasher,  Brown,  163. 
Thrush,  Mrown,  163. 

Golden-crowned,  218. 
Hermit,  148. 
Olive-backed,  152. 
Song,  146. 
Swninson's,  152. 
Tawny,  150. 
Water,  220. 
Wilson's,  150. 
Titlark,  200. 
Titmice,  182 
Titmouse,  Blackcap,  182. 

Hudson's  Hay,  185. 
Towhee  Bunting,  332. 
Turnstone,  434. 
Tyrant  Flycatchers,  128. 

V. 

Virginian  Partridge,  393. 
Vireo,  Blue-headed,  277. 

Red-eyed,  270. 

Solitary,  277. 


Vireo,  Warbling,  273. 
White-eyed,  275. 
Yellow-throated,  278. 

w. 

Warblers,  199. 
Warblers,  Wood,  201. 
Warbler,  Bay-breasted,  228. 
Blackburnian,  227. 
Blackpoll,  233. 
Black-throated  Blue,  224. 
Black-throated  Green,  266. 
Black  and  Yellow,  238. 
Blue  Yellow-backed,  203. 
Blue-winged  Yellow,  212. 
Cape  May,  240. 
Chestnut-sided,  231. 
Connecticut,  208. 
Golden- winged,  214. 
Hooded,  245. 
Magnolia,  238. 

Maryhjhd  Yellow-throat,  205. 
Mourning,  207. 
Nashville,  215. 
Oven,  218. 
Pine-creeping,  229. 
Prairie,  241. 
Tennessee,  217. 
Worm-eating,  211. 
Yellow,  237. 
Yellow  Redpoll,  240. 
Yellow-rumped,  226. 
Whippoorwill,  119. 
Widgeon,  American,  499. 
Willet,  452. 

Woodcock,  American,  426. 
Wood  Pewee,  137. 
Woodpecker,  Banded  Three-toed,  95. 

Black-backed  Three-toed, 

94. 

Downy,  89. 
Golden-winged,  105. 
Hairy,  87. 
Pileated,  99. 
Red-headed,  102. 
Yellow-bellied,  96. 
Wren,  Golden-crested,  179. 
House,  195. 

Long-billed  Marsh,  192. 
Ruby-crowned,  178. 
Short-billed  Marsh,  194. 
Winter,  177. 


Y. 

Yellow-bird,  288. 
Yellow-breasted  Chat,  209. 
Yellow-throat,  Maryland,  205. 
Yellow-legs,  Common,  455. 
Yellow-legs,  Greater,  454. 


INDEX   OF   SCIENTIFIC   NAMES. 


Accipiter  Cooperii,  27. 

fuscus,  31,  81. 

Actiturus  Bartramius,  460,  478. 
jEgialites  melodus,  421. 

semipalmatus,  419,  47? 

vociferus,  415. 

Wilsonius,  418. 
JEgiothus  canescens,  295. 

linaria,  294,  371. 
Agelaius  Phoeniceus,  341,  372. 
Aix  sponsa,  500,  572. 
Alaudidfe,  280. 
Alca  torda,  564. 
Ammodromus  caudacutus,  307. 
maritimus,  308. 
Ampelis  cedrorum,  265,  371. 

garrulus,  264,  370. 
Anas  boschas,  487,  572. 

obscura,  28,  489,  572. 
Anseres,  479,  480. 
Anser  hyperboreus,  482,  571. 
Anthus  Ludovicianus,  200,  369. 
Antrostomus  vociferus,  119,  368. 
Aquila  Canadensis,  49,  81. 
Archibuteo  lagopus,  43,  81. 

Sancti  Johannis,  45. 
Ardea  herodias,  400,  477. 
Ardetta  exilis,  403. 
Astur  atricapillus,  22,  81. 
Aythya  Americana,  506,  572. 
vallisneria,  507. 


B. 

Bernicla  Canadensis,  483,  571. 

brenta,  485. 

Bonasa  umbellus,  388,  396. 
Botaurus  lentiginosus,  405,  477. 
Brachyotus  Cassinii,  70. 
Bubo  Virginianus,  60,  81. 
Bucephald  albeola,  514,  572. 

Americana,  512,  572. 
islandica,  511,  572. 
Buteo  borealis,  35. 
lineatus,  37. 
Pennsylvanicus,  40,  81. 
Butorides  vifescens,  406. 


C. 

Calidris  arenaria,  449,  478. 
Carpodacus  purpureus,  285,  371. 
Certhia  Americana,  190,  371. 
Ceryle  alcyon,  125,  369. 
Chaetura  pelasgia,  116,  368. 
Charadrius  Virginicus,  413,  478. 
Chiiulelasmus  streperus,  497. 
Chordeiles  popetue,  122,  368. 
Chroicocephalus  atricilla,  542. 

Philadelphia,  543,  573. 
Chrysomitris  pinus,  290.  371. 
tristis,  290,  371. 
Circus  Hudsonius,  46,  81. 
Cistothorus  palustris,  192. 
stellaris,  194. 
Clamatores,  5, 125. 
Coccygus  Americanus,  83. 

erythrophthalmus,  85. 
Colaptes  auratus,  105. 
Collyrio  borealis,  268,  371. 
Colymbus  septentrionalis,  557. 
torquatus,  555,  573. 
Contopus  borealis,  135. 

virens,  137,  369. 
Corvus  Americanus,  357,  372. 
carnivorus,  355,  372. 
ossifragus,  363. 
Coturniculus  Henslowi,  306. 

passerinus,  305. 
Cotyle  riparia,  258,  370. 
Cupidonia  Cupido,  380. 
Curvirostra  Americana,  291,  371. 
leucoptera,  293,  371. 
Cyanospiza  cyanea,  330,  372. 
Cyanurus  cristatus,  364,  372. 
Cygnus  Americanus,  480. 


D. 

Dafila  acuta,  492,  572. 
Dendroica  8estiva,  237,  370. 

Blackburniae,  227,  369. 

Canadensis,  224,  369. 

castanea,  228,  370. 

coronata,  226,  369. 

discolor,  241. 

maculosa,  238,  370. 

[581] 


582 


INDEX   OF   SCIENTIFIC   NAMES. 


Dendroica  palmarum.  240. 

Pennsylvanica,  231,  370. 
pinus,*229,  370. 
striata,  233,  370. 
tigrina,  240. 
virens,  222,  369. 

E. 

Ectopistes  migratpria,  373,  396. 
Empidonax  Acadicus,  143. 

minimus,  141. 

Traillii,  140. 

Eremophila  cornuta,  280,  371. 
Ereunetes  petrificatus,  450,  478. 
Erisinatura  rubida,  525. 
Euspiza  Americana,  327. 


F. 

Falco  anatum,  7. 
Eulica  Americana,  476,  478. 
Fulix  affinis,  505,  572. 
marila,  504,  572. 


G. 

Galeoscoptes  Carolinensis,  172. 
Gallinago  Wilsonii,  429,  478. 
Gambetta  flavipes,  455,  478. 

melanoleuca,  454,  478. 
Garzetta  candidissima,  398. 
Geothlypis  Philadelphia,  207. 

trichas,  205,  369. 
Grallatores,  6,  397. 
Graculus  carbo.  534. 

dilophus,  535. 
Guiraca  Ludoviciana,  328,  372. 

H. 

Haematopus  palliatus,  432. 
Halia>tus  leucocephalus,  51. 
Harelda  glacialis,  516,  572. 
Harporhvnchus  rufus,  163. 
Helminthophaga  chrysoptera,  214. 

peregrin  a,  217. 

pinus,  212. 

ruficapilla,  215. 
Helmitherus  vermivorus,  211. 
Hirundo  bicolor,  257,  370. 

horreorum,  254,  370. 
lunifrons,  254,  370. 
Histrionicus  torquatus,  515,  572. 
Hydrochelidon  plumbea,  550. 
Hylatomus  pileatus,  99. 
Hypotriorchis  columbarius,  16,  80. 

I. 

Icteria  viridis,  209. 
Icterus  Baltimore,  348. 


Icterius  spurius,  346. 
Insessores,  108. 

J. 

Junco  hyemalis,  314,  371. 


Larus  argentatus,  541,  572. 

marinus,  540. 
Limosa  fedoa,  463. 

Hudsonica,  465. 
Lophodytes  cucullatus,  529,  572. 

M. 

Macrorhamphus  griseus,  438,  478. 
Mareca  Americana,  499,  572. 
Melanerpes  erythrocephalus,  102. 
Melanetta  velvetina,  518. 
Melospiza  melodia,  321,  372. 
palustris,  323,  372. 
Mergus  Americanus,  527,  572. 

serrator,  526,  572. 
Mergulus  alle,  570. 
Mimus  polyglottus,  167. 
Mniotilta  varia,  201,  369. 
Molothrus  pecoris,  339. 
Mormon  arctica,  566. 
Myiarchus  crinitus,  131. 
Myiodioctes  Canadensis,  247. 

mitratus,  245. 

pusillus,  246. 

N. 

Natatores.  5,  479. 

Nettion  Carolinensis,  493,  572. 

Numenius  borealis,  469,  478. 

Hudsonius,  467,  478. 

longirostris,  466. 
Nyctale  Acadica,  75,  81. 

Richardsonii,  75,  81. 
Nyctea  nivea,  77,  81. 
Nyctiardea  gardeni,  409,  477. 

o. 

Oidemia  Americana,  521. 
Oporornis  agilis,  208. 
Ortyx  Virginianus,  393. 
Oscines,  5,  145. 
Otus  Wilsonianus,  68,  81. 

P. 

Pandion  Carolinensis,  55,  81. 
Parula  Americana,  203. 
Parus  atricapillus,  182,  371. 
Hudsonicus,  185,  371. 
Passerculus  Savanna,  301. 
Passerella  iliaca,  323,  372. 


INDEX   OF   SCIENTIFIC   NAMES. 


583 


Pelionetta  perspicillata,  520,  572. 
Perisoreus  Canadensis,  366,  371. 
Phalaropus  hyperboreus,  424,  478. 
Philohela  minor,  426,  478. 
Picoides  arcticus,  94. 

hirsutus,  95. 
Picus  pubescens,  89. 

villosus,  87. 

Pinicola  Canadcnsis,  283,  371. 
Pipilo  erythrophthalmus,  332. 
Plectrophanes  lapponicus,  300. 
nivalis,  296,  371. 
Podiceps  cornutus,  561. 

cristatus,  560. 

griseigena,  559. 
Podilymbus  podiceps,  562. 
Poocaetes  gramineus,  303.  371. 
Porzana  Carolina,  474,  478. 

Noveboracensis,  475,  478. 
Progne  purpurea,  260,  370. 
Pyranga  rubra,  251,  370. 


Q- 

Querquedula  discors,  495. 
Quiscalus  versicolor,  352,  372. 


R. 

Rallus  crepitans,  471. 

elegans,  471. 

Virgimanus,  472,  478. 
Raptores,  4,  6. 
Rasores,  5,  378. 
Recurvirostra  Americana,  436. 
Regulus  calendula,  178,  369. 

satrapa,  179,  369. 
Rhyacophilus  solitarius,  457,  478. 
Rissa  tridactyla,  544. 

s. 

Sayornis  fuscus,  133. 
Scansores,  4,  82. 

Scolecophagus  ferrugineus,  350,  372. 
Scops  asio,  64. 

Seiurus  aurocapillus,  218,  369. 
Noveboracensis,  220. 
Setophaga  ruticilla,  249,  370. 
Sialia  sialis,  175,  369. 
Sitta  Canadensis,  188,  371. 

Carolinensis,  187. 
Somateria  mollissima,  522,  572. 

spectabilis,  523. 
Spatula  clypeata,  496,  572. 
Sphyrapicus  varius,  96. 
Spizella  monticola,  317,  371. 

pusilla,  319,  371. 

socialis,  320,  371. 
Squatarola  Helvetica,  422,  478. 


Stercorarius  parasiticus,  538. 
pomarinus,  538. 
Sterna  aranea,  545. 

Caspia,  549. 

frenata,  549. 

macroura,  548. 

Wilsonii,  546,  573. 
Strepsilas  interpres,  434,  478. 
Strisores,  4,  110. 
Sturnella  magna,  343. 
Sula  bassana,  532. 
Surnia  ulula,  79,  81. 
Symphemia  semipalmata,  452. 
Syrnium  cinereum,  72.  81. 
nebulosum,  73,  81. 


T. 

Tetrao  Canadensis,  378,  396. 
Thalassidroma  Leachii,  552. 

Wilsonii,  553. 

Tinnunculus  sparverius.  19,  80. 
Tringa  Alpina,  var.  Americana,  444. 

Bonapartii,  446. 

canutus,  440,  478. 

maculata,  478. 

maritima,  442,  478. 

subarquata,  443. 

Wilsonii,  447,  478. 
Tringoides  macularius,  458,  478. 
Trochilus  cnlubris,  111,  368. 
Troglodytes  aedon,  196. 

hyemalis,  197,  371. 
Tryngites  rufescens,  462. 
Turdus  fuscescens,  150,  369. 

migratorius,  154. 

mustelinus,  146. 

Pallasii,  148,  369. 

Swainsonii,  152. 
Tyrannus  Carolinensis,  128,  369. 

u. 

Uria  grylle,  567. 

lomvia,  568,  573. 
ringvia,  570. 


V. 

Vireo  flavifrons,  278. 
gilvus,  273. 
Noveboracensis,  275. 
olivaceus,  270,  371. 
solitarius,  277. 


z. 

Zenaidura  Carolinensis,  375,  396. 
Zonotrichia  albicollis,  311,  371. 
leucophrys,  309,  371. 


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